College’s leadership speak to what is “uniquely Eureka”

By Kelli Duncan For Chronicle Media
Jamel Santa Cruz Bell, Ph.D.

Jamel Santa Cruz Bell, Ph.D.

New interim president Jamel Santa Cruz Bell, Ph.D. is optimistic about the future of Eureka College after its change in leadership set to take place on July 1.

It is then Eureka College president of 11 successful years, J. David Arnold, Ph.D., will transition into his new role as chancellor of the college to make way for Bell to begin her interim presidency.

Arnold said he was very happy when he learned last fall Eureka College’s Board of Trustees chose Bell to serve as interim president.

“I was very enthusiastic about Dr. Bell and her service to the college in this role, she’s done a terrific job for us as vice president for strategic and diversity initiatives. So I think it’s a great choice…” Arnold said.

A Leadership Tribute Dinner was held on June 3 to celebrate Arnold and his contributions to the college.

In his new role as chancellor, Arnold will be able to focus on a new leadership institute that he started during his presidency.  The goal of the leadership institute is to organize workshops, conferences and other initiatives to help students develop necessary leadership skills during their time at Eureka, he said.

Eureka is also creating an interactive website for the institute with a virtual library of academic resources on leadership development which should be fully functioning in about six months, Arnold said.

Eventually, Eureka College hopes to have programs on leadership development available for student enrollment so that every student can graduate with a certificate in leadership development, Arnold said. But this step will take a bit more time. Arnold estimates that these programs will be available to students in about one year.

“So, this leadership institute would be a way that Eureka, as a college, can reach out to the nation and really the world about the development of leadership during the college years,” Arnold said.

According to Arnold, leadership development has been one of Eureka College’s priorities throughout its history, an effort that is evident in their prestigious alumnae.

“We’re very proud at Eureka to have produced, among our graduates, 42 college presidents, 7 members of Congress and, of course, the 40th president of the United States (Ronald Reagan),” Arnold said.

In addition to spearheading the leadership institute, Arnold will be busy providing counsel for Bell in her new role and working to further improve donor relations for the college.

Bell previously served as Eureka College’s vice president for strategic and diversity affairs. She is

J. David Arnold, Ph.D

J. David Arnold, Ph.D

confident that her time in this role has provided her with the knowledge, perspective and experiences necessary to serve as interim president.

As vice president for strategic and diversity affairs, Bell handled Title 9 compliance issues for the college as well as overseeing diversity initiatives, Bell said.

She also has worked on providing students with outlets for a more proactive education such as trading and workshop opportunities.

Bell will be taking many of her previous duties with her because there will be no one else occupying her old position.

She also was formerly a part of a working group in Ferguson, Missouri which focused on community policing, racial bias, health and wellness and mass demonstrations.

Bell was able to use her background in communication and crisis management to help the Ferguson, Mo. police force develop better and more extensive curriculum for their police training in the aftermath of the riots and race protests in that community in 2015.

That experience in improving interpersonal relationships will help her in her role as interim president, she said.

When she begins her interim presidency on July 1, Bell will be the first female as well as the first African American to be the president of Eureka College. This is just another example of the college’s “uniquely Eureka” spirit that has prioritized diversity and inclusivity throughout the college’s history, she said.

“Eureka College was founded by abolitionists who were friends with Abraham Lincoln and we were also the first college in the state of Illinois and the third in the nation to admit men and women on an equal basis,” she said. “So it seems very fitting that, fast forward to 2015 and I would serve as the first woman and African American to serve as president of the college.”

Bell is hopeful that her success will show Eureka students that they can achieve greatness regardless of whatever obstacles they may face.

“It really helps to provide support for the fact that anyone can rise to a leadership position and make a significant difference…” Bell said.

She also is aware of the fact that she is entering into this role in a rather trying time for higher education administration in Illinois.

The General Assembly currently is at an impasse on renewing funding for the Monetary Assistance Program,  which is offered to college students across the state as a part of their financial aid packages. That leaves colleges like Eureka in a difficult position as they are required by law to provide eligible students with the MAP award.

“We’re required by law to tell the students that they’ve received this amount of money, but we don’t really know if the money is going to be there or not,” Bell said.

She said she is hoping that state legislators will reach a decision to present to the governor by the start of the school year.

Bell will give her first public speech as interim president in August when she will address Eureka’s constituents in her “state of the college” speech.

Eureka College’s board of trustees will form a search committee to begin looking for a new permanent president in 2017, according to Arnold. Bell will serve as interim president until the search committee is able to find a new president which could be as soon as 2018.

Bell said that she plans on applying for the permanent position of president of Eureka College .

 

 

 

 

— College’s leadership speak to what is  “Uniquely Eureka” —