 FIRST
Renderings
The blueprints Sederburg carries in “The Visionary”
aren’t blue at all, but tan and cream, meant to call to mind treasure
maps and the promise of riches. The real Bill Sederburg arrived
at Ferris with neither maps nor blueprints—the ink was red then.
Ferris was a university in turmoil. Enrollment had fallen, and budgets
and programs had been slashed. Wild rumors circulated that Ferris
might close. Morale sank as the University underwent painful restructuring.
“I remember my first management development retreat
in 1994—people wouldn’t even look at each other,” Sederburg says.
“There was no laughing, no smiling. I thought, ‘What have I gotten
myself into?’”
Sederburg brought to Ferris a strong legislative background,
an easy manner with constituents, a penchant for fast food and a
four-point plan.
“The idea was to outline a vision for the institution,
develop a plan to achieve that vision and implement it. The final
step was to recognize when it’s time to move on.”
His vision included a major campus facelift and initiatives
to build a sense of community throughout the University. The plan
included such diverse activities as increasing student enrollment,
garnering state support for more than $100 million in construction;
soliciting works from Michigan artists to beautify campus, balancing
budgets while expanding programming, and refining both the institution’s
historic career focus and its appeal as a comprehensive university.
“As chair of the Academic Senate committee reviewing
the fiscal restructuring plan when the president arrived, I was
impressed with how quickly Dr. Sederburg sized up the situation
and acted to preserve programs,” says Dr. Robert VonderOsten, professor
of Languages and Literature. “He has worked hard to keep Ferris
competitive and has been very effective in facilitating the development
of new academic offerings and in enhancing the quality of our courses,
technology and facilities. Perhaps most importantly, he has done
so by offering encouragement and resources without laying a heavy
hand on the procedures of governance that are so important to a
university.”
Implementation of the plan required Sederburg to assemble
a team of dedicated leaders able to catch his vision and make it
reality. He established himself as a leader who valued input from
all levels of the University. He also became known as an executive
who could spend the day working on Internet policy, the evening
surfing the Ferris Web site for problems, and his “free time” reading
up on the ’Net-enhanced organization. As one administrator put it,
“He has the rare ability to be both a big-picture guy and a detail
guy. And more importantly, he likes to be engaged in both of those
arenas.”
 PERSPECTIVE
Adds Depth
Like a treasure map, the blueprints and renderings
that document Sederburg’s legacy are two-dimensional, showing only
the surface, the landmarks, the path to a vision. It’s only when
you start digging that you reach the stuff of true value.
“The physical changes are most noticeable, but I’m
more proud of the work we’ve done to make Ferris a place in which
people enjoy studying, working and sharing their lives together,”
he says.
Sederburg fostered a climate of positive change at
Ferris through quiet leadership and sound management; by sharing
his experience and influence with faculty, staff and students; and
by not giving failure the time of day.
“Right away he implemented a strong budgeting
and planning process that continues to serve us well,” says
Vice President for Administration and Finance Rick Duffett. “More
importantly, he established the right administrative model, building
a team that works well together with the University as a whole in
mind.”
Scott Hill-Kennedy, vice president for Governmental
Relations and General Counsel, agrees. In addition to giving him
strong planning and team-building skills, the president’s
experience on the floor of the state Senate rendered him unflappable.
“President Sederburg has a kind of cool confidence
about him—whatever the situation, he’s there to make
rational decisions and to be sure people don’t overreact,”
Hill-Kennedy says.
That
confidence has aided him with the daily challenges of growing a
“niche” university into a statewide system in the face
of state budget constraints and increasing competition for students.
“Even as we needed to boost enrollment, President
Sederburg had the courage to support raising admission standards.
As a result, we are attempting to attract more students to Ferris
from a smaller pool of prospects,” says Vice President of
Student Affairs Dan Burcham. “But it’s working—enrollment
continues to climb, and retention, too, as better students choose
to stay in school.”
Kendall President Oliver Evans saw a similar willingness
to tackle difficult problems head-on.
“President Sederburg recognized both the great
potential and the inherent complexity of the merger with Kendall.
Our success is owed to his ability to foster communication and cooperation
between the institutions. As a result, Ferris is stronger, and Kendall
College of Art and Design continues its tradition and mission.”
“President Sederburg has been a great leader for
Ferris, and a great mentor for me,” says Student Government
President Kaci Baars, a senior in Printing Management. “His
vision and diplomacy have served the University well, and his example
will serve me well in the future.”
 NEW
Dimensions
Sederburg saw his time at Ferris drawing to an end last
December, when Utah Valley State College offered him the presidency
of one of the fastest growing state colleges in the nation. On one
hand, the decision was easy: his children grown, his legacy at Ferris
secure, he and his wife Joyce would head west to Orem, Utah. He
would take the reins of another former tech school in transition—a
college on the verge, in need of a facilities upgrade and a steady
hand. His Ferris experience should provide him with a solid foundation
on which to build a new legacy at UVSC.
On the other hand, it’s never easy leaving what
you’ve spent years to build.
“It’s a great time to be at Ferris,”
Sederburg says. “People are more relaxed now—they smile
and laugh, and are free to do their jobs. We’ve developed
some great opportunities for people to come together and better
themselves—initiatives such as the Employee Leadership Development
program and Ferris Summer University. Our students are better prepared
than ever. We’re finally coming to understand our place and
our mission. And we’re just beginning to get our feet wet
in the area of private support for the University.
“When I first came here we were stagnating. Now
Ferris is more aggressive and innovative, doing exciting things
in the wider world instead of getting hung up on internal obstacles.”
That’s the true Sederburg legacy: a University
united and moving forward. He’s leaving the treasure to us—we
need only to keep digging.
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