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Hughes ends five-year presidency Dec. 31

Turning around WSU’s declining enrollment was the top priority the Kansas Board of Regents gave to President Eugene Hughes, when he took over as WSU’s president July 1, 1993.

When he arrived at WSU, Hughes’ personal goals were:

• to rekindle the spirit at the university,

• to slow and then reverse the enrollment decline,

• to identify WSU’s “unique niche” in Kansas and to build and enhance programs to respond to that niche, and

• to rebuild bridges to the community.

As he prepares for his retirement Dec. 31, Hughes says they have all been accomplished. Many of the highlights of his tenure reflect actions that led to meeting those goals.

In a previous interview with Horizon, the Endowment Association newsletter, Hughes said his most important feat was “identifying our niche. It has been the number one accomplishment. Everything else falls into place as part of that.”

While WSU’s mission as the only metropolitan public university in Kansas had been stated many times throughout its history, Hughes honed in on that mission and coined the phrase “metropolitan advantage.” When the university’s logo was redesigned in 1994, the tagline became part of the new wheat/WSU logo that replaced the previous Morrison Hall clock tower logo.

He placed a great deal of emphasis on customer service, as well. Again, a number of initiatives reflect that objective.

Here are some of Hughes’ accomplishments in chronological order:

• Hughes and his wife Margaret Ann brought back the tradition of a university family picnic for faculty and staff. (September 1993)

• The $10 million Campaign for Students, a scholarship effort, kicked off in October 1993. It ended in November 1995, surpassing its goal by reaching $11.25 million.

• Telephone registration — “Touch ’n Roll” — was introduced to WSU students. (July 1994)

• The University Service Council, responsible for a campuswide approach to providing quality service to students, was formed. Improved campus signage and large board-size campus maps in strategic locations were among its suggestions. (July 1994)

• WSU took education to the community, opening Downtown and Westside centers (August 1994). The Southside Education Center, an unusual joint satellite center operated by WSU, Cowley County Community College and Wichita Area Technical College, followed in October 1995.

• The university purchased the rundown Wheatshocker Apartments and refurbished them as new student housing. (October 1994) The first residents moved into the renovated building August 1996.

• Twenty-five emeriti faculty chosen by current faculty and staff began promoting teaching excellence through the Academy for Effective Teaching. The group now recognizes excellent teachers through an annual awards program. (November 1994)

• An annual employee recognition dinner is now held to honor members of the university community who reach milestone years of service. (March 1995)

•  Enrollment made a slight increase of 10 students, the first increase in five years. (September 1995) It dipped again a year later, but subsequent fall semesters have shown increases.

• WSU started holding a spring open house. (April 1996)

• The phone prefix for university numbers changed to W-S-U, 978 on the dialing pad. (July 1996)

• Hughes announced a plan to refurbish Cessna Stadium, after a task force said it should be maintained as a community resource. (August 1996) Hughes originally proposed tearing down the steel superstructure, but public and private funding were made available for the renovations.

•  Hughes named a 23-member athletic program enhancement committee to study the feasibility of bringing back football and, to remain Title IX compliant, three women’s sports. (August 1996) While the committee also was expected to come up with plans for funding the programs, it later presented the president with a recommendation that football be reinstated and a new committee should pursue funding. No further action has been announced by Hughes.

• The Metropolitan Complex, formerly Faith Metro Church, was purchased through an anonymous $3.5 million gift. (June 1997)

• WSU’s 50-year-old mascot WuShock was redesigned on paper and for its real-life costume in an attempt to make the design more friendly. (July 1998)

• A parking plan was unveiled, calling for increased parking through paving half the play fields and charging all users for parking. (July 1998) The plan has undergone some modifications, with the latest being the appointment of a campus-wide task force to hammer out details. In November, the regents approved pursuing the sale of no more than $7.5 million in bonds to finance the plan.

Other efforts by Hughes included renaming two buildings in honor of longtime WSU employees — Jabara Hall in honor of Fran Jabara, founder of WSU’s successful Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Rhatigan Student Center, in recognition of Jim Rhatigan, now senior vice president, who was a popular dean of students. New campus features include the C. Howard Wilkins Softball Stadium and the Plaza of Heroines, a fund-raising project for the Center for Women’s Studies that resulted in a unique memorial to women in the midst of campus.

A number of degree programs were introduced during Hughes’ 5 1/2 years, most meeting market and community demands. The programs include associate degree programs in physical therapy assistants, liberal arts; undergraduate programs in musical theater, management information systems, manufacturing engineering and computer engineering; and graduate programs in environmental science, engineering management and social work.

Areas that saw record-setting increases during Hughes’ tenure included the Endowment Association’s fund raising and research, service and grant awards.

President Eugene and Margaret Ann Hughes
took frequent walks around the campus with
their dog Bailey. This photograph graced the
cover of one of the couple’s holiday cards since
coming to WSU in July 1993. The Hugheses will
leave WSU Dec. 31, when President Hughes
retires from a long academic career.

— Compiled from the Endowment Association’s 1997-98 annual report and Horizon.

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