From Rachel Toor
This week, I had to yell at respectfully push back on a handful of well-intentioned former presidents (whom I adore) who want, like the elephants in the San Diego Zoo, to form a circle of protection to shield the youngsters from the earthquakes we’re all feeling. That instinct is not only understandable, it’s commendable.
Less commendable are those who led in a different time and—if we’re being honest, are kind of responsible for the mess we now find ourselves in—publicly second-guess and excoriate their successors.
When I pointed out that if you haven’t been in the job recently, you might not know what it’s like, some recent formers replied, “Hey, I lived through COVID times. Those old folks know nothing.”
Dude! I said. You weren’t president after Oct. 7, 2023. You might know just as little about what they’re facing now. Please stop talking about what you would have done in the good old days.
Everyone wants to help. Better, perhaps, to ask people what they need before rushing in to save the day.
Here’s what some current leaders have said they need from formers:
- “What I need from former presidents is to stop opining publicly about what colleges and presidents should do. They haven’t led through this moment, and it’s unproductive for them to serve as backseat drivers. The only proper response is to affirm support for the current leadership and affection for the community they used to lead. I need the college’s donors, alumni, and elected officials supporting the current leadership and vision—not holding onto old allegiances and nostalgic memories about how things used to be in the before times.”
- “Most of us are frustrated to be lumped in with the elite R-1s. We make a difference in the lives of our students. We strengthen our local and regional communities. We’re teaching in local prisons, working with nonprofits, and bolstering infrastructure. We’re also major employers. But those stories aren’t getting into the mainstream media.”
- “What I need is a promise of mutual aid and money when we’re cut off from funds. What we don’t need is criticism for not shouting loud enough.”
Let’s also think about who else isn’t speaking up.
Where are the decent, brave board members with real-world clout?
Where are the legislators who benefit from the economic boost higher ed institutions give their communities?
Where are the leaders of ed-adjacent companies making bank off our labor?
Where are the first-gen-college millionaires who know what their degrees did for them?
Where are the deeply principled billionaire women (Melinda! MacKenzie!) who understand that higher ed isn’t a melting pot—it’s a gorgeous mosaic?
We’re all limping toward the end of the academic year. I know presidents are exhausted, sad, and doing what they can to keep everyone else's morale from sinking further.
AAC&U did a solid by bringing together a long list of leaders (who felt safe enough) to sign a statement. But who’s going to organize the next act—getting everyone to drop their school pom-poms and work together to save the entire ecosystem of nearly 4,000 institutions that make up higher ed? If Harvard is the beaten puppy we're all rallying behind, we are truly through the looking glass.
Reach out if you have ideas that might actually be useful. Give me your wackiest, most revolutionary thoughts (I have some I'll share). Also reach out if you just need to tell someone you're sad and tired.
Maybe the best thing I can do right now is share this honest and humble message from a former.
