Having a Point of View Adds Value

To be a chameleon is to be someone who is highly adaptable, able to modify their behavior or approach to fit in and operate in a scenario or environment. Is this a good characteristic or a bad characteristic? Opinions can change based on factors such as additional information, changing beliefs, and many other input factors. Having a point of view is an important base for building consensus, driving change, and providing value as an individual.

Mun Choi is the president of the University of Missouri, and is known for showing up to every event, knowing everyone's name, and generally being very active in his role, according to the article in The Chronical by Kate Bellows. Whether it be students on campus, politicians in Jefferson City, or somewhere in between, Choi focuses on how issues affect the university. Bellows states that "What frustrates some Mizzou student activists isn't that they feel that Choi is opposed to what they stand for, but that they aren't sure he stands for anything at all." An example is his support and institution of DEI programs in 2017 and the dismantling of them in 2025. Was this due to a change in opinion, or an attempt to fit with current norms and not draw unwanted attention. Bellow's review is that Choi focused on issues that affect the university directly, and not engage in those that do not. Clear lines of engagement, while helpful, don't balance ideals and realities well.

Build your knowledge, then define your point of view.

 



References:

  • [1] Bellows, Kate Hidalgo. “Mun Choi's Survival Strategy” The Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 72, no. 4, October 17, 2025, page 12 - 18.

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