tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post6086687785056458324..comments2024-02-16T09:00:32.845-06:00Comments on FromDC2Iowa: Business Background: Enough for University President?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-66652823739283372652015-09-26T17:08:53.113-05:002015-09-26T17:08:53.113-05:00This entire episode could be some made-for-tv real...This entire episode could be some made-for-tv reality show at our expense.<br /><br />Imagine a 65 year-old university president retiring, to be replaced by a 64 year-old, unemployed fellow who was recently a lecturer at a business school. Think ‘Animal House’ and ‘Austin Powers’ combined.<br /><br />I am seeing faculty representative John Belushi walk into the office of the dazed new president (played by Bill Murray) who frankly could care less he falsified and amplified his employment and publication history. After Belushi threatens to censure the new president, the head of the Board of Regents (looking a lot like John Vernon playing Dean Wormer) tries to place Bulushi’s faculty members on double secret probation.<br /><br />The other regent Frau Farbissa says that ‘shared governance doesn’t shared decision making or even shared pizza’. Their plans to remake an ‘evil medical school’ is diabolically launched by Mke Myers.<br /><br />The entire faculty and student body are expelled by BOR head Wormer and President Murray. However Belushi rallies the faculty with a rousing speech showing how ‘Merica overcame the German bombing of Pearl Harbor.<br /><br />We aren’t really that backward a state are we???<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-85389845683094037222015-09-26T12:15:06.120-05:002015-09-26T12:15:06.120-05:00From the DM Register:
"Critics of the sear...From the DM Register: <br /><br />"Critics of the search point to Rastetter's role in setting up the July 30 meetings with Harreld as one more piece of evidence that Harreld already was the predetermined favored candidate and that the other three finalists — two university provosts and a college president — didn't really have a chance.<br /><br />“In my role as a regent, we honor the shared governance of the university faculty and staff,” Mulholland said. “But shared governance is really different from shared decision-making.”"<br /><br /><br />heh heh, or shared corruption!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-14753911019387495162015-09-26T12:08:14.420-05:002015-09-26T12:08:14.420-05:00So the head of the Iowa Board of Regents met with ...So the head of the Iowa Board of Regents met with Harreld on July 8. Five BOR members met with him on July 30. The Governor apparently met with him. He lectured The interim President Robillard. And met with the Pres of Iowa State. And all this before he was a 'candidate'.<br /><br />The incoming new president lied on his resume, about current employment and misrepresented his publication history. He also apparently lied to a faculty member at the forum when he denied connections to U of Iowa.<br /><br />He has been given a vote of no confidence by several groups on campus. He is censured by a faculty group.<br /><br />So therefore:<br /><br />1. The entire search was corrupt, illegal and disgraceful<br />2. Harreld lied on several occasions and official documents<br />3. The BOR, the Gov and various university officials have shown themselves to be unethical and insensitive<br />4. There is even the hint of the BOR deceiving faculty, students and the public<br /><br /><br />Where is the attorney general of Iowa to investigate corruption?<br /><br />As the U of Iowa receives millions of federal monies and grants where is a US Attorney investigation into corruption? Isn't this as fraudulent as fixing bids on Gov contracts?<br /><br />The BOR members involved should be censured and forced to resign, then investigated.<br /><br />The candidate himself should be investigated and perhaps indicted for fraud (on official documents, it is clearly stated not to lie)<br /><br />State Govt should be investigated for fraud and corruption<br /><br />Presidents of ISU and Interim Iowa should be investigated for corruption <br /><br />This isn't just an unqualified candidate being rammed down the throat of the Univ of Iowa; this is a net or widespread fraud, corruption, and perhaps conspiracy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-64018237773540386812015-09-19T07:04:29.452-05:002015-09-19T07:04:29.452-05:00From an Anonymous via Nick:
Regarding the issues ...From an Anonymous via Nick:<br /><br />Regarding the issues with J. Bruce Harreld lying on his resume about his fictional current employer (Executing Strategies LLC) and not crediting his co-authors in his published material, and maybe about having been fired from a job or two, here is a story from the business world recently:<br /> <br />http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/13/technology/yahoo-ceo-out/<br /> <br />It is the elephant in the room any time anyone meets with him. What do we tell Iowa students? That they should not lie on their resume unless they are the president of a university? Even the business world thinks it is a bad thing and the CEO of Yahoo (Fortune 500) is out on his ear because of a small "fib" about his college major.<br /> <br />What do we do when an employee is found lying on a resume?<br /> <br />It is all very very difficult. Lying is frowned upon in Iowa. Or so I thought.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467682953748756539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-11992620114868876092015-09-15T14:57:56.537-05:002015-09-15T14:57:56.537-05:00Academic hubris can be rather repulsive.Academic hubris can be rather repulsive.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04548670597235095733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-85568477991087065022015-09-14T19:56:25.818-05:002015-09-14T19:56:25.818-05:00So everything is a business in academia? When do ...So everything is a business in academia? When do the universities ante up and pay income tax?<br /><br />A quick by annoying sideline, The AD would not release my season football tickets until I paid my 'mandatory donation'. They charge mastercard months ago but didn't deliver. Isn't a business held to business ethics like fraud?<br /><br />By the same token, the Carver Hawkeye basketball seating has been redone. To hold on to seats cost 200.00 each. For faculty there may be a 50% discount. Ha! So when does this 'business' ante up and pitch in with revenue to local, state and federal Govt, as they really are acting as a free-profit with mislabels ('mandatory donation' for 'seat licensing fee')Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-91560529085062104862015-09-14T16:44:25.023-05:002015-09-14T16:44:25.023-05:00This is going to be a failed presidency, and thus ...This is going to be a failed presidency, and thus cost the U of Iowa, a great deal of money, talent, prestige and time. Why will it be failed?<br /><br />1. The search process was biased and corrupt<br />2. The new president doesn't meet the minimum requirements of the job description of being president of a large public research university; essentially he is a retired marketing executive<br />3. Large universities can benefit from nontraditional presidents, such as David Boren at Okie and Mitch Daniels at Purdue. Although neither was an academic, both had experience in dealing with large public bureaucracies, and both were connected to their universities. Boren was Gov of Oklahoma, and Daniels Gov of Indiana. Harreld has neither of those qualifications even. His connection is apparently through business connections with the BOR chair, Rastetter.<br /><br />This will be one disaster, which is good for the textbooks, but bad for Iowa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-66850496303468760642015-09-14T09:43:18.192-05:002015-09-14T09:43:18.192-05:00Notice Regarding Advertising: This blog runs an op...<b>Notice Regarding Advertising:</b> This blog runs an open comments section. All comments related to the content of blog entries have (so far) remained posted, regardless of how critical. Although I would prefer that those posting comments identify themselves, anonymous comments are also accepted.<br /><br />The only limitation is that comments unrelated to the essay, such as advertising posing as comments, or with links to unrelated sites, will be removed. That is why one or more of the comments posted on this blog entry are no longer here.<br /><br />-- NickNickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467682953748756539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-35417917435267074712015-09-11T11:40:18.104-05:002015-09-11T11:40:18.104-05:00Kingmaker Rastetter now appears to be disingenuous...Kingmaker Rastetter now appears to be disingenuous on the U of Iowa budget process. http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/university-of-iowa-was-told-to-seek-no-funding-increase-20150910 He tells the UIowa not to request a budget increase. Then he announces that the UIowa admin isn't seeking any budget increase. How is that for a circular piece of dishonesty? This guy is not to be trusted.<br /><br />Rastetter has violated (along with his BOR) almost every tenet of good academic board oversight. He ignores conflict of interest (obtains loans from ISU, has ISU profs do research on his farm, involves ISU in his Tanzania scam.; he micromanages campuses (complains about Dr Schoor's climate stance wanting Dr Mason to suppress it, did not want offices named for Sally Pederson, tried to manage Masons's actions); he politicizes and privatizes the board; and now he supports a fraudulent presidential search (if not criminal, allowing only his hand picked candidate access to Branstad). <br /><br />How does a Ag exec/ethanol producer, college drop-out get to be an expert on the future of education? "The landscape of higher education is changing and the current ways of operating are not sustainable." Why doesn't the press make him substantiate his claims?<br /><br />Rastetter doesn't understand academic freedom, difference of opinions, shared governance and fair play. He wants the regent's schools to be his political and economic playground. That's the new way of operating: buy state government and buy the stare's once proud educational system.<br /><br />Where is the Iowa AG on conflict of interest? Fraud? Or a US Attorney? Where are the corruption investigations?<br /><br />Why didn't the BOR simply wait until the president of United became available the other day? He has been recently employed (rather than retired and piddling around for 7 years) and appears to be very experienced at working with state government (under the table.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-49320169925915466522015-09-09T06:24:34.253-05:002015-09-09T06:24:34.253-05:00From Marc Linder:
"why didn't you point ...From Marc Linder:<br /><br />"why didn't you point out that halfway thru his 10 yrs at junk food mega-producer, the company was bought up by the world’s leading for-profit consumer killing machine, Philip Morris? Who in his right moral mind would work for it? Why didn’t he resign? That’s the non-hypothetical version of the hypothetical question you put to another candidate. Now as a presidential role model for students, the lesson his career will teach them is that the priority is profit and corporate employees don’t need to concern themselves with whether the “negative externality” of their life’s work is obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc in the case of junk food or death of half of your customers and the world’s leading cause preventable death (100 million in 20th c and on course toward 1 billion in 21st) in the case of cigarettes."Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467682953748756539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-60667956073833476772015-09-06T22:48:06.646-05:002015-09-06T22:48:06.646-05:00Your blogs never disappoint. I totally agree with ...Your blogs never disappoint. I totally agree with you once again.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09232180423451750282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-17169507953919842802015-09-05T15:12:01.671-05:002015-09-05T15:12:01.671-05:00This move bt Regents fits well with a much broader...This move bt Regents fits well with a much broader agenda acutely manifest in mid-country by KS and WI. The privatization of education--and not in a traditional liberal arts, small college mode--is high on that agenda. The privatization of universities will continue nominal public ownership. ISU is a good example of the direction, especially in its agricultural affiliations. Leach's loyalty to this "corporatism" is being rewarded. The "big donor" who, in a front page story in today's Gazette, praised Harreld's selection heralds the future for the U of I under the present regime. Higher education has been priced out of reach by our present crop of "masters of the universe" and now the basic infrastructure is being claimed as bounty. Elections do matter.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01946248954590571076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-69087301335568062112015-09-04T15:55:47.879-05:002015-09-04T15:55:47.879-05:00This was an inside job. Herrald was invited to ap...This was an inside job. Herrald was invited to apply, almost a red carpet rolled out. He was unprepared, unqualified, ill-advised, and generally lost. But it was a done deal inside job. Why?<br /><br />The power in Iowa has migrated to the Des Moines area. Our Governor for Life TB is annoyed with JoCo, annoyed with the Univ Iowa, and involved with central Iowa. (has TB been to Eastern Iowa? Ever?).<br /><br />TB is simply dictating terms to the BOR for a power shift of monies and influence to DM area schools -- ISU, Drake, DM University. This poor fellow is going to be a hatchet man who has to deal with fewer state dollars, les influence, and less power.<br /><br />TB is fed up with 90 million dollar cost over-runs (Children's Hosp), fed up with the People's Repub of JoCo, fed up with The University of Illinois at Iowa City, fed up with tenure and pointed headed academics, and fed up with sabbaticals.<br /><br />Rep Steve King and his ilk want nothing to do with the U of Iowa. It is as you say, anti-intellectual... (although Harreld is getting fleshed out and it appears he isn't all bad; would say he could quslify as an adjunct visiting lecturer)<br /><br />So the bizarre hire a 64 y/o unemployed MBA to a university he had to look up on Wiki makes more sense....TB will do to Iowa what Walker wants todo to Wisky and Brownback to Kansas, only in a more clever way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-13493391958992907262015-09-04T07:49:02.031-05:002015-09-04T07:49:02.031-05:00Anonymous/"Endgame" -- Yes, abolition of...Anonymous/"Endgame" -- Yes, abolition of tenure (or anything else to silence anti-ALEC views from higher ed) has long been a goal of some.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467682953748756539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-85101847026481190862015-09-03T21:39:17.533-05:002015-09-03T21:39:17.533-05:00Nick, the endgame can be seen here: http://chronic...Nick, the endgame can be seen here: http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,183897.0.html . Note the ALEC ref.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-70590338300642975612015-09-03T16:01:57.337-05:002015-09-03T16:01:57.337-05:00Yes, Nick, I'm sure we'd agree on most thi...Yes, Nick, I'm sure we'd agree on most things. Mostly, I just didn't think the way Kurtz set up the question left much room for a good thoughtful answer. And, I'm a bit frustrated with what seems like narrow defensive mindsets/hunkering down, and little creative thinking from top to bottom (I do partly blame admin for not responding well to/encouraging creative thinking at, say dept. chair level, but still ...) In any case, we'll now get to see if the Regents' big risk pays off!?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-90511271879896714462015-09-03T13:49:21.514-05:002015-09-03T13:49:21.514-05:00Thanks for that comment, "Anonymous." My...Thanks for that comment, "Anonymous." My suspicion is that if we had time to visit over coffee or beer about this we'd probably find ourselves more in agreement than disagreement. Suppose the governor, a regent, or UI president says to a dean, or department chair, "We've decided to abolish your college/department." I don't think, in that circumstance, the dean/DEO has an obligation to file a lawsuit, organize a march on Jessup, circulate petitions, or threaten anyone with bodily harm. I do think s/he has an obligation to the University and the State (putting aside for a moment such obligations as they may have to colleagues and students), if they truly believe it, to put together a thoughtful, informative, documented written case for why that would not be a wise course of action for the University and state of Iowa. Let's give Kurtz and Harreld the benefit of the doubt: there was not perfect communication between them. I'm not confident that Harreld would disagree with what I said two sentences above, nor do I think Kurtz would insist on what I wrote three sentences above.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467682953748756539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-17680858354124081752015-09-03T09:03:05.282-05:002015-09-03T09:03:05.282-05:00I agree that Harreld is not a strong candidate. I...I agree that Harreld is not a strong candidate. I disagree that his answer to Kurtz's question was awful. He could have answered more deeply but "Yes, I can imagine it." is far better than the hoped-for "No." You say "He seemingly didn’t even grasp the most basic political/organizational fact that it is the UI president’s job (as viewed by most faculty and others) to represent the university’s best interests." My sense (having been a UI faculty member for more than 20 years) is that far too many administrators, department chairs, and unit head, etc. spend (too) much of their time (vigorously and skillfully) doing "their job" of defending existing resources without considering larger contexts. It seems like you are saying a President should never agree to any re-allocations ahead of time, only accept (or resign) after higher-ups have decided. A huge amount of time is wasted this way and impedes interesting progress.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-33680426986525739782015-09-03T07:30:06.902-05:002015-09-03T07:30:06.902-05:00Thanks for catching that 1998/1988 error. It's...Thanks for catching that 1998/1988 error. It's now corrected. I saw that event live and knew the year, but apparently keystroke faster than I proofread.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08467682953748756539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-79178314635731418392015-09-02T20:26:34.482-05:002015-09-02T20:26:34.482-05:00The Bensten-Quayle debate was in 1988, not 98The Bensten-Quayle debate was in 1988, not 98Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-45148560513300891832015-09-02T20:23:51.750-05:002015-09-02T20:23:51.750-05:00Barleykorn, the problem wasn't that he was a n...Barleykorn, the problem wasn't that he was a nonacademic, it was that he hadnt the faintest idea how a university works or, one suspects, what a university does. The across-the-board innocence of anything resembling knowledge of university operations was astonishing -- I've never seen a less viable candidate for...anything, I think. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-83110323878468680022015-09-02T15:17:52.148-05:002015-09-02T15:17:52.148-05:00While he may not have been the most qualified cand...While he may not have been the most qualified candidate, much of the opposition was based on the fact that he was a non academic and little else. The lack of diversity decried by many obviously does not include variety in backgrounds.<br /><br />They could have saved everyone a lot of time and just hired Steinmetz.John Barleykornnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-64384150828297320242015-09-02T11:29:15.738-05:002015-09-02T11:29:15.738-05:00It is indeed worrisome that our Regents believed h...It is indeed worrisome that our Regents believed him to be someone worthy of the position of "top four" let alone of the UI President position! Thank you for a well-written and clear post - hopefully the Regents will read it as well. It may be time to rethink their "four white guys" strategy.Shelley Klaashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15692339263955017283noreply@blogger.com