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On Campus Blog
Alex Friedrich

What Gustavus trustees have written alumni regarding President Ohle

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I've just been forwarded a letter that Gustavus Adolphus College's board of trustees have sent to alumni concerned about the leadership of President Jack Ohle, a number of whom have called for his ouster.

I think this is the main message (the bold type being mine):

As a Board, we have listened and are hearing the concerns expressed on and off campus and will continue to do so.  While we know there is work to be done, we are excited about the progress of the institution under the President’s leadership.  Be assured that the Board and President Ohle are committed to continuing to work with all of the College’s stakeholders.

Below is the letter in full:

Dear Gustavus Alumni,

Gustavus Adolphus College has been in the news recently in regard to concerns about the College’s governance and leadership.  On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we write you, our valued alumni, to provide background and context to the concerns being expressed.  All institutions of higher education are in an ever more rapidly changing environment.  We are addressing those concerns brought on by the challenges inherent with major institutional change across the breadth of higher education.  By doing so, we hope to build on the significant successes achieved by our alma mater in recent years.

In these challenging times in higher education, technology and online learning are confronting the traditional methods of teaching at a residential, liberal arts college.  Concerns have also been raised about rising costs in private education as it relates to the challenges being faced nationally.  Despite these challenges, Gustavus continues to thrive and remains one of the top private liberal arts colleges in the United States.

By its very nature, a college campus is a diverse mix of individuals and opinions and Gustavus is no exception.  It is a natural process to openly engage in civil discourse about divergent opinions in the way in which an institution of higher education is governed. The Board of Trustees, through the governance model we developed over the past few years, has been seeking more input from faculty, staff, and students to make sure the appropriate conversations and discussions are held so that the institution will continue to move forward.

As a Board, we have listened and are hearing the concerns expressed on and off campus and will continue to do so.  While we know there is work to be done, we are excited about the progress of the institution under the President’s leadership.  Be assured that the Board and President Ohle are committed to continuing to work with all of the College’s stakeholders.

Our alma mater has experienced significant success over the past few years.  The College has realized an increase in student enrollment as well as significant increases in both the number of applicants and the academic quality of those applicants.  In addition, thanks to the support of so many of you, there has been a substantial increase in giving to the College, including $4.5 million given to the 2011-12 Annual Fund by 9,925 donors and the kick-off of a $150 million comprehensive fundraising campaign of which over $100 million has already been raised.  All of this has contributed to our continued strong financial health.  We also received the largest gift in the history of the College that enabled us to construct a new academic building, which houses five academic departments.  However, with these successes we must all realize we cannot take future success for granted.

The one thing we know for sure is that the Gustavus family is a tight-knit group that cares deeply about the success of the institution.  With your continued support and dialogue, we will stay committed and focused on Gustavus's core values and mission of educating students for lives of leadership and service.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees,

Mark E. Bernhardson

Chair, Board of Trustees