TO THE EDITOR:
Much has been made of the recent hiring of former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings as the new president of the UNC system. Critics have scoured her resume to find any faults they can within the public record. Many of these critics have no history of working or interacting with president-elect Spellings.
In this regard, I feel uniquely qualified to offer a dissenting opinion. This past July, I was fortunate to graduate as a member of the first class of Presidential Leadership Scholars, a joint program launched by the Clinton Foundation, George W. Bush Presidential Center, LBJ Foundation and George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, of which Ms. Spellings was a primary architect. I am also presently enrolled in the University’s MBA@UNC program, which has provided me an opportunity to earn a top-tier advanced degree while still serving my country as an active duty member of the U.S. military. In short, I have had a great chance to interact with Secretary Spellings in an educational capacity, and I have a vested interest in seeing the University of North Carolina system succeed under her leadership.
While serving as president of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Spellings oversaw a number of education-related initiatives, including advancing accountability, Middle School Matters and Presidential Leadership Scholars. The Presidential Leadership Scholars Program is provided entirely free of cost to its enrollees and provides young- to mid-career professionals a unique opportunity to learn through first-hand exposure to the administrations of the four supporting institutes. The program’s focus is on several liberal arts staples: history, communication and leadership. Those who doubt Spellings’ dedication to the fine arts would do well to educate themselves further on this program and her role within it.
Spellings’ successful oversight of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program also required bipartisanship. The program is a landmark collaboration on both sides of the aisle, during one of our country’s most partisan times. This is merely another example within Spellings’ long record of listening to the other side and delivering real results. Who better to mend the current divide within the Board of Governors?
Detractors have criticized Secretary Spellings’ record based upon her time spent as a board member at the Apollo Group, which holds the online University of Phoenix as one of its biggest assets. To this group, the for-profit nature of that institute is distasteful and any experience within this realm endangers the future and reputation of UNC. But this perspective does not take into account the extremely valuable online-education experience.
Online education is widely considered the bleeding edge of higher education in the 21st century. Online education is vital to the continued growth and brand of UNC. As a result, Spellings’ resume is a considerable asset to the system.
Margaret Spellings has an exceptional record of public service and engagement within the education field. Her success as President of the University of North Carolina will not be dictated by naysayers, whom she is bound to overcome. The selection process for president-elect Spellings was contentious and controversial, but it has yielded the University a supremely qualified leader to advance higher education in the state of North Carolina. It would be folly to miss our chance to benefit from her talent and expertise.
