Kimball MacKay was a popular humanities professor at Cornish until his retirement a few years ago. He strongly disagrees with the way the school has changed, and with the story I wrote five days ago. Here is his letter to the editor.
It’s fitting that the cover of the May 5th edition of The Stranger features the tagline Appetite for Destruction, a more fitting headline for Jen Graves’ May 5th article than the mild Cornish May Lose Its Leaders. It Needs More Effective Ones.
(Continued) The article is something, at least—a gentle criticism of the ‘disruptive innovation’ or ‘creative destruction’ imposed by Provost Moira Payne in the last few years…but maybe the meeting of those two concepts is more accurate: disruptive destruction. I was hoping that when Graves returned to considering conditions at this key institutional component of Seattle cultural life, the result would be more in depth and critical. Yes, as she writes, Cornish can ill afford another era of ineffective leadership, but the situation at Cornish is so much deeper and more dire than that. Graves’ article, like her last one about Cornish, is restrained in its criticism—much more restrained than those closest to the issues (Cornish faculty and staff) are. But they can’t speak up because of the very real fear of retribution.
Are there some good things happening? Sure. I’d go so far as to say that deposed Cornish President Nancy Uscher was quite “effective” in her leadership early on, doing the things that Presidents are supposed to do—getting the dorm building actually built; taking over Intiman Theater. And, as Graves points out, some gee-whiz stuff has happened. Then Uscher made a disastrous decision and brought in Provost Payne to “innovate” and make Cornish a “contemporary” institution.
Payne came in waving the flag of innovation, using the flag pole to attack anyone in her way, blaming faculty for all ills. But just as with previous admins, there has been no real support for faculty innovation—except for the anointing of favorites—and the “innovations” that Payne has imposed are as hollow and empty as the Notions Bldg across Lenora from the Main Campus Center—behind the postered windows you can see, emptiness, because the college can’t afford the necessary renovations. Add to that a truly ineffective Board (proven incapable of real fundraising in the city of millionaires) and Cornish continues to survive only because of the talent, engagement, and goodwill of those who do the actual work of being with students every day (I include department chairs and many on-the-floor staff in this group). In her article, Graves continues to harmonize with the tune Payne’s been singing since her arrival: blame those who’ve stuck around for an “anachronistic” curriculum. And if that doesn’t work, wait for the next, more ‘effective’ innovator to come along.
Note, too, that Payne herself knows what she’s done. Like many faculty and staff, she’s looking for an escape route (pity PNCA if they hire her), and she’s ready and willing to run and leave the wreckage she caused behind her. But maybe she had to jump; maybe the Board (or whoever is in charge now) realized that her “leadership” is as empty as the Notions Bldg. and chose a vacuum instead, terminating her contract. Payne never had the experience or expertise to pull off the kinds of changes she’s imposed, much less the capacity to actually understand more than the public relations/advertising version of her supposed ‘vision.’ While the consequences of her “innovations” may have been unintended (I really don’t think she took the job planning to destroy the college), they were predictable (and predicted). Note that enrollment in Art has declined in each of the years since she arrived.
The big question is whether Cornish will survive this reign of disruptive destruction.
Kimball MacKay
Professor, Humanities and Sciences (retired)
Cornish College of the Arts
