Yesterday, the Minnesota Daily reported that many faculty members at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry were upset and concerned about the way the school operated under former Dean Patrick Lloyd and seems to still be operating under Judith Buchanan, the new interim dean.

The main problem at the dentistry school seems to be an autocratic system and style of management. Faculty complaints were suppressed under Lloyd, faculty input was ignored during the search for an interim dean and the school seems to have made a habit of questionable ethical practices like the nepotism of Buchanan, a direct consequence of unilateral rather than communal decision-making.

In particular, Lloyd, Buchanan and Provost Tom Sullivan âÄî whose decision it was to hire Buchanan despite her being the least favored candidate of the faculty âÄî have ignored faculty input in their decisions.

Every college at the University can learn from the School of DentistryâÄôs problems. Faculty input must matter to administrators University-wide. In the DailyâÄôs report, Buchanan said, âÄú[Faculty] opinion was heard. Now, the problem is âĦ they equate being heard with being agreed with.âÄù

This is exactly the wrong attitude. Faculty know best what they need from administrators; since the administration exists only to facilitate what the faculty does, it makes sense to listen to the facultyâÄôs thoughts.

Administrators need to run the School of Dentistry more democratically, openly and with less arrogance. The burden to change the School of DentistryâÄôs culture now falls on Buchanan. Other colleges at the University should also take close looks at themselves to make sure they donâÄôt repeat the mistakes of the School of Dentistry.