Cascade State president wants college-community partnership

By Jim Stasiowski

1. A college and the community it serves should work together to improve the quality of life for everyone, the new president of Cascade State University said Thursday.
2. J. Stuart Lofton said the college can serve as a catalyst for economic and personal development in the region, but must also have the support of the people and legislators in the community to succeed.
3. “I am shocked and disappointed at the lack of real attention at the state level to higher education as a driver for economic development,” Lofton said during a meeting Monday with the editorial board of The City Gazette.
4. He said he has begun meeting with legislators to share his concerns and promote improved accessibility for the state’s high school graduates.
5. “We are almost at the point of accepting just one of 2.5 to three students who apply,” he said. “It makes us more highly selective, but makes it more difficult for students, especially those with financial needs.”
6. He emphasized his point with a chart showing that tuition now makes up a larger portion of the college budget than does state aid – a reversal of the proportion just four years ago.
7. He said he hopes to continue Cascade’s reputation as a selective liberal arts college, with a strong focus on teaching and interaction between students and faculty.
8. “I believe in the liberal arts as the best preparation for leadership roles,” he said.
9. He outlined four primary areas of focus for the college: teacher education, health care, managerial training and environmental studies.
10. “Teacher shortages are looming and we need better teacher-education programs,” he said.
11. Cascade is participating in a year-long training program for alternate-route teachers who will attend teacher-education classes at Cascade while they teach. The program begins this summer, continues through the academic year, then concludes next summer.
12. The college also recently received approval for a new master’s in business administration degree, which will replace the current master’s in business studies program and be applicable to all areas, from small-business owners to the casinos and health-care agencies.
13. Lofton said he hopes to expand the role of athletics, internships and partnerships with the community as incentives to make students an active part of the college and community.
14. “The two most important factors in retaining students are their participation in campus activities and their relationships with faculty,” he said. “We want to make athletics part of student life and also focus on their role as student-athletes, not just athletes.”
15. He acknowledged that private fundraising plays an increased role in the presidency but said he hopes to convince people that they are making an investment, not a donation.
16. He said if state aid continues to decline, the community must step up to keep tuition from spiraling to unaffordable levels. Cascade’s trustees approved an 8.8 percent tuition increase for the coming school year and had half of a planned state aid cut restored.
17. “We are still getting less aid than last year,” he said, adding that state colleges are state-assisted, not state-supported.
18. He said the focus would be on raising quality, not money.
19. “What I hope to do is create friends who value the investment in higher education,” he said. “Investing in young people going to college is a way for people to make a difference in their community.”