Weak leadership, zero expectations, no accountability, but a charming college environment
Pros
Miami offers terrific work/life balance on a beautiful campus. Facilities are well maintained with many new, or recently renovated, buildings. Oxford is a cozy college town. Benefits, despite recent cuts, are outstanding (maybe too much so in this day and age). If you are so inclined you can do very little day-day and collect a paycheck.
Cons
Having worked in both academic and administrative positions, there is little accountability placed on employees. It is not uncommon to find academic employees who spend little time on campus. The inability to reward the best/brightest/most active researchers, scholars, and teachers has led many to only aspire to meet "par" instead of rising to new challenges. Academically, it is disappointing to see so many faculty not reach their potential simply because past cases have shown there to be few benefits for putting in the time/work required to do so. This has led to a decline in academic standards which will continue until greater accountability is enforced/rewarded. Leadership is largely ineffective and has contributed to a culture of wasteful spending, decreasing academic demands, and the above mentioned lack of accountability. Administratively, politics often get in the way of rational decision-making. Who is making the argument is more important than what the argument is about. It is frustrating that so few ideas are ever considered on this campus. Ideas are ignored unless they echo the views held by leadership. Poor communication between groups has led to a campus of fiefdoms with academics and administrators fighting for individual gains instead of what is best for Miami.
