Good News, Bad News, Good News, Bad News

It’s been a while. The Blogger has been on a strategic hiatus for a few months but I’m back. I trust all of you are doing well. I still have much to say. So . . . here . . . we . . . go!

First, The Good News!

After having been held hostage for five long years, MTSA is finally free from what was a pathetic presidential reign. This now past president was only a figure head anyway; a lapdog of the familial dynasty. He was a puppet-president; a marionette whose strings were firmly in the clutches of the dean. He allowed himself to be emasculated so completely that he was unable to effectuate any positive change during his tenure. He only marched in lock-step to the dean’s anthem of “All Things Adventist”. And he avidly sought, at any cost, to force others to do the same. He was no true educator. If anything, he was a religious zealot and “holy warrior.” Any flickering desire he may have harbored to educate quality anesthetists was engulfed and made secondary to the schools paramount mission of promulgating Adventism via religious fanaticism. And now, at long last, he is gone. Sadly, he leaves behind no positive legacy. He will be remembered as a lying, backstabbing, conniving, duplicitous administrator who was compelled by a pseudo-religiosity and a dysfunctional tenacity. At least he was consistent.

Now the bad news

The bad news is that others of the past-president’s ilk still remain. The cankerous infestation that allows and encourages nepotism, cronyism, and fanaticism is virally spread on a daily basis by the dean. No doubt telephone lines in Madison, TN have melted in the past few days as the dean’s paranoia over a newly appointed, non-Adventist President has risen to fever pitch. Strategies, contingencies, damage control – plans must be formulated at once! Now that her emasculated lapdog is gone – what to do, what to do? I really expected a better effort from her. She did not manage to push some Trojan-horse candidate into place. Maybe the combination of aging and dysfunction are taking the edge off her diabolicalness. My prediction: A multi-pronged attack. Her MO is, and always has been, to carefully prepare and implement character assassinations of anyone thwarting her designs. She must control or neutralize strategic board members. She has no control of the board (Damn that pesky board. Why do we need them anyway?) so she must develop a strategy for neutralizing them somehow. Secondly, since she currently has no control over this new “infidel” President (He’s probably Methodist, isn’t he? Oh my!) I expect over-the-top advances will be made to cozy up to him in an attempt to garner some level of control and sympathy. That’s a long shot though, so I expect most of her efforts will be directed toward continual attacks of the board AND, very important component here, finding a new lapdog. That HAS to be her number one concern. Every waking moment must be consumed with finding another ephemeral robot to do her bidding. It will be as if a menopausal Terminator has inhabited the skin of this relic for the next few months until she finds a presidential candidate she feels is suitable. A polite, smiling, once plump, aging dean possessing seemingly limitless chameleon-like abilities. Just waiting to snap your neck off at the shoulders if you blink for even a half a second. Expect an outstanding performance over the course of the next few months.

More Good News

As of today, May 17, 2010, MTSA has the most qualified administrator ever. Certainly the best since the drunken reign of Dean Ackerman. In fact, he is probably over qualified. Nonetheless, MTSA managed to stumble upon a new interim President that will bring a level of educational professionalism never before seen at this school. Dr. Kenneth L. Schwab has accepted the position of interim President. He comes to MTSA from Centenary College in Shreveport, LA. He “hails originally from Indiana where he received his bachelor's degree from Purdue University in 1969. He then earned his master's in guidance and counseling from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 1972 and his doctorate in higher education administration at Indiana University in 1978. He came to Centenary after serving in varied administrative posts at Guilford College and the University of South Carolina.

1969	B.S., Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, Outstanding Senior
1970	Special Education Teacher, Defiance City Schools
1970-74	Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Operations, Guilford College
1972	M.S., Education, Guidance and Counseling, University of North Carolina
1974-80	Dean of Students, Guilford College
1978	Ph.D., Education, Indiana University
1980-86	Assistant to the President for Institutional Planning and Community Relations, Guilford College
1986-88	Executive Assistant to the President for Institutional Planning, University of South Carolina
1988-91	Executive Vice President for Administration, University of South Carolina
1991-2009	President, Centenary College of Louisiana

Dr. Schwab, is firmly established as an excellent educator and administrator with 30 years of service. During his distinguished career at Centenary, Dr. Schwab was a tenured professor in the Department of Education and held many administrative positions at Centenary and other institutions. He continued to pursue his own scholarship via publishing a book as well as numerous articles and several institutional planning documents regarding presidential leadership and transformational change. Indeed, Dr. Schwab’s keen interest in leadership and strategic planning helped Centenary’s comprehensive campaign raise over $100 million for the college. This amount exceeded the initial goal by over $30 million, enabling Centenary to build two new music facilities as well as renovate residence halls and a fitness center.

Dr. Schwab actively involved himself with Centenary students throughout his tenure there. He team-taught Centenary’s First-Year Experience program with the college’s Chair of Liberal Arts one semester. He traveled with various Centenary groups, like the college choir and was an avid supporter of their athletic program. In fact, he and the Centenary Gent mascot led the campus as they unveiled the new fitness center. Active on-campus and off, Dr. Schwab participated in the Salzburg Seminar sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, served as a European Community Visitor to the Commission of European Communities, and continued his scholarly work at Oxford, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard Universities. He also represented Centenary on a number of community and academic boards, including the Associated Colleges of the South Board of Directors. Dr. Schwab is named among the strongest and most outstanding Presidents in Centenary’s history and enormously helped to enhance the college’s reputation.

He has at least one hobby – woodworking. He is always on the hunt for antiques and he’s an avid refinisher. “I like to find old furniture that’s been painted.” He says, “It’s rewarding to liberate the beautiful wood that lies under the surface.” He has three sons (Kempten, Carlton, and Christopher).

The staff, students, and faculty of MTSA are so very fortunate to have such a distinguished educator gracing its halls. Welcome Dr. Schwab! I feel certain MTSA will be a better place for your having been there. I encourage readers to extend your well wishes to him via a visit, a call, card, or email (his email address is coming soon).

More Bad News

While it is very exciting to have someone such as Dr. Schwab becoming a part of 69^th ranked MTSA, his involvement there is only temporary. A new permanent President is being sought. It is unlikely that his replacement will have even half of his credentials. And, to reiterate, the religious fanatic that currently serves as dean will be doing everything in her power to make certain that a new lapdog gets foisted into that position.

Stay tuned! More to come!