Here, There and Everywhere

Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick with Wilson Trustee Betty Lou Leedom Thompson '60 at the rededication of the John Stewart Memorial Library last October.

 

Leading a college requires a president to stretch across many disciplines, but for Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick, being present is the common thread.

 

By Courtney D. Wolfe ’12

 

As the academic year ebbs and flows, Wilson faculty and staff spend much of their time helping the College work toward the goals of the Wilson Today plan. Change can be challenging, and every now and then, when someone is looking for reassurance, you’ll hear them wonder aloud, “Where’s the president?”

Of course, some of the obvious things a president does are attend meetings, raise money, speak at campus events and travel. But being president of a college is a 24-hour-a-day job, so there must be more to it than that, right? Wilson Magazine shadowed the College’s 19th president, Barbara K. Mistick, for a week this spring to get a peek at what it means to run a college today.

~

At 7:30 a.m. on a cold, rainy April morning, the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce convenes its annual awards breakfast. Mistick is among a contingent of staff representing Wilson, and will accept the chamber’s property improvement award for the renovation and expansion of the John Stewart Memorial Library. 

For Mistick—who’s been up since 5 a.m. checking email and social media, and keeping up on news across multiple business sectors—the breakfast is about more than the award. It’s about being present. 

“If you’re not engaged in the role, any role, don’t be in it,” she said. “This job requires constant focus.” 

Arriving at the table, she greets every member of the Wilson delegation by name. As she heads off in search of coffee and breakfast, she makes her way through the crowd, chatting with local politicians and community and business leaders, networking continuously along her way.

When she returns with her breakfast, she settles in and launches into a discussion with each person at the table, inquiring about a project each one is involved in. 

During her acceptance remarks, Mistick thanks the local community for its support of the library project. She shares with the audience how the reopening of a local quarry provided limestone for the project and acknowledges the monetary support received from the community, as well as the support of the Borough of Chambersburg. 

In many ways, the breakfast provides a glimpse into the never-ending juggling act of Wilson’s president. She’s a community partner. A business leader. An advocate. A fundraiser. A networker. A cheerleader for Wilson students. A role model for the campus community. A leader with a clear vision. And more often than not, she’s one or more of these things at the same time. 

Active on Campus

People matter to Mistick, which is evidenced by her interactions with students, faculty and staff when on campus. “I’m excited about every day,” said Mistick. “I love this place, and I spend a lot of time here.” 

She loves that Wilson’s small sizes allow her to build personal connections with people across the campus community. “It’s so nice to be able to know our students and graduates by their names,” she said.

Accepted Student Day on April 9 provides Mistick with an opportunity to make connections with candidates for the incoming Class of 2020. As might be expected, the day starts with Mistick welcoming prospective students and parents by telling them some of the things she thinks are important—including the value of  a liberal arts degree and Wilson’s commitment value and affordability.

Mistick delivers this message by sharing an anecdote about her youngest daughter, Addy, who at first attended a large university and then—in search of a sense of belonging—transferred to a smaller liberal arts college and found there the personal connection with her education. 

“The experience at Wilson is very personal,” she tells the audience. “When we’re invested in your success, we find that you’re invested in your success.” 

Later that day, Mistick attends a reception and speaks with parents about their concerns for their children’s choice of major and employability after college, as well as their worries about tuition costs and student debt burdens. “That’s the difference between a small institution like Wilson and other places that they might visit,” she said. “Here, parents can have these kinds of conversations with the president or anyone else.”

Being a part of a recruitment event is about more than impressing families, according to Mistick. “I want them to know that I care about the institution and our students enough to be here,” she said. “And our admissions team does such a great job. It’s important to support them.” 

For Mistick, any day spent on campus is an opportunity—especially in the dining hall—to steal a few minutes to talk with Wilson students, staff and faculty about what’s happening on campus.

On a hurried afternoon, Mistick enters the dining hall for lunch with five minutes to spare before it closes. While making her way through the cafeteria, she speaks with a non-traditional student who is also rushing through. “We talked about her day. She was on her way to work, and she told me about her job and about her classes.” Another day finds the president eating with a group of staff, discussing the logistics of an upcoming campus service day: “I can’t wait to see everyone out working together,” Mistick told them.

That’s a big priority for Mistick—keeping everyone focused, engaged and working together. “You know, I’m only one person,” she said. “And I know that I can’t do this alone. So if I can keep engaged with everyone, they know I value their work, and we can keep everyone moving in the right direction. The more advocates I can bring along, the stronger we are.”

To build advocates, she must build trust and common ground, something she tries to do by honoring every facet of her presidential responsibilities and taking nothing for granted—such as her status as a member of Wilson’s business department faculty. “I don’t want that to be a ceremonial appointment,” she said. “It’s an appointment I take seriously.”

That role includes her academic/research pursuits outside of her position as president. Those pursuits led to the recent publication of her first book, Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace, which offers guidance on remaining relevant in an ever-changing workplace.

During a Friday evening faculty “Brown Bag” informational session, she talks with faculty members about the research and methodology behind Stretch, as well as her conclusions. “Is it better to work with a good boss or a bad boss?” she asked when the conversation turned to whether employees learn more working for a good employer or bad one.

“Or is it competent vs. incompetent?” Julie Raulli, assistant professor of sociology, countered. 

“OK. What did you learn about from a bad or incompetent boss?” Mistick volleyed. 

From this point, the conversation covers leadership concerns and trends in higher education, current business models, trends for leadership and the overall education system. The topic may not have stayed entirely on Stretch, but it’s these conversations that the president enjoys. 

“First and foremost, we are an academic community,” Mistick said. “And we should foster academic and intellectual conversations. … I have a vision of where I want us to be, and it’s my job to help keep everyone onboard so that we can get there.” 

Engagement is a top priority for Mistick, whether it involves alumnae/i or students. She knows that personally investing in these relationships is the key to keeping both constituencies connected to the College.

First and foremost, we are an academic community. And we should foster academic and intellectual conversations. … I have a vision of where I want us to be, and it’s my job to help keep everyone onboard so that we can get there.

On an exceptionally cold Sunday afternoon, Mistick dons a Wilson ski cap, winter coat and gloves, and braves the wind on Kris’ Meadow to cheer on the Phoenix softball team in a game against Gallaudet University. 

While there, she interacts with faculty and staff attending with their families, admires the strength in the pitchers’ windups and shares details from the previous night’s Boeing, Boeing performance by the Kittochtinny Players, Wilson’s drama club. “I try to make it to as many games as I can,” she said. “But field hockey is the only one I really know the rules for—that’s what I played.” But it’s her presence, not her knowledge of the game, that she places a premium on, and as always, it serves a dual purpose: being present to support Wilson’s students and setting an example of engagement, as well. 

Mistick doesn’t just cheer on the students of Wilson College, she’s also one of their biggest advocates. After the game, she heads to Harrisburg, Pa., to attend the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania’s (AICUP) annual meeting and to participate in AICUP’s Student Aid Advocacy Day at the State Capitol.

Advocating for Wilson and Students

Formed in 1995, AICUP represents the interests of the 89 private colleges in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and provides a framework for member presidents to have a dialogue with policymakers. “Without AICUP, we would probably need a full-time staff member dedicated to government relations,” Mistick said. 

Full funding of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) grants, which support primarily middle class families, has been an ongoing discussion for private institutions across the Commonwealth and one that Mistick has been particularly focused on. A third of Wilson students rely on PHEAA grants to pay for college. According to AICUP, nearly 73% of students eligible for PHEAA did not receive an award during the 2014-15 fiscal year, due to underfunding at the state level. 

Mistick and eight Wilson students arrive for Student Aid Advocacy Day to talk with representatives from their hometowns about the importance of fully funding PHEAA grants. They visit state Sen. Richard Alloway, who represents Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York Counties and whose headquarters are in Chambersburg. The students gather around a large, mahogany conference table in Alloway’s office to share what PHEAA funding means to each of them. Many say PHEAA assistance has been the difference between coming back for another semester or going home. 

Alloway listens to each story, but he already knows the details—he’s heard them from the woman sitting to his left. The relationship between Mistick and Alloway is built on mutual respect, a shared desire to see Wilson thrive and a deep appreciation for the value of higher education and the life-changing difference it can make. 

Mistick said when she arrived in Franklin County five years ago, she recognized that she’d found a colleague in the senator and praised him for being not only a supporter of Wilson, but of “higher education in general. We deeply appreciate his unwavering support.” 

PHEAA funding was delayed last year due to an impasse in the Pennsylvania Legislature over approval of the 2015-16 state budget as submitted by Gov. Tom Wolfe. During the meeting with Alloway, Mistick asks, “Senator, often students figure out how to get there with the funding that’s available. But what they want to know is, will it be there in the future? And given the impasse, how can they make their voices heard?”

Alloway counsels the students that they need to keep doing what they’re doing: knocking on doors and making people listen. And then he reminds them that they’re not doing it alone. “You’ve got a big advocate already working on your behalf,” he said, pointing to Mistick. 

Building Town and Gown

“I believe that the College has a responsibility to show leadership in the community,” Mistick said firmly when asked about the connections she’s nurtured between the College and the local community. 

I believe that the College has a responsibility to show leadership in the community

She points to the recent renovation and expansion of the library as an example. When Mistick learned through R. S. Mowery & Sons, the contractor for the library project, that there was an off-line quarry in the area with enough limestone to complete the façade of the new addition, she jumped at the opportunity to use the local stone. “It gave us the opportunity to use the skill and knowledge of local craftsman and tradesman and to support them,” she said.

A seasoned businessperson, Mistick understands the necessity of a symbiotic relationship between the College and the community, and nurtures relationships with the local borough council, chamber of commerce, and Kiwanis and Rotary clubs. “When the College does well, the community does well and vice versa,” she said. 

That engagement is paying off: Mistick’s relationships helped secure a grant from Pennsylvania’s Financing Authority’s Multimodal Transportation Fund for the borough to replace nearly 3,000 feet of curbs and sidewalks, and improve lighting for pedestrian safety along the entire length of campus on U.S. 11. 

Members of Chambersburg’s Coyle Free Library have also reached out to Mistick to leverage her expertise in fundraising, library renovations and library operations for their $5.5 million “The Next Chapter” campaign, which is raising funds to renovate and expand the public library—a staple in downtown Chambersburg since 1891. 

“Our students receive materials from Coyle through the state interlibrary loan system and so it was important for us to show our support,” Mistick said. Wilson’s presence is all about making critical connections back to the community and the people who live here. 

And Everything in Between

“It’s all-encompassing; it’s 24-7,” said former President of Grove City College Richard G. Jewell, when talking about the demands of a college presidency during the 2016 AICUP annual meeting. 

His words aren’t hyperbole. 

“The range of the position is astonishing,” Mistick laughed, walking to lunch following Wilson’s annual Blessing of the Animals. “From animal blessings to meetings with senators about PHEAA funding, the job wants something from you all the time.” 

Mistick stresses that, “It’s the little things that matter. My job’s not more important than any other.” But Mistick’s “little things” make a big difference in the Wilson community—whether it’s checking the College’s Instagram feed and remembering a staff member’s birthday to attending an Orr Forum lecture and having lunch with a prospective new Trustee.

It’s the little things that matter. My job’s not more important than any other.

For example, relationship visits with donors and friends of the College are an investment that Mistick knows have long-term value. “You have to earn the right to ask,” she said. “You don’t just show up and say, ‘I’m here today to bring you into the donor fold.’”  

Mistick recently signed a thank you letter to a donor for her first $1,000 donation to the College. “I didn’t know where that relationship was going to go,” Mistick said. “She made a recommendation for a commencement speaker and told me about a foundation that we should connect with, and now she’s made a donation. You have to be present for these things and pay attention in order to build a long-term relationship on behalf of the College.” 

And occasionally that investment in relationships leads to personal moments. Mistick was invited to and attended the 90th birthday celebration of Denise Sites Foreman ’48. 
“Denise cares about the institution and along the way we’ve become friends,” Mistick said with a smile. “And you like to support your friends. Denise has been a huge advocate and supporter of not just me, but Wilson, and it was nice that I was there to celebrate with her.” 

Being present is something Mistick models as a leader in the hope that it permeates the Wilson culture and becomes the modus operandi for every member of the Wilson community. 

“It’s not just one thing that makes a difference. Being engaged is simple,” Mistick said. “You know, I wouldn’t call physical plant and ask them to pick up a piece of trash from the esplanade. I do the things that I see need to be done, and I expect the same from everybody else.”