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Contact: Office of Institutional Research and Assessment - 208/792-2065

Planner is Well-Prepared for Challenging Role

Chet Herbst has a job almost as big as his title: He's Lewis-Clark State College's Special Assistant to the President for Planning and the Interim Director of Institutional Research and Assessment. After watching his presentations, talking to him and learning about his background and skills, one comes away knowing he's well equipped for the job.

A look at LCSC's newly stated vision and goals helps one understand the scope of the job he holds: What has come to be called the "strategic triad" is an important focus in President Dene Thomas' administration and Herbst is right in the middle. Thomas coined the term to describe the three kinds of programs the college offers students and the larger community-namely, its four-year bachelor's programs, its professional and technical training programs, and its community college and community service functions.

Herbst believes this three-part identity makes LCSC unique in Idaho higher education and gives it distinct advantages. He believes the three-dimensional approach to education, combined with great opportunities for hands-on, active learning as factors behind LCSC's ability to engage an entire community. "This college is not an 'ivory tower' institution; it can easily function as a tightly-knit, mutually-supporting team to best meet the needs of students and the entire community," he explains.

He feels those three facets and LCSC's small size lend themselves well to Thomas' team effort operating style. He describes that style as: "identify the direction we need to go and then rely on the initiative and creativity of the people who directly serve our students and other customers." Herbst believes the secret to successful planning and execution of LCSC's mission is this kind of small team leadership, and feels the college is well on its way in that direction.

Herbst helps implement that strategy. "An immediate task for me is to help the college grapple with recent state-imposed budget holdbacks." He says he's working with the president and others to identify LCSC's strengths. "We look for ways to preserve program quality and exploit opportunities for new programs or courses." Herbst sums the effort this way: "Over the long term, my job will be to help the college leadership stay focused on the programs that are core to our values, our long-term vision and three-fold mission, and to keep these programs firmly linked with the planning and budgeting process."

He adds that finding ways to "streamline, revamp and update our organizational structure relative to those strengths," is another important focus. "I'm working to 'get our arms around assessment;' which means I set up mechanisms to assess programs and get feedback from students and the community more quickly," he said. Accordingly, Herbst is also involved with internal institutional reporting, compiling the data and reports required to measure "institutional health."

When asked if he thinks his job is unique, Herbst says he thinks so. "Other institutional research outfits in the state might keep their fingers on the pulse of how a school's running, or assess how students are doing, or focus on planning. At LCSC, all three of these subjects are incorporated into one job-it's rewarding to work with all the components," he explains. "These areas need to function hand-in-hand for overall effectiveness," he continued, "and it's advantageous for one person on campus to have a clear view of all of them."

Herbst' professional background is military, a fact hinted at by his manner and physical fitness. He's a former fighter pilot and a retired Air Force Colonel who, until last summer, served as the Commander and Chair of Air Force ROTC studies at both the University of Idaho and Washington State University. He built the Air Force Officer Education program at WSU into one of the top ten in the nation. He's also had many opportunities to draw upon his experience and survival skills in diplomatic assignments in the political-military arena in overseas assignments.

How did he make the LCSC connection? During her tenure as Vice Provost at the UI, Dene Thomas became acquainted with Herbst and his abilities. Soon after taking office as LCSC's new president in July 2001, she realized she needed a talented planner and organizer to help her guide the college. She invited him to join her administration and he decided this was a challenge he'd enjoy. Herbst assumed his challenging role in October.

He and his wife Carol still live in Moscow, where she teaches the elementary and junior high schools' stringed instruments program. They have three grown children: two sons who have graduated from college and now live and work in California, and a daughter who is studying chemical engineering at the UI.

Busy as he is, Herbst does have avocations he enjoys in his "several nanoseconds of spare time." He and his wife are members of the Washington-Idaho Symphony-in which she plays stringed instruments and he's a trombone player. He is adjunct faculty at WSU, where he teaches an honors program called "The Armed Forces in U.S. Society," and participates in domestic and international policy forums with the Foley Institute at WSU and the Martin Institute at the UI.

When asked what he likes about his new job, he says, "It's very rewarding to be where I can use my planning, diplomatic and fighter pilot survival skills on a daily basis." And he unhesitatingly praises coworkers: "The best part of the job is working with President Thomas and all the great people who make up the LCSC family. The potential here is tremendous. It's exciting to be a part of the team tapping that potential, setting our sights, and re-committing ourselves to change lives and make a real difference."