After only a few months on the job, Geoffrey Orsak has been sacked as president of the University of Tulsa. These searches are expensive and time-consuming, and it makes no one look good when things collapse. Reasons ought to be given, so that the process and its failures are as open as possible to the people who pay for both the search and the extra expenses associated with this sort of failure. So far Tulsa and Orsak have said nothing.
Sometimes presidents leave for reasons of clear incompatibility. It was simply a mistake for them to take the job, and that is openly acknowledged. When John Balkcom left St John’s College Santa Fe after only a couple of years, he said “I have come to the difficult conclusion that the responsibilities of this position are not a good fit with my professional skills or desires.” If something like that has occurred at Tulsa, Orsak should say so.
Another good reason for the school and Orsak to release statements is that of course we’re now all free to speculate wildly. Was he stealing money, or being in some other way financially irresponsible? Had he engaged in an extramarital affair with someone on the staff? Is he a drinker? When something anomalous like this happens, people are going to try to figure out why on their own if you don’t tell them.
What you tell them might not be true; or it might not be all of the truth. But some statement should be forthcoming. Otherwise, people on campus have a right to worry that animosity and legal bills might be involved.
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UD thanks JND.
October 15th, 2012 at 1:18AM
They were running a dysfunctional computer science and engineering department at SMU. If he plan to run University of Tulsa like that that is expected. Another responsible person Hesham El-Rewini. Now he is a Dean at University of North Dakota. There is a lot to say…