Don't jump to conclusions with vice-chancellor

I was surprised at your article on the newly resigned vice-chancellor at Montana State University-Northern being criticized for raising the grade of a student at her former administrative position. After all, reviewing student grades and helping them with make-up assignments is often one of the central duties of administrators. And changing grades once the work is completed or corrected or made-up is often an administrator's responsibility.

We would have to know many more of the details of the case involved to have any reason for judging this administrative action. How was the grade arrived at in the first place? Was the faculty member involved in or absent when the grade review occurred? How responsibly was the grade review done? Was the change of grade properly earned by the student?

Unless we know many more of the details of this situation, we have to be skeptical of any implication that it was wrongly done.

Bill Thackeray, Havre