Monday, April 27, 2009
A look back
Dear Friends: Just a quick comment about last Friday's announcement. It was well known in public relations that if you had bad news you held the news conference late on Friday afternoon because the stations could not get the film developed in time for the six o'clock news. That is an old, old model. (remember the Simrell firing just before Thanksgiving) Given the inability of the Jacob's administration to understand the "human condition" here at UT, I am not supprised. We've known for a long time that the administration was playing fast and loose with where the money was going and how it was being divided up. Now we know they are also cowardly. I have asked before and now ask again that the unions demand a complete accounting. I want to know what money was moved from which accounts and where it went. It is the least we can do for our friends.
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7 comments:
Well said. We need to know the exact reason that has prompted this set of layoffs. Did we miss an announcement by the governor of huge cuts to higher ed in Ohio? I agree: we need to see the books and we need to see them NOW.
We also need to keep in mind that this administration is anything but honest. This is the administration that publicly supported a former Dean while privately discussing throwing him under the bus. Why should we think there's any reason they won't try to do the same kind of thing with this?
This announcement of layoffs keeps nagging at me. Didn't UT just hire a new coach this semester? Didn't Dr. Scarborough see this coming and couldn't he have warned administrators about the need to contain salary costs? Didn't Chuck Lehnert retire April 30, 2009 and get rehired on May 1 2009 (which suggests that he may be drawing his pension as well as a 160k salaray)? COuldn't we have just let him retire and then hire someone else cheaper, thereby saving a few jobs? Couldn't some of the higher level administrators go on a furlough one day per week? The 20% savings could then save lots of lower paid jobs. Just a few thoughts...
I believe Lehnert and Jacobs are related by marriage. Not sure but a strong rumor.
Re rumored nepotism and favoritism at high levels in the Jacobs administration. We have been instructed by the Pres to proactively seek clarity on all rumors by asking Provosts Haggett or Gold if they are true or not. Please do so and report back to us.
Better report that rumor!
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