Reflections from Chancellor Emeritus Lehmkuhle

Chancellor Emeritus Stephen Lehmkuhle was the inaugural Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester, serving from 2007 until his retirement in 2017. During his time at UMR, the inaugural Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences class began their careers, the Bachelor of Science in Health Professions program launched, UMR’s mascot, Rockie the Raptor, was created and the first class of UMR graduated with many more to follow. Chancellor Emeritus Lehmkuhle reflects upon his time at UMR in both his book, “Campus With Purpose,” and in conversation with our editors, who asked him to elaborate on those early years and share insights on that first class, what makes him #UMRProud and where life has taken him after UMR.

What brought you to UMR?

The key driver behind my decision to accept the position at UMR was the unique opportunity to create change and not manage change.

I began to realize that Rochester was a place where I could tap into my intuition about higher education that I developed over the last decade. It was a place where I could possibly create the future university today — one that has a sustainable cost structure, shaped by a new approach to learning that prepares all students for the future, and values partnerships with the university system offices, other higher education institutions, and the community. (Chapter 1, page 9)

How would you describe UMR’s first class?

I began to refer to them as ‘trailblazers’. They were an adventurous group, never shy to put themselves out there to do things in the community. (Chapter 7, page 97)

[The students] were an inspiration to us. When times were tough and when challenges emerged, the administration, faculty and staff would look at each other and say, if the students can do it, so can we. UMR’s first class was open to new ideas and willing to tolerate ambiguity. They learned to survive that. I see those traits in all students at UMR.

Our graduates frequently demonstrated during their time as students that their passion made them resilient and enabled them to persevere in a rigorous program. (Chapter 6, page 91)

How did the first class impact what UMR was doing?

The trailblazers not only taught us about student life, they also provided an assessment of their learning experiences created by the evolving curricular model. In fact, the trailblazers referred to themselves as the ‘guinea pigs’, because they knew the faculty and staff were ‘flying and building the plane at the same time.’ (Chapter 7, page 98)

We learned as the students worked through pressure points they experienced. For example, the second year became a really tough year for students and there was a lot of stress imposed on them, so we began to ask ourselves, should we think differently about curriculum and the stress that was present? Other stressors students faced included changes in career pathways or aspirations. We noticed that students were stressed beyond what our comfort level was and through collaboration with student success coaches and faculty we worked to ease that transition and better support them through curriculum adjustments and stress management skills. Curriculum became more of a becoming experience for the students. The students that enter UMR today are benefiting greatly from all the experiences of the students that preceded them.

How did you keep the purpose and values at the forefront while ‘flying the plane and building it at the same time’?

In the early years, faculty and staff developed things that perpetuated purpose through everything they did. My role was to remind everybody, if this doesn’t work it’s not the end of the world, we will find something else. The glue that held us all together during that time was the students. We were so excited about what the students were doing. They were reinforcing and inspiring us to continue to do the work. I saw these students grow academically and in life over each of their four years. That kept us focused and reminded us of the purpose of UMR.

How does your personal academic focus align with the mission of UMR and how does it differ?

Throughout my academic career, I always wanted to be in a position to have an impact, and hopefully a positive impact, whether it be in the classroom, the lab, as a faculty leader, an academic leader or a chancellor.

“Campus with Purpose” dedication: Over forty years ago, I became a faculty member because I wanted to make the world a better place… Making the world a better place is a journey without a destination. What I learned is that the real solution to addressing global challenges is to perpetuate the journey through our students.

What makes you #UMRProud?

I am extremely proud that UMR has remained committed to its purpose and is thriving as an institution as a result. I am also very proud of our alumni — how they continue to learn, grow and adapt so they can live their passion to care for others.

Where has life brought you now?

In retirement, I can now focus on my roles as a husband (married to Cindy for 51 years), a son (my mother is 97 and awesome), a father (with two very successful children who are people that I would want to be around even if they were not my children), a grandfather (to three grandchildren: 12 years, 8 years, and 6 months), a family member and a friend.

I can also now live the role as Chancellor Emeritus, enjoying immensely UMR’s growth, its adaptive culture and ongoing innovations, and its pivotal and national role transforming the landscape of higher education.

Chancellor Emeritus Lehmkuhle shares more details about his time at UMR and the stories behind the origins of the innovative campus in his book, “Campus with Purpose.”

Read more stories from the Fall 2023 Alumni Magazine: The Kettle.