In Tuesday's inaugural address, President Barack Obama confronted Americans with a stark and unambiguous diagnosis of the times: "That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood," Obama said. "Our nation is at war ... Our economy is badly weakened ... Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many."
The president, through both his tone and his diction, demonstrated a clear consciousness of his own mandate, calling for action "bold and swift." Catapulted to office on a platform of "change," Obama has been charged with taking decisive steps to remedy the nation's problems.
For us at Dartmouth, the discussion of an executive's role in effecting immediate and positive change has rarely been more pertinent. In preparing ourselves for the arrival of our 17th College president, we must acknowledge that Dartmouth, like the nation, needs a firm hand to adjust its course. While the country's recent years have been tarnished by mismanaged wars and ineffective economic policies, the College's have been marred by alumni lawsuits and failed attempts to revamp campus social life. While millions of Americans are currently watching their bank accounts and portfolios disappear, the value of our endowment -- and with it, the quality of our college experience -- continues to drop.
The parallels between our situation here in Hanover and that of the United States at large are undeniable: both the country and the College may be at risk of losing their primacy.
In his address, Obama spoke of "a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights." So too at Dartmouth, we are scared that we may no longer be the top-tier institution we once were -- relative mediocrity seems to loom on the horizon. Our name recognition pales in comparison to that of our peer institutions, and in this year's U.S News and World Report college rankings we failed even to make the top 10. While improving a College's rankings should not drive administrative policy, clearly something needs to change.
The College is by no means doomed -- and neither is our nation. But, if we hope to begin a new and more promising chapter in Dartmouth's story, we will need the help of a leader who will make aggressive, perhaps even unprecedented, moves in order to reverse our negative inertia, as President Obama himself has pledged to do.
We respect the work that College President James Wright has done during his tenure, and we believe that he deserves praise for his leadership. Nevertheless, we also believe that the health and longevity of the College are contingent upon the selection of a more progressive leader. Like the nation, we in Hanover are in need of change.
