You asked for it, we give it to you.

Statement Issued by a college's Board of Trustees September 11, 2006

The Board of Trustees is very concerned about the communication issues, and the resulting level of distrust, that have emerged at the college over the last several months.

The college has long been an institution that prided itself on having a climate that fostered open dialog and mutual trust. We have not always agreed on every issue, and sometimes difficult decisions have been made, but we have respected and trusted each other.

Over the last several months, however, we have experienced mounting anxiety and distrust in the college community. At times, the level of rhetoric has risen too high. At other times, decisions have been made without providing opportunities for feedback through the governance system.

As the elected leaders of the college, the members of the Board of Trustees have no higher priority than addressing the current campus climate issues. Toward that end, we wish to speak to several points.

We recognize that ultimately decisions must be made by those responsible for them. However, providing broad-based opportunities for feedback through the governance system is one of the college's most deeply held values. Using the governance system as intended helps build understanding of issues and helps ensure that the best ideas surface. The Board is unequivocally committed to the governance system and processes.

Likewise, we are committed to treating our employees fairly. We are aware that concerns have arisen over the processes for administrative evaluation and contract renewal. We are reviewing these processes, and we reaffirm the college's commitment to treating employees fairly while holding them accountable for their performance.

And given the current campus concerns, we wholeheartedly agree with the Faculty Senate, as does the president, that now is not the right time to engage in the previously announced strategic planning process. Our energies need to be focused on the important work of coming together again as a community.

We believe the president and the administration have had a role in escalating tensions at the college, and we are directing them to immediately begin taking steps to rebuild the level of trust and collegiality by actively seeking feedback on issues through the governance system, respecting differences of opinion and listening to ideas with truly open minds.

At the same time, we call upon all employee groups - faculty, administrators, specialist and classified - also to be open-minded and willing to make a fresh start. We know that re-establishing the climate of trust and collaboration that we all want will not occur overnight. It will take all of us being willing to step outside our comfort zones, and it will require changes in behavior and actions over time. But if we are truly open to talking and really listening to each other, we can become an even stronger community. Please join us in that effort.

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In reality, all employee groups did not receive this email. All employee and governance groups were not mentioned in this email. As there is more than one governing body set up at that college, and one of those bodies is the Student Governance body, this is reprinted here to cover those forgotten comrades.

Shame on whomever sent this on the board's behalf, forgetting the most important groups that make this college exist and function: The students and the Temps.

The board, however, must be supremely congratulated for this message.

I only hope, as I cannot command, that this message in its entirety, as printed here above the dashed marker line, is equally disseminated to the print press and the main college Website (as few more important issues are sometimes not - as in the September 13th deadline, instead we have to see it only printed in the School Newspaper, 2 days after the deadline!).

One key point buried in the above announcement is that of emphasizing the governance approach to foster ideas. A good philosophy to latch onto is the gathering of ideas and then voting on the choice of highest merit (if the merit system is being used to judge the criteria), but governance is there primarily to air questions or concerns, comment, make decisions, and comment further, not primarily to come up with ideas or brainstorm, absolutely not. Brainstorming is just that, as the AQIP approach dictates.

The governance approach in idea making I call bad, on the flipside a brainstorming session is not the place to vote nor just "send the best of 3 to 5 ideas" up the flagpole to see who salutes, no. That is bullstorming, not brainstorming. All brainstormed ideas ("no idea is invalid") must find their way into council chambers for council members to deliberate over, and then vote upon the best choice.

And how about keeping everyone informed, surely a part of the message above? Well, to that end, what should have been properly delivered, has. Right here. You asked for it, we give it to you.
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Don't get too overly concerned by what I have done here. I rarely make this a habit, and no names have been mentioned (proving that I, too, can hold back).