Dr. Cady Short-Thompson was officially celebrated as Northern Kentucky University’s seventh president in a packed house at Truist Arena Friday afternoon.
The president was welcomed with multiple standing ovations, including a round of applause as she entered the arena for the first time. Some key guests included previous presidents Leon Boothe and James Votruba, as well as Short-Thompson’s three children and extended family.
With guests from around campus and the entire region, Short-Thompson took the oath of office and shared more about her vision for the future of NKU.
The president highlighted that while 60% of employees and students at NKU are women, she serves as the first female president. “It’s about time,” Short-Thompson grinned.
She also pointed out that she is the first president to be from the tri-state area. “This work is personal to me,” Short-Thompson shared during her presidential remarks.
When Short-Thompson took on the role at NKU in October 2023, she brought five priorities:
- Strengthen strategic enrollment management
- Restore the university’s financial health
- Modernize university processes
- Work on employees’ identities and NKU’s culture
- Strengthen the university’s relationship in the region
The president revisited these five priorities during her speech on Friday while discussing the work that has already been done.
“We will balance our budget in July,” she declared.
The president also said she wants to focus on recruiting and retaining talent in the region. Factors like a student’s zip code or what high school they attended should not play a part in their college decision, she said.
Admissions for the fall 2024 semester are up 30%, according to Board of Regents member Kara Williams, who spoke briefly about Short-Thompson’s commitment to the role.
The new president was commended for her previous time at NKU, where she began as a professor and then became a department chair and program director. Short-Thompson said in her previous 14 years at the university, she taught around 3,500 students and thought of them as her own family. She recalled an experience when her colleagues saw a spark in her.
“Many years ago when I was a young assistant professor, my NKU mentors praised my leadership skills,” she said. “They said to me, ‘Cady, someday you will be the president of NKU.’”
Short-Thompson shouted out her family sitting in the front row of the arena seating, including her three college-aged children and her husband Steve. As the president spoke, her husband snapped cell phone photos with an ear-to-ear grin.
NKU’s fourth president emeritus James Votruba was the keynote speaker for Friday’s event, sharing about his experience leading NKU from 1997-2012.
Votruba said it is impossible to find a great region that does not have a greatly-engaged university. However, he said, higher education is currently facing some of the most challenging times in financial health, enrollment and public confidence. “NKU has confronted challenges throughout its history,” Votruba said. “But no challenge has been so great that it couldn’t be overcome.”
Now is a time for builders, innovators and believers, the president emeritus said. He spoke of his confidence in Short-Thompson to lead NKU’s innovation.
“[Short-Thompson] is the right person at the right time to help guide us forward into a new era of impact on both our students and our region,” Votruba remarked.
Virtual greetings also came from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell. NKU serves as a vital source of innovation for the region, McConnell said, and Short-Thompson’s knowledge of the region will help enrich the student experience.
“We can’t wait to see all the amazing things that lie ahead for Northern Kentucky University,” Beshear said.