On Thursday of Week 8, community members were invited to attend a Quiet Time meeting in the Chapel to address and dispel rumors about recent administrative activity and the seeming trend toward formal discipline. In a brief address from Student Body Presidents Laura Buchanan and Ron Meyer, both spoke to the importance of compassion and communication between students. According to Buchanan: “We talk a lot about judgment and judging one another – we’re in a small community – but the most important thing we can do to help one another is to be compassionate and to be constantly working to support and uphold one another…”

The theme of judgment remained constant throughout the meeting. At one point, Meyer added: “None of us can throw stones at each other. We’ve all had some sort of struggle with materiality in our lives. That’s not the point. The point is that we should discuss the problems we’re having on this campus.”

Junior Bekah Charlston, next year’s Student Body Vice President, called upon all Principians, especially student leaders (i.e. team captains, RAs and house presidents) to take a stand when it comes to Principia’s policies. Charlston added: “However, holding each other accountable doesn’t mean condemning one another for our actions.”

College President Jonathan Palmer shared statistics about the number of cases that have gone through Restorative Justice and Community Board this quarter compared to previous years at Principia. Dr. Palmer added: “This has been a unique academic term filled with challenges and difficult decisions.” He also went on to acknowledge the progress this community has experienced in the months since the last community meeting in January of this year.

Responding to a question about the perceived increase in disciplinary cases on campus, Residence Director Josh Sprague said, “If you look at the numbers – this year compared to last year – the overall numbers aren’t that different.”

Freshman Housing Director Joy Booth added: “[This quarter] it’s just kind of come in a concentrated group, for some reason.”

It seems unnecessary to focus on the individual people who have recently been suspended, but several cases have been brought forward and resolved in the last few weeks of this quarter. Several students on campus have a friend or classmate who is no longer enrolled at Principia, which makes the problem impossible to ignore.

Metaphysics play a big role in every Community Board decision on campus. photo / Kelly McGinnis

As much confusion as there sometimes seems to be around disciplinary process, it’s really fairly simple. In short, a student is eligible for Restorative Justice if he or she commits an offense without ever having been previously reported to OSL. In Restorative Justice, a policy violation is worked out between the person bringing a case forward and the student being brought forward, as well as with a circle of community members who may have been affected by the behavior in question. If a student goes through Restorative Justice and is reported a second time, their case would automatically proceed to Community Board, where a suspension could potentially be recommended. More information about both processes is available in the Blue Pages online.

Still, it’s important to understand that Restorative Justice isn’t a “get-out-of-jail free card” of sorts. According to Sprague: “People assume that if they mess up … they automatically get to go to Restorative Justice. And that’s not the case. There are several qualifications that have to be met in order to go to Restorative Justice, one of which is that both parties have to agree that that’s the way they want to go.”

While the steps of formal discipline are simple enough to process and understand, sometimes logic is difficult to come to grips with. Overall, the process seems to become a lot more complex when you factor in all the emotion that often surrounds formal discipline. Though most students understand that they – or a friend, roommate, acquaintance – have broken the Code, it’s not an easy thing to accept an unfavorable resolution once it has been reached.

Sprague acknowledged the difficulty associated with the aftermath of a challenging case in the following way: “It’s difficult to separate the emotion from what actually happened, and so that it makes it harder …  for people to understand, somehow. I completely get that.” Sprague went on to explain that we often process things very differently through either a rational or emotional perspective.

Although Community Board must operate under a fairly strict procedure, both Booth and Sprague firmly stated that every decision is made with a loving motive. Sprague quoted a passage in Education at the Principia, which reads: “No matter how annoying, how resentful, how malicious the error may be in its manifestations, and how necessary it may be to deal with it externally in the severest way … our attitude toward the person should be one of tenderness and love” (EAP 18). Dr. Palmer read the same passage aloud at the Week 8 community meeting.

Sprague explained that this quote is especially meaningful to him in cases of formal discipline because: “Even while [students are] going through what – to them – is just a huge trial in their [lives], [in] their contact with us, they should feel that tenderness and love.”

Both Sprague and Booth made it clear that Community Board members – two students and two community members per hearing – work to separate behavior from personality in every individual case. According to Sprague, the primary goal of every case is to help a student see that a suspension doesn’t level a character judgment on individual students. At another moment in the conversation, Booth explained: “We believe that everyone is good. Everyone wants to do good.”

An anonymous student member of Community Board said, “[In] a lot of the cases that I’ve been in … people brought forward have said, ‘I just wish that someone had reached out to me. I just wish that someone had talked to me.’”

Later, this student added that if members of our community were more willing to approach one another before formal discipline was implemented, our sense of “community spirit” would likely be a lot better.

Booth added that communication is a very important part of any case of formal discipline. She explained: “We thoroughly describe to anyone who’s in the process what’s going to happen in our initial interview with them, and we kind of lay out the different options.” Booth added that anyone in OSL is happy to explain the process further to anyone who may just be curious about how decisions are reached and how issues are handled in formal discipline.

Sue Palmer was a student at Principia College herself. She transferred to the College after her first year, and graduated in 1979, with a double major in Business Administration and Sociology & Anthropology. During her time at the College, Mrs. Palmer lived in Sylvester house, which was a women’s dorm at that time, and served as the house president. She married Jonathan Palmer on the day after her graduation. Today, Dr. Jonathan Palmer is not only College President, but also Chief Executive (CE) of The Principia as a whole. Her husband’s positions give Mrs. Palmer the opportunity to frequently participate in the life on both Principia campuses and thereby to establish a relationship with students of all ages.

Mrs. Palmer said: “I am always just looking for ways to support and connect. Certainly, to do the more official functions that we have at Hutchinson House better, but also to be open to other things that we could be doing around campus. I think our goal initially was to be as transparent and as accessible and open to what Principia needed at that time.” Her strong desire to be open and transparent for the students comes from her great love for this institution. Mrs. Palmer said: “Principia allows us to see everything that we do as a vehicle for spiritual growth. The academic preparation is vigorous and important, but I think the most valuable thing, was that all of it—whether it is student government or academic preparation—is the foundation of your spiritual growth. The academic focus just prepares you for one part, but the overall spiritual foundation is more compelling. And I think this is an environment that really supports that, that really points that out to you along the way. And from that standpoint I do think that Principia is unique.”

Mrs. Palmer is very grateful for her own time at the College, so she sees her husband’s and her position in a very distinct way. Mrs. Palmer said, “It was a chance [for us] to give back!”

When Dr. Palmer took over as President in summer of 2008, Mrs. Palmer did not lose any time in jumping right into things. Mrs. Palmer said, “Of course it was a little bit surreal.…What helped make it more real, was that I was really eager to get involved. I sent an email around to faculty and staff, asking for anyone who wanted to take the time to get together for lunch or for a pub date so I could get to know people one on one. I had about 45 people take me up on that.” Mrs. Palmer also said that Principia needs to be represented in the outside world. After living in Elsah for a year, she was appointed to the Elsah Village Board, an organization that supports the interests of Elsah. Mrs. Palmer said, “That is a great way for Principia to be represented in Elsah and to make sure that Elsah feels that they know a little bit about Principia.”

Her main focus, however, is definitely on The Principia itself, and especially on its students. She and her husband host dinners for speakers who come to campus and during special events, such as the Pan African Conference and the Public Affairs Conference. Mrs. Palmer is also eager to open Hutchinson House up more to the students. Mrs. Palmer said, “We have tried to share Hutchinson House perhaps a little more with the students than in the past.”  The new freshmen in particular are encouraged to get to know the Palmers better. “We have each freshman house come for dessert and a game their spring quarter…. It is a big a group for us to get to know them, but it is an attempt for them to get to know us,” said Mrs. Palmer. This event is new as of last year. Mrs. Palmer said: “We started that because I had a couple of people say to me at Strawberry Festival, which is for seniors and is the weekend before they graduate, ‘This is the first time I have been to Hutchinson House’. So I thought, ‘We’ve got to change that!’”

Strawberry Festival has changed a little since 2008. The outgoing seniors are invited to Hutchinson House during their spring quarter. The men barbecue while the women have tea together. Both groups get to speak with three members of the faculty and staff, who share what they wish they had known when they graduated from the College. The whole gathering is designed to provide a comfortable and thoughtful atmosphere for the graduating students.

These are definitely events that freshmen and seniors can look forward to this upcoming spring quarter.

Mrs. Palmer also makes efforts to be present on the St. Louis campus. This is especially important due to her husband’s position as CE, which makes him responsible for both Principia campuses. Mrs. Palmer said, “When [Dr. Palmer’s work as CE] started last fall I sent an email to the school faculty and staff, asking them to think of ways that I could be helpful or be an audience for something that classes were doing, help participate in a class project, et cetera.” Mrs. Palmer loved serving as an eighth grade speech competition judge, participating in Upper School English class book discussions, and helping the art teacher to work with the students to make decorations for their Christmas tree last year. Mrs. Palmer said: “I would love to be able to do more at the School to support them. But then, I am always looking for ways to connect with the College as well.”

Sue Palmer loves to be part of the community and to connect with students and community members on campus. So the next time you see our First Lady, you might just want to ask her how her day has been, and you will surely find yourself in a great conversation.

“There are very few individuals who combine in one person the academic background and credentials with the management skills that are required for the job,” said current Chief Executive David Anable. “I’m extremely upbeat about Principia’s future, and being about to leave it in such excellent hands.”

While Palmer will essentially be performing two full-time jobs, he said he will be doing a lot of the same things he’s doing now. “I will be able to streamline my time,” he said. “[Anable and I] were in the same meetings … there are only three people in this new position that I haven’t already been meeting with regularly. There is a consolidation here that isn’t purely additive, because I’ve already been at most of these meetings in any event.”

Anable agreed, explaining, “It’s not that difficult to do the two jobs because they are closely connected. Jonathan and I spent a lot of time liaising about things, but he’s not going to have to do much liaising with himself … In a sense, he’s already been doing a lot of what the [CE] job entails.”

Palmer added that some of his current duties may be given to others at the College, calling the process of delegation “a natural progression.”

The Trustees anticipate that the consolidation will save the College some money. Palmer will retain his current salary of $220,000 annually, allowing Principia to use the extra $200,000 they would have paid a CE to bolster initiatives on both campuses. In addition, Palmer said he expects the institution to benefit from a more efficient bureaucracy. “We’re paying a coordination cost, where we’re calling and meeting back and forth [between the campuses], and I see some streamlining of that,” said Palmer. As CE and President of the College, he will spend more time between the two campuses, he announced in an email.

Fred Morrison / photo

Dr. Palmer peruses advance copy for the Principia Pilot.

The Board of Trustees will continue to meet regularly with Palmer and Head of School Marilyn Wallace, who oversees the operations of Principia’s St. Louis campus. Both Palmer and Anable said they thought the appointment would result in closer cooperation between the Elsah and St. Louis campuses. “This brings the College and the School closer together than perhaps ever before, which has been one of my goals,” said Anable. “It’s important that Principia adhere to the policy that this is ‘one Principia.’ This does that in a very forceful, clear way.”

The announcement has raised concern around campus, as some worry that too much power is being given to one individual. To them, the situation is similar to the governance controversy of 2006, which culminated in the split between the position of CEO and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “People might naturally be concerned that that’s an awful lot of power to invest in one person,” said Professor Dave McFarland. He added that while he supports the consolidation and “trust[s] that the administration will listen to various constituencies,” he saw a few “eyebrows raised” among the faculty when the news was made public.

In response to such concerns, Palmer stressed the “substantive difference” between the CE/College President position and the CEO/Chairman of the Board position. “I don’t think it’s too much concentration of power in one person,” he said. He stressed that while the joint CEO/Chairman of the Board position gave one individual authority over both policy and administration, the joint CE/College president position is “a merging of managerial responsibilities.”

Palmer said he felt “the strength of the leadership teams … at both campuses” was “a wonderful check and balance to idea flow if there’s any sense of being overpowering in any way.”

“There are not decisions that are made in some back room,” he added. Though his administration has overseen large changes such as the switch to semesters, the restructuring of the gen-ed curriculum, and the suspension of the football program, Palmer stressed that the decisions “didn’t emerge full-blown from some meeting I had … they emerged from what the community was saying.”

“[Faculty, staff and administrators] are fully engaged in the decisions and discussions that support them,” he added. “The Board, rightly so, will retain its preeminent position in policy setting.”

Anable said that he felt concerns about centralized authority amounted to a “false alarm.” “Jonathan Palmer will report to the Trustees, not to himself,” he said. “He will have a purely management role, with the Board retaining the policy and fiduciary role.”

Palmer said that he recognized that there might be concern about the transparency of the hiring process. “It requires of me redoubling of efforts to make sure I’ve got communication channels available,” he said.

Anable, who was hired as Interim CE following the governance controversy of 2006, said he looks forward to restarting his retirement, which is largely filled with writing and oil painting. “My wife and I will be very happy to return to Maine and do all the things we otherwise would have been doing had we not been called here to give a hand,” he said.

Anable expressed optimism about Principia’s future, particularly as it relates to central management. “When I came, the goal was to sort of preserve and restore Principia,” he said. “We’ve gone through a lot of bumps … [but] I leave Principia on a note of looking forward to new progress, expansion, and growth.”

The second problem is that Dr. Palmer did not give an ample amount of time for a solution to arise. I wouldn’t be complaining if I had not thought of one of my own after he closed debate. 

After asking around within the student body, I found two common arguments. The argument for semesters was that it allows for a more relaxed schedule — something Principia desperately needs. The justification for staying with the quarter system was that the students like the break schedule. Obviously, the differences in these systems go beyond this, but in the interest of staying under 500 words, here is the one question I walked away with: why not hybridize the two?

The students clearly want the breaks that the quarter system allots. However, they also want the spread-out daily schedule that the semester system offers. Therefore, we should move to a system with the current quarter breaks, but with a semester daily schedule. Students want Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday Friday block style classes, but they also want to be able to go home for Thanksgiving. Give them both. Classes will meet every other day, giving us a little more freedom at night, and we can still keep the system over 75% of students wanted. 

The students, not the Board of Trustees, attend this school, and if Principia wants to keep the student body it has, it had better start listening to them.

Ron Meyer