In a meet and greet Monday, Kentucky Wesleyan College faculty and staff met new Interim President Dr. Gene Tice, who was appointed by the board of trustees after Bart Darrell stepped down effective June 1.
Tice served as vice president for student affairs and campus services for Western Kentucky University from 2000-08 and retired as regional chancellor of WKU-Owensboro in 2018 after 10 years in the position.
“I always loved this campus from afar,” Tice told KWC staff Monday. “You have such a unique opportunity to impact the lives of students here.”
Tice said he was excited to come out of retirement to lead the small liberal arts college, similar to the institution where he began his career. But he promised staff that he was not just marking time until a new president could be hired.
“I have a strong background in facilities,” Tice said. “I would like to identify building needs for the new president and help grow enrollment and retention.”
The college’s board of trustees has identified the presidential search committee, which has a faculty, staff, alumni and student representative. That committee has hired Academic Search, a Washington D.C.-based professional search firm, to market the job. According to Tice, they have already seen a lot of interest from the job posting, but applications are not due until August 15.
Faculty seemed accepting of Tice and thanked him for the forum, which wasn’t a normal occurrence under previous leadership, according to one staff member.
“It takes a team to move forward. I need to listen to you. I need to hear you,” Tice said, adding that he hopes to have many forums with faculty and staff in the future.
Tice announced that the board approved a 2 percent raise for staff members. Admissions staff also announced that 238 freshman have been admitted to the college, which nearly meets their goal of 240 students. Staff said 521 students have committed to return to KWC and 80 transfer students are expected.
