Oracle Online

Young has held the contract on the bookstore for 18 years and has actually been the man in charge for 22 years.

The administration’s intentions are to request a proposal to see if applicants exist that have a more efficient method of managing the bookstore, according to professor of religion Tim Polk. However, it is not because there have been any complaints with the way the store is currently run.

“Before he [Young] came, the place was a catastrophe. He brought order and sanity to its operations,” Polk said.

Following the Faculty Institutions Relations Committee (FIRC) meeting two weeks ago, FIRC chair Mike Reynolds reported in a faculty e-mail that Stern advised that the timing of this maneuver was not significant and does not reflect any administrational displeasure with the inner workings of the bookstore management.

According to the e-mail, the bookstore, in addition to other entities under administrational oversight, is being aligned into a more common model of typical university business practice. It seems that this move is more about institutionalizing an effective process of university management than about improving the bookstore’s methods of management.

Nevertheless, Young is faced with the possibility of losing his job.

“Managing the bookstore is a tough job,” said Young. “There are a lot of different constituenciesčfaculty, students, administrationčand they all have different expectations of what they need. I have to balance all those needs. I think I have done well, but maybe it’s not for me to judge.”

According to Polk, the faculty thinks he has done a good job as well.

“He’s hard-edged and can be irascible, but very, very fair. He always bent over backwards to meet my course needs and my students’ needs,” said Polk.

There is currently a bookstore advisory committee composed of undergraduate students, staff, and faculty that have the job of overseeing bookstore operations. They have never made a suggestion of improvement, according to 2004 graduate Jason Schellack, who is in his sixth year with the bookstore.

“The committee acts as a sounding board to bring about issues and inform constituents. I have met three times with them. They were not consulted in this decision,” said Young.

The way the bookstore is set up financially is completely independent of the university. Young, as the owner, does serve at the pleasure of the administration, but no funding comes from them. He buys all of the merchandise, pays the utility costs, pays infrastructure commissions to the university and pays co-workers. Anything left is his salary. He is not an employee of the university, but he must fulfill the demands given to him by faculty and students, or his contract will not be renewed.

In light of Young’s performance over the recent decades, Hamline has given him the opportunity to reapply for his contract, which he said he will do. In fact, they actually encouraged him to.

“I’m confident that I still have the capacity to effectively manage this bookstore,” said Young.

Still, he will have to re-apply due to the changes proposed by the administration.

“What we’ve got is a brand-new administration that’s looking at everything on campus. And I suppose they should,” said Polk.

“I would think he would deservečas a matter of courtesyčsome kind of reasoning,” said Polk. “It would have been thoughtful to includečif anything in particular would prompt them to rehire himčwhy they are now exploring their options.”