A PROGRESSIVE MISSION
It would be hard to envision Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role
of a Jane Austin drama.
Yet that's what Goddard College asked of outgoing President Richard
Greene. Greene is a heavy hitter in higher education, with a proven
track record of raising money and boosting enrollment. That's what
Goddard thought it wanted in a president. Goddard was wrong.
Greene found himself dealing with all the higher education issues of
the 1990s, at a school committed to preserving a progressive tradition
it established in 1938. It was an unfortunate mismatch.
"Goddard College is good for Vermont
- a good neighbor, employer and teacher. New Provost Jane Sanders is
bringing together the divided campus."
Goddard is not alone in its struggle. The University of Vermont,
Bennington College and Middlebury College are also juggling issues
such as rising costs and tuition, efforts to diversify the staff and
student body, and declining financial aid.
But Goddard's idealistic philosophy presents special challenges, as
Greene learned during his rocky tenure. Not that he was a bad president.
In fact, he did what he was hired to do: cut the budget, work with
Vermont's broader college community, increase enrollment and improve
the physical condition of the campus.
But he made those changes unilaterally, forgetting that Goddard's mantra
is consensus, consensus, consensus. And he used a business eye in
plotting his course, overlooking Goddard's nontraditional vision of
the world.
Greene's mistake wasn't where he took the school, but how he got there.
Into this fracas steps newly hired Provost Jane Sanders, whose progressive
credentials are above question. Sanders appears to be the right person
to quiet the controversy. Her first moves in office were to meet with
maintenance and clerical staff before faculty; rehire at least two of
the administrators fired by Greene; and move onto campus part time to
offer a steady presence.
Her message to all sides in the dispute is clear: We will get there
together. That's the way the Goddard community wants to travel.
Sanders is what Goddard College needs in the coming months. She brings
the quiet and trust needed to heal wounds. She also brings enthusiasm,
clearly jazzed by plans to add programs at the small school. But she faces
the same problem Greene was hired to solve: how to keep Goddard competitive.
Higher education in Vermont is an industry. Like the presidents of virtually
every college in Vermont, Sanders has to find a way to steer Goddard
financially as well as socially.
Clearly, Goddard's survival is good for Vermont. The school offers a
progressive college alternative. It's also a good neighbor, employer
and teacher.
Now it's Sanders' job is to make it not only a survivor, but a stronger family.
