Next week, Ohio University's Board of Trustees will reveal the results of its evaluation of President Roderick McDavis and it would be a grave mistake for them not to consider three recent opinion surveys of his leadership. But if history is any guide, the trustees will probably ignore them. Last year's American Association of University Professors survey was ignored by the trustees and downplayed by the university.
While a survey of faculty was conducted at the behest of the trustees as part of their own 360-degree evaluation of McDavis, the trustees also need to address the second annual AAUP survey and the survey of students. Both found that McDavis' most important constituency ' students and faculty ' has lost confidence in his leadership.
Perception is important. Each survey and the subsequent media coverage is an embarrassment to all students and university employees. The university cannot ignore this criticism and erode even more the reputation of Ohio's first public university.
But the university's response strategy seems to indicate that they are doing otherwise. When students in a Student Senate election overwhelmingly voted no confidence, McDavis downplayed it.
Students, responding to the anti-McDavis fervor, are hardly in a position to effectively evaluate him, but some faculty members are. Yet the mere fact that both these groups have no faith in their leadership should not be ignored. Especially in light of the recent administrative changes that left McDavis largely in charge of external relations with less emphasis on academics, perception is, again, highly important.
How can anyone take the president seriously when the ship he mans is seemingly sinking?
Although it is debatable if he ran the ship aground or if it was merely fog that obscured the route, it is time for university leadership to realize its perception problem and work to fix it. A simple acknowledgement of how awful it is that no one has faith could go a long way in rebuilding trust. The validity of the trustees' so-called comprehensive evaluation of McDavis and the reputation of this university are at stake.
But when the trustees have already publicly expressed their support for McDavis ' an obvious political calculation ' how objective is their evaluation.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the executive editors. Send your submissions to posteditorial@ohiou.edu.
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