On Friday, Jan. 3, three days before the students returned to campus, they received an email informing us of President Kyle Farmbry stepping down from his position. After being president for only two years this came as a shock to the community.
In response to his absence, the Guilford Board of Trustees created the Coordinating Committee to act as a temporary form of leadership during this transition period.
From the statement released to all students from the board of trustees, we’re told Jean Parvin Bordewich will serve as acting president, until a new president is chosen, as well as a trustee. Keith Millner will serve as acting chief operating officer during the transition period. Along with them, Carla Brenner, Paula Sours and Daniel Mosca will serve as Coordinating Committee members.
On Thursday, Jan. 8, this committee joined the Guilford Student Body Association, or GSBA, community meeting to introduce themselves to the community and open the door of transparency about Guilford College’s future. It was clear in their introductions that each member of the committee has roots at Guilford — many being or having family who are alumni. They also seemed to have some much-needed hope that Guilford students have been craving.
“I was thrilled to be in this position where it’s such an important moment, and I just feel there’s so much energy on campus, energy for change, excitement about the future,” Bordewich began the meeting. “We hope that by bringing a sort of short-term extra capacity we’ll be able to take the college and submit directions and towards the future. So that’s why we’re here.”
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Guilford College released a different statement about the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, which is an institutional accreditor for quality assurance in higher education. In their review of Guilford College, the SACSCOC board stated that it “has continued Guilford in accreditation for Good Cause with Probation and granted an extension of 12 months to achieve compliance with Standard 13.3 financial responsibility. In addition, the SACSCOC board cited compliance with Standard 13.1 financial resources as a concern.”
While this is a major part of what the committee wants to accomplish, they also want to bring back the Guilford College they once knew.
“We don’t make ourselves differentiated from the other colleges enough in the public sphere, we need to redefine who we are, who we want to be, and how we’re going to get there,” Mosca stated to the group of students gathered.
The biggest question is, how do they plan to get there? Well, Acting President Bordewich had a few principles to share with us in her welcome message sent out to students on Jan. 6.
“This transition period calls for transparency, intensive collaboration, and a focus on what makes Guilford unique,” she said. “I pledge to make those priorities for my leadership. Compassion, courage, accountability and dedication to the community will guide us. We will make decisions and set the transformation in motion over the coming weeks. ”
They have already begun this new level of open communication by offering three informal meetings in this first week of classes that are open to students and staff to ask questions. Bordewich confirmed that more of these meetings will be offered in the coming weeks though no dates or times have been shared at this time.
Students, staff and professors seem to not only be taking advantage of this new open communication but also relieved to have it.
“I would add that my update is that we’re being updated, meaning this is a living process,” Interim Provost Kami Rowan, a known member, adviser and professor on campus. “I’m learning that there’s not anyone right now that has all the answers, and you guys are working hard to figure things out quickly. So, you know, it’s not that we have a lot of concrete things that we can deliver right now, but we can say there’s a lot of decisions to be made.”
After the meeting, GSBA President Jacob Mitchell said “I feel motivated despite how hard it is and I can’t help but feel like trying with them.
“It is clear that in this time of anxiety and the unknown, there are people standing to help Guilford College in any way they can,” he continued.
Will it be enough? Only time will tell.
To read about the Q&A from Community Meeting click here.