Being and Becoming

At the same time, I began to have doubts about my ability to deal with those personnel problems. After observing some nasty, vicious personnel conflicts at both WVU and USM, I became very much aware of a claim that I had heard others posit. “The university setting is very political, more so than in politics.” I was sobered by that thought. It seemed that all the positive energy I had up to that point was reduced. My approach to resolving the personnel issues had to be delicate. If not, the emotional toll on me could be devastating and I may not last the five years Amanda and I were planning.

Before the first day on the job, I had concluded that first, I was not going into the position with any personal agenda. In addition, I was not going to allow my emotions to be invested in success or failure. I was going to be rational with everyone and allow the rules and policies, not practices, to be the guide that buttressed every action and decision. I was going to be low profile, not arrogant or overly boastful about my past in my approach.

A quiet but strong, well-informed, deliberate, no-nonsense style was what I aimed for as my general approach. This was really not difficult for me to conceptualize, because in reality, it was the core of my personality, and I was comfortable with it. It was pretty much the way I operated most of the time.

What made it different this time was that I consciously identified it as appropriate for the setting as it had been described to me. I did not have second thoughts about it. Before, it just happened. How would I fare? Particularly, being conscious of my style was the question.

A nonevent upon my arrival at TWU was a reception welcoming me to the university or the department. I waited for it, but it never happened. In fact, the only welcoming gesture was from wife of the interim chair, Dr. Glenn Jennings. She sent me a horn of cornucopia with fall decoration that she crafted. It was on a credenza in my office went I arrived. There was just one time that Glenn attempted to organize a reception at his home, but I understand there was a challenge getting beyond persons’ time conflicts. The reception never happened.

I concluded this was most unusual. Welcome receptions were always regarded as proper protocol for persons coming into organizations. I even considered it as professional thing to do, and a given, if for no other reason than to be cordial and to suggest a welcoming spirit. When the reception did not happen, I felt slighted to be honest.

However, I did not allow it to be a problem as I learned more about the dynamics of the problems of the faculty and Dr. Miller’s issues at the college and university levels. She was struggling with survival. The Department of Family Sciences issues, and I later learned critical issues in the Department of Education, were taking a toll on her relationship with personnel. The provost and university chancellor/president were questioning her effectiveness at this time. As the first weeks passed and I became engrossed in department issues, a reception was definitely a nonissue. I was too involved in getting to know my challenges and plotting my strategy for success.

Dissimilar to the matter of a reception in the department, there were many individuals at various levels throughout the university who came to my office or invited me to theirs during which times they welcomed me and offered their assistance and orientations to me as I adjusted to the university. One of those individuals was Dr. Monica Mendez-Grant. Monica was the associate VP for student affairs. She was the sole Hispanic administrator on campus. She was most welcoming and offered her assistance to me, as others did. However, speaking with her was uniquely significant for me. She stated that my presence and in the position as department chair was good for the university, for the students, and for the administration. As she relayed those sentiments to me, I began to feel very positive about coming to TWU and the potential contributions I could make in my administrative role. I began to feel positive about my simple presence on campus. I committed to being a positive presence as a Black male as I interacted with persons in every area on the TWU university structure. This included students, custodial workers, grounds personnel, faculty, staff, and administrators. Considering the retirement reception honoring my eleven-year tenure at TWU, I accomplished that goal in exceptional fashion.

On my first day, I walked into my office at 7:30 a.m. to get started, knowing the office opened at 8 a.m. At 7:45, a faculty member stood in my office door as I organized my desk. She greeted and welcomed me to the position then asked if she might speak with me about a matter. It was related to the assignment of an instructor of record for a statistics class that was on the schedule for next semester. She described a conflict between her and two other faculty. She placed her curriculum vitae on my desk and said it profiled her expertise and experiences. She went on to say she wanted to teach the class and she was scheduled to teach the class that was approved by the interim chair. However, the other two faculty argued that she was not properly credentialed to teach the class. They were advocating for another faculty to be assigned the class. I asked, “What is the position of the other faculty regarding his assignment to teach the class?” She said she didn’t believe he cared one way or the other and he had not expressed any agreement or opposition about her teaching the class.

Thus, this was my first up close and personal glimpse into the department’s personnel conflicts. I informed her that I would address the matter immediately.