Decision making is based on incentives. These incentives may be rational to some and irrational to others. Most of the attractive incentives and decisions we make are linked to survival and intellectual growth. However, there is a culture of self-doubt that is superseding the culture of growth and development.
Before applying to Brown, I had discovered one thing about the University culture: all the students here admire Ruth Simmons. When I came here, my hypothesis was proven correct: I found a cult following among the students wearing Ruth Simmons T-shirts, and everyone's eyes would light up when they saw the lady walk across the street, treating her like a celebrity. How many of you, in the past, have made your profile picture on Facebook of a shot with President Simmons? You get the point.
I admire Ruth Simmons because she is the twelfth child of a Texas sharecropper who made it to where she is today. Such a phenomenal success story could only take place in America, where individual freedoms such as pursuing one's dreams and becoming a stalwart in one's chosen field are revered and protected. Unfortunately, there is a culture of cynicism that doubts all the reasons that made America the country that it is. This culture demands more regulations and more governmental control, and discredits capitalism because it is inherently evil and exploitive.
Some students criticize the University for slashing our faculty's tenure and laying off a number of workers. The same students also pressured President Simmons to retire from Goldman Sachs' board because of Goldman's involvement in "the crisis" and how "darn evil and money-hungry" the company is. I find this quite bewildering. More tenure means more promised wealth to professors, and I completely support that. On the other hand, passing "moral" judgment on President Simmons and her means to monetary compensation is quite skewed. It has also led to a tarnishing of her reputation. Why cannot Ruth Simmons be on the board of an organization (Goldman Sachs) that has paid its fines (and hence been cleared of its "wrongdoings"), is sought after by Brown students for jobs and has donated more than any other organization ($994,795) to our Jimmy Carter of a president, whom most Brunonians love?
An individual with a passion equivalent to that of President Simmons would make it to the board of Goldman Sachs by starting off as a consultant straight out of college. She is a strong-willed woman who did not have a lot of resources while growing up, but had the motivation to put in hours of work, build her intellect and develop a charming personality that Brown students find so intoxicating. President Simmons was poised for success, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if she was in Indra Nooyi's shoes today as the first female Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. Had she pursued such a lucrative career option, the University would have lost a President with one of its most successful fundraising records.
Let's look at the case of one former Harvard president, Larry Summers. He was forced to step down during his tenure, but found himself in an even more powerful position controlling the fate of investors and businesses in the US (he recently stepped down as director of President Obama's National Economic Council). That's how powerful he really is. Shirley M. Tilghman, the President of Princeton, is on the Board of Google, Inc. Richard Levin, the President of Yale, is on the board of American Express. Ruth Simmons remains on the board of Texas Instruments. These educators are compensated by these companies for acting on behalf of the students who are going to be the future employees of these successful organizations. This compensation makes up for the millions they could have been making in the corporate world and helps us retain these educators to work full time by strategizing, fundraising and making you feel comfortable.
If Brown students are the happiest in the country, then I am sure they don't see the Corporation as a problem. However, I believe some would like to keep you disturbed and worried by inventing an imaginary cause that has hidden anti-capitalist agendas at heart. President Simmons will eventually retire, and I am worried about the repercussions of the school's attitude. Will good educators even think about taking Simmons's place if they know that the student body is against them being compensated for their worth?
With regard to American corporations and Brown, as long as there is no harmful conflict of interest (such as selling Brown's land to Coca Cola), professors, academics and students can benefit a lot from mutually beneficial collaborations. Professors who have applied their knowledge to the real world are the ones who will be responsible for making our University produce leaders who will give back to their own community and Brown. At the end of the day, we will be working in these various industries, and practical application of our knowledge will always give us an edge. Innovation and education are where our future truly lies.
Manas Gautam '12 gives lessons in fishing and can be reached at mg (at) brown.edu.
