New chancellor takes reins of Pulaski Tech

Chancellor Summer DeProw stands in front of the LED wall in the recently renovated Science Building at the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College campus in North Little Rock on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)
Chancellor Summer DeProw stands in front of the LED wall in the recently renovated Science Building at the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College campus in North Little Rock on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staci Vandagriff)


University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College Chancellor Summer DeProw's former life as a decorated horseman may seem far afield from her roles in higher education leadership.

But it provided a path.

"Learning to ride may be the best thing I've ever done," she said, "because [on horseback] you just have to figure things out.

"You're not going to force a horse to do anything, and you can't force" faculty, students or staff to do anything, either, said DeProw, who twice competed in the annual American Quarter Horse Association World Show.

"You connect, collaborate and cajole -- I can build consensus."

DeProw has this state -- and higher education -- in her bloodstream.

Her father, Vance Sales, was a catalyst in expanding and improving education programs at Arkansas State University, and in drawing economically disadvantaged, minority and/or first-generation students to the campus in Jonesboro where they could improve their life prospects through education, she said.

Sales, who was a professor, department chair and dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science during his three decades at ASU before retiring in 1991 -- he was recognized during the university's centennial year in 2009-10 as one of the institution's "First 100 Distinguished Faculty" -- emphasized the value of education (as did his wife) with their children, who all attended ASU.

DeProw, however, didn't commit quickly to a career as an educator; she held several roles in the business world, including that of internal auditor for Arkansas-based Dillard's, but "higher education kept calling, and I ended up answering," she said.

Her business career did "help me dramatically now," as her understanding of business -- and industry connections -- are integral in creating partnerships between the college and the private sector, and she also has personal stories to tell students that "really resonate with them and make curriculum come to life."

DeProw, who officially took over as UA-PTC's chancellor Jan. 1, was Business Department chair and associate professor of business at Williams Baptist University before moving back to ASU, according to the University of Arkansas System. She began there as director of assessment before becoming assistant vice chancellor for assessment and accreditation, then became a provost at UA-PTC in 2021.

DeProw, who was approved as chancellor by the UA System board of trustees in November 2022, is "most proud of mentoring students -- students who have kept in touch over time."

She's often suggested careers for students based on aptitudes she saw in them, and she encourages students to expand their horizons, she said. Particularly at Williams Baptist University, she had several female students who wanted careers, but felt they couldn't pursue that and have traditional wife and mother roles they also desired -- until she convinced them they could, indeed, have both.

In fact, advising students led DeProw eventually to fully commit to higher education, she said. "I wasn't following my own advice, and I felt like I was being a hypocrite," telling students to "take any opportunity you can get" while she was selling her own self short.

DeProw, who has a bachelor's degree in accounting, master's in business administration, and specialist in community college education from ASU, went to the University of Mississippi -- where several relatives also studied -- to earn her doctorate in higher education policy, and while studying there she spent a summer in South Africa examining the differences between that country's education system and this nation's.

The first woman on her mother's side of the family to complete college, DeProw is intent on "creating circumstances for our students to succeed," she said. "I want them to flourish, as well as our faculty and staff.

"We have dedicated faculty who are steady, [which provides] consistency for students," she said. "Students know they can rely on them," which is one reason so many students return to UA-PTC as they "upskill" for their careers.

DeProw's mother inherited land in the Mississippi Delta and managed it -- along with businesses there -- while raising DeProw and her siblings, she said. She was also gifted in mathematics and statistics, which "may be where I get my accounting [aptitude] from."

AUSPICIOUS INTRODUCTION

About 15 years ago, DeProw took a group of students to a business competition at UA-PTC and "had a great experience," she said. Her students enjoyed the campus, competition and food, and after DeProw had mistakenly left the headlights on in their travel van while inside, leading to a dead battery, the UA-PTC community quickly jumped in to help them.

That day and night popped to mind when DeProw was presented the chance to be provost at UA-PTC, and following the death of her parents, there was nothing to hold her in Jonesboro, she said. Learning more about a two-year institution in the capital city area was appealing, and she was encouraged to apply by her former bosses -- which was also the case when UA-PTC's then-chancellor, Margaret Ellibee, announced in January 2022 her intent to retire June 30, 2022.

DeProw's knowledge of UA-PTC's history, which she had immersed herself in, as well as her grasp of its current situation and future possibilities, likely benefited her in the chancellor search, as did her 18 years in classroom instruction, she said. "I've been there, and I can relate."

UA System President Donald Bobbitt recommended DeProw as the next chancellor to the trustees based on feedback from faculty, students, external stakeholders, the chancellor search committee and others, he said. "They felt comfortable with her and know she will understand all facets of any issue to make the best decision."

DeProw is "very detail-oriented and inquisitive," Bobbitt added. "She asks as many questions as she answers, because she takes time to understand all the underlying factors."

DeProw was chosen over two other finalists: Wade Derden, National Park College's vice president for academic affairs, and Ted A. Lewis, provost/vice president of academic and student affairs at Bluefield State University in West Virginia.

The UA-PTC search committee evaluated applicants from 17 states, and finalists were selected with the aid of an advisory search committee chaired by Richard Moss, UA-PTC's dean of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, according to the UA System. DeProw succeeded interim Chancellor Ana Hunt, who was appointed interim by Bobbitt in June 2022 following Ellibee's retirement.

"I'm excited Summer was" chosen following a "very collaborative search process that" included on- and off-campus stakeholders and resulted in selection of "the best possible person to take [UA-PTC] into the brightest possible future," said Chris Thomason, who headed up the search and is the UA System's vice president for planning and development. DeProw's extensive experience -- as well as the "diversity of her experiences -- and her understanding of [Pulaski Tech's] mission were overwhelming."

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

UA-PTC, the UA System's largest two-year college, was established in 1945 as a vocational-technical school, but it has evolved through the years to meet varying education needs, according to the UA System. In addition to its main campus in North Little Rock, the college has locations across Pulaski and Saline counties, but enrollment at Pulaski Tech has decreased for three consecutive years, down to 4,223 this fall from 4,425 in 2021, 4,833 in 2020, and 5,531 in 2019.

"We do need to stop the [recent] bleed of enrollment" but without sacrificing the quality of education, DeProw said. Fortunately, Ellibee "did a great job, and I'm lucky to step into a situation that's even better than I expected."

While the "traditional" college model -- attend a university directly from high school, live on campus and spend four to five years there -- will never disappear, it is "eroding, even for middle-class students," due to tuition prices and other factors, and that's where community colleges like UA-PTC can fill a need, she said. "Roughly half of high school students in Arkansas say they don't want to attend college, and they're debt-averse, but we can sell a lot of nontraditional classrooms and less debt" than four-year universities.

Among the draws to UA-PTC are "renovated labs" -- completed in September -- in the science building, which are critical to meeting student demand, she said. More and more students are seeking those courses to lead into health care careers -- Allied Health has a building on campus and myriad programs of study -- and "we have no problems with enrollment there."

The preponderance of students in the Department of Natural and Physical Sciences is either moving into health care fields or transferring to four-year colleges to study science, technology, engineering and/or math, she said. These students "are hungry for mentoring, and they get academic help, but also inspiration."

Classes are small, too, which students appreciate, said Deborly Wade, instructor of biology and microbiology. "They feel at home."

"We churn out [workers] for the midlevel of the economy, the backbone of the economy, and there's a dire need for these" workers, said Moluwa Matute, chair of Physical and Natural Sciences in the Department of Natural and Physical Sciences. "It's very difficult for one of our graduates not to get a job, and the faculty is always available outside class time to work with students."

The science building's remodeling also included microphones, TVs and cameras for broadcasting, DeProw said. "Many of our students are working and taking care of [young or old] family members," so sometimes they need to learn remotely.

"I'm very proud of our new labs, and they serve us better," said Ben Rains, biology instructor. "It's a good place to be."

'HIDDEN GEM'

"A hidden gem a lot of people don't know we have is our aviation hangar at the North Little Rock airport for our aviation maintenance program," DeProw said. "We have a great retention rate in this program, and students can make a lot of money.''

"We treat this almost like medical school," said Vince Gemmiti, director of aerospace technology in the Aviation Department. "I look at this from a public safety standpoint, and we take that very seriously.

"All of us [professors] here live and breathe this stuff; our hearts are fully in it," said Gemmiti, who spent a quarter-century in the U.S. Air Force. "Everything you see in this hangar" -- which includes nearly a dozen aircraft -- "is a training aid."

Students who receive course completion certificates for either powerplant or airframe are eligible to take the federal exam, administered by designated mechanic examiners, who are authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to give the Oral and Practical Exams and -- once those have been passed -- issue the A&P certificate, he said. Students with that certification "can work on any American aircraft anywhere in the world."

Because of the complexity of aircraft repair, "students learn applied math and applied physics here," DeProw said. "You have to in order to understand this."

UA-PTC's aviation courses are "very hands-on -- they have to be able to check their work -- and we have 56 students right now," Gemmiti said earlier this year. Though not discussed as much as the pilot shortage, there's an even more acute shortage of aircraft technicians, and "about 30% of the industry's [workers] are going to retire very soon," so the shortage is going to increase.

"I get calls every week looking for people" to work, he said. While most programs at UA-PTC attempt to fill workforce needs in central Arkansas and the state, Gemmiti's is unique in that most graduates work all around the country, because "the aviation industry is not huge in Arkansas."

And his students -- about half of whom are directly out of high school -- are well prepared for the workforce, because "we are very highly structured," he said. "Responsibility" is paramount, because "I need competent hires going out the doors."

"You know what is expected of you in this environment," DeProw said. "I've never had anyone call to say they're unhappy with a graduate from our aviation program."

SKILLED TRADES

Skilled trades are enjoying a renaissance in education, as mechanic and repair trade programs saw an enrollment increase of 11.5% nationally from spring 2021 to spring 2022, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. In construction trades, enrollment grew nearly 20%, and culinary programs were up nearly 13%.

The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, on UA-PTC's South Site, "is an amazing building with a Food Network-quality classroom," DeProw said. "It's one of the few accredited culinary institutions in America, and we have graduates working in LA, Las Vegas, Chicago, and New York City."

The Institute includes everything from programs in baking and pastry arts to dietary management and hospitality management, she said. Much of the hospitality management program can be learned online, and UA-PTC recently gained approval from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education to offer it online to out-of-state students.

Transportation programs, cosmetology -- "we expected about 40 this semester and have 75" -- and emergency medical technician courses are also part of the South campus, she said earlier this year. "We'll do more LPN here, too, because there's a need."

UA-PTC is also supplementing its truck driving programs, adding a fourth truck and acreage, going from three-quarters of an acre to 2 acres by June 1, she said. That will allow two trucks to run at once, double the current capacity, thanks to a regional workforce grant.

"There's a high demand for CDL drivers," she said. "We already have an automatic, a standard shift, and a long-wheel base, so students know all three" truck types.

UA-PTC is a "comprehensive" school, so in addition to technical certifications, there are also plenty of courses in fine arts, humanities and social sciences, she said. "We want well-rounded people, and we have one of the most high-tech theaters in the state, a cultural environment for our students and staff."

MEETING IN THE MIDDLE

In the future, UA-PTC will have to at least consider offering housing on campus, she said. "We're kind of land-locked here, so I don't know what that looks like, but some two-year schools have built housing in recent years, and we've had a lot of requests for housing."

DeProw has to battle impatience -- she sometimes wants to move too fast, and higher education moves slowly -- as well as remembering not to become too obsessed with minor details at the expense of the bigger picture, she said. Her various mentors -- including her brothers -- remind her "you can't overcome everything at once," but she is eager to fast-track UA-PTC's future.

She's focusing on UA-PTC's next strategic plan, which includes "mobile fireside chats -- we even have a fireplace" -- with faculty for input, and a small group of faculty and staff will interview students to gain their perspective for the plan, she said. She's also searching for a replacement for herself as provost -- "We have a very large search committee, and the faculty and staff want someone with significant teaching experience" -- with Associate Provost Hunt (who didn't apply for the chancellor's job) acting as interim provost and "getting great experience."

She also wants to increase partnerships with private companies, which can stabilize enrollment, she said. As employers are desperate for employees during a worker shortage, more will pay for them to attend school to get the knowledge they need, and "we're happy to meet them in the middle."


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