I was pleasantly surprised to see Richard Levin open the American Council on Education’s annual conference with a reference to the “light in our students’ eyes” in our classrooms. Like the President of Yale, when I think of our classrooms and our students, I think of our teachers.

My first rule of management and leadership is to treat people with respect. I try to facilitate a culture where people can do their best work. That applies to faculty members. I view faculty as the creative talent on campus. They are writers, thinkers, teachers, and performers. Part of my role as an administrator is to defend them, an increasingly difficult role in our culture of blame.

Over the weekend, The New York Times Room for Debate forum asked the question, “Why Blame the Teachers?” I think it is important to stop for a moment to consider the impact that a culture of teacher-blaming has…

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