Surry Community College Revisited 10-08-07
What it was, can be again!
Welcome Dr. Friedman ...
An institution's culture is mostly determined by its leadership, and this has been the cause of our recent crisis. A school that had been a bastion of service and help to students, exceptional caring teachers, outstanding programs, and friendly people has seen many attributes forcibly diminished. The presidential search committee asked us (faculty and staff) what we were looking for in a new president. We told them and we feel our wishes have been granted. We have confidence that Dr. Friedman will do the right thing for the college. She has the experience and has expressed her thoughts on what she would like in a way that we appreciate. Her thoughts on listening, providing vocational and technical programs for displaced workers, community outreach, and to “continue the wonderful traditions and programs” (and we hope to bring back those that have been lost) especially rang a bell with us.
We are now closing the blog for further comment on the past. We do not wish that Dr. Friedman should think that we are watching her or that we will be quick to find fault. We will leave it open only for welcoming comments to Dr. Friedman from the students, staff and faculty.
Though we are closing the blog to comments about the past we will leave it intact for reading for a few months to allow time so those who wish to read it may do so. We are also leaving the following suggestions, posted previously for the trustees, available for Dr. Friedman so that she may have further knowledge about what has transpired and why we have provided the blog to those who wished to express their opinions. We wrote:
We think the new president should:
1) Have as their first and foremost objective the education of students from our communities. There is no room in the community college for programs that take instructors away from their prime responsibility of teaching nor regulations that inhibit the students' access to and opportunities for learning. Teachers should be encouraged and allowed to be the best they can be so their expression of the love of teaching is manifested in classrooms, in clubs, the halls, in the Knight's Grill, or wherever students and teachers congregate.
2) Be broad-based with college experience in leadership to conform to the Learning college and SACS models of governance. The presently accepted "Learning College" model (in truth, a Teaching College) calls for participatory governance to the maximum extent possible. Participatory governance is a way of saying democratic without using the word “democratic”. This leader should be student-friendly, faculty-friendly, staff-friendly and community friendly. S/he should be one who wishes to put the “community” back in community college. Here we are talking about NC community college goals and ideals, and the sense of community among students, employees of the college and the larger community SCC serves.
3) Be a person who can be objective and look at all points of view before making a decision. S/he should not think they are the font of all wisdom, understanding as did Thomas Jefferson, that there is wisdom in “the people”. Therefore, diversity of opinions and healthy debate should be encouraged from all quarters. S/he should be one who will ensure that all present and future policies are in line with the objectives stated above. S/he should not hand over blank checks with a rubber stamp to junior administrators nor suround himself/herself with “yes men/women.”
4) Review all present leadership positions from department chairs to VPs. Since the process of selecting many of the present administrative staff is highly suspect being based on "who you know" rather than merit, there should be a review of the process by which these people were selected. If the openings for these positions were not advertised so that others could apply in a competitive process, then the positions should be reopened and all qualified candidates should be allowed to apply.
Some specific things that the new President should establish are:
1) A faculty senate with a real voice in decision-making as we believe is called for by the NC Community College system. A senate is necessary in order to have a true Learning College because a Learning College calls for every stakeholder to have a voice in decision-making.
2) Procedures for selecting Division chairs that involve the members of that Division. Many colleges allow the members of a Division to elect their own chair, and some have rotating chairs. A true Learning College will give faculty a major voice in selecting chairs and will establish a healthy balance of power between administration and faculty.
3) Procedures for reviewing personnel issues. If administration has total power in personnel matters, then they have total power over everything. There should be a peer review process in personnel decisions – again to have a healthy balance of power in a Learning College culture.
4) An Employee Association or faculty representative on the Board of Trustees. If there is a student representative on the board, why should there not be a faculty representative? Many schools have a faculty representative on the Board.
5) An Employee Association representative on the President’s Cabinet or Council (or whatever a president chooses to call his advisors) as called for in the Employee Association Constitution.
6) A more comprehensive evaluation process for administrators. Since instructors are evaluated every semester by ALL students in the classes selected, administrators should be evaluated at least once per year by ALL faculty and other employees as is done in other schools. The results should be reported to the Board, and renewal of contracts should be based in part on these evaluations.
We feel that such a course of action would foster change in the culture that will help bring SCC out of its present downward spiral and make it a vital institution once again.
the Committee
Welcome Dr. Friedman ...
An institution's culture is mostly determined by its leadership, and this has been the cause of our recent crisis. A school that had been a bastion of service and help to students, exceptional caring teachers, outstanding programs, and friendly people has seen many attributes forcibly diminished. The presidential search committee asked us (faculty and staff) what we were looking for in a new president. We told them and we feel our wishes have been granted. We have confidence that Dr. Friedman will do the right thing for the college. She has the experience and has expressed her thoughts on what she would like in a way that we appreciate. Her thoughts on listening, providing vocational and technical programs for displaced workers, community outreach, and to “continue the wonderful traditions and programs” (and we hope to bring back those that have been lost) especially rang a bell with us.
We are now closing the blog for further comment on the past. We do not wish that Dr. Friedman should think that we are watching her or that we will be quick to find fault. We will leave it open only for welcoming comments to Dr. Friedman from the students, staff and faculty.
Though we are closing the blog to comments about the past we will leave it intact for reading for a few months to allow time so those who wish to read it may do so. We are also leaving the following suggestions, posted previously for the trustees, available for Dr. Friedman so that she may have further knowledge about what has transpired and why we have provided the blog to those who wished to express their opinions. We wrote:
We think the new president should:
1) Have as their first and foremost objective the education of students from our communities. There is no room in the community college for programs that take instructors away from their prime responsibility of teaching nor regulations that inhibit the students' access to and opportunities for learning. Teachers should be encouraged and allowed to be the best they can be so their expression of the love of teaching is manifested in classrooms, in clubs, the halls, in the Knight's Grill, or wherever students and teachers congregate.
2) Be broad-based with college experience in leadership to conform to the Learning college and SACS models of governance. The presently accepted "Learning College" model (in truth, a Teaching College) calls for participatory governance to the maximum extent possible. Participatory governance is a way of saying democratic without using the word “democratic”. This leader should be student-friendly, faculty-friendly, staff-friendly and community friendly. S/he should be one who wishes to put the “community” back in community college. Here we are talking about NC community college goals and ideals, and the sense of community among students, employees of the college and the larger community SCC serves.
3) Be a person who can be objective and look at all points of view before making a decision. S/he should not think they are the font of all wisdom, understanding as did Thomas Jefferson, that there is wisdom in “the people”. Therefore, diversity of opinions and healthy debate should be encouraged from all quarters. S/he should be one who will ensure that all present and future policies are in line with the objectives stated above. S/he should not hand over blank checks with a rubber stamp to junior administrators nor suround himself/herself with “yes men/women.”
4) Review all present leadership positions from department chairs to VPs. Since the process of selecting many of the present administrative staff is highly suspect being based on "who you know" rather than merit, there should be a review of the process by which these people were selected. If the openings for these positions were not advertised so that others could apply in a competitive process, then the positions should be reopened and all qualified candidates should be allowed to apply.
Some specific things that the new President should establish are:
1) A faculty senate with a real voice in decision-making as we believe is called for by the NC Community College system. A senate is necessary in order to have a true Learning College because a Learning College calls for every stakeholder to have a voice in decision-making.
2) Procedures for selecting Division chairs that involve the members of that Division. Many colleges allow the members of a Division to elect their own chair, and some have rotating chairs. A true Learning College will give faculty a major voice in selecting chairs and will establish a healthy balance of power between administration and faculty.
3) Procedures for reviewing personnel issues. If administration has total power in personnel matters, then they have total power over everything. There should be a peer review process in personnel decisions – again to have a healthy balance of power in a Learning College culture.
4) An Employee Association or faculty representative on the Board of Trustees. If there is a student representative on the board, why should there not be a faculty representative? Many schools have a faculty representative on the Board.
5) An Employee Association representative on the President’s Cabinet or Council (or whatever a president chooses to call his advisors) as called for in the Employee Association Constitution.
6) A more comprehensive evaluation process for administrators. Since instructors are evaluated every semester by ALL students in the classes selected, administrators should be evaluated at least once per year by ALL faculty and other employees as is done in other schools. The results should be reported to the Board, and renewal of contracts should be based in part on these evaluations.
We feel that such a course of action would foster change in the culture that will help bring SCC out of its present downward spiral and make it a vital institution once again.
the Committee
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