Paul Maurer, President & CEO, Montreat College

Invest: spoke with Paul Maurer, president and CEO of Montreat College, about the institution’s enrollment growth, liberal arts foundation, and expanding role in cybersecurity workforce development. “If we’re not producing students who understand technology ethically, we’re missing something important,” Maurer said.

What recent accomplishments have had the greatest impact on Montreat College?

Montreat College is located in the western mountains of North Carolina. The college was established 110 years ago by Presbyterian leaders who settled and retired in Montreat.

We have experienced record enrollment in 10 of the past 11 years, which is unusual in American higher education given the declining demographics. We believe that growth has much to do with remaining true to our origins as a four-year, faith-based liberal arts institution.

We teach students in an educational and peaceful setting grounded in a moral compass rooted in biblical Christianity. We believe a student’s college years should teach them how to think, write, and read well and deeply; analyze critically; develop curious minds; and work effectively with others. Students should learn to do all those things within an ethical framework for work and life. We have found that people want this kind of education, and we believe that has driven our tremendous growth over the past decade.

What skills are employers seeking, and how does Montreat prepare students to meet those expectations?

We are less likely to chase cultural trends because we believe that what we do is timeless. I’m in my 13th year as president, and industry leaders and employers regularly tell us they want graduates who can solve problems, think critically, and adapt to their businesses.

Company leaders tell us they can teach employees the specifics of their operations. They want people of character who can think on their feet, work well with others, and write a one-page memo. It is much less about technical skills and much more about the traditional liberal arts competencies that colleges have taught for 2,000 years.

How is Montreat preparing students to navigate developments in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence?

We have taught cybersecurity for about 15 years and have obtained a level of national leadership. We have worked with the National Security Agency (NSA) for a number of years, received a visit from the White House two years ago, and earned national recognition for our cybersecurity education and workforce development. We have done that both independently and with partners across North Carolina. We agree with many of our federal leaders that cybersecurity is the economic and security threat of our time. As such, institutions must keep pace technologically. 

AI is also highly relevant. We require all students to complete a one-credit-hour course covering cybersecurity and its ethical dimensions. We are evolving that course into “Technology and Ethics,” which will provide a primer on AI and cybersecurity, how to use those tools, and how to understand and use them ethically.

If we’re not producing students who understand technology ethically, we’re missing something important. Technology can be used for ill or for good, and colleges and universities should teach students how to use it for good.

How do Montreat’s faith-based principles inform its approach to technology and workforce preparation?

These are timeless moral principles: treating others well, acting with integrity, being honest, exercising self-control, and putting others before ourselves. Whether someone is a professing Christian or not, people need a framework of ethical values. Otherwise, self-interest becomes the highest virtue, and self-interest is not a virtue.

Employers may or may not specifically seek people of the Christian faith, but they want the values Christians bring. They want employees they can trust. That applies not only to cybersecurity but also to business, education, medicine, and every other professional field. If we cannot trust the people with whom we interact, we have real problems.

I believe there is a crisis of confidence in American higher education, partly because much of the sector has moved away from teaching core moral and ethical principles.

How is Montreat collaborating with other institutions to strengthen North Carolina’s cybersecurity workforce?

Several years ago, we partnered with Fayetteville Technical Community College, a two-year institution in eastern North Carolina. At that time, there were about 24,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs across the state. We approached the state legislature and proposed helping colleges throughout North Carolina establish cybersecurity programs if the state funded the effort.

The legislature agreed, and Montreat and Fayetteville Tech began working together. During the past five years, we have identified and invested in 21 other colleges, helping them build cybersecurity workforce development programs.

There are now 23 institutions participating across the state. Collectively, we have increased the number of students studying cybersecurity in North Carolina from 600 in 2021 to more than 4,000 today. That has created a pipeline of graduates who can work for municipalities, the state government, and businesses across North Carolina to strengthen their defenses against cybercrime.

Where do you see additional opportunities to align academic programs with North Carolina’s economic growth?

The clearest area of economic growth in North Carolina is the technology sector. We are seeing technology growth across the state, extending beyond the Research Triangle. Montreat offers programs in areas such as data analytics and AI, along with a number of master’s degrees.

Much of higher education’s current growth is among adult learners in their 30s and 40s. Some may not have completed an undergraduate degree, while others need a higher degree to assume more responsibility at work and provide more for their families.

We are seeing significant growth in master’s programs nationally. Master’s degrees are generally designed around specific professions and technical fields. Colleges and universities are offering more of these programs, and more students are enrolling in them.

How does Montreat approach affordability and accessibility for adult and online learners?

Our adult and master’s degrees are affordable. Online programs generally cost less to deliver than on-campus residential programs, so those savings are already reflected in the pricing. Our programs are fairly priced, reasonable, and accessible. Adult learners are working and have the ability to invest in their futures.

Education should be viewed not as an expense but as an investment. It is an excellent economic investment in a person’s future. The difference in lifetime earnings between a high school diploma and a four-year college degree is over $1 million.

For a young person, taking on $20,000, $30,000, or even $40,000 in debt for college may be the best economic investment that person ever makes. A car loses value every day it is owned. Provided graduates work hard, act honestly, and bring value to their employers, their education will increase in value throughout their lives.

What challenges is higher education facing as demographic pressures intensify?

We expect Montreat to continue to grow, although that becomes more difficult each year because of declining birth rates and shifting demographics. Competition within higher education has become fierce. Colleges are closing across the country, state university systems are merging or closing campuses, and private institutions are shutting down at rates we have not seen before.

There are fewer 18-year-olds than there were 18, 20, or 25 years ago, so the number of students attending four-year institutions is declining. Based on current birth rates and demographics, that trend will continue.

What qualities will enable colleges and universities to succeed in this environment?

The institutions that succeed will be innovative, agile, and entrepreneurial. They will continually evaluate what the market wants and needs without chasing fads. There is a real danger in pursuing whatever is popular without being deeply rooted in timeless principles. Successful institutions will combine those principles with elements of a startup. They will move quickly, make decisions efficiently, invest in what works, and withdraw resources from what does not. Higher education is not known for flexibility or agility, and so I believe the institutions that embrace those qualities while remaining grounded in their identity will be positioned to succeed.