Dartblog

When I commented to the Valley News reporter in our interview that the Dartmouth search committee’s Presidential Position Profile was a terribly written document, he, of course, did not share his own view of it. But his Cheshire grin of embarrassment gave away the game. If you haven’t read through the document, take the time to do so; no greater indictment of the College’s current leadership is needed. How sad that none of the literate academics on the search committee had the courage to stand up in protest to the billionaires.

One of the piece’s striking aspects is its laundry list of qualifications: the committee “seeks candidates with the following experience and abilities.” Here are the first eight items:

• A Proven Leader: A record of imaginative and tangible success that will inspire and earn the confidence of all its constituents;

• A Commitment to the Dartmouth Mission: A powerful appreciation for and commitment to the teaching and research missions that are so essential to the Dartmouth identity;

• Academic Credibility: A record of and commitment to exceptional scholarly inquiry, as well as a history of recruiting strong faculty, inspiring productivity, and creating excitement about intellectual inquiry;

• Academic Ambition: The creativity to innovate and the capacity to build research, teaching, and scholarly programs at significant scale that address some of the world’s most compelling challenges;

• An Excellent Communicator: The ability to energize and inspire students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, trustees, and external stakeholders and to persuade audiences locally, nationally, and internationally to believe in Dartmouth’s future;

• The Heart of a Teacher: A personal commitment to teaching and an affinity for students;

• An Experienced Manager: The ability to build strong management teams and execute large, ambitious, and fiscally responsible plans and make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions;

• A Collaborative Leadership Style: A fair, collaborative, and transparent leadership style that will succeed in an environment of shared governance;

Who comes to mind when you read these bullet points? Nobody particular, right? Let me ask the question another way. What person in Dartmouth’s recent history is the exact opposite of the above? Read them over again. Each one emphasizes some sort of successful past experience in academia. It sure looks like the members of the committee are looking to hire the anti-Jim Kim, doesn’t it? Maybe they are on to something after all?