And so it begins — a new era led by Thomas Rochon, who will become the college’s eighth president in July. Rochon, the outgoing vice president at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., has been praised for his background as an academic, his eloquent speaking abilities and his transition to “becom[ing] a better listener.”

 

But this compliment by colleagues at St. Thomas — that he is “becoming” a better listener — does not indicate he is yet the best kind of listener. And here at Ithaca College, with a community that has expressed mixed feelings about his appointment, Rochon faces many challenges. He is coming from a very different campus environment — a Catholic, more conservative university, where he made a number of decisions that did not sit well with his faculty, staff or students.

The Ithacan compiled two lists based on interviews with our own faculty, staff and students. The first identifies issues on campus that Rochon should pay close attention to. The second lists several of Rochon’s qualities that may interfere with his ability to accomplish these goals.

1.    “Identity.” There needs to be a conscious effort made to dissemble the perceived ‘hierarchy’ that exists on campus: Park, Music and Business at the top, with HSHP, H&S and DIIS falling behind. H&S should evolve into a stronger liberal arts school instead of a “service” college for other programs.

2.    Workload.  The majority of faculty interviewed touched on the college’s teaching load, which they say is heavy compared to similar institutions. Professors could be more effective with a lighter load, and the college could attract more qualified faculty.

3.    Diversity. Define diversity, decide what it means for our campus — and then follow through with it. Make a significantly greater effort to create an environment ALANA students feel comfortable in. This also includes geographic diversity — increased targeting of students from the West Coast and abroad and establishing programs and partnerships around the globe.

4.    Tuition control: More effectively determining costs against need while still keeping programs effective and continuing fundraising. On a more figurative level, determining how the college measures the value of its degree and what they see as crucial to elevating that value.

5.    Communication among schools, faculty, students and the community as a whole. Increasing open dialogue on budgets, priorities and goals, and making students “stakeholders” in setting priorities and making decisions.

 

Concerns about Rochon’s leadership, including testimonies from faculty, staff and students from St. Thomas, include:

1.    Consensus building was a problem at his former university, where some students and a staff member said he used “complete silence” and was “just not willing to discuss a lot of these things with students.”

2.    The way he will address what he called a “surplus” of academic programs.

3.    A managerial style, one that he said he would change to fit our institution but still feels inflexible. It is hard to envision an overnight transformation.

In his open session on campus last month, Rochon said higher education is not speaking clearly nor coherently about what they’re trying to accomplish.

 

In light of this, we hope Rochon can offer some clarity as he prepares to arrive on a campus both mystified by reports from his old institution and eager to see if he will follow necessary changes through to successfully oversee what may be the college’s largest transition.