In a live-streamed program on Jan. 29, University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel took steps to have more frequent communication with the campus.
She sat down with Interim Provost Gerry Bradley and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Dan Durbin for her first ever “Fireside Chat” almost a year after arriving at U of L.
Hosted by Brian Buford, executive director for university culture and employee success, the president and her associates answered pre-submitted questions relating to the many hot topics brewing on campus.
One of the largest points of contention for faculty and staff has been the compensation study, the first topic covered. Schatzel announced the compensation study process should be wrapped up by the end of the fiscal year.
“As the president, I apologize that we haven’t been organizationally as effective. I felt it loud and clear from people that the compensation study took too long. I made it a priority quickly because I realized it was so important. The frustration level with the staff side, we’ve made significant progress,” she said.
Her goal is to make pay competitive and market-based so that the university can have the benefit of retaining more faculty and staff. Although, there was no comment regarding the idea of instituting merit-based pay, and according to Gerry Bradley, it is too early to speculate.
Regarding legislative sessions, the new Health Science Center building is part of a bill. This new building is an investment that U of L needs to help increase graduation rates and workforce development in the Commonwealth as there is a large nursing shortage. Workforce development was a key argument in these ongoing sessions.
Schatzel announced her eight priorities for the institution during her first address in September, formed from what she said were the top concerns during the listening sessions she hosted at the beginning of her presidency.
Kim Schatzel addressing the crowd at her September 2023 inauguration. Image courtesy // UofL News
Among these priorities were better communications, enhancing research and innovation, advancing DEI pursuits, and student success.
In terms of student success, Bradley described how the administration is aiming to increase retention and graduation rates. This includes better support for students, like centralized student advising and better financial aid and scholarship packages for border states. The administration also plans to increase support for unmet financial needs from 7% to 20%.
This comes out of concern for the looming 2025 enrollment cliff, referring to the estimation that college enrollment will begin to drop due to devaluing attitudes on higher education in media and lower birth rates during the Great Recession in 2008.
Luckily, U of L’s enrollment this past year was record-breaking, and the administration is expecting a similar number next academic year.
Regarding communication, Schatzel said due to the ever-changing geopolitical environment, she is trying the best she can. However, her top priority is making individuals feel safe on campus to explore any opportunity possible.
“I am not a statement person. I’ve learned that this campus likes Presidential Statements, while other campuses have other types of venues. One of the things I want to do is be transparent in terms of information… I want to have more situations like this. Communication doesn’t just come from me, it comes from several different levels,” she said.
There was not much elaboration on the other efforts, including diversity.
“It’s about our students and it’s about our community,” she said.
Schatzel pointed out that one of the key concerns during her early listening sessions was the need for stability in leadership.
“You’re stuck with me,” she said.
Schatzel plans to have more listening sessions at the end of the spring semester. She also plans to host more “Fireside Chats” with other administrators in hopes of being more transparent.
Photo Courtesy // The University of Louisville
