National chair just one more role for Carol Greiner

There's no formal, written position description, but, as Carol Greiner will attest, the role of the spouse of a college or university president is more than a full-time task.

"I call it a job because it's 24 hours a day," says Mrs. Greiner, who has served in the role since President William R. Greiner was named acting president in 1991.

"This is a very positive role," she says. "I really enjoy it. I really like working with people."

Mrs. Greiner has carried that enthusiasm for her role to a national level as 1998 chair of The Council of Presidents' and Chancellors' Spouses of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).

The council-one of 10 in NASULGC that represents major areas of university life and service-is, as its name indicates, composed of the spouses of CEOs at the 194 (at last count) NASULGC member institutions. Its purpose is threefold: to facilitate communication among the spouses of NASULGC university CEOs, promote public-affairs programs and projects, and provide a source of advice and counsel to CEO spouses on issues of common concern.

Most CEO spouses are not interviewed when their mates seek positions with colleges or universities, yet they are expected to be an "integral part of the presidency," Mrs. Greiner noted. The council provides an opportunity for spouses to get together and "talk about what we're doing in our roles," she added.

"Everyone does the job differently; there is no right or wrong way," she said. "You have to do the jobŠso it fits your personality. Otherwise it's just an uncomfortable position. So we talk about that. We let the newcomers know that it's OK to do it your own way. The issue is for you to be comfortable."

The experienced members of the group will share with the newcomers information about what they do, how they do it and how they handle all sorts of situations.

"We always give them advice-which none of us take-like 'be sure you set a few hours of your day aside for yourself,'" said Mrs. Greiner, who admitted she rarely takes her own advice. "I love to say it, because it's important. I just can't seem to do it."

The highlight of the council's annual meeting-held in conjunction with the NASULGC annual meeting-is the Joan E. Clodius Forum, a combined session for spouses and the presidents or chancellors. The forum usually features a panel of three or four couples discussing an issue of interest to both parties, she said.

Topics of past Clodius forums have included "Positive Value of Intercollegiate Athletics," "Finding Friends and Funds for our College and Universities," "Personal Security for Presidential Couples," "Taking Care of Yourself-Never on Sunday" and "Good Media Relations."

"We've had really great response to this," Mrs. Greiner said.

The meeting also features roundtable discussions specifically for the spouses on such topics as handling the spousal role and an outside job, and creative entertaining with tight budgets.

Another issue-the spouse's role in maintaining historic inventory and gifts given to the university-is a special one for Mrs. Greiner, who was a presenter at a roundtable on the subject two years ago.

She related that when she and her husband moved into the UB President's House on Lebrun Road, she decided that she wanted to showcase university items, rather than her own personal items. "I thought we should try to make this a university house," she said.

She said that when members of the university community found out she was looking for items for the house, she started getting calls about items stored across the campus-including silver, crystal and oriental rugs-that were given to UB "by people who have a connection in some way with this university.

"We get wonderful reactions" when items are displayed, she said, relating that an important friend of the university once recognized an oriental rug in the house's dining room that a relative had given to the university. "If there are people who think enough of this university to give us something, and it's at all possible, I'm going to show it and I'm going to use it and care for it."

With her help, the university has instituted a system to inventory and appraise items in the house-previously only items in use were inventoried-and noted that many of the spouses at the roundtable session were surprised that she personally, along with university personnel, took on the task of tracking, recovering and documenting university artwork and furnishings.

"I have these items in my home, so it's my duty to be sure they remain with the university," she said. "I feel that I'm the keeper of a trust."

Mrs. Greiner said she first became interested in participating in NASULGC spouses groups when her husband, who at the time was UB provost, attended meetings of the NASULGC Academic Affairs Council. There was no formal group for those spouses, and they "never connected." She received permission from NASULGC to organize activities for the spouses of those attending Academic Affairs meetings, and ultimately formed a council for those spouses.

When William Greiner was named acting president and began attending meetings of the Council of Presidents, she moved to the corresponding spouses' council. She served on a planning committee and then as secretary of the Council of Presidents' and Chancellors' Spouses in 1996, and as chair-elect in 1997. As 1998 chair, she will oversee the meeting of the spouses' council to be held in November, and hosted a meeting of the council's board earlier this week in Buffalo to plan the November meeting.

Participating in the NASULGC council has provided "great networking" opportunities, Mrs. Greiner said. "I don't have the hours to tell you how important this organization has been to me and to other NASULGC spouses."

In addition to the NASULGC council, Mrs. Greiner also is a member of the Executive Committee of the Partner's Program of the American Association of Universities (AAU).

She pointed out that while the AAU group tackles many of the same types of topics as the NASULGC spouses group, it is a smaller group-since there are only 62 AAU institutions, as opposed to 194 NASULGC institutions-and includes more outside speakers at its twice-yearly meetings.

Mrs. Greiner also is involved in many organizations in Western New York, including serving on the boards of the Amherst Youth Foundation, the Bethel Head Start Program and the Language Development Program. She also is a member of the Women's Committee of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Women at Studio Arena Theatre and Women for Downtown, and is an honorary board member of Upstage NY.

In addition, she serves as honorary chair of the UB Women's Club and the Friends of the UB Center for the Arts.