Shaking the Foundations...

"Sometimes there's a man, and I'm talking about the Dude here, sometimes there's a man, well, he's The Man for that time and place. He fits there. And that's the Dude." -- The Big Lebowski

And sometimes there are people who run the Dude off with their ignorance, belligerence, and lack of faith in an intelligent person to do his or her job. This sort of scenario plays itself out all the time, but this week it has played itself out at Louisiana College. Dr. Thomas Howell, the chair of LC's history department and professor for forty years, is submitting his resignation this week. Howell is leaving on the grounds that LC is moving away from its traditional academic focus and toward the realm of "indoctrination." He is accepting a post at William Jewell College in Missouri.

When I looked at Jewell's website, some things looked familiar. For one, it has been declared one of the "best values" among private colleges, and is ranked by US News and World Report in the list of best private colleges. Why do these things look familiar? Because these were the same things that LC could boast about 10 years ago when I was being recruited as a high school student! While I was told that LC was a Christian college, I was told that academics would always come first. As a student, I saw the focus shift from academics to enrollment and finally to fundamentalism as I was nearing graduation. I am sad to see that these changes have resulted in the loss of Dr. Howell, a man who personifies everything that makes LC great.

While Howell noted LC's transition from "education to indoctrination," the Rev. Tim Johnson, chairman of the board of trustees, offers another assessment:

"What's happening," Johnson said, "is that LC is going back to its roots, to its foundation."

This foundation that Johnson speaks of must be one of sand because this foundation has resulted in SACS probation (which has been lifted, but still an embarrassment nonetheless to any credible academic institution), a loss of "best value" status, a backslide in national rankings, and the loss of many great professors - the most recent being Dr. Howell.

May the folks at William Jewell appreciate this man and others like him more than the current leadership of Louisiana College has.

For Further Reading:

LC to inaugurate Aguillard today

Department chair to leave Louisiana College