Illarion.org

At the previous town meeting on the 19. Siros 76, Doctor of Runewick Nalcaryos von Weißhafen raised his intent to take on a professorship in the town. This was also later made public on our boards for others to make their thoughts known.

On a personal note, I refrained from sharing my opinion on his application earlier, wishing first to hear what my fellow citizens had to say about the role of a Professor and to take their views into account.

On that note, our Archmage Elvaine Morgan raised the topic that he would like to understand what the people of Runewick see the role of a Professor being and how it would shape their lives.

In the absence of many citizens, he suggested comments were to be invited on the town board for a defined period.

While Doctor Weißhafen mentioned it would be included in the meeting summary - which, to my knowledge, has not yet been released - the Archmage also requested that Doctor Weißhafen open with his own vision, as he offered his services after all. To aid in the understanding of others.

Since that meeting, the matter has remained unresolved, and the discussion promised has yet to take place. 10 months have now passed - a brief span for an elf, perhaps, but quite a long wait for us humans.

To ensure discussion does not fade into memory, as the matter remains of importance to our community, I have taken it upon myself to make this posting.

As the Archmage sought a defined period to be set, I suggest this discussion remain open until the month of Zhas next year - year 78 - thus providing a full year for the citizens of Runewick to step forth and make their views known.

So with that my fellow citizens of Runewick, I ask of you:
What do you see the role of Professor as being and how does it shape your lives?

I shall provide my own answer to this question below.

Scholar Teagan Everlowe, Runewickian Alchemist

The role of a Professor
To me, the role of a Professor here in Runewick is two-part.
There is the academic role. A person who contributes to the learning of those who have taken residence here, by sharing in their wisdom - be this through holding public lessons, writing and sharing their own works or taking on apprentices.
There is also the leadership role element to it. As a town that centres itself around wisdom, it is only fitting that those with academic excellence are also the ones who lead us, both by example and in matters of politics and town governing affairs.
But what is it, to lead?
It is certainly not to dictate - to make choices alone - whether as an individual or as a council- , without giving your fellow citizens who aren't Professors a chance to weigh in on matters.
To lead is to listen. To be available to your fellow citizens. To take initiative, to take action and to encourage and enable the same in others.

How Professors shape our lives

A Professor - or council of Professors - would be there not just to teach but to help govern the town on behalf of the Archmage. This would include but not necessarily be limited to:

• Being around and making themselves available to listening to citizens requests and concerns.
• Managing the living quarters available to citizens and the rent.
• Calling town meetings and setting an agenda.
• Calling for citizens to bring forth ideas on and later structuring a vote based on these ideas for how to make use of town funds, sourced from areas such as rent collection, for the betterment of the town.
• Bringing these ideas to the Archmage for final approval.
• Managing the instalment of these ideas and ensuring they proceed in a timely manner, while also ensuring citizens voices are heard: A building project for instance should have its sketch publicized, discussed and voted on by the citizens of Runewick, with the possibility for amendments or different sketches to be put forth as alternatives, to ensure the best possible results that everyone can be happy with.
• Ensuring the stability of the realm and its defenses during times of war or danger such as Mas. For instance by bringing up during a town meeting how to allocate funds towards defenses - such as hiring mercenaries during Mas or paying a town guard of our own - and how much of our funds to dedicate to such matters.

Qualities of a Professor

• Renown - A Professor candidate should have been around long enough and interacted enough with present day citizens to have reached the Docent rank.
• Academic Accomplishment - We are not Galmair, where one is elected through coin. Neither are we Cadomyr, where one rises through the ranks based on honourable deeds. No, we are Runewick - the realm of wisdom - so what better qualifies a Professor? As such, a Professor candidate should be someone who can prove some level of Academic Accomplishment.
• Educating - A Professor candidate should be actively passing on their wisdom. Be this through open hall lectures or by taking in apprentices to teach, depending on preference.
• Humility - A Professor candidate should be humble enough to know that they do not know it all nor have the best answers to everything on their own, and to seek wisdom from those around them.
• Merit and Initiative - A Professor candidate should be capable of taking initiative and have helped support the realm in the past and continue to do so. This includes supporting the efforts others have put forth and not just being so self-absorbed as to only focus on one's own ideas and efforts.
• Support - A Professor should be able to garner the support and backing of several of their fellow citizens, for both their efforts and their candidacy.
• Vision - A Professor should have a clear vision for what they can do to improve the realm for the better, and be able to state concisely what qualifies them above all others to be put in charge of leading such efforts.

In the end, to be a Professor in Runewick is to embody wisdom in action - to teach, to listen, and to lead with humility. It is not a title of privilege, but a duty of service; not an end to one’s studies, but a continuation on one's never-ending journey to seek wisdom from those around oneself.

Scholar Teagan Everlowe, Runewickian Alchemist

Teagan took the initiative to advance the topic discussed at the meeting and took the trouble to present his views in a well-prepared manner and put them up for discussion. I therefore believe that this initiative must be supported, especially as it concerns a very important matter for us Runewickers, one that affects us all. I will therefore also present my views and very much hope that others will follow suit in order to provide a good basis for discussion at the next meeting.

The topic of discussion is "What is a professor?"
I would first like to point out that "professor" is only a title awarded in Runewick by the Archmage, as are the subsequent titles of Dean and Rector. To date, the Archmage has adhered to his own requirements for awarding these titles. Due to the still small number of chairs, we have not yet sought any administrative position higher than that of dean.

The question under discussion – what is a professor? – is therefore not only about the title, but also about the role on the council that comes with the title of professor.

Normally, the Council of Runewicks is composed of appointed professors and deans. The highest-ranking or longest-serving member of the Council presides over it.
Since the last dissolution of the Council, no possible successor has met the Archmage's requirements for the minimum title of "professor", and since then the city has been administered on a trial basis by changing or permanent individuals, all of whom have failed.

Are the Archmage's requirements no longer achievable? Should the requirements therefore be redefined? Let us take a look at the requirements that the Archmage has previously set for candidates for the Council.

In order to obtain the title of professor, the primary requirement is that the candidate has already taught as a lecturer for a chair, e.g. given lectures. These chairs cover the subjects of magic, alchemy, art and theology.

In addition, appointment as a professor means taking up a position on the Council. This means that the appointee must continuously take care of the administration and maintenance of the community.

The qualifications for these tasks had already been observed by the Archmage while the potential candidates were still in the ascending ranks. This probationary period could last several years before a person was even considered for selection.

Teagan has proposed a number of tasks for the Council, all of which I support. I would like to add two points:

• Maintaining diplomatic relations with other empires, either through one's own activity or by delegating suitable representatives.

• Exercising or delegating judicial power.

As for the qualities required of a Council member, Teagan has provided a comprehensive description in his discussion proposal. I do not wish to question any of these requirements.
However, I would like to add that it must be noted that hardly any candidate will meet all of these requirements in full, or that some of these required qualities will only be learned or improved upon through the exercise of council duties. I speak from my own experience here. Like the Archmage himself, we are all on a path of learning, and this does not end with admission to the Council.
When selecting candidates, it is therefore important to ensure that the council members complement each other in such a way that the required qualities are represented in a balanced manner.

I would like to add one characteristic that, as it turns out, is often forgotten:

• Patience

~Deanna