The life of Ralph Hogges, Ed.D., professor of education at the Fischler School of Education and Human Services, reads like a tale from a storybook.
Born out of wedlock and disowned by his father, his grandparents raised him on a 50-acre farm in Georgia. His work on the farm prevented him from going to school regularly and, as a result, he did poorly in school and started to hate it. He flunked first and second grade, but his life turned around when he fell in love with reading.
“I became a voracious reader, and books were able to take me to places that I never thought I could go, and they enabled me to see and to learn about people doing things that I never thought I could do,” he said. “My love for reading books enabled me to understand and appreciate very much the courses that I was taking. The more I read, the more I enjoyed learning, and the more I enjoyed learning, the more ambitious I became.”
Hogges started receiving A’s and B’s and won awards every school year. At 20, Hogges graduated from high school, the only male in his neighborhood who hadn’t dropped out. With $50 in his pocket he went to Tuskegee University and finished his bachelor’s and master’s in four years.
Hogges received his doctorate in higher education administration at NSU in 1977. He said that he enjoyed being allowed to experiment, to innovate and to do creative things and wanted to obtain a position here where he would be allowed to do this. Now, he still sees this spirit of innovation at the school.
“What has continued to be impressive in my 20 years at NSU is that there is a great combination of nontraditional and traditional degree programs,” he said.
Before teaching at NSU, Hogges taught at Florida International University and Florida Memorial University. At FIU, he was the associate dean of student affairs and a professor of education. At FMU, he was director of the evening and weekend college, director of the division of continuing education, associate dean of the faculty and associate professor of education. At NSU, he was the director of the master’s program in human services.
Hogges has done post-doctoral studies at the University of Miami and the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard University. He is the author of eight books ranging from fiction to poetry to academic. His autobiography is called “The Love of Books and Academic Excellence: a Memoir.”
In 2004, Hogges founded the Institute of Public Policy and Executive Leadership in Higher Education, which is part of the Fischler School. Hogges said the institute prepares university administrators, faculty members and graduate students with the skills and expertise needed to become presidents, vice presidents and deans. He said he created the institute to train the younger generation to become successful in these positions because baby boomers’ retirements are creating a substantial number of vacancies in higher education.
To bring real-world experience to IPPEL students, Hogges brings senior fellows who are current and former presidents, vice presidents and deans of universities to teach the executive leadership seminars. To teach public policy, he brings in renowned politicians such as a former Florida representative Carrie P. Meek and former Florida senator Daryl Jones.
With his own students, Hogges said that he shares his own experience as an administrator, giving them what he calls the “hardcore realities” of what is required of a university administrator. Hogges said he gives them the nuts and bolts of not only how to obtain administrative positions but also how to continue to be successful in challenges.
“All too often, you can learn everything that is in that textbook, but when you encounter these challenging responsibilities as an administrator, that textbook will not necessarily help you solve those problems or issues successfully,” he said.
Hogges said that young people don’t just wake up and begin to value education. They need to be taught to value education by their parents or significant others and by reading.
“Falling in love with reading books is a very important medium to help teach them to value education,” he said. “Valuing education enables them to see that they need to aim high and stay focused on their dreams.”
His philosophy reads like a page from his life story.
“It does not matter where you came from nor what you have been,” Hogges said. “What really matters is where you’re going and what you are determined to be. In the pursuit, it is important that you aim high and stay focused. The higher you climb, the more you can see.”
