“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.”

—  Abraham Lincoln  —

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Diversified Access – The student newspaper on the campus of Southern Illinois University, The Daily Egyptian, posted an editorial last week regarding the favored treatment of freshmen over transfer students regarding scholarships.  I concur with Kayli Plotner that more opportunities for financial aid should be granted to transfer students. The inertia to treat new students as prized citizens of the university is well intended but out of date. Diminished financial aid opportunities for transfer students come from within the university.  The tradition, bordering on arrogance, that community college students are inferior is unfounded.  Institutions that graduate half their students on time should use the looking glass to see incapability.  The face of reality is that transfer students, who have completed an Associate’s degree, graduate on time at a rate greater than native freshmen students.

Walter V. Wendler

Opening doors of support to students who have demonstrated the capacity for college-level work through the attainment of a two-year degree deserves greater attention from within the university community. According to the Chancellor’s office of the California Community Colleges, “Transfer students from the California Community Colleges to the University of California system currently account for 48 percent of UC’s bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.”

New Ideas – The Evolllution: Illuminating the Lifelong Learning Movement, (sic) identified “The Top Five Roadblocks to Innovation in Higher Ed” in a post by Mike Scheuermann of Drexel University last week.  The lack of funding is driving institutions away from innovation, not towards it, he says. Universities seem to fear change.  Silos exist; guardedness stunts collaboration and people incongruously believe that something new will automatically bring innovation.

Distance education, reduced time to degrees, integrated community college articulation for seamless transfer,  transparency in degree value, employment potential and borrowing, weekend programs, and a host of other not so new, but very powerful ideas could help transform universities and simultaneously strengthen academic values. But, unfortunately, too many insiders find too many excuses to sustain business as usual, without regard for institutional ability to offer cogent educational opportunities to students. Again, we can’t blame bankers or politicians for this unfortunate circumstance. Rather, university personnel create resistance to change.

Multiple Approaches – Last week, the Huffington Post posted a report, “Fixing Higher Education Requires a Diversity of Assessments and Reforms.”  A group of faculty at Brevard College suggested adherence to the traditions of the university has not produced desired results:  11% of business leaders and 14% of the broader population “strongly agree” that graduates are well prepared for employment. Universities are failing at the most basic level — outsiders and insiders know it.  If the university was either a well-run business or a well-run academic organization, this would not be the case.

Regrettably, many campuses fear change even in the incremental manner suggested in the three scenarios above.  We should have liberty rather than hide-bound traditions regarding college students and their aspirations that haven’t existed in decades.   Insiders should embrace thoughtful, incremental change lest they become Lincoln’s “authors and finishers.”

These three forces — access, innovation, and diversity of approaches — suggest that a radical change is neither proposed nor needed. Rather approaches addressing the changing nature of our students, and the rising costs of our services, their necessity and value should be sought.   Tradition, in this case, chokes institutional purpose and life.

Our universities should heed young Lincoln’s wise counsel.  Pogo Possum did, and noted, “I have seen the enemy and he is us.”

Joeann Dardeen remembered me when I called this week. I had bumped my head on a hanging light in her kitchen during our last visit and she still recalled it more than 16 years later.

Here’s the column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Political leadership reflects the dreams and nightmares of the electorate. Voter-sanctioned tolerance and expectations percolate into public leaders of every strain, including university presidents. For university leaders, moral authority or its lack, settles into the hearts, minds and souls of university students. And then some of those students become political leaders.

“I have a strong belief, nurtured no doubt by my own prejudices, that the central person in exercising moral leadership for the life and prosperity of any academic institution must be its president.”

— Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, STD, President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame  —
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The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, reported the findings of a February poll — Illinois voters perceive “political corruption is the norm for both federal and state governments…”  It is a sad epidemic. At the state level, 53% believe corruption is very common.

Walter V. Wendler

Political leaders gather moral authority and ethical perspective at home, in houses of worship, in schools and at universities.  Ethical perspectives permeate all of us and are evidenced in behavior.  In Illinois, the now imprisoned Rod Blagojevich instituted an ethics test for all state employees.  He passed it.  He wanted test-proven moral leadership.  Evidently, behaviors carry more weight than test scores.
High ethical standards of elected officials are reflected in university leadership.  Conversely, moral bankruptcy begets moral bankruptcy.  Students are simmered in the university’s leadership broth, and truthfulness or disingenuousness boils out.  President Hesburgh was right.

Examples of ethically bereft university leadership abound.

At Chicago State University, “James Crowley, the university’s former senior legal counsel, had been awarded $2 million in punitive damages and $480,000 in back pay after a jury decided last month that he was fired in retaliation for reporting alleged misconduct by university president Wayne Watson and other top officials,”  according to the Chicago Tribune. Does this indicate guilt on anyone’s part?  At its absolute best, it looks terrible.
The University of Illinois’ former President Joe White and Chancellor of the flagship campus, Richard Herman, stepped away from their respective positions amid charges of politically motivated admissions favoritism. The next president, Michael Hogan, oversaw a brief and rocky tenure with a number of charges levied against him and his senior staff. True or not, who knows?  It certainly does not look good.

Illinois State University President Timothy Flanagan recently resigned after a term of seven months with a buyout package of $500,000 seemingly brought about by inappropriate behavior, according to the Chicago Tribune.  Right or wrong? Can’t say.
And, to our collective misfortune, there are many more examples in and out of state.

A 2011 Chronicle of Higher Education story, “How Educated are State Legislators,” by Scott Smallwood and Alex Richards, reports on the educational achievement of political leaders.  Through first-hand experience at universities, they learn about decision-making and leadership ethics. The vast majority of elected officials, 7,400 state lawmakers nationwide, attended public colleges and universities. Of the 535 U.S. Congressmen, only four have no higher education, three quarters of the U.S. senators have advanced degrees and half of them studied law.

The Chronicle reported the majority of the state legislators attended in-state universities, crystallized with this observation, “Overall, 75% of the state legislators who have gone to college have attended at least one institution in their home state.”

University leaders set ethical frameworks in every aspect of a free society including the statehouse. In case after case, the fingerprints of legislative processes are on university affairs.  If those machinations are corrupt, or even believed to be so, university leaders are accessories to malfeasance.
Expectations too high?  Not when presidents are the most highly compensated state employees in every state in the nation except for major sport coaches.   The public owns the right to high aspirations from university leaders. They pay for it.

President Hesburgh understood the mantle of leadership.  No one has more impact on university life, and therefore students, and therefore the hope and future of the republic than the president. Even a whiff of unethical behavior is offensive.  When a president hires a son or friend of a friend, pilfers intellectual property, influences scholarships or admissions for kin or supplicant, grants a contract to a political supporter or in any way does anything that undermines the impact of academic accomplishment and integrity, the institution is compromised — corrupted.
And the levy is the highest of all: diminished reputation.

The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll, unfortunately, reflects people’s perceptions.  Presumed corruption is commonplace.
Students vote too — with their feet — and they have options.  The fortunate can select a private institution.  Some choose to leave the state, creating a negative impact on the state’s economy and the perceived quality of its universities. Students and families may see the infection of corruption from the statehouse into the schoolhouse, or vice versa, and say, “To hell with the whole mess.”

Not a good choice in the lot.  Our universities must do better in exercising moral authority and ethical responsibility in leadership.   Reverend Hesburgh, even with his “own prejudices,” was right in his conviction.

Too often we lose touch with the concept of locus of control, personal responsibility and accountability, and the power of individuals to effect positive change.   As educators, when we transfer this mentality of helplessness to students we do disservice.
“The dream doesn’t lie in victimization or blame; it lies in hard work, determination and a good education.”

— Alphonso Jackson —

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By Walter V. Wendler

In any organization, when times are tough, there is a natural tendency for people to find someone, or something, to blame.  I used to work with a fellow who taught juniors.  He complained constantly about the quality of the work of his students, and claimed that the students were not prepared for what he was asking them to do.

Walter V. Wendler

He blamed the faculty who taught in the freshman and sophomore years as well as the students themselves.

There is an old story about a high school teacher who blamed a student’s poor performance on the junior high school teachers, who blamed it on the grade school teachers, who blamed it on the boy’s parents. The principal went to talk to the student’s mother.  She blamed the father.  When the principal visited the father he claimed he was not sure it was his child, so it couldn’t be his fault.

Blame, like water, is welded to the first law of plumbing.

And it goes the other way.  The professor may blame his department chair for a lack of support to be able to accomplish desired ends.  The department chair may blame the dean, the dean the provost, the provost the president, the president, if she is smart and wants to keep her job, skips the board and goes straight to the state, the state blames the party for a lack of bipartisanship or the federal government, and they in turn blame circumstances, previous administrations and the world economy.

Blame, like dross and slag, rises to the top.

Current events make it easy for universities to blame the states that are supposed to support them.  The University leaders ask, “Why do you forsake us?” And it is true; states are not supporting universities the way that they used to.  Maybe universities are not educating the way they used to.
Leadership cannot necessarily change circumstances but can change an organization in response to them.

This is not to suggest that parents are not responsible for their children’s education, or that faculty are not correct in identifying a lack of support from above as problematic. But, circumstances are circumstances and the positive response to any and all will make the institution stronger and better, no matter how dire they appear.

Leadership deals with a challenging environment at two levels.

First, leadership must take immediate action to deal with the difficulty faced, as serious problems don’t disappear over time, they fester and worsen.  Secondly, and of greater importance, leadership must deal with the long term implication of the current crisis with a responsive plan for the future. For example, if the university is too dependent on state funding, find alternatives.

The public bucket is completely empty in a dozen states and, even more troubling, without a bottom in nearly again that many.  Hank Williams Jr. memorialized the problem, “My bucket’s got a hole in it, and I can’t buy no beer.”

Blame the old pots and pails or find some new ones: leadership chooses.

Correct choices will make things happen and the university will be master of its own fate, no matter how challenging the times are.  Or the university will be a victim of circumstance.  It is like no other state agency or public entity; its mission and purpose are absolutely unique.

Can you imagine a warden writing to ex-convicts and asking them to send money to help build a new library, or a gym?  Or, can you expect elected officials to applaud an organization with an athletics coach who makes 10 or 20 times the annual salary of a faculty member or an elected official?
One of the jobs of our universities should be to find, in abundance and adversity, opportunity for excellence through deliberate action in response to mission.  And let our students see it.

For as long as I can remember I have been an avid news junkie, a voracious newspaper reader and in recent years I spend many hours weekly reading online news sources.

Local, state, federal or world news – it doesn’t matter – I’ve always religiously followed what’s happening, many times following stories from other regions that have no actual bearing on me or my life.

Several years ago I recall my dad telling me that he quit watching the evening news on television because it made him mad, frustrated and many times nervous. Perhaps it’s an age-thing – or maybe it’s just another example that I’m turning into my dad – but I understand more and more what he meant. While I don’t see me ever giving up following the news I also have those same feelings more and more these days.

Many times as a columnist I will take two two story-lines and attempt to turn them into a single thought. Such is the case today.

The first is out of Springfield, Missouri but really could be from Anytown, USA. Sadly, I guess it’s just another tragic example of life in the 21^st Century.

On Feb. 19 Hailey Owens, a 10-year-old fourth-grader, was walking home from a friend’s house after school when she was abducted in broad daylight. She was two blocks from her home. Neighbors watched in horror as she was dragged into a gold-colored Ford Ranger pickup truck. One neighbor even gave chase but lost the vehicle.

Hailey Owens

A few hours later police arrested Craig Michael Wood, 45, a middle school teacher’s aide and football coach. Wood was driving a gold-colored Ford Ranger. When authorities gained access to his home they found Hailey’s body stuffed in trash bags and inside a large plastic container. She had been raped and shot in the head. There was still wet bleach on the basement floor from an attempt to clean up the murder scene. More than a dozen guns and child pornography was also found in the subsequent search. Wood was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and armed criminal action in Hailey’s death. He is being held without bond in Greene County Jail. In his initial court appearance he pleaded not guilty. Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson said he was considering pursuing the death penalty for Wood. Hailey was buried Feb. 26.

The second story, also out of Missouri, involves an execution earlier this week when Michael Taylor died by lethal injection 25 years after he abducted 15-year-old Ann Harrison while she was waiting for a school bus. She was raped and then stuffed in the trunk of a car where she was stabbed to death. Taylor admitted to the crime, saying that it was fueled by crack cocaine.

The story went on to note that attorneys for Taylor, through the years, had launched a string of appeals that had allowed him to remain on Death Row for a quarter of a century. The final appeal that was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court, asserted that the drugs used for lethal injection could subject Taylor to a “slow and tortuous death.”

As I read the story about Taylor’s 25 years on Death Row, I thought of 10-year-old Hailey Owens and the man accused of ending her young life – Craig Michael Wood. And as I stewed about my feelings – feelings about worthless appeals that allow child killers to languish in prison, children being raped and murdered and the pure evil that exists in the world — I thought of a line from one of my favorite movies, “Unforgiven” where Clint Eastwood talked about killing another person.

“It’s a helluva thing, killing somebody,” Eastwood’s character the murderous William Munney said. “You take away all they’ve got … and all they’re ever going to have.”

‘ … all they’ve got … and all they’re ever going to have.’

Let’s take that line and look at Hailey Owens young life that was snuffed out by a pedophile.

Hailey was forever taken away from her parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, classmates and on and on and on. The second part of that movie line – ‘all they’re ever going to have’ is the saddest aspect. Clearly, police have the right guy, so Craig Michael Wood took away from Hailey the wonder of grade school, graduation from junior high, a first boyfriend, a first kiss, proms, football and basketball games, high school graduation, college, becoming a wife, a mother, enjoying a career and every other joy and accomplishment that would have been her life.

And the possibility that Wood could be on Death Row for 20-25 years is nothing short of repulsive to me. While we have the greatest judicial system in the world it is badly broken when confessed and convicted killers are allowed to live for decades after a jury finds them guilty. Can you imagine what that must be like for an already grief-stricken family? It’s salt in an open wound.

If it wasn’t so sad and tragic it would laughable that an attorney could file an appeal that drugs used for lethal injection would result in “cruel and tortuous death.”

Cruel and tortuous death? Seriously?

That particular appeal, which is becoming more and more popular these days in keeping murderers alive, is yet another example that we live in a world where the perpetrator is now the victim.

Just to set the record straight, a cruel and tortuous death is the way that Hailey Owens and Ann Harrison died.

When you read this several of us will have just returned from the Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference in Springfield. Some of the workshops that we will be attending are:  Farm Bill, Renewable Fuels Standard, Transportation & Infrastructure, Water Quality Issues, Trucking Regulations and many more.

Larry Miller, executive director Franklin County Farm Bureau

This is always a good conference to attend because these are some of the more important issues that our farmers are concerned about.

Speaking of Trucking Regulations – we will be having a seminar on Monday, March 3 at noon at the Farm Credit Service building in Mt. Vernon.  This is open to the public and lunch will be served at noon.  Kevin Rund will be able to answer any questions that you may have.  Please call the office at 435-3616 if you plan on attending this seminar so that we can plan on the amount of food to prepare.

Last week I discussed the many state wide benefits that are available to Franklin County Farm Bureau members and today I want to discuss the local member benefits.  The following businesses have some discount available to Franklin County members – must show a valid Franklin County Farm Bureau Membership Card –

Big O Farm & Garden – Thompsonville -5% of pet food
FB McAfoos – Benton – 15% off Kubota Logo merchandise
Benton Dairy Queen – Benton- $1.00 off Royal Treat $1.00 off round of mini-golf
Extreme Auto – Benton – free detail with service work of $300 or more
The Weeping Willow – Benton – 15% off $35 purchase
West Frankfort Bowl – West Frankfort – free drink with purchase of meal of free shoe rental
Fast Truck & Trailer – Benton – proudly supporting Franklin County Farm Bureau
Rhino Linings of Southern Illinois – Benton – 10% off Rhino and accessories
Martin’s Restaurant – Benton free drink with $5.00 purchase
Stark’s Total Fitness & Tanning – Benton – one month free of unlimited classes with new membership and any new tanning package get 50% off lotion
Four Season’s Ace Hardware – Benton – 10% discount on entire purchase of $50 or more
Earth Works – West Frankfort – 10% off any rock, mulch, flowers, plants or trees
Christopher Subway – Christopher – buy one 6” mealt @ regular price get 6” sub for $.99
Concepte of Illinois – Benton – for all your computer needs
Rend Lake Marine – Rend City Road – 10% off week day boat rental (no holidays)
Leedle Houme Bees – Mulkeytown – 10% off on honey
Benton Lawn & Garden – Benton – 5% off on parts & labor
The Wild Trillium – Benton – items from local artisans
Benton Save A Lot – Benton – stop in for weekly specials

The Rural Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program offered by Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) does double duty. How so? It helps out nurses and it helps out rural healthcare. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Twenty percent of the U.S. population live in rural areas, but only nine percent of physicians practice there. The Rural Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program (RNPSP), now in its twenty-second year, supports nurses who want to become nurse practitioners and serve in rural communities.

There will be five scholarships, worth $4,000 each, granted this year to nurse practitioner students who agree to practice for two years in an approved rural area in Illinois. The program is sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau and the illinois State Medical Society.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be Illinois residents and be a Registered Nurse accepted or enrolled in an accredited Nurse Practitioner Program. Funding is provided by the Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program.

According to Mariah Dale-Anderson, who heads up the program for IFB, “This scholarship has helped many qualified applicants hurdle financial needs or borderline academic barriers to receive a medical education. In all, more than 55 students have benefited from loans and recommendations to the University of Illinois.”

Applications are available at county Farm Bureaus® throughout the state, on the Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program website at RIMSAP.com, or by writing Mariah Dale-Anderson, Special Services Manager, Illinois Farm Bureau, PO Box 2901, Bloomington, IL 61702-2901.
Applications are due May 1.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.