Episodes

“Welcome to Small College America , a podcast dedicated to exploring the role and value of small colleges in the higher education landscape. I’m Kent Barnds, and I’m joined by my co-host, Dean Hoke.” Today on Small College America, we’re joined by Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner, who serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at La Roche University in Pittsburgh. He is the editor of "The Chief Academic Officer's Handbook: A Provost's Guide to Visionary Leadership," just release...

“Welcome to Small College America, a podcast dedicated to exploring the role and value of small colleges in the higher education landscape. I'm Kent Barnds , and I’m joined by my co-host, Dean Hoke . Dean: “Today, we are speaking with Dean McCurdy, president of Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire. Dr. McCurdy has been an innovative leader at small private liberal arts colleges and at large public community colleges. Prior to joining Colby-Sawyer in June, Dean was provost and senior vice presid...

W e welcome Dr. Jeremiah Williams, a Professor of Physics at Wittenberg University since 2007, where he teaches the full spectrum of undergraduate courses and leads an undergraduate-focused research program in plasma physics. He received a BS in Physics and Mathematics from Dickinson College, an MS in Physics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a PhD in Physics at Auburn University. His area of research is experimental plasma physics with a focus on dusty plasmas, and the Nation...

“Welcome to Small College America, a podcast dedicated to exploring the role and value of small colleges in the higher education landscape. I'm Kent Barnds , and I’m joined by my co-host, Dean Hoke . Today, we’re honored to welcome Dr. Gary Daynes, Interim President of Salem Academy and College, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With a career devoted to leadership in small colleges, Gary has guided institutions through transformation and written extensively on higher education. Gary hol...

Three presidents share candid strategies for leading small colleges through unprecedented challenges. Dr. Anita Gustafson (Presbyterian College), Dr. Andrea Talentino (Augustana College), and Dr. Tarek Sobh (Lawrence Technological University) discuss practical approaches to enrollment growth, financial sustainability, and strategic innovation. Key Topics: Enrollment strategies: transfer student recruitment and the "Four R's" framework Managing federal policy impacts on international students and...

Today, we welcome Brian Pertl, an innovative academic leader, ethnomusicologist, and for 17 years, served as the Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Wisconsin. A Lawrence University alumnus himself, Brian returned to his alma mater after a successful career at Microsoft, where he led the Media Acquisitions Group and helped shape the integration of music and multimedia across the company’s digital platforms. At Lawrence, he gained national recognition for reimagining music education, ch...

Today, we’re honored to welcome Dr. Chad Berry, Vice President for Alumni, Communications, and Philanthropy—and a distinguished scholar—at Berea College, a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Berea, Kentucky. Berea currently serves 1,513 undergraduate students. Berea is one of the most mission-driven small colleges in the country, known for offering a no-tuition education to students from Appalachia and beyond. Dr. Berry has served Berea for nearly two decades in roles includi...

Introduction: Dr. Matt Ward, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at California Lutheran University, a private, coeducational, liberal arts college founded in 1959 and located in Thousand Oaks, California ." Cal Lutheran serves approximately 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Matt leads a division of more than 180 staff across admission, academic services, financial aid, athletics, analytics, and marketing. A national voice on enrollment strategy, higher ed market...

Today, we’re honored to welcome Todd Jones, President and General Counsel of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio. Todd has served in this role since 2005 and is a nationally recognized advocate for independent higher education. Over the years, he has led impactful efforts to expand need-based aid, strengthen institutional collaboration, and promote the unique value of Ohio’s private colleges. Todd has been appointed by both the Obama and Trump administrations to nego...

Today, we welcome Liz Nino, Executive Director of International Enrollment at Augustana College, a private, coeducational liberal arts college in Rock Island, IL. Augustana enrolls approximately 2,600 students, and international students comprise nearly 20% of the college’s enrollment. Liz is a global leader in international student recruitment! She’s literally put Augustana College on the map for students from across the globe. She’s known worldwide for her commitment to liberal arts and scienc...

In this episode, we’re honored to welcome Dr. Marco J. Clark, President of Holy Cross College, a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located on a 70-acre wooded campus in South Bend, Indiana . With over three decades in Catholic education, Dr. Clark has become a visionary leader committed to academic innovation and mission-centered growth. Since becoming president in 2022, he has guided Holy Cross through transformative change—most notably with the launch of its strategic plan With Eye...

Today, we will speak about shared governance in small colleges with Steve Bahls. Steve Bahls is one of the nation’s leading authorities on shared governance. His writings on shared governance have been in publications such as Trusteeship, Inside Higher Ed, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. He is the author of the popular book Shared Governance for Agile Institutions: A Practical Guide for Universities and Colleges. Google Scholar lists him as one of the top three most cited scholars on shar...

Today, we will be speaking with a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education — Karin Fischer . Karin covers a variety of topics, including international education, the social and political divides around college, and the challenges faced by small colleges. She also publishes a newsletter on global education, Latitudes. Her reporting has appeared on NPR and in The New York Times. She is a research associate at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California at ...

Today, we are speaking with Scott Wiegandt, the Director of Athletics for Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. " Scott is a former Bellarmine University All-American and professional baseball player and was hired as the university's director of athletics in 2005. He played a lead role in moving from Division II to Division I in the 2020-21 academic year. In July 2024, Wiegandt was named to the 2024-25 executive committee of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association. In Bellarm...

Today, we dive deep into the challenges and opportunities facing small colleges with Charles Kim, who’s been at the forefront of strategic financial advising in higher education. Charles Kim is a retired strategic and financial advisor who, for more than 30 years, advised leading healthcare systems, academic medical centers, and institutions of higher education nationwide throughout his career. Prior to his retirement, he was a Managing Director at Kaufman Hall, where he launched and led the fir...

Biography Dr. Paaige Turner Dr. Turner serves as the Provost and Executive Vice President at Aurora University, located in Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Before joining Aurora University in July 2024, she spent six years as Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media at Ball State University. Dr. Turner began her higher education career at St. Louis University in 1998." "An experienced higher education administrator and communication scholar, Dr. Turner has an extensive ...

Quick Recap - in this episode with Small College America, Kent Barnes, and Dean Hoke sit down with Eric Lindberg of the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio, to discuss the role and value of small colleges in US higher education. Eric shares his personal experiences and the Foundation's approach to philanthropic giving. They also explored the importance of leadership teams, agility in responding to social and governmental changes, and the complexities of college mergers. Introductio...

Our guests today are Wendy Sherman Heckler from Otterbein University and Chet Haskell of Antioch University. They discussed their unique partnership, the Coalition for the Common Good. They also discussed the growth model of their shared services operation, the transition of Antioch from a financially constrained institution to a new model, and the expansion of the Higher Education Partners Coalition. The conversation also touched on the importance of trust, clear communication, and stakeholder ...

"Welcome to Small College America, a 30-minute weekly podcast series dedicated to exploring the strengths, challenges, and future of small colleges across the country. Each week, we’ll bring you insights from leaders, faculty, and students who are shaping the future of small colleges and their role in higher education. Introduction of Co-Hosts Kent Barnds and Dean Hoke provide background on where each works, what each does, their passion for small colleges, and why this podcast matters. What Lis...

Dr. Barry Ryan served as President of Woodbury University in California from 2022 to 2024. Woodbury, at the time of this interview in early 2023, had an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. In June 2024, they finalize their merger with the University of Redlands A first-generation college student, Dr. Ryan fell in love with higher education. He has served in virtually every education context, from large state universities to private non-profit and for-profit institutions of all sizes. ...

Dr. Janelle Vanasse is the President of Alaska Pacific University, located in Anchorage, Alaska. She has been a leader in education for more than 30 years, specifically at schools and institutions that prioritize Alaska Native education. Immediately prior to joining APU, Vanasse served as superintendent in Sitka. She also held a range of leadership roles in the Bethel area, including principal. Throughout her career, Dr. Vanasse has elevated the educational experience for Alaska Native students....

Joining us today is President Ryan Smith, President of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College. He joined the institution as President in October 2019. Ryan spent the first 23 years of his career working as a Vice President and partner with Smith financial advisors. In 2007 he was elected to the Gallipolis City School board, and in 2012 he won election to be State Representative for the 93rd District of Ohio. He served as Finance Chairman and in 2018, Ryan was elected to s...

Joining us today is Dr. Stephanie Niles, President of Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, which has an enrollment of approximately 350 students. She is a national leader in her field and has been a successful, strategic, and innovative leader at multiple outstanding liberal arts institutions. Dr. Niles came to Cottey from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, where she served as the Vice President for Enrollment and Communications. In 2018-19, Dr. Niles served as the president of the Natio...