NU president juggles jobs in and out of classroom
He signs his e-mails ‘president and professor,’ but can he do it all? As University President Morton O. Schapiro settles into his groove at Northwestern, handling the duties of both teaching and running the University may sound like a lot to handle.
But Schapiro has yet to give reason to doubt his abilities. By teaching, he offers NU his full range of skills. Schapiro is a pre-eminent scholar on the economics of higher education, lending valuable prestige as well as years of teaching experience to the department. Engaging with students in an intimate classroom setting also provides Schapiro with the chance to get a better idea of how undergrads think and what’s on their minds.
Former University President Henry Bienen is a tough act to follow. In the 14 years of his administration, the connections Bienen brought to the table helped advance NU’s reputation as a major research institution and shored up a hefty endowment-if you need any convincing that Bienen had a lasting influence on NU, just look at the new name of the School of Music.
What Schapiro brings to the table, however, complements Bienen’s legacy. Schapiro’s active involvement with the student body, augmented both literally and symbolically by his commitment to teach, helps him stay attuned not only to the school’s administration but also to its students.
While juggling two jobs at once is not easy, Schapiro is not alone among university presidents who also teach: Both Harvard and Princeton, among other major schools, have president-professors, and Bienen taught classes at NU, too.
Schapiro’s schedule may be packed, but as long as he doesn’t neglect his job as president, we’re glad to have him teaching. The signature has it right-he’s ‘president and professor,’ not the other way around.
$500,000 find a boon for Evanston’s bureaucracy
Money may not grow on trees, but when $584,000 turns up, it’s reason to celebrate. As the Evanston City Council continues to debate next year’s budget and the cuts it has to make to cover a $9.5 million deficit, the half-million discovery in the reserves of the Evanston Community Media Center is a bit of a relief. The office of the city manager deserves praise for its scrutiny of ECMC tax forms to uncover the funds.
Before the money was found, ECMC was fighting to save itself from a proposed $200,000 reduction in city funding. The discovery of these reserves changes the landscape of this debate. While ECMC is still hoping for a lower budget slash of $100,000, it will now have less leverage over the city.
With such a large sum of money at its disposal, ECMC should endure the City Council-supported $200,000 funding cut. When Evanston is in the red, reappropriating budget numbers could help soften the blow to other city services that are scaling back to save cash.
Even though we often see the failures of bureaucracy, this time the system worked. Instead of relying on the ECMC’s assessment of their numbers, the city conducted its own investigation. When government transparency pays off, we have almost as much reason to celebrate as when more than half a million dollars falls from the sky.
