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Sources are provided at the end of this article.
The author of this article wishes to stay anonymous.
McKendree University does not care about you. This is not an obfuscated statement I am making about the theoretical entity that is McKendree University. This is a statement about the clear lack of care for the students, the faculty, and the campus itself (excepting the lawn of course, which is mowed daily). It has become apparent in the past years that the priorities of this “institute of higher learning” have shifted to that of a corporation as opposed to a university. From the recent hiring of a member of the board to the seat of the presidency in defiance of the logic behind the hiring of a presidential search committee to the derelict state of the buildings on campus and the race to the bottom that is the endless expansion of sports teams, the university’s priorities clearly lie outside of students’ well-being.
I would like to begin with the new president of the university. And to begin with that we must address the issue of the current president, one who will be going on sabbatical in the spring. A sabbatical is typically defined as “a period of paid leave granted to a university teacher or other worker for study or travel.” If the president is going on sabbatical then why is he not returning? A sabbatical necessarily includes the condition that one is being paid and is “on leave.” What logic lies in continuing to pay the nearly $500,000, according to McKendree’s 501c3 form viewable by the public, salary that we pay the president so that he may leave the university early on a leave which he is necessarily not going to be returning from? Additionally, with all the current budget cuts, how on earth is McKendree prepared to pay two presidents in the spring?
At the heart of this process lies the “presidential search committee” which was allegedly searching for a “dynamic leader with the ability to chart a powerful and compelling vision for the future that leverages the University’s deep commitment to student success and further strengthens McKendree’s mission to provide a high-quality educational experience.” We will return to some of the more ludicrous statements from this quote later but for now the question of what was the point of this committee must be raised.
The new president is a McKendree graduate. This is not necessarily a bad thing and really should not factor into any assessment of qualifications. Yet, this new president is also a member of the board and has been for 32 years. So, if McKendree really wanted to change things and “chart a powerful and compelling vision” then why have they hired someone who was already, at least partially, responsible for the course the university was already on? And if they were not a part of this prior charted course then why were they on the board in the first place? Daniel Dobbins, the new president, graduated from the university with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1981. He is currently the president of Fiber Bond Corp., a manufacturer of air filtration systems for commercial use in major corporations and hospitals, in Michigan City, Indiana. A position which, at least to my limited frame of knowledge, sounds more like one that heads up corporation than one that leads a university with a “deep commitment to student success.”
I now turn my attention to this alleged commitment and the statements in the presidential search committee email, which we all received, that I called ludicrous. Does a university which has very limited handicap access sound like one that has a “deep commitment to student success?” Would a university with “a powerful and compelling vision for the future that leverages the university’s deep commitment to student success” cancel classes which are required for students’ degrees and are only offered every two years because not enough students had signed up for the class? Would they then dock payments of professors who teach these classes out of the goodness of their hearts so that their students may actually be able to graduate on time? In my view of the world this supposed university surely would not do these things.
This supposed university would also, surely, guarantee access to things like heat in the winter, water for showers, access to digital libraries like JSTOR, and, of course, buildings which are up to date. Yet, McKendree does not fulfill these standards. In my four years here, multiple dormitories have been freezing in the winter, multiple buildings require students to wear coats inside so as to not shiver, and infrastructure issues have caused water pipes to burst in the older dormitories. Students have only limited access to resources such as JSTOR to complete research. This does not even cover issues revolving around class scheduling and cancellation which have personally affected mine and others’ ability to complete their degree without having to jump through the hoops of directed studies or restructuring their degrees.
For a university that supposedly is seeking out “a powerful and compelling vision for the future that leverages the University’s deep commitment to student success,” they sure could have fooled me.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly mentioned student access to JSTOR, which is limited but available.
https://www.mckendree.edu/news/board-names-daniel-dobbins-president.php
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/370661219
Featured image from McKendree University
While I can’t and won’t rebut some of the points made by this anonymous author, it’s clear that this writer also suffers from the same malady of not caring about McKendree. Like so many other faculty, the author of the original post places the staff of this university into the same category as the lawn. This strikes me as funny since some of the faculty on campus could not do their job without the heavy reliance on “the lawn.”
I won’t hide behind the shroud of anonymity and I will clearly state my conviction. Change is hard for people but can be a really good thing. No matter how this change ends up, TOGETHER we all can navigate the process, while still caring about McKendree. As equals, we can make McKendree prosperous in everyone’s eyes.
George Kriss
Through my five years with the university across this decade, I can say that this change may welcome new opportunities for the campus. With a larger business aspect of the new President, we may see the change in contributions that would boost budgets allowing for better pay for faculty, improved handicap access, and most importantly the facilities the students live in. Through my undergraduate time here and since, McKendree has transformed in many ways. However, society today expects immediate results and when they aren’t met, we lash out in disgust to make change.
I appreciate the awareness that this article may bring to students who may not have fully understood the current state of the university. The other comments also add much needed counterpoints and illuminate what is probably the reality: McKendree does care about you, but there is truth in both sides of many issues. Even if one disagrees with decisions being made, the decision makers may not be coming from a nefarious place.
**Sidenote: Holman Library actually does subscribe to JSTOR though there are different levels of access within subscriptions. We are actually upgrading our access for the coming year 🙂
Over the past four years I have witnessed everything stated in this article. I’m sure many others have as well. It was very eye opening reading the facts stated. It makes me think of what other factors were looked at to decide that Daniel Dobbins was the right choice. I’m sure politics had a lot to do with it but there must be something else.
When I think of the statement that McKendree doesn’t care about you, it makes me sad. McKendree as a whole may not care about me as a small student but over the past years McKendree has not just been the place I go to school. It has given me life long lessons given to me by my professors and many other faculty. If when I look back at my life at McKendree it will be filled with thoughts of what the faculty has given me. Which brings up why are they so under paid and why is our budget so unbalanced to the things that matter most? I won’t think of the lawn, I’ll think of the way my English 101 professor was sweating in front of class because the A/C was off and we could barely hear her over the constant lawn mowing. I’ll think of what our Professors went through and continued to bend over backwards to support us. McKendree needs to open its eyes to what really matters.
There are points I will agree to in this article. There are buildings that struggle with having working heaters on campus, sadly. I know in my own personal experience I have had a water pipe in a heater break in my room and this year my heater will work sometimes and other times not work at all; I’m trying to find a balance of not over working it so it doesn’t start blowing cold air.
The professors here like many comments say, on this post and throughout Facebook bend over backwards to help assist us. I would not be still attending McK if it weren’t for the amazing faculty and staff here on this campus. There are so many amazing faculty here that make McKendree AMAZING! Dr. Dennis really did bring us far as a university, and I do look forward to what the next guy is going to do.
We pride ourselves on being a prestige university but the common fact is we lack basic things universities have; working stations for reporting emergencies (blue light), having a well lit campus- there are places on campus closer to the Chapel and 1828 that are not well lit at all, and having more food options. Most schools have longer hours for the cafeteria with way more options for how to use your meal swipe, while we have Ames (which has its pros and cons) and 1828 which is only open on the week days, not weekends.
Just this term for registering we had several problems with the business office, who charged many people $23 over the summer incorrectly, has holds on students accounts for no reason, and told people they owed money and when reported found out they didn’t causing delayment and lack of control on mornings of registering this term.
There are good and bad things about McKendree and it is so easy to focus on the bad things (like lack of counseling availability and housing options), we sometimes forget the good things like having professors who show up at the library to help you out, Dr. Dennis handing out free ice cream, packing the stands/stadiums for sporting events, and creating memories here at this university and friendships that last a life time.
I graduated from McKendree several years ago, and am still unemployed. When I ask McKendree for career advice, I am told to move out of state so I can use my degree because there isn’t much where I live currently. Had I known this, I would have majored in something that was actually hiring so I would not be unemployed two years after graduating. I have received emails and mail begging for donations since graduation, it must be begging if I haven’t donated since and only did so for the Senior Class Gift. I don’t understand how they would expect me to move out of state, away from my family and friends, just to find a job. Why should I have to relocate far from all that I know, just to find a job with my degree? I am afraid I will have to agree with the original poster as far as McKendree not caring about their students. All they care about is collecting money from them.
I don’t know if this would decrease their lack of concern over their past students success, but I felt that since I was an online student, I was given even less support and maybe would have received a little more had I been on campus. Will never know for sure since I did not take classes on campus. As far as being an online student, I had absolutely no counseling and maybe that could have made a difference if I was on campus. In all fairness, maybe that would have made a difference, but it was not possible for me to take classes on campus. Which is just as well because at least at home I had A/C and heat.
I really tried to enjoy my time at McKendree, even as an online student, but beyond online classes through Blackboard, online involvement was non-existent. Even when I tried to make a difference, I was brushed aside because I was not on campus. It’s a shame that online students aren’t given any opportunities to better themselves.
What was ur major?
Psychology.
I believe McKendree is a wonderful College, but there are issues as with any college or university. Change is always going to come in ways that most people will not agree with and a small few will. I do agree that the college could do a lot more to improve campus living, and also student teacher relationships ans accountability for poorly taught classes. The amount of money that is being spent to attend McKendree is my reasoning for some of my concerns. First, I believe that when instructors are teaching classes there should be some form of accountability to make sure that their students are passing. Theres are teachers that are knowledgeable about the subject but are not effective at teaching. There are students currently at this college that have instructors where half of their class or more are failing. Who is the advocate for the students/ parents that are paying for this college experience. These are students and athletes that are making great grades an other classes and in certain classes they are failing. Scholarships are on the line GPA’s are on the line and their careers are in line. The classes that these students take build off of one another so if these students are failing and are not getting the lessons then there’s a problem. Who is holding the teachers and administration accountable.? The students have solutions for these issues and no one is listening. It’s frustrating, it builds low morale,and its stressful. These students are trying to do the best they can do academically and with sports and as a person. I understand that there is a new president and hopefully he can actually listen and come up with plans to give these students hope and encouragement where they feel that they have none at this time. There’s also issues with the cafeteria the food that isn’t any good or should I say the variety that is given it’s very limited, the increasing price of laundry, the maintenance of dormitories to be ready when students comeamd while they are attemding school, The security measures around the campus needs to be increased for safety,. In regards to the internet and Wi-Fi there needs be more Towers. I feel with the amount of money that McKendree brings in these improvements are chump change. So yes I agree if you do care about the students, then the changes need to come by listening actively and showing instead of telling the faculty students and staff that you care. The students keep you in business McKendree let’s not forget that.
Hiring a wealthy piece of shit boomer into a position where he can become even more wealthy is only more evidence that McKendree will never be a notable university, or at best recognizable in how undistinguished it is.
Also, to @Anonymous on 2019-11-13 at 1:42 PM
Go into marketing where you can find thousands of jobs and your degree means far more than even degrees within marketing. You’re welcome.
Dear McKendree Student,
As Chief of staff Mulvaney said recently, “get over it.” The education system as a whole is broken and we can all blame ourselves, McKendree is no different.
26 years ago Dr. D. was hired and immediately began a quest to attract more students (which he did), get better/more successful students (which he did), and convince everyone that its worth could grow from tuition under 10,000 (yes, this is actually the case… in 1997 tuition was under 10,000) to 3 times that in his tenure.
McKendree is a business. Business is about money. TUITION, FEES, ROOM, BOARD…
TUITION
Isn’t it understood that if you take 12 credits, you’re paying over $1,000 a credit hour? If you take 18 hours you’re paying just under $800. Does a professor get paid less for teaching a student with more credits since their “per-credit” payment is less? No, and they aren’t paid more for those who take less, either. What exactly does an average teacher at McKendree make per credit hour taught? You should ask them…
Let’s say they’re doing well at McKendree and making 50,000 a year. If they teach three classes each semester of just 14 students (each taking the maximum 18 hours both semesters) for 3 credit classes (let’s call it an even $2,000 per student) that’s a total of $168,000 of total tuition cost. If those students are taking 12 hours, that number jumps to $250,000. If each class average jumps to 25 students taking 15 hours… that’s over $400,000… I think you can see something’s wrong with this picture. Do you think great teachers with more students taking their classes get to see a piece of that? Keep reading. Also, ever had anyone convince you of taking MORE credits? Likely not. MONEY.
FEES
Activity/Health fee… I’m not sure if every student goes to activities and see the nurse but I’m going to go with no. Does your insurance cover the medication that you need? I hope so. MONEY.
ROOM
Has no one asked why you’re not allowed to live off campus without permission from the University until your senior year, but you can be placed off campus for 7,500 a year… for 10 months… (Do I need to mention an average 3 bedroom can be rented for $900 a month in Lebanon?). McKendree West costs 7,500 a year, multiplied by 4 people per room and divided by 10 months… 3,000 a month. I do, however, hear there are great amenities… like Wifi. MONEY. Did I mention you HAVE to live on campus for 3 years unless you’re close enough to commute?
BOARD
Live in the dorms? You MUST have a meal plan (one of three). Did you choose the 15 meal plan? 15 meals a week x 16 weeks = 240 meals x 2 semesters = 480 meals / $4,500 is $9 a meal. Not bad! UNLESS you don’t eat every meal… miss a few meals a week? No refund, instead, you just paid $11 a meal. Miss more? Did you go home for Thanksgiving? I think you get the picture… You pay for what you get… and for what you don’t get.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS:
They hired a business guy as the president because it’s a business. The board chooses how much tuition will be each year. They choose the inflation that has plagued the university for the last 20 years. They hoped the small liberal arts school in Lebanon, Illinois would attract people that would one day pay 40,000 per year. But it hasn’t. They thought going DII would bring in more students, and it did for a year or two. But now there are cuts year after year after year. Academic scholarships are given to students who were average in high school… and every one of you is thankful because it helped making a school you really liked a possibility.
The education system is broken. The student loan bubble is going to pop. The University you love or love to hate has been complicit in the inflation of education that is plaguing our country. Maybe the new president will put a stop to the nonsense. What is McKendree’s worth? Is it 40k a year? Should teachers who teach 10 students make the same as teachers who teach 30 students? Should a university get to mandate you pay to live on campus and then put you in apartments you could have rented alone for the same price you pay to have 3 roommates?
When I started this, I mentioned it’s our fault what has happened to the education system. It’s our fault because we keep enrolling. We don’t ask questions. We don’t hold people accountable. We assume debt that is unimaginable.
Ask the questions. Hold them accountable.
I went to McKendree for my Bachelors and met my wife and my friends at McKendree. It will always hold a place deep in my heart. The professors were amazing but the administration doesn’t care. I got a job for the university after I graduate and worked for them for several years. I found out some terrible things like I was immediately making more than my female coworkers which was terrible. Also the university was Paying for Dr Dennis’s Tesla lease. Why does a man who makes half a million a year and lives rent free, need us to pay for his car. The university took the Tesla away, but a board member gave him a Mercedes. Thank god he didn’t have to buy his own car. He also has physical plant staff do his laundry when they clean his house. The worst thing I saw was that we essentially paid athletes to go there. McKendree does not give Pell refund checks to students on campus, the will reduce your scholarship before giving a Pell refund. But star athletes were give. Full rides with meal plans and private rooms with FULL Pell refunds. They went against their own policy to give these students a full ride plus over $6000 a year in refunds, and books were also paid for. We paid way too much for student athlete scholarships which costs the school a lot of money.
As a previous student and one who has worked in most departments on the campus, I can’t deny that some claims here a justified even through the wrong means. I would like to address a few points brought up in the article.
First, the mentioning of the president and board. Sabbatical does not imply someone is coming back, that is based on the connotation of looking up the term. It isn’t uncommon for someone to take sabbatical or an extended leave at the end of their career, most usually done by taking a large amount of built up days of leave. Also, unless you were a part of the committee, you do not know what issues or qualities the new hire has. You can come to conclusions based on their previous experience, but you still don’t know their leadership style or core values. Through some of the work I did on campus, I’ve been present in these meetings. The individual hired is given plenty of thought on character and culture and not just hired based on a business plan or proposal. I won’t say that the board doesn’t have people attempting to run the university as a business because that is definitely true, though it is not the majority.
Second, in regard to classes. When a class is required for you to graduate and it gets cancelled without another opportunity to take it, it has been my experience that your advisers and teachers will do independent studies, or even waive the requirement in some cases. If it required, you will have it. More often than not, I saw cases in which students wouldn’t take the courses necessary or would fail the ones they were required which then put them into a bind. I can’t speak on professors pay for these courses, nor will I try too. Though I do agree in saying that if courses are cancelled, warnings ahead of time would be nice instead of hearing about it the week of the course sometimes even later. This section is entirely based on my experience and is different for every student and major.
Last, campus conditions. The dorms, specifically the older ones (Walton, Baker, Barnett) have a fair share of structural issues as well as technical issues due to construction (don’t get me started on the Wi-Fi), this does include the burst pipes and colder temperatures. Though the temperatures are hard to regulate in a large, old building in which everyone wants different ambient temperatures leading to people opening windows and changing temperatures. It is hard to develop a baseline date in which to turn on and off large boilers and appliances to regulate temperature, even in brand new corporate offices, let alone dorms older most the students. This stands true for the temperature regulation within newer building like PAC. There are days when its abhorrently hot when the heats on in February or March, just as there are days when it is unnecessarily cold in October due to these issues. I am not refuting the statement made in this article, I am explaining the infrastructure point of view.
I will end in saying that even if the university as entity does not uphold an individuals standard of being committed to student success, you can not deny that the actual staff of the university is. I had my hardships at the school as well, from courses to money, even to eating sometimes. But I never felt that a faculty or staff member would shut me down if I had a legitimate claim. Change takes time, and I agree with the thought that this can be more efficient and discussions need to happen. In saying that, I believe the article is not entirely incorrect and has brought up many valuable points. Hopefully it has sparked good discussions, not arguments, on campus.
Gavin Martin
McKendree University DOES care about you. It shows itself in the daily acts of caring in the way the faculty continually and brilliantly teach the minds of our students. It shows in the meticulous care that is taken for the lawn and landscaping. Yes, she is an old campus, the oldest in Illinois, so the facilities do need some updating, no one will argue this point. In addition, not mentioned (and usually forgotten) in the previous article, shown in the dedication of the Staff. They are now doing more work with less people; they still show up daily to support and lead everyone on campus to keep things running efficiently. Yes, there are glitches. Show me a world where every day things work perfectly. It doesn’t exist.
Addressing the sabbatical of Dr. Dennis. We are not privy to what the Executive Board has decided and/or negotiated with either Dr. Dennis or Mr. Dobbins. Who are we to assume that we are either continuing to pay Dr. Dennis and beginning to pay Mr. Dobbins? Do you know something that the rest of us do not know? Have you seen this in writing? Could it be possible that there was a deal negotiated to accommodate both salaries? It is also a common practice that sabbaticals can be taken as unpaid. It seems you’re trying to infer scandal that simply is business as usual for most transitions.
Mr. Dobbins graduated from McKendree University. In addition, has served McKendree throughout his adult life. He is obviously is dedicated to McKendree. This has to be a huge plus. Yet you are already holding this man, single-handedly it seems, responsible for where we sit today? I am not sure if you understand how a Board of Trustees works. The reality is McKendree University is a business. That business is education. I have heard rumors that some have gone as far as to demand to see the new president’s resume. Can you imagine asking the CEO of a Fortune 500 company for his resume, as you want to make sure they meet your rigorous standards? Ridiculous! This article could’ve been titled “The Verbose Ranting of a Whiny Child”
The facilities do need updated. Nothing to argue here. Unfortunately, as I have stated above, this comes with being the oldest university in Illinois. Which is something to be proud of.
How does a student know how a professor is paid? Teachers are paid a salary, which they agree to annually when they sign their contracts. Their salary includes a certain number of classroom hours and a number of Independent Studies. Professors are paid for everything they teach. If you are not advised correctly and/or you don’t pass the class that you need and the class isn’t offered again before you graduate, is it your fault? Your advisors? Where does the blame lay? Now a teacher might need to teach a course independently, be assured, they are getting paid for that. Some programs are smaller than others, so classes are offered every other semester or year. There simply are not enough students to support offering the classes every semester. But your advisor should be able to advise you on this beforehand and you both should be able to plan accordingly.
I am not sure what your article hoped to gain. Are you upset because you did not get to personally choose the new President? Nowhere, even in academia, are you allowed to help choose your new boss. The safe bubble that is academia needs popped and some reality needs to seep in. Are you upset because the facilities are failing? Repairs are being completed. More money is needed which is why we need a President who can hopefully raise those funds. Are you mad that the teachers are mistreated? They are free to go to another university and teach. Academia is a strange world. Nowhere else would their attitudes, actions or demeanor be accepted because they have tenure. Your title was unsupported, but used more to cause grief to those that so clearly do. McKendree University is a small community. We are learning, growing, and trying to do the right things. To say, “we don’t care” is unfair and unjust. McKendree Cares.
Okay boomer.
Hi, Verbose Whiny Child here,
First, I suggest you read the article again. It seems that you are misunderstanding some of my points. I never claim that the professors, which is who I assume you are referencing in the first paragraph, are at fault for any of this. In fact I praise the professors throughout the article. Secondly, it’s ludicrous to assume that I am expecting everything to be perfect all the time. What I was doing, as I am lead to believe should be done at a healthy university, is raising questions that are on the minds of all students, frequently due to a lack of communication. This lack of communication leads wonderfully into your second paragraph.
I am working off the the definition of “sabbatical,” as I said in the original piece, as that is all the information which has been provided to students, and as far as I am aware, the faculty outside of the administration. When the statement about the new president was issued, in a very odd manner seeing as it wasn’t even emailed out to students or professors, all that was written was that Dr. Dennis was going on Sabbatical. Thus, mine and others not privy to the inner workings of the administration are only able to assume based on our knowledge of what a sabbatical is. I do not appreciate the makings of straw men out of my article. Straw men which seem to multiply in your third paragraph.
I acknowledge that the new president graduating from McKendree should not play a factor in one’s assessment of his qualifications for the job. I clearly state that the issue with this internal hiring is that it is in defiance of the logic behind the hiring of the presidential search committee. Once again I must ask you to actually read my original article as nowhere in it do I assert that he is “single-handedly it seems, responsible for where we sit today.” I also never ask for his resume, this assertion of yours is yet another inflated, unproven, claim.
Speaking of unproven claims, your continuous assumption that I am an ignorant whiny child making things up is deeply offensive and one of the many the reasons that students despise this university. From the lack of communication about issues that affect them (i.e. the new president being chosen) to the despotic housing regime that the McKendree administration runs, it is clear that the student body is seen, at best, as children. As for where the blame lies in the cancelling of classes which do not fill up enough seats for the administration to justify paying the professor to teach the class I figured that it was pretty clear that the blame lay within the administration, but then again it seems as if you didn’t really read the full article. As it is clearly stated that the issue is in the cancelling of classes which are offered at limited times, not advising.
Speaking of reading things, I suggest you also read the presidential search advisement email in which it is stated
“The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae/resume and a letter of interest describing relevant experience. Submission of materials via e-mail is strongly encouraged. Nomination letters should include the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee. All nominations and applications will be handled in confidence.”
This is with the implication, as well as the information to do so, that students and faculty alike would send in nominations. Now I’m only a verbose whiny child but this certainly seems like being “allowed to help choose your new boss.” In Academia nonetheless! Following this is your claim that the professors go elsewhere which I happen to completely agree with as on the current charted course, this ship is sinking.
-Verbose Whiny Child
PREACH!! Virbose Whiny Child, I love it! Thank you 🙏
We do need more education and communication on campus. I hope this article informs the board and presidents that us students are sick of being thrown under the rug.
In addition, I am sad to hear some of my fellow students bash those who relate to this article and say the tuition should keep rising, sorry but even St Louis Buisness covered it. Since Dr. Dennis took over there’s been a slight increase in enrollment but tuition went from roughly 10k to 40k+. If we keep raising tuition no one is gonna stay here the money we pay does not equal the services and conditions of the campus. Love the professors here but we need to be honest with ourselves; McK needs to be. Are they gonna keep going for the wallets Because if that’s the case they’re gonna lose a lot of students transitioning over into the next year from summer to fall.
Has anyone reviewed Mr. Dobbins lack of success at the last two companies he was leading? I suggest, when you do, you’ll really scratch your head as to why he was hired to be the next President of the “Business that is McKendree“