Notes from the Desk - 1/14/10

The first time I heard the name John McCardell was during my first couple days at Middlebury. My junior counselor (this dates myself) told our hall about the former president, who continued teaching a couple of classes annually. He’s a wonderful professor as well, she added. That was enough for me. I signed up.

Professor McCardell’s classes were gripping. It didn’t matter how far we got in the material. His closing sentences were so eloquent that as a student you couldn’t help but get excited for the next lecture. My favorite time was discussion, though. Professor McCardell would push us to defend ourselves, prove our points and participate actively.

Later that year, I asked him to be my advisor. In the time since then, I have been fortunate to have known Professor McCardell outside of the classroom and to have benefited from his wealth of knowledge and experiences. What strikes me, above all else, is how he connects with people and how much he values time with students.

One summer, he agreed to meet with me after I finished language school. We met for lunch in The Grille. In the short distance from the counter to the table, many people stopped Professor McCardell. He knew the name of everyone, asked about their families and had polite discussions with everyone. It was genuine interest.

Had I not been told beforehand, I would not have suspected that Professor McCardell was president of the College for more than 10 years. He does not hide behind the title and is extremely humble. Even while juggling an appearance on “The Colbert Report” or working tirelessly at Choose Responsibility, he always made time to meet with me and never showed signs of his dozens of responsibilities in class.

One of the most important traits of Professor McCardell is his desire to work with students. He taught a class every year of his presidency except one. He wants to have an active link to students. It is a testament to his teaching and personality that his Civil War seminar fills up almost instantly every single year, and his Jefferson and Jackson class this year was one of the most popular classes in the history department. They remain popular even though no one at the College today was a student during his tenure.

It is a testament to John McCardell, the person, that he remains as connected to the community following his presidency. I know of no other president who continues to teach and instruct students with as much frequency and interest.

The news of his departure last week shocked me. It’s hard for us to imagine Middlebury before John McCardell. The school has changed so profoundly in the last 20 years. Under his leadership, the school gained confidence and rose to new heights.

In every discussion I’ve had with Professor McCardell, certain traits remain constant. He genuinely cares about people and attempts to understand the reasons why they feel the way they do. His opinions are strong, but he hopes, in the end, for the solution that will be best for everyone in question. In spite of the wealth of accolades and titles, he remains a professor first. That is how I see him. A teacher.

While his presence will be undoubtedly missed in the community, the opportunity at Sewanee seems too good to pass up. I wish him the best as he embarks on the latest challenge in an impressive academic career. I am lucky enough to have known and worked with John McCardell. He represents the gold standard for a college administrator and a person. His is an example that should be followed whenever and wherever possible.