Susan,
Your "CLARIFICATION" email seems to suggest that the omitted words are some kind of grave misrepresentation of the truth, but I fail to see your point. The fact that the quote came from "SOME INDIVIDUALS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHO CONTACTED US", really isn't very significant. Individuals could have sent any sort of crazy emails to the authors of the report, and the the input could have been rightly discarded as irrelevant. The fact that it was included in the report attaches importance to it.
You also highlight that the report states: "THE QUESTION, RATHER, IS ONE OF PERCEIVED AS WELL AS GENUINE MOTIVATIONS." For most departments, "perceived motivations" are probably not a big concern. The only problem is that we are talking about the Office of Public Affairs, and perceptions of the university are something you are being paid to manage. So, this part of the report is also more condemning than you suggest.
Obviously, Duke should be communicating better with the partner neighborhoods to correct these "misperceptions". Last year, Duke hosted "Dinners with Duke" with each partner neighborhood to discuss the neighborhoods' concerns. We were led to believe that this would be a recurring event, but it's been well over a year, and I don't think we've heard anything from Duke. If communication is a problem, why would Duke postpone, or stop holding, these meetings with the neighborhoods?
In the end, I think that the authors of the report were correct to include input from "INDIVIDUALS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS". Your efforts to minimize the importance of it's inclusion in the report just underscores the core problem: Duke's unwillingness to form a real parnership with their neighbors.
- Chris Sevick
=====================
From: Susan Kauffman <susan.kauffman at duke.edu>
Date: 2007/05/03 Thu PM 06:02:00 CDT
To: inc-list at DurhamINC.org, TownGown at yahoogroups.com
Subject: INC NEWS - [TownGown] Duke announces new position of vice president for Durham & regional affairs (Herald-Sun) --- CLARIFICATION
Dear John Schelp,
I'm delighted that you are pleased with the announcement that Phail Wynn,
the president of Durham Tech, will take over in Duke's newly created
position of vice president for Durham and regional affairs on January 1.
We are, too.
I do take issue, however, with the way you continue to misrepresent words
from the report by Julius Chambers and William Bowen on the Duke
administration's response to lacrosse.
You wrote:
"The Bowen-Chambers report does reach a very important conclusion: 'it is a
mistake to have responsibility for Duke outreach efforts into the community
overseen by the Vice President for Public Affairs. The effect, as one
person put it, is to think of everything Duke does as motivated by PR
concerns rather than by a genuine interest in the welfare of the
community.' The sooner President Brodhead moves the Neighborhood
Partnership Initiative out of Duke's PR office the better." --John Schelp
(guest column in Herald-Sun, 5/16/06)
In actuality, you cut out some important words, which I've put in caps:
"SOME INDIVIDUALS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHO CONTACTED US THINK that it is
a mistake to have responsibility for Duke outreach efforts into the
community to be overseen by the vice president of public affairs. The
effect, as one person put it, is to think of everything that Duke does as
motivated by PR concerns rather than a general interest in the welfare of
the community. SUCH COMMENTS, WE WOULD EMPHASIZE, WERE NOT MEANT AS
PERSONAL CRITICISM OF VICE PRESIDENT BURNESS, WHOM MANY IN THE COMMUNITY
KNOW AND RESPECT. THE QUESTION, RATHER, IS ONE OF PERCEIVED AS WELL AS
GENUINE MOTIVATIONS. "
The report, available at
http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/mmedia/pdf/Bowen-ChambersReportFinal05-04-06.pdf
, did recommend that Duke:
"Continue to promote better and stronger relationships with the Durham
community and especially the educational institutions in Durham. Continue
to find ways whereby Duke and NCCU can collaborate, and interactions with
the public schools in Durham should continue to be encouraged."
Dr. Wynn will join Duke to build upon the more than a decade of concerted
investment in Durham, most notably through the Duke-Durham Neighborhood
Partnership's support of affordable housing initiatives, after-school
programming, neighborhood health clinics, school partnerships and Duke
student and employee volunteers.
Very best,
SK
Susan Kauffman
Director of Special Projects
Office of Public Affairs & Govt. Relations
Box 90028
Duke University
(919) 681-8975
----- Forwarded by Susan Kauffman/Allen/Admin/Univ/Duke on 05/03/2007 11:47
AM -----
John Schelp
<bwatu at yahoo.com>
Sent by: To
TownGown at yahoogro bwatu at yahoo.com
ups.com cc
Subject
05/02/2007 09:07 [TownGown] Duke announces new
AM position of vice president for
Durham & regional affairs
(Herald-Sun)
"The Bowen-Chambers report does reach a very important
conclusion: 'it is a mistake to have responsibility
for Duke outreach efforts into the community overseen
by the Vice President for Public Affairs. The effect,
as one person put it, is to think of everthing Duke
does as motivated by PR concerns rather than by a
genuine interest in the welfare of the community.' The
sooner President Brodhead moves the Neighborhood
Partnership Initiative out of Duke's PR office the
better."
--John Schelp (guest column in Herald-Sun, 5/16/06)
Durham Tech's Phail Wynn heading over to Duke
By Carolyn Norton, Herald-Sun, 2 May 2007
Phail Wynn Jr. may be leaving Durham Tech, but he
isn't going far.
A week after the community college announced his
retirement effective Dec. 31, Duke University said
Tuesday that Wynn will take the newly created position
of vice president for Durham and regional affairs.
Wynn will work with the community, city officials,
local businesses and the school system to create new
partnerships and strengthen existing ones, Duke
officials said.
"This is fabulous news," said John Schelp, a Durham
activist and president of the Old West Durham
Neighborhood Association. "He's a great guy -- a lot
of respect in the community."
Duke President Richard Brodhead said Wynn knows
Durham, the Research Triangle Park and the region "as
few others do."
"His community and regional leadership include many of
the most active and important educational, business,
government and nonprofit organizations in our
community," Brodhead said in a Duke news release.
Wynn's appointment means John Burness will take on a
slightly different role. Burness, as senior vice
president for public affairs and government relations,
has for many years worked on community relationships.
With Wynn working with Durham, Burness said he will
focus on public affairs and federal and state
programs.
He said he recommended Wynn, who is well-known among
Durham and the business community, for the position.
Burness said it will free him to promote Duke's
programs.
"Partly because of the last year, we really have to be
focusing on public appreciation of our programs,"
Burness said. "This will enable me to focus more on
the communication aspect."
In a memo to deans and officers at Duke, Brodhead said
Wynn will develop and launch a strategic plan for
Duke's relations with Durham and the region, including
accelerating economic renewal near the campus,
collaborating with Research Triangle Park and
developing partnerships with the Durham Public
Schools.
He'll also work to secure permanent funding for the
Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, a collaboration
involving the university, 12 surrounding neighborhoods
and eight schools.
In addition, he'll work with Duke Medicine on local
health care issues and promote workforce education
programs for Duke employees.
Wynn was unavailable for comment. But in Duke's news
release he said his 30 years at Durham Tech "allowed
me to focus on areas that I care passionately about:
education and training, and economic development and
community development.
"This new opportunity will allow me to continue this
professional focus through assisting Duke University
in its ongoing efforts to be an advocate and partner
for economic and community development in Durham and
the region."
Wynn, an Oklahoma native, came to Durham Tech in 1977
as assistant to the president, the same year he
received his doctorate from N.C. State University. By
1979, he was vice president of support services. In
May 1980, he was named interim president, a position
that was made permanent six months later.
He's served on numerous local boards and commissions,
including a stint as chairman of the Greater Durham
Chamber of Commerce. The former U.S. Army officer is
also a founding member of the Greater Triangle
Regional Council and a founding trustee of the Kenan
Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science at
N.C. State University.
He was the first black president of a North Carolina
community college...
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