Roy Tanner
Board of Governors, Saturday, December 8, 9:30 a.m.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of our vice president.
Recently I circulated a message to the faculty in which I gave voice to
sentiments concerning our leadership here at Truman. Among other things in that
missive, I alluded to my experience with a variety of leadership styles ranging
from those of Doctors McClain and Krueger and their successors to others at
Grinnell College and the University of Virginia. I then affirmed “On the
basis of that somewhat broad exposure I can state unequivocally that we at
Truman are most fortunate to have our present leadership. As vice president,
Garry [Gordon] has proven a devoted, sensitive and indefatigable leader, who
[often] bends over backwards to work with and support the faculty and advance
the institution.” I then spoke of the unique freedom we enjoy as
professors, noting that such liberty “does not mean we wont be asked to
make an occasional sacrifice of our convenience or to be flexible and adapt to
new circumstances. There is an administrative structure, decisions have to be
made, and they wont always be to our entire liking. Nevertheless, if they are
made by quality leaders who maintain high and laudable priorities, then we
professors should give them our support and make the minor adjustments in our
lives that need to be made. If we wish to lobby for change, that can be done
through proper channels, but it should be done in the spirit of collegiality
while maintaining an overriding awareness of how favored we are to have the
caring leadership we enjoy, as well as the many perquisites that attend our
profession.”
I did not solicit replies but myriad responses were soon jockeying for
position on my screen. The tenor of over 95% of them is captured in the
following representative samples
Some were quite terse
“I concur.” “I agree with you.” “I echo your
sentiments.”
Others add a little more
[1] “Thanks for putting down in words what many others feel.”
[2] “Thank you … for … voicing the opinion of many at
Truman.”
[3] “Amen to your message! We do have wonderful leaders!
[4] “I certainly agree with your assessment. Ive been heartsick
over the lack of civility in the formal and informal discussions of
colleagues across campus. Your email was a boon!”
[5] “I would also add that I am happy when issues that are
fundamentally administrative are handled at the administrative
level.”
For some the message sparked the articulation of deeply held feelings or an
insightful awareness
“Thank-you for sharing these thoughts and words with me. I had begun
to feel very alone in my appreciation for the wonderful life we get to live
here as faculty members. … I appreciate the respect, consideration, and
authority granted to me by “the powers that be ” here at
Truman,”
[Another] “Just wanted to let you know I think you are right on
target with your letter concerning the summer program and the leadership at
Truman. I worked at several different places before coming to academia, and
I’ve got to say we have a degree of freedom and input that is almost without
comparison.”
[And another] “Every time I go out of Truman to a conference, I
return with such good feelings about what I have here – a well kept
“secret”, …. I was dismayed by the [earlier] letter … sent
around. Thanks for offering such a positive response!”
[Finally] “Thank you for your thoughts on the current state of
affairs around campus!!! I agree with you whole-heartedly. The reasons you
gave are what has made this job a fun-filled adventure for 26 years for me.
I appreciate the fact that I can teach AND do the research that I am
interested in without a lot of interference. This really is a pretty darn
good place to be!!!!”
I close with this point. Decisions and policies will not always enkindle
universal applause. There is room for honest disagreement and, on occasion, a
mistake may occur. Fortunately, however, perfection is not one of the
qualifications for vice president or professor. And, more importantly, no
disagreement over a particular policy justifies denigration of administrators or
implied steps that place in jeopardy the general well being and collegiality of
the university, especially when the leadership provided by those administrators
has proven effective and, in general, highly favorable to our excellent
institution.
Thank you.