Deans focus on visibility with students, staff and faculty
By: SPENCER GLEASON
Editor-in-Chief
Following the retirement of Donna S. Sneed, the Dean of Business Administration and Physical Education, after the Spring 2013 semester, St. Louis Community College-Meramec has gone from four deans to three deans.
With the reconstruction of the dean divisions, Vernon Kays, Ed. D., Yvonne Johnson, Ph. D. and Janet Walsh, interim, have each been assigned new responsibilities.
Kays, who joined STLCC-Meramec in 2005, went from being the Dean of Communications and Mathematics to the Dean of Communications and Business. Johnson is the Dean of Liberal Arts and Walsh is the Interim Dean of Science, Math and Health.
“We recently restructured. I’m now in charge of business, accounting, legal, communication, foreign language and English,” Kays said. “I also have my hands in academic support, tutoring, supplemental instruction, college writing, support center and student success. I am responsible for the management of my division.”
Although Kays is not in charge of the mathematics division anymore, he said he still works with data, as he works at retaining students.
“I know that enrollment is down a little bit. I look at how we were this time last year. We’re not in too bad of shape. We’re down about 5.4 percent,” Kays said. “First time student enrollment is close to last year, which is better than the other campuses. We’re down significantly in 21-25 year olds and 26-30 year olds.”
Although there is a drop in non-traditional student numbers, the stress of the job comes from the every day grind, but Kays said he still enjoys his job.
“Sometimes when it’s stressful or difficult, some people might call it middle management,” Kays said. “People are unhappy over you or below you, but I like my job.”
Even though the dean’s divisions have been consolidated into three, Kays said that being visible to those around is a major part of being successful for each division and the campus throughout.
“A lot of what I do is just showing up and being present,” Kays said. “I talk to people and I listen to them. I make sure I’m part of the campus. I try to take care of our students.”
Path to Becoming a Dean
Dr. Vernon Kays began attending college in hopes of becoming a science teacher.
During the Vietnam War, he left school to work with handicapped adults. At a time when asylums were being disbanded, Kays and his wife started a farm that seven disabled males would help them run.
The farm didn’t succeed and he and his wife divorced. Kays began working at a paper mill and worked his way up to foreman.
He then met his current wife, who had just received her Ph.D. from Kansas University. They moved to Little Rock, Ark. and he returned to school. Kays finished his degree and began teaching science at a middle school.
When his wife started a new job, they moved to Illinois. Kays went to the University of Illinois- Champaign and obtained his doctorate in leadership.
In the fall of 2004, St. Louis Community College- Meramec had an opening for Dean of Communications and Mathematics and he applied. Kays started at Meramec, as dean, in February 2005.
