| Trustee groupthink? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 4 2010, 09:26 AM (421 Views) | |
| Quasimodo | Mar 4 2010, 09:26 AM Post #1 |
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(some comments from Dartblog about the Dartmouth Trustees, which may perhaps serve to shed a little light on the Duke BOT?) The Duke BOT seems always to speak with one voice; it appears never to have differences of opinion within its ranks, or arguments, or conflicting visions of Duke. Its members are seldom seen; and are never, never, subjected to open questions from the beneficiaries of the Duke Trust. Even when some of its own membership are accused of what could be construed as criminal conduct, they remain ethereal, invisible, and can be communicated with only through a delegated representative--much like the Oracle at Delphi. Dartblog seeks to understand the process at Dartmouth : http://www.dartblog.com/ Ex-Trustee Michael Chu ‘68 had a column in The D yesterday that, I must admit, leaves me more than a little mystified. Can anyone explain his concept of governance? A trustee needs to arrive to all Dartmouth issues with a truly open mind, where the opinions of other trustees have equal weight in a sincere attempt by all to distinguish the enduring good of the College. At its core lies the conviction that ultimately Dartmouth is better served by the Board’s collective wisdom rather than your own views. I now believe adhering to this is the highest expression of my love for Dartmouth. At first, I thought that Mr. Chu was expressing the Leninist notion of democratic centralism, which Wikipedia accurately defines as follows:
But Chu seems to eschew the notion that one should have views of one’s own. Perhaps Trustees should place their hands on one great Ouija Board, a kind of group-fed oracle, out of which wisdom will flow? Or should Trustees keep their thoughts to themselves, for fear of being deemed divisive — today’s pejorative of choice in Hanover? Or maybe Chu is the product of the kind of 1960’s-style education that Ayn Rand described as “learning to smell the scent of the pack” — wherein one seeks to learn where the majority is going, and then follows happily along? |
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| genny6348 | Mar 4 2010, 10:09 AM Post #2 |
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Genny6348
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I had an email exchange with two of the trustees back then and although one was (much) less rude than the other, neither was interested in entertaining anything except the predetermined meme, not even a little bit. |
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| Quasimodo | Mar 4 2010, 10:20 AM Post #3 |
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Throughout the past year President Richard Brodhead consulted regularly with the Trustees and has had our continuing support. He made considered and thoughtful decisions in a volatile and uncertain situation. Each step of the way, the board agreed with the principles that he established and the actions he took. As we look back – and with the benefit of what we now know – there is no question that there are some things that might have been done differently. However, anyone critical of President Brodhead should be similarly critical of the entire board. --Letter Letter from Robert K. Steel, Chair of the Duke Trustees, to the Duke Community Wednesday, April 11, 2007 (Innocence Day) Edited by Quasimodo, Mar 4 2010, 10:21 AM.
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| Payback | Mar 4 2010, 11:08 AM Post #4 |
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Was your rudest trustee Chas Smith? |
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| Quasimodo | Mar 4 2010, 12:46 PM Post #5 |
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(Repost) http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2008/09/30/News/Board.Of.Trustees.Closes.Door.On.Media.Access-3460089-page2.shtml (snip) Former president Terry Sanford helped broker an agreement for looser attendance rules in 1971. Any University administrators and media were permitted in the board room until the meeting went to executive session, during which Trustees discussed more sensitive matters. The Trustees' resolution was reached after former Chronicle editor Clay Steinman, managing editor David Pace and student government president Hutch Travis refused to leave a meeting to protest their historic exclusion. "The Trustees don't run the University for themselves," said Steinman, Trinity '71, in an interview Monday. "They're trustees-they're not bosses." Public universities are required by law to have open sessions, but private institutions typically have more insulated board proceedings, said Susan Johnston, executive vice president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, of which Duke is a member. [However, Duke is a tax-exempt charitable trust--meaning that it cannot hide its activities from the beneficiaries, whose money it is spending.] Schoenfeld said the amendments may put Duke more in line with its peers in terms of Board privacy. "[What is important is that] reporting out on actions taken by the Board is done timely fashion, making sure that things affecting campus as whole or a significant portion is announced in a timely way," Johnston said. Changes have also been made to the Trustees' methods of communicating with each other. Board materials will now be disseminated electronically.... snipped [If that is so, are these emails preserved? Or do all Trustee communications now disappear after the fact? ] |
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| genny6348 | Mar 4 2010, 05:32 PM Post #6 |
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Genny6348
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Sounds about right, the other was Bishop McCleskey. Definitely group think at work. I should dig those emails up and send them another email. Although I wouldn't expect any better response now considering the lawsuits. Smith said he was going to read Until Proven Innocent. Wonder if he ever did? |
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| Quasimodo | Mar 4 2010, 06:13 PM Post #7 |
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As a bishop of the Methodist church he has especial responsibility for oversight of Duke. Remaining silent in the face of false accusations; or remaining silent thereafter; somehow does not fit his job description.
ALL OF THE TRUSTEES SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE CASE WITH A MICROSCOPE, FROM ITS INCEPTION; AND BEEN READY TO INTERVENE IMMEDIATELY AT ANY AND EVERY POINT. That's why they are called "Trustees"; that IS in their job description. (I'd hate to take a poll and see how many of them have NOT read UPI.) |
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| Payback | Mar 5 2010, 10:51 AM Post #8 |
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I'm judgmental, but what Methodist Smith said in his email to me struck me as downright, well, unChristian. Yes, I am judgmental. Others might see his email as merely disdainful, arrogant, and, well, Pharisaical. |
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| nyesq83 | Mar 5 2010, 03:10 PM Post #9 |
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I had no idea who he was; I know one of his sons. J. Lawrence McCleskey T’62, D’66 J. Lawrence McCleskey retired as bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church in 2008, after serving forty-five years as an active United Methodist clergyperson. This included service as superintendent of the Winston-Salem District and as senior pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC, among other appointments. He also served as bishop of the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. In retirement he is serving as Executive Vice President for Development of Africa University, a United Methodist institution of higher education in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, with U.S. offices in Nashville, TN. Bishop McCleskey has served as vice-president of the University Senate of The United Methodist Church, which is affiliated with the Church’s General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. He also served as chair of that board’s Division of Higher Education. In addition, he was president of the Southeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops of The United Methodist Church and president of the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History. Bishop McCleskey earned a B.A. in history and a B.D. from Duke in 1962 and 1966, respectively, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1984. He has received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from Claflin University (2002), Erskine College and Seminary (2004), Wofford College (2005), and Hood Theological Seminary (2006). He also has served as a trustee of Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, NC, and as a member of various community organizations. Elected to the Duke University Board of Trustees in 2003, Bishop McCleskey serves on the Human Resources Committee and the Institutional Advancement Committee. He and his wife, Margaret Fowler McCleskey, have three children, two of whom are Duke graduates: James T’85 and Matthew T’94. July 2009 |
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