Desperately Seeking Chairman
Our Liberal Arts Division chairman is stepping down to become a full time teacher in my college. We’re in the process of trying to find his replacement. I was recently asked “Why don’t YOU, Satterwhite, apply for the job?”
Years ago, I had a little University of Oklahoma sorority gal in one of my summer classes. She didn’t really take the class too seriously because it was at JUST a community college. But she did need a favor - so that she could get back to campus in time for rush, could she take the last test early? Sure. Another young female student overhead her request, and asked to do the same. No problem. I told them to meet me in my office at 12:30.
On the appointed day, and appointed time, neither showed up. I waited until 12:50, and then put a note on my door and went to meet a friend for a scheduled lunch. Well, it seemed that little OU girl had a daddy with some clout with my college's president, and daddy called the president, and the president called the provost and the provost called my chairman and my chairman called me. I was supposed to contact the little OU girl and make things right. When I called her home, she answered the phone, but immediately handed the it to her daddy who did the talking for her. I allowed her to come in again to take the last test, but she brought mommy with her just in case I said something rude to little sweet cakes.
The other young woman? She called me up directly, said she was sorry to have missed the appointed test time, and asked if she could have a second chance to take the test early. Sure.
Notice - no daddy, no president, no provost, no mommy, no chairman.
When I pointed out to the provost that the whole thing had been a serious overreaction, she just shrugged it off. It wasn’t about doing the right thing (it rarely is), it’s about expedience, and the knee-jerk response of the college for the OU student and her influential daddy was expedient. As an administrator, I could never do that.
And that’s the long version of why I couldn’t be chairman.
Years ago, I had a little University of Oklahoma sorority gal in one of my summer classes. She didn’t really take the class too seriously because it was at JUST a community college. But she did need a favor - so that she could get back to campus in time for rush, could she take the last test early? Sure. Another young female student overhead her request, and asked to do the same. No problem. I told them to meet me in my office at 12:30.
On the appointed day, and appointed time, neither showed up. I waited until 12:50, and then put a note on my door and went to meet a friend for a scheduled lunch. Well, it seemed that little OU girl had a daddy with some clout with my college's president, and daddy called the president, and the president called the provost and the provost called my chairman and my chairman called me. I was supposed to contact the little OU girl and make things right. When I called her home, she answered the phone, but immediately handed the it to her daddy who did the talking for her. I allowed her to come in again to take the last test, but she brought mommy with her just in case I said something rude to little sweet cakes.
The other young woman? She called me up directly, said she was sorry to have missed the appointed test time, and asked if she could have a second chance to take the test early. Sure.
Notice - no daddy, no president, no provost, no mommy, no chairman.
When I pointed out to the provost that the whole thing had been a serious overreaction, she just shrugged it off. It wasn’t about doing the right thing (it rarely is), it’s about expedience, and the knee-jerk response of the college for the OU student and her influential daddy was expedient. As an administrator, I could never do that.
And that’s the long version of why I couldn’t be chairman.
posted by Satterwhite | 6:33 AM
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