[Magdalen] GTS

[Jim Guthrie]

I suspect the GTS walkout is more akin to the New York silliness that seems to 
come with
unfiltered natural water -- like Bp Packard's "Occupy Canal Street" goofiness
three years ago. I would not take it as much of a serious matter other than the
eight faculty people being somewhat full of themselves. Or as Peter Clemenza 
pointed out, "That's all right. These things gotta happen every five years or 
so, ten years. Helps to get rid of the bad blood. "

From: James Handsfield

>I agree in part, Jim.  But there are also statements indicating autocratic and
>unilateral decisions made by Fr. Dunkle that upended much of the day to day
> >tradition of GTS, such as eliminating daily MP and EP and daily Eucharist,
> >and
>putting them on a rotating schedule.  I don’t know what academic changes Fr.
> >Dunkle was making, if any.

Well, you've forgotten that MP and EP are available in many TEC parishes within
a brisk walk of GTS.  I'd see GTS students at MP and EP at places like St Mary
the Virgin, for example.

When I've been to the Offices at GTS in recent years, they seemed very
perfunctory -- and I got the distinct impression that there were people there
who'd rather be elsewhere. This is not the same experience as 10 or 20 years
ago, so there's ben change before Dean Dunkle got there.

>Seems to be intransigence on both sides, but most academics will tell you that
>a president/dean who does not listen and engage the faculty in coming to
> >decisions will lead to a breakdown of that academic community.  That’s what
> >it
>looks like from my perspective.

As I suggested, the problem appears related to the previous Dean doing more
listening than healthy, and in that collaboration, ended up doing nothing that
GTS needed. It appears GTS got to this state because there was too much
listening resulting in paralysis. It may be the Trustees decided that an
autocrat was exactly what was needed this time. I certainly wouldn’t second
guess the Trustees. They're not stupid.

I strongly recommend that anyone interested in this read the Episcopal Café post
you suggested:

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/seminaries/a_gts_trustee_reflects_on_the.html

A relevant paragraph:

"In addition to the implied demand that President Dunkle be fired, they put the
following conditions on their continuing to work: 1)the appointment--by them,
not by the Board--of a committee of Board members to meet with them to discuss
their "conditions necessary for moving forward as an institution"; 2)that the
faculty be immediately empowered to set the curriculum, the academic schedule,
the worship and overall program" of the seminary (vitiating several stated and
traditional lines of governance stated in by-laws adopted unanimously by the
board); 3) the identification of an outside person, external to the institution,
to provide pastoral support to students, staff and faculty; 4) placing the
authority for the implementation of the program of the seminary in the office of
the Academic Dean; and, 5) the hiring of a fundraiser. (Though God knows why
anyone would take THAT job with such chaos going on--my editorial comment.....)
Numbers three and five aren't bad ideas at that. The others are simply
impossible. Impossible.
They stated again, at the end of the letter, that "If Dean Dunkle continues in
his present position, we will be unable to continue in ours."

Well, okay -- and of course as Rev. Ellen Tillotson points out, the faculty
group could have done this over the summer, rather on the second day of classes.

Cheers,
Jim Guthrie