Wednesday, April 08, 2009
This is the first in a series representing various Baylor University constituencies concerning selection of its next president.
In a July 2008 interview with The Baptist Standard, Dr. Howard Batson, current chairman of the Baylor Board of Regents, said, “Baylor needs a new president who can bring together and unify the various constituencies of the university.”
In the weeks following those remarks, the Faculty Senate, Baylor Alumni Association and Student Government gave the Board of Regents a (green and) golden opportunity to “bring together and unify” the Baylor family, complete with instruction manual. In our respective resolutions, we expressed a strong desire for an inclusive presidential search committee with voting rights for constituency representatives. We asked for a seat at the table.
- 07-19-09 David Brooks, guest column: Second-guessers misrepresent '2012' designs
- 06-24-09 Charles S. Madden, guest column: 'Baylor 2012' painted as something it never was
- 06-03-09 Joseph Armes, guest column: Opportunities endless for next Baylor president
- 05-30-09 Rufus Spain, guest column: Root of Baylor's rift: Vision 2012
- 05-27-09 Kenneth L. Hall, guest column: Baylor's next president needs a Christian, global view
- 05-20-09 Henry Walbesser, guest column: BU regents should reconsider their goals carefully
- 05-13-09 Clifton Robinson, guest column: Waco's wellbeing key to next Baylor president
- 05-06-09 James G. Vaughan, guest column: Next Baylor president must be immersed in city
- 04-29-09 Patricia Pack, guest column: Our next boss at Baylor should be approachable, a listener
- 04-22-09 David Lacy, guest column: Entire Baylor family must agree on the next president
- 04-15-09 Robert C. Cloud, guest column: Baylor faculty seek 'first among equals' for top spot
- 04-08-09 Bryan Fonville, guest column: Trust issue crucial in Baylor's next president
- 04-05-09 Carlos Sanchez: We're asking: What qualities should Baylor's next president possess?
The regents told us to sit elsewhere.
In an October guest column for The Baylor Lariat, I wrote, “For some constituencies, the lack of unity (at Baylor) is an abstract issue. For students, it is a very real concern.”
Baylor students (both current and future) have much at stake in the selection of Baylor’s next president. As one of Baylor’s biggest stakeholders and largest financial contributors — with tuition accounting for approximately 70 percent of the university’s operating budget — student concerns for the next president should be at the forefront of these conversations.
We, along with faculty and staff, have experienced the instability resulting from three presidents in the last four years. We, sharing the concerns of alumni, sense the resulting political tensions from the lack of transparency.
Additionally, students, more than any other constituency, feel the financial strains from the millions of dollars in lost donations due to perceptions of in-fighting.
For the sake of both current and future students, Baylor needs a president independent and distanced from the divisive politics that have characterized Baylor’s immediate past and present. For that to happen, the next president must have a clear vision for Baylor’s future, a vision that takes us beyond the controversial adoption and implementation of Vision 2012.
For students, it boils down to one thing: trust. More than fundraising or relational abilities or professional experience, the next president of Baylor must be trustworthy.
Students — as well as faculty, staff, alumni and members of the Waco community — deserve a president with significant levels of professional experience in institutions comparable to Baylor.
Perhaps most importantly, we need a president who can rebuild the lost trust between students, faculty, alumni and regents. For Batson to suggest that an insider from the board would be capable of leading this university at this time is a statement that ignores the damaged relationships between the regents and Baylor’s constituencies.
When I think about the type of president Baylor needs, I’m reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership during a particularly challenging time in our nation’s history. Although less dramatic and on a smaller scale, Baylor is at a similar turning point.
Lincoln inherited a divisive political climate. Battle lines already had been drawn. But through strong leadership and an ability to relate with people on individual levels, he built trust.
More than anything, I think Lincoln succeeded because he was willing to listen. He wanted to listen. In fact, he filled his Cabinet with political rivals who often expressed dissenting opinions.
Lincoln understood trust. He personified it.
Trust is built through fair and open processes and intent listening. Trust is built on honest and frequent conversations. And, trust is built on relationships of mutual understanding.
Whatever we may disagree on, we will always agree that we want a better Baylor. I’m reservedly hopeful that the next president can restore trust on our campus and build a better Baylor.
Baylor student body president Bryan Fonville is a senior economics and finance major from Garland.
