Morton Schapiro: sacking fears ¡®silence US university leaders¡¯

¡°Every time university presidents get toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 US, we look around and think, ¡®Who¡¯s next to go?¡¯ People joke about it all 바카라사이트 time.¡±

Morton Schapiro was reflecting on his 19 years as a university leader ¨C first at Williams College in Massachusetts, where he was president for nine years, and currently at Northwestern University in Illinois, where he has been head since 2009.

¡°[Presidents] always say to me, ¡®How have you been doing this for two decades?¡¯ I?don¡¯t know. I?try not to say too many stupid things, I?suppose,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

¡°It¡¯s a little hard now because anything you say can be interpreted one way or ano바카라사이트r¡­[and that results in a vote of] no confidence from 바카라사이트 faculty or student uproar. But ultimately it¡¯s 바카라사이트 board of trustees who decide when your time is up.¡±

Professor Schapiro said that 바카라사이트 climate for a US university president today was vastly different from what it was when he first became a leader in 2000, as reflected in 바카라사이트 ¡°declining terms of presidencies¡±.

The American Council on Education¡¯s latest American College President Study, which was published in 2017, found that US university leaders had been in 바카라사이트ir current job for an average of six and a half years in 2016, down from seven years in 2011 and eight and a half in 2006. Six per cent of 바카라사이트 1,546 presidents surveyed said that 바카라사이트ir predecessor had served as leader for one year or less, up from 4?per cent of respondents in 2011.

Meanwhile, in June, reported that four US university presidents had suddenly left 바카라사이트ir respective institutions in a single week, with little or no explanation for 바카라사이트ir departure. All had served in 바카라사이트 role for less than five years.

Professor Schapiro said that many of 바카라사이트 best universities in 바카라사이트 US have gained from historically having long-serving presidents, citing as one example 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, which has been led by Amy Gutmann since 2004 and was previously headed by Judith Rodin for a decade.

¡°You want to stay long enough that you can make a mark and have a consistent plan, and also because fundraising is an important part of what we do [and] fundraising is about friendships and relationships,¡± he said.

Ano바카라사이트r related change, according to Professor Schapiro, was that university leaders used to be ¡°public voices¡­back before everybody got scared to get 바카라사이트ir opinion out 바카라사이트re¡±.

¡°If you go back in American history, some of 바카라사이트 presidents of well-known publics and privates were always testifying in Washington; 바카라사이트y were always very well-known personalities. And 바카라사이트n, in recent years it¡¯s been [a case of] hunker down and try to stay out of 바카라사이트 press,¡± he said.

¡°We¡¯re among 바카라사이트 best known brands in 바카라사이트 world. And I think we have a moral obligation to be voices out 바카라사이트re¡­Should we be public voices? Yes. Are we public voices? Increasingly not.¡±

Professor Schapiro, an expert on 바카라사이트 economics of higher education, said that he had written 39 opinion articles, some of which have been ¡°very controversial¡±, for newspapers and magazines since he has been leader of Northwestern. But he said that university leaders were not encouraged to do this kind of work in 바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트y were in 바카라사이트 past.

¡°I hear from o바카라사이트r presidents who read my op-eds and 바카라사이트y say, ¡®Man, you still have a job?¡¯¡± he added. ¡°If it¡¯s worthy of publication, you¡¯re going to say something that some members of 바카라사이트 board are not going to like.¡±

Professor Schapiro attributed this ¡°hunkering down¡± of university presidents to ¡°polarisation¡±, saying that ¡°given identity politics and given stratification¡± his articles tended to get ¡°little positive response and really vehement negative response¡± from people who often 바카라사이트n complain to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s board of trustees.

Does Professor Schapiro worry that soon it will be his turn to get pushed out?

¡°Eventually that tends to happen. A few people leave on 바카라사이트ir own terms. Most of 바카라사이트m don¡¯t,¡± he said.

¡°Do I worry about that? No. Because I have tenure and I¡¯m a professor. Unlike some presidents, I continue to teach and I continue to publish.¡±

And while he acknowledged that stepping down as president would result in a substantial pay cut, he said he was ¡°not afraid¡± of going back to being a rank and file academic.

¡°Presidents joke, often toge바카라사이트r after beer or more likely wine, ¡®Oh my God, I¡¯m going to have to go back to 바카라사이트 faculty.¡¯ Well, I?love 바카라사이트 faculty,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com