New College takeover is a chilling and ominous tale

The recent meeting of the New College of Florida Board of Trustees confirmed that its new members are eager to make swift changes. Apparently, their priority was not to read all materials in their pre-meeting packages but to promote the aims defined by one person’s political agenda.

That is perhaps not the best model for higher education governance.

The removal of a sitting president and appointment of an interim president without so much as a resume creates suspicion, not consensus. The initial success of this hurried approach at least avoided embarrassment, since the identity of the interim had been announced in the press hours earlier.

As the meeting proceeded, I thought of Albert Camus’ novel "The Plague," an ominous tale of the overwhelming of a French city by an inexorable plague going house to house killing whole families. Camus depicts the novel’s hero in the form of Dr. Rieux, who quietly risks his life each day attempting to aid the villagers. He’s the very model of humility, integrity and courage.

As I watched the meeting, I gradually realized that ousted President Pat Okker is New College’s Dr. Rieux. Aided by former Board Chair Mary Ruiz and former General Counsel David Smolker, Okker personified the quiet dignity of a precious place under siege from foreign bodies presuming to know better, despite sharing no connections with the local inhabitants. Surrounded by arrogant condescension, Okker reminded us that there is such a thing as personal honor.

Not incidentally, the analogy between Camus’ novel and the events at New College of Florida should be an obvious source of wider concern: inevitably, plagues always spread.

Gordon E. “Mike” Michalson Jr. was president of New College of Florida from 2001 to 2012. He also served as dean and warden of New College of South Florida from 1992 to 1997.  

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College takeover resembles the plot of a chilling novel