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November 9, 2012
Dr. Asfaw Beyene
Chair, Dean Hayhurst Performance Evaluation Committee
College of Engineering
San Diego State University
Campus
Dear Asfaw:
This letter is in response to a call for comments regarding Dean David Hayhurst's performance evaluation. In the interest of brevity, I will limit my comments to the important areas of Vision, Leadership, and Collegiality/Communication Skills.
In my opinion, Dean Hayhurst does not have a clear vision for the College. If he has one, he has had 10 years to communicate it to the faculty and has failed to do so. Vision entails the ability to look into the future, set goals, and plan accordingly in order to lead the College in the right direction. Dean Hayhurst has demonstrated that he is incapable of formulating a vision, much less capable of communicating it to the faculty.
Dean Hayhurst lacks the basic leadership skills which distinguish leaders from followers. Strong leadership skills can foster loyalty, inspire action, and increase productivity. Dean Hayhurst is far removed from that; he is secretive and insecure, which moves him to make important decisions without reaching for consensus. He operates with a total disregard for transparency or accountability. His favoritism toward specific faculty and staff members has been demonstrated on numerous occasions. His manner reflects arrogance without any attempt to achieve collegiality. Faculty in the College of Engineering are accomplished academics and deserve more effective leadership.
Dean Hayhurst's lack of collegiality also reflects his lack of courtesy and professional communication skills. When he is available, even by appointment, he seems to be in a hurry, as if he had better things to do than consult or discuss issues. His track record of getting along with faculty and staff is dismal. Several unnecessary staff changes have occurred in the recent past because of his dismissive attitude towards those who work with him. The negative environment that has been created by these tactics is not likely to improve over time.
These and other shortcomings show a basic lack of integrity on the part of Dean Hayhurst. Other examples abound, but the above should suffice to get the message across. The College of Engineering deserves better leadership, and NOW is the time for a change. I urge the Committee to ponder these issues judiciously and act accordingly.
Sincerely yours,
Signature withheld
[in case the present evaluation
meets the same fate
as the
previous evaluation]
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