Jon Wefald

thumb|True leaders must have the courage to act. They take risks and make tough decisions. Without risk there is no progress. Leaders must be willing to make bold moves and embrace the seemingly impossible. Jon Michael Wefald (November 24, 1937 – April 16, 2022) was an American educator and served as the twelfth president of Kansas State University, from 1986 to 2009. Quotes thumb|If you respect everybody, you do it with the idea that you don't know everything. I don't look down upon anybody. 1) Have a Vision and Develop a Game Plan. A leader must be able to provide a clear vision of a transformed future. Vision encompasses strategy and goal-setting, but is more than simply having a plan. Vision is a passionate commitment to creatively closing the gap between the present reality and the desired future.2) Communicate Your Vision. A vision is useless unless it can be shared with others. A leader must possess a wide range of communication skills- articulating issues, listening to what others have to say, and understanding diverse perspectives.3) Hire Excellent People and Delegate Authority and Responsibility. Leaders develop the networks, relationships, and culture that form a community. In healthy communities, everyone can find meaning and motivation. A "team" attitude exists and individuals are eager to cooperate for the common good. Collaboration makes a community greater than the sum of its parts and enables a vision to be realized. In short, this is the crucial idea of empowerment at all levels.4) Make Decisions and Take Risks. True leaders must have the courage to act. They take risks and make tough decisions. Without risk there is no progress. Leaders must be willing to make bold moves and embrace the seemingly impossible.5) Admit Mistakes and Apologize When Necessary. A leader who encourages risk-taking must understand that mistakes will be made. A leader should quickly recoginze mistakes, apologize, and remedy the situation. Accountable leaders learn from their mistakes and make changes. Being accountable means being in charge of your choices.6) Be Trustworthy and Care about Others. Visions are based on values. For good leaders, the means are just as important as the end. They make improvements with integrity, taking the right actions for the right reasons. They know that trust and credibility are central to the leadership process.7) Never Give Up. Never give up. Work hard. Those simple statements are at the heart of successful leadership. The best leaders love what they're doing and put everything they have into their efforts. Leaders make commitments and have the determination to see them through.8) Have a Sense of Humor. Good leaders aren't afraid to laugh with others and at themselves. They maintain a healthy sense of balance and perspective and know that humor can sometimes defuse a tense situation. Wefald's "Characteristics of Excellent Leadership," drawn from his 1999 speech "The Characteristics of Excellent Leadership Using Various American Presidents as Examples." As quoted by Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. xvi-xvii If you respect everybody, you do it with the idea that you don't know everything. I don't look down upon anybody. As quoted by Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. 212 The Transformative Years at Kansas State (2016) The Transformative Years at Kansas State: The Years of President Jon Wefald from 1986 to 2009. Manhattan: AG Press Publishing, hardcover. During his six years as president, John Anderson implemented his incredibly strict mission for this new Kansas State College: one, to emphasize academic programs in agriculture and the mechanic arts; and two, to de-emphasize programs in the liberal arts and classical studies. Anderson's narrow mission lasted for over seven decades. Few people today recall that Kansas State had its own Board of Regents from 1863 to 1913. During much of this new era, stern and unyielding farmer members dominated this new land grant college board. Over the next forty years, these regents elected to rigidly interpret the meaning of the 1862 Morrill Land Grant Act. For decades, a healthy majority of regents agreed with Anderson's central mantra- that the new college essentially existed to train farmers and mechanics. p. xxii There were some people who were positive about the future. Some understood a creative game plan was needed to move the school forward. One was Charles Reagan. As one of several faculty members on the search committee, he had given Ruth Ann and I a ride to Manhattan from Kansas City after my second interview in February of 1986. With a PhD in philosophy from KU, Chuck Reagan was an impressive scholar, the former head of the Philosophy Department, and a former president of the Kansas State Faculty Senate. Jerry Friedman, who had chaired the search committee, suggested I should hire Chuck to be my new chief of staff. He became my first hire. Reagan and I both showed up for work on July 1, 1986.Neither one of us believed he would would work for me for 23 years as a major adviser. Chuck became a visionary and a trouble-shooter on many different fronts. In the next few years, I had the Landon Lecture Series, the McCain Auditorium, the Beach Art Museum, the University Attorneys, the Affirmative Action Office, and the KSU-Salina Aviation Program directly reporting to him. In appointing a new team, I was off to a good start. p. 8-9 In my first two weeks, I met with Pat Bosco. Immediately, I liked his enthusiasm, passion, and common sense. I asked Pat why he had been stuck as a third-level bureaucrat in Student Affairs for years. He was not sure. I was. Bosco had too much energy, confidence, and ambition to be on the first team. His work ethic and dedication were off the charts.After a short meeting, I asked Pat Bosco to be our first Director of Enrollment Management. Pat was soon working seven days a week. Every note was written in purple. He even bought a purple car. Pat Bosco became an MVP for K-State for the next two years. p. 9 In my 23 years, I really only micro-managed one thing at Kansas State- namely, to keep the campus clean and beautiful. I have always been a fanatic about trash. I hated trash as a kid; I hated seeing trash on the highway or anywhere else; whenever I saw trash, I had to pick it up. Period. At K-State, I became even more aware of trash. I became determined to do everything I could to have the most beautiful campus in the nation. I know that I increasingly drove the facilities workers crazy.Sometimes, I would see newspapers or other trash swirling around the green space in front of Anderson Hall. I would call the facilities office and ask if they could please send soemone over to pick up the trash. Often, I just told the people in my office that I would be right back. I did not want them to know that I was just going out the front door and across the street to pick up the trash myself. Walking from the president's house to work, I picked up trash wherever I saw it. The facilities workers gave me two pickers over my 23 years. I still have one of them. p. 136 In my first year or two, I started going out for a walk on a Sunday afternoon to pick up trash with a grocery bag. Most people with normal eyesight never see trash anywhere. I do. It drives me nuts. Shortly, Ruth Ann joined me in picking stuff up. We switched to the bigger plastic bags. I soon realized this was not a good way to run the railroad. In 1987, we took eight of our custodial positions and reassigned them to exact zones for trash pickup. These eight pickers were soon seen everywhere. They became superb. They would even go deep into the bushes and shrubs to retrieve trash. They all knew that I was a a fanatic about trash.I also wanted to have a trash barrel in front of every door of every building on campus. Our carpenters were soon crafting hundreds of trash barrels. Made of wood, they were handsome. We wanted everyone to know that there was no reason whatsoever to throw a pop can or any paper on the ground. Although it took several years, we had trash barrels everywhere and, of course, we soon had the cleanest campus anywhere. p. 136-137 I got to know many of our facilities workers. Whether they were custodians, carpenters, plumbers, mowers, or street sweepers, I showed them respect. I was happy to provide them football and baseball tickets for various games. Often when I ran into a custodian, I would say: "Please stop by my office so I could give you some KSU memorabilia- like a coffee mug and a paperweight."In the fall of 1999, I noticed that one of our masons was redoing the cement work on the south side steps of Anderson Hall. I ran into him later and he said: "I have been working at K-State for many years. Your gifts are about the nicest thing that anybody has ever done for me." I recalled a quote from William Wordsworth: "The best portion of a good man's life are his little unremembered acts of kindness."In 2002, I started a Thanksgiving lunch for the facilities staff. All of them were invited to the lunch. I will always remember the first one. The Student Union food staff went all out to have a first-class Thanksgiving lunch with all the trimmings, including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and pies with ice cream. At 11:30 a.m., I saw a line stretching from the entry doors on to the second floor ballroom down the stairs. Because there were for lines, everyone was served quickly. Anyone could have second helpings. I thanked everyone at the lunch. From 2002 to 2009, these Thanksgiving lunches were held in the middle of November. p. 137 When I arrived at K-State in 1986, most educational analysts believed that KU was light-years ahead of our school in so many areas, including research funding, private giving, new buildings, and athletic success. By 2009, no one was saying that anymore. In 23 years, we had accomplished as much academically, administratively, and athletically as any administration in the history of the school. By 2009, Kansas State University had become one of the best land grant schools in America. The upshot of our 23 years is quite simple: From 1986 to 2009, our administration completely transformed Kansas State University. p. 291 Quotes about Wefald thumb|K-State has a long and grand history, written by good and respected presidents: Denison, Anderson, Fairchild, Will, Nichols, Waters, Jardine, Eisenhower, McCain, and Acker. Now, we add the Wefald years and the contributions of a man who, during difficult times, literally grabbed a university by the scruff of its academic and athletic neck and gave it a good shake. They are years of progress and striving for excellence in all areas of the university. They are the renaissance years. ~ Pat Roberts When I graduated in 1958, K-State was a good university. By most measures, Kansas State was a good university through the 1960s's, the 1970's, and into the 1980's. Then came Jon Wefald, or, as I have said at numerous K-State pep rallies, "And now, the man who has led us from the valley of despair and defeat to unprecedented pride and victory... Jon 'Moses' Wefald."This book is about the Wefald years at K-State, when a very good university aimed high and became an excellent university. During the Wefald years, Kansans have pointed with pride to the greatest turnaround in the history of Division I football, and K-State becoming a football power among the nation's elite. They know that between 1986 and 2000, student enrollment also reversed a serious decline and increased from 14,000 to 22,000. Alumni and visitors to campus see a new library and a new art museum. And there is much more attributable to Jon Wefald's term as president.F Pat Roberts, KSU Class of 1958, as quoted by Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. xi In assessing the "Wefald Years," one is reluctant to single out accomplishments because in truth, there were many, large and small. (Don't ever tell Jon Wefald something can't be done!) In sum, they illustrate what can be accomplished by creativity, team planning, and- most of all- leadership at the top.K-State has a long and grand history, written by good and respected presidents: Denison, Anderson, Fairchild, Will, Nichols, Waters, Jardine, Eisenhower, McCain, and Acker. Now, we add the Wefald years and the contributions of a man who, during difficult times, literally grabbed a university by the scruff of its academic and athletic neck and gave it a good shake. They are years of progress and striving for excellence in all areas of the university. They are the renaissance years. Pat Roberts, KSU Class of 1958, as quoted by Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. xii When Wefald came to K-State, there were many faculty who saw K-State as a stepping stone to greener pastures. Today, Wefald has created a university climate where people stay at K-State because they want to be there. His personal interaction with the faculty continuously reinforces the fact that he respects and values their contributions to the university. Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. 181 It is impossible to talk about faculty and research without talking about the role of the library in the life of any university. K-State's library was neglected during most of the past century- most especially from 1945 to 1986. Shortly after arriving at K-State, adequate library funding became one of Wefald's highest priorities. During his presidency, no part of K-State has received more reallocations, more new funding, a more expensive new building, more of his attention than the library. The additional funding that was put into the library from 1986 to 1990 was severely eroded by the rampant inflation in library costs- especially for subscriptions- from about 1990 to 1996. K-State's library, like every university library in the country, was faced with the dilemma of journal subscription prices soaring out of control. However, Wefald knew pouring more money into the library, without changing the concept with how a library serves students and faculty, would be a loser's game. He knew the university could never keep up with the incredible increases in the cost of print journal subscriptions. Under the leadership of Dean of Libraries Brice Hobrock, the university moved the library to a new paradigm. In effect, the K-State Library began moving from the "just in case" model to the "just in time" model of the 21st century. Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. 182-183 When Wefald came to K-State fifteen years ago, he said he wanted to take the university "up a few notches." It seems clear he has done so in virtually every area. Enrollments, student scholarships, 1.6 million square feet of new buildings, and success in athletics demonstrates extraordinary progress since 1986. Keeping in mind that K-State has progressed light years in academic success between 1986 and 2000, the university is now in a position to move up into the elite category of America's land-grant universities.The business of K-State is knowledge. Under Wefald's leadership, K-State has continued to focus on the creation, archiving, and dissemination of lively knowledge for the benefit of the citizens of the state of Kansas and for humanity as a whole. As a student of history, Wefald understands knowledge is not merely a collection of facts, but is rather a deep understanding that reveals truth, and its ultimate manifestation leads to enlightenment. The heart, soul and mind of K-State as a land-grant university is to create new knowledge through scholarships, transfer existing knowledge to students by a variety of educational tools, and provide knowledge to anyone who needs it to improve his or her productivity. Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. 209 When looking at the last fifteen years at K-State, it is clear President Wefald... has a passion. He wanted to be president of K-State, and he wanted to do it better than anybody. All leaders know that past glory does not guarantee future success. K-State will prosper only as long as it is of value to the people of Kansas. It is important to remember people organize to accomplish more, not less. Wefald rekindled the belief at K-State that by joining together, something important could be accomplished. He insists that the most important thing he's brought to K-State is something that was always there, something that just needed to be tapped. It wasn't just a matter of his leadership abilities. More than anything, he restored hope. Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. 213 Looney (1998) wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, "Wefald has led, cajoled, and sometimes horsewhipped Kansas State- implausible as it seems- into being one of the land's finest all-around universities." According to Looney, "the greatness of Kansas State lies in not one- football or... other academics but in their symbiotic relationship." Provost James Coffman sums up the K-State philosophy when he says, "We never stop doing the doable. And at K-State, everything is considered doable."Most everyone has experienced the frustration of being part of a group that had the potential but never achieved greatness. Wefald believes that with the collective vision, leadership, energy, enthusiasm, can-do attitude, and special sense of teamwork, K-State can achieve new heights. The smart money says he will do it. Robert J. Shoop, A University Renaissance: Jon Wefald's Presidency at Kansas State (2001), Manhattan: Ag Press Publishing, hardcover, p. 214 External links Category:Educators from the United States Category:Academics from the United States Category:People from Minneapolis Category:1937 births Category:2022 deaths