Stephen Tillotson is an undeclared sophomore. He can be contacted at [email protected].As many of you probably read in the April 15 edition of The Reflector, the Institutions of Higher Learning Board selected a search committee in order to find a new president for MSU. Three of the members of the search committee are MSU alumni.
According to an IHL announcement, the committee will meet with students and faculty Monday to discuss the type of president the MSU community wants and needs. The fact that the search committee includes several MSU alumni is a good sign and shows that the IHL Board wants people who are familiar with MSU and may have an idea of the type of president the school would benefit from the most.
Also, having a meeting with people from MSU and its surrounding community ensures that many opinions will be heard. The IHL has gotten a bad rap recently for being secretive about the presidential search that resulted in Robert “Doc” Fogelsong’s hiring. Maybe the IHL Board should have been less “secretive” and allowed a search that was more open to MSU students and faculty, but that’s all in the past.
From all indications, the IHL Board is doing everything possible to have a successful presidential search that allows practically the entire MSU community to have their opinions on the possible presidential candidates heard. I mean, call me gullible, but I actually trust the IHL Board and the search committee to find the best possible person to be named president of MSU.
Anybody who doesn’t believe the IHL has MSU’s best interests in mind should go to the Mississippi IHL Web site (mississippi.edu/ieo/msu_search.html). The site contains a detailed 21-step institutional executive officer search process that the IHL adopted in January. This process makes it evident that the IHL knew the last presidential search was flawed and that it is willing to correct those flaws.
One thing our country tends to lack is trust – trust in authority, be it presidents, coaches, teachers, friends or family. Those people may not always be right, but more times than not they are. This IHL presidential search is the perfect example of the importance of trust.
I am tired of hearing about the IHL having too much power and not being open enough with hiring our last president. The people on the IHL Board were appointed to do exactly what they are doing. For once can’t we trust those who are helping us and looking out for our best interests?