The relationship between University faculty and President Dave Frohnmayer is, at best, one of mutual tolerance. At worst, it is almost nonexistent.
Frohnmayer has made a habit recently of failing to be adequately vocal with several University committees regarding key institutional decisions. On the matter of the new basketball arena’s proposed funding model, he told the State Board of Higher Education in early November that University Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny had been working actively with the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee, a subcommittee of the University Senate. That funding model comes in the form of a 40-year, $200 million bond; the IAC has yet to discuss it.
Such a miscommunication personifies the growing distance between Frohnmayer and his faculty. The board conditionally approved the funding proposal, and the process has now shifted to securing bonds from the state legislature in February. But for Frohnmayer to say Kilkenny had been engaged with the IAC “on a regular basis,” was misleading. Kilkenny’s involvement with the IAC this year has consisted of attending one conference call via telephone. He has yet to attend a meeting in person.
The IAC consists of 18 members – 11 from the University faculty, five students and two classified staff members. As an independent organization, it seeks to keep the academic and athletic departments working toward the shared goal of serving students and promoting the University throughout the community and country. The committee advises the athletic department on its decisions, specifically in terms of how they will affect students. It also gauges the effectiveness of student-athlete academic services. However, the committee doesn’t officially vote on official positions, so the significance of its input on University decisions is somewhat open to interpretation.
But even if the IAC ultimately doesn’t vote on decisions, Frohnmayer’s trend of distancing himself from their input is disturbing nonetheless. Complaints were also brought up by the IAC when the Civil War football game was set for the weekend leading up to Finals Week, and when baseball and competitive cheer replaced wrestling as NCAA-sanctioned sports at the University.
Furthermore, when the University Senate met on Nov. 14, Frohnmayer announced the finalization of a plan to add an academic learning center for athletes on campus. The idea had been kicked around with members of the IAC in 2006, but they didn’t hear word of it again until almost one hour before the Senate meeting was scheduled to begin.
President Frohnmayer needs to respect the input of the entire University community, and be more forthright with groups before he claims to have adequately consulted them. Much of this controversy stems from how each side – faculty and administration – views its role in communicating with the other. But if there’s one thing both sides can agree on, it is that each should be less focused on how to achieve its own ends, and more focused on how to promote the best interests of the University.