Dear NKU campus community,
With deep sadness, I share news of the passing of President Emeritus James C. Votruba Tuesday evening at home, surrounded by loved ones.
This message is personally painful as I write from what I still fondly think of as “Jim’s office;” without question, his legacy and impact are enduring on this special place and people. Like so many students, regents, faculty, staff, administrators and community members, my life and career have been shaped and positively impacted by his leadership and inimitable communication gifts. Jim led with energy, vision and an uncanny ability to positively connect with all of his constituents. As seemingly everyone’s mentor, Jim was generous in every way. Northern Kentucky University is tremendously fortunate that he decided to remain here for decades and build NKU with aplomb.
Dr. Votruba was our fourth and longest-serving president and so much of what NKU is today — a student-centered and unapologetically regional university — began with or flourished during his 15 years of leadership. From 1997 through 2012, Dr. Votruba led the creation of new colleges, saw massive enrollment increases, and he led the charge as NKU began moving toward Division I athletics.
It was during his presidency that NKU became a national leader in what is now known as regional stewardship, growing into an institution where dreamers are always welcome and where the biggest aspirations of our region and our community are fulfilled.
Dr. Votruba arrived from Michigan State University in 1997 after serving there as vice provost for university outreach and as a professor of higher education. He had also served as dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Binghamton University, SUNY, as well as holding faculty and administrative positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Drake University.
But it was right here at NKU that he built a legacy as a legendary leader. He accepted our presidency just as Kentucky’s leaders recognized that if the Commonwealth was to thrive in the new knowledge-based economy, higher education must lead. Under Dr. Votruba, NKU ran with that bold dream and NKU began a truly remarkable transformation. His early strategic planning process called Vision, Values and Voices, engaged students, staff, faculty and community members to establish a map for NKU’s future that created the nationally recognized metropolitan university “committed to academic excellence and deeply embedded in the life of the region” that we know and love today.
From 1997 through 2012, student enrollment grew 34 percent, bachelor programs increased 37 percent, gross square footage grew 107 percent and master’s and doctoral programs and certificates grew 600 percent. Dr. Votruba’s presidency saw the construction of new and improved facilities across campus, including the Herrmann Science Center, Griffin Hall, the James C. and Rachel M. Votruba Student Union, Truist Arena and Scudamore Field, NKU’s soccer complex.
After stepping down as president in 2012, Dr. Votruba served as a professor in the educational leadership doctoral program and remained actively engaged in education leadership challenges at both the local and national levels.
Please join me in extending our deepest condolences to Dr. Votruba’s wife Rachel and his family, friends, colleagues and all of those who knew and loved him. We will host a celebration of his life on campus later this spring at a date to be determined. I will keep our community updated as plans develop. In the interim, know that I surround each of you with heartfelt condolences as we grieve the loss of our cherished leader and friend.
Most Sincerely,
Cady Short-Thompson, Ph.D.
President, Northern Kentucky University
For those interested in honoring President Votruba, a memorial scholarship fund has been established. To donate click here.
