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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