The surest way for an individual not to offend anyone or step on anyone’s toes is to never do anything.

Unfortunately, too many people are so concerned about offending someone or stepping on toes that they don’t do much of anything. Too many people are so concerned about being politically correct that they are afraid of doing anything that might be considered visionary or “outside the box.”

Past Saturday columns

Perhaps some are comfortable living in such a controlled, safe manner, but, in many ways, this shortchanges society by making people unwilling to share their talents, ideas, enthusiasm and vision for fear of offending someone or some institution.

This kind of thinking can limit or weaken many types of businesses or activities.

Earlier this week, it was announced Steve McAllister, dean of the Kansas University School of Law, had decided to return to the classroom as a teacher. This is a major loss for the university because McAllister has been a top-flight dean.

He is a native Kansan and received both his bachelor’s and law degrees from KU. He clerked for two U.S. Supreme Court justices and brought energy and enthusiasm to the job and the entire school. Because of the high regard in which he is held by Supreme Court justices, a number of justices have visited the KU law school to work with students and faculty.

He is an effective fund-raiser and has many high goals for the school. He also has helped spread the story of the law school’s excellence throughout the state. Because of his many skills, McAllister was asked by Chancellor Robert Hemenway to take interim leadership of the Dole Institute of Politics following the resignation of former director Richard Norton Smith.

However, for one reason or another, he has decided to get out of the dean’s office and return to the classroom. Why?

All the right things have been said on this matter: He likes to teach, he enjoyed his deanship, he is considering other possibilities, he might like to enter the elective political field, etc.

It is interesting to note McAllister was due to undergo a five-year review by members of the law school. Perhaps this exercise already had been completed. This five-year review is standard for all of the university’s deans and department chairmen.

In this process, the dean or department chairman faces questions or allegations posed by unidentified individuals. There is no way for a dean or chairman to know who might be asking the questions or making the accusations.

Any dean or department head who is a visionary, tough, demanding individual, striving for greater excellence among his coworkers and a higher level of academic excellence for his or her school or department, is likely to have stepped on some toes, bruised egos and maybe even been openly critical of one or more faculty members. Or maybe some alumni of the school or department didn’t like the way a chairman or dean was carrying out his or her responsibilities.

The review process serves a good purpose, but there is the very real danger that faculty members, and even alumni, will use the review process to try to get rid of a dean or chairman.

McAllister probably has his critics within the school or maybe among law school graduates. There’s a chance he decided it just wasn’t worth it to put up with this kind of oversight and censure, particularly when there are many other job possibilities, many of which offer a considerably higher salary without the headaches of overly sensitive associates or worrying about egos or turf battles.

There are some KU faculty members who are calling for the chairman and dean reviews to be conducted every three years instead of every five years. Reviews are important, but the three-year proposal is almost sure to cause more deans and chairmen either to leave KU or resign from their administrative positions.

Whether the review process played any role in McAllister’s decision to leave the dean’s job, his decision is a loss to the school, to the university as a whole and to the legal profession.

No one is indispensable, but McAllister will be difficult to replace, and anyone who might be interested in the job is likely to wonder or ask what happened, what caused McAllister to step aside and why KU has a seemingly high turnover of law deans.

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All those associated with the KU First campaign are to be congratulated for raising more than $653 million for the benefit of KU.

Many are involved in this effort, but Forrest Hoglund deserves special congratulations. Over the six-year capital campaign, Hoglund and his wife, Sally, devoted a tremendous amount of time, effort and money to chairing the campaign.

The work and time of all those associated with the KU First steering committee was voluntary, with no financial compensation. Hoglund made numerous trips throughout the country, visiting with alumni and friends of the school about contributing to the campaign.

Just as Jordan Haines of Wichita did in chairing KU’s previous capital campaign, Campaign Kansas, Hoglund took time away from his business, at his own expense, to spearhead the drive.

It requires dedication and hard work, and Hoglund was quick to make the pitch for KU whenever and wherever there was a prospect. The same can be said for other members of the steering committee who met many times during the campaign to review prospects, make calls and spread the good word about the university.

The timing of KU First was not the best. Shortly after the drive was launched, the nation’s economy faltered and the events of 9-11 caused many to reconsider their spending and philanthropic plans. At the early planning stages, those in campaign leadership positions looked at the private giving environment as being quite promising. When the economy turned sour, followed by the World Trade Center disasters, the challenge suddenly became much more daunting.

This didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Hoglund and his committee members or those in the KU Endowment Association offices. They just worked harder.

The $653 million is an excellent total that will provide many badly needed improvements and additions to the university. With state fiscal support dropping almost every year, the level of private giving will make the difference between mediocrity and excellence on the KU campuses. Hoglund and the many KU First volunteers, as well as those who were so generous in their giving, are to be congratulated and thanked.