By our estimates, 100 percent of Ohio University's full-time faculty is affected by the decisions of President Roderick McDavis. Why only a third of them could spare 15 minutes to evaluate him is beyond us.
Faculty Senate conducted the survey of all full-time tenure, tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty, and released the results last week. The faculty who responded assessed McDavis with typically low marks on concerns such as how well he responds to their input and maintains salaries - nothing out of the ordinary.
But, as we are taught every election cycle, if you don't vote, you can't complain. Only 33 percent of those surveyed filled out the anonymous ten-question form. We are grateful the turnout jumped from 22 percent for a similar survey in 2007, but that improvement still isn't enough. Overall, it's an embarrassing showing from the faculty.
The final results of the survey, such as the fact that 73 percent say the president doesn't create a climate on campus where faculty can succeed, mean just about nothing when only a third submit the form. If only a third of a college class handed in their homework, the teacher would probably be furious the next day.
There are pretty much no excuses for this poor response, either. The survey was far from difficult or complicated, just ten simple questions about McDavis' performance.
For example, one of the statements faculty could respond to reads: The President is an effective leader for Ohio University
to which there are five options ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, and even an option to note that the respondent cannot evaluate.
Perhaps our teachers are just too jaded to believe this survey's results carry weight, and maybe they're right, but the least they could do is fill it out. It doesn't get much easier than that.
Editorials represent the views of The Post's executive editors. 4
Opinion
Full-time faculty let chance to review McDavis slip away
