The Board of Trustees of Shimer College voted on Monday to fire President Thomas K. Lindsay, a member of the board has confirmed on the condition of anonymity.
Marc Hoffman, Shimer's director of finance and operations, sent an e-mail message Monday night to students and faculty and staff members announcing that Edward Noonan, an emeritus trustee, would be introduced today as the college's interim president.
The decision to oust Mr. Lindsay follows recent votes of no confidence by both Shimer's faculty and its Assembly, the college's governing body. The directors of Shimer's Alumni Association had also called for Mr. Lindsay's resignation.
Board members declined to speak on the record, saying only that Shimer would issue a news release on Tuesday about its decision.
Mr. Lindsay, who was hired as Shimer's president in 2008, had tried to diminish the power of the Assembly, whose voting members include the faculty, administrative staff, and students. He could not be reached for comment.
Shimer is a Great Books institution in Chicago with about 110 students and 10 full-time faculty members.
Comments
1. willynilly - April 20, 2010 at 09:57 am
Another victim of attempted change that entrenched faculty and institutional others will not accept. So its onward for Shimer - onward to eventual obscurity.
2. shimerian_98 - April 20, 2010 at 10:54 am
It should be noted that the vote of the Alumni Association, like that of the Assembly and the faculty, was unanimous. This is a great day for the students, faculty and alumni of Shimer College. As a united community, we have saved our college and built the foundation for a new beginning. There is hard work ahead, but working together, we will keep this amazing, unique institution going strong for years to come.
3. carolsuehaney - April 20, 2010 at 10:59 am
The definition of "obscurity" is absence of light; darkness.
Lindsay's removal by the Board of Directors is the first positive step in moving Shimer away from the darkness of deceit and incompetence that has plagued the school since his arrival.
I commend the BOD's actions.
4. nastyhousecat - April 20, 2010 at 11:50 am
This decision will be wrongly portrayed -- as willynilly does above -- as a contest of ideologies and/or a the victory of entrenchment over change. In reality, it is simply about a clear failure in leadership. A president who cannot muster even one vote in his support among the faculty, students, or alumni board is incapable of leading, period, let alone leading major change. The school has not rejected the strategic plan that has been and remains the roadmap for change. It has not rejected the much needed fiscal reforms Tom Lindsay put in place. Shimer urgently needs and eagerly awaits positive and substantial change under new, credible, and effective leadership.
5. koukal - April 20, 2010 at 12:02 pm
The struggle at Shimer over the past year has been about academic freedom and institutional self-determination, not political ideologies. As someone who has been in academia for over fifteen years, I can tell you that President Lindsay's administrative style would have got him terminated at most institutions of higher learning. In under two years, he managed to alienate every single constituency within the College; he was no longer able to govern the school. The board of trustees acted responsibly in removing him.
David Koukal
(Shimer, 1990)
6. mariasosa72 - April 20, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Although Shimer still has many hurdles to overcome, one benefit of this struggle has been the unification of the community. Alumni from all the various Shimer "eras" have reconnected; we have met our counterparts from other eras; and most importantly, we have connected with the current student body. I have found them to be exemplary in every way and rallied on their behalf to advocate for new leadership. The students are everything that is right about Shimer College...including the Assembly. I know that I speak for many alumni when I say that we won't abandon them now. Yes there is a lot of work to be done, but our united community is up to the task. I urge anyone who is reading this to keep an open mind and take a closer look at Shimer College.
7. davi2665 - April 20, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Shimer should have done more thorough due diligence. Thomas K. Lindsay had the same issues and communication problems at his last institution, with the same results as happened at Shimer. A lack of leadership is a lack of leadership wherever one might be. At least he served one purpose- he united the faculty, students, and alumni. No one is completely useless; he can always serve as a bad example.
8. jbarman - April 20, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Looking at this from the outside (but within academia), this appears to be the right move for several reasons - not the least of which is the fact that all constituents were unanimous in their disapproval.
I remember reading the flap that ensued when Mr. Lindsay changed Shimer's mission to an odd and rambling one that was totally divorced from the college's heritage, former mission, or missions typically associated with IHEs. Although the trustees approved that new mission, I recall that a substantial percentage voted against it. To have the college community in an uproar over a mission is unlikely unless it is indicative of more systemic problems.
9. erikbadger_scalum97 - April 20, 2010 at 01:27 pm
It's worth noting that the Faculty and Assembly "no-confidence" votes were both unanimous. Lindsay also received a unanimous request for his resignation from the Board of the Alumni Association. An online petition calling for his immediate resignation received over 660 signatures, including approximately 10% of known alumni. Beyond being unable to represent the diversity of ideology that exists at Shimer, Lindsay showed repeated belligerent disregard for the College's written procedures and established traditions.
Lindsay attempted a hostile takeover of Shimer College and failed. It's a testament to Shimer's fierce independence and extraordinary traditions of participation, dialogue and shared-governance that it was able to stop him.
saveshimer.com
10. perbohner - April 20, 2010 at 01:28 pm
In the Chronicle article on 1/31/10, A Core Curriculum for Civic Literacy, Donald Lazere writes "The past few years have seen an outpouring of books and reports deploring Americans' civic ignorance...This is a problem that everyone seems to complain about but no one tries to solve through any coordinated, nationwide effort...Many campus programs have also been exemplary, as surveyed in Charles Muscatine's Fixing College Education (University of Virginia Press, 2009)." Muscatine highlights outstanding colleges and universities, and he takes care to note the innovative curriculum of tiny Shimer College.
That Shimer has been mentioned in this important critical review of education in America, even as Shimer has weathered complete campus moves, and gone through several recent changes in senior administration, shows what an exceptional education Shimer College offers. Brava Shimer College, and kudos to all whose efforts continue to make this happen!
A Core Curriculum for Civic Literacy
http://chronicle.com/article/A-Core-Curriculum-for-Civic/63742/
Ann Perbohner Shimer College'76
11. shimerian_98 - April 20, 2010 at 02:13 pm
@davi2665, the process by which Lindsay became president is peculiar to say the least. The community reaction to him was almost universally negative, and he had been rejected at an early stage in the selection process, but he was nonetheless pushed through at the last minute, thanks to some peculiar back-room maneuvering. To make a long and still rather mysterious story short, the community got it right, and the Board got it wrong. An experience we will not soon forget.
12. davi2665 - April 20, 2010 at 04:05 pm
Shimerian_98: Thank you for the brief description of Lindsay's appointment. It is another example of why community, faculty, and student input (significant, not just a token) for an important appointment such as this are essential. This is not the forum for historic stories, but I have some great one related to this issue.