MSU President's Resignation Letter
After calls for her resignation, Lou Anna Simon, the 13-year Michigan State University president submitted her letter. She could not escape criticism that she knew of Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of students and didn't do enough. Simons admitted encouraging an investigation and not receiving the final report. Reports also say that at least 14 university staff members received complaints about Nassar over two years.
Although most of the board initially supported her, students and others did not, and in the end, the board chair wrote, "We agree with Dr. Simon that it is now time for change."
Simon's letter is a mix of sympathy for the victims, love for the college, and defeat. In this paragraph, she focuses on blame:
As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable. As president, it is only natural that I am the focus of this anger. I understand, and that is why I have limited my personal statements. Throughout my career, I have worked very hard to put Team MSU first. Throughout my career, I have consistently and persistently spoken and worked on behalf of Team MSU. I have tried to make it not about me. I urge those who have supported my work to understand that I cannot make it about me now. Therefore, I am tendering my resignation as president according to the terms of my employment agreement.
Discussion:
- Critics say Simon shifts accountability in her letter, particularly the paragraph above. What's your view?
- Did Simon make the right decision? Why or why not?
- What should the university do to help the campus recover from this situation? How can they rebuild trust and make MSU feel like a safe place?
Calls for Michigan State President to Resign
Some believe it's a matter of integrity and accountability; others believe this will start the healing process. In addition to public demands, one Michigan State trustee says it's time for the university president to resign over Dr. Lawrence G. Nassar's sexual abuse of dozens of female athletes.
The rest of the university trustees have shown public support for the president, Lou Anna Simon. In a statement, they said, "President Simon is the right leader for the university, and she has our support." But the sole trustee, Mitch Lyons, disagrees:
“I don’t feel that President Simon can survive the public outcry that has been generated by this tragedy. I feel that our best recourse is for President Simon to resign immediately in order to allow the healing process to begin."
According to a Detriot News story, several university officials, including the president, heard complaints about Nassar. Simons admits, “I was informed that a sports medicine doctor was under investigation. I told people to play it straight up, and I did not receive a copy of the report. That’s the truth.” People question her judgment in not seeing the final report, particularly given the recent explosive case at Penn State University. We will see what happens next.
Discussion:
- Should Simon resign? Why or why not?
- What does it take for Lyons to break rank with the rest of the trustees? How would you describe the possible dynamics on the board?
- How does such abuse go on for so long? About 140 women complained about Nassar when he was working with Olympic athletes, and at least eight students came forward at the Michigan State.
- At the end of the trustees' statement, a reporter asks, "Why no questions?" But the board leaves the room without saying anything. Should they have taken questions? Why or why not?
BlackRock Encourages "A Sense of Purpose"
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is encouraging companies to be more socially responsible. In his annual letter, the investment firm CEO describes the increasing wealth disparity in the United States:
"We are seeing a paradox of high returns and high anxiety. Since the financial crisis, those with capital have reaped enormous benefits. At the same time, many individuals across the world are facing a combination of low rates, low wage growth, and inadequate retirement systems. Many don’t have the financial capacity, the resources, or the tools to save effectively; those who are invested are too often over-allocated to cash. For millions, the prospect of a secure retirement is slipping further and further away – especially among workers with less education, whose job security is increasingly tenuous. I believe these trends are a major source of the anxiety and polarization that we see across the world today."
Fink is encouraging more engagement of shareholders and a focus on creating long-term value:
"Companies must ask themselves: What role do we play in the community? How are we managing our impact on the environment? Are we working to create a diverse workforce? Are we adapting to technological change? Are we providing the retraining and opportunities that our employees and our business will need to adjust to an increasingly automated world? Are we using behavioral finance and other tools to prepare workers for retirement, so that they invest in a way that that will help them achieve their goals?"
But critics say Fink is overstepping. On Squawk Box, Sam Zell said, "I didn't know Larry Fink had been made God."
Discussion:
- What's your view of Fink's position? Is this a good idea, or should he keep his thoughts to himself?
- What are Fink's communication objectives, and how well does he meet them?
- Assess the letter in terms of organization and writing style.
Oprah's Rousing Speech
At the Golden Globes, Oprah did what Oprah does: get a crowd going. Her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille award echoed themes from the night, celebrating Rosa Parks and the #MeToo movement.
Seth Meyer's show opening included a bit about Oprah running for president, and her speech did sound a bit "presidential": "I want all the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon!" If we judge by the standing ovation and social media reactions, she already has a following.
A Washington Post article goes beyond last night's reactions and quotes her partner saying, "It's up to the people. She would absolutely do it."
Discussion:
- What were the main points of Oprah's speech, and how did she organize it?
- Assess her delivery skills. What makes this a powerful speech?
- How did Oprah demonstrate compassion in the speech? How effectively did she get her message across?
Amtrak Leaders Take Responsibility
Amtrak's leaders have apologized for a train crash in Washington that left three people dead and about 100 more injured. Two of the men who died were train enthusiasts who traveled together to experience the new route.
In the past, Amtrak has been slow to apologize. This time, the response is better, yet not enough for some, as you see in this response on Twitter.
The president and CEO's full message is below:
To our customers,
On behalf of everyone at Amtrak, I want to share that we are deeply saddened by the tragic event involving train 501 on December 18th. We are profoundly sorry for those who have lost a loved one, were injured, or are otherwise impacted by this horrible event. At this time, our primary concern continues to be caring for our customers and employees, and we are using every available resource to assist those affected. We share everyone’s sense of urgency to identify exactly what caused this to happen, and we continue to fully cooperate with the investigation being led by the NTSB.
If you are traveling with us during the holiday season, I want to assure you that Amtrak remains committed to your safety. Our primary focus is and will always be getting you to your destination safely, comfortably, and efficiently. We are truly privileged to serve you and thank you for your continued patronage.
Richard Anderson
As always in these situations, Amtrak provided regular service updates on its website, and this apology is an improvement. But, after several similar crashes, including those involving MTA trains, people want to know what will be done to prevent this from happening again.
Discussion:
- What's your view of the president's message? How well does the message meet principles of apologies?
- What else should the organization do now? How can it rebuild its image and assure people that Amtrak trains are safe?
Florida State University Suspends Greek Life Activities
A fraternity member's death was the last straw for the president of Florida State University. John E. Thrasher suspended all fraternity and sorority activities on campus, calling for "a new normal for Greek life." 
The student death, which occurred during pledging, follows another student death in September and cocaine charges for another member. In a statement, Thrasher explained the decision and called on the Greek community to find innovative practices. He emphasized the importance of the pause: "The president said this pause is needed to review and reflect on the loss of a young life."
In a long list, the university itemizes what is not allowed, including meetings or events, and specific FSU activities are mentioned, such as Homecoming "pomping, skit night, or spear-it night."
Discussion:
- The university website refers to the decision as an "indefinite interim suspension." Sounds redundant, doesn't it? Do you think this is intentional or a grammatical oversight?
- Assess the university's FAQs. How well does the administration anticipate and address questions?
- The president is demonstrating compassion and courage, but of course, not everyone agrees with the decision. What are the counterarguments?
TripAdvisor Identifies Issues at Hotels
TripAdvisor has decided to identify hotels where issues about "healthy, safety, and discrimination" have been reported. Given the increasing conversations about sexual harassment, the company is stepping up, but the notice raises serious concerns for hotels.
Related to this move, TripAdvisor has apologized for removing a post reporting a rape by a hotel security guard. Turns out, other women posted similar reports, and there is a pattern. In a statement, the company also explained its plan to use badges:
NEEDHAM, Mass., Nov. 1, 2017
The following is the official statement from TripAdvisor concerning the article by Raquel Rutledge of the USA Today network:
"TripAdvisor's site includes more than 535 million reviews and opinions from global travelers who write about their experiences at hotels, with airlines, restaurants and local attractions. Like any other content business, we work to adhere to publishing guidelines that are in place to ensure the accuracy and integrity of those reviews.
TripAdvisor has always maintained - since our founding - a strict separation between our commerce and content businesses. Despite assertions and statements made by a recent USA Today article, there is no tie between commercial relationships with our partners and how our content guidelines are applied to reviews or forum posts published on the site.
We apologize to the sexual assault victim reported on in the article, who had her forum post removed seven years ago on TripAdvisor. At the time, we had a policy whereby we judged content to be in breach of our guidelines if it did not adhere to family-friendly language. More than seven years ago that meant all language needed to be G-rated. A few years ago, we changed that policy to allow more descriptive reviews on the site about first-hand accounts of serious incidents like rape or assault. We recognized then that our previous guidelines went too far in preventing information like this from being shared.
Over the last several years, this policy change has yielded many first-hand accounts of serious incidents being published on the platform. A simple search of TripAdvisor will show numerous reviews from travelers over the last several years who wrote about their first-hand experiences that include matters of robbery or theft, assault and rape. We believe any first-hand experience should be posted to our site as a means to communicate to other consumers looking for information on where they should travel.
When we were made aware that this post had been removed under our previous guidelines, we republished it in line with our revised policy.
We are horrified that this victim experienced this assault on her vacation in Mexico, and other travelers should be aware of this incident.
In order to better inform consumers and provide them with even more information about their travels, TripAdvisor is creating a "badge" notification to apply to businesses to alert consumers of health and safety or discrimination issues at that business reported on within the media or other credible sources of information.
We will continue to work to improve and evolve our moderation and publishing guidelines as we work to provide the most accurate information in the travel industry available online."
The new badge will read as follows:
Discussion:
- What ethical issues and communication challenges are raised by this decision? Consider perspectives of hotel guests, managers, and staff. What are the potential advantages and potential negative implications?
- If you owned a hotel that received this badge, what would you do?
- In what ways does TripAdvisor's statement demonstrate compassion? Where does it fall short?
Comparing Data About Drug Overdoses
We can talk about the opioid crisis and try to persuade people in many ways: by telling stories, showing pictures, or presenting data. The number of deaths from all drug overdoses in 2016 is 64,070, but without more context or comparisons, it's hard to know what this number means. Is it a lot?
One important data point for context is the U.S. population, which is about 324 million. Still, does this convince you this is a "crisis," as the media calls it? 
One convincing approach is to compare the number of deaths. When we compare the figure to deaths from car accidents, AIDS, and the Vietnam War, we see that, indeed, the deaths from drug overdoses are significant-at least compared to other death tolls we consider significant.
Here's an example of a simple bar chart to represent these numbers visually.
Image source (pills).
Discussion:
- What other comparisons could work well to convince an audience that drug addiction is a serious issue?
- A different approach is to personalize the crisis. I heard an interview with someone who almost died from an overdose, and he said that, about every six months, someone he knows dies from an overdose of opioids. How compelling do you find this report? What are the potential downsides of using this type of description?
President Trump's Call to a Widow
The media has covered a phone call between President Trump and Myeshia Johnson, whose husband, La David, was a soldier killed in Niger. In an interview on Good Morning America with George Stephanopoulos, Johnson describes what the president said on speakerphone in her car:
"The president said that he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyways. It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it. He couldn't remember my husband's name… I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name, and that's what hurt me the most."
President Trump replied to the controversy in a tweet:
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who lost a son in Afghanistan, said the president had asked him, "What do I say?" when he was preparing to call four families. Kelly defended the president:
"In his way, [he] tried to express that opinion -- that (Johnson) is a brave man, a fallen hero. He knew what he was getting himself into because he enlisted. There's no reason to enlist, he enlisted. And he was where he wanted to be with exactly the people he wanted to be with when his life was taken. That was the message. That was the message that was transmitted."
Offering sympathy, as we discuss in Chapter 6 of the book, is never easy. Perhaps President Trump could have shown some vulnerability-a natural hesitation or discomfort in offering compassion.
Discussion:
- Because we don't have a recording of the interaction, it's hard for us to judge what happened. In addition, an important missing element is tone. How do you think that might have affected how the message was received?
- Other than the phone call itself, how could President Trump have handled this situation differently?
Some Good News, But a Terrible Graphic
George Soros has given $18 billion to The Open Society Foundations, his grant-giving organizations. A spokesperson for the group said the transfer "reflects an ongoing process of asset transfer that has been underway for several years." She also said that Soros, "plans to leave the vast majority of his wealth to the Open Society foundations." His fortune is estimated at more than $26 billion.
The 87-year-old Hungarian has been criticized for aiding refugees and influencing local politics. On the website, The Open Society Foundations identify the mission and vision, including this first statement:
The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people.
The website also shows this graphic for expenditures.
Discussion:
- Should the organization say more about the money transfer? I don't see a statement on the website. Why do you think the spokesperson didn't provide a more extensive statement?
- I say the chart is "terrible." Do you agree? Why or why not? Which principles of visual communication are followed, and which are lacking?
Updates About the Florida Nursing Home
New information has surfaced about patient deaths at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills. The toll is up to 11 residents, who died from heat exhaustion, heart failure, and other issues related to extreme heat at the facility.
Now we have new questions about accountability. Administrators at the facility made several calls to Florida Power and Light (FPL) requesting they restore power. Some parts of the facility had lost power, including a transformer needed to run the air conditioning. Although they were told that help was on the way, FPL didn't arrive for days.
Another turn in the story is about Governor Rick Scott's responsibility. Before the storm, he gave his cell number to nursing homes and encouraged them to call with emergencies.Because they didn't get a response from FPL, rehab center administrators left a message on Scott's cell phone. The call was returned, and administrators were told to call 911, which they did. When they still didn't get assistance, they called Scott's cell two more times. The governor's office released a statement:
"Every call made to the Governor from facility management was referred to the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health and quickly returned."
FPL also released a statement about the case:
"The tragic and senseless loss at Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center is the subject of a criminal homicide investigation by law enforcement," the DOH [Department of Health] noted. "Let's be clear – this facility is located across the street from one of Florida's largest hospitals, which never lost power and had fully operating facilities. It is 100 percent the responsibility of healthcare professionals to preserve life by acting in the best interest of the health and well-being of their patients."
FPL spokesperson Peter Robbins also said, "What we know now is that a portion of the facility did, in fact, have power, that there was a hospital with power across the parking lot from this facility, and that the nursing home was required to have a permanently installed, operational generator."
The nursing home is under criminal investigation and has lost its license to operate and its ability to accept Medicare funding.
Discussion:
- How is this story an issue of accountability, integrity, and compassion? What failures contributed to the deaths?
- How well did the FPL and governor respond to criticism? How convincing do you find their statements?
- Critics say the rehab center staff should have moved residents, for example, to the hospital across the street. What's your view of their responsibility?
News Conference About Hurricane Maria
Ricardo Rossello the governor of Puerto Rico, gave a news conference to encourage people to move to shelters before Hurricane Maria hit. He warns people that the storm will be "catastrophic" and unlike what residents have experienced in the past.
The video caption reads, "Governor URGES Puerto Rico residents to shelter as Hurricane Maria arrives," but he could sound more urgent.
Sadly, the governor was right in his predictions. Hurricane Maria left the entire island without power and destroyed many properties.
That's a lot of people supporting him behind the podium. We don't know whether they each spoke or were there for some other reason.
Discussion:
- Who are the governor's primary and secondary audiences for the news conference?
- What are his communication objectives for each audience?
- How well does he achieve his objectives?
- How urgent does he sound to you? What could he do to sound more urgent?
Talking About Climate Change: Too Soon?
EPA chief Scott Priutt says it's "insensitive" to talk about climate change as people are wrestling with hurricanes. The response follows a request from Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado the Friday before Hurricane Irma hit Florida:
"This is the time to talk about climate change. This is the time that the president and the EPA and whoever makes decisions needs to talk about climate change," said Regalado, who flew back to Miami from Argentina Friday morning to be in the city during the storm. "If this isn't climate change, I don't know what is. This is a truly, truly poster child for what is to come."
Pruitt said,
"To have any kind of focus on the cause and effect of the storm versus helping people, or actually facing the effect of the storm, is misplaced," and "To use time and effort to address it at this point is very, very insensitive to this people in Florida."
Pruitt has also said that he doesn't believe that carbon dioxide emissions is a major contributor to climate change. Scientists report changing "climate change" in their documentation to other words.
In a Los Angeles Times opinion article, "Harvey and Irma say this is the right time to discuss global warming," the reporter calls Pruitt's response "patently absurd." He compares the hurricanes to shootings, when it is the right time to talk about gun control.
Discussion:
- What's your view? Should we discuss climate change as the hurricanes are happening? What are the arguments on both sides?
- How, if at all, might your opinion change if you or your family were victims of the hurricane?
- For leadership character, this could be an issue of accountability and compassion. How do you see these dimensions playing a role in the debate?
Bank of America and Other Companies Step Up
Bank of America and other companies are lending support following Hurricane Harvey. In addition, Houston-area companies have been generous in giving employees time off and resources to get their houses and lives back in order, as much as possible. A Wall Street Journal article questions how long this generosity will last, but for now, employees have some much needed help.
Airlines in Florida have capped or reduced fares for people needing to evacuate, which of course, is the right thing to do. We saw businesses practice price gouging during Harvey, and the publicity wasn't good.
During Hurricane Irma, JetBlue, for example, dropped fares to $99 or $159, and American Airlines and Delta promised to keep lower fares through September 15. This will be helpful to people returning to the area and to others traveling to help.
Delta corrected at least one issue and blamed Expedia for listing a high price. A customer tweeted, "Shame on you @delta. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacute (sic) responsibly?" Delta corrected the problem for this traveler and a spokesperson told BuzzFeed, "When they reached out directly to Delta, she was given a much lower fare. We're looking into why Expedia listed that price, but it was not the correct fare. We have not increased any fares in response to the hurricane. In fact, as the storm approach we reduced the price level of our highest fare."
Discussion:
- What other positive examples have you seen from businesses?
- What do you see as the role of business during a natural disaster? What are the advantages and downsides of businesses getting involved and offering help?
Pastor Responds to Criticism
Joel Osteen, senior pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, has a large following, but he has taken a hit since Hurricane Harvey. Critics say Osteen should have offered his mega-church, which seats 16,8000, to people needing housing after the storm. Instead, Osteen tweeted his prayers, and people say it wasn't enough.
Church officials said the building experienced "severe flooding," but pictures told a different story. In TV interviews, Osteen defended the church's practices. He said, "The main thing is, the city didn't ask us."
In an article on PR Daily, Brad Phillips raised the issue of authenticity:
If you're cynical about televangelists, Osteen's tone in the Today show interview probably struck you as smarmy and self-satisfied. If you're one of the millions of people who watch his sermons and read his books, you probably viewed him as sincere.
Phillips also questioned why the church didn't have plans in place and, specifically, why the leaders didn't coordinate with Houston city officials ahead of time.
The social media response has not been kind: memes abound.
Discussion:
- What's your view of the church's actions during and after the hurricane?
- How well did Osteen respond to criticism? What are his main arguments? Which are strongest, and which fall short?
- Given Phillips' question about Osteen's authenticity, how do you view his interview on the Today show?
- What's your view of the social media response and memes: cruel, justified, or something else?
- How do your own religious beliefs or practices influence your assessment of the situation and of Osteen, particularly?
Airbnb Steps Up During Hurricane Harvey
Airbnb is offering free rooms for people who had to leave their homes because of Hurricane Harvey. Evacuees won't have to pay fees to hosts through September 25. Originally, the offer was through September 1, but the company extended it after seeing the storm's devastation. Free listings appear for homes in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio.
Conditions are explained on Airbnb's Disaster Response site. Currently, the site lists programs for Hurricane Harvey and for the Mumbai floods.
Other sharing companies have stepped up following the hurricane. Uber, Lyft, and WeWork are offering free services and other promotions.
Discussion:
- What examples of generosity have you seen during Hurricane Harvey?
- How should a small business owner decide what to offer? What are the advantages and disadvantages of, for example, a restaurant offering free food?
Companies Criticized for Price Gouging
As Texans are desperate for housing and food in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, some companies are taking advantage. People reported hundreds of examples of price gouging for items like bottled water, groceries, gas, and hotel rooms. 
A Best Buy near Houston was selling a case of water for $42; others reported prices up to $99. Price gouging is illegal after natural disasters, as the Texas attorney general's site explains.
Best Buy issued a statement that this was the act of one store.
A Best Western in Robstown was also over-charging: $321.89 a night compared to its usual price of $119. In addition to raising the room rate, the hotel added extra fees. The PR manager for Best Western's corporate office issued this statement:
"Best Western was founded on the principles of honesty, integrity, compassion, and service. We are deeply offended and saddened by the actions taken by this hotel. As a result, we are immediately severing any affiliation with the hotel. This hotel's actions are contrary to the values of Best Western. We do not tolerate this type of egregious and unethical behavior."
The hotel has been removed from Best Western's website.
Discussion:
- What's your view of raising prices during disasters? How is this different from revenue management?
- Analyze Best Buy's statement. How well does this meet audience needs and communication objectives?
- Did Best Western do the right thing in severing the hotel from the company? What will be the consequences of this action?
Martin Shkreli's Failed Communications
Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli damaged his own case by failing basic communication principles. As a juror said, he is "his own worst enemy" and "All he had to do was to tell everyone, ‘I'm sorry, I lost the money, all I can say is I'm sorry,' and that would be it."
In other words, just apologize. The jury found him guilty of fraud because he lied to hedge fund investors.
Throughout his career in the media, Shkreli came across as arrogant and indifferent to his impact on others. His company hiked the price of Daraprim, a potentially life-saving drug, from $13.50 to $750 per pill. A Daily Beast article called him "reprehensible" and worse.
In 2014, he tweeted about his board of directors:
Rather upset at my inane BOD who was overly focused on irrelevant innuendo but also now can pursue a NewCo without them. So net-net excited.
In January of this year, Shkreli was banned from Twitter for harassing a journalist. In 2016, he testified before Congress, and we see why people consider him offensive. He "takes the fifth," which is his right, but his behavior shows his lack of compassion. MoneyWatch posted "The many smirks of Martin Shkreli" during the hearing.
Discussion:
- What is the value of an apology, and how could saying "I'm sorry" have helped Shkreli?
- What non-verbal behavior does Shkreli demonstrate? For example, watch 8:00 - 9:00 of the Congressional hearing. How do you interpret his non-verbals?
Cargill Muslim Employees Get EEOC Support
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is siding with Cargill employees over their right to pray at work. Employees filed a claim against the company because their opportunities to pray during breaks had been curtailed. The EEOC's support means that Cargill management will have to reach an agreement with employees on prayer time.
The issue began in Colorado in 2015 when 150 employees walked off the job in protest. Supervisors told them they would no longer be able to prayer during breaks. The employees were terminated for attendance violations.
Employees report being closely monitored so they didn't pray, for example, in the bathroom. Cargill denies such claims.
The hope is for Cargill and the employees to reach a confidential agreement. If they fail, the employees can pursue a discrimination lawsuit.
Discussion:
- What protects U.S. employees' right to pray at work?
- How would you describe the company's position?
- Assess statements by the company in the Star Tribune article. Based on these quotes, how well is the company responding to the controversy?
Irvine Finds Room for Admitted Students
University of California, Irvine, is trying to do right by 800 students who accepted the college's admissions offer above the expected number. When making admissions decisions, colleges always consider their "yield," or the percentage of students who will enroll. Admissions officers admit more students than they have space for, assuming some won't come because of financial reasons or school preference.
Initially, Irvine rescinded offers from about 500 students, but it was too late for them to enroll in other schools by that time. They informed students during the summer about transcript and other issues, which happens in a few cases each year, but this is an extraordinary number.
Then university administrators began softening. They admitted that they used standards that were too strict in order to lower their enrollment numbers. The vice chancellor wrote a message to students, including this excerpt:
We heard from some students that this year's process was too stringent and our customer-service approach needs improvement. I acknowledge that we took a harder line on the terms and conditions this year and we could have managed that process with greater care, sensitivity, and clarity about available options. Also contributing to the angst many of you have experienced is our traditional communication and outdated telephone systems that did not serve us well in this circumstance. For those who felt ignored or mistreated, I sincerely apologize.
We are making every effort to do better, immediately. I have directed the admissions team to step up the personal outreach to notified students. We're bringing in more people to review appeals and answer phones. We are committed to correcting any errors swiftly and providing the help you need in an empathetic and understanding way.
A few days later, Irvine's chancellor also apologized, and the university found a way to accommodate 290 more students. His message included this excerpt:
The stories of our students whose college dreams were crushed by our decision to withdraw admissions to hundreds of students are heartbreaking. And unacceptable.
This process is not working. We are a university recognized for advancing the American Dream, not impeding it. This situation is rocking us to our core because it is fundamentally misaligned with our values.
The apology is notable because we see so few of them from university presidents. Writers for The New York Times and Insider Higher Ed commented on the rarity of apologies, partly because of the complexity of academic institutions.
Discussion:
- Analyze the chancellor's and vice chancellor's messages. What communication principles do they use? How do the messages compare in content, tone, word choice, and organization?
- What should Irvine have done differently in this situation? What are all of the touch points with students that could have been improved?