I.M.C. prepares itself for Schlesinger’s departure

By Daniel Donan

The Instructional Media Center at Western is going through some changes in the structure of the office.
Its director, Max Schlesinger, is retiring in January.

Western has no immediate plans to replace him and his duties are being passed on to a triumvirate of office managers.
“I have worked in education for roughly 36 years,” Schlesinger said. “I believe it is time for someone to come in and move the I.M.C. further into the new technology. Purists like me sometimes have difficulty dealing with all this new technology.”
Schlesinger is confident in the manager’s ability to run the day-to-day operations of the I.M.C. but feels there is another question involved with his departure.

“There are 11 people in the I.M.C. plus myself,” Schlesinger said. “After I am gone they will have more responsibility to make sure they maintain the I.M.C.”

Ricky L. Brown, Applications Programmer, echoes this concern.

“Probably the number one question on everyone’s minds is getting funds,” Brown said. “Max is an expert at getting funds.”
Despite uncertainties about future funding, Cori Criger, Classroom Services Manager, still maintains a positive outlook on the future of the I.M.C.

“Max has always been a visionary pulling us into the latest and greatest,” Criger said. “He has always been able to keep our office focused on why we are here; we are here for education and we are here for the students and that is how we live our days.”

The training of the three Managers has been thorough.

Danielle Hunt, Manager of Educational Television Services, has worked with Schlesinger for over a decade and still wonders if she has learned from all that he could teach.

“He is one of those people who works a lot behind the scenes and you don’t notice what he has done until he is done,” Hunt said. “He has been working with the three of us and helping us get under raps so we can function when he is gone. We are not planning on anything major – as far as change, we are just striving to maintain the level of service that we have come to be able to provide for the campus.”

Brown, who is not affected as much by added responsibilities as the three managers points out the real challenge of filling Schlesinger’s shoes.

“I don’t see anything in my situation changing too much except that Max is a master of getting you what you need to do your job,” Brown said. “So when he is gone the question is; will our little supervisor trio be able to do that job.”
Schlesinger still feels the I.M.C. is up to the challenge of dealing with his absence.

“The I.M.C. is not me. It is the people who come in and say “I need this.” The I. M. C. is the people,” Schlesinger said.