I have submitted the following letter to the Clarion:

Dear Editor,

With due respect to Eric Clark, I hope that the State College Board will not hire him (or a similar candidate) to fill the role of Commssioner currently occupied by Richard Crofts.

The Board revamped the Commissioner's position in order to fill it with someone who is an "expert" in Higher Education and academics in order to best advise the lay members of the Board, who are not themselves academic experts. Teaching a few courses at the university level does not provide such a level of expertise, and it does not make one an academic. On this point, Mr. Clark is well underqualified.

Secondly, the Board was created to minimize the effect of politicization on its decision making. Putting a professional politican into such a position is a particularly poor way to help insulate the Board from political meddling.It is very important that this position NOT become simply another political plum.

Third, there have been ongoing concerns from many quarters of the state regarding the Board's sometimes perceived bias in favor of the University of Misssiipi and Mississippi State. To appoint a political figure whose academic degrees are from these two very institutions only further supports the suspicion that this bias is real and continuing.

For the record, I would favor a genuine academic administrator with a proven history in upper level administration, strong experience with accrediting agencies, and who who will bring a national perspective to the Board because he or she an outsider to the state.

Reporter wrote:

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Another excellent letter, Stephen.  And it was only 248 words.  Great!!

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Thanks -- I think necessity (lack of time!) is forcing a less garrulous version of myself to emerge. Probably good for the world. Also -- the less I write the fewer mispellings I have (please note, Invictus!)

I agree wholeheartedly that the next Commissioner should be from outside the state. This position demands objectivity and a "national perspective" as Professor Judd says.

stephen judd wrote:

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Reporter wrote:
Another excellent letter, Stephen.  And it was only 248 words.  Great!!
Thanks -- I think necessity (lack of time!) is forcing a less garrulous version of myself to emerge. Probably good for the world. Also -- the less I write the fewer mispellings I have (please note, Invictus!)

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Duly noted. The statistician in me was wondering whether shorter forms would simply increase the proportion of misspellings in your prose.