Faculty and Staff Weigh In

            The role of president at Lyndon State College may be temporarily filled, but that hasn't kept faculty and administration from thinking about what is important in future leadership to keep the college moving in the right direction.

            "We need someone who is inquisitive and open minded because of the way the two qualities feed into decision making," said recently tenured professor David Johnston, of the English department.

            Johnston believes that the future president must understand and be ready for the challenges that face higher education, including state funding and accreditation.

            The future of Lyndon State has become somewhat blurry for faculty, students, and administration alike, given the issues the college faced last year and is still dealing with today. However, the future of current and prospective students at LSC is still what drives the faculty and administration.

            "I would hope that this person (the future president) will be absolutely passionate about Lyndon students," said Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, Donna Dalton.

 Dalton hopes that what brings potential candidates to the college won't just be the title of president, but the passion to work with students of varying backgrounds and interests.

            "This is a place worthy of all of us doing our very best," she said.

            English professor Richard Moye came to Lyndon State after teaching at Columbia as both a graduate student and assistant professor.

 Moye believes that new leadership needs to reflect the same vision.

"The institution needs to see the same value, and it hasn't for some time. Carol (Moore) did not see that as the role of this college. I need a president who will see that value and treasure it," Moye said.

            Lyndon's message is simple: prepare every student for personal and professional success.

            "We have to prepare our students for jobs we haven't even imagined yet," Moye said. "What we need, as any institution does, is a president who can both understand the scope and nature of our mission; who understands the nature and purpose of education, and who can articulate that purpose and nature to a stingy public and a stingy legislature for funding."

            Elizabeth Norris, professor in the Music and Performing Arts department, has watched the music business program grow in the past five years, from eight students during its first semester to over one-hundred now. Norris would like to see a president who understands the impact the arts has on an academic community, noting that she believes Steve Gold is one who sees that value.

            "We are always looking at the bottom line being the number of students, how many, what's the retention, but I think unless we begin to understand and embrace the impact the arts has on Lyndon State, or we will only ever be a second rate college," said Norris. She also believes that the future president needs to see the value of time of people's time, and not just the faculty, but all across the college.

"I will be looking for someone who will be willing to take the time to understand what Lyndon is; who will be appreciative of the richness that is here," Dalton said.

"We are a unique institution.             In some respects, the search for a new president is like a marriage, where you need to go into this not with the assumption that you're going to change the other person, but that you're going to accept that other person for what they are and hope, by virtue of your presence, that the two of you together can make each one even better."