Chair Talk 4.7-In Case You Were Wondering

In 1992-3, as Interim Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences, I interviewed a candidate for a faculty position in Geography - one Andrew Comrie.  I can’t say I remember having met him.

For at least the past 15 years or so I have had lots more meetings with Andrew Comrie that I do remember.  In many of these meetings we were two amongst many, although he was often in a lead role.  I have never, not once, seen Andrew treat anyone with disrespect as a function of gender, race, sexual orientation, status – you name it.  I have seen him talk over people, just about anyone, and I’ve seen him differentially attend to those in the room who have the most constructive ideas to add to the discussion.  Whoever they are. 

A story was published yesterday about a lawsuit lodged by the former Dean of the Honors College, that addressed Andrew’s supposed treatment of women - it portrayed a person I do not know.  And one that to my knowledge and that of everyone else I’ve spoken to in the past few hours does not exist.

Which isn’t to say the administration necessarily handled its relations with the former Dean of the Honors College flawlessly – I do not know the details and that is for others to judge.  There are always very complicated issues around the replacement of a senior administrator – just as its hard to close down a program we no longer need, its hard to move on from a formerly successful administrator who may not be delivering what is needed by the institution now.  And this is not a knock against those who need to step aside – we all have our time, the institution changes, and dealing with it necessarily must pass to others.  When that time comes, some step aside graciously.  But not everyone.  

On Monday, at Faculty Senate, Andrew Comrie announced that he was stepping aside - graciously.  He did this about an hour before an email went out to campus from President Robbins announcing this decision.  Every person at the Faculty Senate joined a standing ovation for Andrew that must have lasted 3 minutes.  A perfect Provost – of course not.  But a really good one who gave it his all every day, and did so with the utmost of integrity and fairness.  That is the Andrew Comrie I recognize today, and I thank him for his friendship and partnership in my years as Chair of the Faculty.  Without his active encouragement there is no way shared governance would be as effective as it is here at the UA.  When I talk to my colleagues who are in similar roles at other universities in the state and in the PAC 12 I see how much better we have it than most.  We have the real Andrew Comrie to thank for that.  

Lynn Nadel
_____________________________________________

Chair of the Faculty
Regents Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Cognitive Science
University of Arizona
nadel@u.arizona.edu