By Star-Ledger Editorial Board
It’s understandable why Dawood Farahi, the embattled president of Kean University, might be frustrated, near the breaking point even. But his accusations of bias against the commission that accredits four-year colleges are off-base and pure folly. Farahi needs to address the shortcomings of Kean, not attack the messenger.
Since taking office nine years ago, Farahi has been at the center of what seems to be a perpetual storm on the 16,000-student campus. He met resistance when he demanded faculty spend longer hours on campus. Some opponents dug up embarrassing errors and exaggerations on his résumés, which Farahi blamed on a staffer, reflecting no glory on himself. He’s been the target of several faculty no-confidence votes. As if that weren’t enough, a couple of months ago, the NCAA put all of Kean’s teams on probation until 2016 for rule violations.
None of this compares to the biggest cloud over Kean: the Middle States Commission on Higher Education gave the university a warning in June 2011 that the school was failing in a key area — documenting how it measures student learning, and how it uses that data to make improvements. Kean has until June 2013 to comply, but a review this spring by the commission found Kean still deficient. What’s more, the commission also wants proof that Kean fosters a climate of respect on campus, no easy thing given its recent history.
That’s when Farahi blasted the commission, charging it with “the biases of bureaucrats.” He might feel that the commission has moved the goal posts, but Middle States couldn’t help but notice the toll that constant battles have taken. Instead of petulant name-calling, Farahi needs to provide an explicit plan for how he will address the issues. Picking another fight now is just one more drain on the energy of the board and president. Farahi needs to get to work on what matters: ensuring Kean continues and thrives as an accredited university.
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