With Kathy Krendl's upcoming inauguration tomorrow, Oct. 23, 2009, our president was eager to speak about her new job and the future direction of Otterbein:

What do you think so far?

It's a really great place. (The students) seem very engaged. They're very positive. They've been extremely friendly. Lots of them have gone out of their way to make me feel at home and to welcome me. (The staff has) reached out early on…, so we've had lots of opportunities to talk about ideas and directions.

Why did you choose Otterbein?

I was drawn in by a couple of things…the core values of the institution…The doors of education should be open to all… A lot of what I was reading (about Otterbein)–the idea of a college of opportunity, the idea of making education accessible, the idea of engaging and reaching out to adult students…–all of those were activities and core values that really resonated with my beliefs and my commitment to education…I was kind of surprised that in a small private institution I would encounter those kinds of values, but I did.

What can you do for Otterbein that no one else can do?

Well, I think that I have a lot in common with a lot of Otterbein students, and I don't think that would probably be true for a lot of folks who would be presidents. I'm first generation. I came from a family that had modest means… I share the experience of being in a liberal arts, more intimate, learning environment, so I understand their experience, even though mine is, obviously, many years older…

I also have a lot of fundraising experience and I think I can help to enhance the size of the endowment and that will enhance the opportunities for developing new programs…so I don't know that no one else can do those things, but I think that I have kind of a unique combination of experiences, background, and skills that can help advance Otterbein to reach a lot of its goals. Other people would bring different strengths to the table, but I think those are the strengths that I bring to the table.

Is the job what you expected it to be?

There are a few surprises, but for the most part...

What surprises?

IT area has been a bit of a surprise to me. I was surprised that the residence halls weren't wireless…I was a little surprised by the fact that there hadn't been more of a strategic use and implementation of technology for the benefit of students and faculty. So, that was a little bit of a surprise…I continue to be surprised by the character of the students. They seem truly interested in and committed to participating in community service, reaching out to audiences beyond the campus, and helping the institution succeed. Those are all very positive attributes that the students have that are just much more tangible and much more apparent to me than any place else I've ever been.

What has been your greatest challenge so far?

I think the budget is the greatest challenge. It's the most immediate challenge. It speaks directly to health of the institution, so we need to fix that first.

What are you going to do to fix it?

We are taking some reductions in one-time funds…We will work to try to generate some additional revenue through new programs…There are some key areas in the masters area and graduate area that I think could be very beneficial to the institution.

What has been the greatest accomplishment so far?

I'm very pleased that Garst Hall is now wireless. We did that as a pilot and the students helped. So, I'm pleased that that is done. I think that will demonstrate the commitment we have to improving the quality of life for students…

That is, the comment that I have received the most frequently is that good, honest, open communication has been very much appreciated.

So if somebody would have told you while you were in college that someday you would be president of a college, what would you have said?

I would have laughed. I knew I wanted to continue to teach, and so for me getting the Ph.D. was about preparing to teach at the…college level. I just assumed that I would be a professor, and that's what I would do.

Who has been your greatest inspiration in your life?

My parents certainly were sources of inspiration in terms of making sure that all of us–there were six children—making sure that all of us aspired to and completed a college education. In fact, I think, everyone in my family has at least a master's degree, and we were all first generation. There was no question that we would all go to college, and there was no question that we would complete college.

In many ways, my children are kind of a source of inspiration to me…I admire them greatly, as well as my husband. I'm surrounded by people who are bright, intelligent, curious, inspiring people; I'm blessed in that way.

So you have followed you dreams, listened to your inspirations, and now you have an immensely busy lifestyle. I'm sure our students would appreciate some advice on how to handle the stress.

I think the most important word there is balance…No matter what your job and no matter how you live your personal life, you will have to learn how to balance all kinds of things: you'll have to learn to balance time, you'll have to learn to balance resources, you'll have to learn to balance emotions. Learning that now in undergraduate is a great time to take some risks…I think often we learn more from failing than we do from succeeding. What a great place to take some risks and face some disappointments when you're surrounded by friends and faculty who are going to be supportive of you.

As president, what legacy do you wish to leave?

Many students and alumni who have talked with me, they're very proud of the fact that we now have a woman president. A number of people have asked me if I'm scared or intimidated by that. I'm actually not. I don't think about it that way. I just think about the opportunities that I see ahead.

 If I were to leave a legacy, I would like for Otterbein to be able to offer more and better opportunities to students and to faculty. That's what I would like to leave. I would like for us to be able to support more students in participating in global experiences…I would like for students to have more opportunities for internships. I would like for students to have more opportunities to work with faculty on research projects…Similarly, I would like faculty to have more support for doing their research and for better instructional support to provide opportunities for students.

If you were just chilling on the couch with Otterbein students and you could tell them anything, what would you tell them?

Pursue your passions. I think all too often, you get caught up with…"what are you going to study?" and "what is that preparing you for?" and "what are you going to do?" and "how is that going to carry you forward into life?"…Pursuing what you love is something that we should admire, respect, and value more genuinely and more completely than we do…You just don't know what paths are going to present themselves…Knowing yourself and knowing your passions is a wonderful preparation for a long, productive, healthy, happy life. t&c;

Inauguration Info

President Krendl will be inaugurated as Otterbein's 20th president at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, in the Rike Center. Classes will be cancelled from 9:30 a.m.-1:50 p.m.

Homecoming Events Saturday

-Up ‘til Dawn 5K Walk/Run, 8:30 a.m. Campus Center
-Homecoming parade, 10 a.m.
-Tailgate and Family Fun Festivities, 11 a.m. Campus Center
-Alumni softball game, 12 p.m. softball field
-Homecoming football game, 2 p.m. Memorial Stadium
-All-alumni off-campus homecoming party, 7 p.m. Holiday Inn Worthington
-Concert for the 100th anniversary of Cardinal Marching Band, 8 p.m. Rike Center