>> The 9th president of Berea College who is retiring at the end of June has said that Berea College will president more than a president will change.

Brea.

We'll learn more about that when we have a conversation with Doctor Lyle Ru loss about his 11 year tenure at the storied higher education institution in Berea, his greatest accomplishments.

And of course, what's next?

That's now on connections.

♪ ♪ Thank you for joining us for connections today.

I'm Renee Shaw that allow room last the night.

The Berea College is moving on at the end of June that the rule office has called the work of Berea College audacious since its inception in 18, 55 and how it's a model.

>> Of what higher Ed can be and look like to make education more accessible, affordable and equitable.

He'll explain more about that and what he's proudest all and where he goes from here.

Welcome doctor who lost a son.

Pleasure to see you again.

>> Thank you, Renee.

And congratulations on 11, very successful years.

Thank you so much.

It's it's been an honor and mostly a pleasure.

Mostly applies are yes, yes.

Well, we can say that about everything.

That's right.

Yeah.

>> So how does it feel to have ended this?

You said that you're going to stay 10 years.

You add on another How do you feel as you make this transition?

>> Well, I I do feel that it's I I think I mentioned to you before.

I don't really believe in long president and institutions I think thrive when they get renewal of leadership from time to time but it's been such an honor to hard place to especially the people, the students, the faculty, the administrative they're they're just wonderful.

And it's hard for us to leave.

It's hard for us to know that Brea will continue on without us.

But that's inevitable.

Of course.

>> When you arrived and you had you KET a lot about Berea.

But was there a ha moment where for you when you first really settled in, you thought of this is why I'm here.

And this is the environment I want to be.

And was there any particular event or incident that really cause you to feel like not can call this place home for a while?

>> Well, I really lots of that there was a particular thing that happened with an incoming students are first year we we connected with him because he needed directions to the campus post office and we were walking back to the president's home and we said, well, sure, Milwaukee over there.

And we said, what were your parents?

And he said, they couldn't come with me.

In I've been living with some people might church for awhile and and they drop me off.

But, you know, and that made it real to me that that that kid could could come to Brea and we stayed in touch with him.

And you could just see him thrive in and he graduated in 4 years and went on and so already a move in I had that experience.

And then later on, I don't know.

I haven't thought of this before, but I discovered that most of our graduates can send their own children to Berea College because they've been successful and therefore, right, they don't qualify at about that.

Such a difference of any other place that I've worked at.

Colgate we we're educating the 9th of the 7th generation.

The Colgate family, which rescue the institution in the late 19th century.

no legacies, you know, yeah, we try to do that.

One intervention for a family and then they're ready to join American society.

As you know, full it fully able to take care of themselves.

>> And possibly breaking a lot of generational cycles in.

Alright, this is that they are upwardly mobile and generations to come will also be even more.

So right.

Exactly.

So you said something before we started taping there was a saying about, you know, where there's a will.

There's a way, but you scratch that out and you put your own little spent on Tell us about that.

And what you mean by that was that so significant?

Well, when?

>> When you're offering a high quality education to people who are in pain, somebody else has to, of course, and most of our money comes from an endowment that was created by people putting us in their wells.

So instead of saying where there's a will, there's a way of Brea.

I've been saying to my whole time where there's a will.

We want to be an AM.

He always gets a laugh.

but it's working, though.

It may work.

It works.

we have so many bequest are so many donors we memorialize them with a wall on and there are literally hundreds of stone tablets, each of them with 40 or 50 names on it of people who have passed away and and their support has come to the college.

>> That's got to feel very gratifying for all those connected to Berea to know what a lasting legacy and feel good in May.

When we think about all of the changes, the higher education as an industry is undergoing one of their private or public.

And you all have a different business model being tuition-free.

But you see the changes happening.

What are your concerns as you exit for your colleagues and this space who are facing some real on certain days?

>> Well, yes, there's there is much to be concerned about.

And before I get to I'm proud to say that Brea is and Laurean my will to.

So we look forward.

We won't be there to see it.

But our names will be on.

That was something wow.

But compared to 11 years higher education is under greater threat.

And that's a concern.

I believe education is the answer to most of the social challenges we face.

And to the extent that people are retreating, walking away from higher education, I think it's a loss for society overall that that's why I I'm concerned not only about the industry of higher education, if you want to call it that.

But what are the implications for society as a result?

It for individual schools?

The loss of any one school is a sad thing for its alumni for the students, the kind of student that wanted to go there and there's a contagion about that.

But as as people see higher education, not as the greatest possible benefit.

The dream for for your children are from my for ourselves.

I worry about the and in a situation I don't worry, particularly about Perea.

They're always going to be people who for whom birria is the best.

And sometimes the only answer right.

>> But you have talked about you call that there was an article I think, written in February, maybe your January 2023 and you call Berea College audacious since its inception in 18, 50 Watt 5.

And I thought, well, that's an interesting word to use.

And I'm I'm curious.

>> Why you believe that when you first arrived and you still believe that now what makes Berea College so audacious?

>> Well, it's the fact that we are willing to do it differently than most other institutions there.

There aren't any other very few schools that don't survive mostly on tuition revenue Daisha's to him in the sense of our mission John Fee, our founder was trying to fight slavery in Kentucky and he it finally occurred to him.

I can plant so many churches, but that's not having much impact.

I need to start of school.

And so daisha's because our founders said in order for me to change society, I have to educate people properly.

And so we've always found ourselves to be a little ahead of society.

We hope society is moving toward us or at least in the direction we are and we take steps backwards as we did in the indie segregation here.

And then we are trying to pull society forward again.

So daisha's.

We we don't accept the situation has as it is for our students.

Our mission calls us to do more than that.

And I think daisha's.

>> And for a system to be created in either public or private higher ed that moves toward access, greater access equity.

Some of those words now are charged.

And so does that make the mission of institutions not necessarily Berea and higher education, more difficult and challenging.

>> I suppose it it hasn't made a big difference.

Said Brea College and it's rather odd.

I think people in Kentuckyian maybe maybe nationally say okay, Bree is different and we we don't expect them to 2 the like all the other schools and to accept that right now, they just they're different and we're glad to have them even if maybe we don't agree.

100% ideologically with and that sort of thing.

>> There was something that you said in a that appeared in the Richmond Register.

This was and we're going to put this on the screen.

The headline read as retirement approaches.

5 siblings finish Berea College and then it goes on you right.

11 years ago as I began my presidency Berea College, Kaitlyn reason are we're starting her own Berea College journey this month.

As I approach retirement, her youngest sibling, no reason or graduated between Caitlin or 3 other siblings to graduate from Maria, their mother, Wendy Road to express her pride and happiness that all 5 of her children finish college debt free and a draw attention to than a coincidence that the time Bree of that whole group of siblings matches my own exactly.

Why did you use the reason our family to share their experiences, an example of what Berea College really is?

>> Well, there was the neat coincidence of the timing.

You know that they started and and know as the youngest child they ended there.

They're also remarkably accomplished young people.

Kaitlin, when she finished as a by biology major had to choose between Vanderbilt and Harvard to go for medical school.

My goodness.

And you know what is is such an entrepreneur and in between they've all 3 of those.

Those other siblings have been remarkable to each in their either weren't not that much alike, but they come out of a family farm in Indiana and the family just would have had any money to send one kid to school much less 5.

So they perfectly illustrate the mission that we have.

They also they're just white kids.

They're done.

They don't.

They're not.

We're always concerned about diversity.

But they illustrate the fact that if you don't have money for college, doesn't matter what race you are.

You need a place like Bria.

So.

>> So that is somewhat of a legacy in mission just in a different way.

They were siblings and not offspring, right?

But look at the impact.

I mean, the fact that you have to choose between Harvard and Vanderbilt out that I was going to ask the member that they make their decision which won 2 of the Vanderbilt.

I think that's a good hasn't to this.

And I'm glad of that.

We would play so that, too, because we have a great relationship with Vanderbilt.

Yes, they take a lot of our interns and the summer.

So so how important is that to have these compacts?

Perhaps maybe they're not formalized, but certainly.

>> And in tension, intentionality that you work with Vandy and maybe other institutions to help propel kids forward and they're well, it does suggest making a difference because our students >> also do not have the experience of so I want to be a doctor.

What's that going to be like?

so to have pathways for them and places they can go in the summer and and learn the ropes and so on that that is really important.

We have great relationships with UK and University of Louisville as well.

And >> and with many businesses in the area are our students who are wanting to get in into their careers quickly to have pipelines into some of the better business is in the areas tremendously helpful to and even Silicon Valley and and technology our computer science program is the biggest program we haven't see youngest major, but also the biggest and we have pipelines that go to Google that go to red had and so on.

And that means that our students can get there for internships, but they also have resources once they get there, they have a long sewer year or 2 or 3 ahead of them.

Helping them out.

Yeah, it makes a huge difference right?

>> I do want to get to ask you about your your first lady, the Berea College first lady as we Miss Lory.

She's transitioning also wonder about the role of the spouse who of a president righted higher Ed Institution, College University like what their role is.

And there there is a lot of movement.

I mean, particularly now with most presidents don't stay longer than 5 years, 10 years, 11 years is pretty exceptional these days.

The impact that Berea has had on her.

>> Well, that's a that's a great question.

I love to talk about Lori, we have really approach this presidency as a as a joint effort as a team I'll never forget when the chair of the Board of Trustees was introducing us to the rest of the board and trying to convince him the search committee that hiring this Yankee from New York was a good He he said he talked about me and then he talked about Lauren.

You said the lorry really sealed the deal.

>> He's the closer and >> she has found such a role for herself at that Brea She leads a in many ways the campus sustainability efforts.

She is kind of hostess in chief on campus plans events and that sort of thing hosts, many events.

She's oversaw the committee that oversees the Boone Tavern, our hotel for a while.

And so she this leave a big hole in her life, too.

And and and it will leave a little bit of a whole.

I mean, I think you can always hire another talented president.

But when you get a first lady who is making so much difference or a first spouse along with that's there's going to be a little bit of a hole left there.

I think, yeah, and they'll have to figure that out.

>> I want to read quote to you what I said in the intro of the show that you had said that the president wouldn't change Berea College degree a college but changing president.

Have you been changed?

>> And so many I I have come to understand the issue of race in our society and so much more real I I was thought it was important, but now I've been involved in so many stories ranging from people who came to Berea.

50, 60, 70 years ago to the students who are here today.

The issue of I was fine with gender.

One of my closest friends in graduate school was gay.

probably didn't realize just how challenging it is for so many people, especially coming out of the kinds of backgrounds that our students come from.

Some of them are closeted to the extent they hardly know they are until they get an opportunity to be in a different kind of environment.

I also learned to pretty awful things can happen and you have to find your your way through it time.

We had a pandemic to deal with.

And first one in 100 years and so I was looking back at the Diary of the President Frost from from 1919, in 1920, and, you know, it was traumatic then.

And it was really it was hard for us now.

And so I guess I realized from that you just never know what life is going to throw at you.

So.

>> You did when I look back at some other interviews and you spoken about during the pandemic, when you moved instruction to strictly online condensed, the calendar, some.

But you talked about the resiliency of the students in the adaptation of them, but also the donor community really stepped up, particularly for your international students time just about in fact, >> we're on the far side of that now and we discovered now in 2023 fundraise fundraising is just as challenges challenging as it was in we we KET donors were were taking special care of us.

yeah, that was really quite remarkable.

Now.

>> So what's next?

>> Well, we are really going to I've always had more interests than I have that many one would have time to fill.

it will be an opportunity to do what I want when I want to personally, I'm Lori and I will guard and we we birdwatch we I run.

She walks, you and so we we just enjoy being with each other, doing doing things.

Wilson will travel some but travel isn't going to be a big emphasis for us.

we like where we are very often.

I picture myself as still having day said are full.

But doing the things I would choose to do as opposed to things that I know.

I better do it right.

>> I want to go back to a comment you just made running and walking.

And that's one of the things you did as a president as you would have invite students to come and run and walk with you, which is interesting.

I I'm now we think that maybe some students might feel intimidated by that, but perhaps spending some time, maybe they thought, oh, he's not so bad.

>> Yeah, I think it made us see more approachable to do that.

I sat down and tried to calculate and decided that it was somewhere north of 2,500 miles that I had a well-run with students over the past 11 years.

And that's Gloria.

Therefore, since she I would go for miles on a run.

She would do 2 miles on these walks that Lori is somewhere north of 1200 we've worn out a good and we bought running shoes for.

Each year.

We read by 30 or 40 pairs of running shoes for rip that that's in the hundreds to right.

>> I do have to say, I've I've had the pleasure spending some time at Berea.

It's not spend what tune 3 years ago.

Now isn't the time it's hard to KET track.

Sometimes.

But just the community itself.

I But the campus is just everyone feels like they they're just so welcoming hospitality, just overflows.

It's not, you know, as an extension of EU and Laurie and of the staff and but the students mature and wise for does it mean to do since any of that that while you were there to that they are so right that it's very striking.

Part of that is.

>> Every student works for the college.

So they all have this sense of the importance of their contribution.

>> And they see me as a co-worker.

They see there faculty as co-workers, you know, and and they they are participating and instruction and learning themselves but it's also they're they're all very talented and and able because we aren't charging tuition.

We have the luxury of being quite selective.

most of them see Berea as their best chance and that as they grow accustomed to the community they they feel like.

They own their right and and they're proud of it.

they will.

They they will help help anyone who is part of, you know, that effort overall.

>> We have to talk about the hydroelectric plant.

We did this before.

When you were last so much.

I think what I look back, it was almost a year At least will be recorded.

It.

And so this is a big achievement for for you and for Brea College.

Talk about this and where things go now.

>> Well, yes, we're very we're still proud that we're the first college or university to do such a thing.

Build a hydroelectric plant and the Matilda fee.

Matilda Hamilton fee plan we named after the wife of our has been operating now for 2 years successfully.

Almost 3 and doing well we have front into a bug or 2 that needed addressing.

But that's that's no surprise.

When you take on a complicated your engine.

Erin, challenge.

So we're we're happily generating electricity and offsetting about half of what we use and it's worked well enough that the board has said you may start on another one.

So good at Lock 14, which is 30 some miles upstream from Ravenna.

It's near Heidelberg we are well underway and that plant should become operational toward the end of At that and that one will be better because we learned some things building the first one at that point.

We will be generating more than the electricity we use at Berea College so well and we're making money.

these things are not The first storm cost 11 million second one will be maybe a little bit more than that.

But there are so many great tax credits.

You can take advantage of our actual outlay of our own money for the Lok 12 project is under 3 million dollars.

The rest comes from different sorts of tax credits and it's that's beneficial tenure, folks who high tax bills to offset.

Well, so that means investing 3 million dollars in a plant like that and earning the income that we're learning.

It's it's actually a really, really good business deal to.

Absolutely.

Yeah, not so bad for a scientist, right?

Frances?

>> I do want to talk about your successor and and you leave her and what she brings to Berea and what you hope she learns and gets an awful moment like you did.

>> Well, I her name is Cheryl next.

And Doctor Cheryl Nexen.

She's currently the provost at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, which is you know, in similar ways to Bree, it's a Native American serving institution offers free tuition education to any any young man or woman of of Native American ancestry tribal ancestry.

And they do that because Fort Lewis was originally one of the Army forts were an Indian children were brought to be separated from their family and taught and then kind of indoctrinated to be to just join the white society.

And that's not something that anyone regards as acceptable anymore.

So in order to to sort account for that legacy of theirs.

They now offer the free tuition so they have students from Alaska students from the American Southwest.

And so on.

And I think the search committee I was not involved in the search, but the search committee saw that as okay.

A person who has chosen to be in leadership at the school like that.

Understands a mission oriented school like Bria, which is designed to serve a particular category of young young people.

Academically.

Her discipline is English her area of research involves the origin of the novel as a literary form and the way social issues race and gender and so on were important.

Even at the FAO, even at the start of of novels.

So again, I think something that fits well with the audacious mission of the college.

I spent some time with Cheryl Close to her already.

And I see her as a very quick study.

She can already talk about Brea like she's been there for years.

So I think she'll should be a wonderful 10th president of Brea College, right?

I was the first scientist.

She is going to be the specialist in English literature and some time.

And I think that's significant in the way, along with the stress that higher education is dealing with a calm, say The challenge for the humanities.

We all regard them as essential to a liberal education.

they seem to be more threatened or more challenge.

Then the more technical disciplines or the the one is oriented toward business or or things like that.

And I think it will.

It will be a source of reassurance and I think she'll bring new in that area of our curriculum.

And I know just the faculty and the students in those areas will welcome that.

Not that.

>> I mean, I've always been as a scientist who's reached across disciplinary boundaries without much effort.

But having exactly one of their own I think will be a >> Good timing.

Yeah, I think while it's been a great time to have you in Berea and you in Kentucky for the last 11 years, we wish the very best to you and Miss Lory place in her.

My regards and maybe maybe can still KET in touch and we will have your successor on doctor mix and very soon wonder when she gets settled and I would love to to KET in touch.

Still KET in touch.

Thank you.

Are one of the use of A thank you.

I appreciate that.

Serve God bless you and you and Miss Lory and pressure to the as thank you for watching connections today.

If you are more about Maria, you can go on their Web site and learn all the great things that they're doing.

KET up with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

All the ways are going to be on your screen right there and listen to our podcast.

>> Thanks so much for watching.

I'm Renee Shaw.

And until we meet each other again, take really good care.

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