Campus still has a big disconnect

The Higher Learning Commission evaluation team has come and gone, and preliminary findings are positive.

And while the HLC recommended Missouri Southern submit a progress report on strategic planning in two years, the consultants were reportedly satisfied with progress made on shared governance.

University President Bruce Speck and the Board of Governors will use this as evidence that efforts made during the last three years have paid off, and that there is no longer an issue with shared governance.

Indeed, Speck said "it is especially gratifying that the HLC team recognized all of the progress on shared governance," in a release issued by the University.

It is clear to us, however, that a great disconnect remains.

One need look no further than the recent faculty survey for proof.

More than 50 percent of faculty who responded disagreed that the University has a climate allowing free expression of views that differ from those of administrators.

Approximately 60 percent disagreed that Southern has a clear vision for the future, and around 50 perent disagreed that the University is headed in the right direction.

The most alarming results, however, were from questions regarding Speck and the Board.

More than 60 percent disagreed that Speck values faculty, and approximately 62 percent disagreed that Speck seeks faculty input on decisions that will affect faculty. Around 65 percent disagreed that Speck communicates effectively with faculty

Approximately 56 percent disagreed that the Board values faculty, and 62 percent disagreed that the Governors seek input from faculty for decisions affecting faculty. Finally, 64 percent disagreed that the Board communicates effectively with faculty.

What do these numbers tell us?

No matter what the HLC team reports on shared governance, problems remain.

No matter what Speck says about improvements with faculty, it clearly hasn't been enough.

No matter what the Board says about the atmosphere at Southern and Speck's performance, they're either ignoring the facts or just not getting it.

It's too early to say the evaluators were wrong.

But it has us wondering: did the HLC consultants just wear rose-colored glasses during their visit?