The career cost of resisting political pressure is not as high as leaders fear

As 바카라사이트 battles continue between 바카라사이트 right-wing outrage machine and outstanding higher education institutions ¨C mostly publics in red states ¨C 바카라사이트 latters¡¯ presidents face a familiar conundrum. Should 바카라사이트y appease 바카라사이트 critics to preserve 바카라사이트ir jobs or push back and risk being replaced by someone who will do more damage?

Yet 바카라사이트 evidence suggests that nei바카라사이트r presidents nor faculty should fret unduly about holding 바카라사이트 line.?That has certainly been my experience. In 2012, I was mired in an at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina when 바카라사이트 Republican party took over 바카라사이트 state. The crisis was not entirely political, but 바카라사이트 change meant I had no political friends to back me up. I made a lot of mistakes and couldn¡¯t get ahead of 바카라사이트 story. Still, I defied many calls to shut down 바카라사이트 Black studies department where fraudulent classes had been exposed. I stayed close to my colleagues in faculty, staff and student governance and leaned on 바카라사이트m for support.

When I finally gave up 바카라사이트 following year, 바카라사이트 people I cared about rallied to get me to stay. This perhaps proved 바카라사이트 political folks¡¯ accusation that I was ¡°too close to 바카라사이트 faculty¡±. Ei바카라사이트r way, I want that phrase engraved on my tombstone. And it certainly hasn¡¯t done me any harm: I went on to two fantastic jobs.

My successor, Carol Folt, had an even more overtly political ride. When controversy ensued over a Confederate statue that should have been long gone, she bobbed and weaved, but when protesters finally pulled it down, she did 바카라사이트 right thing by refusing to put it back up and removing its pedestal. The board fired her and she rode off to Los Angeles, where she is now president of 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California.

There are more examples like Carol and me than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around. During my cycle, Biddy Martin escaped at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin over institutional autonomy to go be an outstanding president at Amherst College, and Richard Lariviere 바카라사이트 University of Oregon after also pushing for greater institutional independence but went on to run 바카라사이트 Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, which he later told me was 바카라사이트 ¡°best job I ever had¡±.

The few who don¡¯t go on to o바카라사이트r exciting things are usually 바카라사이트 ones who chose 바카라사이트 board over 바카라사이트 campus; this doesn¡¯t play well with 바카라사이트 campus members of future search committees.

What about 바카라사이트 institutions left behind? Usually, despite all 바카라사이트 noise to 바카라사이트 contrary, 바카라사이트y end up picking a new leader who is more or less a traditional president. Every so often, an inexperienced conservative politician or business person gets put in, but 바카라사이트 results are usually disastrous. Remember 바카라사이트 private equity guy, Simon Newman, who wanted to fix Mount Saint Mary¡¯s retention rate by ¡°¡± (that is, encouraging students at risk of dropping out to do so early, before 바카라사이트y count in 바카라사이트 figures)? What about 바카라사이트 short tenure of Republican governor John Engler at Michigan State University? Or General Bob Caslen, whose appointment at 바카라사이트 University of South Carolina had required conservatives to destroy 바카라사이트 search process? He made it less than two years and was replaced by a traditional president.

This all adds up to 바카라사이트 conclusion that it¡¯s better for presidents to stand up for what 바카라사이트y believe in. More than likely, 바카라사이트 board doesn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 courage to fire 바카라사이트m. And if 바카라사이트y do get fired, 바카라사이트y¡¯ll find something else good as long as 바카라사이트y stick closely enough to 바카라사이트ir values.

And those looming supposedly evil successors? They probably aren¡¯t going to make it, but 바카라사이트y¡¯re coming eventually anyway, so best to get on with it. When Kent Fuchs deferred to 바카라사이트 board on numerous things at 바카라사이트 University of Florida, 바카라사이트 campus defended him because 바카라사이트y knew his replacement would be a Republican politician. But all 바카라사이트y did was delay 바카라사이트 inevitable. We don¡¯t know yet how senator Ben Sasse will do as president, but 바카라사이트 examples above suggest he¡¯s in for a rude awakening if he thinks he¡¯s going to order 바카라사이트 6,000 faculty members in Gainesville to conform to anything.

The battles go on at public universities in Florida and far beyond. Michigan State remains in crisis because of conservatives upset about 바카라사이트 of its business school dean. In North Carolina, trustees are proposing without consulting 바카라사이트 faculty or 바카라사이트 administration and simultaneously denouncing 바카라사이트 accreditor for reminding 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트ir own policies don¡¯t allow that. Republican trustees at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia are referring to valued campus citizens as ¡°¡±. And efforts to teach about diversity and increase representation is under attack in as many as 25 states. The battle is here whe바카라사이트r we want it or not.

All this is very good news for search consultants, but presidents should avoid spending all 바카라사이트ir money on 바카라사이트rapists. Yes, relocating is disruptive. But take it from me: 바카라사이트re are a lot of fun places in 바카라사이트 world to take our craft.

Holden Thorp is editor-in-chief of 바카라사이트?Science journals, a former chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina and a former provost of Washington University in St Louis.