Opinion: Haynie’s accessibility to students, internal knowledge are valuable |
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The new chancellor isn’t someone you’d expect to see as you walk around campus. I found myself hesitant to speak when I noticed a familiar man in a suit briskly walking out of the Whitman School of Management on my way inside. His face looked familiar from recent photos.
“Are you Dean Haynie?” I asked.
Without knowing who I was or whether I was a Whitman student, he smiled, shook my hand and said his name was Michael. I introduced myself, telling him my majors were biology and journalism.
“What are you doing here at Whitman?” he asked.
I explained that I was interviewing students for this article on reactions to his appointment as chancellor.
I added that while I initially thought an external hire for chancellor would be better, I’d since reconsidered.
Given Chancellor-elect Mike Haynie’s nearly 20 years of involvement at Syracuse University and his experience working closely with students as the Whitman executive dean, an internal appointment now seemed like a strong choice.
“It’s all about the students,” Haynie said.
This familiarity is valuable. An external hire may bring knowledge and experience from another school, but what works elsewhere doesn’t necessarily translate to SU’s array of concerns and needs. Haynie’s........