Virginia21 student thinks back on VT President’s legacy
Last Tuesday, Dr. Charles Steger announced his planned retirement as the 15th president of Virginia Tech. I’ve been a Hokie for five years now I guess, and I like to think of myself as becoming smart in the ways of many things “Virginia Tech.” As a higher education professional, I’m certainly learning that as you get older, you’re given less leniency to deliver your opinion freely; especially where not solicited. It’s all about the politics at the institution, as I’ve learned greatly this semester, especially as a working professional.
Nonetheless, even give his critics, Dr. Steger is an impressive man in my eyes. Some of my greatest memories of working with Dr. Steger are accompanied with the fact that trusted me enough to appoint me, personally, to numerous university commissions and the University Council within the school’s shared university governance system, giving me a lot of access to university administrators as an undergraduate student and consequently providing me with numerous learning experiences as I worked toward gaining admittance to the higher education Master’s program. I’ll always remember the invitation that I got to his home during Gateway Weekend 2008 for a Ron Brown Scholars/Presidential Campus Enrichment Grant Scholarship recipient in the spring of 2008 – I was still a senior in high school: NOT EVEN A HOKIE YET!! I always wondered what it was that this man saw in me.
Then I realized it in the way that he introduced me to legislators when we would lobby on The Hill together in Richmond. I realized it in the way that, when I would attend various lunches or dinners or when we would meet in his architecturally-finessed office about school, work, life and everything in between, he was always very frank and honest with me. One of my favorite stories that he shared was of how, when entertaining at a large event, you need to make sure to stick to one glass of wine for a while because everyone always wants to buy you drinks! Seriously though, I never thought that I would be honored enough to have such a great professional relationship with the president of my large, comprehensive, state university. After all, I am technically only 1 of 30,000 students that he serves.
For his engagement with many students at our school, including myself, the announcement of Dr. Steger’s retirement was something that didn’t really take me by surprise too much. I have realized, experienced, and benefited from Dr. Steger’s hard work in every area of his presidency – from his focus on research, to fundraising, to engagement with Hokies not just in Blacksburg but in every corner of the world: Dr. Steger has lead our university toward a reputation even more robust than it was when he began as our President, and this should be recognized.
The above reasons are why, when approached by Virginia21 Executive Director and friend Tom Kramer to pen a blog for Virginia21 on Dr. Steger’s retirement, I delivered a resounding yes to such an amazing invitation. The above reasons are why, when approached by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors and the Office of the Presidential Search to serve on the Search Committee for the 16th President of Virginia Tech, I also delivered a resounding yes to such an amazing invitation. I am beyond excited to begin the search for this man’s successor, to see who will take on the challenge of these big shoes that need to be filled.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, I’m excited to see what qualities Virginia Tech’s students and alumni believe are most important to be had in the next president of our university. While the office has begun this canvassing-like process with a search firm, and we will be in an advisory role, I’m particularly interested to hear – in casual conversation – what kind of things people are looking for. What should the priorities be? What experiences does this person need? Should they be a Hokie or not? What kind of institution is Virginia Tech going to be in a dozen years, and how will that person help us get there? If you want, this information and your opinions can, RIGHT NOW, be delivered directly via e-mail to presidentialsearch@vt.edu. You best believe that I am also keeping a file of what themes I’m hearing from peers, colleagues, students, and alumni – so please let me be a resource for you as well if you deem that more efficient.
As we move forward, I invite you to check out my thoughts, thank you’s, and reflections on Dr. Steger’s legacy. Download the PDF or click the link at the beginning of this post to read my reflections on Dr. Steger’s legacy as the 15th President of Virginia Tech. Thanks for reading!