SLIPPERY ROCK — When Chancellor Judy Hample of the State System of Higher Education suddenly fired Slippery Rock University President G. Warren Smith in 2002, SRU provost Robert Smith had 90 minutes to decide whether to take over as interim president.

He took the position.

Now, nine years later, SRU's 15th president will hang up his academic regalia for good and retire.

“I've had great memories here,” Smith said.

Smith, 66, joined SRU in 1999 as provost and vice president for academic affairs. He was named president in 2004.

Bob Watson, retired vice president for student life at SRU, was on the search committee that hired Smith as provost.

“From that point forward, he and I have remained very close friends and professional colleagues,” Watson said.

He described Smith as organized and goal-oriented, as well as personally committed to making sure that SRU students had the best opportunities possible.

“The man's character is unwavering,” Watson said. “It will, indeed, be a sad day for the university (when he leaves).”

3 accomplishments

Over his years as president, Smith feels proud of three major accomplishments.

The hardest, he said, was changing the culture at SRU. In 2002, SRU was dealing with declining enrollment and low confidence.

Bill Williams, provost and vice president for academic affairs and a faculty and administration member since 1981, said Smith changed that atmosphere to one where faculty and students could take charge of their own destiny.

“He got people to see they didn't have to be victims of that. They could actively change that,” Williams said. “Before he came, I never believed how much of a difference one person could make in an institution. And he did that.”

Jace Condravy, president of SRU's Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculty chapter, said Smith understood the importance of working with that union and faculty members in general.

“I would say he was a really good president to work with because I think he was very clear about how much he valued faculty contributions,” Condravy said. “We had a wonderful working relationship with him. He'll be missed.”

A second accomplishment involved raising the academic profile of SRU in the face of adversity. SRU increased its enrollment while becoming more selective.

In 2010, SRU had a record high 8,852 students, a 22 percent increase from 2000. Meanwhile, the average SAT score for incoming freshman increased from 945 to 1,018 during the same time.

SRU also had three of its programs — computer science, business administration and safety management — accredited.

“We did something that a lot of institutions didn't do,” Smith said.

The third accomplishment was “building a new campus.”

This includes $200 million in construction, renovations and improvements to infrastructure. Construction included six new dormitories and the soon-to-be-completed student center, which will be named in Smith's honor.

The hardest aspect of his job was dealing with state budget cuts, including 2011's 15 percent education budget cut.

“It's very frustrating to have an enterprise ... that has absolutely first-rate faculty and staff and has a clientele that really wants your product, to produce great results and then have a third party reduce your revenue that cripples your ability to really make that all happen,” Smith said.

He said he is disappointed that there is not more of a public outcry about continuing education cuts.

Beyond the campus

In addition to his duties as president, Smith was active in the community.

Among other boards he served on, Smith was a board member of the Butler County Community College. He resigned from that last week.

Nick Neupauer, BC3 president, said Smith was vital in his role there because of his support for public education.

“I think what is so amazing about Bob was, it was never a matter of us competing with each other. It was always about the public good. It was all for the good of having two public institutions (in Butler County). And that's something I'll always miss,” Neupauer said.

When Neupauer was named president at BC3 in 2007, Smith invited him to breakfast at his home. Over an hour and a half conversation, Smith gave Neupauer tips on how to handle the presidency.

“I often times do go back to that discussion and take consideration of his ideas,” Neupauer said.

Slippery Rock Mayor Ken Harris, a former SRU professor, said Smith is thoughtful, engaged and involved.

“I had a good experience with him,” Harris said. “It's been a pleasure dealing with him.”

Harris particularly appreciated his input into Slippery Rock Development, which Smith continued to contribute to despite having long work hours and serving on a number of other boards.

“He's been an asset to the community as well as the university. And I think he's valued here for that. I certainly do (value him),” Harris said.

In addition to those two organizations, Smith was a board member with the Butler Health System and Leadership Pittsburgh and was past president of the Butler Rotary Club.

Heading to Tennessee

Smith and his wife, Ramona, will move to Franklin, Tenn., near Nashville. A moving truck will arrive at their house on SRU's campus Monday, and the couple expects to arrive at their new home Wednesday.

He will continue being active in the community there. Thanks to a coincidence, a person Smith worked with in the past called him a few months ago and asked him if he would like to help the Franklin, Tenn., city council. The man did not know that Smith would be moving there.

“It was very serendipitous,” Smith said.

He will help the city with planning and prioritizing its major projects. Other than that, Smith will try to stay relaxed.

“I don't have anything else on the books, and I'm not really looking for anything else,” Smith said.

However, he said, because of his long academic track record, he would not be surprised if he ends up doing something education-related later.

He admits it might be difficult to be so busy and then suddenly stop.

“Everyone else says it isn't going to happen. People say, ‘You cannot do that,'” Smith said.

Although he will leave behind many friends and colleagues, Smith said the hardest thing about retiring will be leaving his students.

“Not being around the students. The students are so much fun,” Smith said. “That's going to be very hard to walk away from.”

A legacy of action

Smith spent nine years as SRU's president, twice as long as the average university president. He is one of only five SRU presidents who have been able to leave on their own terms. The other 10 left under less favorable circumstances.

Last week, the state system named him a president emeritus, only the sixth in state system history and the first from SRU.

The state system has 14 universities.

This Saturday night, Smith will be honored by the SRU community at a retirement event on SRU's campus. It is a fundraising event that will benefit the university.

In addition to his work at SRU, Smith is a nationally recognized specialist in executive leadership development. He is the senior faculty member in four executive programs at other universities.

He has received Tennessee's Outstanding Achievement Award from the governor.

Still, he is extremely proud of his work at SRU. Smith said when he first started as president, he had no idea he would accomplish so much in that role.

“Overall, it's been a great experience. It's been by far one of the most meaningful things I've ever done in my life,” Smith said.

<b>Age: </b>66<b>Occupation: </b>15th president of Slippery Rock University. Served from 2004 to present<b>Education: Bachelor's degree, Wichita State University; master's degree, Ohio University; Ph.D. in communication, Temple University<b>Family: </b>Wife, Ramona; son, David of Knoxville, Tenn.; daughter, Angela of Franklin, Tenn.<b>Memberships: </b>Butler County Community College board of trustees, Butler Health System board of directors, Leadership Pittsburgh, Community Development Corporation of Butler County; past president of the Butler Rotary Club and Slippery Rock Development<b>Awards: </b>Tennessee's Outstanding Achievement Award, honorary doctorate for support of rural education from Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University in Udaipur, India<b>Little Known Fact: </b>He is the only Kansan to have been selected as a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services fellow