For the last few years, Dartmouth's public relations office has acted as one might expect a company under attack to act: super-positive. Faced with an attempt at a hostile takeover of the Board, Dartmouth rolled out Ask Dartmouth, its public relations vehicle masked as a question-and-answer section. Ask Dartmouth typifies the approach that has been taken throughout the controversy over the Board: We welcome your questions, but our answers will be scripted, stilted and always positive. For example, Ask Dartmouth discusses how the 1999 Student Life Initiative was a tool aimed to strengthen the Greek system. It wasn't.
In a sense, Dartmouth's rosy approach was understandable. The administration and the Board were subject to an odd system in which they reported to ex-College affiliates (alumni). Those ex-students started making accusations, and the current leadership could talk about nothing but what's great about the College.
Since the Board has taken the appropriate action to ensure that alumni do not run the College, the Board and its employees in the administration no longer need to play the everything-is-great game. Now nobody will overthrow the chairman and, it seems, nobody will overthrow the president of the College.
With their newfound job security, it's now time for Board Chairman Ed Haldeman '70 and College President James Wright to lead the way in Dartmouth's ideals of inquiry and debate, communicating frankly to the Dartmouth community about the future of the College. It was truly disappointing to see the chairman sidestep the reason for his Board's historic and admirable action. We all know the Board did not add eight seats in order to increase alumni involvement.
Such a task of straightforward discussion should not be particularly difficult for the College's leadership. The College is in fact in great shape. But there is always room for improvement, in terms of financial aid, admissions, faculty quality and class size. Even when Dartmouth is thriving, those that lead it should push it, not pat it on the back.
