Dr. Bryan Depoy, Provost

The College is excited to announce that Dr. Bryan DePoy is now serving as provost. The change in title recognizes the comprehensive nature of his responsibilities, including providing leadership for institutional planning, quality initiatives, student affairs, accreditation and operational matters for the institution.

“The new role better captures his strengths in leadership. In addition, this position has more oversight regarding internal matters. Working closely with me, he will assist in achieving the College’s strategic objectives. As provost, he will also provide oversight and leadership regarding more wide-ranging matters related to student and institutional success,” said College President, Brian Posler.

We sat down with Dr. DePoy to find out what this position means to him as well as the future of the College.

The role of provost is new at LEC. How is this a game-changer?

Yes, the role is relatively new, at least considering the current and recent leadership structure. The provost is the chief academic officer and has responsibility for guiding and leading the academic division and collaborating very closely with the president in setting the overall academic priorities of the institution and ensuring those priorities are, as reasonably as possible, accounted for in all the institutional structures. This is a “game-changer” because it’s a declaration and affirmation that academics should remain at the forefront of all our decision-making.

What does it mean to you to be the Provost of LEC?

It reminds me of the profound and solemn responsibility I have to do everything within my capacity to ensure Lake Erie College thrives, remains relevant, and provides a high-quality education for all our students. While I’ve taken every position in my nearly 30-year career very, very seriously, serving as provost means that I need to weigh each decision carefully in the light that anything I do will influence our progress. It’s somewhat intimidating, actually, but I’m honored to serve the institution at this particular time on its journey.

What is your academic vision for the College? This may sound like I’m taking the “easy way out,” but that’s not the case. My academic vision IS the mission and vision of Lake Erie College. I led the strategic planning

process that resulted in the creation of our current mission and vision, and I’m particularly proud of the many ways I see the campus coming together to operationalize the mission. Two words in our mission are compelling and unique as far as mission statements go: hope and care. Now, I have specific ways in which those areas I lead will live our vision, and I hope that, by my actions and words, all stakeholders will see how important the mission and vision are to me and for our students.

What is the favorite part of your job?

I’d say having the honor to serve with many extraordinary individuals always to find new, unique and innovative ways to better uplift and transform our students is what I enjoy the most. I adore many people I work with; some are among the most exemplary individuals I’ve ever encountered.

What do you hope to accomplish over the next year?

There are a few things that are tactical and others that are strategic. Tactically speaking, I need to lead the institution through the upcoming HLC (Higher Learning Commission) comprehensive review, which will take place in April 2022. I’m working with members of my team and the cabinet to ensure our institution is presented in the most accurate way possible and get our report in order. It’s an enormous undertaking, but we’re making progress. Strategically, my focus is on working with President Posler and others to implement our current strategic plan and advance the goals and priorities it contains. It’s essential that I not lose sight of those key priorities.

What do you think sets Lake Erie College apart from other similar institutions?

Every day, I see examples of when we rally together to support a student, celebrate their success or work with them to address their needs. Notice that I said “a” student. That’s because every student is special to us; we see them as individuals with whom we’ve been given the profound responsibility to prepare for a life of significance. That doesn’t mean we don’t challenge our students or hold them accountable; however, I’m convinced that our individualized and personal approach is unparalleled in so many ways. Many institutions say they do this, and they might, but not to the extent and with the depth we do at Lake Erie College, in my opinion.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

In my role, I’m responsible for a large number of areas and components of the campus. As the provost, my level of operational responsibility is broad. The complexity and volume of issues can be challenging and difficult to manage and balance. I have the same number of hours in my day as everyone else, but the many tasks, responsibilities, and operational matters can forget that sometimes. That said, it’s also quite thrilling to be working on so many things at once. I love the variety of all the things I get to do on a given day.

What do you believe are LEC’s greatest challenges?

In many ways, our challenges are not unique compared to similar institutions. That said, I’m only concerned with how the challenges impact Lake Erie College. Among the challenges is ensuring we remain true to our mission and vision while adapting to meet the needs of our students as they enter the workforce and proceed through life. We’ll need to continue to focus on promoting and projecting with clarity our value proposition (e.g., what makes us special) and why it matters to the contemporary learner. The most significant challenges we face, I think, are promoting, honing, and reinforcing the broad skills acquired at a place like Lake Erie College. Precisely, those are formulating compelling arguments, solving problems in creative ways, knowing which problems need solving and preparing students to lead in society. Going back to the operative question (e.g., the greatest challenges), ensuring we continue to refine those skills in the classroom and in every program, articulating WHY those skills matter, and ensuring we can project those attributes to attract and retain more students are imperatives. Colleges and universities that cannot address these challenges will struggle. I feel Lake Erie College’s best days are ahead, but we must urgently adapt, transform and innovate in all that we do.

Are there any new areas of study or innovation that you believe LEC should pursue?

As per our strategic plan, we are exploring degree programming in lab-based health sciences and data analytics. Those two areas are projected for significant job growth, continue to be in demand for our region, and can help us attract more students. I would also like to see more collaborative and interdisciplinary work that leverages our many strengths. Many relevant and in-demand skills can

be developed by formalizing cross-disciplinary degree programming in all our current programs.

What is your favorite place on campus?

That’s a tough question because it changes. I used to say “Morley Auditorium” since my primary background is music and so I connect with that particular space. These days, I’d have to say the Lincoln Library. It’s a very inviting place, and the artwork on display, multicultural programming, and the fact that so many people gather there make it my favorite place at this time. Ask me the same question next year, and I might have a different answer.

What’s your favorite motivational quote?

Perhaps oddly, while I am occasionally intrigued by motivational quotes, I rarely commit any to memory, and those I do are often cliches. I do, though, have a quote that is one of the few I’ve committed to memory (or near memory), and I also keep a small, hand-written version in my wallet.

“Understanding, I think, is the most important thing when you are dealing with people — any people. You have got to make the effort to understand even the ununderstandable.” - Lakhdar Brahimi

Mr. Brahimi is an Algerian United Nations diplomat, conflict mediator and an expert on post-conflict reconstruction. I first learned of this quote and Mr. Brahimi in my negotiation and conflict resolution coursework at the Harvard University Extension School. I think we’d all be better off if we committed to living to the ideals of Mr. Brahimi’s wisdom and, in particular, the quote I shared.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?

During this formative time, I think freshmen (and all students, for that matter) should recognize that the habits they are developing at Lake Erie College are those that will follow them through a lifetime. My advice is to be in the perpetual state of asking oneself the following: How does this (any during the collegiate years) choice or decision help me to become the best and most successful person I can be?

What book do you think everyone should read?

That varies greatly depending on my mood or whatever particular book I’m energized by at the time. Among the most profound and interesting books I’ve read in a very long time is by Brene’ Brown titled Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone. Dr. Brown is currently a research professor at the University of Houston and researches social topics such as empathy, courage and leadership. While her books are immensely accessible and interesting, I like reading her work because I know it’s backed up by solid research methodology.

Having joined LEC in 2015, Dr. DePoy most recently served as senior vice president for academic affairs and institutional effectiveness. He was previously the dean of the College of Creative Arts and Communication at Youngstown State University (YSU), where he also served as the interim associate provost for research and graduate studies. He was also an assistant dean and dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he served on the faculty as a tenured professor. Dr. DePoy has served multiple boards and advisory groups, including as chairperson of the board for Western Reserve Public Media, Ohio’s largest public television affiliate. He also was among the founders of Power of the Arts, an arts advocacy and economic development non-profit organization located in Youngstown, Ohio. He serves actively as a peer reviewer and site visit team chair for the Higher Learning Commission and was awarded a Peer Corps Hero Mighty Mentor award from the Higher Learning Commission HLC during the organization’s 2021 annual conference. He is also a certified mediator with an emphasis in workplace conflict. He has studied negotiation and conflict at Harvard University’s Extension School and the University of Richmond and complex negotiation through Cornell University’s Negotiation Mastery program.