Departments to be Eliminated

It would seem there is a list somewhere that has departments that don't graduate enough majors or are redundant to the region.  It would be nice to know the hit list and the criteria being used to create such a list.  It is to be hoped that these departments/programs will be given a fighting chance to show why they should not be eliminated. 

Brian Anse Patrick

As most of you already know, Brian Anse Patrick passed away the day after Christmas.  Brian was the driving force behind the blog.  If there was any satire afforded here he was predominantly responsible.  While he wrote primarily as Bloggie, he used several forms of identification.  To say he disliked bureaucracies would be an understatement of huge proportions.  He had little use for hierarchies.  Originally a parochial school student, a nun told him he was going to hell but first he was going to jail.  A priest excommunicated him.  He was then tossed from public schools as well ostensibly for starting a riot.  Eventually he obtained a G.E.D. and a Ph.D.  He hunted and quoted Aristotle, Burke, and Mill. And the Communication Department had the good sense to hire him.  His students loved him and there was often a cadre in his office until the department was moved from University Hall and sequestered in Sullivan.  When people got upset with the blog, he would note that the University had a million dollar PR office and the faculty had the blog.  I will be giving a more complete eulogy at the Faculty Senate meeting January 31st.


Brian will be missed by those who knew him well.  The blog will miss him.  But there are several major issues facing the faculty, so we will attempt to muddle on.  Those include: a new (or another) strategic plan, a new 10 year plan for the use of space and probably a new Union contract.  There is a lot to discuss, so let's get at it.   

As the semester ends

There are a couple of quick items of which you should be aware.  The semester nonsense of changing (or shortening) is not for anyone's benefit except the states.  If you think students are going to take a bunch of two week classes over winter break you've been hitting the eggnog a little early.  The state wants everybody together so we will all look alike walk alike, well you get the idea.  It will make no difference to students whether we teach 16 or 15 weeks.  You want meaningful change?  I have an idea let's go to quarters, oh wait we've been there and before that we were on semesters.  Don't administrators have enough to do without make work projects like this?


The other point is the great unveiling of the new master plan.  Oh boy.  It will be interesting to see if any attention was paid to all those "thank you for your input" public meetings.  Some will find coal in their stockings; others will perhaps find something more valuable.  Come one come all it's December 7th.  (Incredible timing.)

Standstill?

Sorry for the lengthy absence but I had rotator cuff surgery and they filed down a bone spur while they were at it.  Word on the street claims the University is at a standstill in terms of approving new or replacement hires.  On the one hand this saves money; while on the other hand it doesn't do much to help our students.  If the University wishes to continue its upward "surge" in enrollment, then students taking courses in their major field of study are going to require more than part-time instructors.  The more part-timers you have the more difficult it becomes to control the curriculum and the overall pattern of instruction.  This is not meant as a slam on all part-time instructors but students need full-time faculty for mentoring and career advising.

A Couple of Thoughts

Just when one thought the world might be getting a little brighter two things happen that remind you of your place versus that of the chosen few.  First, our President has been given a large bonus.  To place the $90,000 bonus in perspective, it is larger than most of our salaries.  I have no idea what kind of a job the President has done.  I have no idea what she was or was not told when she took this "fixer upper".  What I do know is that we are running a deficit and that the appearance of this bonus makes it look like it's back to business as usual.


At the other end of the financial spectrum there is the Phoenicia.  Word on the street is that they will be forced out by December.  It seems 22 years of faithful service is not good enough.  Aramark wants their kitchen.  So, there you have it:  a big bonus for one year's service and a kick in the but for 22 years.

The Administratively Centered University?

The bureaucratic juggernaut that ate the world.  See:

https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2016/08/03/the-supposed-crisis-of-student-debt-is-actually-the-predictable-consequence-of-government-subsidies/

What Now??

Okay, so we've all had fun at Larry's expense.(see below)  The question is what now????  Where does the university and more importantly for my local interests the College of Arts and Letters go?  We seem to almost be back where we started organizationally, which is not good.  By my count we have more administrators than when we were separate entities.  This saves money?  We're paying the football coach more than the last guy; we're paying his assistants more.  This saves money.  I have now taught here for twenty nine years and for practically every one of them I have been told in August (September when we were on quarters) how exciting the year will be; and, oh yes we have no money.  We are going to search for a Dean for Arts and Letters.  I would like to be the Dean and will do it for less than whomever you bring in.  Barring that I want on the search committee.  My governing motto:  The First Amendment to the United States Constitution.  After that everything is open.  Design courses, experiment, start centers, have fun and by all means argue logically and sensibly.  That is after all what we claim to teach.  Should be an exciting year and oh yea we have no money.