Recent events are supporting our claim that Mississippi State University is stuck with a higher education body that is doing more harm than good.
We believe now, more than ever, that the state Institutions of Higher Learning search process should be reformed and that the MSU presidential search needs to be opened to the public.
The IHL hosted “listening days” at MSU for campus constituency groups to voice their concerns. While it may have considered what traits we want in out next president, what was the point if they aren’t going to use our input related to opening up the search process?
Some may ask, “What’s wrong with the presidential search being secret?”
First of all, by the time this search is over,
MSU will possibly have gone through four
presidents in less than one year – former
President Robert “Doc” Foglesong, former
Interim President Vance Watson, Roy Ruby
(who was named interim president after
Watson’s resignation and retirement was
announced Monday) and the finalist the
Board Search Committee chooses for president.
That said, something about the IHL is
seriously corrupt: the process by which the
College Board chooses university leaders.
State Auditor Stacey Pickering found that
Watson used state funds, personnel and
equipment to plant about 13 magnolia trees
at the Rankin County home of Higher
Learning Commissioner Tom Meredith on
March 22, 2007.
While this was still during the Foglesong
era, we can’t help but think that Watson was
patronizing Meredith for a reason – possibly
that he thought he would need to be on
Meredith’s good side in the future.
The Reflector editorial board, along with
other campus groups, insisted from the
start that the search process be open to the
public.
The IHL seems to be exacerbating its
problems by keeping the presidential search
process, for the most part, closed to the
public. Sure, they let us know when a step
has been completed, but the only candidate’s
name that will officially be made public is
the preferred candidate. The IHL guards
information about the search and carefully
releases the least possible amount of information
despite the fact the names of some
of the candidates have been made public in
the media.
A secret search allows for political maneuvering
and insider-only input. Of course
politics is going to be involved whether the
search is transparent or not. But there will
most likely be less of it if more details are
being made public. If Watson had been a
hidden candidate, it is likely the scandal
would have come to light at an even later,
more inopportune time than it already has.
Secret presidential searches at Mississippi
Valley State University and MSU have
produced two unpopular presidents: preferred
MVSU candidate Donna Oliver and
Foglesong.
Oliver, who has never been to the
Mississippi Delta, has already been the subject
of a protest, although popular sentiment
still has the potential to change in her favor.
The very unpopular Foglesong, who had an
entire college at MSU call for his resignation,
instilled fear among the MSU community
and drew the ire of long-time academics at
State.
We might add that Greenwood/Asher
& Associates was the consultant who participated
in the searches for Meredith, Oliver
and Foglesong.
As for the auditor’s investigation, Meredith
and Watson should share the blame.
It’s true that Watson allowed the free
installation of trees in Meredith’s yard, but
Meredith should have known better than to
accept such a gift.
Once again, we call for the IHL to reform
the search process and make it more transparent.
It’s not too late to let some good come out
of this mess we’re in.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Matt Watson, news editor Carl Smith, assistant news editor Josh Starr, sports editor Brandon Wright, entertainment editor Kyle Wrather, photo editor Bud Sorey, copy editor Aubra Whitten, online editor Adam Kazery, managing editor David Breland and editor in chief Erin Kourkounis.