Dr Jefferson To Dr Bouie example essay topic

Introduction The most powerful members of any higher educational institution seem to be the governing board. The board creates and maintains the final authority of the institution. The board holds the definitive accountability for the educational institution. They have the authority to employ, evaluate, and dismiss all presidents and other administrative heads; however, what factors influence that process (AGB, 1998)? The board delegates a certain amount of authority, however limited, to the president. The president of an institution's job is to manage the institution, and his or her role is supported by the needs of the board and faculty.

The president is responsible to the board, the students, and the faculty. Unfortunately, the length of the term held by many presidents has declined. Very important reasons that have been related to this fact are the demands from the faculty, and students, the politics of the boards, and budgetary issues. All of these reasons seemingly played a part in the case that I have chosen to examine. The threat to institutional autonomy is at stake. If a university's ultimate authority can be challenged, this creates an unstable chain of command, or an unclear set of checks and balances.

If all university regulations can be challenged, then what are the "set" rules for policies at the institution? Some questions I will address throughout the course of this paper are what political power must one have to challenge the board? What factors influence the process of the board's authority to employ, evaluate, and dismiss all presidents and administrative heads? What are some of the causes of the limited presidential terms? Statement of Purpose I intend to explore this topic through a review of literature. I will use this literature to create a background of the issue explaining the incidents that led to my topic.

I will also analyze the similar case that I have found in my literature review section. Once I have explored my issue through my background of my issue, and my literature review, I will then assess the database that I have used for this paper. After I have explored the issue, and assessed it, I will then cite my major conclusions and findings. Finally, I will give the conclusions that I have drawn from my research. Literature Review Institutional Autonomy There were other factors that contributed to the unfolding of the institutional event.

Dr. Jefferson was a former governing board member, and her husband is a congressman. Dr. Bouie was a member of the faculty before accepting the position as chancellor of the university. Each actor had their own team of support. Assumedly, Dr. Jefferson had the support of the board. Conversely, Dr. Bouie had the support of the faulty and staff at SUNO. Their power bases were different, and extremely influential to the outcome of the event.

One's power base was local, the other was regional. In order to connect the underlying suggestions of the event, one would infer that Dr. Jefferson's power and influence were utilized to conquer her initial goal- to oust Dr. Bouie and keep her job. A major assumption of this political analysis is that Dr. Jefferson used her assets, and political skill to exert influence upon a university's decision. Although she did pay a price; she ultimately conquered in the resolution to this event. However, the decision-making members of the institution were not able to govern without outside controls.

The assumption is that standard protocol was not followed due to a power struggle between these two administrators, more specifically, the political influence of these two actors. The significant conclusion is that institutional autonomy was compromised. Standard Procedures for Hiring and Firing Administrators It is the responsibility of the governing board to appoint the president of the institution. In addition, boards are accountable for evaluating the performance of the president.

Finally, the board is responsible for the removal of the president. It is within the president's discretion to assemble his or her own team of administrators. It is not uncommon for a president to remove many administrators in an attempt to form his or her support team. Common university procedure is to demote the administrator to a faculty position, and eventually phase them out of the system.

Louisiana's Open Meeting Law Throughout the course of his actions, Dr. Joseph Bouie claimed that the governing board was in violation of the Louisiana Open Meetings Law. The Louisiana Open Meetings Law states that it is vital that a democratic society conduct public business in an open forum. It also states that citizens must be aware, in advance, of the agenda, date, time, and place of the meeting. The only exceptions would be extreme cases such as emergency due to natural disaster, or a discussion of the character of a person; otherwise, all business must be conducted in public. If a governing entity is in violation of the Open Meetings Law, then it is the responsibility of the attorney general to pursue the issue. Similar Findings researched a related set of circumstances that occurred in 2004 at Florida A & M, a southern HBCU.

Florida A & M fired its president, Fred Gain ous regarding several issues. One of the issues was budgetary. It was stated that he intended to use a contract with a broadcasting company to broadcast the school's football games, but the contract fell through. Once the contract fell through, that left a $950,000 deficit in the athletic department.

The former president at Florida A & M also fired staff that previously worked in fiscal matters with the university and did not allow a transition for the replacements. The president then tried to intervene with an alumni-association officer election. The president also lost support of the faculty when attempting to require the faculty to teach at a local community college without first consulting with the faculty. As a result of the president's mismanagement, the board decided to fire him.

Just as in my case study, a president attempted to manage an institution without taking into consideration his stakeholders and support team. Decisions were made that estranged university stakeholders. Another parallel to my case study is that the president was new to his term (less than five years), and tried to make major changes. Unfortunately, due to high turnovers of administrative officers, presidents and other administrative personnel are expected to create fast results in a short time span. This often alienates the faculty and other stakeholders (i.e. alumni) in the institution. The swift decision-making causes tension, and the head of the institution is often seen as the reason for the political unrest.

The president, or other chief academic officer, is removed, and another administrative officer is appointed to often face the same fate. Then, the new president will often remove chief administrators to create his own support team. This creates a vicious cycle of anxiety and instability that perpetuates over time frequently resulting in a poor university reputation. Background of Issue Politics have always been a major entity in the southern United States, especially in Louisiana. People in positions of political power have always taken care of other people who hold other political positions of power. "I'll scratch your back, if you scratch mine" can be a major political motto for the South.

Challenging political power can often mean political ruin, if you do not possess enough political clout. Nowhere is this more evident than in universities and colleges. In the southern United States, as in many states around the country, universities and colleges are big business, because they bring exposure and attention to the state, and region where the college or university is located. Nowhere is this more evident then at historically black colleges and universities (HBCU's). HBCU's are one of the few industries open to minorities. It is widely accepted that minorities can excel politically, and financially at HBCU's because it is an industry that is often self-supported by people within the system; therefore, the competition for jobs and placement against white counterparts is virtually non-existent.

One of the major HBCU's in Louisiana is Southern University. It the largest HBCU in the country, due largely in part, to its open admission policy. As long as you have taken the ACT, and graduated from high school, you can attend a 4-year college in the state of Louisiana, Southern University. For those students who did not perform well in high school, this college is a great opportunity for minority students to get an education. Southern University is its own political system with three campuses- Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport and its total student population is well over ten thousand. Also, Southern University is one of the oldest HBCU's in southern Louisiana.

It was founded in the late 1800's, and was presented as one of the only options for black people to go to college at that time. Therefore, there is a legacy of southern middle class African-Americans who repeatedly send their children to Southern University. Also, it is the only public HBCU in the New Orleans area, so it is more affordable to the average student. Southern University's open admission policy, reputation, and affordability make this university a major political powerhouse in southern Louisiana. Dr. Andrea Green- Jefferson was appointed to the position of Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs in 1998 at SUNO under the direction of Dr. Gerald Peoples who was the chancellor at the time of the appointment. In 2001, Dr. Andrea Green-Jefferson was removed from her posit ion as the Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs at SUNO.

Her initial selection drew controversy from faculty leaders on SUNOs campus, notably faculty senate president, Mr. Bill Stewart. He led a protest against Dr. Jefferson's appointment. The protesters' issues with the selection included her lack of experience, and her conflict of interest (she was a member of the governing board). However, some of the previous positions Dr. Jefferson held included the Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs at SUNO, the director of financial aid at SUNO, assistant professor, and Coordinator of Off-Campus Courses at Grambling State University. She also resigned from her board seat before formally accepting the Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs position at SUNO. Dr. Jefferson's response was that she received a lot of political backlash because she was Congressman William "Bill" Jefferson's wife.

Subsequently, Dr. Jefferson accepted the position, and there was no further major uproar regarding the situation until Dr. Joseph Bouie was named chancellor in 2000. Dr. Joseph Bouie was formerly a professor in the social work department before being named chancellor of SUNO. Dr. Bouie was appointed, and under pressure due to SUNO's move from being an open-enrollment institution, to a selective admissions institution. He also had to respond to the demand to gain national accreditation for SUNOs educational program. In June 2001, Dr. Bouie's position was that he wanted to install his own administrative team; therefore, he recommended the removal of four administrators from their positions including Dr. Andrea Green Jefferson. The other administrators were operating in the College of Education; Dr. Jefferson was the only other administrator who was not.

Once recommended for termination, the university's policy is to demote the administrators to faculty positions. According to Leon Tarver, Southern University system president, school procedure is if an administrator had been working for two years, then they are granted one year in a faculty position. If they had been working for one year, then they are granted one semester in a faculty position. Dr. Jefferson immediately began to fight the demotion.

Dr. Jefferson claimed that she was a victim of "whistle-blower" action, and that she had no right to be demoted. Dr. Jefferson asserted that Dr. Bouie inflated mismanaged funds, and she accused Dr. Bouie of gender discrimination. Her argument was that she attempted to expose this, and she was demoted. Dr. Jefferson stated that her demotion was due to retaliation for exposing Dr. Bouie. Dr. Jefferson filed a lawsuit contesting her removal, and the board's attention then shifted from Dr. Jefferson to Dr. Bouie. The board did agree with Dr. Bouie's rights to dismiss any administrator he saw fit, regardless of performance; however, they found some merit with Dr. Jefferson's findings.

In January 2002, the Southern University Board of Supervisors voted overwhelmingly to fire Dr. Bouie. Their reasoning stemmed from a legislative audit that included financial mismanagement. Dr. Bouie accused Dr. Jefferson of being behind her termination. Her spokesperson said that those allegations were ridiculous because if she had enough power to get someone fired, then why could she not keep her own job? Next, in June of 2002, the Board of Supervisors named a chancellor without holding a formal search.

The board named the interim chancellor, Dr. Press Robinson, as the new chancellor of Southern University of New Orleans. Meanwhile, Dr. Bouie filed a lawsuit against the Southern University Board of Supervisors claiming that he was illegally fired. Dr. Bouie claimed that members of the board met during a closed meeting and conspired to fire him. Dr. Bouie claimed that the board's actions were a violation of Louisiana's Open Meetings Law, and violated his rights as an employee. However, a spokesperson for the board stated that Dr. Bouie was an at-will employee, and could be dismissed without a reason. Finally, Dr. Jefferson's lawsuit was settled in May of 2003.

Dr. Jefferson received a newly created post of assistant vice president for the development of the Southern University system, and she received a $50,000 settlement. Dr. Bouie has returned to his former position as a professor of social work at SUNO. Description / Assessment of the Database My procedures to collect information were largely literature-based. I received my information from The Chronicle of Higher Education. I received my information from Black Issues in Higher Education. I also received information from the AGB Statement on Institutional Governance, and the AAUP Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities.

I found the information to be extremely limited. My participants are no longer employed by the institution. Due to the high turnover rates at the school, many who were employed in 2001 are no longer employed at SUNO. Additionally, I did not find a Louisiana-wide "system" that stated the roles of the governing boards in evaluating and hiring. The Guidelines for Governing Boards in Employing and Evaluating Presidents or Other Administrative Heads of Institutions by the Higher Education Policy Commission gives general guidelines (i.e. a position announcement), but the specific terms of the guidelines are left up to the individual boards at the individual schools. I consulted the websites of SUNO, and Southern University at New Orleans to find additional information, and there was nothing posted.

Major Findings / Interpretations As a result of my research, I was able to come up with a cast of characters using my actors. I was able to list their role, and motives for their actions. Dr. Andrea Green-Jefferson was the protagonist. She is the former Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs at SUNO. Dr. Jefferson was a previous board member who has an inferred alliance with governing board. In reference to her cognitive style, Dr. Jefferson was prepared, and had a plan of action analyzed before action taken.

The inferred goal, or motive, was to get "revenge" on Dr. Bouie for firing her. If Dr. Jefferson is the protagonist, then Dr. Joseph Bouie would be the antagonist. He is the former president of SUNO, and a previous member of the faculty-senate. Dr. Bouie has an inferred alliance with Mr. Bill Stewart, and they were definitely aligned in an effort to oust Dr. Jefferson. An assessment of his cognitive style assumes that he was seemingly unprepared for the political action of the governing board. His goal, or motive, was clearly stated- to remove Dr. Jefferson regarding policy issues; however, his smokescreen action was firing Dr. Jefferson due to policy actions.

Another minuscule part in this cast goes to Mr. Bill Stewart. Mr. Stewart is the faculty senate president at SUNO. He represented a group of influential people at SUNO, and Dr. Bouie was once a member of this group. Dr. Bouie had an inferred alliance with Dr. Bouie. He was a resister of Dr Jefferson, and a supporter of Dr. Bouie. Conclusions and Implications From this study, I learned that the board is not the ultimate authority of the institution, because it can be challenged.

If an entity had the ultimate power over the institution, then under no circumstances could it be challenged. It will take a great deal of political power to challenge a board; however, with enough diplomatic influence, anyone can challenge the board. This is a huge threat to institutional autonomy because if anyone with enough clout can challenge the ultimate governing body, then the university or college's ability to self-govern will always be compromised. Challenging authority can be a good thing, because all final regulations should always have a loophole to protect innocent parties. On the other hand, if all final decrees can be disputed, then no institution can truly be autonomous.

I have come to the conclusion that the board does not hold the final authority on all university matters; therefore, no university is truly autonomous. Sources Cited Louisiana open meetings law. Louisiana Administrative Law. Statement on government of colleges and universities, American Association of University Professors: 7. (1998). AGB statement on institutional governance, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges: 12.

(2001). Southern university system president backs firing of congressman's wife. Black Issues in Higher Education: 2. (2003). University settles suit with congressman's wife. Guidelines for governing boards in employing and evaluating presidents or other administrative heads of institutions: 5.

Basinger, J. (2004). 'Florida A & M fires its president, citing 2 years of missteps, mismanagement, and miscalculation. ' The Chronicle of Higher Education: 4. Ber dahl, R.O. a. T.R.M. (1999).

American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges. Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press. Dyer, S. (2001). 'He said, she said's tips controversy at southern university's new orleans campus. Black Issues in Higher Education: 3. Dyer, S. (2002).

Southern university chancellor fires congressman's wife. Dyer, S. (2002). SUNO controversy moves from boardroom to courtroom. Dyer, S. (2002). SUNO board forgoes search, appoints new chancellor.

Schmidt, P. (2001). Fight brews over southern u. chancellor's drive to oust top aide, the wife of a congressman. Schmidt, P. (2002). Southern u. board fires chancellor of new orleans campus. Chronicle of Higher Education: 3.