Dr. Steven Weiner has applied for the Gallaudet presidency twice, once last spring for the 9th president vacancy that Dr. Jane Fernandes won, and again for the Interim President position that went to Dr. Davila. If excellent public speaking skills is a valued criteria for a top college administrator, it’s easy to see why Dr. Weiner continues to struggle. A communications professor though he may be, a gifted public speaker he is not. Where’s the stage presence, the charisma, the effortless delivery? Those qualities are essential for the public face of an University, the president, but it’s up to the search committee and President Davila whether those qualities are also important for a provost.
His responses to some questions at the end of his presentation were awkward, with tangentially relevant analogies. He lapsed into the “I don’t know, but I’ll ask the community” behavior that has been documented before. Maybe the guy just doesn’t think well on his feet. Perhaps that was part of his appeal. Dr. Weiner was the people’s Provost — his presentation was the most well-attended, taking place in Elstad Auditorium, a venue probably twice as big as Swindells (where Drs. Marshall and Innes presented). There were even a good number of students present!
Inelegance aside, Dr. Weiner still got his point across well. He recognized all the relevant issues right off the bat with a bulleted list of Gallaudet’s problems, instead of just alluding to them: academic rigor, accreditation, the budget, civil discourse, and shared governance. He even had a few ideas of his own thrown in, such as upgrading the library — but it would probably be wise to hold off on that until the more pressing issues have been resolved.
What were his proposed solutions? Leverage current programs, create a center for assessment to provide guidance for apparently everything from the budget to student performance, and focus on improving the first-year experience. One thing is for certain — whoever is selected as provost will build a new “center” on campus; perhaps Dr. Weiner should append “For Excellence” to his assessment center to be consistent with his peers. He also had a thorough plan for grad student inclusion. His “360 degrees of diversity” idea tried to expand the definition of diversity to include diversity of opinion, communication and basically everything that makes a person unique.
While a few original ideas were presented, I couldn’t help but feel that I was sitting through a retread of what’s already been said. I know all the big buzzwords on Kendall Green now — academic rigor, think tanks, Centers for Excellence. It is worth nothing that even though the Provost job was advertised in at least ten professional publications, the finalists are all Gallaudet employees. All three have been at Gallaudet for a very long time, which does have a tendency to promote group-think — an echo chamber effect. Why no new faces to inject fresh ideas into a somewhat moribund administrative bureaucracy?
(For background on this series, see my first and second posts.)
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28 Comments
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So, of all three of them, which one would you pick?
I agree it’s hard to pick someone after reviewing all the academic/educational buzzwords that the three candidates have spouted in the last few days. What’s more important is whether they have a plan and the will and energy to carry it out, instead of just putting in a few bandages and call it a day.
Also, the pool of candidates for the provost and the president position might be small because of the narrow requirements for the position, i.e., signing and Gallaudet experience.
But I also think that a lot of folks get deterred from applying because whoever signs up for these positions will get the interesting experience of riding a tiger as he or she attempts to change Gallaudet.
We can’t pick. That would be called a vote. The president picks. I recently came across a comment in another blog where someone said “the community is still under the impression that this is a popularity contest.” But surprise–I was aware of that from day one, even during the selection process of JK. Assuming other people are aware of that too, it begs the question: then why bother including the community at all? What’s all this “feedback” for?
Hopefully it’s not about the ILLUSION of involvement.
We can’t pick, but if I remember right, one major complaint the protesters had was that the previous admin didn’t welcome feedback or input from the community.
By doing this way now, nobody can legitimately complain that the admin didn’t welcome their feedback. Dr. Davila will choose the provost, but I am sure he will listen to the faculty senate and use the proper protocols, unlike Dr. Jordan. ;)
I think I was the one who said that about a popularity contest. ;-)
And, yes, the Gallaudet community participates in popularity contests to the extent that they felt the need to have the venue for Weiner at Elstad instead of the other locale where Marshall and Innes made their presentation.
But as I said before, I hope that merit and not popularity will win the day since Gallaudet is in such a deep rut.
I second that. Personally, I’m leaning toward Dr. Marshall. Hopefully Dr. Davila and the faculty senate will choose the one who is the most qualified and personable for this position.
I’m reminded of something that my good friend, who is Dean Emeritus of the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin, once said ~
“Management is not a popularity contest.”
I think we would be wise to heed such words in our selection of an appropriate individual to fill the position of Provost at Gallaudet University.
Thank you for summarizing all three candidates as I enjoy reading!
Josh raised a very good question. Why isn’t there any qualified external candidate to be one of the finalists? Will it boost them in making the right choice? Hopefully the next Provost will work hard like an energizer bunny and champion the performance improvement actions. To Gallaudet, best of luck!
Dr. Steve Weiner is very sincere and considerate individual in many ways. He always strives for compromises and group-solving approaches. Weiner is very accessible in many ways.
Dr. Steve Weiner deeply love Gallaudet University as an institution. He also have real consideration for people. Weiner always have been supportive of almost everybody.
Dr. Steve Weiner is a real problem-solver and pragmatist. Weiner surely know how to deal with all walk of life. That always have been his real personal strength in “people leadership”.
You could see why many students flocked to his presentation. Weiner is well-known for his sincerity and realistic outlook of life in general.
Weiner is the perfect candidate for the ongoing healing process within the Gallaudet community. He is a doer himself. Weiner always keep his promises!!
Marshall will be the wrong choice for the Office of Provost since he lack real rapport with students and faculty members.
I would settle for Weiner and Innes, not Marshall.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
Robert –
Out of curiosity — you’ve explained your rationale why you prefer Weiner and don’t want Marshall — why do you want Innes? What qualifications in your view does he have?
Jay Innes serve on the Deaf Education committee under the NAD which he is well-versed with the ongoing deaf education problems all over the country.
I guess that I have to be nice to Jay Innes for pragmatic reason. He always nice to me. I already make myself very clear whose to root for. Innes always have high expectations from his students. That tells much about his own standard for academic rigor, etc. I did get “A” from Innes which he demanded excessively from me and other students. I enjoyed Innes and Weiner’s class very much.
Innes usually talk to me wherever I bump into him. He is kinda little reserved, but accessible and frank.
Marshall’s mentality of dealing with students like from the 1950s. Students nowaday are more socially adept beyond their formative social and intellectual developments. Marshall will be not likely able to reasonate with students effectively. He probably is more authoritative than Weiner and Innes.
RLM
Thanks for your response! I appreciate you explaining to me your rationale.
I’m still undecided as to the three candidates. Well, that’s not quite true. I know that Innes is not my choice. I’ve met him more than a few times and he’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t have what it takes to lead a university. So for me it comes down to Marshall and Weiner.
And I do have concerns about popularity contests. Being a truly effective provost will mean making some unpopular choices. The interests of the students or the faculty are not necessarily the same as the long term interests of the university at large.
In that case,(meaning the President chooses) Gallaudet should be in good hands for the adventure ahead.
Well, DT, let’s put it this way…
In a system where you don’t have a vote, you’d better hope so, my friend.
Josh,
many thanks for completing your trilogy on the three finalists for the Gallaudet Provost. Providing these reports helps the reader get a handle on how the candidates performed in these presentations. Now to see who the President selects, keeping in mind that this process is many layers, resume, interview, presentation, recommendations, etc. May the most qualified candidate be chosen and help the University to heal.
No problem, I’m glad people are finding these reports useful.
What Gallaudet needs right now is someone who can bring the community together and heal. Someone who can deal with the students. Someone to get academics back in the Gallaudet vocabulary.
Steve Weiner is the best person to do this. He is the overwhelming choice of the faculty and students. We will see who Davila selects.
I understand what you’re saying, but I think this is short-sighted.
The job of Provost lasts years, even up to over a decade. Does Dr. Weiner have the wherewithal to do his job for that long?
We gotta look at the long-term view here. Those students will be only there for a few more years. So within five years, I would imagine many wounds will have been healed, for the most part. We don’t need a healer - we need a provost who can lead Gallaudet into the future with strength and all resources at his disposal.
Hi,
Steve Weiner has an incrdible vision and will do much better than Marshall and Innes. If it’s Innes, he’ll be there just a year or two. Same with marshall. Weiner will serve 5 to 7 years. I don’t think the provost should serve any longer than that The position needs healthy turnover and change every few years.
It’s a good thing you’re posting anonymously because, frankly, well, I’m astounded that someone like you got a Ph.D. (or at least an M.A. in the first place).
I’m not at all impressed with your writing, tortured logic, and baseless assertions with unsaid assumptions.
Want to clarify why you think Marshall and Innes will be there “just a year or two” while Weiner will be there five to seven years?
And, uh, on what grounds do you assert that Weiner is the “overwhelming” choice for provost by students and faculty? Any polls you care to point out to me?
Same old, same old. Same old applicants, same old schtick…Gally needs some new blood in the upper ranks. All three of these people have been at Gallaudet for years, and they are, like it or not, part of the system. Gallaudet gets more and more inbred as the years go by. I respect Dr. Weiner, Dr. Marshall, and Mr. Innes. They are scholars and good at what they do. I have had pleasant experiences with each of them during my Gallaudet education. However, the visions presented by each of them are regurgitated band-aids. Study this, set up that, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it…long enough to get in, get the money, and get out saying “Hey, I tried.”
Not one of these candidates has the balls to change what is fundamentally wrong with Gallaudet. If they did, they would be leading the way in terms of mass resignations of people who have been there but looked the other way from the little faux pas and power grabs that soon became a disease on campus, leaving virtually everyone feeling disempowered.
Imagine what Gallaudet would look like if the entire administration and leadership apparatus was cleaned out and only outsiders with experience running a top-notch university, and divorced from the muck that is inclusive/diverse/”your buzzword here” deaf politics, were brought in to resume providing undergraduates and graduates with an education. I’d like to think the focus would go back onto the important issues like academic standards, preparation for a job in the REAL (read: hearing) world, and advancing the institution.
To the musing by Josh about why no outsiders applied for the job despite widespread professional journal publication: They either A) aren’t Deaf, B) aren’t interested in coming under the glaring gamma ray beam of scrutiny about their allegiances and past dealings that is afforded anyone who dares lead the deaf community after being “out there”, or C) they’ve developed a very negative view of Gallaudet because of how nasty the protest was and how it was conducted. Frankly, I don’t blame them. There are many other universities out there that are open to ideas not organic to the university community. The Gallaudet community, it seems, is more interested in having its rock solid beliefs affirmed by any would-be leader, rather than challenged and strengthened.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Gallaudet, but the protests and subsequent LACK of follow up action of taking a proactive role in reshaping the university by its contituents, notably the students, leaves a sour taste in my mouth. All that hooplah, and now things are back to normal? Let’s get drunk and spend our SSI on drugs like old times? Education? Diversity? Bah! The student body selected a white/white administration for SBG in March even though at least two teams had people of color on them and were qualified. What does that say? Ok off topic…rant over.
Jennifer–You nailed it right there. I must add that Joseph “Jay” Innes is a monopolist when it comes to “leadership” in the deaf community. You have to admit he can get so condescending. He can’t get enough on his plate. He’s same as Dr. Bobbie Beth Scoggins–an opportunist in the bad sense. Enough is enough!
You’ve pretty much described JKF *shrug*
The answer to the question as to why only Gallaudet people are finalists is a simple one. The Provost position at Gallaudet is a thankless job as proven in the past, managing thankless, pity oriented people.
The most qualified people have seen what happens at Gallaudet and can find thankful positions elsewhere
After listening to all three, I must say Dr. Weiner impressed me the most, and I can certainly understand why people are gravely concerned about the other two, especially Dr. Innes’ style of management and dirty past.
Dr. Weiner addressed main concerns and emphasized that he would include the community’s input. All of this makes sense in contrast to Dr. Fernandes’ past leadership, if any.
In fact, I disgree with Allmann’s observation claiming that Weiner does not have the right set of presentation skills. There was not one moment when my thoughts drifted away during his presentation, and I can say the same thing for others when I witnessed all those nods and side comments from where I was sitting. Weiner knows Gallaudet by heart, in and out.
Many of us were surprised at ourselves for somewhat ‘overlooking’ him last year, but then again the past administration did all they could to shun him out. Heck, Weiner was given only a two-day notice to prepare his presentation while Fernandes received more than one week.
Anyway, I surely hope Dr. Davila will review each candidate’s qualifications in depth and community’s comments.
Dr. Innes’ dirty past? I’m not impressed with Dr. Innes, from various sources who have met him, but what dirty past does he have?
Innes is a close friend of Bob Davila and a dominator. Gallaudet doesn’t need that.
Marshall can’t sign properly to save his life, although I have been told that he’s very intellgent. However, his ability to relate to ASL Deaf people is virtually nil.
Weiner, well.. He is known for being a little bit disorganized, but otherwise, a very sincere person.
So, I’d go for Weiner.
But I truly believe that Innes will get the position, for obvious reasons. (Close friendship with Bob Davila) If Innes gets the job, then nothing has changed. Let’s see.
The ultimate truth is to come soon.
I know I’m like, way behind on the discussion and nobody will read this, but I just wanted to say -
upgrading the library SHOULD be one of our highest priorities. Really. Having a variety of scholary resources on hand will attract talented scholars and researchers. It will offer them incentive to come to Gallaudet, learn, and work there.
Anyway, here’s my 2 cents, hoping someone sees this.
Honestly if Jay Innes were to become the Provost, he will need Ms. W-ski to do all the dirty work! Not that I am discouraging Dr. Innes. He is as good as other prospective candidates. But in truth, I was hoping for someone from the outside to become the next Provost because we need new ENERGY. Otherwise our stagnant pond’s gonna start reeking bison urine.