editorially speaking

Ill-advised shake-up

George A. Drake has begun a very hope filled term as
Grinnell’s tenth president. To many, his more reserved and
judicial demeaner is seen as a pleasant contrast to the
manner of his predecessor.

Hopefully, Drake has carefully observed the Turner
presidency and will avoid mistakes that severely limited
Turner’s affectiveness. Hopefully.

But the recently announced administrative shake-up
ominously resembles one of Turner’s first big mistakes.
Drake has taken a system that has been functioning effec-
tively, and reshuffled the duties of various positions,
thereby eliminating two positions and creating one. The
change has also left two people without jobs.

When Turner announced his changes, he appealed to effi-
ciency and centralization. Drake appeals to neither. In
fact, he seems to be saying that Turner’s centralization
move was a bad thing to do.

Why? Because it created a potential conflict of interest in
the position of provost and dean of the college. But the im~
portant‘ work here is potential. Drake says that Walker has
done a “fine”job in the position~so apparently that poten-
tiality has not become an actuality.‘

But this is the main justification Drake gives for a move
that leaves two men jobless: a potential of a conflict of in-
terest. The additional argument that the job of dean as it is
now constituted is too much for one person is also weak. As
Walker points out, he’s been doing it for some time now.
Also, the way Drake has rearranged things, the work that
was done by three full-time employees will now be done by
two (or possibly two full- and onepart-timer) It seems
that now maybe two people will be overworked Maybe in
three more years we’ll have another reorganization. . .

But the change was ill-advised for several resons. First,
the shake-up created a feeling of confusion in a system that
had been working well. It also disrupts the programs and
policies that the various offices were working on.

The college is also losing two young, capable ad-
ministrators. Both Roger Koester and Ken Browning were
very dedicated to the college andvat least competent in
their performance. Also, there is no substantial reason for
what is, in effect, a demotion for Waldo Walker, He has
performed admirably and well in the combined posi-
tion~without any conflict of interest.

Finally, the change looks bad for the college. How many
capable college administrators will be dissuaded from ap-
plying for the position of dean of the faculty out of fear that
in three years the position may be gone'.7

Maybe George Drake had good‘reasons for his
reorganization. But so far, he has not presented those
reasons. Strong logic applied to objective facts is lacking.

This is only the beginning of the Drake presidency.
Hopefully, Drake’s future decisions will be better thought
,out than this one. George Drake seems to be an honest and
fair man. Undoubtedly, he has the best of intentions. The S
& B joins with other campus organizations in expressing
hope for a productive presidency.

Augusr 31 1979'

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