Just over two months into her position as Quinnipiac University’s 10th President, Marie Hardin has found a feeling of home in the Bobcat community and looks ahead at her first year.
Hardin officially assumed her role on July 1 and eagerly awaited students’ arrival to campus.
The Chronicle had an opportunity to sit down with the new president and learn about her first few months in this position and what she has in store for the future.
Hardin comes to Quinnipiac with curiosity and excitement to learn and get to know students.
“I’ve wanted to understand what kind of students does Quinnipiac attract,” Hardin said. “And I’ve been blown away by the excitement that I’ve seen, by the professionalism that the students have, by their eagerness to engage.”
A favored part of her experience so far comes from the students and the constant energy.
“They have been so welcoming to me, it’s been remarkable,” Hardin said. “If I’m in my office and I’m feeling a little, maybe I don’t have much energy, all I have to do — I figured this out in two weeks — All I have to do is walk out of my office, walk out into the quad, and you can feel the energy from the students on the sidewalk.”
Hardin finds this energy all over campus too, with strong student engagement and things always going on.
‘HERE FOR STUDENTS’
A key focus for Hardin is guiding students in accomplishing their goals, or helping to set them.
“We’re here to help students achieve their hopes and dreams,” Hardin said. “Students come to this institution because they have things they want to pursue, they have communities they want to build, they want to enrich their lives.”
No matter the goal they are working toward, Hardin says she wants every student to never let go of it.
“Our job is to help each and every student achieve their goals and hold those dreams well beyond college, that means so much to me,” Hardin said.
FROM DEAN TO PRESIDENT
Bellisario College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University gave Hardin the skillset and knowledge to aid in her transition into Quinnipiac’s president.
Coming from a large state school, Hardin has found the transition to a smaller school to come with both benefits as well as obstacles. She has felt a more personal feeling and greater sense of family.
“Penn State is a comprehensive institution,” Hardin said. “Quinnipiac is too, in an environment that feels much more personal.”
However, the small size comes as a challenge too. With ambitious students and an environment that she already feels so comfortable in, she finds that this causes a challenge as a university president as well.
ON CAMPUS PRESENCE
In just over two weeks since the fall semester started, Hardin often has been interacting with students and faculty around campus, attending several events, sitting in on classes and dropping in on student organizations.
Hardin is excited to continue attending all that she can around campus, from sporting events — both DI and club — to club meetings.
“My goal is to get to all of them,” Hardin said. “So for me, when I have those pockets of time to get to do that, I know students will know I might just drop in, that helps me learn, that helps me connect, and that helps me engage.”
SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT
Similar to on campus, Hardin has developed a strong presence on social media within the Quinnipiac community.
“I think social media is one of the ways that you can connect with people,” Hardin said. “It’s one of the ways that I can grow community.”
Engaging in social media has also been a way to get to know more about the Bobcat community, as well as a way to help them learn more about her.
Often seen on her social media is her border terrier, Tator, who she adopted a few months before arriving on campus. Hardin chose the name Tator after one of Quinnipiac’s founders, Samuel W Tator.
“I wanted a great name that also was a chance for me to get to talk about Quinnipiac every time I had him out on the quad,” Hardin said.
LOOKING AHEAD
Planning for her first year, a large focus is on understanding the Quinnipiac community and then using that for strategic planning and setting goals for the university.
“A big part of my job early on is to understand the culture of the place, because there’s a unique and powerful culture,” Hardin said. “So my first job is to know that and understand that, and then start working with the team to figure out how can we elevate that.”
Hardin also looks forward to her upcoming second semester at Quinnipiac, when she puts that newfound knowledge into action through a strategic visioning process.
“The second thing I’m really excited about is, and this will happen next semester, we’ll come together as a community to drive forward a plan and to craft a plan that moves us forward as a unique and powerful institution, thinking about the future of society, culture, technology and career and industry needs,” Hardin said.
Hardin finds it exciting to look ahead to the future, following the notion of her favorite saying, “if you want to predict the future, create it.”
