Shades of the State Central Committee!
Yesterday afternoon VP Scott Scarborough dazzled himself and the Dean, who nodded approvingly in the back row, as he presented powerpoint slides that covered everything financial about the university except what he had been asked to talk about. ASC members appeared somewhat less dazzled.
As a performance, however, this reviewer rates the presentation an A+ Maybe even higher, a stellar piece of work. As useful, forthright information however, the grade is about a D-, this high mainly for the special effort demonstrated in placing a cute little ground squirrel image in the slides, shown "nibblng" away at the budget. But this nibbling strategy is no longer possible because "we" are down to the bone already, stated the VP. Imaginative solutions are required. Apparently, "imaginative" these days means unquestioned obedience to the will of Premier Jacobs. One also wonders who "we" may be. "We" certainly isn't Scarborough, Jacobs, the CAS Dean or any of the pet imaginary projects of this administration, which, imaginary or not, get a lion's share of funding despite the fact that they earn nothing.
ASC Chair Patrick, incidentally, pointed out during the Scarborough presentation that the questions Scarborough projected onto the screen were NOT the questions that had been sent to him from ASC and that had been collected from ASC members. Apparently there was some discussion and intervention at the level of the Dean's office which resulted in the substitution of soft questions that contributed to the peppermint fog atmosphere of the presentation.
No wonder the AAUP refuses to negotiate furloughs until the administration provides some forthright financial information. Based on what this reviewer saw yesterday, this administration, including the CAS Dean, seems to believe it is dealing with an audience of yokels.
The squirrel was cute. I suggest that another species of rodent shown gnawing away at the budget may have been a more appropriate choice.
The only clear message this reviewer gleaned from the presentation is that punitive budgeting of the Arts and Sciences College will not only continue, but increase.
Thank you, Mr. Scarborough, for an illuminating presentation.
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Get people who know accounting tricks to examine the records before they ruin UT! the rhetoric likely no where near the reality! DePaul was going down this path when they let him be "let go." Since then, no layoffs, rather restaffing!
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