ONE-ON-ONE
- November 2000
by Ed G. Lane 'Persue Any and
All Opportunities for Leadership
In Every Part of Your Life'
 Dr. Allyson Hughes
Handley says that higher education is the key to
realizing big dreams
Dr. Allyson Hughes
Handley became the seventh president of Midway College on
July 1, 1998. She is the first woman to serve as
president of Kentucky’s only college for women. Dr.
Handley, an Ontario, Canada, native, holds master’s
and doctoral degrees from Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore. Prior to coming to Midway, she was Vice
President for Development and Alumni Relations at
National University, a private university specializing in
higher education for adults in San Diego. She also held
the position of Dean of the School of Education and Human
Services at National.
Dr. Handley’s
academic specialties are teacher education, child
development, school psychology and special education.
President Handley is a
member of Rotary International, Association of Teacher
Education, Delta Kappa Gamma, Woodford County Chamber of
Commerce, Lexington Forum and the advisory board of the
Humanitarium Center for Culture and Diversity. She serves
on the board of the United Way of the Bluegrass and the
Kentucky Center for Public Issues.
Ed Lane: In
the spring of this year, Midway College went through a
reorganization which reduced the academic and
administrative staff of the school. What brought about
the cutback?
Allyson Handley:
Midway College is a small, independent, private
institution. And independent institutions – that
have under a thousand students – have to be very
cost efficiently operated and very focused on their
“unique niche.” Over time, the college had
added some important programs and eliminated some,
such as fashion merchandising. Midway needed to
establish a new focus and evaluate exactly what would
be the college’s future strategic direction.
Upon review, we discerned that Midway College had
several very productive and financially viable
programs, but we had too many programs that were
either marginal or not financially viable. So from a
business standpoint – and we view Midway College
as a small business – we had to very carefully
evaluate our programs. The process was very
objective. Recommendations were made to me by my
cabinet about each program and position – not
about people or individuals. Based on these
recommendations, programs and positions were
eliminated so Midway could establish a clearer focus.
EL: What will
be Midway College’s focus for the future?
AH: Historically
Midway is known for its associate’s degree in
nursing and equine studies program. Midway also
offers a very, very successful organizational
management program to non-traditional students on
campus and at six other locations off-campus. Those
are very viable, successful programs. Midway College
also is on a vigorous math, science, and technology
for women initiative. The school has raised $3
million of the $6 million needed to develop a new
building – The Anne Hart Raymond Center for
Mathematics, Science and Technology. It was our
collective decision with input from our trustees,
from external constituents, from all of our
stakeholders that as the only women’s college in
Kentucky, Midway is in a unique position to champion
advancing women in areas where there are great career
opportunities. Women in Kentucky are
under-represented percentage-wise in the fields of
math, science and technology. Again, a small school
cannot be everything to all students. Midway College
is very excited to be able to devote its energy and
somewhat limited resources to its mission –
serving non-traditional students and women.
EL: Since the
new plan was actually in place for Midway’s fall
semester, what has been the impact on the enrollment?
AH: Obviously,
when a college eliminates some programs, it loses
some students who wanted to attend for those
particular offerings and that was a calculated risk.
Where we’ve seen some growth and development are
in programs that are relatively new for Midway. For
instance, we’ve always had a teacher ed program,
but it was focused on elementary and middle school.
We now have a secondary teacher education credential.
This year’s total teacher ed program has the
largest enrollment Midway College has ever had. The
2000-2001 goal was to have 400 students in the
women’s college. Currently Midway has 432 women
enrolled, so we exceeded the enrollment goal by 32
students, which percentage-wise is pretty significant
for us. We’re excited about that. Midway has
more out-of-state students than it has ever had in
its history. So from the women’s college
perspective, Midway is doing extremely well.
Similarly the school for career development –
for adult students – has been well-received by
men and women. This year Midway will start 10 cohorts
of adult students on its campus and at partnership
schools – Lexington Community College, Somerset
Community College, Maysville Community College.
Midway is part of the United Parcel Service (UPS)
“earn and learn” program. That’s a
collaborative partnership with Lexington Community
College, UPS and Midway. This year Midway also
exceeded its goal of 400 students in the School for
Career Development.
EL: What is
your impression of the UPS “earn and learn”
program?
AH: It’s an
outstanding opportunity because UPS has made such a
dramatic statement and a financial commitment to
employees and to students who want to be current
employees even on a part-time basis, ostensibly to
move into full time. UPS has a sense of corporate
responsibility. Not everybody who goes through that
program will stay at UPS forever. These kinds of
partnerships between private and public educational
institutions are the wave of the future.
EL: Why does
Kentucky need a women’s college?
AH: For whatever
reason, Kentucky women are not adequately
represented. Kentucky is 48th out of 50 in terms of
women in elected office and 46th out of 50 in terms
of women-owned businesses. Statistically, only 29
percent of the doctoral students in Kentucky are
women. Our tax dollars are paying for public
education. As a woman, I want that figure to be at
least 50 percent women. Midway College has an
important role to play in equalizing and creating a
level playing field for women in Kentucky.
EL:
Information technology is one of the employment areas
that seems to be really hot. What is Midway’s focus
in this area?
AH: Midway
College already had an associate’s degree in
information systems before I arrived. We’ve
added another full-time faculty member in that area,
and we are in the process of developing some
strategic partnerships with in-state and out-of-state
schools that have very unique offerings in the
technology area. As a small school, Midway
doesn’t have the resources to be able to hire a
Ph.D. in computer science and information systems
– even large institutions like the University of
Kentucky or the University of Louisville are
scrambling to engage those individuals. But through
partnerships, Midway is able to offer our students,
through distance learning and collaborations,
enhanced offerings in the technology field. In
addition, Midway’s new building – the Anne
Hart Raymond Math, Science and Technology Building
– will be outfitted with additional distance
learning technology that will complement the distance
learning classroom in the Little Memorial Library.
 EL: Have any
Kentucky companies entered into any relationships with
Midway College to help support the school’s
technology training and to recruit new employees?
AH: Midway has
been fortunate over time to have support from
Lexmark. We want to develop the very specific types
of initiatives that you’re talking about that
are geared to provide workforce support. In Central
Kentucky, we have two percent unemployment and a
limited number of skilled people in technology.
Kentucky will not be able to meet its technology
workforce demands unless women are appropriately
trained. Back in 1983, 29 percent of all computer
science information systems undergraduates in the
U.S. were women. That figure has fallen currently
below 14 percent. That’s a national trend and
that doesn’t bode well for the technology needs
of our nation, let alone Kentucky.
EL: Have any
technology companies been in touch with Midway looking
for trained individuals to help them run their business?
AH: One of our
long-standing corporate partners that Midway is very
proud to be associated with is Fifth Third Bank.
Fifth Third Bank has provided funding to Midway
College’s Center for Women in Leadership through
the Fifth Third Bank Foundation, and they are a
corporate sponsor of the Center for Women in
Leadership. Midway also works very directly with
Valvoline to offer on-site professional development
and academic offerings. The chair of our board, Jim
O’Brien, is president of Valvoline. There are
other corporate partners who seem interested in a
relationship with Midway.
EL: What are
the growth areas in employment?
AH: The fastest
growing business and career opportunities in Kentucky
and in the U.S. are in business services and in
technology. Midway has been engaged in the services
area for a long time. The only downside about service
businesses is that they don’t pay the top
salaries, so increasingly it’s important for
women to be represented in middle and upper
management of corporations and companies in Kentucky.
EL: With
regard to Midway’s day-students, what percentage of
those students come from Kentucky?
AH: Between 80
and 85 percent are from Kentucky. This year Midway
had its largest population of out-of-state students
because of the demand for our very fine equine
studies program.
EL: What
percentage of your students are on scholarships?
AH: Close to 96
percent of our students are on some form of financial
assistance, whether that’s federal financial aid
in the form of scholarships or loans. Midway has a
very attractive institutional scholarship program. A
large percentage of our students in the women’s
college – probably 75 to 80 percent – are
the first members of their families to attend
college. Midway has some very accomplished high
academic achievement students, but the vast majority
of our students are also high financial need
students.
EL: You moved
from California to Kentucky, and you’ve been here a
little more than two years. You probably had some
preconceptions of what Kentucky is all about. How do
reality and preconception match up?
AH: I had driven
through Kentucky perhaps once in my life. I did a lot
of research about Kentucky and was very impressed
that Kentucky had a pro-education governor. I
certainly looked very carefully at Midway College.
What has really impressed me is the incredible
diversity within Kentucky in terms of regions, areas.
I was extremely impressed by how welcoming people
were. Kentuckians are very philanthropically
oriented. I’ve never seen a community that takes
its civic and philanthropic responsibilities so
seriously. Yes, moving from California was an
adjustment but a very pleasant one.
EL: You
recently attended a meeting where Ashland, Inc.,
announced a program to assist independent colleges in
managing and administrating their operations in order to
save money. What can you tell me about that program?
AH: That’s
an exciting opportunity for Midway College and four
other private institutions to be part of this current
group. Midway College applied to AIKCU, which is our
independent college association, headed very ably by
Gary Cox. Midway was fortunate to be selected out of
the many applications. For many years Ashland, Inc.
has been devoted to education. The Ashland Foundation
handsomely supports private and public institutions,
not only in Kentucky but also in Ohio. This current
Ashland funding initiative – Process Redesign
– enables each institution to evaluate its
management processes and to learn a methodology to
redesign its practices and procedures to operate more
cost efficiently. It’s a wonderful opportunity
for our institution.
EL: So would
you say that instead of giving you a fish, Ashland is
teaching you how to fish?
AH: Absolutely.
Paul Chellgren and Chuck Whitehead speak very
persuasively about that. Midway College is
particularly oriented in that direction. You’re
aware that we received funding from the federal
government through the Small Business Administration.
Midway is the only women’s business center in
Kentucky and we have been awarded a half million
dollar funding project over five years that is
focused on women’s entrepreneurship. Not only
will we benefit from this Ashland funding in terms of
our internal operations, but Midway will also be
engaged in providing consultation and training to
current and aspiring women entrepreneurs. This is
another venue where Midway College will apply the
knowledge gained from this business process redesign
being underwritten by Ashland, Inc.
EL: What
types of enrollment goals does Midway College have for
the future?
AH: Three years
from now Midway College expects to have 600 or 650
women enrolled in the women’s college and
between 700 and 800 students enrolled in the school
for career development. That’s why we are
vigorously developing partnerships with other
institutions. We’re very focused on the future.
This is an important time for Midway. I’m very
impressed that the trustees of the college are
totally committed to Midway’s long-term success
and supportive of the kinds of opportunities that our
administration is exploring.
EL: If you
had one wish that a company or corporation would do
something to help Midway College, what would your wish
be?
AH: My wish is
always centered around advancing opportunities for
women. Midway would love to have five million dollars
in endowed scholarships to advance women in
leadership. That is Midway College’s niche. We
also would love to have five million dollars to
support our adult students who did not have the
advantage of being able to go to college right after
high school. These are working adults who really
provide the infrastructure, in many instances, of the
economy.
EL: If you
were going to give a recommendation or advice to a young
woman who is in the process of thinking about going to
college, what would you tell her?
AH: Number one
– pursue any and all opportunities for
leadership in every part of your life –
academically, personally, professionally. Secondly,
become as knowledgeable as you possibly can about
math and computer-related areas. But it doesn’t
matter what area of your life you’re dealing
with, as an adult you really need to have skills in
math, and technology is the opportunity area of the
future. Dream very big dreams. Women tend often to
dream limited dreams. The capability of women in
Kentucky has been ably demonstrated. Kentucky had one
of the first woman governors – Martha Layne
Collins. She sets a very high and wonderful standard
for women. We need to see more women moving into
politics and professional areas.
Midway College
has some students who have come to us being very
timid and unfocused, and they leave Midway College as
leaders. They’re focused and energized. They
believe in themselves. That’s probably the most
important gift we can give to any student, including
our adult students. I see Midway College as an
institution where dreams may be realized, or
particularly in the case of our young women, we will
help you craft and fashion a dream.
Ed G. Lane is
chief executive of Lane Consultants Inc. and publisher of
The Lane Report.
edlane@lanereport.com
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