Empowering Students to Think, Act, Serve, and Live: President Chris Pietruszkiewicz's Vision for the University of Evansville - Part 1

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:00:00

: 2018

Bishop Julius C. Trimble [: 00:01:05

Welcome. My president president, Pete, and we're, well, we're glad to have you on the podcast and, been looking forward to, I know I don't get to talk to you as often I'd like to. As I like to, but I keep up with all of the good work that's happening in Evansville and particularly, on the campus and through the student body and faculty of University of Evansville. So welcome to our podcast, and thank you for your service.

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:01:33

You're welcome. And I gotta tell you, it's, I'm always encouraged when you call me your president. So, that's a very good start.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:01:40

Well, indeed, you're my president too, because I'm a you of e alumni, and I don't get to talk too many presidents of the university or even other alumni. I do have a UNV grad who happens to live right across the street from you, which is unusual in our community where I live in Indianapolis. But glad to have you with us in present. He went to let's kinda start here by giving us a little bit of framework, a little foundation to work with. Tell us a little bit about your journey that if in education and it may be a little bit about your faith journey that led you to eventually where you're at now, at the University of Evoqua as well as the president. So give us a little of the background story of you.

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:02:16

Well, a little different for me than most people that become presidents of a university. So, I grew up as a lawyer, practicing law in Washington, DC. After having gone to 3 Graduate Universities and so they helped shape my faith journey, and how we think about what we do at the University of Evansville. So it is very much like the Methodist tradition thinking about how we can educate the whole person. So we want to make sure that we're educating the mind, primarily that's what we think about in higher education. But we also wanna make sure that we educate the mind and the spirit, and that fills our hearts with joy. It makes sure that our students are doing the types of things that we want them to do in the community. And, you know, you mentioned the mission statement already. You know, I I read a lot of mission statements. A lot of them are 60 or 70 words, and they include lots of different things in them.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:03:09

Yeah.

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:03:10

This one is 18 words and very meaningful for us that, we want our students to not only be successful in the classroom, but make a difference in our communities.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:03:19

For for a lot of, organizations, both, educational and churches. And otherwise, the vicious table is just tacked on a wall somewhere, and it's kind of not really adhered to, and I'm hoping in the part of our conversation we can understand how the mission statement we just mentioned is being applied, impractical and, meaningful ways, not on university, but how the impacts way, way beyond. Bishop, I know you had a couple things that you really wanted to chat with president Pia about.

Bishop Julius C. Trimble [: 00:03:52

d so fast forward, That's the: 1707

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:09:20

Well, you can count me as one of those presidents that believes that diversity is important, not only in our colleges and Universities, but in our society. And, you know, the Supreme Court took away some of the arrows that we had in our quiver, but not all of them. And I think we can navigate through the Supreme Court's decision recognizing that we'll follow the guidance, and the dictates of the United States Supreme Court but Justice Roberts gave us some avenues to make sure that we have diversity in our classroom. He said that you can't use race for race's sake, but you and utilize other factors in a student's background, that includes, diversity, resilience, leadership skills, past discrimination, as a way to demonstrate how that, would have an impact on admitting them to a particular college or university. So I don't think it was a blanket, ruling that says that you can't take that into consideration. It just can't be a plus factor anymore by itself. It has to be coupled with something unique or special about an individual who's applying to a university. That we have to take into account. And there's a variety of different ways that colleges and universities are now adapting to the Supreme Court's ruling. Including making sure that we have access for socioeconomic diversity. Something that, the University of Evansville has been doing for years. Through, an ACE Opportunity grant program where, individuals, families who live in Indiana. That make $50,000 a year less can come to the University of Evansville and not pay tuition. That is for socioeconomic factors, but many of the people that are part of that also have a racially diverse background. So I think there are ways that we will continue to make sure that the diversity of opinion in our classrooms, whether racial diversity, socioeconomic diversity, gender diversity. I'll continue to be something that, we hold dear here at the university, and we'll make sure that, we're complying with what the Supreme Court said, but recognizing that, Justice Roberts gave us an avenue to make sure that we continue to have some diversity in our terms.

Bishop Julius C. Trimble [: 00:11:32

Great. Great.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:11:34

Well, president, the conversation we've had here about diversity leads me to and and about the, imposition of the of the pre court decisions and other things leads me to think about the challenges that higher education and churches for that matter have. In doing, doing work, that is for a good thing, a greater a greater good, So tell me about how you as a university through your strategic plan and other things are beginning to navigate how to do life in a complex world, both politically and religious world, you know, in our United Methodist traditions, we have our challenges as well. How are you navigating some of these challenges in order to achieve transformation which I know is a part of what we're about in the church and certainly it's mentioned in your, core values as well. How you navigate some of these challenges?

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:12:30

Cincinnati and moved here, in: 1917

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:15:09

Sounds like a big part of that is a big issue internships and other hands on opportunities for students and faculty and and that that, therefore, some sort of partnerships with the community and the for for, and beyond. Tell us, hey. What about partnerships? How's that working there?

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:15:25

Well, I think it's working extraordinarily well. You know, one of the biggest outcome measures we have as a university is how many people are getting jobs when they graduate. Certainly mom and dad wanna know that.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:15:34

Sure.

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:15:35

Yeah. When they when they come and visit us, 98% of our students have jobs or or higher education, further education, after graduation. That means strong partnerships in the community because we must be doing something right if all of our students are getting employed or going to graduate school, going to medical school. And I think that is how we have related with our Evansville community and and more broadly. Is our students, 95% of them do an internship while they're here. So, you know, they get to use the get to use the community as a classroom, a little bit more than, perhaps some others. They do great work in the classroom, but I think a lot of the work about how they help resolve real world problems and and issues, is something that has made a difference for us as a university.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:16:24

Let's Then that's fabulous, and I'm, totally a supportive. I really believe in partnerships with the community. I know that Bishop does too. Many of our other guests we've talked to here have talked about those types of things. Well, let's talk about relationship now. You know, relationship, university of Evansville is United Methodist church related institution, and, the Bishop Trimble and I are United Methodist clergy in part of this world that is changing with lots of stresses and strains on our United Methodist system. And I know the stresses and strains in the higher edge education as well. Let's talk about where there can be some try to understanding, you know, between those or maybe there may be some differences that we need to to talk about. But what how would you just kind of, give us some assessment as it were of the state of, the relationship between University of Evansville and the United Methodist Church as it stands right now with some of her challenges, which which we can talk about. And maybe just a little bit about higher education in general in the United Methodist church. Could you just say a word about that? We're at the state of state of the relationship.

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:17:33

Well, Bishop Trimble and I have an excellent relationship. And, I like to think that, I know I can pick up the phone and give him a call anytime I want to. And, I I won't speak for him, but I I'm pretty sure that he would say he would be able to do the same thing. We have a great relationship with, Reverend Andy Payton at Methodist Temple across the street. He spends a lot of time, on our campus, working with students of all fates. So, we believe in inclusiveness

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:18:02

Yes.

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:18:02

At the University of Evansville, whether religiously based, or any other factors that students come to our university with, and I think that's exactly what, Bishop Trimble and I have talked about in the past, which is we wanna be an open and welcoming place for, all people as part of our university. And, you know, if you can't have tough conversations on a college campus about about different things happening in the community. I'm not sure where else you can have them. So we encourage people to to to, be able to share what they're thinking about, to be able to share it in a safe space where, they feel like they can have a conversation about things that, otherwise might be more difficult, and that we wanna make sure that we're supportive of that. So I think that that follows the Methodist values that we have, here as a university and, have a great person who is our vice president for talent and community and our chief inclusion and equity officer. So his title is about as long as my last name, I think.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:19:07

Here you go. Basically, what you're And, I'm sorry.

sident Chris Pietruszkiewicz [: 00:19:10

He he makes sure that we're doing things the right way.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:19:12

There you go. Based on what you jump into this conversation, what's your understanding of the state of, relationship between University of Huntsville and and the United Methodist particularly on maybe a little broader spectrum about the all the United Methodist Institutions in the state and and beyond. Give us a little bit of your take on the relationship there.

Bishop Julius C. Trimble [: 00:19:33

Well, I I think, my president, press p, is has a little more grace than I have, and he's very more tactful. He's he's been trained in both as a college president as an attorney. So my I I usually like to use stories, but but I I would say, you know, probably in all honesty, I think the board, and I can't speak for all the board, they probably would prefer if my presence or United Methodist presence was more visible and active. Of course, we do have board representative, John Schroeder, for example, and others. Who are who are methodists who are very active, but the the the case across the country is we talked about this in account. We talked about this in the council of bishop as much as we love having schools that are United Methodist related, we know that it is the the relationship has waned a bit over the course of time. There used to be a time where you and I are old enough to remember when annual conferences had in their budgets significant dollars to support campus ministry or full time chocolates.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:20:37

I was a beneficiary of that myself, Becky.

Bishop Julius C. Trimble [: 00:20:39

You know, or or in Dallas, here's for theology and religion and so forth or Mhmm. Camps and so forth. Now there's still those some of those activities like camps and retreats and and, our cabinet has been on the camp. All of the campuses is important to meet. So but one of my favorite proverbs is beneath the open Robert. I think press b's heard me share this in, and it says that which we hope for is always better than what we have. So I I look at it from the standpoint I desire and some of this will happen post my time that we have an actually stronger relationship And I'm using this in the broad sense, not just the University of Evansville, but Indiana is blessed to to have 3 universities that that have a relationship with our annual conference in Indiana as a school, a state with a lot of colleges and universities. I've I happen to believe Brad as you probably do too. We could be doing a better job if we had a tighter, more defined relationship in terms of helping to promote University of Evansville as a wonderful option helping to connect students when they leave home, whether they're united, particularly United Methodist students, not only to consider say, University of Evansville or another school we're affiliated with, but to stay connected and help promote recruiting students to to, the colleges. Many of our many of our our students end up going to a ball state or or are you without ever considering the possibility of a school that's gonna guarantee them an internship or guarantee them an opportunity to go to to go to, England and spend a semester on the on the campus there. So there are a lot of a lot of assets we have in the course the university has that we have not accentuated. One of the challenges in recent years since I've been in Indiana, for example, is that our our colleges and universities are clear about their statements of inclusion and welcoming all people. And in our church, Brent, we have to confess based on actions of our general conference. You know, we still We say we we say on one thing, one hand, we welcome and affirm all people are all people are of sacred work no matter their religion, their color, their ethnicity, their their sexual orientation. But then on the other hand, there are things that are prohibited based upon sexual orientation. And so that that's kind of a few years ago. That was one of the things many of the college presidents asked me about where's the direction of the church Now we kinda sense now that that the direction of the church is to it based upon churches that are leaving who are more conservative who are fearful of us becoming more welcoming, I'm I'm glad to say that we're moving in that direction of of greater inclusion but but I think part of that inclusion is to making sure that we really make a difference in our communities where we are and that we're unapologetic about our institutional relationships. So I look at the University of Evansville and and and and press p is right. We have a good relationship. I talked to my wife about this, you know, that I mean, I know about his his family and his children. I I, you know, he hears about, you know, we know we know we know where to get a good pair of shoes from. So the things that that that we share in common, and I know if I call this office, I won't put be put on a 2 month waiting list. And the same thing here, but that's different than the possibilities that exist with the kind of faculty expertise they have, the kind of research we wanna see happening across the kind of things we're we're doing in in the Evansville community. Many of our we have a lot of churches in that community that we that we're not really taking advantage of our relationship uh-uh, in ways that we possibly could. I don't put that. That's not the president's fault. It's not all the bishop's fault, but more so the bishop than the president And, since I don't have an extra $30,000,000 from Lilly or anyone else, I do think that some of those things can happen and and we're, in fact, we're in conversation, across the church around looking at some strategic ways in which we might really make a difference. And for us, it's not so much getting more people to join the Methodist Movement, but we believe that our values has pressed fees. I already said, really, really are are complimentary of the schools in which we have a historic relationship with. So, and there are people who when they come to school, they come with some they come with spiritual history as well. Sometimes with no spiritual history, but spiritual hunger. People come to colleges, students come to college with either spiritual history or spiritual hunger. And some of that ends up being played out in some of the tremendous emotional needs that are now presenting themselves. As I talked to one president, who was saying it, I don't know if where's you press, Pete. I don't think They said, normally, if they had 10 more people to add to their staff, to provide counseling, that that wouldn't be enough. You could never do that enough. And it's just a different society than when the 3 of us went to school, particularly you and I, Brad, went to school the pressures and the way in which Yeah. The young experience community is different. You know, some of it is the good and the bad of of of technology and the platforms of communication.

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller [: 00:26:13