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November 23, 2004
Editorial
First impressions set the benchmark for future relationships.
Linda Hanson, the university’s choice for its 19th president, endured a marathon day of introductions, receptions and questions last Friday. Though she seemed slightly overwhelmed at times, she fielded often-difficult questions with ease and humor.
Her energy and her direct manner of speaking won over a vast majority of those who attended the three receptions. She was the top choice of the presidential search commission, a group that included philosophy professor Duane Cady, an often-outspoken critic of Osnes and his administration.
Hanson’s credentials are a great match for the university.
She is trained in resource development, and she is a gifted fundraiser, demonstrated by the four-year,
$66.8 million capital campaign she assisted in at Seattle University. This campaign included gifts from over 16,000 people and 18 gifts of over $1 million. Two years later at Seattle, she raised another $3.5 million for a new facility.
“I understand finance,” she said at the faculty reception. “I enjoy it. I also like to pick pockets. There’s nothing more fun than a big, fat check with lots of zeroes.”
Perhaps it’s time to reintroduce discussion of a new student center and a fine-arts building.
The question is whether she can balance this primary role of fundraising with another of her primary roles, one Osnes has often been criticized for failing at: connecting with the student body.
Hanson is a self-identified extrovert, and she appears to be dedicated to such a goal. Several times during the day, she mentioned her track record in Santa Fe and Seattle of attending events and classes, as well as getting to know students on individual levels. She also expressed her desire to continue that behavior at Hamline.
Some of Hanson’s answers to questions were banal, particularly her answers to difficult questions regarding issues of diversity. But if Hanson espoused concrete, blanket solutions during her first campus visit, her first meeting with people representing multiple arms of the university, that would be a real cause for concern. She expressed a strong desire to educate herself about the university’s shortcomings before exploring possible solutions, and this approach should be commended.
Hanson didn’t have all the answers last Friday. She returned questions as often as she did responses.
But we shouldn’t expect her to have every answer. We need a president committed to questioning before acting, committed to first determining the needs of the students. We need a president committed to learning what she’s unfamiliar with and unafraid to make mistakes. Hanson will be this president.
Realistically, this and future visits by Hanson can only give us a limited picture of how she will handle her new roles and responsibilities. We can only wait until the following fall.
But if Linda Hanson’s words now are anywhere near as strong as her actions will be later, then we all have reason to be excited.
Posted by msveum at November 23, 2004 11:05 AM
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