Sunday blog: It isn’t just about the lack of vetting, but admitting you made a mistake
Randy Smith
Commentary by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — In case you blinked, Dr. Randy Smith is no longer the President of Cowley College.
He was at the college for a whole sum of six months. I’ve left dishes in the sink longer than that.
I will not admonish the Cowley College Board of Trustees for the hire. We have all made mistakes. Getting the right person for the job is a tricky proposition in this world of morons and miscreants.
But I am a bit flummoxed by some of the board’s cavalier attitude on the subject. In a Feb. 2 article by David A. Seaton, “Was Cowley College president properly vetted?” several board members responded to questions about the hiring process. I urge you to read the article here.
Since that article was published, Smith has disputed some of the claims based on his personal bankruptcy. There’s also a question concerning whether Smith was terminated for “just cause.” From what I understand, it was based on a “toxic work atmosphere” and a dispute that led to the forced resignation of two athletic department employees (see article here).
Smith is getting paid for not working the next 12 months on a $185,000 annual salary and a $500 retirement annuity. All at taxpayers’ expense, of course. This story will last much longer than Smith’s actual tenure at Cowley. I smell court.
What went down before the firing and Smith’s questionable background may be up for dispute. But few would argue that the Cowley board did not do the proper vetting.
Two quotes in Seaton’s article bother me concerning Smith’s alleged bankruptcy over a cattle operation. When the subject was broached, board chairman Brett Bazil responded:
“Cattle business is very up and down, and you can lose your shirt doing that. If it’s dismissed, why is everybody up in arms? It’s fine. Everybody has their own opinion.”
Trustee Gary Wilson also said:
“It might be a red flag. It might be. But also you look around, there’s a whole lot of people who have declared bankruptcy and then done OK, and apparently it trails off into nothing.”
True, bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily define a person or make them into a lousy individual. But it sure in the heck should be considered when hiring someone to lead a higher education learning institute of 200 employees and 2,300 students. It’s a glimpse into how he operates.
Then later in the article, Wilson responded to the question of whether or not the board should have hired a search firm:
“Hiring a search firm would be a waste of $50,000 to $60,000 ‘to pay a bunch of money and get 15 idiots in that you have to go through.”
Bazil stated that trustees and two people from the college human resource department did their own research.
Ok. How did that work out for you?
The thing I like about a search firm is its ability to reach out to many groups of people. If the hire goes awry, which it obviously did in this case, you have someone else you can blame. Misery loves company.
Also, I’m amazed how people are penny-wise but pound-foolish. Some people have complained about the price of a help wanted ad on Sumner Newscow. But we deliver numbers, reaching more people you won’t find elsewhere. It’s a simple premise: the more people who apply, the more likely a good candidate is. It is such a minute expense for the price of peace of mind.
Smith’s background had many flags. He was terminated at Sisseton-Wahpeton College, a small junior college in South Dakota. He built rodeo grounds at that college, which he wanted to do here at the Cowley College – Sumner Campus. That rodeo program has now gone kaput.
Sisseton trustee Bill LaRouche told the Courier-Traveler:
“The reason the college dismissed him was that he didn’t have much honesty and integrity concerning the administration of the college. I would question things. Don’t let him ruin your accreditation.”
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What is going on at Cowley is not unlike what has gone on in the past for the Wellington City Council, the school board, or any place else for that matter. Administrators, much like football coaches, are a crap shoot. Sometimes even a good administrator someplace else might not work out here, and vice versa.
Circumstances, like marriages, are always different.
Still, I’m a bit disappointed in the tone of the board and its reaction.
There doesn’t seem to be any accountability. There doesn’t seem to be anyone saying, “Hey, we screwed up; we will try to do better the next time.”
Cowley College is one of the most cherished, well ran community colleges in the nation – with one of the best staff. They are an asset to Ark City and the Wellington community beyond measure.
The most important job the Cowley College Board of Trustees can do is appropriately vet a prospective employee – especially someone as important as the college president.
