We’re starting a new academic year, and if you’re like me, amid the chaos and the promise and crisis management and excitement of new classes and a new semester and a new academic year, you find yourself wanting to take a moment to stop the roller-coaster and just . . . think. I’m taking a few moments to do just that, and I invite you to think along with me, in several installments.
I’ve been a member of the ACC community for over 35 years, and in that time, I’ve been as dedicated to this institution as preserving my own sanity (and dignity) has allowed. Like most of you, I am very proud of this institution and what we do every day to empower people to reach for their dreams. But also like most of you, I am not blind to ACC’s problems. In fact, this coming January marks 36 years of me not being blind to ACC’s problems.
In my years as dean — which followed more than 25 years as department chair — I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about ACC as an organization. There’s a reason organization and organism start off with the same letters. Organisms live and thrive by means of a great many self-regulating mechanisms that swing constantly between equilibrium and disequilibrium. It takes long observation (and no small amount of self-restraint) not to confuse moments of disequilibrium with pathology. That’s a fancy way of saying not every headache is a sign of a brain tumor.
Nevertheless, some headaches are.
I’d like to share some thoughts about what I consider to be large-scale patterns of signs and symptoms that point somewhere, and I’m going to risk making a few diagnostic claims. But I don’t want to stop at just stating, over and over, what’s wrong: I’d like to make a few proposals about how to fix those underlying problems and free us for greater excellence.
Now, before you react to what I’m saying, take a breath and let me ask you a question:
Is it possible for a sick organism to do something healthy and functional?
The obvious answer is yes: An organism may well be “sick,” yet perform many functions that are healthy and functional. A sick person can take out the trash. A sick dog can fetch. A snake with a respiratory infection can still coil up inside your shirt in that lovely, cozy sort of way that snakes have of showing their affection. . . . Sorry. Got carried away. I’m a closet snake.
At any rate, what I’m saying in this series of posts about what’s wrong with ACC and how to fix it is just that: What’s wrong, and how to fix it — nothing more. Notice that I’m not saying the ACC organism has died. I’m not saying it’s hopeless. I’m not saying we don’t do good in the world. I’m not saying you are the problem. I’m not saying they (whoever your favorite enemy is) are evil miscreants bent on destroying everything good about ACC.
What I am saying is that there are some deep patterns in this institution, patterns I’ve observed for decades, patterns that hold us back from accomplishing even more of our core mission at a higher level of excellence — and I’d like to contribute something toward addressing those patterns and opening us to growth.
I know what I’m about to say will disturb some of you, offend some, dismay, appall, enthrall, enrage, engage. I own what I say, and I accept all your reactions and responses. I’ll even thank you in advance: If you didn’t care about our institution and our mission, you wouldn’t spend the energy getting worked up at the reflections of a philosopher.
So let’s start with that shared value: We do care about our institution, and we are concerned about our mission. If we are, and to the extent we are, let’s ask together how we can be better.
If you like, you can call this a sort of anniversary present as I approach 36 years. Whom the present is actually for. . . .
Well, I’ll leave that to you.
Next up: Mission
