Dr. David Norman: Faster than a speeding bullet…

Like the superheroes of old, the Board of Trustees and Dr. Norman are moving faster than a speeding bullet!

The Board of Trustees will vote Friday, May 21st on the election of Dr. David A. Norman to the Presidency of Erskine College and Seminary.

We knew the Board planned to meet with Dr. Norman from the leaked email sent to Board members introducing him, but I had no idea they planned to vote and settle the issue here-and-now. Assuming my sources are correct, the Board is going to make a final vote this Friday.

(My apologies if I have misinterpreted the information I received. I am still rather incredulous and will happily amend this statement if proven to be incorrect. However, the absence of clear communication and the very possibility of the charge is almost as significant as the information itself. Send me an email or comment with any details).

My sources indicate Dr. Norman toured campus last week and met with faculty, briefly. I do not know the extent of this interaction but I believe it is safe to say that they have not interacted with Dr. Norman extensively. The extent of interaction with Alumni is far less. I have no idea how much communication candidates typically have with members of the College, but the situation with Erskine in 2010 is far from typical. I wrote before that we need an open and explicit vetting of Dr. Norman from every stakeholder involved – faculty, administration, Board, Synod, and Alumni. I stand opposed to any final vote on Dr. Norman before such openness has been achieved.

If this information is not accurate – and I do not rule that out – then we need clear communication from the Board or the Presidential Search Committee as to what they are doing. What are you going to vote on this Friday? When will Dr. Norman come to campus again? How can we interact with him?

The more I hear about Dr. Norman, the more I support his candidacy. In many respects he is a very encouraging candidate. But hearing about somebody through a third party and speaking to the man face-to-face are two very different things. What papers has he written? What are his goals for Erskine? What is “integration of faith and learning,” and how should it be applied? Does he think the Interim Board should be in power, or does he agree with the injunction order? &etc &etc.

I know almost nothing about the man and his ideas for my College, and this scares me.

My point is: whether the vote is this Friday or a month from now, we need clear and open communication from Dr. Norman. I don’t believe I ask for too much. We must always keep an open mind – especially for a candidate that shows as much promise as Dr. Norman. An open mind is crucial – but don’t let your brain fall out!