DAILY TELEGRAM PUBLISHES STORIES ON PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION posted 4/19/05

The Daily Telegram (Adrian, Mich.) published stories on Adrian College's incoming president, Jeffrey Docking, and on retiring president, Stanley Caine. Read them both here. [Go down to Docking story.]

Reproduced by permission

THE MARK BY CAINE
After 16 years guiding Adrian College, Stanley Caine prepares to step aside.

April 17, 2005

By Ingrid Langsather -- Daily Telegram Staff Writer

ADRIAN -- As Dr. Stanley Caine looks toward his retirement at the end of June, he has begun to reflect on the highlights of his tenure as Adrian College president.
Under his leadership, the college has tackled several major renovation projects and fought to keep tuition prices competitive while expanding the school's curriculum.

Caine (Photo: Adrian College)

While some might hold high those professional achievements, Caine said some of his fondest memories -- the ones that seem to fill him with pride -- are of the commencements he has presided over. Caine has given diplomas to more than 3,000 students during his 16-year tenure as president, he said.

Those who have worked with Caine say they consider him to be a cut above most other college presidents because he's taken the time to get to know the graduates and is able to address most of them by name.

"It's nothing short of miraculous," said Bill Kenyon, vice president of institutional advancement, who estimated that Caine is usually able to name about 75 percent of the students who walk over to him to receive their diplomas.

As a true "student president," Caine does not place a limit on his campus involvement, Kenyon said. He attends soccer, volleyball and softball matches in addition to basketball and football games. He also frequents student plays, artistic displays and academic events.

"What defines Dr. Caine is his regard for students," Kenyon said.

Forming close ties with the student body has been the priority throughout his career, Caine said.

"Students have been central to my life for decades, and I will likely not find anything to replace them," he said.

David Hickman, chairman of the board of trustees and member of the search committee that recommended Caine, said Caine is an outstanding leader with total integrity, great character and no hidden agenda. His dedication to students and building relationships with them has made a difference in the lives of many young people, he said.

Hickman recently served as chairman of the presidential search committee that chose Dr. Jeffrey Docking to replace Caine following his retirement.

"He takes great pride in helping students," Hickman said. "That's when he beams more than anything."

Lekha Fernandes, student government president at Adrian College, said Caine has always been approachable and a visible presence on the college campus. A senior, Fernandes said she said has had the opportunity to observe the president interact with the campus community.

"He gets to know the students and their parents," she said.

Involved with Cambios Inc., a nonprofit organization in Adrian whose mission is to celebrate diversity and eliminate discrimination through educational programs and services, Fernandes said Caine supported the organization and her volunteer efforts. Her favorite memory of Caine is when he volunteered to read to some children involved with Cambios, she said.

"I've never seen anyone that excited about reading to children," she said.

Caine has traveled to Mexico with students, frequented athletic events and attended theatrical productions, Fernandes said.

"He wants to see what his kids are doing," she said. "He is so excited about what they are doing."

As president, Caine is "down to earth" and accessible to students and the community, said Frank Dick, chairman of the presidential search committee that chose Caine 16 years ago.

This down-to-earth quality is something Caine has striven to extend toward students, parents and colleagues, he said. In his spacious office, surrounded by two walls of windows, he said he chose the comfortable brown leather couch that sits across from his desk. Visitors are always a priority for the president, he said.

"I wanted to create a certain atmosphere," he said.

His office also boasts his many accomplishments and awards. Plaques honor his commitment to community service, his involvement with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and numerous achievements.

A historian by trade, Caine wrote a book about progressive reform and taught history for 10 years. He then became assistant dean of the university and director of graduate studies at DePauw University prior to a position as vice president for academic affairs and professor of history at Hanover College.

Caine's next stop was Adrian College.

One of the most difficult jobs as president entails learning the story of the place, Caine said. Through his time at the college, he said he has learned what that story encompasses.

"Adrian has always been a place of opportunity," he said.

During the college's first years in the 1860s, doors were opened to women and blacks at a time when this was rare, Caine said. Since its beginning, the college has aimed to provide everyone interested in a good education with the opportunity, no matter what their financial means or background. Caine said he continues to search for financial resources to better support students, in the private and public sector.

Caine said he has "greatly added" to the growth of the college's endowment fund, increasing benefits for students.

"People of talent can come here and do what they need to do to succeed," Caine said. "It's something we're really proud of."

A combination of a talented faculty, "exceptional" community and keeping in close contact with students has made his experience complete, he said.

As his father was a college president, Caine had grown up in an academic family but said he had never foreseen himself following in his father's footsteps. He said his greatest fear in becoming president was that it would create distance between himself and students.

Although he was afraid of losing touch with the ones he wanted to impact the most, Caine said he has maintained a satisfactory closeness with students while president.

Walking around campus with the president, Caine proves his knowledge by telling stories about students he points out. When in the freshly renovated Ridge Student Center, which he refers to as the project that "closes the circle," he talks to a young woman who is on the softball team and then briefly visits with junior history major Alan Lomcar. Caine recalls his first conversation with Lomcar when they spoke about John Adams.

"It's something we had in common," Caine said.

Since the beginning of his presidency, Caine said he aimed to chart a path of constant campus improvements. Caine's co-workers and community supporters recognize his dedication to Adrian College, his support of students and his appreciation of the community.

"The college is better off now than when he first came. I see it as an incredible accomplishment," Hickman said. "The renovations are a permanent marker."

Physical improvements on campus, such as the completion of renovations to the Merillat Sports and Fitness Center, Shipman Library and Ridge Student Center, have marked his presidency and will leave a lasting legacy, Dick said.

"Stan Caine is a winner," he said. "I don't think we could have done any better."

Caine said during the time he served as president, he has witnessed "changing trends" with students and encouraged changes on campus to compensate. Integrating updated technology on campus has been a priority, he said.

"We need to sustain programs relevant to this generation," Caine said.

In addition to the physical improvements on campus, Caine raised the level of academic scholarship and leadership, Dick said. As president, Caine has brought dignity and class to the college and earned respect across the country, he said.

To meet the changing needs of students, Caine said the college has kept the curriculum and programs offered "evolving."

"We want to offer what the students find attractive," he said.

Dr. Rick Artman, president of Siena Heights University, said he was friends with Caine even before he came to Adrian 11 years ago. They had served together as consultant-evaluators with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Artman said.

"We have a wonderful relationship," he said.

From the beginning of Artman's presidency at Siena, he said Caine has reached out to him in friendship -- professionally and socially. Rather than the presidents looking at each other as rivals, Artman said he and Caine have worked together on numerous projects, study-abroad opportunities and joint academic endeavors.

"He is a fine president, highly respected by his peers in the state and nationally," Artman said.

Kenyon said his first encounter with Caine made a lasting impression. An alumnus of the college, Kenyon said he was attending a homecoming event during Caine's first year as president.

"I was struck by his thought processes and single-mindedness of purpose in setting the stage for taking the college to the next level," he said.

For the past 10 years, Kenyon has worked alongside Caine at the college and has seen firsthand the president's fulfillment of his vision for the college.

Caine understands the role of higher education in society and values the personal relationships that occur on a small campus, Kenyon said. Developing a balanced campus community by offering activities outside the classroom and encouraging a comfortable student environment, Caine has promoted student involvement in community service, theater and athletics and saw his plans for campus renovations through to completion.

Caine said he has been impressed with students' commitment to volunteering within the community. He said he has noticed a trend of increased community service in the past few years.

"I am impressed with this generous generation of students," he said. "It's really commendable."

While Docking, who takes over the presidency in July, will face financial challenges, a problem many public and private institutions are facing, the environment on campus and in the surrounding community is positive, Caine said.

Certain challenges will remain constant, he said. As a college president, Caine said it is always difficult to secure a strong enrollment of highly qualified students. Changing standards in secondary education have created an uneven playing field for students entering college, he said.

The community's support of Adrian College students aids in the richness of the education process, Caine said. Through student teaching opportunities, theater experience at the Croswell Opera House and other venues, students are able to practice their craft close to campus, he said.

"The community has real interest in the students," he said. "It allows them to pursue their goals."

Caine said the community has been an asset since he first came to the college but that he has worked to further strengthen the relationship.

Although he's leaving the office of president, Caine said he and his wife will remain active residents within the Adrian community.

"It's the best community we've ever lived in," he said.

In his retirement, Caine said he would like to remain an active volunteer with youth and the associations he has been active with in the past. In addition, he said he plans to pursue researching and writing in his chosen field of history.

He said he does not have plans to stay involved on the Adrian College campus.

"It is important for there to be a changing of the guard," Caine said. "Dr. Docking has the intelligence and new ideas to set the college on its future course."

THE 'STUDENT PRESIDENT'
Dr. Jeffrey Docking, the next president of Adrian College, says relating to students is his priority.

March 13, 2005

By Ingrid Langsather -- Daily Telegram Staff Writer

ADRIAN -- Shortly after the Adrian College board of trustees selected Dr. Jeffrey Docking as its new president on Feb. 19, trustee Ronald Reeves removed the Adrian College pin from his suit and secured it on Docking's lapel.
"Now I've got to get a new one," Reeves said, in reference to the round pin all trustees are expected to wear.

Docking (Photo: Adrian College)

This gesture illustrates the confidence of the Adrian College community in its new president and his ability to take the reins of the college following Dr. Stanley Caine's retirement at the end of June.

"I think he's a good choice," Reeves said.

Possessing a wealth of people skills, Docking will be a "student president" who will call students by name, Reeves said.

"This is what a small college is all about," he said.

With a passion for higher education and the energy to turn his goals into reality, Docking has received support from Adrian College faculty, administration and students.

Docking, 44, currently serves as vice president and special assistant to the president of Washington and Jefferson College, a small liberal arts college in Washington, Penn. He will officially begin his presidency at Adrian College on July 1. "He's the right person with the right background," said Gary Valade, chairman of the board of trustees.

President of the college for the past 16 years, Caine said he expects the transition of the two presidents to be a smooth one.

"We're off to a very good start," he said. "We're going to work together any way we can."

He said he has been impressed by Docking's ideas for the presidency and thinks he possesses a good understanding of the values and programs that make Adrian College different.

"He has lots of potential to be a good leader here," Caine said.

While Docking will face financial challenges -- a problem many public and private institutions are facing -- the environment on the campus is positive, marked by the completion of the new Ridge Student Center and the Shipman Library, Caine said.

Linda Mnkandla, student associate trustee and junior at the college, said her fellow students have been pleased with the new president. During Docking's first campus visit, Mnkandla said students were left with glowing first impressions.

"He is a really genuine man," she said.

Mnkandla said she thinks Docking will build solid relationships with students and that he communicates well.

"He is really going to come through for us," she said. "I'm excited about seeing the college go in a new direction."

Dr. Don Cellini, associate trustee representing college staff on the search committee, said he is "absolutely thrilled" with the new president.

"He has the experience and preparation to do exactly what Adrian needs," said Cellini, professor of modern languages and cultures.

Cellini said Docking has the ability to take the college beyond its present state and can see the "big picture."

David Hickman, chairman of the presidential search committee, said he has spent significant time with the new president and is pleased with what he has seen thus far.

"He is the ideal president of Adrian College," Hickman said.

With a mission to expand the college's student enrollment and a vision to clarify the college's future plans, Docking proved himself to the search committee as the unanimous best choice to carry on and expand Caine's legacy, Hickman said.

"This man just has boundless energy," he said. "Dare to give him too much to do."

Hickman said Docking is a "good person" and that he and his family will be a "great fit" in the community.

"He'll help us be stronger as we're growing forward," Hickman said.

ON CAMPUS

On Wednesday morning, Docking and Caine joke with one another like old friends in a conference room in the college's library. Caine asks the new president why his freshly acquired Adrian College pin is missing. Docking smiles as he said he has worn the pin while at Washington and Jefferson, only to be chided that he is still on the Pennsylvania college's payroll.

Docking, soft-spoken with kind blue eyes, puts strangers at ease. As he walks around campus, Docking introduces himself to students and college staff with an unassuming manner. With his hands gently crossed in front of him, he asks students about their experiences at the college and why they made the decision to attend. His genuine and warm mannerisms make him easy to converse with and the title of president less intimidating.

After a late night of traveling and a full morning of meetings, Docking asks to stop at the Ridge Student Center for a needed cup of coffee, which he says is a staple of his daily routine.

Following a few sips of the warm caffeine, Docking talks about his childhood, background and his visions for Adrian College.

A Michigan native, Docking said he is looking forward to coming back to family and friends. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have four children, ages 17, 15, 13 and 9.

Docking was born in Detroit and grew up in East Lansing, where both he and his wife went to school. He then attended Michigan State University. He went on to receive a master of divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and a doctorate in social ethics from Boston University. Docking said it took him several years to realize his calling was in the field of higher education. Since he loves campus life and the "perfect blend" of culture, music and sports that fuses best in a college atmosphere, Docking said this career was the best fit.

"This is what I'm made for," he said.

While Docking attended large schools and universities, he said he "fell in love" with the small liberal arts form of education when he began his career at Washington and Jefferson in 1997.

"The best education students can receive is at places like this," Docking said. "It's a better education experience."

Small class size and the opportunity for students to know their professors is priceless, he said. Private colleges often require a higher tuition but Docking said the rewards are well worth the cost.

"You get what you pay for," he said.

The liberal arts prepare students for a multi-career world by teaching them how to think, not what to think.

A NEW VISION

Docking said Adrian College has "tremendous potential" and he is looking forward to taking the school to the next step. He outlines his strategies for the college's future with confidence and simplicity.

"There is potential locked up in Adrian," he said. "It simply needs to be unleashed."

One of the first changes Docking would like to bring about is a growth in student enrollment. He said he thinks the ideal student population should be at least 1,500, a significant increase from the current enrollment of 1,050 students.

"The school should grow considerably," he said.

Adrian College should be a place where the out-of-classroom experience is "very exciting," Docking said. He wants the resources surrounding Adrian to become more tangible for students. More trips into Toledo, Detroit and Ann Arbor to experience cultural and sporting events and a strengthened study abroad program could enrich the students' education.

"Students want to get out and see different things," he said.

He also intends to expand the college's mentoring program and service learning opportunities. Docking said students are looking for more potential hands-on experiences when they search for colleges.

New residence halls, improved science labs and athletic facilities are also high on his list.

"Students are sophisticated these days," Docking said. "They make decisions partly based on the look of the campus."

In order to make these changes happen, Docking said he is prepared to embark on long fund-raising journeys. He said he foresees himself spending half his time raising money for the college. One of his goals is to increase the institution's endowment.

"It simply needs to grow," he said.

Docking said Caine has left him a positive legacy to build from and that he hopes to follow in his footsteps.

While he expects a seamless transition, Docking said he will spend the first months looking, listening and learning about Adrian College and the community.

As president, Docking said he anticipates working with the local community and civic leaders.

"I want to work together in a partnership," he said. "It's better for both the college and community."

At Washington and Jefferson, Docking has implemented a program called "Coffee with the College," where he meets with local residents at area coffee houses and answers any questions they may have about the college. He said he intends to do the same thing in Adrian, he said.

In his early 40s, Docking said he has the energy that comes with youth and the strength to finish the projects he starts.

"I want to keep the core of the college the same, but I plan to move forward methodically," he said.