ATHENS STATE: President lays out plans for future

Published 4:00 am Friday, February 14, 2020

Athens State University President Dr. Philip Way, who recently celebrated six months with the university, has plans for the 200-year-old institution of higher learning when it comes to the future.

He recently laid out some of those plans for members of the Athens Rotary Club.

Way said he likes Athens State’s mission.

“It’s a teaching-related mission primarily, but it really wants to make sure the people are socially and economically mobile and move up … the chain,” he said. “I like the idea of enabling people to kind of rise up in society. That’s why I’m here.”

Way said the university is trying to transform individuals to make sure whatever they do in their work lives, home lives, their civic lives — whatever they want to do — they can do better as a result of their education. He said the university is working toward that goal through faculty, teaching and research, and creative arts.

“We are also pretty innovative when it comes to teaching methods,” Way said, adding historically Athens State was one of the first universities to embrace online education.

The upper division university for juniors and seniors is increasingly adding graduate programs, Way said. It currently has three graduate programs and looks to add more.

Way said one of the things Athens State tries to do is stay in touch with what is happening in the region.

“We try to make sure we serve the region in whatever way we can,” he said. “When it comes to academics, it means we listen and find out exactly what kind of programs area businesses, schools, etc. need us to provide. It’s not just for the students and trying to improve their lots in life, but it’s trying to improve the state of Alabama.”

Demographics

Athens State has about 3,100 students, according to Way, who said the university is seeing more graduate students and slightly fewer undergraduate students.

“That’s a trend we are seeing across the nation,” he said.

Way said what is unusual is that two-thirds of the student body are female, and students who tend to be a little bit older. The overall average student age is 27, and the average age in the graduate program is 40. He said 60% of students are part time.

Athens State is also serving the state of Alabama with 95% to 96% of students coming from within the state, Way said. He said 50% of students are from Limestone, Madison or Morgan counties.

One-third of students at the university come from Calhoun Community College. Athens State also receives a number of students from Wallace State Community College as well as Snead State Community College, Northwest Shoals Community College and Northeast Alabama Community College. Athens State also recently entered an agreement with Drake State Community College to create a pathway for students to attend the College of Education at the university.

Way said three-quarters of students are caucasian, with a slight increase year by year in African-American and hispanic students.

Athens State has 90 full-time faculty members as well as adjunct professors spread across its three campuses.

Programs

Athens State’s undergraduate program is comprised of three university colleges: Arts and science, business, and education. The university offers 50 majors and degree options and more than 40 minors.

The university’s graduate programs are global logistics and supply chain management, career and technical education and religious studies.

About two-thirds of Athens State students are online, Way said.

The university is currently working to have all of its courses certified by Quality Matters, which is a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses, he said. So far, Athens State has 49 courses certified by QM, including all the accounting courses. He said other business disciplines should soon be 100% certified.

Athens State is also using experimental learning. The university recently held a course, known as the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, at Limestone Correctional Facility, a state prison in the county. The class was made up of those incarcerated as well as Athens State students who went to the prison every week for their studies, Way said. Feedback from prisoners and students about the program was great, he said.

Way said the university is also working with Redstone Arsenal when it comes to students and the DEFCON system, an alert system used by the United States Armed Forces. Way said logistic students will have the opportunity to work with people on Redstone Arsenal.

“This is just one example of the kind of relationships we are trying to establish with government organizations, corporations, etc.,” Way said.

Tuition

Athens State is known for having low tuition, Way said.

“We’re not cheap,” he said. “We’re just a great value.”

He said looking at data, Athens State costs about 70% of most of the tuition rates in the state.

“We are a good value for the audience we are seeking to enroll,” Way said.

The university gives scholarships, with about $250,000 of Athens State’s resources going to students, he said, adding that 339 students received scholarships in the fall.

The university also receives federal funding such as loans and Pell grants.

“I’m pleased to say our default rate on the loans is only 7% or so,” Way said. “Nationally, it’s 10.9%.”

Budget

Athens State’s budget is about $36 million, Way said. He said $20 million to $21 million comes from tuition and fees. The state currently gives the university about $14 million annually.

“We are doing our best to find other sources of revenue, too,” Way said, adding they are working more and more to get grants to help with student success.

Graduation

Way said 59% of students, mostly a part-time population, graduate within six years.

“We are graduating 700 to 800 students a year,” Way said, adding that is more than Montevallo University or Alabama A&M University.

The school is No. 1 in the state when it comes to the undergraduate elementary education field, he said.

“It really is a well-known program in the state.”

Way said alumni are currently employed at high rates, and the university is up to about 93% of graduates employed within a certain number of months.

Moving forward

Way said Northern Alabama has a supply and demand problem when it comes to education.

“We have dwindling numbers of people coming out of education, and it’s likely to get worse come 2025 because of the so-called ‘birth dearth’ that happened in the Great Recession.”

Way said during that time incomes went down and people decided not to have children at the same rate they did before.

“That is coming home to roost in 2025 and subsequent years,” Way said. “There’s what is called a demographic cliff whereby university enrollments are expected to decline.”

Way said another part of the problem is a lot of companies are coming in and taking whatever employees exist and employing them.

“The supply of people who don’t have jobs has gone down significantly,” he said. “Unemployment is about 2%.”

Way said that is why Gov. Kay Ivey wants to see universities and other institutions to produce 500,000 more people with degrees and certificates that lead to well-paying jobs by 2025. He said the goal in North Alabama is 125,000 people.

The goal right now is to give more educational access to people who would otherwise not attend college and make sure they are successful. There is also an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, as well developing the workforce.

The state Legislature is also considering giving colleges and universities performance-based funding, or incentives, that will reward them for success, Way said.

He said the university is looking to improve programming and their processes for program approval. They are also putting on a safety management program, and they are hoping to get a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.

Way said the university is working to enhance recruitment while also continuing to be affordable for students. They are focusing on workforce development, and they are working on seamless pathways for students between other colleges and the universities.

“We want to be responsive,” he said. “We want to help the community and help the state.”

Way’s background

Way most recently served as interim president at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. He holds the following degrees: doctor of philosophy degree in industrial and business studies, master of arts degree in industrial relations from University of Warwick, and bachelor of arts degree in economics from Selwyn College, Cambridge University.

Way also has previous ties to Alabama. He has served as associate provost at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.