A Call to Action
Montevallo Students React to Presidential Search
Rabee Kaheel
Issue date: 2/22/10 Section: Opinion
To Whom It May Concern:
As a graduating senior, I've spent the last four years falling in love with the Montevallo community. From beautiful spring days spent relaxing on Flowerhill, to countless hours working in lab in my second home (Harman), to February nights in Palmer enjoying the excitement that is College Night, I have not regretted any second of my Montevallo experience. I have loved all of the late nights, early mornings, and long days. I know each of you has a piece of Montevallo written in your heart as well. (Alisha N. Schmitt)
As a student, I am an avid experimentalist and learner who is motivated by a passion for expanding my intellectual stature. The University of Montevallo helped spark my profound desires to explore, discover, and make contributions to my community. I believe I have made the right decision in choosing Montevallo for my undergraduate education. (Rabee S. Kaheel)
We are writing this letter as a voice for our Montevallo family, for all the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and anyone else whose life has been blessed by the opportunity to take part in the Montevallo experience. We feel the need to provide a voice, one that has been here among us all along but silenced out of respect for our beloved Dr. Williams. As witnessed last semester, the loss of President Williams struck hearts and ignited passion among the student body. Our show of support was beyond what anyone could have imagined. When the student body banded together as we did, we were showing the heart and soul of the Montevallo family. Well, we will be silent no more. We have had enough of being ignored by the very administration whose duty is to seek and provide for the best interest of the Montevallo community. It pains us to think the future of such a wonderful and beautiful University is in jeopardy, simply because those who vowed to support us are looking out for themselves and pushing their own agendas. Among the duties of the University of Montevallo's Board of Trustees is the "support of the administrative and educational functions of the institution and those officers and employees responsible for them" (Board of Trustees Bylaws, Chapter II, Section 2.2). We speak for our Montevallo family when we say that the Board of Trustees has clearly been lacking in its duties. If the Board of Trustees is the University's governing body, then it is expected of them to govern by a system of checks and balances. There have been several instances where the Board of Trustees has pushed its agenda without regard to the Montevallo family. For example, setting an open meeting on the day before Thanksgiving conforms to the Board of Trustees' convenience and shows a clear disregard for the Montevallo community's schedule and inability to attend. In addition, having a meeting in the student retreat with only a whisper heard doesn't sit well with the Montevallo family.The Presidential Search Advisory committee contains only one student, two faculty members, no staff members, and four Board of Trustees members. Claire Edwards inquired about the nonexistent staff representation in the search committee and stressed the need for a president that will preserve the strategic plan, as well as be diplomatic and appreciative of the culture and the tradition of the UM community. Stephen Parker shared his concern about the committee members in that the faculty and staff aren't adequately represented. He added that this may impact the vision of the new administration in that they will get the impression that the faculty and staff are not interested in the process of selecting the fifteenth president. During the committee's informational sessions, any questions concerning how the selection process was administered and detailed qualifications of the candidates were deflected to the Board of Trustees, which was not present at the recent and only meeting held on January 12th, 2010 by the committee. Thus, the constituents have no idea if the committee conducted research as to the procedures and guidelines for a presidential search, or whether or not the Board of Trustees is controlling the search seeing as to how four of its members are on the committee, and all questions were deflected to them. This obviously illustrates another agenda for the Board of Trustees: the president will be their own choice and not the Montevallo community's choice. At this time, the Montevallo family is extremely frustrated, not only at under-representation on the search committee, but also by the Board of Trustee's deliberate undermining of everything this great institution holds dear. The Board stated that there were "problems" under President William's administration; however, none of the faculty, students, and staff agrees, especially when the majority of them wanted to keep Williams; as Michael Sterner quoted, "In short, I would like to hire a president who is exactly like Phil Williams." Lately, every action taken by the Board is a personal attack against our welfare, and the welfare of the University of Montevallo. The Board has ultimately let us down, simply because they have lost the meaning of what Montevallo stands for. It's not about politics and agendas; it's about supporting the Montevallo community's educational and administrative efforts.
As a graduating senior, I've spent the last four years falling in love with the Montevallo community. From beautiful spring days spent relaxing on Flowerhill, to countless hours working in lab in my second home (Harman), to February nights in Palmer enjoying the excitement that is College Night, I have not regretted any second of my Montevallo experience. I have loved all of the late nights, early mornings, and long days. I know each of you has a piece of Montevallo written in your heart as well. (Alisha N. Schmitt)
As a student, I am an avid experimentalist and learner who is motivated by a passion for expanding my intellectual stature. The University of Montevallo helped spark my profound desires to explore, discover, and make contributions to my community. I believe I have made the right decision in choosing Montevallo for my undergraduate education. (Rabee S. Kaheel)
We are writing this letter as a voice for our Montevallo family, for all the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and anyone else whose life has been blessed by the opportunity to take part in the Montevallo experience. We feel the need to provide a voice, one that has been here among us all along but silenced out of respect for our beloved Dr. Williams. As witnessed last semester, the loss of President Williams struck hearts and ignited passion among the student body. Our show of support was beyond what anyone could have imagined. When the student body banded together as we did, we were showing the heart and soul of the Montevallo family. Well, we will be silent no more. We have had enough of being ignored by the very administration whose duty is to seek and provide for the best interest of the Montevallo community. It pains us to think the future of such a wonderful and beautiful University is in jeopardy, simply because those who vowed to support us are looking out for themselves and pushing their own agendas. Among the duties of the University of Montevallo's Board of Trustees is the "support of the administrative and educational functions of the institution and those officers and employees responsible for them" (Board of Trustees Bylaws, Chapter II, Section 2.2). We speak for our Montevallo family when we say that the Board of Trustees has clearly been lacking in its duties. If the Board of Trustees is the University's governing body, then it is expected of them to govern by a system of checks and balances. There have been several instances where the Board of Trustees has pushed its agenda without regard to the Montevallo family. For example, setting an open meeting on the day before Thanksgiving conforms to the Board of Trustees' convenience and shows a clear disregard for the Montevallo community's schedule and inability to attend. In addition, having a meeting in the student retreat with only a whisper heard doesn't sit well with the Montevallo family.The Presidential Search Advisory committee contains only one student, two faculty members, no staff members, and four Board of Trustees members. Claire Edwards inquired about the nonexistent staff representation in the search committee and stressed the need for a president that will preserve the strategic plan, as well as be diplomatic and appreciative of the culture and the tradition of the UM community. Stephen Parker shared his concern about the committee members in that the faculty and staff aren't adequately represented. He added that this may impact the vision of the new administration in that they will get the impression that the faculty and staff are not interested in the process of selecting the fifteenth president. During the committee's informational sessions, any questions concerning how the selection process was administered and detailed qualifications of the candidates were deflected to the Board of Trustees, which was not present at the recent and only meeting held on January 12th, 2010 by the committee. Thus, the constituents have no idea if the committee conducted research as to the procedures and guidelines for a presidential search, or whether or not the Board of Trustees is controlling the search seeing as to how four of its members are on the committee, and all questions were deflected to them. This obviously illustrates another agenda for the Board of Trustees: the president will be their own choice and not the Montevallo community's choice. At this time, the Montevallo family is extremely frustrated, not only at under-representation on the search committee, but also by the Board of Trustee's deliberate undermining of everything this great institution holds dear. The Board stated that there were "problems" under President William's administration; however, none of the faculty, students, and staff agrees, especially when the majority of them wanted to keep Williams; as Michael Sterner quoted, "In short, I would like to hire a president who is exactly like Phil Williams." Lately, every action taken by the Board is a personal attack against our welfare, and the welfare of the University of Montevallo. The Board has ultimately let us down, simply because they have lost the meaning of what Montevallo stands for. It's not about politics and agendas; it's about supporting the Montevallo community's educational and administrative efforts.
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