Environmental concerns, enrollment issues and a massive budget deficit plague Bucks’ morale, but new Provost Dr. Kelly Kelleway still holds out hope for our historic institution.

Walking into Tyler Hall you are immediately met with the gravity and grandeur of the history of Bucks. Tall extravagant ceilings and gorgeous woodwork line the halls that lead to the office of Kelleway.

Kelleway has been with Bucks for over two decades, starting as a professor in the Language and Literature department. She has worked her way up the administrative ladder during her time and was officially instated as provost in July 2023.

Her history with Bucks is strong. She says her biggest strength in her new administrative position is her length of service. “I know the ins and outs of the institution; it gives me some perspectives to help people make decisions and solve problems.” She has seen Bucks during its highest highs and lowest lows.

Her time as provost has not had an easy start. She has been met with issues that have been years in the making. With the resignation of Bucks President Dr. Ganther, Kelleway says she and other administrators are going to need to pick up the slack.

“I am confident that the strength of the cabinet will allow us to move forward,” she says. Kelleway emphasized the importance of maintaining the relationships Ganther had built in her tenure as president. “It will be a necessity as we await the next president.”

Her biggest concern for Bucks is that we need to be “addressing the inequities in student success. We’ve made strides in many number of areas, but I am not satisfied with success rates in certain student demographics. The college needs to build targeted programs to help students succeed. We are here for the students that need us and need to be intentional in doing so.”

Students themselves have been dwindling in population. Enrollment has been down since the coronavirus pandemic and continues to stay in lower numbers. “Less people had kids, and now we are noticing the impact.”

Kelleway claims that this population problem is out of the college’s hands. She says the university is doing everything it can to target students in non-traditional age groups. They are attempting to combine alt-credit programs with credit programs to generate more interest. The creation of alt-credit programs like the welding program has shown major outreach to those who normally would not consider going to college.

The budget crisis Bucks is experiencing can also be partially attributed to low student enrollment. “We haven’t increased tuition in years,” Kelleway said.

She mentioned how four-year universities are feeling the same consequences of lower population and have been huge competitors with Bucks when it comes to bringing in new students.

As for how much debt Bucks is in, that figure is still unknown. “Our CFO is currently unraveling the budget situation to give us an accurate projection of what we might be looking at.”

The environmental challenges with Grupp Hall and Founders Hall have been weighing on students and faculty alike.

“There are real morale challenges,” she said, “Sectors of faculty are very unhappy, along with non-faculty members. It is not the darkest time, but it is a huge challenge … I really believe that if everyone understands what is at stake, we can meet that challenge,” she said.

Kelleway emphasized that none of the problems at Bucks can be fixed by fighting, tearing each other down or hiding things from each other. If everyone can work together, things can change.

Kelleway said that the Ad Hoc Building Safety Committee is working hard to make sure that these environmental concerns can be addressed the right way so that they won’t have problems like this again. She hopes that once the major radon presence is addressed and fixed, the university will continue to monitor and do annual checks of all the systems.

“The board of trustees is all over it, they are very supportive.” She said that everyone is meeting regularly to ensure that things are done the right way. For updates on the Grupp Hall environment situation, there is an up-to-date section on the Bucks website.

Although the start of her first year as provost has had many challenges, she still has hope for the future of the college. “I want to leave this place knowing that it will still be standing long after I’m gone.”

She has every intention of doing everything she can to make sure the morale improves, and that the college is stable for a long time.

Kelleway said the best part about being a provost is “being able to solve issues for students, remedy challenges, and really help somebody,” she wants to “make student lives easier for them so that they aren’t stressed here. Being able to be there and help is the best part of my job.”

“We are the college,” Kelleway said her favorite part about Bucks is the people and the students. “I always like to hear from students, if any student would like to speak with me about any topic, they are welcome to make an appointment with me.”

To make an appointment with Kelleway, contact Senior Administrative Assistant Terri Lovett at [email protected]