Queen's and It's Most Recent Principal

It's not easy for an organization to lose the person who holds the top position, particularly when the person is expected to continue in the job.

Until the AMS passed its resolution in March, there had only been rumblings and grapevine talk about the job that the principal was doing. The resolution forced, fortunately, the talk-over-coffee out into the open.

I was fortunate to be a part of a group called "The Group for Excellence." Its sole raison d'etre was to provide expert input into the physical activity component of the Queen's Centre. The group met for almost 3 years, developed a program for the facility, met with key persons on campus who were involved in the process, lobbied the trustees, and ultimately met with Principal Hitchcock to explain our suggestions, and try to have her understand the tremendous benefits of the university building a 50m swimming pool.

It was at this meeting (with one other graduate of Queen's, and the Principal) that I began to understand that she really didn't want to hear what we had to say, and really didn't care at all. Our meeting was half an hour. We had carefully planned the key points to make, the rationale, and the counter-arguments we expected her to make. We barely opened our mouths before SHE began to talk. She pretty well talked the whole time. We did make our key point, but it was quite clear that she had made up her mind and there was no point in our banging our heads against a concrete wall.

In all the years I have worked with others who are committed to a project, the "Group for Excellence" was the most satisfying, and the least satisfying. A group of about 15 people with wide sport interests agreed that the greater good would be served by our working together.

Never have I presented an idea to someone who not only refused to listen, but insisted in talking the whole time.

So the resolution that the AMS passed didn't surprise me, and it didn't surprise me to hear that students on campus think she doesn't connect with them. She doesn't.

Communication is a 2 way thing, and listening requires "hearing" what others are saying. One of the common techniques to effective listening is to concentrate on what is being said, and NOT getting ready to counter the arguments.

It has been said that her gender and American citizenship were the factors that did her in. It is more than that. She never really understood the "culture"of Queen's, the "Big Four" universities, or the traditions that (for good and bad) are entrenched in this institution. There's stuff at this university that creates the culture of this university; it has been here forever, and every year, it gets further entrenched.

Bill Leggett wasn't a Queen's grad, but he knew the MGill culture, not the same as Queen's, but a unique culture that differentiates it from every other university. And certainly differentiates it from any American university/college. And Leggett was liked by the students.

Principal Hitchcock never figured it out, didn't seem to be TRYING to figure it out.

We missed her at football games in the fall, except for the "command performance" at homecoming. Her presence there would have sent a positive message to students, and more importantly, to alumni who populate the west grandstand, and who cough up the bucks.

When the powers-that-be get down to deciding what the next principal needs, let's hope that they decide that being a Queen's grad is essential. The pieces need to be gathered up and put back together again, and only a Queen's grad can do that.

This is THE essential ingredient for the next principal.