For our 27th episode, President & Chief Strategy Officer Ethan Whitehill chats with Dr. Sandra Cassady— President & CEO of Rockhurst University—about the advantage of a Jesuit education, cultivating double- and triple-Hawks, and why liberal arts education is often misunderstood.
Ethan Whitehill: Hi everyone. I’m Ethan Whitehill, president and chief strategy officer of Crux, the “un-agency.” Welcome to episode number 27 of “To the Point.” We produce this monthly podcast to bring you thought provoking conversations that get to the crux of it and help entrepreneurial brands fuel growth. Today’s guest is Dr. Sandra Cassady. Dr. Cassady is the 15th president of Rockhurst University, serving as the first woman president in the institution’s history. And the first lay person in that position, her 30-year career in higher education includes roles on the faculty and in administration at St. Ambrose University, a Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa. She’s an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association, a fellow in the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. And since 2003, she’s served as a member of the Higher Learning Commission’s Peer Review Corps, the Institutional Actions Council, and the Specialized Review Corps, dealing with complex issues faced by higher education institutions. Dr. Cassady holds a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Northern Iowa and from the University of Iowa, a master’s in physical therapy and a PhD in exercise science. That’s a great resume! Sandy, it is an honor to have you on the podcast.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: Well, thank you, Ethan, for the opportunity to be here with you today.
Ethan Whitehill: Let’s start here. Being that you’re in academia, some listeners may be surprised to learn that you have a very entrepreneurial story and spirit. Can you share your journey?
Dr. Sandra Cassady: So, it surprises some folks. I actually started my professional career in the healthcare industry. I’m a licensed physical therapist. I practiced in two large acute-care hospitals and always found myself excited about developing new programs for patients and clients. I also fell in love with clinical teaching and decided I wanted teaching to be a bigger part of my practice. So, I geared up with some additional degrees and moved into higher education to teach and to serve as a member of the faculty. And I loved everything about being a member of the faculty but continued to be tempted with opportunities on the administrative side of St. Ambrose University, the higher-ed institution you mentioned. And at the university I eventually joined the ranks of serving as a dean of the College of Health and Human Services and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. And it’s that role that really assisted my development and the development of the university in creating high demand programs, those that have high demand from a workforce need for the region in the broader community.
This provided me the opportunity to develop programs with members of the university to serve the region and the broader community for areas that were in high demand, both academic demand for students, but also workforce demand for the community. So, when the search firm for Rockhurst University called and invited me to consider this opportunity, I learned that the university, which has always had a strong reputation in the liberal arts majors and also business, was looking to really advance its role in the healthcare programs that caught my attention. And I also learned about the involvement of Rockhurst in Kansas City, and those were two exciting things that made me say yes to this opportunity.
Ethan Whitehill: Well, and in addition to that perspective that you brought from healthcare, as I mentioned before, you brought a new perspective as a woman and as a lay person into your new role, which was really a first for the university since its beginning back in 1910, and there’s a rich history there. And Rockhurst is nationally and internationally known for a lot of programs. Tell us a little bit more about that history and sort of what you see as the opportunity ahead.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: Sure. It’s a terrific history. So, the spirit for the Rockhurst education began back in 1521 when a Spanish soldier, Ignatius of Loyola, took a cannonball to the leg. And it was during that recovery period that he reconsidered his own spiritual journey and his way of proceeding, met some companions, and together they formed the society of Jesus an order in the Roman Catholic Church. And the Jesuits, as they’re called, very quickly got into education. In fact, the Jesuit order is the longest serving order in involved continuously in education. And the word continuously is important there because some orders come and go in terms of their aims. But Jesuit education came to Kansas City in the early 1900s when Rockhurst first high school and college were founded and approved in the state of Missouri. The first high school classes for boys started back in 1914, and then college classes began in 1917.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: It was an institution that served men, many of them still in Kansas City. And then the development of additional academic programs, not only at the undergrad, but the graduate level had Rockhurst eventually become a university in 1999. And so, we’ve always been focusing our education on the common good at Rockhurst and believe it’s not just about getting the education, but what you do with that education. And we say we’re in the city for good at Rockhurst, and it’s for two reasons, right? It’s to do good, but it’s also to be here for good and to keep our university here. Initially, I would say Rockhurst had more of a regional or local reputation. Some of our online programs have provided opportunities to serve students in other states. In fact, right now, Rockhurst is serving students from 37 different states and 28 different countries. So, we’re having a larger reach both nationally and internationally.
Ethan Whitehill: That’s fantastic. And Rockhurst is a member, as I understand it, of an organization that has 28 member schools called the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. And as you’re thinking about that reach and as you’re expanding it and you’re, you’re, you’re touching a lot of people, what is it that is unique about the Jesuit approach and the story that you bring to those students?
Dr. Sandra Cassady: So, we tell our students, not only when they join Rockhurst, they’re joining a network of 28 schools in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. And that’s a really strong calling card. It’s a very rich network that provides our students with a lot of opportunities for internships and career opportunities. And it’s increasingly recognized not only in the United States, but throughout the world. In fact, on Sunday, I just returned from visiting St. John’s College in Belize, part of Central America, and had the opportunity there to meet with several Rockhurst alumni who are doing some amazing work in leading in Believe city. We have alumni there who are working in banking and finance and various other industries and governmental roles such as with the United Nations and also contributing at high levels in college and university education there. So, it was great to see firsthand that work that Rockhurst alumni are doing in other parts of the world.
Ethan Whitehill: Yeah, that reach is fantastic, and to know that somebody can start here and end up in Belize or wherever and put those values to work wherever life takes them. So, we’re very proud to be the agency of record for Rockhurst. And as part of our engagement, we worked with your team to develop key pillars for the Rockhurst brand. Why was this exercise so pivotal to the university’s mission? And just, you know, as a reminder, as we think about those pillars, it was really in these four areas, and it’s academics, it’s connections, it’s community, it’s character. But I’d love to hear in your words, you know what that means.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: Yes. Well, it’s really important for us to be able to explain all of the great things that a Jesuit education offers, as well as how Rockhurst views its role in the community in very simple and approachable terms for individuals to understand. So, these pillars help codify language for us to use as we help describe the experience that students will have at Rockhurst. It lets people know that students of all faiths and even no faith have a place at Rockhurst and can make Rockhurst their home and a place that helps them identify their talents and how they can contribute to a better world. We’re very excited about the recognition of our educational product. We have outstanding outcomes at Rockhurst, and it’s great for us to be able to talk about that distinctive education in terms of very high retention rates, persistence to graduation, high pass rates, and licensure exams, and the opportunity for students to get into terrific graduate programs of their choice.
And one example in medical education, our pre-med students get in at twice the national level into medical school. Over 80% are getting in compared to 40% nationwide. I think one of the pillars, connections, helps speak to the connections students will have both on and off campus. And as we said in the alumni network, as they advance through their Rockhurst education, it speaks about the kind of community we build, the invitation for individuals of all backgrounds to join us and to be welcomed at Rockhurst. And then, character. We really work to prepare individuals who are committed to making a difference in their communities. Many stay in Kansas City, but wherever they go, taking that spirit and characteristics to help expand their community.
Ethan Whitehill: And I know that success is no accident beyond the walls of Rockhurst. Rockhurst is very agile and intentional as it relates to workforce needs and trends. So, you’re really getting ahead of it and emphasizing your efforts in tech and health sciences to prepare those students for that future workforce. Tell us a little bit more about that.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: Sure. As I arrived, I know we were learning a lot about what the needs were in the healthcare industry, and we’ve been intentionally growing in that space growing nursing program, essentially from having pre-nursing students at Rockhurst, a couple hundred of them, and then merging with St. Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences to come onto our campus. And now we’re serving over 800 nursing students. So, that has been a big growth area, and I know the industry very much needs nurses, and we are also listening hard to the other areas within the healthcare industry and will be continuing to develop there. Certainly, with all the technology moving into Kansas City, we are excited to rebrand our College of Business to Business and Technology. And I’m so proud of our faculty and our staff who are very nimble in working on these new ventures. Sometimes things are known to take a long time in higher education, but we’ve mounted a number of new programs that we’re enrolling students in and growing in places where industry is and also moving to, that’s something that at Rockhurst we’re just very proud of that we can do that Jesuit thing, which is kind of evaluate the signs of the times. And implement and take actions. You know, “deeds not words” is a big part of our model.
Ethan Whitehill: So, we’re talking about preparing students for careers in various industries, but there is something that’s also really important that is a bedrock of an education at Rockhurst, and that’s liberal arts. And, you know, it’s an approach to higher ed that may be somewhat misunderstood today, maybe because of the word liberal. It has nothing to do with politics. It actually is the way you prepare students intellectually. And maybe it’d be good to talk a little bit about why that’s so critical today.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: So, in higher education, we often have programs which we consider liberal arts, traditional majors. They’ve stemmed from the humanities, English, history, the sciences, and, and religion and philosophy. And those are all continuing at Rockhurst. And, and we’re excited for the students who choose that path. But more important, all of our students as part of the wisdom core, which is our core curriculum, have a foundation in the liberal arts. And it’s the knowledge, skills and abilities that are engendered in the liberal arts. I call them the premium skills. Things like great communication skills, learning to have skills in problem solving and critical thinking, being a member of a team and flourishing. You know, these are the things that not only help an individual get into a position but advance in their position. And what we hear from many employers that they want, and this is something I often hear from our alumni, many anecdotal stories about how they never imagined how much they would use some of this other part of their education to be successful in their career.
Ethan Whitehill: Speaking as an employer who has hired Rockhurst students, that is really valuable. I mean, that’s an excellent skillset for the workforce today and what employers are looking for. And you know, I will say too that it’s not just students that are just entering the workforce. Rockhurst meets people at all ages and stages, which I think is really interesting about your model. Let’s talk a little bit about those advanced degree opportunities and what you’ve lovingly referred to as double and triple Hawks.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: Yeah, so I know Rockhurst has been known for a long time for its undergraduate programs and in business, particularly at the graduate level, but we now have over 20 graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral level. And so, it’s not uncommon for an undergrad to either stay on through a pathway to start working on their master’s degree and ultimately finish or go into the workforce and come back to Rockhurst again, which is a terrific boost of confidence, right? They had a great experience, and they want to come back. And we’ve had many of them do that. In fact, in an early interview with an alum, he told me, he said, “I’m a double hawk.” And that stuck with me, that stuck with me because I had my bachelor’s in undergraduate business and I came back for the MBA. And now we have graduates in education as an area where we now have a doctoral degree. So, we have those undergraduate teachers who had a master’s in education and are now back for their doctorate. And so, we do have some triple hawks.
Ethan Whitehill: Yeah, that’s a testament to the whole experience.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: It really is. Yeah, it really is. And we also come to meet many new students. Through our graduate offerings. I think, again, Ethan, this goes back to our ability to be nimble. Sometimes organizations come to us and say, “we need this in our company or our organization. Could you customize something and make it?” And we have a leadership institute in business that’s able to do that, to help meet workforce needs, maybe with employees a company already has.
Ethan Whitehill: Rockhurst definitely has its fingerprint on the executive population of Kansas City. I think if you were to kind of just do a random sampling, you’d find some Rockhurst grads in that group, I’m sure.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: The executive MBA is a very impressive program. If I could just say a minute about that. I get invited as the president to go to the orientation session, and as the new students go around and introduce themselves and tell us where they already are as leaders, I’m so impressed. I’d like to pull up a chair an sit down and learn with them, because they bring so much to that program. It’s just a terrific program and one that has a terrific reputation here in Kansas City and beyond.
Ethan Whitehill: And we’re talking about leadership, and Rockhurst has a longstanding leadership speaker series that brings in incredible thought leaders such as reporter and author, David Brooks, CBS’s James Brown, and the list goes on. Why is leadership so core to the university’s ethos?
Dr. Sandra Cassady: I think it’s about empowering people to use their education to do good. And we want individuals to go out and have the courage to lead when others won’t in a community to lead with purpose. And that’s really what a Rockhurst education is about, being able to translate your education into something good, something that makes you feel good, but also makes the community feel good.
Ethan Whitehill: What advice do you have for tomorrow’s leaders?
Dr. Sandra Cassady: My advice would be, first of all, leadership is not about titles. And it’s not limited to specific roles. We believe individuals can lead from wherever they are in an organization. And as we think about envisioning a better world, that requires change. Change takes courage sometimes to step beyond what’s comfortable. And so, I always—when I talk with our students—I encourage them to step out, do something in college they didn’t do in high school, take risks, accept a leadership position. There’s so many opportunities to hone your leadership skills. I was a resident assistant in a residence hall. I served as a vice president of student organization. Those were things that piqued my interest early on in leadership. And I share those with the students, and I love watching them, whether they’re stepping up, like I said, in the student senate or in an organization or on their sports team to be a captain. Those are all terrific learning opportunities.
Ethan Whitehill: What does that advice, “do something every day that scares you?”
Dr. Sandra Cassady: Yeah. I think, I think that’s good. I mean, if we’re all just continuing to be comfortable, we’re not, we’re not moving forward. And we know, and again, we have a lot of great leaders here in Kansas City who are really pushing the envelope to make Kansas City a better place. And I’m proud that we have some Rockhurst folks at the table doing that work.
Ethan Whitehill: I agree. Me too. So, you know, I hope I’m not going to scare you with my secret question, but it’s that time. Okay. Question seven. What’s a movie show or book you quote way too often?
Dr. Sandra Cassady: You know, I like the work of Jim Collins. “In Business,” and it’s a book about and his, his leadership is about getting the right people on the bus and getting them in the right seats on the bus, right? And so team is so important, and I think that’s the crux of it all.
Ethan Whitehill: Well played.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: One person cannot make the kind of changes we’re talking about. And, continuing to be nimble and develop and keep up and produce and project the future. So, the team is so important, and I’m so blessed at Rockhurst to work with a terrific team of administrators and faculty and staff who bring different knowledge and skills and come to work hard every day.
Ethan Whitehill: Yeah, and I can confirm that just from our experience working with your team. It’s a wonderful group. Sandy, how can listeners connect with you or learn more about Rockhurst University?
Dr. Sandra Cassady: So, we just launched a new website, and I would encourage listeners to go to the Rockhurst University website a www.rockhurst.edu. And it’s very easy to navigate and there are places there where you can learn a lot of terrific information about the whole university. If you have someone you’d like to talk with—me or another individual—you can call our main number, 816.501.4000 and you’ll be connected to the office of your choice.
Ethan Whitehill: Fantastic. Well, thank you so much for your time and the great conversation today, Sandy.
Dr. Sandra Cassady: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure.