[Alumni-chat] "Student Trustees" at Antioch? Don't we ALREADY have enough trouble with ADULT, College Grad Trust

[wasb at albany.edu]

A corrective to the hyperbole about Jim Dixon. The egos of many Antioch
presidents have been excessively large (one has to have a large ego to be
a college president, but there are degrees), and Jim Dixon's was one of
the largest. Yes, he did good things. But the "war" between the college
president and the dean or provost --friction that existed through a number
of presidents-- certainly was present then, and why? Because the president
often was challenged/threatened by another strong academic figure. So
let's be careful about damning Larry Pearl or praising Dixon.
     Steve Wasby '59
>
> Jan. 9, 08
>
> Hi from Yazz (David) Allen '66 (Email me directly at YazzAllen at Yahoo.Com):
>
> I don't think having any student trustees at all, even non-voting ones, is
> a good idea.
>
> Antioch College has had terrible trouble with bad trustee decisions since
> 1975 when Trustee Chairman Larry Pearl '55 publically fired Dr. Jim Dixon
> '38,  Antioch College's last high-quality president (people who rightly
> identify the 60's and early 70's as "The Golden Age Of Antioch College in
> the 20th Century" can't logically buy into the unwarranted scapegoating of
> Dr. Dixon as the guy who caused Antioch's decline after he left.....the
> last time Antioch was truly a national school with a positive worldwide
> reputation was under his watch...he was very good, defamation of him after
> he left was self-interested and ignores the fact that Antioch was in very
> good shape under his long and reliable leadership where he faced
> eye-crossing decisions and, all said and done, didn't come out badly doing
> what he did).
>
> The big problem Antioch College faces now (2008) is somehow getting good
> people to join the Trustees so good on-the-payroll leadership can be
> recruited and retained.
>
> The grossly idiotic and outrageous (hyperbolic way of putting it, I admit,
> but soooooooooooo true!) decision of the Antioch U. Board Of Trustees to
> shut Antioch College down completely in June 2008 reflects....well....LOW
> quality in the thinking and decision making of the then current Trustees
> (most still there, still in charge).
>
> The hiring of Dr. Steve Lawry, now mercifully (for Antioch's sake)
> departed, is yet another recent example of "lack of quality at the VERY
> top."  Lawry wasn't a good Antioch College President, a good choice for
> President, and he shouldn't have been hired in the first place, just as
> Antioch College should have been threatened by it's own Trustees with
> closedown in July 2008.
>
>
> But back to students being part of the Trustees!...............
>
> We don't need kids (which people not yet finished with college all are,
> bless 'em) to be part of what already is a mess.
>
> Let the Antioch College Community Manager be a periodic visitor to some
> (not all, and maybe not any) Board Of Trustees meetings, and have
> communications with Board members who need input re: what's going with
> students, etc., etc.  That's enough.
>
> It is so very important NOT to let ideals of democracy and "including
> everybody and all voices" further screw up the already doubtful system of
> selection of Trustees for Antioch College.
>
> We need (and haven't had in a LONG time) smart, worthy people as Trustees.
>
> Some people shouldn't be invited to the table as concerns Trustee
> selection, and children not yet finished college with not much experience
> with "Life after college" are not likely good candidates for trustee
> memberships.
>
> It's time to get sober about Antioch College leadership, especially as it
> concerns the Trustees, who should solve Antioch College's problems, and
> NOT cause big problems, as has been the case often since 1975.
>
> Best wishes always,
> Yazz (David) Allen '66
>
>
>
> ---------------------
> Contact "Yazz" (David) Allen directly via email at YazzAllen at Yahoo.Com,
> mail to 644 Shrewsbury Commons Ave., #239, Shrewsbury PA USA 17361...Phone
> (717) 235 - 1982!
>
> See my pro movie actor photos and recent credits/resume by visiting
> WWW.IMDb.Com (world's largest movie info database, owned by Amazon.Com)
> IMDb RESUME.  Also WWW.SAG.Org "IActor" file.  Also
> WWW.CastingNetworks.Com and/or WWW.NYCasting.Com. > Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008
> 07:37:49 -0800> From: pas0705 at yahoo.com> To: alumni-chat at w3.antioch.edu>
> Subject: [Alumni-chat] "Student Trustees wanted" (see how other places do
> it?!?!)> > At Ohio State; via the OSU Lantern:>
> http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2008/01/09/Campus/Student.Trustees.Wanted-3148155.shtml>
> > The Student Trustee Selection Committee is accepting> applications for
> the graduate and professional student position> on the Ohio State Board of
> Trustees.> > "The student trustees at Ohio State, while they are the only>
> nonvoting member of the board, are fully involved in all board> meetings
> including executive session," said David Frantz,> secretary of the board.>
> > There are two student trustees at OSU, one undergraduate student> and
> one graduate or professional student. They are responsible> for
> representing the citizens of Ohio and providing a student> perspective to
> the discussions and decisions at the board level,> said Christopher
> Alvarez-Breckenridge, the current graduate> student trustee. His term ends
> in May.> > Alvarez-Breckenridge, a medical and doctoral student, said the>
> student trustees serve two-year terms and are chosen through a> process
> that begins with a written application and ends with an> appointment by
> the governor.> > The 2008 applications are being accepted from graduate
> or> professional students who have at least two years left at OSU.> > The
> student trustee positions require a huge time commitment and> applicants
> must have a strong work ethic, good articulation and> the ability to
> absorb information quickly, Frantz said. They> also must be willing and
> able to work on behalf of the> institution to make OSU the best university
> it can be.> > The written application is about five pages long and is
> reviewed> by the Student Trustee Selection Committee, which is made up of>
> student government presidents and other appointed students, said> Debra
> Van Camp, a junior in food science and nutrition and> agribusiness and
> applied economics and is the current> undergraduate student trustee.> >
> The selection committee interviews 10 to 12 students and then> chooses
> five applications to be forwarded to the governor's> office, she said.
> Then, there are more interviews and the> governor's office eventually
> makes the appointment.> > Alvarez-Breckenridge said that although the
> application process> is long it should not discourage students from
> applying because> it is a great learning experience in how OSU operates
> and fits> into the context of the state of Ohio.> > Alvarez-Breckenridge
> said serving as a student trustee has> taught him many valuable lessons he
> will take with him long> after his term ends.> > "It was a tremendously
> worthwhile experience," he said. "I found> that being on the Board of
> Trustees (and) the things that you> learn in that setting percolate
> through not just your position> as a student trustee, but essentially all
> aspects of your life."> > Anyone interested in applying for the student
> trustee position> should download the application at
> www.trustees.osu.edu.> Applications are due Jan. 25.> > Lindsay Betz can
> be reached at betz.49 at osu.edu.> > > > >
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