Coley: 'Student centered, faculty focused, community minded'

Students, faculty, staff and the public were invited to meet one of the ASU-J chancellor's candidate finalists on Monday during an open forum in the auditorium in the Carl R. Reng Student Union.

In her bright red blazer jacket, Soraya Coley, currently serving as provost/vice president for academic affairs and interim vice president for university advancement at California State University – Bakersfield, discussed how she sees education as an investment.

"It is critical in this country that we invest in our education," she said. Coley applauded the state of Arkansas on how it was one of 20 states that didn't decrease funding for higher education. "That says to me that Arkansas recognizes the importance of education," she said.

 Coley said when she first became a dean, she came up with her "guiding statement" for what her work was going to be about: "being student centered, faculty and staff focused and community minded."

She said the phrase has been a guiding principle for her as an administrator ever since. "Being student centered, faculty and staff focused and community minded has not only guided me but has also guided me here to Arkansas State," she said.

For students, she said asking the right questions such as, "How will this impact the students? How is it helping them develop and grow?" when sitting around the table with the department chairs and deans will help focus in on the approach the university's taking.

Coley said the constancy on faculty and staff helps ultimately with the success of students. "You can't think about being student centered without also thinking about the people that are vital to students' success—that is the faculty and the staff," she said.

Being community minded is also a goal for Coley as a chancellor. "It's a two-way street; I'm always thinking about what we're doing benefiting the community because the institution has an impact on the community—an economic impact, social impact, cultural impact, educational impact," she said. Coley also said being community minded is thinking of the businesses having the employees they need, and if the university is preparing people those businesses can feel proud of hiring.

The vision she has for ASU she described as the mortar board a graduate wears at graduation: "we preserve the core, while we expand access and achieve preeminence." She said even as the university moves forward, it has to move from a foundation. "You can't move forward on sinking sand," Coley said.

In her closing statements, Coley said, "Regardless what happens, just know that you're on such excellent footing. And that I know that wherever I am, I'm gonna be reading about Arkansas State and not just about your football team. I'm going to be reading about all of your successes that is here and here to come."