Jan 27, 2010

Why you should be concerned about Shimer

Many Shimer alums have expressed concern about the College recently based on information they've been receiving online and elsewhere. Here, we will make a clear case for why you, as someone invested in the prosperity of Shimer and its future, should be currently concerned about the College. Knowing that Shimer alums would also want to see the evidence upon which this case is based, we will not only provide a summary argument, we will provide, carefully presented in our archives, the documentation through which you can judge the case for yourself.

The summary argument can be presented in two simple points:
  1. Thomas K. Lindsay, the current president, has been and is mismanaging the College by repeatedly demonstrating contempt for Shimer's traditions of shared governance and genuine, open dialogue.
  2. President Lindsay's ideological imbalance disables him from listening to and, thus, representing the diversity of our students, faculty, and alumni.
Point number one is well-documented in the subsequent post entitled: "President Lindsay's Mismanagement of the College." The second point is, predictably, more complex to argue, but we encourage you to spend a little time viewing first the post below called, "President Lindsay's Ideological Imbalance," and then the subsequent posts about the sixteen trustees he has brought to the College in his brief tenure as Shimer's president. The ideological narrowness of this recent crowd - Heritage Foundation "Scholars" (like Lindsay, himself), speakers for and the president of the Heartland Institute, an outspoken dean from the George Mason "Law and Economics Center" - is stunning, leaving little room for doubt that Lindsay and these new trustees are ill-suited to represent Shimer's diverse community.

As you learn more, we hope you'll engage in the fight to defend Shimer from Tom Lindsay's failing, ideologically driven mismanagement, and visit our subsequent post on how you can help.