The Business of Education

Now that Gary Forsee is officially the new UM System president, it brings to Columbia for the first time a debate that other university communities have had to deal with in recent years. Despite the fact that appropriations nationwide to state colleges and universities has dropped in relation to inflation this decade, many professors have significant worries about bringing in someone unfamiliar to the day-to-day operations of a higher education institution. Will s/he truly have educational interests at heart, or is this a hire for a boost in finances?

I think those questions are legitimate with Forsee, and a fair number of professors are asking them. After talking with MU Faculty Council Chair Frank Schmidt, who said faculty are taking a "wait-and-see" approach, I think the faculty at the flagship campus are guardedly optimistic. I think they want to trust that Forsee has everyone's best interests in mind on the faculty, and some of the proposals he has set out in his initial agenda speak to faculty support. However, Schmidt said, and I agree, that these efforts will have to be prolonged in order to fully gain the trust of the system's intellectual capital. It will be an interesting transitional period for the system.

Progress: Three-fold juggling act going on right now. Getting closer to wrapping up some study abroad information, hopefully will begin talking to some math professors soon about the state of their department, and then to start working on the shells project. I'm sure it will be a full-out sprint, at least until Spring Break, anyway.