Look familiar? It appears (if the site is up to date) that the former President of Sheldon Jackson College is a special assistant to the President of Dubuque. This could be a good thing, as Dr. Haaland is sure to be as aware of SJ(C?)'s strengths and weaknesses as anyone. Yet it may also signify that the future of the campus may indeed too closely resemble its past.
10 comments:
Yes, very interesting discovery. Likely, he was hired because of his former relationship with SJ(C?) and the assumption that because of this he was in a good position to provide competent advice about SJ(C?). Also, it was my observation at the time (he was the president who hired me) that he and David Dobler were quite close. It is not far fetched, I think, to imagine that Dobler urged him on the Dubuque president as part of his "strategic" scheming about SJ(C?)'s future.
Whatever, Haaland's strengths as an administrator, I was not impressed with his leadership (maybe a C+), and I quite concur with the observation that having Haaland in the picture scares one into thinking Dobler is hoping for the return of the uh, er, good ole days, with he--Dobler--fully in charge again of something academic, if not a fully independent, fully accredited, institution of higher education. I hope the Dubuque president (who seems a smart strategic planner) is bright enough to figure this out, and his comments in the Dubuque press have me cautiously optimistic on this matter.
J McDonald
Hmmm.... is right!
Birds of a feather.
Haaland has worked for UD for quite a while (preceding the death of SJ). I doubt that Dobler had much to do with his hire (he has been the president of other schools and was from the mid-West).
Haaland - as opposed to Dobler - had a good reputation in town and state, had a background suitable to being in charge of an academic institution, and actually worked hard to keep the school alive.
During my last year and a half at SJ, Haaland was mostly "in absentia"-out of the loop, not around.
Haaland has been at UD since he left SJ(C?)... so this isn't a new thing, nor is it a "dastardly" Manchurian plan.
I do not think Haaland's presence at UD is necessarily a negative either. Nor did I assume he was recently hired.
I would bet that he has spoken with UD's President Bullock about SJ(C?), and he ought to, knowing the circumstances of the campus as well as he does.
However, if you put Haaland, Dobler, and Bullock in a room together to plan for the future of SJ(C?), what's to suggest it will look much different than the SJ of old? Who among us thinks the SJ of old is a viable model?
I frankly have major questions as to whether ANY school would be a viable model- given the current state of the economy - for the placement of a campus in Sitka. UAS is going to be a major competitor, no matter what, since it is a state school and well-funded. The call of the SJ heritage - oldest, Native mission, and all - has been effectively eliminated by its closure and subsequent behavior of the administration and board. The town would be unwilling to subsidize the school to the amount necessary (the history of the town's support of SJ is not very optimistic). So unless someone comes along, plunks down $100 million and says, "Here, pay off the debts, fix the buildings, and start full scholarships for anyone who wants to attend," I doubt if it will get off the ground, with any board or president. But I guess it provides adequate reasons for junkets and news copy.
The last comment sure hit the nail on the head.
Although I liked Haaland when he was there, clearly there were plenty of financial irregularities on his watch.
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