Two timely topics are addressed in this month’s video update from President Rick Bailey: SOU’s attitude toward both and external politics and internal shared governance. The president said that “we just had a huge, huge election, and I would say we’re still in the middle of that election season.” The thing that has made him most proud is that SOU has students, faculty and staff who fall on both sides of the political spectrum – very progressive and very conservative – and that we are at our best “when we strive to listen to each other.” President Bailey said that even in his personal life, “as we have healthy and civil debates, there are points that I hadn’t even thought of before.” He also said that SOU’s shared governance model – which involves student, faculty and staff leaders – is particularly important as the university serves as a marketplace of ideas. The input and involvement of those groups help us get to better strategic decisions. He said the collective approach will continue to be strengthened and to serve SOU, because “authority is most effective when it is shared.”
