Forcing the issues - Editor's Note - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Oct 25, 2001 by Hilary Hurd

When you see what is right, have the courage to do it," so goes a Chinese proverb. I have never met Dr. Ann Reynolds, the subject of our cover story, but it sounds like she marches to the beat of her own drum. By most accounts, she has tried to do what's fight and fair throughout her career in higher education. Taking advantage of her positions of leadership, Reynolds has recruited many African Americans and women to key posts, and has been outspoken about educational equity and the need for a diverse work force.

As you will read in the article, Reynolds has been called "abrasive" and "combative," but she has also been referred to as "committed" and "visionary." It sounds to me like she is a person who is passionate and steadfast about the issues she believes in. And if you disagree with Reynolds' views on, for example, the need for a diverse work force, then maybe she comes across as "combative." But if you share her philosophy, she sounds like the person you'd want on your team.

It's no secret that in some circles in higher education, issues surrounding diversity, affirmative action, etc. are unpopular. But since neither Reynolds nor the board of trustees are speaking publicly and specifically about the reasons she was forced to retire, we can only present the facts leading up to her decision to accept the board's offer. You must come to your own conclusions. But if all she has done for UAB is true, it's not clear why the board would so aggressively seek her retirement.

Nevertheless, this is not the first time a person whom many people admired and supported was asked to disappear by the powers that be. Many great leaders share a similar tale. I believe people such as Reynolds continue to be successful and continue to impact those they come in contact with -- regardless of how many times they're asked to go away. Black Issues will continue to follow the career of Dr. W. Ann Reynolds, and we look forward to highlighting her future contributions to higher education.

Speaking of being successful, we have profiled seven award-winning retention programs from colleges and universities across the country in our annual recruitment and retention edition. These schools have developed programs that have been quite effective in addressing the retention issues unique to their student populations (see story, pg. 34).

In addition, UAB is not the only university currently wrestling with leadership issues. University of Michigan president Lee Bollinger has accepted the presidential post at New York's Columbia University, and Michigan will soon be looking for the next person who may have to staunchly defend the university's admissions policies against not one, but two affirmative action cases as Bollinger has had to do (see story, pg. 12).

On the issue of leadership, I attended the Inaugural National Summit on Black Greek-Letter Organizations in Atlanta recently. And the students, many of whom have been victims of and/or witnesses to incidents of hazing, spoke about the lack of leadership they receive from Greek advisers and student affairs personnel. We can criticize campus-based organizations such as fraternities and sororities for what we consider to be immature, and at times, reprehensible behavior, but one of the many conclusions of the conference, sponsored by the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals, is that the students really are looking to faculty, staff and administrators for strong leadership and guidance on a variety of issues that affect them.

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