Passing the torch: Maryville College preparesfor retirement of veteran faculty members

Maryville College faces potential loss of institutional knowledge through aging faculty and wave of retirement in the near future. The College is working to ensure that decades of institutional wisdom and experience are not lost in this transitional period.

A notable example is psychology professor Dr. Kathie Shiba, who has taught at MC since 1994 and will retire in December after 31 years at the College. 

Shiba’s upcoming retirement is part of a broader shift of veteran faculty members who are preparing to leave the college in the upcoming years.

“I have been privileged to work alongside so many talented, generous and caring colleagues, faculty, staff and administrators who support our students’ academic, professional, and personal growth,” said Shiba. “We are all different, and it has been my greatest pleasure to grow with them as we strive to create an educational institution that supports our unique strengths, passions and personalities.”

A lot can change over the course of 31 years. Many faculty members have experienced shifts within the college and, of course, in the world. Technological advancements, COVID-19 and political polarization have reshaped campus life over the years, according to Shiba. 

Shiba expressed that through all of this, what has stayed constant is the care people at Maryville College show for one another. No matter the challenges, Shiba says the heart of this place has remained the same.

The college has a lengthy and competitive process for hiring new staff. This guarantees that even though valuable people have left, MC is still credited with top-tier faculty members. 

Vice President and Dean of the college Liz Perry-Sizemore explains that the division chairs submit position requests which will be reviewed and ultimately approved by the President of the college. Following the president’s approval, the ad is then posted, a committee of faculty is formed, applications are reviewed, semifinalists are selected and interviewed, and finalists are ultimately invited to campus for a day and a half of interviews.

Additionally, once new staff members are hired, they are paired up with an experienced faculty mentor to receive personalized and in-depth training. 

“Programming like this offers an opportunity to help those new to the community benefit from this transfer of knowledge, while also creating space for them to begin to consider the unique ways they themselves will contribute to the campus community,” said Perry-Sizemore. 

The longstanding staff have institutional knowledge that will be passed on for years to come. Understanding the values, policies and traditions of the college is crucial for incoming faculty to learn. 

The retiring faculty will be dearly missed and are a major loss for MC, but their legacy will never fade. 

“The real opportunity –- and responsibility –- lies in ensuring that this transition is intentional. By honoring institutional memory while empowering new colleagues, the college can retain its core values even as it evolves. When done well, this moment of change is not a loss, but a handoff and an invitation,” said Shiba.

Professor Kathie Shiba talks to a student at the Student Involvement Fair. Photo courtesy of Wes Hope.