President

Published by The National Herald, March 4, 2005

Interview with HC/HC President

BOSTON – Rev. Nicholas Triantafilou completes five years at the helm of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in September.

In an extensive interview with the National Herald, Rev. Triantafilou offers his view as president of HC/HC, responding to many questions posed by the Herald for the record.

Together, both institutions have 198 students. Out of the 198 students, 65 are graduate seminarians at Holy Cross, and 31 are undergraduates at Hellenic College, while 35 percent of the student body consists of converts to the Orthodox Christian faith.

The Classics Department at Hellenic College has six students, and the Business Administration Program has another six.

Hellenic College has ten fulltime and 16 part-time professors, while three are teaching in both Schools.

This is the School of the Archdiocese of America. It is a Church School of the omogeneia, and our charge is to further the Orthodox faith and Hellenic culture...

The Herald recently reported that HC/HC is in dire straits financially, but both Rev. Triantafilou and HC/HC Chief Financial Officer Charles Kroll told the Herald that the School is "in an upswing." The text of the interview follows:

TNH: The Archdiocese allocates $1.2 million annually. Where do you find the rest of it?

TRIANTAFILOU: Tuition and room and board is $24,000. That $24,000 captures whether the student pays for it himself, or whether he gets from Leadership 100. And then we have other scholarships – we have a very healthy scholarship program here – and then we raise the rest of the money.

TRIANTAFILOU: It is a wonderful program. It is a $10 million program over ten years. Leadership 100 money is given only to the Greek Orthodox candidates for the priesthood. It does not go to female students, or to male students who are not candidates for the priesthood. The first two years were different, but that was changed.

TRIANTAFILOU: The first two years, they said "you could give it to outsiders if you want," but that has all changed. Every student that comes in has to follow a financial metrics. Based on their needs, one student gets 5,000 and another one 15,000.

TRIANTAFILOU: The Director of Financial Aid, George Georgenis, who is responsible for putting the information together, chairs it, and then the Financial Officer, and then I have the final say.

TNH: Do you have any comment on what has been reported by the Hellenic College faculty retreat that Patriarch Bartholomew gets directly involved in the academic life of the School; that the School has low academic standards; that the School allows everyone to graduate regardless of how poorly they have performed academically?

TRIANTAFILOU: First of all, I do not believe that’s what the retreat intended to bring forward. A discussion was taking place. Number one, we do not have any outside interference with the academic program of the School. We have people who offer wonderful suggestions to us, guidelines. There are people on the Board of Trustees like Dr. (Constantine) Papadakis, who is president of Drexel University, but there is no interference by any hierarch or the Patriarch in the academic life of the School. Number two, we don’t accept just anybody here. We reject people. We reject more people now that ever been rejected. We have people who were asked to leave. We have people who are not with us this semester because they have failed to fulfill academic rules, and we do not graduate anyone who does not meet standards. And I challenge anyone to find me someone who graduated without meeting standards.

TNH: Father Nick, here is the report that says exactly the opposite of what you are saying.

TNH: Let me read it to you: "Consider the ways in which Church leadership affects academic life at Hellenic College (i.e, choice of professors, courses, and overall policy; decisions are made as far up as the Patriarch of Constantinople; how does this affect morale at Hellenic College?)." Father, here it is in writing. It is in the report.

TRIANTAFILOU: A person had that idea. I wasn’t there. Maybe that was a question they asked, and the answer to them is no. Some of them asked the question. It does not mean they believe that.

TNH: But that someone was a professor of this School who stated, "consider why student admission standards are so low, and why students get to graduate regardless of how poorly they perform." What do you say in response to that?

TRIANTAFILOU: I know it is professor of the School, because they did know exactly what is happening in relation to Boston College where SAT scores are up to 1,300 or 1,400 points, and ours are less, so a new professor comes in and asks the question.

TNH: Father Nick, let’s get serious. Did you do anything with this report yet?

TRIANTAFILOU: I am studying that report, and I will bring it up at our next meeting.

TNH: Do you meet with Hellenic College Dean Lily Makrakis, to ask to her what is going on?

TNH: After 40 years in existence, the college’s professors questioned the identity and the mission of the School: "Who are we? Non-denominational? Orthodox Christian?" How do you feel about that?

TRIANTAFILOU: They were not "questioning." They wanted to know if we have adjusted and all that. It’s healthy to always evaluate the mission of the School: where we are, and who we really are. It’s a healthy question.

TNH: Is it healthy after 40 years for professors of Hellenic College to ask, "Who are we? Non-denominational? Orthodox Christian?"

TRIANTAFILOU: They wanted clarifications. New professors come in, and a charge is given to them. This is the School of the Archdiocese of America. It is a Church School of the omogeneia, and our charge is to further the Orthodox faith and Hellenic culture to anybody that comes here, and that is where we are going to stay. It will never be non-denominational.

TNH: What does Hellenic College offer to the omogeneia and the Church today, the way it operates today?

TRIANTAFILOU: Our graduates are able to go back into the community, either to work for our parishes directly, or to assist the parochial schools as elementary school teachers; in afternoon schools if they choose to do that; as family assistants; to help with religious education, choir work, so they can be pastoral assistants. They can also go back into society and carry the message of Hellenism outside the Greek Orthodox Community, as well.

TNH: What percentage of graduates from Hellenic College enters Holy Cross School of Theology?

TRIANTAFILOU: I do not know exactly, but this year the number of people choosing Religious A Studies Program is larger.

TNH: What happened with the issues of the memo which two members of the Board of Trustees, namely Professors Nicholas Patrikalakis and Theoharis Theoharidis, sent last May to you and to the Board of Trustees, expressing concern on a number of academic and administrative irregularities at the School?

TRIANTAFILOU: We are continuing to work on those issues raised by that memo and plan for the future. Mr. Theoharidis is chairman of the Policies & Procedures Committee, and the final vote will be coming up this spring. There are still members who are working on it.

TNH: We are in receipt of information that Professor Theoharidis has recently written to you, requesting not to renew Dean Lily Makrakis’ contract. Would you comment on that?
TRIANTAFILOU: I think it’s a private memo that he has brought forward, and I think if you had spoke with him today, he may not have the same posture. I totally disagree with that memo. Dr. Makrakis is doing wonderful job, and I very much support her.

TNH: Is it true that Father Emmanuel Clapsis has submitted his resignation to you months ago from the position of Dean of Holy Cross?

TRIANTAFILOU: His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Father Clapsis and I are in conversation. We have to go to executive committee because it is a process, and I am going to follow it.

TNH: Three years ago, you issued a directive that all the professors who were living on campus had to go and find other residences outside the School. Why has Deacon John Chryssavgis’ family not complied and still live on campus?

TRIANTAFILOU: That is a pastoral situation that has been very sensitive to deal with, involving other people outside of the institution that I do not care to name. At this time, the family is not living on campus. They have an apartment available to them, but they do not live on campus. I do not know where they are living, but as I speak to you right now, I am told by my staff they are not living on campus.

TNH: Is he not a professor here? Who exercised pressure on the School for the Chryssavgis family to stay on campus three extra years? Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew? Archbishop Demetrios? Father Alex Karloutsos? Who?

TRIANTAFILOU: None of the three. Father Chryssavgis himself took a stand that we had to deal with as administrators, and from a legal perspective.

TRIANTAFILOU: They are not up to date. But they have expenses. I believe that our faithful in this country can support our School, and we should not have to depend on the Archdiocese allocation.

TNH: What happened to that project of collecting $100 million for the School, the project that Miss Pohas was in charge of?

TRIANTAFILOU: Unfortunately, Ms. Pohas had a health-related reason, and she could not continue. The program is going forward, and in a silent fashion, we have raised quite a bit of money towards that end.

TRIANTAFILOU: Somewhere between 15 and 16 million dollars. This past summer, we came close to $19 or $20 million. Some of the monies were used for our capital improvements, but the money is coming in.

TNH: How come there are some fulltime professors at Hellenic College, and at the same time, they have one or more jobs outside the School, other teaching positions and other professional positions?

TRIANTAFILOU: I do not know about other professional positions. If I have to learn about that, I will learn it. As far as other teaching positions, that is being examined right now. My understanding was, before I came here, not to take the position, "you have a fulltime position here and that will be all." The Dean and I will be looking into it.

TRIANTAFILOU: Chief Operating Officer. This School is in need of enormous capital improvements. It has 200 students, but we have 36 married couples. We have 60 children on campus. We have a staff of 64, and we have the professors. With the number of activities taking place – $1 million worth of improvements took place here – I could not do that as the president of the institution.

TRIANTAFILOU: Because I had learned what he was able to do at the institution where he was the principal from a facilities perceptive, and he is also a graduate of the School, and I felt he had all the necessary credentials for us, and I was proven to be correct.

TNH: How do you answer those in our Community, clergy and laity, who say that our Church here in America is under the thumb of the "Karloutsos dynasty." Father Alex Karloutsos is assistant to the Archbishop. James Karloutsos is Chief Operations Officer of the School. And the other brother, Father Peter Karloutsos is a member of the executive committee of the School’s Board of Trustees.

TRIANTAFILOU: I do not see anything wrong with that; they are capable. They have no influence on me whatsoever.

TNH: Were there any rape incidents at Polemanakos Hall dormitory the last three years perpetrated by male students against female students?

TRIANTAFILOU: No. I am fully aware of the situation. I am not going to get into it. I did the study. I know the situation. We have the records here, and so I am not going to bring the parties in on this situation. But I know exactly what you are talking about, the whole situation.

TRIANTAFILOU: This becomes a legal thing, and as a churchman, off the record…

TRIANTAFILOU: Well, I am telling you I can not speak to that. I refuse to speak about that, because that is not what we found out.

TRIANTAFILOU: The Church feels it’s a choice of persuasion. If we know that either homosexual or heterosexual activities are taking place, we dismiss them from the School.

TNH: Do you check the backgrounds of those who come to Hellenic College and Holy Cross?

TNH: What do you do with those students, especially the converts who write letters to you against the Hellenic identity of the School and the use of the Greek language?

TRIANTAFILOU: Hellenic identity is core to me, and I bring them in here and talk to them. I tell them how important Hellenism is to me and to the Church. I can introduce you to convert students who chant in Greek. One of them is getting ready to go to Thessalonica to study.

TRIANTAFILOU: Seventy to 74 thousand dollars, some higher, some less, including benefits. It is not proper to go into individual salaries.

TNH: Does the Theological School believe in the obstacles of the holy priesthood?

TRIANTAFILOU: Fully. No one comes here as a candidate for the holy priesthood without the recommendation of his Metropolitan.



Volume 7 Number 10 - Tuesday, March 8th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY