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URBANA — Even before he assumed duties as Urbana University president, Stephen Jones questioned his new staff and board members on the university's assets, its biggest challenges, and people he needed to meet during his first few months in office.

The answers he received showed that the university has improved physically in recent years with new dorm facilities and a student center. Faculty and staff also are generally optimistic about the university's future. But there also are several challenges ahead, including the need to increase enrollment, strengthen the university's endowment and increase gifts and fundraising.

Former President Robert Head left earlier this year to take a job at Rockford College in Illinois.

Jones has only officially been working at Urbana University since Tuesday, July 1, but he already has a few ideas on how to accomplish those goals. In the meantime, he already has met with some prominent local leaders when U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown attended a roundtable meeting at the university Monday.

One of the early goals, Jones said, is to set a strategic plan to help make sure faculty, staff and administrators are looking toward the same goals.

"I want us to know who we are, where we are going and what it's going to take to get us there," he said.

Jones is working to get acquainted with the community as well. For now, he and his wife, Judy, are living in a two-bedroom student apartment on the campus among a couple of dorm rooms. Jones said they've started the search for a new home. At his previous job in Alaska, Jones said their on-campus residence was often used to host gatherings for students, staff and faculty.

"We are trying to find something close enough that we can open our residence to the campus community in the same kind of way," he said.

One of the reasons the job seemed like a good fit, Jones said, is that it allows him to visit his children and grandchildren in Alabama and Pennsylvania. From Alaska, a trip to see his family could take days.

On his way to the campus from Alaska, Jones and his wife made a stop in Pittsburgh, and they'll drive to Alabama this weekend. Although it seems like a lengthy drive, Jones and his wife are used to it. Driving across the state in Alaska between campuses was about the same distance from Urbana to Alabama, Jones said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.