Located in the A. I. Thomas administration building, the office of George C. Wright, president of the university, is the most important office on campus. The immediate staff of the president is comprised of executive assistant, Mary Smith, who came with the president from his previous position at University of Texas at Arlington, director of special events Carol Campbell, administrative assistant Haj Leisha Blake, and administrative secretary Damitra Jenkins.
A normal workday for President Wright consists of e-mails and meetings. “Email is the easiest way to communicate. There are specific times I set aside for e-mails; even if I’m away on university business, I always have a computer with me,” said Wright.
President Wright said his number one rule is respect and he pushes his staff to treat everyone how they would want to be treated. “How you want people to respond to you, you should respond to them,” he said. “Respect is the minimum customer service you should offer. I tell my staff in this office all the time, ‘let’s be nice. Let’s treat people respectfully,” he added.
The president says that he is genuinely concerned with the students and due to the recent deaths of students, he wants to increase awareness of the dangers of driving on the highway. “The most difficult part of my job is talking with the parents of students who have passed away. I wish we, as a community, could figure out a way to increase the awareness of driving on the highway,” the president said. “The four students who have passed away were not drinking and it was not late at night which shows the danger.”
Many students are concerned with problems on campus from financial aid to parking tickets. These issues are often addressed to the president. Wright said, “Ultimately, the president is responsible for all of the university. Things work most effectively when the person who is the expert or the person assigned to that department addresses the issue.”
The president noted that he could not resolve all issues because there are some laws and federal regulations that he might not be knowledgeable of. However, he maintained that in those instances where he cannot personally solve the problem, he will delegate it to the appropriate person. “I will forward the student’s e-mail, along with my comments and have the person assigned to handle the issue copy me with the final resolution so that I know the issue has been resolved,” he said.
Wright met his wife of 36 years in college, and he believes every student should have someone to level with. He also believes his faith in God is what has helped him to succeed. “I truly respect people who don’t share my religious beliefs or people who don’t have religious beliefs, but I believe my religious beliefs are what have helped me.”
Students wanted to know if President Wright reads 20 Questions and he had this to say,” Yes, I read The Panther every week and I do read 20 Questions to see if I’m mentioned. I am no different than the students, I’m just older.