Gerald Whittington has his hands full with Elon’s constant construction, ahead-of-the-times technology and money that is more precious than ever.
by Amy McLeod
Elon is rapidly climbing its way to sit among the best and most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation. Elon’s campus is constantly growing and developing, new buildings and features with every blink of the eye. Elon is dealing with the national financial crisis with better success than most other institutions of higher education. Elon is known for being at the cutting edge of technology, both in terms of technology on campus and the technological education that students receive.
You can thank Gerald Whittington for that.
Whittington is Elon’s Vice-President of Business, Finance and Technology, meaning that he oversees all business and financial operations of the university. He is also responsible for all of the physical assets of the university, meaning buildings, grounds and any new construction as well as all technology on campus.
‘This place was getting ready to explode”
“When I came here to interview I got the sense,” Whittington said, “just right off the bat, that this is a place that was getting ready to explode. And I thought you could probably help out somewhere and be a part of that. And that’s why I decided to come to Elon.”
And explode it did. Under Whittington’s direction, Elon’s campus has doubled in square footage and its national recognition has increased greatly.
“The size of the campus has gotten a whole lot larger. The number of students here has grown tremendously. The quality of the student body has continued to increase year over year. And that’s pretty gratifying. The recognition of the university since 1992 has just skyrocketed.”
How Whittington and Elon stay ahead of the technological curve
On top of the operations of the university, Whittington is also responsible for all the technology on campus. Elon has employed a series of three-year plans in regards to technology that increase the campus’s understanding of technology, apply technology to all programs offered at Elon and provide students with the knowledge they need to successfully use technology in the real world.
“They’ve worked for us. Each three-year plan that we’ve done keeps up ahead of everybody else, so right now this plan is well in advance of what anybody else is thinking about. We’re trying to keep ahead mainly so that our students and faculty have a leg up.”
Watch Whittington discuss Elon’s stance on technology.
How will Elon deal with the nation’s economic crisis?
With the economic crisis on the minds of all Americans right now, Whittington is also forced to think about how Elon will cope with the uncertainty of the future.
“We’re not immune from this,” Whittington admits. “The effects, however, for the university are significantly less dramatic than other institutions. “
Because many of Elon’s programs and operations are supported by students’ tuition as opposed to a large endowment, most programs will remain intact and Elon will not feel the effects nearly as much as other colleges and universities.
Gerald Whittington talks about the impact of the economy on Elon
Life apart from Elon
With having to think about Elon’s financial future, countless construction projects and equipping students with the technological knowledge necessary to be successful in the real world, does Gerald Whittington have time to do anything else?
You’d be surprised.
Whittington was born in Washington, DC but spent time growing up in Europe. He currently lives in Chapel Hill with his wife Roberta. Whittington is the father of two sons, both of whom live in Atlanta. Roberta is the president of Hinshaw Music Publishing Company, whose international headquarters is located in Chapel Hill.
Before marrying, the two sat next to each other for 16 years in the choir of the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church. Whittington also performs 15 to 20 times a year as a professional singer with the Bel Canto Company.
Whittington plays bridge “moderately well” and reads “voraciously.” He is an avid sports fan, his allegiance lying with the Tarheels of UNC, his undergraduate alma mater.
Sharing advice with students
When asked about the best pieces of advice he has ever been given, Whittington recalled bits of wisdom that had been passed down to him.
The first piece of advice that Whittington shares deals with working one’s way up in the world.
“Way back yonder somebody told me, dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. Dress so the people above you can see you as one of them.”
Whittington’s second suggestion involves relationships and how to respectfully begin relationship, particularly with elders.
“A piece of advice that I got from a dean at UNC is always give every person their ‘propers’. And that means that you always address someone as ‘Mr.’ or ‘Mrs.’ or ‘Ms.’ You always begin a relationship in a respectful and proper and formal way.”
Pointing to a plaque on his shelf, Whittington noted the final piece of advice. The plaque, written in Latin, read, “small matters do not worry a judge.” Colloquially, Whittington translated, “don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Whittington shares the best advice he has ever been given
