I’ve always agreed with Martin Luther King’s statement that the measure of a man is found not in times of comfort but in times of challenge. I believe that’s true of organizations as well.
Take my alma mater: Abilene Christian University. Few places mean more to me than ACU. It’s where I went to school, met friends for life and found the girl of my dreams. But that’s not to say it’s perfect. You may have recently read about some problems in the athletic department:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/13/sports/Abilene-Christian-NCAA.php
What’s interesting to me about this story is that ACU comes across in a good light, not a bad one. ACU investigated itself, turned itself in and even disciplined itself. And if you look at some of the violations, they certainly don’t seem so bad. A Christmas party for international athletes who couldn’t return home? Come on. On some of these violations, the NCAA should be saluting ACU, not sanctioning it.
Even in this challenge, my alma later looks like what it really is: a school that does things right and does the right thing.
-Randy Hill
