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This resource is available only to Insider members

The Sandbox newsletter is an exclusive benefit of our paid Insider membership. Insiders have access to a unique blend of exclusive data, analysis and emerging best practices. Explore the member benefits here.

March 15, 2025

The Presidential Princess: A DEI Story

Sometimes a leader can be overshadowed by someone with sharper claws.

By  Rachel Toor

The Sandbox

Inside Higher Ed Insider
Image of dog and cat

From Rachel Toor 

Greetings from Pandemic 2.0. Does anyone else feel like we’re back in the times when each day was Blursday, uncertainty was the only thing we could count on, and the proper response to every news story was Wait, what?

And yet, most higher ed leaders are soldiering on in the ways they did five years ago, working to keep communities safe and reassured even when there’s little solid information available. I know this because recently I felt the need to check in on some president friends.

Most said they were okay, holding on, doing their best. They reminded me (and perhaps themselves) that the task was to remain calm during this noisy time.

A few expressed concern for how this head-spinning period feels similar to COVID times, though what we are now experiencing is being inflicted by humans, not nature. Others pointed out a sad truth we all know: Current students have gotten a raw deal from the world.

And then I got this:

“I may write a piece on the hassle of getting a commencement speaker. We are ready for something a bit lighter, yes?”

Um, yes, friend. Yes, we most certainly are. 

🐈‍⬛

Dear Colleague,

Discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or species is illegal and morally reprehensible. When we launched this newsletter with the intention of supporting higher ed leaders and making visible their challenges, especially those who are often told they “don’t look like a president,” we included in every issue a statement of principles:

We believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe in access. We know the field isn’t level but think everyone should get to play—not just those with pedigrees and good breeding but also the scrappier ones who may have had a rougher start in life. This applies to institutions (community colleges as well as research universities), leaders (the Ivy-all-the-ways and those who came from less “traditional” backgrounds), and animal companions (we’re not speciest).

We stopped including the statement because we figured we’d just do the work to lift every voice and didn’t need to wave a rainbow flag to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion the values we know have made America great. We’ve kept the dog photos because we’re pro-mutt. (And, let’s be honest: Harry has rizz.)

We remain committed to bringing unfiltered opinions from accomplished leaders who do the work of guiding their campuses, even when they are dead wrong we don’t agree. This is a safe space for free expression.

To that end, and because, yes, we are ready for something lighter, we offer some uplifting thoughts from a president about his secret weapon. Though everyone knows cats are sociopathic assholes.

The writer is a current president.

After all the emphasis on canines in The Sandbox, is there no justice for our feline friends? My fur princess has been my best companion along my entire presidential journey, and, it turns out, she is more popular than I am on campus.

Years ago, when the search committee chair called to let me know that I was the sole finalist being advanced to the Board of Trustees for consideration, I was elated. My professional dream had come true, and I had to celebrate. I called my spouse. No answer. I called my sibling. No answer. I called my parents. No answer.

My kitty stayed by my side during the calls, so I said to her, “I think Daddy just landed his dream job. We are moving, and you are going to have a really big house to play in!”

But she did more than play. She became a partner in my presidency.

Three days after we moved in, she found a hole in the cabinetry upstairs in the presidential house and got stuck between the first and second floors. I called the physical plant team and said, “Hi, I’m the new guy. Any chance the cat could get stuck in the walls?” No. Not possible. Eager to impress the new president, the whole physical plant team showed up at the house to try to find the cat. Sure enough, she got herself stuck and it took four grown men to lure her out of the wall with treats.

The president’s house may seem like a big perk of the job—until you’ve actually lived in one. That first night, I awoke to a crunching noise. The cat was between my legs and was eating something. A bat. Today there have been 54 bats (that have actually come out of the walls) since we have been in the house. My feline hero has dispatched 51 of them.

Over time, her presence has grown. She was asked to write a column introducing herself to the readers of the institution’s magazine. Her “voice” is like a Southern version of Violet Crawley from Downton Abbey [Ed’s notes: Good thing she wasn’t Lady Whistledown!], and her musings quickly became a hit. She now writes for each issue, which is a bit challenging, since her days all seem to be quite the same.

At first, she didn’t like crowds and would stay away from events hosted in the house. But when I stood on the lower landing of a staircase to give remarks, she would hear my voice, think that we were alone, parade down the stairs in grand fashion, make some rounds to ensure that all had seen her, and head back up. Now she is perfectly fine with the crowds, but I do have to remind attendees that she is a cat and doesn’t always know where playing ends and hurting people begins. So, pet at your own risk! [Ed’s note: &%^# cats! Sociopathy!]

Of course, the calls to see her have always been quite loud. During the pandemic, I had to bring her onto Zoom calls. She never wanted to participate when I wanted her to but somehow always did when I didn’t. [Ed’s note: Cats are still the best part of Zoom.] We would take her to the Blessing of the Animals, but had to bring her in late to the ceremony because she regards herself as above the others. We even bought a stroller so she could be seen a little more regularly, lengthening our many walks around campus. [Ed’s note: OMG! Cat people!]

My cat’s impact on my presidency has been as significant as it was unexpected. Students long to be around her. Donors have given gifts in her honor (and one even sent her personalized letterhead after she complained in her thank-you note to the donor that she was writing on her dad’s letterhead because I wouldn’t get her any of her own).

But most importantly, she is the one constant when I come home at the end of the day. She can tell if it was a bad day and will spend every minute trying to make me feel better. It seems even she knows how hard this job can be.

https://bit.ly/4iXGRuN

Want to advertise here?

If a friend forwards this to you (thanks, friends) please consider joining and supporting IHE’s free journalism.

All previous issues of The Sandbox are available here. Note: No cats, no matter how assholic and dog-taunting, were harmed in the production of this newsletter.

Dog staring at cat
JOIN TODAY

The Sandbox

Not your typical weekly newsletter. This is a space where presidents and chancellors can say what they really think without fear. Everyone is welcome to read, but only those who have been in the top job can submit to us. The Sandbox, by Rachel Toor, is an exclusive benefit of our paid Insider membership program.

 

 

The Sandbox Archive

‘Disruptive Without Being Destructive’

May 24, 2025

Letters From Presidents to Higher Ed Critics

May 17, 2025

‘President Resigns Abruptly’

May 10, 2025

‘A Council of Sheriffs’ and Other Ideas to Help Save Higher Ed

May 3, 2025

Former Presidents Are Eager to Step Up

April 26, 2025
View All
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