Loren Agrey, PhD, is President of Burman University in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. Prior to this appointment, his administrative experiences included serving as a church school principal, and from 2004 to 2010 as vice president of academic administration of Canadian University College (now Burman University). In 2010, Dr. Agrey accepted a call to serve as president of Asia-Pacific International University (AIU) in Thailand and remained in that position until 2015.
AIU is an Adventist university with two campuses: the main one located in the rural village of Muak Lek, Saraburi province, Thailand; and the other campus, the nursing school, housed on the compound of the Adventist hospital in the capital, Bangkok, since 1947. A significant proportion of the student body is Buddhist, but many students and personnel come from more than 20 different countries and are Adventists. Most majors (English, business, science, education, religion) are offered in English, except the nursing program, which is taught in Thai. For more information on AIU, visit its website at https://www.apiu.edu/.
Upon permanent return to North America, Dr. Agrey served as dean for undergraduate academic affairs for Kettering College, Ohio, U.S.A., before being elected in 2017 as the 25th president of Burman University in Alberta, Canada. The experiences shared here are specific to his tenure at AIU.
Bordes Henry Saturné (BHS): How did you become president of Asia-Pacific International University (AIU)?
Loren Agrey (LA): It was by a fluke, according to all human standards of understanding. But as I look back on it now, with a smile on my face, I believe that it was actually a part of God’s greater plan for my life and for the life of Asia-Pacific International University at that time. I was serving as vice president of academic administration (VPAA) at Canadian University College (now Burman University) and needed a sociology professor for an opening we had. I had heard about the Adventist Professional Network (APN) but did not have any details of how it worked. But, needing the sociology professor, I googled their website and registered to access their database of professionals. At least, that is what I thought I was doing.
After a fairly extensive registration process, which required some significant personal and professional information about myself, I realized that it was merely collecting my academic and professional data to add to their database. It turns out one needed to have a paid subscription to access it for the purposes of finding someone who matched the profile you were searching for. I did not give it another thought and eventually filled the sociology position through other search methods. A year or two later, I received an invitation from Asia-Pacific International University to submit my CV for the position of president, as AIU was a subscriber to APN. It came as a shock to me, but I have learned in life that if an opportunity presents itself, it may be an occasion for prayer and consideration. And that is how I ended up as AIU’s president, which may be possibly considered by some as a heavenly “fluke.”
BHS: What do you think prepared you to be a university president? Looking back, do you think that you were well-prepared for that role?
LA: I don’t believe that anyone can truly prepare fully for the role of university president. Even after serving for six years in upper academic management in the role of VPAA, I did not feel fully prepared to take the step into the president’s role. While there are courses in educational administration as well as experiences one has throughout his or her professional career, the university presidency is a unique role of orchestrating several divergent and, at times, conflicting activities, any one of which requires expertise and experience. A university is an academic enterprise but also has other important elements such as co-curricular activities, revenue-generating opportunities, research demands, as well as a plethora of other realities that demand one’s attention and time. There is no way that one person can bring to the table expertise in all areas. But the expertise lies in one’s ability to cast a vision for the future of the institution and convince all the stakeholders of its relevance and effectiveness in accomplishing the institutional mission.
I remember one faculty member described my role as ringmaster of the circus with everyone else being the clowns. I had to laugh at this description of our campus, but it reminded me of the role and requisite skills of a president. Metaphorically, I see the role as a conductor of a fine orchestra. While not having the skills and talents of the premier players in making beautiful music individually, the conductor has the ability to bring these musicians together to achieve a common goal—that of making beautiful music. While the president does not have to be an expert in all the roles, he or she must be able to work with those who have spent years preparing for their specific discipline to become an expert. The bringing together of these expert “players” can produce the melodic harmonies listeners can enjoy.
BHS: What could be done in the Adventist system to better prepare future college and university executives?
LA: In general, it doesn’t appear that any universities prepare leaders for the big chair well. There is an assumption that if one spends time in upper management, i.e., dean, provost, etc., then this should prepare him or her for the presidency. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily so. One can be a great manager but not much of a leader. A manager ensures that the operations are working well, but conversely, a leader has to set the vision and achieve buy-in for true success. The Adventist system could identify individuals who have leadership capability and support them in training toward greater responsibility.
I don’t think the church should limit itself to trying to do this on its own. It would be best to leverage existing programs that do this well and support the leaders through those programs. For the specific missional aspects of Adventist higher education, there could be a piece that the division office of education, in conjunction with its universities, could provide. Harvard has an exemplary program for university presidents, as does the Council of Independent Colleges, of which many of our institutions are members. Either of these programs or possibly others could be leveraged by the divisions to ensure their presidents have specific training for this special role.
BHS: What could be the role of former university presidents in the Adventist system?
LA: This is a key point. The role that former university presidents can play is a huge one. Probably the best contribution of a president emeritus is to serve as a mentor to an incoming president. The unique experiences and understandings gleaned through their presidencies can be shared through regular conversations. I have had the privilege of having at least two former presidents serve in this role, and the learning on my part has been significant. It is so valuable to also have a sounding board with someone who has walked the same steps as you. Former presidents are a great resource who have the ability to still serve in a significant way. And it does not have to be only for new presidents. The conversations can continue.
BHS: How do Adventist colleges/universities contribute to the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church? How can they do that more effectively?
LA: Our institutions of higher learning play a key role in helping fulfill the mission of the Adventist Church, one which may be under-appreciated by some. Not only do Adventist universities and colleges help young people emerge into adulthood, supporting them on both their academic and spiritual journey, but they do this by providing the educational experience, both curricular and co-curricular, for the students to achieve their academic goals but also to adopt their own emerging personal set of beliefs and values, hopefully, akin to the ethos of the institution. This is a deep privilege as we provide the environment to support their spiritual development and help them make connections for lifelong friendships. A plethora of opportunities to serve in leadership enables students to develop the skills needed as well as adopt a clear understanding of Christ’s call to their lives as well as the mission of the church. I believe that the Adventist institutions of higher learning do this well.
BHS: What are the most critical challenges currently facing Adventist higher education in North America and around the world? What could leaders do to mitigate them?
LA: Probably the most urgent problem facing Adventist higher education today is declining enrollment across the system. For the past decade there has been a downward trajectory in enrollment, with few exceptions. The ebbs and flows from year to year impact the various institutions, but there seems to be a consistent downward slide in overall enrollment. A serious look at how best to articulate the significant value proposition for Adventist higher education must be conducted with a strong articulation of why students should not only consider us but also enroll. This is a very difficult issue that many have tried to solve with little lasting success. There appears to be no easy answer.
BHS: Would you consider the issues associated with diversity a serious threat to the unity of AIU? Or the unity of the Adventist Church? What would be your suggestions to our church and university leaders to alleviate them?
LA: I considered the diversity at AIU to be a strength rather than a challenge or threat. Bringing students and faculty from around the world and having them study and live together provided a wide array of opportunities to get to know and understand different cultures. I found it exhilarating to serve in a foreign country where there is so much to learn about other cultures’ customs and traditions. There were times that students would naturally group in their own cultural and language groups but with a little effort to encourage interaction with others, such as having football teams divided by year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) rather than by country or continent, it [these experiences] drew attention away from the differences.
Regarding the church, even though the Seventh-day Adventist Church is known for its multiculturalism, true diversity seems to be elusive. The different cultures tend to stay within their own culture and language groups, forming churches around these identifiers. This will probably not be challenged until a generation or two has passed and the individuals have become more accepting of others through education and other experiences.
My suggestion is that young people attend universities like AIU, where they can become accustomed to a multicultural milieu and thus be more comfortable expecting this in the churches they will attend.
BHS: What could be done to ensure that boards of trustees are more effective in the fulfillment of their responsibilities?
LA: AIU had a very interesting form of governance when I arrived. It had two governing bodies—a university council mandated by the Thai government and a university board mandated by the church. Between the two governance systems, we met about 10 times a year, which was very inefficient and time-consuming, not to mention layered with a significant amount of redundancy. I studied the board bylaws and university council charter and found common ground so that we could merge the two governing bodies into one council to make it more efficient. Ensuring that there were enough Adventists on the new council provided surety of maintaining focus on mission, but the government-appointed members from the council were also strong supporters of the university and posed no threat to the governance systems or the ethos of the university. This is one example of how both government and church expectations can be met, and efficiencies can be gained with a little thinking outside the box.
Another way is to ensure that the board members are well-trained in university governance. Our Adventist system has a weakness in that conference/mission presidents chair the board. It would be better to have individuals who have knowledge and experience in higher education who truly understand the context. For many church administrators, it is just another committee to sit on, and in some cases, the decisions made are not in the best interests of their own church employer, so they live in a conflicted space. It is unlikely we will see a change in this area since the church entities provide significant funding to the university, so the next best approach would be to provide extensive training on what a university is and does, which is quite different from a church or conference/mission.
BHS: If you had to give three pieces of advice to a new university president, what would you say?
LA: First, presuming it is a faith-based university, pray for wisdom. The office and position of president are much bigger than any one person, and the challenges and issues are far more complex than even the brightest individual can adequately lead. God has promised wisdom if we ask for it, and He will guide you in the day-to-day decisions as well as the long-term strategic planning that must take place. Second, build a strong administrative team. You will inherit individuals; but as changes are made, choose those who bring strengths in the areas that you do not have strengths in to fill in the gaps. And third, ensure you take personal time for yourself and your family. The job will always demand your time, so be intentional in creating time away. No one benefits from a brilliant but burnt-out leader because he or she has not achieved a good work/life balance.
BHS: Please, share a funny story about your experience as president.
LA: Driving in Thailand is quite an adventure. I would drive to our second campus in Bangkok, about two hours away from the main campus. I thought a GPS would get me to where I needed to go in a timely manner, so I bought one to direct me in the city. Unfortunately, it was not very accurate, and I could not read the Thai highway signs, so I often got lost and had to call the dean of nursing for directions more than once. I am sure they [the staff] had a smile on their face when they received my calls and had to rescue the “Lost President” once again.
When we first arrived, I was invited to a gala in a nearby city, and a gentleman offered to drive. It turned out that if he was not the world’s worst driver, he certainly was a close silver medalist, and during the half-hour journey, we had at least three “near-death” experiences on the highway. That was not so funny, but even in the nervous tension on the drive home, a member of the faculty who came along said to his wife, “Look at that, dear, you are in the right lane, and I am in the left.” It broke the tension, and I chuckled about that the rest of the way home.
BHS: How did your presidency affect your family?
LA: At first, it was hard because moving halfway around the world meant we had to leave our adult children behind, and it was the first time we were empty nesters. The position of president itself did not take an adverse toll on us, although there is nothing like knowing that the buck stops with you on all counts. There is no one else to share the burdens with, and the old saying that “it is lonely at the top” is very true. One cannot be deemed to be favoring one or more faculty or staff by being their friend. But that does not prevent you from being friendly to all, whether they like you or not. It is also important to have both a mentor outside the university as well as friends, otherwise it can accentuate the loneliness.
BHS: Looking back, do you now feel that you have sacrificed your family for your career?
LA: Fortunately, our four children were in university themselves or beyond, so the pressures of the presidency did not impact their immediate lives. It would be tough to have the time pressures of a president if one had small children. Seventy- to 80-hour weeks were not uncommon; so as I mentioned, it is important to ensure one takes time away from work to strengthen one’s family relationships.
BHS: During your presidency, with the pressures of the position, were you able to take care of your health? (That may include regular exercise, proper nutrition, annual physicals, visits to the dentist, mental health, etc.)
LA: This is another must. One cannot let the responsibilities get in the way of good mental and physical health. I have been a runner for many years, so to facilitate that exercise regime, I would run very early in the morning before the sun came up and it became hot in the tropical country of Thailand. I would attend doctor and dental appointments when we returned home on annual leave. One must be intentional in ensuring one takes care of oneself because there is only one you, and you don’t want to reap the undesirable results of not attending to your health and lack of self-care.
BHS: Did you take your vacations regularly?
LA: Absolutely. This was a non-negotiable. As Stephen Covey writes in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,1 sharpening the saw is important. In other words, taking time to renew and refresh so that you can continue to be effective and “sharp” minded in your leadership. And here is a piece of advice. Don’t take along work to do while on vacation. That is a no-no, as it will not allow you to be truly disconnected from work. As Jesus said about the poor, they will always be with you; this is how work is—it will always be with you, demanding your time and attention. One must truly disconnect from the never-ending work to be refreshed.
BHS: What was the role of personal devotion (or personal spirituality in general) in your life?
LA: My mornings become the time for important personal practices. As I mentioned already, I exercise early in the morning, which gets the blood flowing through my body and brain and wakes me up. Then I take the opportunity for my personal devotions when my intellect is well-charged. This was the time to hear God speak through His Word as well as to talk to Him in prayer. I was never a morning person, but by implementing these two practices, it has allowed me to have the strength for the rest of the day.
BHS: According to Selingo et al.,2 college/university presidents should be an academic and intellectual leader, a storyteller, a strategist, and a communicator. Could that be a fair description of your presidency?
LA: I absolutely agree . . . theoretically. For every job description for a university or college president, the writer articulates the expectations of the position in great and lofty detail and expectation. I am sure there may be some presidents who can meet these expectations fully, but I have not met any so far. It turns out that all presidents are human and are not perfect. While they may have strengths in leadership, they may not be strong in storytelling or vice versa. It is good to have as many of these skills as possible, but also to realize there is no one who does [have all of them]. That is the importance of developing a good team of upper managers and administrators to ensure the areas that you may not have strength in will still be covered.
BHS: What difference did you make in the area of academic affairs?
LA: My previous position had been in academic administration, so thankfully I knew something about it. I was then able to share with the VPAA some of my knowledge and give advice on matters that were not easily solved. Probably, the best match for presidential skills comes through the academic office, since that is what the university is primarily about. It is not essential but does give a good foundation on which to build presidential skills. To be granted a work visa as a foreigner, I also had to teach at least one class per year. This kept me closer to the front lines, so I could empathize with the rest of the professors when they faced challenges.
BHS: How did your leadership influence student life on campus?
LA: I was intentional in trying to connect with students as much as time would allow. A president does not have much time or opportunity to connect with students due to the administrative and leadership demands. So, I tried to carve out some time to be connected. I would invite the student association presidents to a half-hour mentoring session together, where I would share leadership principles that would be helpful for their leadership; but of course I also learned a lot as we reviewed some top leadership gurus and their work.
Also, I believe the president is responsible for the spiritual atmosphere on campus. Of course, the chaplains and pastors are the front-line workers, but I would meet with them regularly to help plan the best spiritual programming and service opportunities for the students. And then I would attend as many of those as possible, to show the students that if it is important enough for the president to participate in, then it is important enough for them, also. In this way I could be a model and mentor for the students. On Sabbath mornings, I would also walk up to one of the dormitories and teach a Sabbath school class. I believe it made the students feel they were important to have the president come over to their “home” and share time with them in the study of God’s Word. I would also attempt to participate in community-service projects, joining with students in making a difference in our community. I remember traveling to a school that had been flooded and helping restore it so it could be used once again for classes. These were the types of activities that I helped out with in my time at AIU. I tried to impact student life positively.
BHS: How did you navigate the financial challenges?
LA: Every university or college, no matter how big or small, faces financial challenges. AIU was no different. We never had quite enough to do what we would like, but fortunately, we always seemed to have enough to operate. Interestingly, when I interviewed for the position, I asked what the institutional working capital and liquidity percentages were. The response was that they were not too far from what I had been used to in my home institution, so I was not too concerned. After about six months, the auditors visited and indicated that they had miscalculated the working capital and liquidity, and the percentages were much lower than I was told. At first, I was quite concerned that we would be challenged to continue operating, but thankfully, it never severely impeded our operations. I learned a valuable lesson from this experience. What may look bad on paper does not necessarily equate to a crisis in reality. That was an important lesson to learn.
BHS: Do you feel you owe an apology to anyone because of what happened during your presidency? Because of a decision that you made, or failed to make? (Affecting a student, an employee, and/or a group of people).
LA: When I first arrived on campus, I wanted to glean an understanding of what happened in the various departments, so I sat on some committees that normally a president would not sit on. It helped me develop a broad understanding of life on campus, which was very helpful. In one of my first student-services meetings. there was a request by a male student to move to the ladies’ dormitory. At first, I thought it was a joke, but when I looked at the date of the request, it was not on April 1. It turned out that the male student had had a gender-reassignment surgery and was now a female. As we discussed this very unusual request, it became apparent that there were two polarized views on how it should be handled. One side felt that, since this was a more common occurrence in Thailand, that we should allow it to happen. On the other hand, there were individuals on the staff who were strongly opposed to the request and wanted this individual to be immediately removed from campus.
We discussed the realities and ramifications of the request and decided to make an exception to one of our campus student-life rules and allowed him, now her, to live in the community and attend as a day student. This compromise worked for a while until one of the professors, without checking with anyone else, acceded to her request to wear the female uniform to class. In Thailand, all university students are required to wear uniforms, and so this caused another stir on campus. All universities across the nation required the uniform to be worn according to the gender on the birth certificate, so we had not been out of step with the expectations across the country. When we indicated that she would still have to wear the male uniform, the student decided to return home without completing her program. I have often thought that we could have handled it differently, recognizing her as a child of God and showing grace to help her through her issues. If I were ever to meet her again, I would apologize that we could not make it work for her to complete her studies. There are no easy answers in cases like these, but it would have been nice if it could have ended differently.
BHS: What did you do to enhance spiritual life on campus?
LA: Modeling and mentoring are the two most effective ways to pass on spiritual values. Besides the Sabbath school teaching I mentioned earlier, on a weekly basis, we participated in faculty family-worship groups where 10 to 15 students would come over to our house for worship. We would then give them something to eat and play games with them. They really enjoyed this chance to fellowship, to have food, and to enjoy some fun. We would also help student groups lead music for church services. We also had a campus chaplain who would plan other spiritual activities such as Bible camp, visits to AIDS hospices, and the like.
Before I came, the practice of having students speak for week of prayer was discontinued, but I reinstated it because, even though the students are not the most articulate, they speak the same language as their peers, and this can make a huge impact on the students’ lives. We also ran a special Friday evening program after vespers for seekers, since over half of our campus student families were not Christian. This was a time for them to learn about and experience God in a personal way.
BHS: What did you do to support the health and work/life balance of campus employees?
LA: In Thailand, working long hours was the norm. The faculty and staff were committed to the mission of the university, and it was not unusual for them to be involved with a full day of classes and research and then involved in several hours of co-curricular or church-related activities. I attempted to have them take time to relax and have some time to themselves, but that was not the norm in that context. I also tried to model a more balanced work/life approach by ensuring I took time on a regular basis to exercise and participate in activities that I enjoyed but were outside the responsibilities of my job.
Every second year, we would take the faculty and staff to a beach resort for a colloquium. It was a combination of work and leisure, and they greatly appreciated it. We would have our regular sessions but then give time to enjoy the beach with their families. This was a highlight for many. On the off years, we held the colloquium on campus, which was not nearly as exciting.
BHS: How did you provide or support professional development for yourself, your faculty, and your staff?
LA: One of the priorities for faculty was to have them attend and possibly present at an academic conference. We provided funds so that each faculty member could be a member of a least one professional society in his or her discipline. In this way, we had strong professional development as well as, for the researchers, an opportunity to share their scholarship. A year or two into my tenure, we established a conference with three other Adventist universities—one from the Philippines and two from Indonesia. We rotated where it was held on a four-year basis, with AIU hosting the inaugural conference. This provided a venue for our faculty to share research as well as gain experience in presenting at academic conferences so they could then go to larger and more prestigious conferences and not be intimidated to present.
For staff, we were not able to provide as much professional development for them as would have been ideal. While we could not afford to give each on a professional-development budget like we did the faculty, we did provide a pool of money that staff could access on an ad hoc basis. This seemed to meet their needs.
For myself, I tried to attend presidential meetings for professional-development purposes. I also kept active in research during my tenure and published three journal articles during my time there. I did this for two reasons. First, I love research, so it was not hard to convince myself to do this. Second, because we were trying to elevate the research activities of our staff, I felt that I could model what I was encouraging. As with many Adventist institutions of higher education, teaching is prioritized, and research is, at times, minimized. I have heard the excuse that if we are a good teaching institution, that should be good enough. To satisfy accrediting agencies and the desire to be seen as contributing to the pool of knowledge, I encouraged both a teaching and research element for faculty responsibilities.
BHS: How did you help to prepare the next generation of leaders to serve the institution? (Any leadership succession plans)?
LA: I started with the student association president. I would invite him or her to a half-hour session of mentoring per week. There, we would review leadership principles from great leadership gurus. Depending on the president, it was usually well received. With the faculty and staff leaders, we would try and provide leadership-training opportunities to help them build their skills. In encouraging young leaders to become better leaders, we were able to lay the foundation for strong leadership in the future. When I was preparing to return to North America after my five-year term, I provided the board chair with a list of 10 individuals who I felt could take my place. Some were ready at that time, and some needed more leadership training and experience but would make great leaders in the future. I was pleased that some of those listed in the “for-your-eyes-only” document prepared for the chair have subsequently been selected as president in the ensuing years.
BHS: What would you consider to be your greatest achievement at Asia-Pacific International University?
LA: This is a hard question to answer. By encouraging growth in leadership, I was pleased that several individuals have taken on significant responsibilities at the university, all the way up to the presidency. I am thrilled to see their success as they build on the foundation that the earlier leaders laid, such as myself. But if I were to pinpoint one achievement, I would have to say that during the five years I served as president, we were able to increase enrollment from 920 students to 1,233. This represents a 34 percent increase in student numbers over five years. In an era of eroding enrollment in general, this was moving against the trend. Of course, I did not achieve this alone, but with a great team of enrollment and recruitment professionals. We also moved into graduate-level programming and introduced two new Master’s degree programs, which were instrumental in maintaining our university status.
BHS: Do you have any regrets about your presidency at AIU? If yes, would you please share them?
LA: Of course, as a new president, mistakes are made. What is important is to learn from those mistakes and move on to better approaches. My biggest regret was that being in a foreign country, I did not learn the local language. I was told that I would not need to do so since this was an international university where the medium of instruction was English. I found out that while this was technically true, anything outside the gates of the university required Thai language literacy. About halfway through my term, there was an introductory Thai language class offered on campus, which I joined. Unfortunately, the demands of my schedule kept me from attending class on a regular basis, so I was unable to learn much and had to apologize to the faculty member for my lack of progress. If I were to do it over again, I would take the six months provided for language learning before beginning my responsibilities as this would provide for a richer, deeper experience while in a foreign land.
BHS: How did you know that it was time for you to move on from your responsibilities as president?
LA: During our time in Thailand, we had two of our parents pass away, as well as three grandchildren born. Being half a world away from these major life events, it became clear to us that we should return, even though we loved it there. Our time at AIU was one of personal and professional growth as well as an opportunity to help one of our institutions advance in several areas. As I look back, it is with nostalgia, and we miss it greatly. While we were able to provide leadership at the university, we were also blessed with the multitude of friends we made from all parts of the world. We also came to understand what makes interacting with cultures in different parts of the world an intriguing experience filled with opportunities for personal growth.
This interview has been condensed. An extended version is available here. Minor editing has been done, but the verbal style has been retained.
Recommended citation:
Bordes Henry Saturné and Loren Agrey, “Leadership in Adventist Higher Education Series: A Conversation With Loren Agrey,” The Journal of Adventist Education 86:2 (2024): 37-45. https://doi.org/10.55668/jae0075
NOTES AND REFERENCES
- Stephen R. Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989).
- Jeffrey J. Selingo et al., Pathways to the University Presidency: The Future of Higher Education Leadership (New York: Deloitte University Press, 2017), 9.