Within The Principles of Accreditation of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), integrity is the very first thing mentioned --- “Section 1.1 The institution operates with integrity in all matters”. And rightly so. Unless you have integrity nothing else you do will really matter. Here are three definitions of that word:
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.
Can the administration of the school pass muster within any of these definitions? This blog has already highlighted some of the malfeasance occurring within the administration of the school. Some years ago prior to a SACS visitation I overheard an administrator of the school discussing two part-time employees of the school who had been listed as full-time employees in order to meet SACS requirements. I recollect there being some talk about this because there were concerns about possible repercussions if this were known. These two people were then full-time employees at TCMC. They were, and still are, full-time anesthesia providers and their affiliation with the school was part-time. To the author of this blog this type of behavior seems dishonest and malfeasant. If it occurred, it violates the very essence of what Section 1.1 entails. Lack of integrity equates to trying to be something you are not – like operating a school that professes to “reflect Christ” all the while engaging in this kind of alleged abhorrent behavior.
I like this quote: “To reach a great height a person needs to have great depth”. (There are many quotes about integrity. I chose this one because it’s anonymous.) Assuming this is true, administrative integrity must exist in a shallow puddle over at MTSA. MTSA touts itself as the first and only regionally accredited, anesthesia-specific, graduate degree-granting, program in the United States. As such, it ought to be held to the highest standard; perhaps even higher due to its unique status. Scrutiny, properly brought to bear will likely reveal many additional deficits. I feel certain that all institutions struggle with a variety of problems relative to maintaining proper checks and balances. As a free-standing institution MTSA should embrace a mode and manner of conduct that would avoid the very appearance of cronyism and nepotism. Instead, they have adopted a means of operation that allowed the Council on Accreditation to give them less than a perfect accreditation. This type of overt nepotistic behavior threatens the schools very existence and lessens its reputation and standing within the academic community. Unless this overt nepotism can be dealt with effectively, MTSA will continue to operate as a “Mom & Pop” sort of school all the while touting itself as a “University.” Has the current administration of the school, through a variety of actions both past and present, demonstrated an inability to “make reasonable and responsible decisions consistent with the spirit of integrity in all matters”? Any and all business of the school and the conduct of those charged with its’ administration should be predicated upon the one supreme principle “essential to the purpose of higher education” – integrity.
Speaking of University and higher education, let’s revisit this issue of school ranking for just a moment. Based on MTSA’s ranking after 50 years, how long does it take to get to number 1 – 150 years? According to the MTSA website, “MTSA ranks as one of the largest”. So . . . if your criteria for choosing an anesthesia program is that it must lack administrative integrity, be “large”, and rank in the bottom 1/3 – Hey, we’ve got what you’re looking for! It should be fairly obvious to all but those having zero common sense that ranking – either low or high – is, to some degree, tied to the leadership of the institution. It should also appear obvious that if your leadership style tends toward religious and institutional-inbreeding, nepotism, cronyism, and neuroticism there’s a better than average chance you might rank a little lower than number 1 – say, I don’t know -69th? I would also expect that the Director of a number 1 program like Virginia Commonwealth University would have commensurate credentials and qualifications.
Let’s juxtapose the two and you draw your own conclusions.
Vice President and Dean of MTSA
Diploma, Nursing, Mountain Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing
Certificate, Madison Hospital School of Anesthesia
BA, Ottawa University
MEd, Tennessee State University
MS, Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia
Additional study at, Capella University (Online), Andrews University, and Tennessee State University
Licensed Registered Nurse
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Licensed Advance Practice Nurse
I would list the qualifications of the Director at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Number 1 ranked anesthesia program in the country, however it is over 15 pages long. You may view it here. He has more credentials and qualifications than the President and the Dean put together. And, oh, their program started in 1969. You need more than just impressive credentials to make it to the top. Let's hope MTSA can find someone like the guy at VCU! Heck, another Nelda Faye Ackerman would be a step up!
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