Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Top MSSU official takes issue with Speck's elimination of Child Development Center, men's soccer team

A top official at Missouri Southern State University has ripped into the type of management shown by Dr. Bruce Speck when he eliminated the Child Development Center and men's soccer team last week. (Of course, there remains a question about whether Speck actually took those actions on his own or if it was a board decision, or the decision of just one board member, handed down to Speck.)

The official indicated Speck had a responsibility to listen to all sides before making any kind of decision on eliminating the programs.

"We need to have a strategic plan so that it is visible to everyone, so that we know where we are going, and so we know how to assess our resources. "

The official added that it is not just those at the college who should become involved, but those in the surrounding community. "We want (their) participation because we believe that what we do here extends beyond the perimeter of this campus."

An open decision-making process, something that Speck did not follow during the process that led to the elimination of the programs, is a necessity for Missouri Southern State University, the official said.

"When you open up discussion, you allow all kinds of voices to be involved in that discussion. It is very easy to begin to view someone as an enemy if they have a different view than you do, especially if they happen to be a bit ruckus, and that is unfortunate. In my view, open discussion means that we are soliciting people's view, regardless of finesse of delivery or accuracy of information and it is our responsibility in this discourse community to listen and take account of what they are saying."

And no, this official is not hiding behind a mask of anonymity to rip into Bruce Speck. The top official who made the comments was Dr. Bruce Speck and they are featured in this article from the Joplin Business Journal archives.

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