June 8, 2000
Dear KCOM Faculty and Staff:
The KCOM Board of Trustees met in Kirksville at a special meeting on June 4 and 5, 2000, to allow representatives of faculty and students to present material for the second time in two months. Three representatives of American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) were also in attendance: its president and two members of its Board of Governors.
During more than 10 hours of meetings, the issues raised in prior declarations and memos to the Board and alumni were discussed. The Board reviewed additional reports and documents, including letters from alumni, the vast majority of which favored the administration and its present directions.
After consideration of all issues, the Board reasserted its complete confidence in the president and asked him to make all the decisions necessary to deal with present issues.
Unbeknown to the Board and other faculty, a self-identified "steering committee" of some clinical faculty, had requested "a complete investigation" by the AOA on May 30, 2000, just days before the pre-announced Special Meeting of the KCOM Board. That is, without any institutional approval and while Board members were traveling to Kirksville to hear and evaluate their concerns, the "steering committee" was involving the national accrediting agency. This group will be held accountable.
We are confident that any review by the AOA will use the excellent commendations given to the College in the AOA accreditation report of February 3, 2000 and realize that the issues raised by the "steering committee" were addressed at the recent AOA accreditation visit, at the last two KCOM Board meetings, and at the AACOM visit last weekend. The "steering committee" has been told on four occasions that their allegations and demands are inappropriate.
It is now time to "move on" and we ask faculty and staff to do whatever they can to encourage these faculty to not abandon their responsibilities as teachers and not use their position to further their own issues.
Some clinical faculty have not met with the dean or associate dean to discuss their teaching and committee work for next year before the deadline at the end of May and have not rescheduled after the Board Meeting as they indicated. Therefore, the Dean's Office is hiring replacement teachers to teach in these areas. Clinical faculty wanting to teach next year should immediately schedule meetings with the dean, if they have not negotiated a contract.
I am very impressed with the good work underway in various committees to address recent student and faculty concerns. The history of higher education is filled with the good results of faculty working together to gradually and reasonably alter the processes and procedures of academic institutions. I ask all faculty to reach out and encourage fellow faculty to remember the values necessary to have an ever improving college.
At the last Faculty Meeting I distributed the Long-Range Plan which so many of you have worked on during the past year. I need your final comments now that you see the complete document and before discussion and approval by the Board. (Additional copies will be delivered to you by calling 626-2391.) I ask that chairpersons encourage and report proposed changes in writing to the dean.
We are presently recruiting for an associate dean to coordinate the education of the first and second year students. We have named John Jones, D.O., as assistant dean for postdoctoral education to help Associate Dean Dixie Rawlins. D.O.. in working with internships and residencies.
While we should all be willing to help one another. we must not tolerate actions which hurt the education of our students. the work of our faculty or staff. and the long-term development of our institution. We must not yield to inappropriate demands by either faculty or students. so that we may preserve the long-standing rule of law and justice for the institution. There is no legal cost, no number of faculty replacements, no constituent opinion that is more important than the continuing integrity of the institution. If we lose our integrity, we lose our justification for being the institution we are and for being the even better institution we can become.
Best personal regards,
James J. McGovern, Ph.D.
President
