The Board of Regents just stuck their middle finger up to Univ of Iowa faculty

[sdillon500]

I feel like this attitude has led us to the place where someone with zero experience in academic administration is given the chance to lead a major research university. There is a group of people who loathe academics and that group is becoming more influential. IBM would never hire Steve Leath or Greg Geoffroy as its president, but the reverse is okay with Harreld to UI because we have a subculture in which academia is not a useful pursuit and you are apparently "entitled and arrogant" if you choose to spend your career in that field.

Damn, I can't like this enough. One of my biggest pet peeves is the streak of anti-intellectualism that runs through a lot of culture lately, that somehow being uneducated is a virtue. Look, sometimes a role needs to be filled by someone who's trained to excel in that role. Just because someone has life experience or common sense doesn't mean they're qualified to negotiate business or political deals. Being educated is not a vice, and putting people in power because "the system needs an outsider" can lead to disastrous results.

 

[keepngoal]

Iowa streamlined academics by merging and cutting entire departments just two or three years ago. A year ago, Deloitte and Touche was hired (paid millions) to study streamlining the university, and their recommendations are currently being implemented. Iowa has the lowest tuition and fees in the Big Ten, and the lowest housing costs in the Big Ten.

Just how much streamlining does the BOR think is possible?

because a funding change is coming ..... UI is currently subsidized by UNI and ISU .... When it equals out, the UI needs to be ready.

 

[oldman]

described the appointment as the Board of Regents’ latest attack on the state’s flagship university.


​Who said so?

 

[ArgentCy]

Damn, I can't like this enough. One of my biggest pet peeves is the streak of anti-intellectualism that runs through a lot of culture lately, that somehow being uneducated is a virtue. Look, sometimes a role needs to be filled by someone who's trained to excel in that role. Just because someone has life experience or common sense doesn't mean they're qualified to negotiate business or political deals. Being educated is not a vice, and putting people in power because "the system needs an outsider" can lead to disastrous results.

They don't loathe academics because they don't value education. They have come to loathe the system that has fostered these people in a giant bubble. Most of the most valued professors aren't valued because they do a great job of educating kids. As someone pointed out that these professors are hired and given tenure based upon the research articles published and corresponding grant money. They are just another business that has had very little pricing pressure. The private sector has had to make cuts and streamlining a long time ago and the public sector has very little clue.

 

[Clone83]

described the appointment as the Board of Regents’ latest attack on the state’s flagship university.


​Who said so?

Governor Brandstadder?

 

[BCClone]

Damn, I can't like this enough. One of my biggest pet peeves is the streak of anti-intellectualism that runs through a lot of culture lately, that somehow being uneducated is a virtue. Look, sometimes a role needs to be filled by someone who's trained to excel in that role. Just because someone has life experience or common sense doesn't mean they're qualified to negotiate business or political deals. Being educated is not a vice, and putting people in power because "the system needs an outsider" can lead to disastrous results.

the entitlement issue is what gets people. During the recession, people's salary, benefits and many times jobs were cut. The BOR put a tuition freeze on, but the legislature did increase their subsidies. Many college higher ups screamed it was wrong to have to go off 1% increases, or so, for their staff. Some local COmm colleges just jacked up property taxes, my local one did. People didn't sense the higher education was feeling the same pain as the outside workforce, but the higher Ed people still complained about the low increased funding rates.

So so having a bachelors is uneducated? That's my level. I filled in for a few classes at a local college when the current staff didn't want to teach adult night classes. The tenured professors made fun of some things and ways that I taught. I had ran the type of businesses I talked about, they had read about them. They were trained to teach it, but didn't understand their training wasn't quite right. I had walked through the fire and used that slant in my teachings. I was also one of the higher scoring teachers on student surveys. They always mentioned it nice to have someone who had been their and give real life experiences, not what "should bes".

 

[Entropy]

the entitlement issue is what gets people. During the recession, people's salary, benefits and many times jobs were cut. The BOR put a tuition freeze on, but the legislature did increase their subsidies. Many college higher ups screamed it was wrong to have to go off 1% increases, or so, for their staff. Some local COmm colleges just jacked up property taxes, my local one did. People didn't sense the higher education was feeling the same pain as the outside workforce, but the higher Ed people still complained about the low increased funding rates.

So so having a bachelors is uneducated? That's my level. I filled in for a few classes at a local college when the current staff didn't want to teach adult night classes. The tenured professors made fun of some things and ways that I taught. I had ran the type of businesses I talked about, they had read about them. They were trained to teach it, but didn't understand their training wasn't quite right. I had walked through the fire and used that slant in my teachings. I was also one of the higher scoring teachers on student surveys. They always mentioned it nice to have someone who had been their and give real life experiences, not what "should bes".

Did you teach at NIACC? I'm always frustrated to see profs treat adjuncts poorly. Having the real world perspective is pretty critical, at least in my opinion.

Community colleges are funny as far as when they are doing well and when they aren't. When the economy is down, CCs are busiest. When the economy is doing well, we struggle with enrollment. It's a weird dynamic but makes sense when you think of it.

 

[IsUaClone2]

In my experience, managing through consensus and relying on teambuilding to develop a vision as opposed to executing a plan are code words for "sharing of ignorances." Executives that spout this rhetoric have not worked in a market-leader; they work in the followers. Does anyone think that Apple, Google, Facebook, or any other leading company in a competitive market got there by asking their people to develop a vision? You provide the vision and get the team to build a plan and execute. It helps if the vision-makers have one foot in the world of reality and the other in the untrodden.

 

[carvers4math]

My brother is a retired high school math teacher. DMAAC calls him about every year to see if he will go teach math there. He says the pay they offer is terrible so he doesn't do it, although the classes they want him to teach are mostly easier than many of the high school courses he taught. If he wants extras money, he gets paid far more per hour just to sub at the high school. He has a bachelor's in math from ISU.

 

[Cyclonetrombone]

the entitlement issue is what gets people. During the recession, people's salary, benefits and many times jobs were cut. The BOR put a tuition freeze on, but the legislature did increase their subsidies. Many college higher ups screamed it was wrong to have to go off 1% increases, or so, for their staff. Some local COmm colleges just jacked up property taxes, my local one did. People didn't sense the higher education was feeling the same pain as the outside workforce, but the higher Ed people still complained about the low increased funding rates.

So so having a bachelors is uneducated? That's my level. I filled in for a few classes at a local college when the current staff didn't want to teach adult night classes. The tenured professors made fun of some things and ways that I taught. I had ran the type of businesses I talked about, they had read about them. They were trained to teach it, but didn't understand their training wasn't quite right. I had walked through the fire and used that slant in my teachings. I was also one of the higher scoring teachers on student surveys. They always mentioned it nice to have someone who had been their and give real life experiences, not what "should bes".

I'll second most of this from experience as well. I have a graduate degree and am not in academia but I have had a few semesters of filling in for classes that weren't what the normal group wants to teach. Again, teaching from experience was where I was coming from but I also had an advanced degree to back up what I was saying theoretically. The entitlement that is entrenched in the Iowa community colleges is ridiculous.

This permeates all levels of education. In the private sector we aren't guaranteed raises but somewhere along the line it became a grave injustice for those in education to have to make due with a 1% increase. There were times a few years ago when 1% would been something I would have appreciated.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

They don't loathe academics because they don't value education. They have come to loathe the system that has fostered these people in a giant bubble. Most of the most valued professors aren't valued because they do a great job of educating kids. As someone pointed out that these professors are hired and given tenure based upon the research articles published and corresponding grant money. They are just another business that has had very little pricing pressure. The private sector has had to make cuts and streamlining a long time ago and the public sector has very little clue.

the entitlement issue is what gets people. During the recession, people's salary, benefits and many times jobs were cut. The BOR put a tuition freeze on, but the legislature did increase their subsidies. Many college higher ups screamed it was wrong to have to go off 1% increases, or so, for their staff. Some local COmm colleges just jacked up property taxes, my local one did. People didn't sense the higher education was feeling the same pain as the outside workforce, but the higher Ed people still complained about the low increased funding rates.

So so having a bachelors is uneducated? That's my level. I filled in for a few classes at a local college when the current staff didn't want to teach adult night classes. The tenured professors made fun of some things and ways that I taught. I had ran the type of businesses I talked about, they had read about them. They were trained to teach it, but didn't understand their training wasn't quite right. I had walked through the fire and used that slant in my teachings. I was also one of the higher scoring teachers on student surveys. They always mentioned it nice to have someone who had been their and give real life experiences, not what "should bes".

Reasons for hiring vary, and yes, proven ability to bring in grant money is a plus...in some fields. A professor of English Lit may have a publications component to their tenure application, but I doubt if grant money plays much of a role there.

There are a LOT of different departments within the colleges of major universities and emphasis on grant money/publications over teaching and teaching evals varies from one department to the next. I'm just offering up something to chew on...when deciding if someone with little to no experience in academia beyond a BS or BA is qualified to run a major institution. Teach at the instructor level? Maybe. But oversee the entire university? Not so much...

 

[BCClone]

Did you teach at NIACC? I'm always frustrated to see profs treat adjuncts poorly. Having the real world perspective is pretty critical, at least in my opinion.

Community colleges are funny as far as when they are doing well and when they aren't. When the economy is down, CCs are busiest. When the economy is doing well, we struggle with enrollment. It's a weird dynamic but makes sense when you think of it.

No. Worked for a former competitor about 30 miles NW.

One thing that drove them nuts was my first test was always take home. These things were *** kickers. I made them dig hard and rational their statements. I was more concerned about thought processes than regurgitating a fact back at me. One who can research their decisions and layout their plan was way ahead of one who could tell me what I or the book told them specifically.

 

[twojman]

No. Worked for a former competitor about 30 miles NW.

One thing that drove them nuts was my first test was always take home. These things were *** kickers. I made them dig hard and rational their statements. I was more concerned about thought processes than regurgitating a fact back at me. One who can research their decisions and layout their plan was way ahead of one who could tell me what I or the book told them specifically.

Please become a full time professor/teacher/instructor or whatever. There needs to be many more that have this attitude. Thanks for what you did/do.

 

[BCClone]

Reasons for hiring vary, and yes, proven ability to bring in grant money is a plus...in some fields. A professor of English Lit may have a publications component to their tenure application, but I doubt if grant money plays much of a role there.

There are a LOT of different departments within the colleges of major universities and emphasis on grant money/publications over teaching and teaching evals varies from one department to the next. I'm just offering up something to chew on...when deciding if someone with little to no experience in academia beyond a BS or BA is qualified to run a major institution. Teach at the instructor level? Maybe. But oversee the entire university? Not so much...

Can respect that hesitation. I see a person with just a BA/BS as being qualified if they have run a major corporation. It may not be identical for each area, but strong leaders, lead in any environment, Imo. Why not just have the number 2 person always slide up and continually advance from within if academia is so specialized? Sometimes new eyes can take the blinders off and a new way of doing something creates opportunities.

I had a boss, with a phd, at the last non self employed business I was at. Some of the most mundane things I did amazed him, he hadn't worked with entry level positions before. He felt if he did X then he got Y as an outcome, that's the way he was trained. I had to continually show him that it didn't work that way. That X sometimes gave us Y, but also C,G and W on different days. I tried to show that to get Y, sometimes I had to start with J. He never understood.

 

[tazclone]

The faculty in general at Iowa is very whiny. Regardless of how good or bad this man is in terms of his qualifications, the fact that he has only 2.7% support from the staff at Iowa means this is going to end badly. The Board of Regents has really sent a strong message to their university and it's not a positive one. Never seen anything like this.

That faculty doesn't like anything and htink they run the university. this is the BOR saying...remember who you work for.

 

[BCClone]

Please become a full time professor/teacher/instructor or whatever. There needs to be many more that have this attitude. Thanks for what you did/do.

Thanks. Have a full family and chasing kids is my hobby now. The institution got new leadership and the been there/done that people were left behind. I wasnt taking anymore anyhow so it doesn't/didn't phase me.

I just have always thought that the way I did it was the best way I knew, not necessarily the best way to do something. Too many people can't make decisions or are scared to, I always have, or maybe had to, put my neck out there. I try to anticipate scenarios way before they happen so when something different pops up, I can move forward quickly and not get broken down. There is a better way to do what you're doing, maybe that way comes from a PHd with 50 years experience or maybe even an 11 year old just spit balling.

btw, my wife is in education and is more by the book than me. We don't discuss education much, we teach different styles to our kids.

 

[theshadow]

Who's Brandstand?

You know... American Brandstand. The old music show.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Can respect that hesitation. I see a person with just a BA/BS as being qualified if they have run a major corporation. It may not be identical for each area, but strong leaders, lead in any environment, Imo. Why not just have the number 2 person always slide up and continually advance from within if academia is so specialized? Sometimes new eyes can take the blinders off and a new way of doing something creates opportunities.

Were any of the four finalists internal? I don't think so. On top of that, by hiring the candidate that has already received the lowest marks from the people that will be working for him, who has the least understanding of what they do and how they do it, and has already publicly stated that he will need considerable help in "learning his job"...well, I think the BoR have done all parties (UI faculty, staff & students but also Herrold) a disservice. They've foisted the least preferred candidate onto the community, and they've exposed his naiveté to a whole bunch of people that don't want him. Tough times ahead for all of them.

 

[BCClone]

Were any of the four finalists internal? I don't think so. On top of that, by hiring the candidate that has already received the lowest marks from the people that will be working for him, who has the least understanding of what they do and how they do it, and has already publicly stated that he will need considerable help in "learning his job"...well, I think the BoR have done all parties (UI faculty, staff & students but also Herrold) a disservice. They've foisted the least preferred candidate onto the community, and they've exposed his naiveté to a whole bunch of people that don't want him. Tough times ahead for all of them.

If BOR wants a change, would they have someone who the staff probably likes? Maybe they want a complete shake up and by doing this they can get several to walk without having to fire. Mason is there for a year, right? Probably gonna be showing the current procedures to him. Might be why she is still there? It's never good to have the old boss at the same place as the new boss, unless the old boss has a purpose for the new boss.

 

[tazclone]

This is exactly what I thought when I heard about the hire...

"Some faculty members and others raised fears that Mr. Harreld would simply be an ally of the board, by agreeing to such cuts in the name of efficiency, effectiveness, and transformation."

"...And they wonder what kind of changes a specialist in corporate turnarounds may try to force on an academic community.


Mr. Harreld "was installed in his position for a particular purpose," Mr. McLeod said, "and that is to ‘turn the university around.’"
http://chronicle.com/article/A-Controversial-Search-Ends/232861/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en


The times they are a changin'.

I liked this

"We would anticipate and hope and indeed expect that the regents would consider and take into account our point of view, which I think we made entirely clear," said John M. Logsdon, an associate professor of biology.
Ignoring faculty members’ opinions on the search won’t help morale on the campus, which is already low, Mr. Logsdon said.
"He’s going to need to find a way to engage with faculty, students, and staff in a way that is not combative and that is productive," Mr. Logsdon said.

I wonder if Mr Logsdon is going to take his own advice