The sun has not yet come up, but he has already started his day. He buttons up his crisp white shirt, slides on his shiny black shoes, and makes sure his tie is straight before grabbing his overcoat and heading out of the door. The time is 5:30 a.m. and Ridge Fields-Cooper is president of Prairie View A&M University for the day.
Fields-Cooper enters the home President Wright and begins the day with inspirational readings, just as President Wright does. After checking e-mails, breakfast ensued. Another e-mail session followed. The presidential team heads off to work, arrives on campus, and checks e-mails again.
“E-mails are a large part of the day,” Wright said. “It’s important to respond to someone who needs help with a problem, and even if I can’t solve that problem right then and there, I want to acknowledge the e-mail and let them know that the appropriate person will be contacted to help.”
Although e-mails were a very big deal, they were not the only things that required attention throughout the day. Fields-Cooper also sat in very important financial meetings and met with other high-ranking officials.
“It was a great experience for me. This program gave me the opportunity to see the university from a different perspective,” Fields-Cooper said. “I got a chance to see the day to day operations from an executive level. Working side by side with President Wright showed me how the university functions as a business and that he must operate like the CEO of a company, making critical decisions on a daily basis.”
Twenty minutes away, another student, Chauncey Richmond preps for departure.
While the students prepare for a day in the life of a high-ranking official, the officials themselves contemplate the activities of the day.
“I really want my mentee, Chauncey, to understand the roles that different staff members play,” said Dr. Lauretta Byars, vice president of student affairs. She was excited to have a student shadow her for a day and hoped that he took knowledge and understanding from the experience.
Fields-Cooper and Richmond said there is a lot of business to be done. Shadowing Byars proved to be hard work, with meeting after meeting. This type of activity may seem monotonous to some, but to Richmond, it was very informative and eye-opening.
“I loved going to the staff meetings,” says Richmond. “It was great to see the staff interact with each other, and I got to see what really goes on behind the scenes with the progress of everything.”
The experience changed Richmond’s perspective of the university. He had no idea that the administrators played as many roles and did as much work as they did. This was pleasing to the ears of his mentor, Byars. Her favorite part of the day was “hearing him say, ‘I didn’t know you guys do all of this.'”
The “Can You Run This Institution” program was a huge success. According to administrators, it may become an annual program. For students who are interested, the best way to participate is to get involved with different organizations and talk to Mr. Roberts, assistant director for the Office of Career and Outreach Services.