Provost Jackie Huntoon talks challenges, trends, and what excites her most about being at Michigan Tech.
Q. You've been provost and vice president for academic affairs for a year and a half.
What's surprised you most about the role?
Initially, the most surprising thing was the number of documents that come through
the Provost's Office needing signatures. I spent most of my first week in the position decoding the language
on forms and determining what my signature was really intended to signify. Some of
the other provosts I know say that provosts' jobs involve solving a myriad of problems,
both big and small. This is an accurate characterization. Whereas, I used to attend
meetings from time to time, I now "meet for a living." Having a day filled with 12
or more back-to-back meetings is sometimes a challenge, but it is always interesting.
As I look back on my first year, I am most surprised by how much I have learned about
and from the people who work and study here at Michigan Tech.
Q. What are the biggest academic challenges facing Michigan Tech?
Right now I'd say that our biggest challenge is bringing our University-wide assessment program to full-scale implementation. Assessment is required by accreditation organizations
and faculty involved with externally accredited degree programs have been assessing
student learning outcomes for decades. Our challenge is figuring out how to accurately
assess the learning that occurs at Michigan Tech across all the disciplines as a result
of our general education programs. We are not alone in tackling this challenge, universities
around Michigan and across the nation are also working on this same issue. We're fortunate
here to have some great people working on this challenge and helping us to do the
things that will allow us to collect and use data to continually improve our academic
programs.
Q. As you look at other universities across the country, what are some of the trends
you're seeing?
Throughout the past decade, public universities have experienced fairly dramatic reductions
in funding from their state governments. At the same time the public's perception
of higher education has changed. Higher education was once viewed as something worthy
of public investment because an educated populace was understood to be the driver
of innovation and economic development. Today, many people seem to think that higher
education only benefits those who receive the education. This is unfortunate because
a quality education, such as the one available to students at Michigan Tech, can make
dreams into reality for young people. In addition to being concerned about funding,
higher education leaders are also thinking about ways to attract more students and
different types of students. The demographics of the US population are changing and
college and university leaders want to make sure that higher education is available
to everyone. Leaders at four-year colleges and universities are also trying to collaborate
more with community colleges. We are also grappling with questions related to assessment
of learning, giving credit for life experiences, and tracking students' non-academic,
co-curricular, and skill-based achievements.
Q. What excites you the most about the work you do here?
I have always liked challenges. I also like people. The most exciting part of this
job is that I get to work with very interesting people and collaboratively figure
out how to improve the quality of education for our students. Michigan Tech is a very
special place. Our small-town location means that we see each other at the gas stations,
in the grocery stores, and on ski trails, etc. That means that everyone has the opportunity
to talk to everyone else. I've had people come up to me in the freezer section at
the market and talk to me about something that they are excited about or interested
in. I think it's great that people feel comfortable sharing information about their
goals and passions with me.
Q. When you're not in the office, what's your favorite thing to do in the Copper Country?
My favorite thing to do in the Copper Country is to hike through the woods near my
house with my two black labs. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
We have clean air, clean water, healthy forests, and abundant wildlife. I feel incredibly
lucky to be able to live here.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
