We all like stories where there is a “good guy” and a “bad guy.” Some well-meaning Catholic bloggers seem willing to cast the administration in the white hat, and the lawsuit-threatening faculty members in the black hat. However, the truth is much more complex, and we must wake up to this reality. I caution people to remember that there are always two (or more) sides to a story, and not to jump to conclusions based on the side of the story that comes straight from the college’s highly image-conscious administration.
I certainly applaud President Thierfelder and Abbot Solari for standing firm in the Faith when faced with such strident opposition. Had they been doing their duty, though, they would have noticed this immoral healthcare policy years earlier. I also applaud the lone faculty member who had the courage to speak up for the truth and bring this immoral health care coverage to their notice, at the risk of being persecuted by his/her colleagues. This person is unnamed, probably for his/her own protection, but I want him/her to know that some of us recognize the courage it took.
Like many of you, I felt hopeful after Dr. Thierfelder took over at Belmont Abbey – I liked his vision and thought this college might be added to a regrettably small number of truly faithful Catholic colleges. However, shortly after he arrived, serious problems developed between the new administration, faculty and even some students. President Thierfelder and most of the Vice Presidents he’s hired (including the newest VP of Academic Affairs) come from a business background, with little to no understanding of how to run a college. They have implemented a business model, where the CEO (president) makes unilateral decisions and pushes them down to the labor force (faculty and staff), to better serve the clients (students). This is foreign to many in higher ed who are familiar with the “shared governance” model normally used at colleges and universities, but this is exactly what Dr. Thierfelder has done since he first arrived.
As each year passes and more top-down authoritarian decisions are made, it has caused the faculty (including even some of the Catholic members) to feel abandoned and ignored, resulting in a loss of respect and confidence in the administration. (One professor summed up this frustration nicely in an article found at
crusader.bac.edu/english/crusader/archive/opinion/logo.html.) After several years of this, the faculty has finally reached a breaking point. Unfortunately, their “line in the sand” was poorly chosen, using the one issue that deals with a higher moral issue.
I’m certainly no fan of some faculty there and I wouldn’t be sorry to see them go. I also agree it is VERY wrong for the 8 complainers and the many others who support them to insist on bringing back immoral and anti-Catholic health benefits. However, to be fair and just, I also understand their growing frustration with the administration’s ill will, incompetence or both. What has surfaced in this controversy is only the tip of an iceberg that has been forming for several years. If President Thierfelder had taken the time in his first year to review all the policies and procedures (including health care) already in place, to learn about higher education processes, to treat the faculty with more respect, and to allow them more (name removed by moderator)ut into some of the decisions that affect them, then there might be less hostility today. This is a case where BOTH sides (administration and faculty) share responsibility in the many underlying problems that led up to this controversial “explosion.”
I am grateful that Belmont Abbey students like xsuasox and edward_george have so far not seen the ugliness behind the scenes at the college, and I hope they will keep the fire in their faith as more of this seeps out. However, college-bound students and their parents would do well to look into better alternatives such as Christendom College, Franciscan University, Holy Apostles College, or Wyoming Catholic College.
