Some players involved in the search for MSU’s next president don’t want to release the names of candidates for MSU’s presidency. They want to keep this important process a secret from those who will be affected-students, faculty, staff and alumni. Perhaps after finding President Lee’s successor, their next action will be to change MSU’s nickname to “The People’s University-Almost.”
Arguments for this approach include the belief that candidates should be unknown to the public to protect their reputations at their respective institutions. However, if a candidate can’t be open about what he’s going to do, then why should he or she even be in consideration? What can we expect from this person as a president if they arrive in secrecy?
We need a credible and honest president. MSU is undergoing many changes, and the wrong leader could potentially destroy the university’s standing.
The University of Southern Mississippi has experienced what the wrong man for the job can do. Shelby Thames polarized the school by decreasing the number of academic colleges from nine to five, hiring people who lied on their r?sum?s and suspending tenure teachers. This has led to student protests and no-confidence votes from faculty.
Do we want something similar to happen at MSU? This arrogant and elitist approach that is being taken with respect to the hiring of MSU’s next president could split our university in half. We need to know and research the top candidates.
The main advantage of public candidates is information. The knowledge and resources of 16,000 people is surely better than that of 24 people. Perhaps a student, faculty member or staff member knows the history of a certain candidate. They have the potential to bring forward information that could have been overlooked by a small committee.
Another reason to have an open selection is that it gives us an opportunity to guage public interest. It doesn’t make sense to pick a president without knowing if the majority of people would support him.
Top candidates should visit the campus and the community. They should meet with citizens and discuss histories and ideas. By doing so, they would show a genuine interest in MSU’s future. We need someone who’s not afraid to speak with Starkville. Most importantly, we need someone who cares about the university and shows this through a willingness to listen to the community and students. The best way to start is for the candidate to visit.
Half of the president’s salary is paid by private donations from the MSU Foundation. The other half is taken care of by Mississippi taxpayers. How would it be fair for taxpayers and university supporters not to know what they will be paying for?
If we can’t see any of the candidates, then the open forum will be closed. That’s wrong. We should be able to discuss the candidates as we walk the sidewalks, eat in the deli or sit in the classrooms. The new president will affect all of us. At least let us know what to expect. If we’re in the dark, when will we be able to have our say? Never.
This call for complete secrecy isn’t necessary. It’s common practice for presidential candidates of universities to visit campuses and talk with people.
Also, other positions are not filled in secrecy-from faculty members to the Vice President for Student Affairs-candidates are invited to campus, where they meet with students, faculty and staff. Why should we treat the president-who is paid $400,000 a year-differently?
The presidential search has turned into what 24 people want. And if that’s the final decision, MSU’s future will be shaky at best.
Frankly, we don’t need a president who doesn’t want a relationship with all of MSU and Starkville. If those involved in the selection will not make the process an open one, then we encourage the top candidates to make themselves known to us.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Jed Pressgrove, news editor Sara McAdory, assistant news editor Wade Patterson, sports editor Ross Dellenger, entertainment editor Tyler Stewart, managing editor Dustin Barnes and editor in chief Elizabeth Crisp.