Purple Haize wrote: ↑August 15th, 2020, 2:31 pm
LUAlum1215 wrote: ↑August 15th, 2020, 1:52 pm
Purple Haize wrote: ↑August 15th, 2020, 1:23 pm
Since he’s not a Pastor, nor claims to be one does his theology even matter? Does he even have the credentials to be thought of as an Evangelical leader? He’s claimed he doesn’t. Most University Presidents have a PhD or EdD, sure he has a JD but does that qualify him to run an academic organization?
I think Jr is qualified to run a University, but question if he's qualified to run a Christian university. Educational credentials are not and should not be the only metric qualifications are based on, experiences to include success and failures should be heavily if not evenly weighed. My dad was an 8th grade dropout who opened his own repair shop and over 30 years went out of business once and rebuilt into over 1 million in revenue per year in a county with less population than LU has enrolled residentially. He has grown into one of the leading businessmen in his city with the only formal education being a GED. That to say, professional accomplishments can't be undervalued. Jerry has shown the ability to build financial stability and employ quality, accomplished people to teach and lead the individual schools across campus. While the faith aspect may not be as clear I think he's qualified to operate an institution of higher education. I just hope it's not this one any longer.
Absolutely love that story of your father. It also kinda defeats your point. Your dad made a successful repair shop business I’m assuming because he was good at repairing whatever it was he was repairing. Up on the latest trends and able to provide value and quality not to mention customer service. Your dad became successful in a field Repairs that he knew about. He did not become successful in a field he did not know about
I think it's safe to say that Jr has some insight on the business of education. Having grown up in the business so to speak, he nor anyone else needs a PhD in higher education management or whatever other area of study to lead a large organization regardless of what type of organization it is. The best leaders excel in what they know and surround themselves with people who excel in things they themselves do not know. Has Jr done that? From the outside looking in I'd say yes. I know for a fact the business school and government school were both staffed with incredible professors and administrators while I was a student in both schools. I'm familiar with a few names in the executive administration of the school now but I don't know enough about them and their backgrounds to give educated commentary on if their a good fit or not. To the extent Jr hired family and friends to high up jobs, that probably isn't the best sign of a great leader due to implicit bias of hiring friends/family. Those hires are typically made with hopes of molding people into their jobs, not hiring the best qualified for the job. In that aspect Jr has probably fallen short, and in the aspect of owning the furtherance of the mission he's definitely fallen flat, but from a fiscal standpoint he's done alright I'd say. So maybe he's not the most qualified to lead any university, maybe he is, but my argument that you don't need a PhD to lead a college still stands.