By MacWeekly Staff

Quite frankly, we should not be totally shocked that the search for the Institute for Global Citizenship failed to find a new dean. We are not entirely sure what qualities or qualifications make up the rare person that the college was looking to hire. It seems likely that the candidates may have been confused on this point as well. Perhaps these elusive qualities may just be a little bit too elusive. Rather than expressing concern for the unfilled position for dean of the IGC, which will remain unfulfilled until at least next year when the search process will begin again, it seems like the directors and leaders of the search committee think that it will not hurt the immediate future of the IGC. This sounds great at first, but then it makes you think: if the position is not one that needs immediate fulfillment in order for the programs and individual units to continue as they have been in the past, what purpose will the new position even serve? Do we really even need an IGC dean?

Also, if the committee left the search with no clearer understanding of what the IGC Deanship candidate requires, then the Mac Weekly staff is unsure about whether student time spent on the project was entirely useful. We do not mean to diminish the commitment of these proactive students in any way – but we would hope that this year’s efforts were not a waste, and that students and faculty now have a more lucid understanding of expectations for candidates. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Without clear prerequisites, how can candidates form a pioneering vision for the IGC? We understand there must be space for creativity, but a little more than a certain je ne sais quoi would be nice.

In the end, maybe it’s a good thing that the search for the next dean has failed. The first person to fill this position will obviously have a large impact on the future direction of the IGC. Student participation should continue to be central – and maybe students should support the search process by helping to define the currently ambiguous criterion for what an IGC Deanship should be.

The opinions expressed above are those of The Mac Weekly, as determined by the staff. The perspectives are not representative of Macalester College.