As attorney turned Hodges U. president, Terry McMahan makes the grade

COURTESY PHOTO Terry McMahan Terry McMahan, president of Hodges University, has a problem, but the dilemma he faces is the sort that all educators relish: enrollment is skyrocketing.

“To be honest, (the sharp jump in enrollment) caught us all by surprise,” Dr. McMahan says. “We knew with the economy going south that we would add students, but we did not anticipate we would add this many this fast. The numbers are really astounding.”

Astounding is an apt description, for the enrollment at the university, which came into being two decades ago, now approaches 2,700 students — an increase of more than 23 percent over the previous year.

“For the first time in our history, we had to end enrollment a week early with some programs,” Dr. McMahan says.

The dramatic increase in enrollment comes at a cost. At the Fort Myers campus, for example, there weren’t enough parking spaces available for students, and classroom space is at a premium at both the Naples and Fort Myers campuses. The use of adjunct faculty also has been increased to meet demand.

“The growth presents challenges,” the president concedes, although he adds that the university has been able to adjust to the demands of the increased enrollment.

As the economy worsens, many workers seek to change careers, which means they also search for advanced training and new, marketable skills. Moreover, many students realize that a college degree can give them a competitive edge in a down economy.

“When the economy gets this bad, people are laid off or they suffer declines in compensation,” Dr. McMahan says. “One of the things they can do to help themselves is to go back to school.”

Hodges is also seeing an increase in military veterans signing up for classes. The university Hodges participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, an enhancement of the GI Bill that provides tuition and other financial aid to veterans. Dr. McMahan estimates that there are about 120 veterans currently enrolled at Hodges.

The upsurge in enrollment is reflected most dramatically, however, in areas that train students for jobs in sectors that have proved to be resilient in the recession.

“Allied Health is an area where we are especially strong,” he says, noting that employment opportunities in the healthcare field have remained relatively strong during the economic slump.

As Hodges grows, Dr. McMahan says its administration and faculty are seeking new ways to be a resource for Southwest Florida. This direction is reflected in the rapid growth of the English as a Second Language Program and the Hispanic Institute, which examines trends and changes in that community.

The institute is currently preparing a 200-page report on the Hispanic community in Collier and Lee counties. Dr. McMahan says the report, which will include baseline demographic data and compare that data to similar information for Florida and the United States as a whole, will be made available to local government in both counties “as a tool for policy makers to deal with changes in the Hispanic community.”

In addition to the

report, the institute intends to undertake research projects that also will be presented to local governments.

Dr. McMahan says when he assumed control of the school in 1991, he had little idea that it would flourish as it has. Hodges University originally opened in 1990 under the name of International College. It was renamed in 2007 to reflect a $12 million donation from Earl and Thelma Hodges, a Naples couple who amassed wealth in the funeral home business.

“There were about 300 students when I began,” says Dr. McMahan, who served on the board of trustees before he was named president. “The school was not accredited, and we didn’t have a clue as to what would be accomplished. Accreditation, of course, was the key to our growth.”

Hodges earned accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1999. Today, it offers 12 associate degrees, 11 bachelor’s degrees, eight graduate degrees and 17 online degrees.

Despite his standing as a trustee, Dr. McMahan seemed an unlikely candidate for the job of president. His background was in the practice of law.

A native of Boca Raton, he received his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. He was a litigator in private practice, and immediately prior to becoming president at Hodges, he worked as in-house counsel for the Zimmer Corp.

He retains his law license and remains an active member of the Florida Bar, but at the age of 59, he does not foresee a return the legal arena. Still, he says the skills he acquired and used in the legal profession — negotiation, administration and the like — have proved invaluable to him as a university president.

“I thoroughly enjoyed legal work, but I do not intend to return to it,” he says. “I want (Hodges) to be the last stop for me. I want to remain here.”

Looking back over the nearly two decades that he has been at Hodges, he says gaining accreditation and helping the school grow have been satisfying achievements. But his greatest satisfaction comes each year when graduation day rolls around.

“Seeing the students walk across the stage and receive their diplomas — well, there honestly is nothing else like that,” he says. “It’s a wonderful feeling to see them complete what they set out to do.” 