Walking on a new path Interim President Andrew Benton says he values interactment with UCO student body

University of Central Oklahoma Interim President Andrew Benton began working on campus Jan. 31, with goals to strengthen relations on campus, increase enrollment, and raise money for UCO during his temporary time at the university.

But, he will not be settling into his office.

“I’m not an across the desk kind of guy. I’d rather take you on a walk,” Benton said. “[People] shouldn’t be surprised to see me on campus because I really like to see students in their natural environment.”

Benton replaces former UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar, whose tenure focused on solving budgetary issues at the university. While no master plan exists to decrease the looming shortfalls in revenue and enrollment, Benton said he prefers to raise money, rather than cutting costs.

Using an “empathic, but assertive” approach, Benton believes developing the community from the inside-out will allow UCO to succeed on its laurels: quality education at affordable costs.

He said universities should focus on accessibility in all matters of student life, not just financially. Benton hopes to make enrollment functions, like adding or dropping a class, more straightforward for students so they don’t fear the process.

“I’m always thinking about irritants, and wanting to remove them. I try to get people to see that there’s a better, more student-serving, way of doing things,” he said. “I hope that’s responsive.”

The former Pepperdine University president said he hopes to be the right leader, at the right time for UCO students and faculty. His interactive philosophy, “management by walking around” as he coined it, will be beneficial to students, he said.

“Some presidents might not care about that as much, and that’s their business,” he said. “My business was doing it in my own authentic way.”

A Kansas native, Benton graduated from Oklahoma Christian University, receiving his juris doctorate degree later at Oklahoma City University. He transitioned into private education, spending 10 years in administration at Oklahoma Christian.

While Benton respects the differences between private and public institutions, he said educational leaders always have oversight: whether it’s from private or state regents. He does not fear the transition.

In his 19 years at Pepperdine, Benton managed the California institution’s own budget concerns, taking different approaches to solving its deficits.

In 2009, he volunteered to reduce his salary by 10% to help offset cuts. He later proposed a $25 million