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February 1-7, 2012
Y
2 CAMPUS NEWS
THE MAROON TIGER
N icolas B. Aziz *12
Editor-in-Chief
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ADVISER
Ron Thomas
Franklin and Davidson sit down with the MT
Nicolas B. Aziz
Editor-in-Chief
nkMMzizj^yshooxom
A midst the commotion of Presi
dent Franklins announcement, he
and Morehouse Board of Trustees
Chairman Robert C. Davidson, Jr. ’67
made time for an interview with The Ma
roon Tiger. In this exclusive interview,
Franklin and Davidson addressed some
of the questions surrounding the institu
tions transition of leadership.
MT: I’ll start it off by asking the ques
tion everyone’s been asking. Why?
Franklin: This was my decision, and
I am at peace about the decision. I’ve
been soul searching for some months
as I’ve thought about my future and
this stage in my life. Ultimately, I real
ized two things. We have accomplished
what we were asked to accomplish at
Morehouse College; and that has been
to build upon and extend the cultural,
intellectual and moral dimensions of
the college. Secondly, I [realized that]
I was desirous of returning to my first
calling as a teacher, a scholar, a writer,
[and] a preacher. This has been a diffi
cult journey arriving at that point, but I
am at a point of peace now. I’m looking
forward at this stage in my life, just be
fore 60 years of age, to do some things
that I want to do while I’m healthy and
young enough to enjoy them with my
family.
MT: What is your response to those who
believe this was more of a “forcing out”
due to your apparent inability to raise
funds for the college?
Franklin: I am excited about our
achievements in fundraising. We’ve
raised over $60 million in federal funds
to support research. This faculty has
been an incredibly productive team of
thought-leaders and researchers, and I
have worked to support and lead efforts
to increase our public funding. Second
ly, we have raised in excessive $60 mil
lion of what we call institutional funds
to support the many purposes of the
college: scholarships, campus enhance
ments, improving security, building our
capacity in social media space, [and]
improving our website. So it is really
worthy of celebration. Despite a difficult
economy, we’ve had many fundraising
successes; and my successor will build
upon those just as I built upon the tre
mendous work of President Massey. It
was my decision, plain and simple, and
that is why I’m at peace about it.
MT: The only other president to serve
this short of a term was Samuel T.
Graves from 1885 to 1890. Do you
think this short of a tenure will say
anything to the public about your abil
ity as a president?
Franklin: I think not. I think people will
affirm that we had an impact on the col
lege in a branding effort in talking about
Morehouse men as renaissance men with
a social conscience. And I trust the five
wells will be a lasting part of my legacy;
producing students who are well-read,
well-spoken, well-traveled, well-dressed
and well-balanced. We explored and
pushed Morehouse even further out into
the world [by] welcoming more inter
national students, more international
faculty, and ensuring that more students
get to travel and study abroad. That can
take a long period or it can be done in an
intense way in a relatively short period
and this five-year period has been the
greatest privilege of my life.
MT: The classes of 2011 and 2012 will
go down in history as your only two
full classes. Can you describe your rela
tionship with these two classes who will
essentially be dubbed as your “Renais
sance Men?”
Franklin: I certainly feel a special pride
and bond with those two classes. But all
of the classes that have been represented
during this five year period; I feel that all
of them have been in some way partici
pants in and contributors to what we call
this “renaissance of Morehouse.” Those
two classes have special distinction of the
full time of my tenure here and we cer
tainly share those four years of discovery
and growth.
MT: Why did you think it was necessary
to hold a town hall meeting this evening
(Jan. 31) for students?
Franklin: I draw strength and energy
from students and I feel it is an impor
tant expression of trust. It’s respect for
the bond that I have. I think of myself
as a “student president.” Even when I’ve
been out on fundraising trips or visiting
alumni, after a long busy day coming in
from the airport, I would always stop at
the cafeteria before going home no mat
ter how tired I was because I would be
reminded of why I’m doing this, why the
world needs Morehouse and why people
should contribute to this college.
MT: Speaking of students, have you had
a chance to look at Twitter since the an
nouncement? Yesterday you were actu
ally a trending topic in the Atlanta area.
Franklin: (laughs) I glanced for a few
moments and saw a lot of news articles
being circulated. So, yes.
MT: What is the next step?
Davidson: The next step is for the Board
of Trustees to immediately form a search
committee, which I will be putting
together. We will then establish a search
process and from that we will gener
ate potential candidates for the posi
tion based upon criteria that the search
committee will establish. We will then
go through a process of looking through
those candidates and the tough job of
trying to find someone to fill the big
shoes that Dr. Franklin will be leaving for
them.
MT: Will past candidates be revisited?
For example, Rev. Calvin Butts or John
Wilson?
Davidson: All candidates that fit the
criteria will be looked at. There are no
particular candidates on the table today.
But anyone that feels they fit the criteria,
has an interest, and that we (the Board)
feel embodies the mission of Morehouse
will be considered.
MT: This past academic year has seen
several major transitions (CFO Gwen
dolyn Sykes and Provost Weldon Jack-
son). What is your response to those
who may think the college appears to be
in a crisis?
Davidson: What we’re planning here is a
comfortable transition for Dr. Franklin
to his successor. With respect to other
members of management that exist
here at the college, that’s a decision that
is made by the president. And as the
Board, it is policy that we don’t comment
on those positions and what they do.
Franklin: The good news is that we have
strong interim leadership. I will work
with the new president and we expect
those positions to be filled later this year.
MT: What are the largest concerns for
Morehouse College at this point?
Franklin: One of the things we are ex
cited about is a new strategic priorities
plan. This board has worked hard with
the management team to develop five
strategic priorities for the college. This
is the first time in the 145-year history
of the college where we’ve worked so
intensely on a data-rich clearly defined
set of priorities for Morehouse College.
The next president accepts a kind of
road map that will enable that presi
dent to lead the college forward in an
effective way. And I’m very proud to
be have been a part of that and work
with Chairman Davidson to ensure
that we had such a solid and exciting
plan.
Davidson: Dr. Franklin has done exactly
what the board has asked him to do as
president. Fle’s come in and taken on the
challenges that the college has faced and
he’s gone above and beyond that in set
ting this up to be able to pass the baton
to the next leader. Without a road map,
you don’t know where you are when you
get there. Dr. Franklin has already writ
ten that road map for the next president.
The next president can now come in and
take the initiatives that Dr. Franklin has
set up and take the baton and continue
the journey.
MT: What are some of the components
of this plan?
Franklin: [First], it (the plan) focuses
on enrollment management; it’s shap
ing the future of Morehouse to en
sure that we’re attracting the best and
brightest young men who will continue
to serve their communities and bring
value in every walk of life. [Second],
it focuses on retention and graduation.
We call that one the student services
focus. Third is a focus on the qual
ity and rigor of our curriculum and
our co-curricular programs. Fourth,
is excellent teaching and research;
ensuring that we first of all re-populate
the faculty with terrific strong leaders.
One third of this faculty will be eli
gible to retire in the next seven years.
Finally, all of those are predicated on
a sustainable business model. We’ve
worked hard, colleagues have made
their contributions, and the result is a
strong plan. And I think that marks
Morehouse as distinct and this is a new
milestone in the history of our college.
MT: How important are the next five
years of Morehouse College?
Davidson: It’s not the next five years
that are critical for Morehouse. It’s the
next 50 years that are critical. We want
to continue this legacy that we will have
for what will be 150 years in 2017. Then
when we get to 200 years, it will be
[about] the next 50 years. We have to
take a very long-term view for this insti
tution because it’s a legacy.
MT: Any other comments?
Davidson: We really wanted to honor
and recognize Dr. Franklin for his
numerous contributions to this college.
And in doing so, we, as a board, have
given him the title of President Emeritus
and Distinguished Professor. That is the
highest title the college can bestow upon
anyone. And that is symbolic of our view
of his significant contributions during his
tenure here as president. I think [people]
should recognize that and realize how
the board feels about Dr. Franklin.
Franklin: Those faculty members who
are now at other institutions [and those]
who are now in PhD programs will now
be attracted to Morehouse because we
have a clear road map; and also because
of the current strength of our academic
reputation. ..I have to believe that John
Hope and Benjamin Mays, Dr. Gloster
and Walter Massey and all of our lead
ers and icons have to smile and say that’s
exactly where Morehouse should be: at
the top of the pyramid serving the public
good. And that’s what we’ll continue.
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