TORRINGTON – Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) presidential candidate Dr. Ryan Carstens of Spokane, Wash., wrapped up the last of six open forums at the Fine Arts Auditorium on Thursday.
During his presentation, he discussed his goals for students, if selected, his plans for the first 90 days and his reasons for applying for the presidential position at EWC.
“Why Torrington and why EWC? Why not?” Carstens, current president of Spokane Community College, asked. “I worked in a school that had only 600 students. That’s what I seek, a more intimate place where we all know one another.
“You have great people trying to do great things with your students,” he said. “You have good roots, good results with students and a good relationship with your community, and that’s important.”
He also spoke of his and wife, Fay’s, five sons and nine grandchildren, several of whom live in Idaho and Texas, and the proximity of Goshen County to those areas.
At the forum, Carstens fielded a question regarding his goals for students.
“My hope for students is they leave here better than they were when they walked through our doors the first time,” he said, adding improvements include creating well-rounded adults as well as individuals who can thrive in the workforce.

“We want graduates who are ready for their second jobs,” Carstens said, stressing the importance of soft skills.­ “We want them to know how to lead. Can we prepare leadership in the community with what we do in the educational experience?
“The human side of it is, have we helped you to be better than you were?” he continued. “I think our promise to the community and to our students is, to all those who seek something better, we should be the source of opportunity that connects them to their future.”
During his first 90 days, Carstens said he would make an effort to meet college officials, students, staff, community members and leaders, organization representatives, ranchers, farmers and more, however, he said in his experience as a college president, this may be a tall order to complete in just three months’ time.
“Everybody has a vested interest. Normally in the first 90 to 100 days, you’re meeting with as many as you can – what really happens, at least what happened to me in my first days as president in Spokane … is work,” Carstens said. “What you end up trying to do, all these plans of all these meetings and get-to-know-yous … it’s a balancing act. (You end up) trying to see someone every 60 days, that’s the working long-range goal.”
Carstens said learning about the internal workings of the college is important, and finding or creating consensus amongst different groups is critical.
“Internally, it’s also about finding out where we are with all these different plans (strategic plans, etc.), what we have and what we don’t … I would need to get a handle on the lay of the land,” Carstens said. “There’s a board agenda, and as an officer or employee of the board (of trustees), (I would) meet with them to see if they’re interested in a retreat – more of a get-to-know-you … we have to build some consensus with the board (as to where we’re going).”
Carstens said he would also meet with staff leaders and the faculty senate to understand the college’s less quantifiable issues and bring these issues before the board to seek consensus for solutions.
“In my early victories, it would be amazing and marvelous if some of this consensus starts to gel by Christmas,” he said.
In addition, Carstens expressed a desire to visit with the cultural leadership in the community.
“I would want to meet with (this leadership) to find out if we’re on the same page, and if not, how we can get there,” he said.
Carstens has been president of Spokane Community College since July 2015. He received a bachelor of science in German (social studies minor) from Oklahoma State University, and a master of science in curriculum and instruction from Oklahoma State University. Carstens also did graduate work with the League for Innovation in the Community College, Executive Leadership Institute. He received his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program, educational administration.
Prior to his current position he was the vice president of academic affairs at New Mexico State University, from March 2014-July 2015. In the spring of 2014, he served as the interim vice president of academic affairs at Moreno Valley College and from 2012-2014 was the associate provost, education and community partnerships at Salt Lake Community College. Carstens served in several leadership roles for more than 12 years for the Lone Star College System, from 1999 to 2011, holding the following positions: chair, SACS Accreditation Quality Enhancement Plan, dean of educational services, dean of educational initiatives & technology services, and district director of distance learning and instructional technology.
From 1997-1999 he was the director of distance learning and technologies services at Eastern Idaho Technical College. He served as the dean/vice president of distance learning and information technologies services at Rio Salado College from 1994-1996 and the dean of educational resources from 1992-1994 at El Centro College. At Yavapai College he was the department chair and director of instructional telecommunications and Yavapai County extension services from 1989-1992. He was the coordinator of instructional technology services at Central Arizona College from 1986-1989 and a faculty member and director of the Technology Center for Teachers at the University of Houston –Victoria from 1984-1986.
He is a graduate of Leadership Otero, 2015 and Leadership North Houston in 2004. In 2001 he was the Lone Star College System Employee of the Month. He has been a contributor to many publications and presented at many meetings and conferences.