By Phil KirkNot many people
are introduced by the governor as “one of
the truly bright lights of our state,” but
that is precisely the way Dr. Hope Williams was
described by Gov. Hunt at a recent meeting of
North Carolina's Education Cabinet and key
legislators.
Williams, 46, has earned that reputation in
her 23 years of service in state government and
higher education. In her eight years as president
of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and
Universities organization, she has also earned
the respect of the leaders of our state's 36
private colleges and universities.
The organization's current volunteer leader,
Dr. Julianne Still Thrift, president of Salem
Academy and College in Winston-Salem, put it this
way in a recent interview: “All 36
presidents of North Carolina's independent
colleges sleep a bit better because Hope is in
Raleigh representing us. She understands our
colleges' values and our students' dreams. She
cares for the success of all North Carolina
students as if they were her very own.”
Williams' love and passion for education go
back to her father, Newberry Williams, who died
in the early 1980s, and her mother, Kathleen, who
resides in Raleigh.
“They began every conversation with,
`After you graduate from college. . . .' There
was no doubt I would go to college,”
Williams recalls. She also credits her teachers
and counselors in the Fayetteville City Schools
who encouraged her to be active in student
government and to be a leader at an early age.
Born in New Bern, she also lived in Havelock and
Fayetteville, where she was exposed to Methodist
College and St. Andrew's. “They were the
cultural centers in the community,” she
says.
With an undergraduate degree in French and
history from Duke, a master's of public affairs
from North Carolina State, and a doctorate. in
education from UNC-Chapel Hill, she appears to
have touched the major education bases in the
Triangle. In addition, she attended The
Governor's School at Salem College, graduated
from The Government Executives Institute at
UNC-Chapel Hill, and two years ago received an
honorary doctorate of laws from Campbell
University.
After graduating from Duke, she went to work
as a volunteer — and later as a paid staff
member — for then Lt. Gov. Jim Hunt, who was
seeking his first of four terms as governor.
Obviously the campaign was successful, and
although Williams had not planned on moving into
a state government position, she went to work in
the Department of Administration. There she held
several leadership positions and developed a
close working relationship with Jane Patterson,
who later served as secretary of the department.
Her work in that department dealt with
personnel, budgets, advocacy, and legislative
activities — all issues she has continued to
deal with in her current leadership position with
the state's independent colleges and
universities.
It was during this time in state government
that she received her master's at State and began
work on her doctorate at Carolina. After the
second Hunt administration ended, she did some
consulting work for the Z. Smith Reynolds
Foundation, which lead to the formation of N.C.
Equity, an advocacy group for women's issues. In
1986 she became the executive director of the
North Carolina Center for Independent Higher
Education and in 1992 moved into her current job.
Around the same time, a merger brought
together three well-re-spected organizations
— the Center for Independent Higher
Education, the Independent College Fund, and the
Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities — under the umbrella of the
North Carolina Independent Colleges and
Universities. The newly merged organization has
no regulatory authority over independent colleges
as the UNC Board of Governors does over the
public universities.
Brooks Raiford directs the Independent College
Fund, which raises private dollars for 27 of the
36 colleges. All funds go to student
scholarships. Williams represents the independent
higher education sector on public policy issues,
such as the Education Cabinet, which is composed
of the governor, presidents of UNC and community
college systems, superintendent of public
instruction, and the chairman of the State Board
of Education.
“I think the working relationships are
stronger than ever before,” Williams says,
referring to the major players in
education-policy setting. “The cabinet helps
those relationships because we see and work with
each other on a regular basis.”
Although the future of the cabinet, which is
mandated in legislation, is often a subject of
discussion because of next year's change in the
governor's office, Williams has strong feelings
about its future. “The Education Cabinet has
proven to be a very important vehicle for
developing partnerships. The commitment of the
next governor to this process is very
important,” she says.
In addition to representing the independents'
viewpoint on policy, Williams works, along with
vice president Tim McDowell, to increase support
for the North Carolina students in the
independent colleges.
The state funds two individual grant programs
to the tune of $60 million per year. The State
Contractual Scholarship Fund was begun by the
General Assembly in 1971 and the Legislative
Tuition Grant program was funded in 1975.
Coincidentally, Williams was in the first class
to receive those funds. The past three
legislative sessions have granted increases, and
the grants made to individuals now total $2,800.
The goal is to have the state fund students in
independent colleges at the level of one-half of
the state subsidy for North Carolina students in
the public universities.
Williams' experience in the capital city has
been a boon to the independent colleges and
universities' stature and support in the
legislature. “Our presidents know their
legislators, and the legislators know how
important these colleges — most of them
small — are to their communities,” she
says. “Most of them are familiar with their
campuses.”
Williams and her staff of seven also organize
meetings of various groups of professionals from
the 36 campuses, such as deans of teacher
education, development officers, alumni directors
and business officers. They are also involved in
providing research, facts and figures through the
Center for Independent Higher Education.
“One of the most joyous parts of the job
is learning to know so many individuals at the
institutions,” Williams says. “I
continue to be amazed at how much time our people
spend with individual students.”
The veteran educator is especially impressed
with the amount of time and effort spent on
helping address the financial needs of many
students. “While our fees are substantially
lower than many other states, college is still
expensive for many families,” she says.
“The financial aid people work so hard to
put together a package of state grants, federal
aid, institutional aid and private
donations.”
She says the public would be surprised at how
many students receive at least some financial
assistance. On some campuses as many as 90
percent of the students receive some form of aid.
Williams is an unabashed advocate for
independent colleges. “Our colleges are
small. We emphasize class ratios, and our classes
are taught by professors who know their
students.”
She also has a strong sense of obligation
toward using her position and her member
institutions to help to improve the K-12 public
schools. “We are continuing to strengthen
our teacher education programs. The colleges are
changing. We are increasing standards, and we're
getting prospective teachers into the classroom
earlier and longer during their education.”
Access is clearly one Williams' top
priorities. “Colleges are working hard to
keep costs down. They need more technology,
state-of-the-art labs, new buildings, and
maintenance funds.
“Our costs need to remain competitive and
prepare students for the global economy. We
depend a lot on private donors, but much of the
money needed must come from student fees and
tuition.”
Among the changes Williams has seen in her
career is the need for college presidents to be
effective fundraisers. “In order to keep
tuition affordable, much private and business
money must be raised,” Williams says. She
does her share of speaking to many groups and
raising funds from businesses. She enjoys her
association with business people through their
contributions to the fund and as members of local
boards. “NCCBI members continue to be
important as trustees, donors and partners in
projects.”
Williams has a formula for a successful
president. He or she must have a commitment to
students, a willingness to work 24 hours a day,
ability to motivate faculty and staff and to
share governance with the board, leadership and
energy to be a pacesetter to create the vision of
the college in conjunction with trustees, staff,
faculty, students and alumni.
She also sees local trustees becoming more and
more involved. “In the past they saw their
role as helping the president and that is still
true, but now they're also contributing more time
and they want to be sure that they're making a
real difference. I don't mean they are
micromanaging, but they want to be more helpful
in the policy arena. They want to feel valued and
useful.”
Williams believes in the often-held view that
everyone needs to give back to the community. She
has done that through Rotary, Junior League, and
church in her community and through many state
and national professional organizations.
For example, she currently chairs the National
Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities State Executives. This provides her
with opportunities to discuss national trends in
higher education and to share challenges and
solutions with some of the brightest educational
leaders in our country.
“Every state is different, but at the
same time student needs are the same,” she
said. “Everyone is trying their best to help
students to graduate without an overwhelming
personal debt.”
Williams has worked closely with many public
leaders who share her enthusiasm for education.
She cited her work with former senator and
governor Terry Sanford and Gov. Hunt. Her early
experience attending Governor's School at Salem
showed her how one of Sanford's dreams was
realized. Then she worked with him when he was
president of Duke and chaired her association.
“Governors Sanford and Hunt have had a
great influence on my life. They are great
examples of giving back to their state. That is
part of what makes me work hard.”
Her former boss, Gov. Hunt, says, “Hope
Williams has been a champion of public education
throughout her entire life. As the president of
the North Carolina Independent Colleges and
Universities, Dr. Williams has helped to make the
private colleges and universities in our state
full partners with the other education sectors,
not only the post-secondary institutions but the
K-12 schools as well.”
She haracterizes her leadership and management
style as being a team player who recognizes and
depends upon an involved staff. She not only
delegates, but she tries to create an atmosphere
where everyone feels comfortable in presenting
their own ideas.
Dr. Jim Hemby, president of Barton College,
puts it this way: “Hope's penchant for
absolute integrity translates into the kind of
trustworthiness that energizes her leadership,
captures legislators' wills, and makes roadways
for higher education's creative imagination. Her
sterling intellect embraces disparate ideas with
adroit grace and aplomb, posturing her to
anticipate the unexpected, analyze the
consequences, and come to the right conclusions,
all portraits of a great leader.” He
formerly chaired the organization's board.
When she's not at the office or on a college
campus or at a state or national meeting, she
likes to spend time with her family. She met her
husband, Tom Bersuder, when she was a senior at
Duke. “He's a great example of an
out-of-state student who came to Davidson and
Carolina and stayed!” Williams says,
laughing. From Texas, Tom is a computer systems
analyst for state government.
Fifteen-year-old son Jonathan is a student at
Enloe High in Raleigh, and Edward, 12, is at
Ligon.
Much time is spent with the sons on the soccer
field, and the family enjoys traveling. She loves
to play the piano, but has difficulty in finding
the time to do so.
There's likely to be no increased amount of
spare time in Williams' busy but well-organized
and challenging life as an administrator, wife
and mother.
With Gov. Hunt's much-publicized First in
America by 2010 program for the K-12 public
schools on the front burner, Williams will be
doing her part on various committees and in
pushing the state's 36 independent colleges and
universities to aid the effort in every possible
way.
“These independent colleges and
universities are private institutions with a
public purpose,” she explains. “That is
why we are so committed to providing education
for North Carolina students. We see them meeting
many of the future needs of our increasing
enrollments during the next several years.”
COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. This story first
appeared in the May 2000 issue of the North
Carolina Magazine.
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