In fact, faculty members have been successful largely be cause of their individual ideas, discoveries and achieve ments. Let me stress that faculty are not unwilling to take risks or be part of teams. However, this is not necessarily part of the nature or training of individuals who decide to get a doctorate and join a research faculty at an institution such as Cornell. Administrators also often resist change. They fail to use the power of the purse to reward new behavior or innovations that will address broader issues affecting the university, then often use the faculty as their excuse for inaction.
Administrators also have a tendency to protect their own.
And administrators, just like the faculty, like to avoid conflict. Alumni have a strong, often sentimental, allegiance to what exists. Alumni are often eager to support the univer sity both financially and emotionally. But too often, they are willing either to support what exists, as it existsor to support something completely new. While that can be helpful, what we often need is financial support to re structure or reposition what we do.