Five Years Too Many

By Alston B. Ramsay | Wednesday, January 14, 2004

It's a rare occasion that Dartmouth's administration does or says anything that proves the Review right. But the recent release of President James Wright's five-year report on the state of the College (See page 12) demonstrably shows that our stances and investigations on a number of campus issues have been correct—and that Wright's administration has done its best to ignore, conceal, or distort much of the dismal record he's accrued since taking over in 1998.

In recent years, the Review has argued that Dartmouth's oft-perilous financial situation is a result of increased "diversity" expenditures supplanting monies that should have been devoted to academics. Namely, the Student Life Initiative—and its attendant bureaucratic nightmare—has siphoned off funds from libraries, academic departments, sports, etc. In his five-year appraisal, President Wright, with an amnesiac's penchant for details, all but admits this is the case.

Perhaps the most glaring inconsistency is in Wright's discussion of the financial state of the College. In fact, he entirely glosses over his administration's budget failures, which, as we've reported, were entirely concealed from students, faculty, and alumni alike [See TDR 5/8/03]. Instead, he cites an "economic downturn" that necessitated Jack-the-Ripper cuts across the board.

Odd, since the latest Dartmouth Alumni Magazine confirms what we reported last spring: According to the author, after a record endowment return during the 1999-2000 fiscal year, the trustees felt "flush" and "departed from a lockstep spending policy they had followed for a good part of the previous decade." In other words, Wright et al. decided to increase the budget by tapping the endowment for substantially more than they should have. To their credit, though, this would have been perfectly fine if "the good times continued"—in other words, if Dartmouth consistently received a 46% return on investments as it did from 1999 to 2000. That sounds pretty reasonable, right? As the author notes, Dartmouth has finally decided to back away from a "whatever-we-feel-like" spending scheme. Nice work, Jimbo.

Never fear, there is now a plan in the works to keep the budget within an acceptable range. Specifically, President Wright plans to reduce "expenses while protecting the core academic and student life activities." Here, again, Wright displays a bizarre disconnect with reality. One might think "core academics" include, oh, I don't know, the library system, but the last year has shown this to be at the bottom of the financial pig pile. Sanborn Library was shut down, a number of employees were laid off, collection budgets were slashed, and the overall financial uncertainty nearly crushed the library system. (Last fall, Head of Libraries Richard Lucier—dubbed 'Lucifer' by many of his subordinates—announced he was leaving the College after only three years, and after sharp criticism in these pages [See TDR 4/23/04].) Slipped in at the end of his rosy screed on finances, Wright mentions that there will be another 2%-5% budget reduction this year, and fifty positions will be "eliminat[ed]." Somehow, Wright maintains Dartmouth's finances are "strong." Say what?

How about his efforts to protect "student life activities"? Heck, they seem to have faired quite well: As we reported in November, there has been a massive increase in the diversity bureaucracy since 1999 (the diversity-crats, as we call them [See TDR 11/14/04]). How can this be when Dartmouth is axing fifty position, or when they're so strapped they're closing libraries, or who can forget the attempt to drown the swim team? Oh wait, I think I just answered my own question: diversity, the omnipotent trump card.

Not surprisingly, Wright admits that his loyalties belong to "diversity": "One of my top priorities has been to enhance the campus climate for students of color." Indeed, since his ascendancy to the Dartmouth throne, diversity-related matters have often been his only priority. "In the last five years, Dartmouth has made consistent and steady progress with respect to racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and gender diversity in our faculty and staff," he said. Why should we worry about academics when we can pay lip-service to "diversity"—again, and again, and again?

This, in a nutshell, is the legacy of President James Wright. He has pursued an agenda in diametric opposition to many of the defining characteristics of Dartmouth, and, in the fanatical quest for "diversity," all other aspects of the College—from basic fiscal responsibility to athletics and academics—have been subsumed beneath the murky waters of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Five years of muddled policies and rhetorical ejaculations have severely harmed this institution—both at the local and national level. Let's hope there aren't five more.

So kudos, President Wright, for a job well done. I do, however, have one small piece of advice for you: Students, faculty, and alumni are not the idiots you seem to think they are.

Five Years Too Many

Article Tools

Related Articles