By NICK BUDD
Hays Post
She already has the terminology down, referring to her new city as “Hays, America.” In fact, the first time FHSU president-elect Mirta Martin visited the metropolis, she got lost, which may have sold the job to her.
“I would say to someone ‘I’m looking for …’ and they would say ‘Let me take you there,’ ” she said. “To me, that speaks volumes about the town’s culture, and that’s one of the reasons that this seemed like a match for me.
“After spending the time on campus, my husband and I both knew that this was a place that we could call home,” she added, “because we felt like part of the community, and we were touched by the people we met.”
The presidential profile also struck volumes with Martin. She said it noted FHSU was looking for an individual who could lead in “a caring community with a strong work ethic.”
“That’s what I have found here,” she said. “The work ethic of the pioneers of the Midwest, Kansas and Hays is still alive and well today.”
Martin has worked for almost everything she has accomplished in her career, partially because of her background. When the communist regime took over in Cuba, Martin and her grandmother took a “leap of faith” by coming to the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs. After finishing her primary education, Martin earned a bachelor’s degree from the Duke University, and an MBA and doctorate from the University of Richmond. Throughout her career, she has served in a variety of roles including the vice president of a bank, chairwoman of Virginia’s Community College Board and, most recently, dean of the Reginald F. Lewis College of Business at Virginia State University. She was announced as the next president of Fort Hays State University in early May.
When Martin first saw the FHSU campus, he said she felt a “total spiritual peace of belonging.” She said that feeling continued last week when she drove into campus alone for the first time as president-elect.
“Not only did I feel that, but I felt a feeling of excitement, one of ‘I just can’t wait to get here,’ “she said. “People say to me, ‘You must be overwhelmed,’ but I’m not. I feel that I have the support, love, caring and guidance of individuals of the people that I have already met here and that makes it very reassuring.”
Martin spent the last week in Hays making preparations to take over as president on July 1, when longtime President Edward Hammond steps down — but she says it’s not so much about a transition.
“It’s more about getting to know people. … It’s not about getting to know me as the president, I want people to know me as Mirta,” she said. “So our transition meetings have been more about getting to know individuals — who they are, what their dreams and aspirations are.”
Although, Hammond will stay on as a consultant for the university for the next couple of years, Martin says that she has already learned from him.
“To say that (Hammond’s) vision of FHSU was brilliant would be the understatement of the millennium, because he saw what others could not see and he acted upon it.”
Dr. Mirta Martin
“He has ratified my own belief in the power of relationships and vision. To say that his vision of FHSU was brilliant would be the understatement of the millennium, because he saw what others could not see and he acted upon it,” she said. “Now he leaves me with a formidable foundation from which I can continue to build an empire for the good of Hays and FHSU. … It’s about bringing people to the table, creating that vision and relationship and telling people that this is a place that you can grow and be loved and nurtured and where we’re going to the skill set to find meaningful employment so that you to can take your place in passing it forward.”
Martin will help continue the process of finishing the Dodge City Community College-FHSU merger. Currently, DCCC is proposing the implementation of an Institute of Applied Technology on their campus, with FHSU offering some four-year degree programs. If the merger is approved, FHSU will control all of the academic and administration duties at DCCC.
“Throughout my 20-plus years in higher ed, I’ve held one mission and that is ensuring for all students that there is an affordable and accessible education that yields success — and success is measured by graduation.”
Dr. Mirta Martin
“I think this partnership is imperative,” Martin said. “We have the chance to provide a very affordable to reach and teach the citizens of southwestern Kansas and make sure that they can achieve the American Dream without leaving their home. We recognize the plethora of the intellect, diversity and opportunity that resides there, and we’re looking to go ahead and partner with them to create educational opportunities.”
Due to Martin’s experience in business, she understands the arguments concerning higher educational institutions running more like businesses in light of rising costs. She feels that she can bring her business background into the job and “combine it with the academic side of things” but some differences must still be understood in order to provide an affordable education for students.
“At the end of the day, we need to be mindful that we, unlike businesses, are not producing a commodity; we’re ensuring that we provide the intellect for individuals to make a difference and an impact on the human condition,” she said. “It’s critical to keep a college education affordable. Throughout my 20-plus years in higher ed, I’ve held one mission and that is ensuring for all students that there is an affordable and accessible education that yields success — and success is measured by graduation.”
Martin will have the opportunity to confer several thousand degrees during her tenure at FHSU and, throughout almost every interview and press conference, she has held since being named as the new president, she has repeated this theme: “My husband, John, and I are glad to be home.”