MSU president finalist Roger Thompson touts access, interaction, listening at forum

As a finalist for the university president's job, Roger Thompson described Missouri State as a rocket on the launchpad.

"I'd like to come join your community and light the fuse on that and see where it can go," he said Thursday.

In his 14th year as vice president for student services and enrollment management at the University of Oregon, Thompson oversees 1,900 team members and an annual budget of $250 million.

In three of the past four years, the University of Oregon has set record enrollment for the largest, most diverse, and most academically prepared freshman class in the history of the institution.

Thompson, an active fundraiser, has also been involved in capital projects including new residence halls and revamping the housing plan for the campus.

"Good leaders listen effectively," he said. "They listen to their team and to stakeholders to determine how best to move forward."

He previously worked at top universities in Alabama and Indiana.

"This university has a very strong foundation," he said of Missouri State. "I think some of the things that you might be looking for are things that I offer and so I would be very honored and very humbled to join your community and try to make a difference and move our trajectory so it continues upward."

The last of three finalists to succeed the retiring Clif Smart and become the 12th president of Missouri State, Thompson's interview was set for Wednesday and Thursday. Even so, he showed up early. He toured the campus, ate in the dining hall, and talked to students.

"I just kind of wandered around campus Tuesday afternoon and asked students about their experiences ... We have a lot of free consultants if we will listen to them," he said. "So, as president here, I think I would do some of the same things."

"Who you wish to be as an institution"

Thompson participated in an open forum Thursday in front of a slightly smaller crowd of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members than the other finalists.

The forums were identical. They started with questions from Lynn Parman, chair of the MSU Board of Governors — which has a closed-door meeting scheduled Friday — and then the audience.

The other finalists are MSU provost John Jasinski, the former president of Northwest Missouri State University, and Richard "Biff" Williams, the former president of Utah Tech University.

Asked to identify a major career accomplishment, Thompson pointed to Pathway Oregon, which covers tuition and fees for students admitted who are eligible for the federal Pell Grant based on family income. They receive wraparound services, including faculty and peer advising.

"What we've done is we've said to students in the state of Oregon that have typically been dealt kind of a tough hand, but they have all the ability to come to the University of Oregon and have success," he said. "... We've begun to create generational change and so that's why I am most proud of it."

More: MSU presidential finalist John Jasinski talks track record, 'growth mindset' at forum

Thompson was recently involved in a campaign to raise $116 million. The goal was $70 million. That's separate from the $100 million gift for scholarships, part of a larger overall gift from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie.

"I'm always amazed at how generous people can be. They've worked hard to earn their money. They worked hard to do things and they're willing to give back and when it comes to scholarships, I often tell donors ... 'I so appreciate your contribution to people that you haven't even met,'" he said.

"I get energy from interacting"

Thompson said collaborating with faculty and staff is critical to success.

"As we chart a path forward, great universities — and I think Missouri State is one of those — you have to understand where you've been and where you are and where you wish to go and who you wish to be as an institution," he said. "And that needs to be done collectively."

He added: "When you set that North Star, and you get everybody moving in the right direction, it's amazing the things that can be accomplished."

Thompson said he is committed to serving students who have disabilities because it is the law and the "right thing" to do. He also prioritizes having a diverse, welcoming campus.

More: MSU president finalist Biff Williams emphasizes outreach, partnerships, momentum at forum

At the time he started in his current role, the average freshman class at the University of Oregon was 3,500 students with an average 3.4 GPA and 17% were racially diverse. This year, the freshman class was more than 5,000 students with a 3.7 GPA and 37% were racially diverse.

"It prepares our students to be effective when they leave. They are going to work and compete in a global economy with people that are like them and lots of people that are not like them," he said.

Thompson has a master's degree from the University of Central Missouri, which is also where he met his wife, who grew up in Kansas City and vacationed in Branson growing up. They have two daughters.

He grew emotional talking about college students and his role as a dad.

"I tell our team all the time 'Every student that we meet is the most important person to somebody,'" he said. "... And people are entrusting us with the most precious thing in their lives and that is a responsibility that I take very seriously."

Asked about the challenges students face on their educational journey, Thompson said universities must remove "barriers that lengthen the time to graduate."

"If you want to make college affordable, I firmly believe the most important thing to do is make a four-year degree four years," he said.

The University of Oregon allows students to lock in tuition and fees. "The amount you pay when you start as a freshmen is the amount you pay when you're a senior."

Thompson said community interaction and visibility has been a key part of his career.

"A lot of people have given me the nickname of 'The Mayor.' I've never run for elected office, just to be clear, but I think it's because I'm always out in the community," he said. "That is something I enjoy doing. I am a people person. I thrive, I get energy from interacting."

Revitalizing student attendance at athletic events a priority

Thompson knows what a good athletics department looks like.

He's spent the last 14 years at Oregon, which has appeared in a pair of national championship games in football while winning three Rose Bowls. Men's basketball has appeared in a Final Four and seven NCAA Tournaments with women's basketball making five tournaments and one Final Four. The baseball program has been to the NCAA Tournament eight times since 2010 and hosted a pair of Super Regionals and three Regionals.

More: Missouri State basketball games are emptier than ever. What happened, and what's next?

When he has office hours for students, all they want to do is talk about the Ducks. Thompson stressed the importance of a successful athletics department and how it engages with students.

"Bringing energy into athletics and having more crowd or student involvement … the first thing you want is a winning product on the field or court or whatever and then secondly, we have to listen to the people that are going to these ballgames and people who aren't going to these ballgames," Thompson said. "I want people to have great pride in the Bears."

It's no secret that student attendance at Missouri State has become nearly non-existent. Someone who appeared to be a student in the crowd asked Thompson specifically about what he'd do to "revitalize a culture of pride" within the athletics department.

Thompson mentioned how the Oregon baseball coach visits fraternities and sororities to encourage them to attend games. He said he's seen students walk into athletic events alone and then depart with new friends. He described himself as someone who will bring energy to games, offering to stand in student sections with the students and make sure everyone is on their feet singing the school fight song every time it's played.

More: Here's how Missouri State's rivals are filling the bleachers at basketball games

"I want to make sure people know that's the event you want to attend," Thompson said. "I've seen some tactics that work and I suspect your athletic director has, too. How do you implement those tactics to try to change and create that energy? That's really important."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State president finalist Roger Thompson touts fundraising