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A Ready PartnerBill Nesbitt, 2008 President of the BAA Board of Directors
I was recently interviewed by an independent firm that was assessing
the current environment among the Baylor family. The interviewer asked
me several questions about our alma mater. Two of his questions and my
answers to them are transcribed below.
 Question:
You are not the first person I've interviewed. I'm aware there are some
issues between the Board of Regents (BOR) and the Baylor Alumni
Association (BAA). I've been to lots of colleges and universities doing
this kind of thing, but I've never seen anything like it is here at
Baylor. What's the problem?
Answer: Some regents blame the
BOR's dismissal of Robert Sloan on the BAA. Others believe the BAA's
appropriate role is like that of a cheerleader, to publicize the
positives and ignore the negatives. Some regents believe the BAA is
controlled by a handful of families who try to control Baylor through
the voice of the BAA. I'm sure there are other issues, but those are
the ones I've heard most frequently.
Question: What is the solution?
Answer: It is tragic for the
BOR and the BAA to be at cross-purposes and inexcusable for them to
remain so. While the two organizations have different responsibilities,
they both are made up of people who love Baylor and seek to do what is
best for Baylor. If Baylor University had a voice, it would call out to
the BOR and the BAA to get together, fix the problems, and get on with
working together for the university.
The BAA's board wholeheartedly agrees. In January, the BAA requested
the opportunity to meet with the BOR. While that was not possible
during their February meetings, we are optimistic that the BOR will
take us up on our request in the near future. Hopefully, a first
meeting will result in a series of discussions that lead to resolution.
When we meet, the BOR will find that the BAA is a fair and flexible
partner in the discussions, addressing the issues with openness and
understanding. For the record, the BAA does not presume itself to be
without fault. We are ready to sit down with the BOR, identify our
mistakes, apologize for them, and set out to correct them. We believe
the BOR will approach the discussions in a similar spirit.
There are cultural differences between the BOR and the BAA that must be
overcome in these discussions. BAA board meetings, except for rare and
brief executive sessions, are open to all who wish to attend. Major
portions of BOR meetings are closed, and regents forbid themselves from
discussing those deliberations with anyone other than regents. We
should find a mutually acceptable way to be transparent with students
and alumni, the people who have the biggest stake in Baylor.
Because the issues that divide us are complex, we know they can't be
solved easily. Nevertheless, the BAA is ready to work with the BOR in a
concentrated effort, for whatever length of time is necessary, to
resolve the differences.
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