Get SMAST leadership back on track by Atty. Harvey Mickelson
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There will come a day when the industry will not have a Barney Frank, a
Brian Rothschild or a Kevin Stokesbury, or a governor like Deval
Patrick, who is the first one in my long memory who has given support
to an industry rather than occasional lip service at election time, to
whom they can run.
Harvey B. Mickelson, an attorney, has long represented the American Scallop Association and other New Bedford fishing interests.
It appears to me that since the departure of Dr. Rothschild as dean of
SMAST, the excitement and enthusiasm that was part and parcel of its
existence has decreased substantially. I believe that the school is
floundering except for the activities of Kevin Stokesbury and his
associates.
The very fact that the administration of UMass Dartmouth has either
been unable or does not desire to retain a dean that has the
qualifications to administer a school of fisheries may have changed the
direction of the school. The future of its contributions to the fishing
community throughout the country is diminishing. Rothschild's successor
was obviously not capable of administering the school and soon departed.
A selection process is now going on for a new dean. It is my
understanding that the candidates being considered are not so-called
fisheries people. If true, this leads one to consider exactly what
Chancellor Jean MacCormack and the administration of the University of
Massachusetts and UMass Dartmouth really have in mind for this once
major contributor to the economy of this area, the port of New Bedford,
UMass Dartmouth and its own existence as a world-class fisheries school.
A clear answer from the administration of UMass Dartmouth to the
community as a whole and particularly the fishing industry from
Chancellor MacCormack as to her vision for SMAST for the near future
and five to 10 years down the line is now required. She or whoever has
the authority must make a commitment that SMAST will be dedicated to
the further development of a highly respected fisheries school that
attracts teaching personnel of quality and a student body seeking
bachelor's or higher degrees in the field. Or is it going to be a
hybrid of some kind or something totally different?
An organization that is administered over a period of time with
apparently the wrong people, then by interim leaders, is one that
projects instability and poor quality to the teaching community and its
potential student body.
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