For nine months, higher education commentators Rachel Toor and E. Gordon Gee have collaborated on a widely read column, offering contrasting perspectives on the state of colleges and universities across the United States. From the outset, readers urged the pair to take their dialogue out from behind the computer screen and onto a live stage. While Toor initially resisted the idea\u2014preferring the controlled environment of her home office and noting that her writing vastly outperforms her speaking skills\u2014the duo finally took the plunge, making their live debut at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. <\/p>\n
Reflecting on the experience in their latest column, the pair shared candid, humorous, and deeply analytical insights about what they learned during their visit to the small, private liberal arts college. <\/p>\n
The journey began with logistical comedy and a stark awakening to regional traffic patterns. According to Toor, her driving through the notoriously complex roundabouts of Conway nearly proved fatal for both of them, leaving Gee recovering from what he jokingly described as a "Valium stupor." The harrowing experience prompted a quick resolution for future travels. "As we continue our travels, we are definitely using Uber," Gee noted, while Toor conceded that her driving skills terrified them both and that car rentals are officially off the table for future campus visits.<\/p>\n
Beyond the transit challenges, Hendrix College delivered precisely the environment Toor had promised Gee, who is more accustomed to leading massive, complex research universities. Gee described the small Arkansas campus as looking like a movie set, characterized by transparent and widely admired leadership, a deeply committed faculty actively engaged in shared governance, and students and staff who exuded an unusual level of dedication to the institution’s mission. Furthermore, he noted a Board of Trustees wholly devoted to the success of President Karen Petersen and supportive of her executive vision.<\/p>\n
For Gee, whose extensive career includes leading major public institutions with long financial runways, visiting a campus of roughly 1,000 students and 100 faculty members offered an eye-opening lesson in high-stakes higher education. At large universities, institutional leaders often have the luxury of kicking difficult decisions down the road or engaging in protracted planning cycles when confronted with massive challenges. At Hendrix, however, the margin for error is razor-thin. <\/p>\n
"At Hendrix, with 1,000 students and 100 faculty, every student counts on the bottom line," Gee observed. "There\u2019s no room for delay or mistakes. I would have hives and never sleep with that Damocles sword over my head."<\/p>\n
The cultural divide between large university systems and small liberal arts colleges surfaced repeatedly during their visit, often to humorous effect. During a dinner with President Petersen, Gee candidly remarked, "You actually have to run this place!"\u2014a statement that highlighted the direct, hands-on operational reality of leading a small campus where administrative abstraction is nearly impossible.<\/p>\n
During a subsequent Q&A session with the college\u2019s Board of Trustees, the duo’s contrasting backgrounds led to good-natured intellectual sparring. Gee, drawing from his decades at major institutions, would field trustee questions first with broad strokes, prompting Toor to playfully push back, likening the dynamic to a classic Saturday Night Live<\/em> sketch where she had to channel her inner "Jane, you ignorant slut!" Fortunately, the veteran trustees understood the pop-culture reference and joined in the laughter\u2014though Gee admitted he missed the joke entirely, attributing it to a career phase where he was working too hard to watch television.<\/p>\n Despite the comedic friction, Gee acknowledged that his initial observations were not always sector-specific and that smaller institutions face distinct, existential realities that require tailored strategies. "I have always understood the power and poetry of the small institutions, but I have, much to my detriment, never fully comprehended their unique challenges," Gee said. "Lesson learned. What is good for the goose may not be good for the gander."<\/p>\n Toor, meanwhile, observed Gee\u2019s natural affinity for campus engagement, noting that navigating the campus pathway took significantly longer than scheduled because Gee stopped to speak with everyone he encountered\u2014from the student operating the golf cart to the women\u2019s softball coach and dining hall personnel. Asking questions, paying close attention, and remembering personal details are hallmarks of Gee\u2019s leadership style, making him universally popular among students and staff, even if it thoroughly disrupted their itinerary.<\/p>\n Following dinner, Gee delivered a keynote address to the trustees, emphasizing that Hendrix sits at a critical inflection point. He urged board members to fully commit their time and financial resources to ensure the institution meets its fundraising goals while maintaining a unified, consistent public message. Having already navigated the difficult work of rightsizing the institution and curbing financial losses, Gee stressed that the board must remain fully engaged in guiding the college through its next phase of evolution.<\/p>\n Throughout the visit, Gee also leaned into optimism, wearing a Ted Lasso<\/em>-inspired "BELIEVE" lapel pin. In a media and higher education landscape often dominated by fiscal anxiety and public skepticism, Gee argued that leaders must maintain faith in the transformative power of education. "I know this sounds a bit na\u00efve, but we must believe in the possibilities of education, including higher education, and not let the cynical hysteria start to define us," Gee said, adding that witnessing the dedication of faculty and staff in a small Arkansas town reinforced that belief.<\/p>\n While Gee departed after a single day, Toor remained on campus to engage further with the board, faculty, students, and career services personnel. During her conversations, she frequently asked community members if they had watched the second season of the television series A Man on the Inside<\/em>, noting that President Petersen had previously shared that actress Mary Steenburgen\u2019s experiences as a Hendrix alumna inspired the fictional Wheeler College depicted in the show. In the storyline, the institution faces a massive $400 million donation tied to a billionaire’s hostile, corporate-style restructuring effort\u2014a narrative that mirrors broader national conversations about the pressures facing modern liberal arts institutions.<\/p>\n For Toor and Gee, the debut live appearance proved that their distinct perspectives and genuine mutual affection translate effectively outside the written column. By bridging the gap between massive research institutions and intimate liberal arts colleges, the pair continue to explore the complex mosaic of American higher education while learning valuable lessons from one another along the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For nine months, higher education commentators Rachel Toor and E. Gordon Gee have collaborated on a widely read column, offering contrasting perspectives on the state of colleges and universities across the United States. 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