August 23, 2007, 10:45 a.m.
What Do Abu Ghraib and Athletes' Facebooks Have in Common?
Shortly after the revelations of the shocking practices at the Abu Ghrahib prison in Iraq I wrote a column headlined, "Lessons from Abu Ghrahib." There was much to say and wonder about that bit of American military history. But one was, Given that Red Cross spokesperson Antonella Notari has said, "The photos are certainly shocking, but our reports are worse," how can one account for the administration's failure to respond to those reports?
I continued:
As Secretary Rumsfeld testified before the Senate, "It is the photographs, the people running around with digital cameras."
The problem, in short, was the public relations impact on American citizens (and possibly the president's re-election), and on Iraqis' "hearts and minds." The problem was not our pre-interrogation techniques, the problem was the pictures of those techniques. No cameras, no problem.
Before we get too shocked about this administrative response we need to reflect. Just how unusual is it?
Think back over publicized scandals involving deaths in hospitals, unsafe products, journalists' fraudulent stories, tobacco companies' lies, sexual abuse in the church, manufacturers' toxic dumps, or universities' athletic programs. How often have they involved facts well known to top administrators for some time? Or, if not known, facts that would have been known with even rudimentary monitoring and management information systems?
Without media coverage, whistle blowers are often ignored, even when they propose solutions. Remember the repeated warnings that contractors' practices risked setting the Old Capitol dome on fire? Recall Ralph Nader's proposal, many years before 9/11, that terrorists' hijacking of airplanes could be prevented by strengthening cockpit doors?
There are lessons for all institutional administrators from Abu Ghraib. Don't think you get the big bucks just for favorable public relations. Substance matters. Ethics matter. Human dignity matters.
Nicholas Johnson, "Lessons from Abu Ghraib," Daily Iowan, May 11, 2004.
Before I went in search of that column this morning I had long since forgotten that I had included a reference to "athletic programs."
But isn't that what's going on now with UI athletic and other administrators' reactions to our athletes' (and other students') Facebook postings?
In short, the problem is not the behavior the photos reveal, it is the fact the photos reveal it. The problem is, to repeat Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's expressed concern: "the people running around with digital cameras."
As the UI's associate athletics director put it in this instance, "We're looking at them [the Facebook pages and photos] to see . . . Is it something that is an embarrassment to the institution? . . . [I]t could be [that is, the photo could depict] an action that brings on public embarrassment."
Andy Hamilton, "Athletes' Photographs Under Review; Expert Talked to Coaches About Sites' Dangers," Iowa City Press-Citizen, August 22, 2007.
And just what is on those Facebook pages? As Brian Morelli reports this morning:
The Facebook pages of more than 20 underaged University of Iowa football players have photos appearing to show them engaging alcohol in various ways, from drinking to posing with liquor bottles or beer cans.
In addition, several UI football players have messages attached to their profiles that discuss alcohol consumption, racial slurs and other offensive subjects.
"She can't say no if her mouth is taped shut," is posted as a favorite quote on one player's page. Another's says, "If you send me back to jail, I'll rape your family."
Brian Morelli, "Alcohol Abundant on Players' Sites; Review Shows Questionable Material," Iowa City Press-Citizen, August 23, 2007.
You see, the problem is not that athletes (and other students) might feel that way, think those things, or even say those things. The problem is that when they put them up on their Facebook page it risks embarrassing the University.
As for the UI administrators' and Iowa City City Council members' "see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil" stance when it comes to the highly profitable and politically powerful bar owner and liquor lobby, Stepping Up Project executive committee chairman put it best:
"What it becomes is an anecdotal confirmation of what research has shown is going on at this university for years," Clayton said. "The behavior that is depicted in Facebook pictures, or in tailgate lots, should come as no surprise. It is ingrained in our local cultures."
Two recent reports make his point.
1. The Harvard University School of Public Health did a UI campus study. The result? During the prior month 70 percent of the UI's students had been binge drinking.
2. The Princeton Review reports that the UI is now number five in the nation for hard liquor consumption by students.
Any athletic program or other university administrator who claims not to have known about the amount, and serious consequences, of our students' (including "student athletes'") alcohol abuse before seeing it depicted within Facebook is either dissembling or incompetent.
So which is it? Is it that we really care one way or the other whether our students are abusing alcohol, consider rape a matter of right, and credit cards free for the taking? Or is it just that we don't want to suffer the institutional "embarrassment" of having our students' behavior -- and our obvious attitudes about it, as reflected in our inaction -- reported by the media or otherwise widely known?
What say you, President Sally Mason?
# # #
June 26, 2007, 7:40 a.m. [times reflect additions to the entry -- for the benefit of those few individuals who check back occasionally during the day -- as well as reflecting the fact that what is called "life" occasionally interrupts blogging]
I'm going to try to attend Governor Bill "What Makes You Think You Can Be President?" Richardson's event this morning (10:30, Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A), and if blogger John Deeth is not there to cover it (in which case he will leave nothing more to be said about it) provide you a little commentary. He stopped by the Register's editorial board yesterday and received for his efforts what I would consider a very upbeat, favorable column. See, Andie Dominick, "Richardson packs jokes, thick resumé," Des Moines Register, June 26, 2007
Meanwhile . . .
Greed, Conflicts, Cover-ups and Corruption Yesterday I used a movie line in describing the central Iowa campaign to increase the sales tax -- and use the revenue to lower the property taxes of businesses and other property owners: "Greed is good." Nicholas Johnson, "'Greed Is Good' - Poverty? 'Yes, It's Your Destiny,'" June 25, 2007. It was a commentary addressing, I guess one would have to say, the morality of the wealthy using their economic and political power to shift the cost of government services (many of which benefit them disproportionately anyway, e.g., infrastructure, TIFs, tax forgiveness and other incentives) from themselves onto the backs of those least able to pay. Note, not incidentally, that an increase in sales taxes from 6 cents to 7 cents is not a "one penny" increase; it's a nearly 17% increase -- being advocated by the very folks who are usually supporting candidates who campaign on "cutting taxes" (by cutting programs not benefiting the wealthy).
Yesterday the comments on the Register's story included those complaining that the paper had become an advocate for the tax hike and that its "news" stories ought to be on the opinion page. No one will be saying that today. [There are 12 comments as of 8:00 a.m. One of the better, earlier comments, has for some reason been removed. None supports the tax-hike-shift proposal.] See, Jeff Eckhoff, "Woman denies she touted 'Destiny'; I don't even pay property taxes, Urbandale senior asserts," Des Moines Register, June 26, 2007. The story details efforts of the tax-hike-and-shift backers to misrepresent the proposal (mentioning that it will cut property taxes without mentioning it will increase sales taxes), and in the main story in the piece, using the photo of an 82-year-old woman who has long lived in apartments and pays no property taxes, along with a "quote" she never uttered, to advance their campaign.
(Wondering what State29 thinks about all of this? I'll be you can guess. State29, "The Project Destiny Scam," June 26, 2007.)
The story illustrates another problem with greed. Once money becomes the sole coin of the realm, and the need for profits is replaced with ever-increasing pressure for ever-increasing profits, conflicts of interest become ever more difficult to resolve ethically.
Years ago magazines aimed at women said little to nothing about the fact that the number of women dying from lung cancer was increasing, ultimately surpassing the number dying from breast cancer. Editors knew the story, they knew lung cancer's relationship to increased cigarette consumption by women, they knew manufacturers were targeting women -- and doing so in significant measure with the ads the companies were running in their magazines. But they needed the advertising revenue and, well, "women probably aren't interested in reading those stories anyway."
The NCAA wants to distance itself from sports gambling, and the gambling industry generally, in every way possible. It expressly forbids association with gambling casinos at NCAA events or in its advertising. It highly recommends that NCAA schools follow the same practice. It has written the UI athletic program with regard to its partnership with the Riverside Gambling Casino. And yet our football program tries to rationalize the gambling partnership while refusing to do anything about it.
This morning's Daily Iowan reports, Ashton Shurson, "Mason, Barta Set to Work Together," The Daily Iowan, June 26, 2007, that our new president has paid proper respect to the athletics program and its director. The story quotes Interim President Fethke as saying, "You have to respect the athletics director's opinion and point of view and trust that person."
Fethke's "respect" was so substantial that he's never (so far as I know) said anything critical in public regarding the NCAA's slap in our face about our gambling partnership with the Riverside Casino. Will the leadership that Mason brings include the ethical, moral and legal issues this relationship raises -- or will she continue the deafening silence from Jessup Hall on the issue because, after all, the athletic program is increasingly responsible for raising its own money, they have to get it where they can, and a university president must show "respect" to the athletic director?
Universities are not immune from the pressures that in corporate American can produce an Enron, or the political pressures that produce a U.S. Congress that simply can't "afford" to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry. Mason has been advised that as much as one-third of her time should be spent in fund raising. Clearly it's a major part of what she has been hired to do, a major part of the "performance" that can produce an extra $50,000 a year under her contract.
As such, she -- like every other big university's president -- will be subjected to similar pressures as the editor who must decide whether s/he can "afford" to run an essential story that will cause a loss of advertising revenue, an athletic director who must weigh the advice (and standards) of the NCAA against the revenue that can come from the gambling industry, or a politician in need of campaign contributions deciding how to vote on a measure that will clearly help her constituents but cause a special interest group to cut off her funding.
How will she decide whether to accept a major contribution from a donor who wants a faculty member fired (or hired), or a program established that is antithetical to the university's mission?
We've already stopped naming colleges and buildings for scholars and started naming them for donors. Are there any limits? The CEO of Home Depot gave $200 million to the Atlanta museum. Would we, for an equivalent amount, become "The Home Depot University of Iowa"? What if Larry Flynt would offer $300 million if we'd change the name to "Flynt University"? (After all there's a "Stanford University" and a "Duke University" -- named for a guy who made his money from tobacco.) Why not a "Flynt University"? We need his money as much as Barta needs the gambling industry's money.
What about a corporation that is willing to underwrite a multi-million-dollar research program -- so long as it gets a disproportionate share of the benefits from what it produces?
How candid should she be about, or should she even acknowledge at all, a potential scandal that could deal a blow to fund raising?
The question is not whether she will confront such conflicts. Of course she will. It goes with the territory in an age in which what used to be educational institutions with public support have developed more in common with for-profit corporations. The question is how she will respond to them. These conflicts often involve shades of gray. The more profitable choice can often be rationalized in some way -- as Barta tries to do with gambling money.
How many bars are there within walking distance of the campus -- 40? They are so profitable -- and therefore so politically powerful -- that the City Council seems incapable of doing anything meaningful to curb students binge drinking. Well, who are these customers anyway? They are students. The University's students. Our students. At a time when the University is in need of every source of income it can find, when it issues lucrative monopoly contracts to Coca Cola (so it can raise its prices) notwithstanding the product's health impact on students, why just wink at the profits from binge drinking when the University could be sharing in them? With a little ingenuity I think the University could be pulling in the lion's share of that money with its own entertainment venues. Something to think about.
I imagine that even President Mason cannot now imagine the choices -- the potential conflicts, cover-ups and corruption -- she will have to confront or how she will resolve them.
This morning's Register story illustrates how "just a little harmless doctoring of the promotional literature" is not only morally wrong, but can backfire. If those putting comments on that Register story represent the majority they may be, that may just be "all she wrote" on the sales tax for the wealthy.
The University's story? That's yet to be written.
# # #
[Note: If you're new to this blog, and interested in the whole UI President Search story . . .
This blog began in June 2006 and has addressed, and continues to addresses, a number of public policy, political, media, education, economic development, and other issues -- not just the UI presidential search. But that is the subject to which most attention has been focused in blog entries between November 2006 and June 2007.
The presidential search blog entries begin with Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search I," November 18, 2006. They end with Nicholas Johnson, "UI Held Hostage Day 505 - Next (Now This) Week," June 10, 2007 (100-plus pages printed; a single blog entry for the events of June 10-21 ("Day 516"), plus over 150 attached comments from readers), and Nicholas Johnson, "UI Hostages Free At Last -- Habemas Mamam!," June 22, 2007.
Wondering where the "UI Held Hostage" came from? Click here. (As of January 25 the count has run from January 21, 2006, rather than last November.)
For any given entry, links to the prior 10 will be found in the left-most column. Going directly to FromDC2Iowa.Blogspot.com will take you to the latest. Each entry related to the UI presidential search contains links to the full text of virtually all known, non-repetitive media stories and commentary, including mine, since the last blog entry. Together they represent what The Chronicle of Higher Education has called "one of the most comprehensive analyses of the controversy." The last time there was an entry containing the summary of prior entries' commentary (with the heading "This Blog's Focus on Regents' Presidential Search") is Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search XIII -- Last Week," December 11, 2006.
My early proposed solution to the conflict is provided in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search VII: The Answer," November 26, 2006.
Searching: the fullest collection of basic documents related to the search is contained in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search - Dec. 21-25," December 21, 2006 (and updated thereafter), at the bottom of that blog entry under "References." A Blog Index of entries on all subjects since June 2006 is also available. And note that if you know (or can guess at) a word to search on, the "Blogger" bar near the top of your browser has a blank, followed by "SEARCH THIS BLOG," that enables you to search all entries in this Blog since June 2006.]
# # #
June 8, 2007, 6:50 , 8:40, and 11:10 a.m.; 3:45, 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.
EXTRA! Search Committee II promises to reveal the names of two of the five stealth candidates within minutes. And now . . . here they are:
Philip Furmanski, executive vice president for academic affairs at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, will be on the University of Iowa campus Monday and Tuesday, June 11 and 12, to interview for the position of UI president.
. . .
Mark P. Becker, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina, will be on the University of Iowa campus Tuesday and Wednesday, June 12 and 13, to interview for the position of UI president.
Gregg Hennigan, "Rutgers VP, S.C. provost to interview at UI," Gazette Online, June 8, 2007. And see, "UI Announces First Two Finalists," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 8, 2007; Erin Jordan, "Rutgers, So. Carolina educators named U of I finalists," Des Moines Register, June 8, 2007; Ashton Shurson, "UI Releases Two Presidential Candidates," The Daily Iowan, June 8, 2007, 4:15 p.m.
# # #
Here's more on those two, starting with . . .
Philip Furmanski
What follows is a first very rough cut on a Google search on "Philip Furmanski" -- a selection of five items from the first 10 of 1130 hits. Only 1120 to go! Anyone else doing this Internet search who has any items to bring to our attention -- given that we've yet to hear from Search Committee II that they are going to provide us the relevant links? If so, put them in a "comment" to this entry.
* His 39-page Curriculum Vitae
* An interview from 2004 provides a little insight as to his political savvy, approach to economic development, understanding of management and the budgeting process, sense of public relations, and interest in undergraduate education: "Learning and Life: Philip Furmanski discusses a new initiative to focus on undergraduate education," Rutgers Focus, February 23, 2004.
* Animal rights activists will certainly want to read how he handled those issues at NYU -- positions and strategies that also have some relevance to management, ethics and accommodation of diversity generally. Martin Rowe, "What's Up with NYU?" Satya Magazine, April 1, 1998.
* His marriage to poet Susan Wheeler rated a story in the Times: "Susan Wheeler is Wed to Dr. Philip Furmanski," The New York Times, August 24, 1991. The story notes he was 45, she 36, at the time (which would make them 61 and 52 this year), and that this was the second marriage for both.
* If you want to see one of his memos indicating how he was handling what he called "one of the worst budget crises the University has faced in decades," here it is from May 18, 2006.
Mark P. Becker
A Google search on ["Mark P. Becker" (USC OR "South Carolina")] produces 184 hits; using just "Mark P. Becker" produces 465. I ended up going through the first 100 of the 465 -- perhaps faster than I should have -- but kept going because I didn't immediately see much of anything beyond the conventional: (e.g., papers, conferences, and other items included in cvs) that would have put any human meat on the bones. The guy is (so far) clean.
Here is his four-brief-paragraph bio on the University of South Carolina Web site.
And here is his 14-page curriculum vitae.
# # #
Probably the biggest news in the UI presidential search today -- that is, both this morning, and to come later today -- is the tug of war between Search Committee II and the Regents over the identities of the five under cover, stealth candidates. The Regents are saying, "Pretty please." Search Committee II members are saying nothing.
Sobered by the tough sentence handed out to Scooter Libby for revealing the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame, the Committee has, so far, refused to engage in leaks of the names to the Regents.
However, they are weakening, and the NSA has picked up a lot of back channel chatter that indicates a breach in the formerly impenetrable classification system may be coming following the Committee's meeting this afternoon.
The "logistics" challenge, as Committee Chair Johnsen puts it, is how to make it possible for the Regents to hold public interviews next Tuesday and Wednesday with candidates who have been promised that their identities will not be made public, and that they need not arrive on campus, until Thursday or Friday. This will be especially difficult, of course, for those who must be simultaneously meeting with the public from 3:45 to 4:45 while also being interviewed by the Regents at another location.
So, watch this space for the Houdini solution Search Committee II will offer following its meeting late this afternoon.
Meanwhile, later this morning there will be mention of other UI stories as well:
* The speculation as to who isn't on the list has now grown legs and become almost as big a story as who is.
* There are predictions we'll have to pay $500,000 to whomever is chosen. I dispute that. Although we've just contracted with the basketball coach -- still shy in his search for the answer to why "Iowa boys can't jump" -- with a detailed document designed to provide him $1.2 million a year. (It's all a matter of priorities; ours is clearly sports.)
* The Athletic Department has agreed to cancel its $61,000 contract with the "Iowa Lottery" -- but not its more lucrative partnership with the gambling casino industry (with a logic you will find highly entertaining). Now that the program is capable of operating on its own financially, with a $60 million-something budget, perhaps it's time to give more serious attention to putting even more distance between it and the University.
* I find myself in agreement with Regents COO Gary Steinke over Googling, respond to an anonymous comment from "Creighton Duke" attacking our position, as the UI agrees to let Google scan all its books, but not the information regarding its presidential candidates.
* Caught up in the excitement of searches, Iowa City decides to continue the fun beyond this next week or so (when, presumably, "UI Held Hostage" will pass into history and the UI presidential search will expire) by engaging in a search for a new city manager.
All that, and more, as the day unfolds.
# # #
Here are links to some of the stories referred to above:
Brian Morelli, "Regents Wait for List of Names," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 8, 2007.
The Regents may not know whom they're going to be interviewing, but at least they know when and where they'll be doing it.
The Iowa Board of Regents is slated to interview University of Iowa presidential candidates Tuesday and Wednesday in 90-minute sessions that are open to the public. All the interviews will be in the R. Wayne Richey Ballroom of the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City.
The schedule:
TUESDAY
9-10:30 a.m.: Candidate No. 1
11 a.m. -12:30 p.m.: Candidate No. 2
WEDNESDAY
9:30-11 a.m.: Candidate No. 3
2-3:30 p.m.: Candidate No. 4
6-7:30 p.m.: Candidate No. 5
"Regents to Interview U of I Presidential Candidates," Des Moines Register, June 8, 2007.
Meanwhile, here's more on the big story of who's not a candidate. Gregg Hennigan, "UI President Search; 3 former finalists out of running," The Gazette, June 8, 2007, p. B1; earlier as, Gregg Hennigan, "3 Former Finalists Not in Running at UI," The Gazette Online, June 7, 2007, 10:59 p.m.
. . . and what somebody thinks we ought to pay the ultimate selection. Brian Morelli, "Expert: UI can expect to pay leader $500K; Schools also offer deferred compensation, bonuses," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 8, 2007.
. . . compared with how we treat our coaches. "Coach Lickliter's Contract," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 4, 2007 [text of contract document]; Pat Harty, "UI, Lickliter add termination clause; Contract would pay out if coach leaves early, UI fires him," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 5, 2007; Pat Harty, "Search to Hire Lickliter Cost $120,000," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 4, 2007.
But in the "Iowa boys can't jump" department, just how Iowa is the "Iowa Hawkeyes" basketball team going to be next year? Pat Harty, "Lickliter Locks in 2nd '08 Recruit," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 4, 2007.
"Lotteries, No; Gambling casino industry? Why, of course." Ryan Suchomel, "Iowa athletics, lottery scratch off partnership; Both sides agree not to renew controversial deal," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 8, 2007; Scott Dochterman, "UI ad deal ends; Iowa Lottery contract will not be renewed; future deals possible," The Gazette, June 8, 2007 [go to the Gazette site, use drop down menus to locate the paper for 6/8/07 and then find page A1]; Clara Hogan, "Hawkeyes Ax Lottery Connection," The Daily Iowan, June 8, 2007.
With or without the gambling revenues, the Athletic Department is doing quite well, thank you. Scott Dochterman, "Iowa Boosting Athletics Budget," The Gazette Online, June 7, 2007, 4:30 a.m.
And when one search ends, another begins. Hieu Pham, "Iowa City manager retiring; Atkins proud of contributing to city's livability," Iowa City Press-Citizen, June 8, 2007; Gregg Hennigan, "Iowa City manager to retire; After 20 years on job, ‘it’s time’ to leave, says Steve Atkins, 61," The Gazette, June 8, 2007, p. A1 [go to the Gazette site, use drop down menus to locate the paper for 6/8/07 and then find page A1].
# # #
In our lead story for the day, Brian Morelli reports,
The regent director wants the list of names of the five finalists in the University of Iowa presidential search, but the search committee won't give it to him.
Iowa state Board of Regents Executive Director Gary Steinke has been seeking the candidate names for at least the past few days. He contacted committee chairman and College of Dentistry Dean David Johnsen and committee member and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Linda Maxson, but neither complied.
"It is kind of hard to think very much further when you don't know who the candidates are," Steinke said of how the final stages of the search will proceed.
. . .
Regent President Pro Tem David Miles said . . . he is ready to see the names, and Heidrick and Struggles, the Atlanta-based search firm assisting with the search, will get the regents the candidates' names and backgrounds sometime today (emphasis supplied).
"I am starting to get, not concerned, but I am ready to have them," Miles said. "All of the regents have our non-regents life to manage as well, so it will be good if we have the weekend to look them over."
The search chairman has said all along that candidate confidentiality is a foremost concern. With more people in the loop, names could start floating out early.
Johnsen said he has been working with the candidates, the committee and the regents to coordinate the transfer of information in an agreeable way.
"There've been a lot of conversations going back and forth," Johnsen said.
. . .
Steinke said the regents need the names to prepare for the interviews.
"I am trying to get the names from the search committee so the regents have time to look at (Curriculum Vitaes), to look at resumes, Google these people so they have time to prepare questions for next Tuesday," he said (emphasis supplied).
. . .
Several regents say they don't see the urgency in getting names.
"I am very comfortable that the committee will give us the names in a timely fashion. There must be some reason they are not prepared to hand those names over," Regent Bonnie Campbell said.
She said it likely wouldn't take her long to prepare for the interviews, and she'd likely only review information the search committee collected. . . . "In the real world I'd probably look at (the background) the day before. I wouldn't do any independent research."
Regent Robert Downer said he would be comfortable receiving the names and information Monday.
. . .
(And Mark Kresowik, who is known to many of you [Google Group "Mark's Community"], adds to his group email yesterday that itemizes some of the news items he doesn't find especially cheery, "And Provost Mike Hogan is out of the running for the UI Presidency. This is really too bad. Mike is an incredible leader, a brilliant academician, and a great guy. I'm sure the candidates that they're interviewing soon (http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2007/june/060607presidential-search.html) are qualified, but it is hard to imagine a better presidential candidate than Mike Hogan.")
And now back to Googling, the subject of yesterday's blog entry, Nicholas Johnson, "UI Presidential Search: The Utility of Campus Visits -- and the Internet," in "UI Held Hostage Day 502 - Show Me the Web Sites," June 7, 2007. Morelli quotes Steinke as indicating he and I are in agreement that it's something Regents will want to do -- and I indicated should do. (Regent Campbell is quoted as saying she wouldn't bother in any event.)
As I've indicated before, normally I run an open "comments" blog, letting those who comment respond to the comments of others, rather than doing it myself. (After all, I have the entire blog. There's no justification for my stuffing the "comments" section full of my views as well.)
But yesterday's blog entry produced a comment that calls for a response:
The comment and its questions suggest I didn't make my position clear. There are a number of issues here:
1. Am I legally "entitled" to the links? I wasn't arguing that one way or another, but since the question is raised I'll respond that information regarding Search Committee II's process has been viewed, by the Committee as well as the Iowa open meetings law, as something that cannot be discussed in closed meetings. Thus, at a minimum, the Committee's investigative process, whether it included thorough Google searches, and how it was done, would appear to be information to which any Iowa media representative or citizen is "entitled."
While it is a different, and more difficult, question, I would argue (as I did in a way yesterday) that the public information that can be found by anyone on the Internet should not be considered legally "confidential" for any purpose. Would it be a breach of confidentiality, or cause harm to a candidate, for a member of Search Committee II to say, "She is the author of X book, and one member of the Committee read it," or "We also talked to those with whom he worked in his immediate office at his prior position at Y university"? Not what the Committee thought of the book, not what was said by the former colleagues who were interviewed; only that a part of the Committee's process was to read the candidates' publications and interview those with whom they'd been associated.
Even less is it an intrusion on a candidate's privacy or confidentiality, it seems to me, to reveal -- from among all the Web sites that a simple Google search presents -- the links (not the relevant portions of their content) the Committee found most relevant.
So much for legally "entitled."
2. But I wasn't arguing yesterday, nor am I today, that members of the public are "entitled" to those links as a matter of law. They are "entitled," to the extent that they are, because Search Committee II has arranged for campus interviews, and has scheduled hour-long sessions for each candidate (a) to which the public is invited, and (b) following which the public has been expressly asked to provide feedback to the Committee (along with a designated procedure for their doing so). Just as Gary Steinke has argued with regard to the ability of the Regents to do their job (which he expressly believes includes the opportunity to Google), so do I believe the media and public require the same opportunity. My point is simply that, given the very short fuse the Committee and Regents have handed us, if all that Googling is to be possible for any given individual (including members of the Board of Regents) they are going to have to have access to the Web sites thought most relevant by the Committee members, rather than being required to duplicate the effort of going through literally thousands of sites in order to find those that are relevant.
3. As for "I dont recall that the ICCSD runs the approval of every school administrator by the parents or students": (a) we're not talking about "every school administrator" either within the local school district or at the University of Iowa, we're talking about the University president (the equivalent, within a school district perhaps, of the superintendent), (b) my memory (which I'm the first to admit has become less reliable with age) is that we did "run the approval of [the superintendent] by the parents [and students]." Every school board meeting is open to the public, there are numerous citizen advisory committees, a constant flow of communication among all school stakeholders, and specifically, if I recall correctly, there were public sessions and input before the superintendent was selected, and (c) there's an 80-year-old tradition of "shared governance" between (at least) governing bodies and universities' faculties at all American universities, and no reason why there would have to be consistency between their practices and those of K-12 school districts.
# # #
April 29, 2007, 10:30 a.m.
Update for UI Presidential Candidates
Board of Regents. The Agenda for the Board of Regents May 1 meeting in Iowa City is now available as an online pdf file, as are the texts of some 46 agenda items themselves (item 23 of which indicates there will be an oral report to the Board from the chair of presidential search committee II) -- and as a reminder, all the emails from one Board member (or the executive director) to all Board members since February 2007 are also available online (some of which relate to May 1 agenda items).
Presidential Search Committee II. The Press-Citizen report of Friday's (April 27) Search Committee II meeting indicates that it revealed little new. Brian Morelli, "Search Ponders Latest Prospects," Iowa City Press-Citizen, April 28, 2007. Here are some excerpts: "search committee members still are coming up with new possibilities and making the rounds with constituent groups.
"It's not out of the realm of possibility that you'd hire someone from the corporate world to lead a university, but it's extremely unlikely," said Gene Parkin, a search committee member and civil-environmental engineering professor . . ..
* * *
The search committee is narrowing in on a group of less than 20 for confidential off-campus interviews . . . [which] will be happening very soon.
. . . Still to be decided is whether those candidates would come to campus for public interviews.
[Committee member] Elizabeth Chrischilles . . . mentioned a process where the semifinalists' interviews would be videotaped and the recordings of the top four would be presented to the regents. The regents would then select the top candidate for a public interview.
Campus Security. Following the shootings at Virginia Tech, the University of Iowa had a couple of incidents of its own. On Tuesday, April 24, the Hardin medical library received emailed bomb threats. Librarians notified the campus police at 7:57, the building was emptied by 8:12, declared free of any danger by 10:54, and reopened at 11:02. The campus administration building, Jessup, was locked down during this time as well as a precaution, even though no threats mentioned Jessup. Stephen Schmidt, "Threats lock down 2 UI buildings," The Daily Iowan, April 25, 2007. A couple days later a student left class to notify campus police that another student was sitting in class with a ski mask on. The student was eventually found and released without charges being filed. Emileigh Barnes, "Ski-mask incident results in ban," The Daily Iowan, April 27, 2007; "No Charges Filed Against UI Student, Ban From Campus Dropped," The Daily Iowan, April 27, 2007.
So what can one say about these events? In large measure what I wrote in Nicholas Johnson, "Virginia Tech and Iowa Regents' Governance" in "UI Held Hostage Day 458 - Regents' Governance and VT," April 24, 2007: The University of Iowa record since the November 1, 1991, shooting has been as good as it has been because policies are reviewed and professionals are in place (as much or more than mere "dumb luck"); policies regarding student safety go far beyond protection from shootings and bombs (e.g., natural disasters like tornados and the consequences of alcohol abuse); knee-jerk, "post-dramatic stress disasters" focus on new "should-a" policies (rather than regular, routine, annual review of preventive policies) is precisely the wrong way to provide security; and, all the current confusion surrounding Regents governance, noted in the blog entry above, and in Nicholas Johnson, "An Open Letter to Regents on 'Governance'" in "UI Held Hostage Day 451 - Open Letter to Regents," April 17, 2007.
Note that the University already had under review the range of student safety policies and procedures. Taryn Deutsch, "UI refines policy on violence," The Daily Iowan, April 27, 2007. And, as well as the library and Jessup lockdowns were handled, the campus police immediately reviewed how it went, with the Assistant Vice President for UI Police, Charles Green quoted as saying, "I think there's always room for improvement." Emileigh Barnes, "UI Reviews Reaction," The Daily Iowan, April 25, 2007.
The ski masked student case raised some questions about the balance between public security on the one hand and the privacy rights of "persons of interest" who have not been (and in his case, never are) charged with any offense. (His name had been released to the media.) This case will undoubtedly result in review of this issue as well. Editorial, "UI must strike right balance when assessing threats," The Daily Iowan, April 27, 2007.
Regents President Michael Gartner and Executive Director Gary Steinke have weighed in once again on campus security issues in general, and arming campus police with guns in particular, published as a part of a Press-Citizen focus on campus security (look for April 28) with a number of opinion pieces. Michael Gartner and Gary W. Steinke, "Regents working on governor's request, studying facts before making decisions," Iowa City Press-Citizen, April 28, 2007. Their call for calm and considered evaluation of security measures is wise and appreciated. But the issuance of the op ed at all is still subject to the issues raised in "An Open Letter to Regents on 'Governance,'" and "Virginia Tech and Iowa Regents' Governance," linked above.
Provost Hogan. UI presidential candidates, I presume you have long since examined the Web site of our University of Iowa Executive Vice President and Provost, Mike Hogan. He is a truly outstanding educational administrator, and you can learn a lot about him, what he's done here, and what more needs to be done, from the links you'll find on that site. You'll especially want to read his "spring address" from last Thursday: Michael J. Hogan, "From 'The Sticks' to the Stars: The Iowa Way," Third Annual Spring Address, April 26, 2007.
UI Athletics Program Ties to Gambling Industry. And if you've been following this blog's coverage of UI issues, you'll recall the internal and external controversies regarding the ties between the UI's athletic program and the gambling industry, in particular the Riverside Gambling Casino and the Iowa Lottery. Well, it took quite a beating from the Faculty Senate, and even the President's Council on Athletics. But those expressions of campus approval can be ignored. "The deciders" are the Garys: Athletic Director Barta and Interim President Fethke. In an interview on April 20 Fethke said, "We'll have a response, a hard decision in a couple of weeks." Ashton Shurson, "Fethke discusses lottery, campus safety," The Daily Iowan, April 20, 2007. Since the two weeks runs out the middle of this week, I assume we can expect his answer then.
# # #
More on Earthpork Although it would seem to be a no-brainer The Register found it necessary to repeat that "backers of the Earthpark environmental center . . . say they need to demonstrate to unnamed private contributors that there is state support for the project. The process should work the other way around: Earthpark should demonstrate that it has a solid financial commitment from private investors and local governments before asking other Iowa taxpayers for their support." Editorial, "Earthpark should assure private investment first; Then ask state taxpayers for support," Des Moines Register, April 24, 2007. Since then we've learned that the legislature adjourned without providing any state money for the project.
_____________
UICCU and "Optiva"
The UICCU-Optiva story is essentially behind us. There may be occasional additions "for the record," but for the most part the last major entry, with links to the prior material from October 2006 through March 2007, is "UICCU and 'Optiva'" in Nicholas Johnson, "UI Held Hostage Day 406 - March 3 - Optiva," March 3, 2007. Since then there have been two major additions: Nicholas Johnson, "Open Letter to UICCU Board" in "UI Held Hostage Day 423 - March 20 - UICCU," March 20, 2007, and "'Open Letter': Confirmation from World Council of Credit Unions" in "UI Held Hostage Day 424 - March 21 UICCU," March 21, 2007.
# # #
[Note: If you're new to this blog, and interested in the whole UI President Search story . . .
These blog entries begin with Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search I," November 18, 2006.
Wondering where the "UI Held Hostage" came from? Click here. (As of January 25 the count has run from January 21, 2006, rather than last November.)
For any given entry, links to the prior 10 will be found in the left-most column. Going directly to FromDC2Iowa.Blogspot.com will take you to the latest. Each contains links to the full text of virtually all known media stories and commentary, including mine, since the last blog entry. Together they represent what The Chronicle of Higher Education has called "one of the most comprehensive analyses of the controversy." The last time there was an entry containing the summary of prior entries' commentary (with the heading "This Blog's Focus on Regents' Presidential Search") is Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search XIII -- Last Week," December 11, 2006.
My early proposed solution to the conflict is provided in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search VII: The Answer," November 26, 2006.
Searching: the fullest collection of basic documents related to the search is contained in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search - Dec. 21-25," December 21, 2006 (and updated thereafter), at the bottom of that blog entry under "References." A Blog Index of entries on all subjects since June 2006 is also available. And note that if you know (or can guess at) a word to search on, the "Blogger" bar near the top of your browser has a blank, followed by "SEARCH THIS BLOG," that enables you to search all entries in this Blog since June 2006.]
# # #
Media Stories and Commentary
See above.
_______________
Technorati tags: football, athletics, academics, high school, college, University of Iowa, education, K-12, leadership, university president, Michael Gartner, Iowa Board of Regents, UI president search, Nicholas Johnson, FromDC2Iowa
_______________
Nicholas Johnson's Main Web Site http://www.nicholasjohnson.org/
Nicholas Johnson's Iowa Rain Forest ("Earthpark") Web Site
Nicholas Johnson's Blog, FromDC2Iowa
Nicholas Johnson's Blog Index
_______________
April 6, 7:00 a.m.
Barta on Gambling Like Bush on War
(with links, below, to today's stories and other references)
What do Gary Barta and George Bush have in common -- besides their initials?
The similarity just occurred to me, and it's helped me understand the University of Iowa's approach to partnerships between its athletic program and the gambling industry.
President Bush has a democratically elected U.S. Senate and House that want our troops out of Iraq. Some of our best military leaders -- those who are free to speak their minds -- believe there is no "military solution" to the chaos our military is continuing to fuel there. According to polls, some 70% of the American people want to bring our troops home. And yet, to quote a line from Pete Seeger's song regarding LBJ's persistence in Vietnam 40 years earlier, "Waist deep in the big muddy and the big fool says 'Push on.'" Bush is insisting on "surging" on, increasing the numbers of dead and injured Americans and Iraqis -- and the multi-trillion-dollar national debt I'll be leaving my great-granddaughter.
Consider the analogy with Barta's response to the opposition to his position on his ties to the gambling industry. Let's first consider the opposition he confronts, and then his response.
(1) The NCAA expressly forbids, in events with which it is affiliated as an organization, any advertising by state lotteries or gambling casinos.
(2) It "strongly recommends" its member schools follow the same standards with regard to their own athletic programs.
(3) It wrote at least two strong letters of admonition along these lines to Barta -- which he failed to reveal (so far as I know) -- following the Riverside Gambling Casino partnership with the football program last fall (package football game-gambling-transportation deals for high rollers, $165,000 for a gamblers' skybox, and advertising on the score board) and the Iowa Lottery commercial this spring.
(4) In its letter to Barta of September 13, 2006, the NCAA explained, for the benefit of those who refuse to see, unless it is expressly pointed out to them, the obvious conflict between the mission of institutions of higher education and the promotion of gambling:
"Participation in gambling and sports wagering has increased exponentially over the past five years . . . hasten[ing] a craze among college students, athletes and otherwise. . . . [M]any students . . . fall deeply into debt, and run the risk of entering into a vicious cycle of compulsive gambling. Unfortunately, it is a pattern of compulsive behavior that is repeatedly seen within this age group, and especially among student-athletes, who, within their nature, tend to be drawn towards competition."
(5)The UI President's Council on Athletics already has a policy prohibiting advertising of gambling, consistent with the NCAA standards, that was arrived at the last time these issues were addressed. ("The Department of Athletics shall not enter into sponsorship agreements that provide for the advertising and/or promotion of gambling . . ..") This policy has been, and continues to be, violated by Athletic Director Barta.
So what are the possibilities as to what Barta did when he arrived at Iowa? (a) That it never occurred to him that there might be rules and policies with which he should become familiar? (b) That he asked for the rules and policies, but never read them? (c) That he read them, but there was some part of "shall not" (enter into sponsorship agreements promoting gambling) that he did not understand? (d) That he fully understood the "shall not" policy, but that he decided to violate it anyway? Of these possibilities "which would be worse, in a way?"
(6) The UI Faculty Senate unanimously passed a resolution that all ties between the school's athletic programs and gambling be severed.
(7) The UI Faculty Council unanimously passed a similar resolution.
(8) Now, as of yesterday, the UI President's Council on Athletics, by a vote of 12 to 2, once again took the same position (that is, a position consistent with its pre-existing policy).
Just as Bush is legally free (up to a point) to ignore the wishes of the American people and their elected representatives, so is Barta free to stiff the NCAA and the unanimous faculty of the University of Iowa. And right now he and Bush seem equally inclined to push their legal rights to the limit in the pursuit of their own personal opinions and desires.
Just as Bush is legally empowered to "veto" bills from Congress, so Barta is legally empowered to totally ignore the recommendations of the President's Council on Athletics. And he appears to be prepared to do just that.
What has he said, following their meeting? Today's stories are linked below. Here are some samples:
Diane Heldt quotes Barta as saying, "I'm not going to say I have a preference one way or another. My stance right now . . . is status quo. It's a situation that's very important but not urgent."
She continues:
"It's a complicated issue with no absolute answer, Barta said Thursday.
"An advertising relationship with the lottery has existed for years, he noted, and Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have similar lottery ties. Barta also said other UI organizations, such as Hancher Auditorium and the Alumni Association, have promotional relationships with gambling.
"'Is it an institutional decision or just an Athletics Department decision?' he said."
Ryan Suchomel reports:
"'After listening to the debate across campus, I'm not surprised,' Athletics Director Gary Barta said of the vote. 'Now we'll take the next step and visit with the president and figure where we go from here.'
"Barta and PCOA chairman Charles Lynch will take the committee's vote to UI interim President Gary Fethke in the weeks ahead. Because the PCOA is an advisory committee, however, there is a chance that no action will be taken."
And Tom Witosky's story has this to say:
"But Gary Barta, Iowa's athletic director, indicated after the meeting that no decision will be made quickly. Instead, Barta said he would meet with interim President Gary Fethke and make a decision after a full review.
"'Right now I am for the status quo,' Barta said. 'It is a situation that is important, but not urgent, and it is very complicated. We don't have to make a decision quickly because there is nothing pending.'"
"Nothing pending"? Nothing, that is, except for your continuing violations of pre-existing UI policies prohibiting what you've been doing, unanimous resolutions of the faculty, and yesterday's near-unanimous vote of the President's Council on Athletics endorsing the pre-existing policy.
Unless Interim President Fethke is prepared to stand up to Barta and enforce the University's policies -- which, from his previous statements seems unlikely -- the least that can be said is that it looks like no major changes are coming soon, either in Iraq or "to a university near you."
As Lord Acton might have said, "The power given educational administrators tends to corrupt. The absolute power given universities' athletic directors corrupts absolutely."
_______________
Links to Today's Stories and References
Today's Stories
Diane Heldt, "Committee recommends UI sever ties to lottery, gambling," Gazette Online, April 5, 2007, 4:54 p.m.
Ryan Suchomel, "PCOA favors cutting ties with lottery; UI advisory committee doesn't have final say, however," Iowa City Press-Citizen, April 6, 2007, p. A1
Tom Witosky, "Panel: U of I, lottery should cut ties; The university's faculty athletic board votes that lottery promotions shouldn't be tied to school athletics," Des Moines Register, April 6, 2007
Additional References
. . . and his story yesterday: Tom Witosky, "Gambling ads prompt letters to U of I; A lottery commercial that parodied the Iowa Fight Song and a hotel casino’s video ad at Kinnick bring an admonishment," Des Moines Regislter, April 5, 2007
The Register's reproduction of the NCAA's September 2006 letter to Barta (regarding the Riverside Gambling Casino) and the UI President's Council on Athletics policy prohibiting athletic department ties to the gambling industry.
And see Written Testimony of William S. Saum, Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Activities, National Collegiate Athletic Association, before the Judiciary Committee of the Nevada State Assembly, March 2, 2001
Anyone old enough to remember the Vietnam War may recall Pete Seeger's song, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," written for the "Smothers' Brothers Comedy Hour," but censored by CBS. It contained the line, "Waist deep in the Big Muddy, and the big fool says, 'Push on.'"
"Which would be worse, in a way?" was a line used by UC Berkeley professor Michael Rogan in the CBS "60 Minutes" segment called "Ronald Reagan the Movie," December 15, 1985 (also the title of Professor Rogan's paper, presentation, and subsequent book). Professor Rogan had discovered that President Reagan had referred in speeches to an event from a fictional film as if it really had occurred. Morley Safer asked Professor Rogan whether he thought the President knew he was misrepresenting history or whether Reagan thought the event actually had occurred. Rogan paused, then responded, before addressing the question, "Which would be worse, in a way?"
The Lord Acton quote ("Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely") can be found here.
Personal note: This blog entry is not intended as an "attack" on Gary Barta, and certainly not on the University of Iowa's athletic program. He may very well be -- and I presume he is until I'm shown evidence to the contrary -- a competent and caring Athletic Director, a wonderful husband, father and friend to all. In the recent basketball coach search he certainly was able to both move quickly (getting the job done in under two weeks) and come up with what appears to be a top flight choice by all the standards he applied. I am personally looking forward to what I anticipate Coach Lickliter will be doing with the basketball program. My concerns, as laid out in the blog entries linked below, are limited to what I believe to be an inappropriate association by the University in general, and especially the athletic program in particular, with the gambling industry. Having said that, I also acknowledge that much of this involves a history for which Barta is not responsibile. He walked into it. That does not mean, however, that he could not have reviewed the practice and brought it into compliance with the University's anti-gambling policy.
Some "FromDC2Iowa" Blog Entries on Athletics and Gambling
Nicholas Johnson, "Barta on Gambling Like Bush on War" in "UI Held Hostage Day 440 - UI Opposes Gambling," April 6, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "Register Blows Lid Off UI Athletics-Gambling Ties" in "UI Held Hostage Day 439 - NCAA Criticizes Gambling Tie," April 5, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "Affordable Housing Ideas" in "UI Held Hostage Day 436 - April 2," April 2, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "Understanding the University of Iowa: Athletics and the UIHC" in "UI Held Hostage Day 429 - March 26," March 26, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "Democracy in General and . . .: Thinking Back" in "UI Held Hostage Day 426 - March 23," March 23, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "The University of Iowa's Gambling Addiction" in "UI Held Hostage Day 415 - March 12," March 12, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "UI, Athletics and Gambling Partnerships" in "UI Held Hostage Day 414 - March 11," March 11, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "More 'Revenue is Needed'" in "UI Held Hostage Day 411 - March 8," March 8, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "UI Loves Gambling" in "UI Held Hostage Day 410 - March 7," March 7, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "The Gazette's 'Homers and Gomers" in "UI Held Hostage Day 408 - March 5," March 5, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "'The Iowa Bets Song,'" "UI 'Can't Win, Can't Break Even, and Won't Get Out of the Game'" and "Iowa: A Place to Gamble" in "UI Held Hostage Day 397 - February 22," February 22, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "UI Thumbs Nose at NCAA: Won't Get Out of Bed with Organized Gambling" in "UI Held Hostage Day 386 - Feb. 11," February 11, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "UI Held Hostage Day 383 - Feb. 8," February 8, 2007 (essay about Iowa Lottery commercial, with link to You Tube version -- now no longer available on You Tube)
Nicholas Johnson, "The analytically bizarre editorial about athletics and gambling" in "UI Held Hostage Day 381 - Feb. 6," February 6, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "Gambling on the Hawkeyes; Wanna Bet? NCAA to Legalize, Organize, Profitize Intercollegiate Sports Betting?" in "UI President Search Held Hostage Day 66 - Jan. 21," January 21, 2007
Nicholas Johnson, "UI Football Promoting Gambling?" September 16, 2007
_____________
UICCU and "Optiva"
The UICCU-Optiva story is essentially behind us. There may be occasional additions "for the record," but for the most part the last major entry, with links to the prior material from October 2006 through March 2007, is "UICCU and 'Optiva'" in Nicholas Johnson, "UI Held Hostage Day 406 - March 3 - Optiva," March 3, 2007.
# # #
[Note: If you're new to this blog, and interested in the whole UI President Search story . . .
These blog entries begin with Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search I," November 18, 2006.
Wondering where the "UI Held Hostage" came from? Click here. (As of January 25 the count has run from January 21, 2006, rather than last November.)
For any given entry, links to the prior 10 will be found in the left-most column. Going directly to FromDC2Iowa.Blogspot.com will take you to the latest. Each contains links to the full text of virtually all known media stories and commentary, including mine, since the last blog entry. Together they represent what The Chronicle of Higher Education has called "one of the most comprehensive analyses of the controversy." The last time there was an entry containing the summary of prior entries' commentary (with the heading "This Blog's Focus on Regents' Presidential Search") is Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search XIII -- Last Week," December 11, 2006.
My early proposed solution to the conflict is provided in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search VII: The Answer," November 26, 2006.
Searching: the fullest collection of basic documents related to the search is contained in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search - Dec. 21-25," December 21, 2006 (and updated thereafter), at the bottom of that blog entry under "References." A Blog Index of entries on all subjects since June 2006 is also available. And note that if you know (or can guess at) a word to search on, the "Blogger" bar near the top of your browser has a blank, followed by "SEARCH THIS BLOG," that enables you to search all entries in this Blog since June 2006.]
# # #
Media Stories and Commentary
See above.
_______________
Technorati tags: football, athletics, academics, high school, college, University of Iowa, education, K-12, leadership, university president, Michael Gartner, Iowa Board of Regents, UI president search, Nicholas Johnson, FromDC2Iowa
_______________
Nicholas Johnson's Main Web Site http://www.nicholasjohnson.org/
Nicholas Johnson's Iowa Rain Forest ("Earthpark") Web Site
Nicholas Johnson's Blog, FromDC2Iowa
Nicholas Johnson's Blog Index
_______________
April 5, 7:30 a.m.
Register Blows Lid Off UI Athletics-Gambling Ties
Last September I wrote Nicholas Johnson, "UI Football Promoting Gambling?" September 16, 2007. It was a lengthy essay with reference to the NCAA rules and recommendations that seemed to me to have been flaunted by the UI's athletic program. As I noted in that blog entry the Daily Iowan had reported the problem four months earlier:
"'[Riverside Casino Manager Joe] Massa has hired a sales manager to lure groups and conventions to the casino, and he plans to hire a sales staff in Chicago and Des Moines. A package could include a hotel stay with a trip to Kinnick Stadium for tailgating and box seats at an Iowa football game. Kehl says he wants to organize junkets to the casino, where out-of-state gamblers would be flown into the Eastern Iowa Airport.'
Elaine Watkins-Miller, 'If they build it, will they come?,' Master's Media Project/Riverside Project, The Daily Iowan, May 5, 2006."
The marketing plan was effectuated. The gambling casino gave the athletic program $165,000 for a skybox to entertain its high rollers, and bought advertising space on the score board during the games.
I have continued to blog about this issue over the months since. Most recently the issue has involved the athletic program's ties to the Iowa Lottery.
Throughout, the position of Athletic Director Gary Barta and Interim President Gary Fethke has been that since casinos and lotteries are legal in Iowa there is nothing wrong with the athletic program taking their money in exchange for promoting gambling to UI students and fans.
The UI Faculty Senate and Faculty Council see the issue differently, but things are rigged at the University so that the faculty has nothing but the power to recommend when it comes to athletics. The power to make the decisions is restricted to the Athletic Director and the President -- which means, as a practical matter, the Athletic Director.
Well, it turns out that there is a lot more to this story than ever came to light while I was blogging about it.
The Des Moines Register has kindly acquired, opened, and spilled the can of beans all over this morning's edition: Tom Witosky, "Gambling Ads Prompt Letter to U of I; A lottery commercial that parodied the Iowa Fight Song and a hotel casino’s video ad at Kinnick bring an admonishment," Des Moines Register, April 5, 2007.
Want to read the letter from the NCAA's Rachel Newman Baker to Gary Barta from last September? The Register makes it available here. And who is Ms. Baker? She's the NCAA's Director of Agent, Gambling and Amateurism Activities.
Turns out that the NCAA saw the issues pretty much the same way I did. As Witosky reports, apparently the September letter was not enough, so Ms. Baker wrote Barta again on February 23 of this year:
"I am aware of at least three public instances where businesses with gambling interests have partnered with the Iowa athletics department within the past year . . .. Our staff believes that although this activity is not considered a violation of our gambling legislation, it should be construed as similar to other activities that are not within our legislation but that we discourage involvement in."
In Barta's defense, "Mark Abbott, associate athletic director, . . . pointed out that Barta and other athletic officials have been focused in recent weeks on hiring a new men's basketball coach."
So that's why they haven't yet gotten around to reading their mail from last September?
Hey, I'm just a blogger. No one at the University of Iowa has any obligation to read, let alone respond to, what I write. But correspondence from NCAA officials?!
How can the Athletic Department justify keeping these letters secret at a time when these very issues are under discussion?
Our new basketball coach, hired in part on the basis of his "integrity," is coming into a University whose Interim President and Athletic Director think collegiate athletic programs' gambling ties are OK, notwithstanding the NCAA's recommendations to all member schools and two letters of admonition to the University of Iowa. Has Coach Todd Lickliter always shared the view of his new bosses? Did he hold a contrary position on the issue at Butler, which he's recently changed out of a felt obligation to adopt theirs? Does he disagree, but chooses to remain silent on the issue? Was this something he and Barta discussed before he was hired?
I think the UI community and fans are entitled to a lot more candor than we've been getting over the last six months on these issues.
_____________
UICCU and "Optiva"
The UICCU-Optiva story is essentially behind us. There may be occasional additions "for the record," but for the most part the last major entry, with links to the prior material from October 2006 through March 2007, is "UICCU and 'Optiva'" in Nicholas Johnson, "UI Held Hostage Day 406 - March 3 - Optiva," March 3, 2007.
# # #
[Note: If you're new to this blog, and interested in the whole UI President Search story . . .
These blog entries begin with Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search I," November 18, 2006.
Wondering where the "UI Held Hostage" came from? Click here. (As of January 25 the count has run from January 21, 2006, rather than last November.)
For any given entry, links to the prior 10 will be found in the left-most column. Going directly to FromDC2Iowa.Blogspot.com will take you to the latest. Each contains links to the full text of virtually all known media stories and commentary, including mine, since the last blog entry. Together they represent what The Chronicle of Higher Education has called "one of the most comprehensive analyses of the controversy." The last time there was an entry containing the summary of prior entries' commentary (with the heading "This Blog's Focus on Regents' Presidential Search") is Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search XIII -- Last Week," December 11, 2006.
My early proposed solution to the conflict is provided in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search VII: The Answer," November 26, 2006.
Searching: the fullest collection of basic documents related to the search is contained in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search - Dec. 21-25," December 21, 2006 (and updated thereafter), at the bottom of that blog entry under "References." A Blog Index of entries on all subjects since June 2006 is also available. And note that if you know (or can guess at) a word to search on, the "Blogger" bar near the top of your browser has a blank, followed by "SEARCH THIS BLOG," that enables you to search all entries in this Blog since June 2006.]
# # #
Media Stories and Commentary
See above.
_______________
Technorati tags: football, athletics, academics, high school, college, University of Iowa, education, K-12, leadership, university president, Michael Gartner, Iowa Board of Regents, UI president search, Nicholas Johnson, FromDC2Iowa
_______________
Nicholas Johnson's Main Web Site http://www.nicholasjohnson.org/
Nicholas Johnson's Iowa Rain Forest ("Earthpark") Web Site
Nicholas Johnson's Blog, FromDC2Iowa
Nicholas Johnson's Blog Index
_______________
April 2, 8:50 a.m., 10:15 ("Affordable Housing Ideas")
. . . with commentary about the UI "Coach of the Day," "Search Committee II's List," "What $26 Million Looks Like -- Paying for Politics With Increased Consumer Prices," "Airlines Dysfunctional, Unfairly Subsidized," and "Affordable Housing Ideas."
Coach of the Day
Today's new basketball coach for Iowa is Kirk Speraw of Central Florida (and one-time player for Lute Olson at Iowa). Scott Dochterman, "Coaches Heap Praise on Speraw; Central Florida Coach Mentioned in Search," The Gazette, April 2, 2007, p. 3C.
What I find amusing, or at least worthy of note, is that the coach search process is supposed to be the secret process and preserve of one man: Iowa's Athletic Director Gary Barta. And yet there's all kinds of informed speculation about the possible candidates, by name, with the pros and cons of their "fit" for Iowa.
Meanwhile, Search Committee II, with its numerous members, efforts at regular reports and general transparency, seems to have produced little, if any, speculation about names of possible presidents of the university. It's even open to having no on-campus visits before the Regents make their final selection.
Why no speculation? Can there be that many eligible university presidents and provosts? More than coaches? Or are we so focused as a nation on basketball, and the final game tonight, that we can't even think about those in the education biz who are paid less than basketball coaches -- like, say, university presidents?
Search Committee II's List
And speaking of Search Committee II, as soon as that Committee was announced I urged that speed in selecting a new president was of the essence. (It got greater every day thereafter, up to today's "UI Held Hostage Day 436." As a wise observer of the scene commented months ago, "The University needs a president.") I noted that "there are . . . among the 165 considered by the search committee [many] who were well thought of. If there are other individuals who have just come on the market during the last month or six weeks, their names can be quickly added." "Regents, don't let 'the great become the enemy of the good,'" par. (f), in Nicholas Johnson, "Duplicate of UI President Search XVI - Dec. 18-20," December 20, 2007.
It just seemed to me only common sense that when a second search is started only one month after the first is called off -- even if speed were not an issue -- one would start with the list, and evaluations, developed by the first committee.
I have tried to be supportive of Search Committee II. It is made up of a quality chair and members who are working hard, meeting weekly, doing as much in open sessions as possible, reporting regularly and otherwise trying to maintain transparency.
But why, oh why, are they only now discovering, as the Press-Citizen reports: Brian Morelli, "Unclear if Evaluations From First Search Still Exist; UI Committee Wants to Review Backgrounds of Candidates," Iowa City Press-Citizen, March 31, 2007, p. 1A? Isn't that something you would have thought they would have discovered 90 days ago, when the UI had only been held hostage for 346 days?
What $26 Million Looks Like -- Paying for Politics with Increased Consumer Prices
Want to know what $26 Million looks like?
That's how much money Senator Hillary Clinton raised in the first quarter of this pre-presidential primary year. Anne E. Komblut, "Clinton Shatters Record for Fundraising," Washington Post, April 2, 2007, p. A1. (Edwards: $14 million; Richardson: $6 million; Obama: not reported.) And she's going to let you see what it's purchased tomorrow, April 3, 11:00 a.m., at an intimate little gathering of thousands in the Quality Inn and Suites ballroom, 2525 North Dodge Street, Iowa City. "Hillary Clinton to Visit Iowa City Tuesday," Iowa City Press-Citizen, March 31, 2007.
But if you missed CBS' "60 Minutes" last night, you might want to take a look at its segment titled "Under the Influence" before attending the Senator Clinton event. It's the in-depth story of how the pharmaceutical industry pressured Congress to insure that our prescriptions would continue to cost us more than in any other country on earth, by making it illegal for the government to negotiate prices.
It's a classic case study of how Washington works these days. With big pharma's 1,000 lobbyists to work over 535 Senators and Members of Congress, and its $100 million-a-year budget for campaign contributions and lobbying, it (or any other industry) can pretty much write its own legislation and get whatever it wants out of Washington.
Years ago I did a study of a number of industries in the campaign contribution and lobbying business, and concluded that each was receiving something in the range of 1000-to-one to 2000-to-one for its expenditures. (Give $1 million, get back $1 billion in some form of government largesse: tax breaks, government contracts, protective tariffs, access to public lands.) Nicholas Johnson, "Campaigns: You Pay $4 or $4000," Des Moines Register, July 21, 1996.
Why "$4 or $4000"? Because any way you slice it we have "public financing of campaigns." We either have "public financing" in the usual sense -- picking up the costs from the taxpayers, cutting out the big donors and lobbyists -- or we let the fat cats pay the campaign bills, the political winners give them the 1000-to-one return, and we end up paying in the form of increased drug prices, gasoline prices, earmarks for "bridges to nowhere" and "rainforests in Iowa," military weapons programs the Joint Chiefs don't even want, increased tariffs on steel imports, and so forth.
The difference? Instead of paying a $4 check off on your tax return you end up paying $4000 in increased consumer prices. Which is the better deal?
Watch the CBS "60 Minutes" piece and weep. And then contact your representatives -- in Des Moines as well as Washington -- and tell them you'd rather pay the $4.
Airlines Dysfunctional, Unfairly Subsidized
In case you haven't been flying recently, or listening to the tales of woe from your high flying friends, the latest report from the airlines is that they are now bumping more passengers, losing more luggage, and logging fewer on-time flights than ever before. "Study: Airline Woes Worsen," The Gazette, April 2, 2007, p. 8A.
Under the best of conditions you have the drive to and from the airport on both ends of the flight -- plus the choice of either arriving hours early or risking missing your plane, so you can stand in check-in and security check lines (that require partial undressing and unpacking, re-dressing and re-packing). That, plus sitting on the runway on both ends, making the connections for anything other than a direct flight, and "mechanical delays, often ends up taking as much, or more, time for a relatively short hop than driving the entire distance. (Driving also has the advantage of enabling your departure when you want, leaving directly from home or office without having to pass through an airport, driving directly to your destination, and not having the added delay and hassle of having to rent a car.)
It doesn't help that the airlines are not prepared to deal with weather-related delays -- sometimes leaving passengers sitting in planes on the runways for hours, or sleeping in airports for days, while leaving employees unwilling (or unable) to provide accurate information.
"You can't blame the airlines for the weather." Right. But you can blame the U.S. government, and the American people, for building, subsidizing, and relying upon a transportation system that is dependent upon the weather and otherwise dysfunctional on the best flying days.
And speaking of weather, jet planes are among the most efficient contributors to global warming. All industrial plants can do is spew out the stuff here on earth and wait for it to rise. Jet planes are able to emit the ingredients at 35,000 feet. And it's a lot. You know what kind of gas mileage you get in your earth bound vehicle. Imagine if you had to propel it fast enough to keep it in the air.
Of course, we want to be protected from hijackers and terrorists. But our efforts to do so are more effectively directed at what they did last month, or last year, than at what they're most likely to do tomorrow, or next month. Meanwhile, we're all still taking off our shoes.
And all of this is being subsidized by those who don't fly for the benefit of those who do. The aeronautical research is funded by the bloated Defense Department, taxpayer-supported budget -- and then transferred to the civilian versions of the new designs. The airports -- with their miles of paved runways, airports and control towers -- are paid for in substantial measure with federal funds. The air traffic control system is paid for by the FAA. The security forces examining all checked luggage -- but not the cargo -- are a taxpayer expense. And this is all before we even consider the bailouts provided airlines' shareholders by our nation's grateful taxpayers.
Nor is the private plane sector of the industry any better. City's taxpayers -- as in Iowa City -- are paying to maintain a local airport to save those who could and should pay the full cost both the money -- and perhaps 15 minutes per flight over the time it would have taken them -- to use the much more adequate Eastern Iowa Airport some 20 miles up the road.
Imagine the passenger rail system we could have today if we'd taken even a small portion of what we've put into the global warming airline system, and internal combustion automobile and Interstate Highway system, and used it to maintain and expand the railroads already in place. Europe and Asia have done it, but not us. It's just one more example of the proposition that "What's good for General Motors is not necessarily good for America."
Affordable Housing Ideas
The Press-Citizen has a letter this morning pointing up once again Iowa City's need for more affordable housing. Megan Recker, "Make Iowa City More Affordable," Iowa City Press-Citizen, April 2, 2007.
It reminded me of a couple proposed solutions I've encountered recently.
You may have caught the "affordable housing" story last week out of Hawaii:
"Until this week, home for Dorie-Ann Kahale and her five children was a homeless shelter. Now, courtesy of a billionaire from a far-away country, the family will be living rent-free for the next 10 years in her own mansion in one of Hawaii's most opulent districts." Rupert Cornwell, "Japanese Billionaire Donates Hawaii Mansions to the Poor," The Independent [London], March 24, 2007.
The Japanese property tycoon, Genshiro Kawamoto, picked up eight luxury homes in the exclusive Kahala neighborhood on Oahu (the island where Honolulu is located), at prices too good to refuse: $2 to $3 million each. (They're now worth at least twice that.) He's decided to make them available to the poor, and has already received 3000 applications.
That's one approach we could try.
The other is much more practical for Iowa City, and was suggested to me by the distinguished Professor Richard Hurtig (whose Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology once again came in with a "Number One in the Nation" recognition from the U.S. News and World Report rankings).
(We ran into him, and his wife, Judith (who makes the Hancher program number one in its own way) at the Riverside Theater performance of Donald Margulies' "Collected Stories," which is very much worth seeing and around through April 15. It's a two-woman show, with one of Jody Hovland's best performances, and young Shamis Beckley, with New York theater credits and theater company of her own, as beautiful in performance as she is in appearance. For those looking for substance as much as art, it will cause you to think about: what makes for good writing and how to teach it, good mentoring, and the legal issues surrounding copyright and "who owns your story?")
Anyhow, Richard pointed out to me that we have some very adequate housing right here in Iowa City that is as vacant as Kawamoto's houses on Oahu -- even if not quite as luxurious or precisely designed as living quarters -- for a good 358 days of the year (including all of the cold winter months).
They are the skyboxes in Kinnick Stadium.
All the skybox owners might not be billionaires, but then their skybox housing isn't as grand as Kawamoto's either. I'd bet they're all at least millionaires, so the principle is the same: the very wealthy helping the very poor.
How about it, skybox owners? Wouldn't that make you feel better about using something that luxurious only six or seven days a year (and actually only three or four hours on those days)? Wouldn't that improve your public relations image? Wouldn't that make us all feel better about the Riverside Gambling Casino's skybox?
Since Kinnick is almost in my own backyard, why didn't I think of that? Because that's the last place we look. As the song has it, "You'll find your happiness lies/Right under your eyes/Back in your own backyard." Al Jolson, Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer, "Back in Your Own Backyard."
Thanks, Richard.
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UICCU and "Optiva"
The UICCU-Optiva story is essentially behind us. There may be occasional additions "for the record," but for the most part the last major entry, with links to the prior material from October 2006 through March 2007, is "UICCU and 'Optiva'" in Nicholas Johnson, "UI Held Hostage Day 406 - March 3 - Optiva," March 3, 2007.
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[Note: If you're new to this blog, and interested in the whole UI President Search story . . .
These blog entries begin with Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search I," November 18, 2006.
Wondering where the "UI Held Hostage" came from? Click here. (As of January 25 the count has run from January 21, 2006, rather than last November.)
For any given entry, links to the prior 10 will be found in the left-most column. Going directly to FromDC2Iowa.Blogspot.com will take you to the latest. Each contains links to the full text of virtually all known media stories and commentary, including mine, since the last blog entry. Together they represent what The Chronicle of Higher Education has called "one of the most comprehensive analyses of the controversy." The last time there was an entry containing the summary of prior entries' commentary (with the heading "This Blog's Focus on Regents' Presidential Search") is Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search XIII -- Last Week," December 11, 2006.
My early proposed solution to the conflict is provided in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search VII: The Answer," November 26, 2006.
Searching: the fullest collection of basic documents related to the search is contained in Nicholas Johnson, "UI President Search - Dec. 21-25," December 21, 2006 (and updated thereafter), at the bottom of that blog entry under "References." A Blog Index of entries on all subjects since June 2006 is also available. And note that if you know (or can guess at) a word to search on, the "Blogger" bar near the top of your browser has a blank, followed by "SEARCH THIS BLOG," that enables you to search all entries in this Blog since June 2006.]
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Media Stories and Commentary
See above.
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Why are you entitled to the links they have? Based on what? Your personal need to know?
I dont recall that the ICCSD runs the approval of every school administrator by the parents or students.