“TRUE TO THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF THE UNIVERSITY” VIEWING CONFLICT AS A CATALYST FOR REEVALUATING INSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS AND PRACTICES By Gina Vizvary A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education – Doctor of Philosophy 2015 ABSTRACT “TRUE TO THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF THE UNIVERSITY” VIEWING CONFLICT AS A CATALYST FOR REEVALUATING INSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS AND PRACTICES By Gina Vizvary Conflict at institutions of higher education is not new. However, with the prevalence of the internet, disputes now capture the attention of national media outlets and can spread quickly to a large audience via social media sites and online publications. Over the last decade, conflicts over athletics, curricular changes, online classes, and special-interest research initiatives have pitted faculty against faculty and faculty against administration. At times whole campus communities may become involved in the fray, from students to staff to alumni. Organizational literature on colleges and universities tells us that higher education institutions have unique characteristics that distinguish them from the business or for-profit world. Universities must continuously innovate and adapt in order to stay relevant to society. Yet they are also decades or centuries old, with traditions, legacies, and unique cultures that pervade campus life. This tension between the old and the new, tradition and innovation, presents challenges to university leaders. When new decisions seem to contradict longstanding traditions, there is bound to be backlash. The focus of the current study was to understand the tensions that fuel university conflict. The study utilized a historical perspective to research the conflict over the planning and implementation of the Milton Friedman Institute (MFI) at the University of Chicago in 2008. Administrators and faculty involved provided their views on the conflict through interviews. Additional data came from news articles, op-ed pieces, meeting minutes, letters, and e-mails. Historical information on the University of Chicago, Milton Friedman, and the Chicago School of Economics was drawn on to provide institutional and biographical information, and well as to make connections between the 2008 conflict and past people or events that emerged in documents and interviews. Four primary factors were found to have influenced the nature of the MFI dispute: Reputation, Academic Freedom, Philanthropy, and Governance. The research data provide the opportunity for a discussion of conflict not as a negative, but as a chance to reevaluate institutional values, standards, and practices. Future directions of research and suggestions for practice are considered. I dedicate this work to my mother and best friend, Andrea Eiring. And to my dog, Madeline, for being the best security blanket around. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank Dr. Steve Weiland, my advisor and dissertation chair, for encouraging me to join the HALE program at Michigan State University. His guidance and willingness to think outside the box allowed me to create an enjoyable and rewarding experience in writing my dissertation. I would like to thank Dr. Marilyn Amey, Dr. Roger Baldwin, and Dr. Stephen Esquith for serving on my dissertation committee and providing me with excellent feedback. I also thank Dr. John Dirkx for giving me the opportunity to improve my research skills and extend my knowledge base to an emerging area of higher education research. Finally, I thank my colleagues at the University of Chicago for encouraging me to pursue a Ph.D. I would not have been able to complete this program without the support of my friends in the HALE program. Whether we were sharing ideas, exchanging advice, or commiserating, I have enjoyed every minute of our time together. Special thanks to Karla Loebick, Dave Nguyen, Renata Opoczynski, and Patrick Murphy. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................x Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 Researching the MFI Conflict...........................................................................................6 Research questions and structure ...................................................................................9 Historical perspective...................................................................................................11 Method .........................................................................................................................12 Interviews ...............................................................................................................13 Significance of the study ..............................................................................................14 Intended audience ........................................................................................................15 Background Information .................................................................................................17 The University of Chicago ...........................................................................................17 Milton Friedman ..........................................................................................................18 Participants interviewed for the MFI case ...................................................................19 A note on silent voices .................................................................................................22 Chapter One: Reputation....................................................................................................23 Reputation in Higher Education .....................................................................................25 Organizational studies………………………………………………………………..25 Individual reputation: academic stars ..........................................................................28 The University of Chicago Builds Its Reputation ...........................................................30 “Harper writ large” .....................................................................................................30 Early publicity ..............................................................................................................33 Growth .........................................................................................................................35 “Remember the research ideal, to keep it holy” .........................................................37 The Chicago School of Economics .................................................................................39 Milton Friedman .............................................................................................................44 Reputation and the Milton Friedman Institute ................................................................48 “Milton is the name that is known around the world” .................................................49 The many Milton Friedmans ........................................................................................51 Response to criticism ...................................................................................................56 Name changes ..............................................................................................................60 Chapter Conclusion and Discussion ...............................................................................61 Saga and the university administrator ..........................................................................61 Friedman’s legacy in economics ..................................................................................62 Institutional identity and CORES ................................................................................63 Implications for practice ..............................................................................................65 Implications for research..............................................................................................66 Chapter Two: Academic Freedom ....................................................................................68 Academic Freedom and the Research University ...........................................................69 vi Not yet free ..................................................................................................................72 Faculty begin to mobilize .............................................................................................76 The 1915 Declaration ..................................................................................................79 Academic freedom in times of turmoil ........................................................................80 Academic Freedom at the University of Chicago ...........................................................82 A rough start ................................................................................................................82 Red hunters ..................................................................................................................83 The Kalven report ........................................................................................................87