Presidential Candidate Shows Potential
 | By Richard Cassidy, Opinion
Photography Submitted |
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Dr. Philip Kerstetter, a potential successor of Dr. Byrd visited our campus on Monday, March 16. He and Mrs. Kerstetter attended an open meeting in Rodgers Chapel for the MOC family for a question and answer session. Dr. Kerstetter, who has served in various roles of Higher Education, is currently serving as President of Kansas Wesleyan University. During his time at KWU, Dr. Kerstetter has instituted agreements with Kansas State University for Study Abroad programs and is currently building an Honors Program for KWU.According to the letter Dr. Kerstetter sent to the Presidential Search Committee and what I observed during the question and answer session, I feel that Dr. and Mrs. Kerstetter will be great successors of Dr. and Mrs. Byrd. Besides the good feeling I got from meeting Dr. and Mrs. Kerstetter, his experiences in Higher Education and his knowledge of the needs of a small liberal arts college will make him a great addition to the administration of Mount Olive College. His current institution, Kansas Wesleyan, has many similarities to Mount Olive College. Both are small, liberal arts institutions affiliated with a specific Christian denomination. KWU and MOC are located in predominately rural areas that rely heavily on the support of one another to exist.
I think that Dr. Kerstetter realizes the similarities between our two schools and wishes to continue his pattern of success at MOC. Kerstetter was able to respond to the call of the United Methodist Church to create programs centered on Human Dignity and Global Ethics. His institution was part of the six institutions that responded to this call. The United Methodist Church currently supports a total of one hundred twenty-two higher education institutions. Kerstetter also mentioned the possibility of introducing graduate programs to the list of Academic Programs at MOC. According to Dr. Kerstetter himself, “Mount Olive College has plenty of opportunities for growth in the future.”
Not only does Kerstetter have demonstrated success in education but also as a citizen and community supporter. He and his wife, Mary, are active members of their community serving on various boards and organizations such as non-profit groups. According to his letter to the search committee, “I appreciate the close view of a personal and immediate relationship with students, faculty, and staff. My wife, Mary, and I open our home regularly to students and to the community. We have a deep and abiding love for the students whom we serve, and we show that affection by attending their academic, arts, and athletic contests as often as we can.”
I feel like Dr. Kerstetter will be a great addition to Mount Olive College. His gung-ho attitude and demonstrated success is just want we need in order to continue heading into the future of MOC.
