Credibility of Consultants vs. Full Time Staff

Karlyn Morissette posted the summary of an interesting discussion that resulted from a question she recently posed on Twitter: Why are higher education consultants given more credibility than full time staff who say the exact same thing? Nearly 40 people joined the discussion, offering their insights and opinions. Check out Morissette’s summary and observations here. I’m guessing that the premise of the above question holds true to varying degrees based upon the institution. It seems to boil down to a issue of objectivity, in my opinion. As a full-time staff member, am I able to look at a particular problem or set of challenges with an objective and impartial set of eyes, divorced from the emotion of the situation? Of course, depending upon the circumstances, there can be many factors at play.

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