Capella Administration Dork-factor

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by P. Kristian Mose, Oct 19, 2003.

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  1. P. Kristian Mose

    P. Kristian Mose New Member

    Just took a look around the Capella website, and was astonished to see that the President and CEO is one Michael Offerman, while the Associate Chancellor is one Dana Offerman. Assumedly, in other words, we have a husband and wife team running an important alternative university, and Mike also sits on the board! (Both of them were University of Wisconsin continuing ed bureaucrats in previous incarnations.)

    It's not a fair assumption, of course, that either Offerman is incompetent, or that either of them is even second-rate as an administrator. But it certainly looks bad to the outside world, especially for a for-profit school that was started not by an educator, but by a guy who ran Tonka Toys.

    The irony is that I'd never be posting this if the Offermans had different last names -- although I would be still be amazed if I ever learned of such a hiring decision.

    Peter
     
  2. sulla

    sulla New Member

    I thought that that the CEO of Capella was Stephen Shanks. In fact, that is what it says on the home page.



    Not much opinion on this, but their resumes look pretty impressive (both have doctorates) and I think that they were part of Stephen Shanks' team in establishing The Graduate School of American back in 1993, now known as Capella Univ.

    As for Stephen Shanks, he might not be an educator but he certainly is educated to say the least: A JD from Harvard.

    Overall I don't see anyone having a problem with a married couple being part of the administration part of the university. I will say that it is not common, but
    I've seen this in some b&M universities as well, although not very common. At my alma matter, the University of South Florida, two of the top administrators in one of the top grad. schools in psychology are married and no one seems to have a problem with that.


    Anyway here is a list of the rest of the admn. team:

    Capella University Administration
    Michael Offerman, EdD, President of Capella University
    Stephen G. Shank, JD, Chancellor
    Dana Offerman, PhD, Associate Chancellor
    Lisa Wheeler, EdD, Vice President of Advising and Academic Support
    Karen Viechnicki, PhD, Provost

    Kurt Linberg, PhD, Executive Director of the School of Technology
    Shelley Robbins, PhD, Executive Director of the School of Business
    Pamela Patrick, PhD, Executive Director of the School of Human Services
    Bruce Weiss, PhD, Executive Director of the Harold Abel School of Psychology
    James Wold, PhD, Executive Director of the School of Education

    -S
     
  3. P. Kristian Mose

    P. Kristian Mose New Member

    On Mike Offerman's bio page, he is clearly listed as President and CEO. So that means his wife is directly a part of his team of administrators, subject to his promotion/firing/etc. This would not be tolerated in public administration in the US or in Canada: the climate of our times dictates against hiring one's family, since it is so inviting of abuse. Of course it happens all the time in private industry, which is Mr. Shank's background.

    I am sure plenty of people at your alma mater *do* have a problem with the married couple in the psychology department. In any event, at the highest level of a university administration -- president and associate chancellor, for instance -- it is far worse, in my opinion. The public relations phrase for this is simply "bad optics," and the bad optics are grounded in reality.

    I stick by my "dork-factor" assessment. Capella looks laughable in this regard, and I would think twice before subsidizing the Offermans' lifestyle further with my tuition dollars.

    Peter
     
  4. sulla

    sulla New Member

    OK

    Unfortunately, tuition dollars will in part subsidize the lifestyle of any high level position at any university (wether the institution is tax paying or not).

    I think Capella offers some good educational outlets for many students, and as long as the school operates well and provides quality education, few are going to spend time worrying about married couples in the administration.


    Now lets move on. I don't have any intent on dragging on with this.

    -S
     
  5. tcnixon

    tcnixon Active Member


    Particularly at a private university. I don't know if they had a hand in getting the whole thing going, but if they did, it is not surprising that they both have jobs there.

    And most importantly, who cares? Apparently Capella is doing what it takes to become a credible university. Just this week there have been posts about them getting CACREP accreditation. My guess is that they will eventually get APA as well.

    I think the bigger problem is that they are incredibly expensive, but I'm not sure that there is much that they can do about that.


    Tom Nixon
     
  6. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    It also happens all the time in the public sector. The "man" that signed my M.A. diploma as President of the University of Massachusetts (William "Billy" Bulger) is one of the most crooked and corrupt politicians in the history of Massachusetts. His brother, James "Whitey" Bulger, is currently on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List, and there is considerable evidence that Billy lied to investigators about his brother's whereabouts. Billy pled the 5th to a Congressional hearing.

    The list of Bulger family members and family hacks that have obtained lucrative (and in many cases, no-show) state jobs is astonishing, to say the least.

    Does this discredit the entire University of Massachusetts system? Hardly. It's simply business as usual in higher education, which resembles politics probably more than you're willing to admit.
     
  7. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    This is not an unprecedented practice at private universities. I know of at least three (USN&WR) top-tier or second-tier religious schools where a wife works for her husband in the upper levels of administration.

    I'm with Bruce on this; bad optics is bad optics only if an influential number of people both (a) notice and (b) care. I find it hard to believe that most people would lose sleep over the idea that a husband-wife team works together in the administration of one university, even if they were made aware of the fact.


    Cheers,
     

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