Editorial: Delay candidate visits

Staff Editorial
Dec. 9, 2004, Page 8

Ah, Interterm.
A time for trips to exotic locales on educational expeditions.
A time for students and professors to explore interesting topics more thoroughly.
A time for campus visits?
Obviously, January is not a prime example of typical Doane College life and most people considering spending a large amount of time here would not visit then.
This is apparently not true for the four candidates for Doane College president.
These four candidates will visit Doane during January Interterm, a time when many Doane students and professors aren’t even on campus, much less contributing to a picture of normal life at Doane.
To those who made the decision to have the presidential hopefuls visit then: What were you thinking?
How can you possibly expect these people to get a feel for Doane when most of the Doane community isn’t even here?
Yes, they’ll be able to look at the landscaping, and see the many classrooms and computer labs and eat in the cafeteria.
But they won’t be able meet many of the people, both students and faculty, that they’ll have to deal with if they get the job.
Nor will students and faculty be able to meet with them and be able to get a feel for the people who will fast become the leader of this college.
This is like buying a pair of shoes without trying them on.
They may look nice and shiny and comfortable sitting there on the shelf, but you have no idea whether they fit you properly.
Yes, occasionally it works out and those shoes are the most comfortable things you’ve ever worn.
It is more likely, however, that those shoes will rub your heels, pinch you toes and make every step you take an agnoizing experience.
And since you can’t return a president like you can a pair of shoes, you must make sure that the president hired is the best one for the job.
That includes making sure that the candidates experience Doane as it truly is.
So why the rush?
Delay the visits until spring semester, when things get back to normal, and everyone can make sure that the person who is both the best for the job and fits well with Doane is chosen.
Otherwise, you might as well just write the candidates’ names on pieces of paper and draw one from a hat.
The results will be the same either way.