A Tale of Two States

We’re not in Illinois anymore, Toto. And that’s a good thing. In Illinois, governors go the Big House. In Indiana, they become college presidents.

Since moving from Illinois to Indiana, I’ve noticed other stark differences between the two states. Like money, and vision. When I was at the University of Illinois, our college president (who has since left) lectured us on “shared sacrifice.” In the Q&A afterward, a student brought up the fact that he made more than the President of the United States and asked how he planned to share in our sacrifice. A redder face I never saw, but it was anger, not embarrassment, that flooded his answer. Let’s just say “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” remained a hypothetical.

At another townhall meeting, college administrators outlined a gloom-and-doom picture of the university’s future, since the state’s funding was less than forthcoming. Trying to be helpful, I gave some ideas of how to encourage entrepreneurship in the faculty. I thought requiring faculty to start a company or write a book with mass appeal as a condition of tenure would be a good start, since the professor and the university could broker a partnership with mutual benefit. My enthusiasm was met by blank stares and a few words about not wanting to run the university like a business.

The U of I may not have been ready for a new approach to higher education, but Purdue University is. Here’s an invitation President Mitch Daniels sent just this week (emphasis added):

President Mitch Daniels invites all faculty, staff and students to join him for a President’s Forum at 8 a.m. April 25 in the East and West Faculty Lounges, Purdue Memorial Union.
The forum will feature remarks and a panel discussion about innovation and commercialization and steps Purdue is taking to encourage entrepreneurism among faculty, staff and students.
The forum will be webcast via Windows Media Live Stream at mms://video1.itap.purdue.edu/PresidentsForum
It will be archived on the President’s Website after the event at mms://video1.itap.purdue.edu/bns/General/Forum130425.wmv