Office Hours

Some tips for visiting presidents

Don’t assume the editorial staff will have researched you or even your institution. Come prepared to give us a brief introduction. And I mean elevator pitch–brief. Provide some context about where you’re located, what your culture is like, and which institutions you compete with for students. Give us relevant details about your own background and experience.

Come in with something you’re excited about. Often, because I’m in contact with so many leaders, I get to hear about things I think are cool. I say, mention that when you’re in the office. Even things that aren’t ready to be covered. If you can bring in editors and reporters and let them know what’s on the horizon, they’ll be more interested when it comes to fruition. Encourage our staff to ask questions. Make it a conversation.

But don’t come in pitching. No one wants to be asked to do free publicity, especially not journalists. Sure, it’s good to be able to share good news. But once a president goes into flag-waving mode, I start working on Wordle. Presidents are characterologically cheerleaders. Journalists have skepticism in their bones. Make it a conversation.

Get real about the challenges. We know they exist and it’s not because you’re doing a bad job. Don’t be afraid to talk about what you’re facing. Assume, if you’re from a small private college or a regional comprehensive, we have an idea that things might not be rosy. Let us know what you’re doing to keep the lights on. Of course, you can’t say what people say to me all the time (“my board just doesn’t get it” or that you came to an institution without full disclosure of a looming financial disaster). Ask, are you hearing this from other leaders? Make it a conversation.

Don’t be afraid to correct perceptions. In one meeting that didn’t go so well, Doug kept making comments to a president about their student body. That’s because he had an idea from a zillion years about a long-held stereotype, confirmed for him by an n of one. That president was polite and never said (as I did, later), Hey, numbnuts. That’s no longer who those students are. Push back if you need to. Make it a conversation.

View this as an opportunity to learn stuff. This is my main point. Many times, after an hourlong lecture about how great things are on their campus, presidents will, at the very end of the meeting, be asked if they have any questions for us.

Generally they just say, “What are you seeing?” We just say all the things they already know. It’s an uninformative and bland note to end on. That rarely happened with Doug, because he is an active listener and interrupted monologues to get to the goodies. He earned that right after three decades of building trust.

Come in with specific questions. Exploit this knowledge bank. If you’re interested in enrollment issues, ask Liam Knox which stories he’s covered lately that surprised him. Ask Josh Moody about all the presidents who have stepped down in the past year leadership matters. For faculty issues (I mean, are there ever any?), find out what Ryan Quinn’s hearing. Ask Melissa Ezarik about which student success strategies resonated with our readers. Ask Colleen Flaherty about data and surveys. Ask Katherine Knott about the news. Ask Bob Moser which big features are in the works. Ask Sue Greenberg, our managing editor, about anything.

Get to know editor-in-chief Sara Custer, who will not be filling Doug’s shoes but walking in her own.

Oh, and here’s a self-serving request to presidents I know. I’m in the other Washington (Spokane) and Zoom in, so even though your time in D.C. may be tight, maybe try not to come in before 10 a.m. Eastern.