Prof. Says Dye Bonus too Small

To the Editors:

I was very disappointed that our Board of Trustees did not offer President Dye a more competitive offer to keep her here for ten more years. The emoluments of many college presidents are more lucrative than Dye's.

I trust implicitly the Trustees' unanimous assessment that the College will save a lot of money if they can keep Dye, a known quantity, here for six or more years rather than having to get a new president, an unknown quantity.

In addition to the two-page, compelling case the Trustees presented to our community explaining their ardent desire to retain Dye, I share with you the fact that President Dye's commitment to help raise academic standards in our local schools is superbly unparalleled. For example, she worked with the Trustees to offer a plan by which all Oberlin High children meeting certain criteria can get a tuition-free education at Oberlin College. Very few colleges have done anything like this.

She has been one of WAVE's (Words Are Very Empowering) staunchest supporters. This is a program designed to offer children all the academic help they need from kindergarten to the high-school level on a 24/7/365 basis so that they may qualify to attend Oberlin College one day. No other college in America offers so much free help to children.

The College set as a goal back in 1972 to try to enroll 100 black students in each entering class. Under no president has this goal been reached, but Nancy Dye remains ever committed to this goal and to doing more than any other president in pursuit of it.

For the future, I definitely expect her to make every effort to see that workers do not have to strike to get fair wages, that medical costs will not be unfairly borne by the College's employees, that strife and division will be at a minimum at Oberlin, etc.
I am impressed by her instantaneous and sustained likeability, affability, and compatibility. As our first female president, Dye is unusually perceptive, thoughtful, and caring.

Indeed, I am very biased in favor of President Dye because of her outstanding efforts to help all children in our local schools, much as I am biased toward all those who go into teaching or who make other contributions to improve education.

The Trustees are unified in their belief that Dye is their "man" for the next ten years. And no one has a greater interest in and cares more about the long-term interest of the College than our Trustees, even though Trustees are faillible.

For all presidents, leaders, etc., often the most important factors are the intangibles, those instinctive characteristics that are simply not easily quantifiable, but which are absolutely essential ingredients for a successful presidency. I submit that President Dye is gifted with perspicacity, people skills, energy, sensitivity, a sense of justice, fairness, etc.

President Dye loves her job and I believe she has no plans to leave. Most are hopeful that she will stay because of the faith the Board has in her and because everyone wants to work with her to achieve the greatness of which Oberlin is capable and deserves.

–Booker C. Peek
Associate Professor
AAST Studies Department