A message from Principia's Interim Chief Executive, David Anable, dated November 16, 2007.

The Principia
Interoffice Correspondence

To: All Faculty and Staff
Fm: David Anable, Chief Executive 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I suspect that an occasional letter to everyone on both campuses may help us all keep in touch. So here goes for No. 1!

First, my deep thanks for the warm welcome that you have given Isobel and me. We are both happy to be here, and look forward to getting to meet you all. It is a privilege to be part of an institution so firmly grounded on Principle, so clearly in line with what our lives are all about, and so devotedly served by so many fine individuals. I hope you will be patient while I discover how everything works, and how I can be most useful. My goal over the next 6-9 months or more is to provide a smooth, efficient, and joy-filled transition to eventual new leadership of the highest quality.

        
New Leadership
The search for a new College president has yielded a number of applicants. As you know, Jonathan Palmer is the leading candidate, and has visited both campuses in recent weeks and months to meet with Trustees, faculty, and staff. With the Trustees’ blessing, he and I had a long discussion this week in Washington, not far from his current base at William & Mary. His candidacy remains on track. I will keep you abreast of progress in filling this vital position.

Several other key leadership positions are also open. For instance, searches are underway to find new heads for Advancement, Marketing, and College Admissions. These and other significant openings will be filled as soon as possible. Meanwhile, all those who have rallied magnificently to carry the extra load in those and other departments have earned our respect and gratitude. Thank you.

The Governance Study
The committee set up by the Trustees to examine Principia’s governance and how it might be strengthened has its next meeting with consultant Bill Weary in early December. The ideas that flowed from his discussions with many of you on both campuses will provide the basis for this all-day meeting. I am grateful that you provided him with some frank and helpful guidance. The governance review is likely to continue through the Trustees’ meeting in February, and maybe beyond.

Principia is a unique institution. We cannot simply copy other organizations’ governing processes. But we can learn from others’ best practices – about which Bill Weary is a recognized expert – and see which ones may be appropriately adapted to our own needs. Policies 8 and 11 summarize this approach perfectly.

Communications Policy
Both support and concern have been expressed about the proposed Commission on Communication Standards. After discussion with the Trustees, and with their full support, I have decided to move ahead with a revised version. I am in process of setting up a three-person committee to write an ethics code for all Principia publications and broadcasting entities, including the Pilot and the Voice. It will be based on professional standards, such as the ethics codes of the Society of Professional Journalists, major newspapers, and student publications, etc.

John Hughes, a Christian Scientist who is a Pulitzer-Prize winner and former editor of The Christian Science Monitor and the Deseret Morning News, former director of the Voice of America, one-time Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and now a professor of communications at Brigham Young University, has agreed to chair this committee. David McFarland, chair of the College Mass Communication department, and Blair Lindsay, advisor to the Voice, have agreed to be the other two members. They will work rapidly to produce an ethics code of the highest professional standards that is also appropriate for Principia publications. The committee will report back promptly to me and the heads of the College and School. The resulting ethics code will be implemented immediately on an interim basis, and all those interested will be encouraged to suggest amendments and improvements. Following this review period, probably over some six months, a revised version will be written and put into practice.


Strategic Planning
Both the School and College are working on strategic plans. The College has six goals, four that mirror those set out by the Trustees, one that calls for developing and monitoring systems for management and decision-making, and another proposing to reduce energy usage and develop more sustainable practices for our physical plant. The College Executive Committee is actively engaged in this planning for the College. The School is also looking at ways to move forward by planning for the future.

Land Development
The Trustees’ current position on this was laid out in their November 9 memo to the Principia community. As they explained, the Trustees are continuing to explore options that would benefit Principia and its neighbors, and do not plan to take further decisions before their February meeting.

Athletic Successes
I have been able to attend only a few of the College’s and School’s athletic events and games. Yet the courage, self-discipline, sportsmanship, and skill displayed by our students have been a most immediate inspiration to me. A vital part of Principia’s “whole man” tradition and requirement indeed! Special congratulations to all those teams and individuals who have won their way into state and national competitions.

        
Policies and Processes
Almost everyone whom I have met so far has mentioned that Principia is in need of simpler, clearer, and, where possible, more transparent processes. This appears to be a current theme!

I confess to have been surprised on arrival here to discover that Principia is still coming to grips with some absolutely fundamental processes, such as evaluations. From my non-profit and academic experience, I've learned that a good evaluation process is essential to the fair, principled, and non-arbitrary treatment of all employees. Evaluations provide a regular opportunity to share with everyone a proper appreciation of her or his efforts, the information and feedback he or she needs for continued growth and development, and a clear summary of goals. It is good to see that various evaluation processes now are being instituted in different parts of this institution. In my view, it is important that such processes be extended throughout Principia, so that each one of you can be assured that the progress you are making is recognized, is valued, and can be built on.

A number of you have also raised questions about our grievance process. A quick check into the history of this process suggests to me that it is quietly (because it is confidential) working pretty well – and providing fair, prompt, and impartial resolutions (using an outside fact-finder) to a wide variety of disagreements and disputes. However, there is no need for any processes to become sacrosanct. So I am open to reexamining them to see if they can be improved to the benefit of all. Whether this is to be done during my temporary tenure, or under new leadership, is not yet clear.

Conclusion
I realize all too clearly that a letter such as this will leave out many issues dear to your hearts. Please feel free to let me know what subjects and items you would like covered in future letters. Feel equally free to correct anything in this letter that you feel is mistaken. My motive is simple: to increase communication and understanding between us all, especially across our usual work “silos.”

I am here because I love Principia and its founding ideal, “to serve the Cause of Christian Science.” The Principia is much more than a good human institution. I’m sure Mary Kimball Morgan would never let any of us rest on that shallow basis. She expected us to live Christian Science in our daily lives and in our work; to demonstrate, as last week’s Lesson-Sermon put it in Mrs. Eddy’s words, that “… discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real” (207:30); to understand that it is always our own thoughts, not those of others, that we must handle and improve; and that we have a splendid opportunity today to “work together for good.”

Thank you for all you are doing every day to serve the Cause of Christian Science. And, now, have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Yours sincerely,

David