Jacobs on Blog

Link to Inside Higher Ed Article on Disappearing Departments

Dear Bloggie: the following link is to an article that appears in
today's issue of Inside Higher Ed: "Disappearing Departments."


Disappearing Departments


I request that you post the link, perhaps even the article itself. It is important reading for our colleagues. Thanks.
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Happy Grading!

Now that finals are behind us and grading ahead of us, I just wanted to wish us all the best with that task and a safe, happy, and productive summer!

A & S Meeting

Yesterday was the last (?) A & S meeting of the year and the last for Brian Patrick as chair. While most administrators will breathe a sigh of relief that the man with the supposed "demonic powers" is no longer chair, they will have missed the point. The point is A & S Council took responsibility this year for questioning this administration, its actions and, its motives for those actions. I see no reason for this to change under our new chair Linda Rouillard. The faculty and students are the ones who must live with the decisions made by the BOT and this administration. To the extent possible we must try to influence those decisions for the future benefit of the university and its students. In his parting remarks, Brian mentioned the "moral authority" of the Council. I would add that those of us with tenure have a moral responsibility to speak out. You either stand for something, or you stand for nothing at all.

Tuttle, Buttle, HEH Shuttle

Summation Time

It is hard to believe but the blog is now over two years old. Time sure flies when you're having fun. During that time we've seen both a dean and a provost either abandon the ship or get told to walk the plank. I suppose it depends upon one's perspective. I did find it fascinating that the Provost came to Arts and Sciences Council to discuss her long range plans for reorganizing our world only to resign less than a week later. That was one great way to build trust. Rumor has it she was never part of the "in crowd." So, what happens now? Most likely, we will get an interim provost to go with our wide variety of interim deans. (I don't suppose we could get an interim president, could we?)

Presidential Legacy