President Ross must re-evaluate priorities in joining private company
George Ross will need to tread lightly to save face in his role as university president, after accepting a position on the board of directors of a private company.
Ross, who has been president of CMU for just over six months, should not have taken a position with Furniture Brands International, Inc. when his focus should be squarely on the problems facing the university in the coming months and years.
While his responsibilities or his compensation — possibly around $45,000 plus stock bonuses — have not been determined, he will have to attend four out-of-state, multi-day board meetings each year, as well as spending untold time preparing, researching and managing for this company.
While it is true it is quite common for university presidents to serve on such boards, Ross may have reconsidered the timing of his decision and the implications of his views toward the university. With only six months as president, half of which was during the summer, Ross needs to appear devoted and dedicated to the institution paying him over $350,000 annually to do so.
It is too early to see what will happen with issues such as rising tuition, cramped on-campus housing and the money-pit that is the medical school, but Ross’ participation in the decision-making of these issues is paramount.
He could, reasonably, deal hands-on with most of these issues while maintaining his new private-sector responsibilities. Yet, what about the promises he made that he has yet to even begin to fulfill?
This question mainly concerns President Ross’ visibility on campus.
When he was first announced as president, he claimed he was going to interact with students on a personal level, even saying it would not be rare to see him eating lunch with individual students.
This has not happened once in the six months of his presidency.
Ross is rarely seen on campus and has only held two forums with students and the public. This can be excused momentarily, because of the brevity of his tenure as president.
However, as his presidency continues, Ross has to get out in the open, keep his hands firmly on CMU affairs and do everything in his ability to assure the community of his devotion to his office.
There is no rule against Ross taking this position with Furniture Brands, only the hope that he will prove to have more devotion and care for the students under his watch than footstools.
