Thursday, February 27, 2025

behind closed blinds


So what's going on in there?  This is the office of our Provost.  He is more or less in charge of The Institution at present, since the outgoing President is a compound of useless with lame duck status; a ball of cottonwool combined with a cheerleading persona that kids no one - not even the actual cheerleaders, or Song Girls, or whatever they're called, with whom she loves to pose, presumably reliving her glory days.  She issued (but who knows who wrote it?  AI? McKinsey?) a "Dear Trojan Family" statement yesterday that said absolutely nothing, other than a commitment to excellence, blah blah blah, and the ominous lines "Moving forward, we will continue to review our programs and practices to ensure both that their direct relationship to our academic mission is clear, and that we comply fully with evolving legal requirements."  Uh huh?  Maybe they didn't think that we'd read that far?  The whole email ends "When I walk across our campuses, I see a place like no other, where joy, creativity, success, and excellence thrive. It’s the Trojan Spirit in action – and I know we’ll continue to do great things together for our community, for our country, and for humanity."  All I can say is that our President absolutely can't have encountered any faculty on her walkabouts.  And our contact with her second in command is about as direct and effectual as tapping on that window would be.

 

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