I’m frequently asked about my involvement on a variety of boards and columns op/eds in differing publications such as College Planning and Management, The State Journal, The Huffington Post and my own widely distributed President’s Letter and President’s Blog. I am also active on Twitter and LinkedIn and host a public-figure page on Facebook. In addition, I do monthly webcasts via our Bethany Broadcasting Network. I also jointly edit Presidential Perspectives, a thought series for college and university presidents (now in its 7th year).
Utilizing these venues, I’ve voiced an
opinion on a variety of topics, from the value of residential liberal arts
colleges, to cost containment in higher education, to campus safety, college
sports, church relations, town/gown relations, the national drinking age, and a
plethora of other issues as they impact higher education. My two most recent opinion pieces have
inspired very active discussions nationwide about developments at the
University of Virginia and Penn State.
The great presidents of my early years
as an administrator used what is called “the bully pulpit” to inspire
discussion and inspire change. These
presidents included Theodore Hesburgh (Notre Dame), John Silber (Boston
University), Clark Kerr (California), Jim Fisher (Towson), and Bart Giamatti
(Yale). More recently, Stephen
Trachtenburg (George Washington), Steve Sample (Southern California), Freeman
Hrabowski (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Buzz Shaw (Syracuse), and
Gordon Gee (Ohio State) are some of the higher education CEOs with an activist
agenda. They were often described as
change agents, transformational leaders, who effectively utilized the
“platform” afforded presidents to advocate for issues that would positively
move their institutions forward.
All you have to do is look at a typical
advertisement for a vacancy in a higher education journal to know that today’s
college president is expected to be a multi-tasking fund-raiser, media
specialist/spokesperson, effective lobbyist, synergistic community partner,
student and environmental advocate, visionary leader, strategic planner,
town-gown specialist, budgetary wizard, social media expert…all at the same
time! While current-day presidents
typically have a limited number of opportunities to formally address internal
constituencies (usually three or four times a year), they also are provided a
unique platform to speak out on diverse topics. Savvy boards encourage their
presidents to write and speak on issues that will influence their respective
constituencies. The governing boards
during all three of my presidencies have encouraged my activist agenda.
As a college president of nearly 22
years, I’ve lived through an era of radical growth and transformation—many changes
have been good, some bad—that impact higher education throughout the
world. These include the emergence of
community colleges in the 1960s, multi-campus state systems across the country
in the 1960s and 1970s, proprietary
education, private institutions reaching out to growing adult populations, and
most recently, online education. The
best stories of vibrant growth have occurred at institutions headed by strong,
outspoken, transformational leaders.
Business leaders want to hear from
presidents; political leaders recognize the influential role of
presidents. Students are more demanding
of access to their presidents than was the case in my days behind a desk, and
alumni and faculty also expect the president to be front and center and highly
visible as the foremost advocate of their institutions. I spend much of my summers traveling to meet
with alumni, friends, current and prospective donors around the nation. I always speak to the value of the residential
liberal arts education, because this is the most important agenda item. It is imperative that I speak to the quality
of the well-rounded, educated person benefiting from a liberal arts background,
including the advantages of living and learning 24-7 in a residential campus
environment. Time and again, I remind
our key constituencies, especially families, employers, admissions-referral and
funding sources, that outcomes of primarily residential liberal arts colleges
around the country reinforce the value of the leadership skills, close personal
relationships with faculty and other students, sense of community and the need
to “give back,” all of which constitute a very solid return on investment.
Through the years, I’ve played an
activist role in incorporating the town around my college (Lincoln Memorial University
in Tennessee), addressed community re-development in an economically depressed,
crime-infested community adjacent to another school I served as president
(Wesley College in Dover, Delaware), and economic development and the gas
industry in my third institution (Bethany College of West Virginia). My involvement on the College and University
Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) is another prime example of another
important activist role, that of an environmental advocate. I was one of the earliest presidents to sign
on with ACUPCC when I was at Wesley College, and then did the same at Bethany
College when I accepted its presidency. Serving on the governing body of ACUPCC
gives me an opportunity to influence institutional stewardship of our
environment nationwide and to advocate for ways in which our member campus
communities can foster “green” policies in their own spheres of influence.
In recent years, fewer presidents have
taken advantage of the “bully pulpit,”
primarily because the Internet and 24-hour news cycle have caused every
word spoken to be scrutinized almost immediately and subject to be taken out of
context. Because we tend to make the mistake of feeling that we must respond
immediately to negative feedback, this tendency does not lend itself to
thoughtful analysis or creative solutions, but rather, creates a reactive
mindset. Most presidents have therefore moved
toward a form of political correctness, speaking in prescribed sound bites
which do not address in-depth the complex issues impacting their institutions
and presidencies. It’s often easier and
safer just to stay silent than to risk alienating key constituencies—especially
public and private funding sources.
I firmly believe, however, that
presidents need once again to seize the opportunities for transformational
leadership on issues vital to our campuses, our students, and our nation that
are afforded them. Although leveraging
the “bully pulpit” may carry more risk than it did in the past, today’s media also
afford us an unparalleled opportunity to reach new audiences and to shape
policy, nationally and even internationally.
Remembering that silence is often perceived
as acceptance of the status quo, let us continue to speak out fervently and
forcefully, as our executive roles suggest we should.
# # #
Dr. Scott D. Miller is President and
M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College. Now in his 22nd year as a college
president, he has written more than one hundred articles and written or edited
nine books. He is
Chair of the Board of Directors of Academic Search, Inc.
