Vietti to sign off at Butler CC: ‘You never really leave Butler’

On Thursday, June 26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Butler CC community is welcome to gather and gather to honor Jackie Vietti as she concludes her service as interim president. The event will take place at the Hubbard Welcome Center in the Clifford/Stone Room.  

Vietti has been an "instrumental leader" during a time of transition, providing "steady guidance" and a "clear vision." Her presence has had a positive impact on the institution. The event will be a "thank you" gathering where those in attendance can express their appreciation for Dr. Vietti's service and impact. 

Vietti returned to Butler in January after she was asked to work in the capacity of interim president. Initially, she was surprised and asked for a couple of days to think about what would best for Butler and for her family. Her family had told her she really needed to continue retirement after failing at it twice when she first served as interim president at Emporia State University and then at Kansas City Kansas Community College. After not raising the angst of her family about coming out of retirement for the third time and considering that it could be helpful for Butler's faculty and staff to work with an interim president that many had worked with before, she accepted the position and kept in mind the saying that “the devil you know is better than the one you don't.” Or at least she hoped that would turn out to be the case.  

“The biggest goal was to ensure that the faculty, staff and students realized how many great things were taking place at Butler,” Vietti said. “I also wanted to assure them that I was not intent on making significant changes, because Butler already has so many positive things taking place. I would be there to provide consistent leadership in keeping with Butler's timeless institutional values of Quality, Integrity, Caring and Service. That said, I also did say during my introductory remarks at the Spring 2025 kick-off that no matter how good things were at Butler, if there were tweaks to be made in the interest of better serving our students and our communities, together we would take them on.”  

First, Vietti spoke of the the successes that were made possible by many talented and dedicated teams and individuals within the Butler family. The successes included, but certainly were not limited to an enrollment increase, numerous accolades for their students, faculty and staff and of course, all the celebratory events associated with the end of an academic year. The college also celebrated their 50th anniversary partnership with McConnell Air Force Base, one of the oldest in the country, and they gained approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) to offer some degrees and certificates through their new PEP (Prison Education Program) at the El Dorado Correctional Facility.  

Regarding the Air Force Partnership and the PEP, both offer an example of their living the college mission to inspire and prepare students from all walks of life for lifetime success. The last thing to be noted is the resulting work during their Spring 2025 Institutional Development Day when their faculty and staff were asked to identify five things that are "Right With the World of Butler." Family, student success, collaboration, caring and faculty and staff emerged as key themes that emerged, which reflect what a culture should be if all in it are to thrive, Vietti adds. As for the challenges, the major ones were external to Butler. Examples include decreased funding and a perception among some external stakeholders that there are too many community colleges in the state and that property taxes are too high as a result. The decreased funding presented a significant challenge in building the budget for next year, but their budget officers and vice-presidents and associate vice-presidents rose to the occasion, so that they have a 2025-26 budget that still supports learning at its best.  

“Without a doubt, my favorite part of returning to Butler has been getting to reconnect with those that I had the privilege of working with from 1995-2012 and getting to meet new faculty and staff that have said ‘yes’ to Butler since my departure in 2012,” Vietti said. “I've also loved seeing all the physical enhancements across our campuses as well as the new programs and services offered to foster student success. I'm known for the saying that ‘you never really leave Butler,’ and I always will believe that. I also believe in continuous improvement, so thanks to Larry Friesen, there is an added phrase so the amended saying is this: ‘You never really leave Butler, and Butler never really leaves you’.” 

Vietti has no concrete plans other than to continue facilitating the Kansas Community College Leadership Institute that is designed to hone the leadership skills of individuals across 19 colleges and help them better under the Kansas community college system. She also plans to spend more time with family, which includes four children and six grandchildren.  

“Keep on keeping on because no one does it better than Butler, second largest but first best community college in the state,” Vietti said. “And, as said earlier, always remember that you never really leave Butler, and Butler never really leaves you. As proof, you can come home at any time, since home is where the heart is. And Butler will leave the light on and the door open for all - its students, faculty, and staff - to come home at any time.”