To the Slippery Rock University Family,
Friday’s meeting of the Council of Trustees, and the decision to temporarily suspend and possibly extend the presidential search, was a defining moment in the history of a great institution.
Make no mistake, there are no winners or losers resulting from the Council’s decision. No one should gloat over or celebrate the vote. Nor should anyone feel maligned, defeated or despair. The decision simply reflects the determined desire of the Slippery Rock University community to abide by one its most longstanding and fundamental characteristics—to achieve Excellence in the search for a new president. To be Excellent as a university!
As a student at Slippery Rock, none of my professors, advisors or mentors ever taught me to “strive for mediocrity” or “pursue pedestrian results”. Legendary figures such as Bonando, DiSpirito, and Scarnati let us know when our work product was lacking. Like their current day successors, they guided us and challenged us to do much better—to do everything required to achieve Excellence!
I do not know Marcus Martin. I have watched him play football. By all metrics, he is one of the greatest football players in NCAA Division II and Slippery Rock University history. Mr. Martin has aspired to and achieved Excellence in his chosen endeavor. It would be interesting to know from him the ingredients required to achieve Excellence. Hard work? Constant repetition? Discipline? Determination? Doubt? Recognition of and experience in failure? No doubt he paid a price to be Excellent. Perhaps we could learn from our students’ successes.
Slippery Rock University will have a new President. The message sent from the Council meeting is that no matter how difficult, no matter how repetitive, no matter what sacrifices must be made, we will not settle for anything less than Excellence. Our new President will come to recognize and understand that when we must do better we are determined to be better. Excellence is ingrained in the Slippery Rock University culture. It is instilled in each one of us. It is pursued and realized every day in large and small ways by individuals across our campus. It can be achieved in this presidential search process.
We should be proud of Slippery Rock University today. As a community, we spoke our minds from our hearts. We debated vigorously and enthusiastically. We deliberated seriously and offered our opinions and responses with respect. As a caring and passionate community we know we can do better. We will do better. It is one characteristic that makes Slippery Rock the finest university in the PASSHE system. We simply refuse to be anything less than EXCELLENT!
Best of luck to you all. GO ROCK!
Bob Taylor
Class of 1978
Member, SRU Council of Trustees
Member, Presidential Search Committee
