[We welcome yet another new commentator to The Illuminator's stable of observers and rebels. Still Taking Notes reflects on graduation atmospheres, then and now.]Last Friday, Edison hosted the graduating class of 2009 to the biggest, best, and most important party of the year. These are our graduates, our students, our friends, and we are there to celebrate their accomplishments. But, where were the hosts—the President, the trustees, the guest speaker, the platform party?
As usual, they retreated to their administrative enclave to drink and celebrate in their own private way. There was no opportunity for students to meet with the guest speaker, to ask him to sign their program, or to just bask in the glow of their own success. There was no opportunity for parents to shake the President’s hand, or to thank the trustees for keeping Edison accessible to their children.
At every other graduation that I have attended, there has been an open invitation for anyone who wanted to chat with the platform folks. We may not have known who they were, but they were dressed in their academic finery and we wanted to be seen with them! If our platform aristocracy does not want to rub elbows with the masses in the cafeteria, they could always hold their reception in the Emerson Center, giving parents a chance to see Edison’s new library, internet café, and medical technology building, an enclave that could certainly use more foot traffic.
I can guarantee that our own Gang of Five will not be overwhelmed with students and parents, eager to shake their hands. Students want to see their professors, their mentors, their friends, and get on to their own parties. But, that is not the point. The important thing is that our administration appears accessible, friendly, and sober--not isolated in administrative lock up with hors d’oeuvres and Chablis. Besides, it is just so very uncool to leave your own party!
And just a word about the good ole days, for those who may not remember: Some of my favorite Edison moments were graduations when Phil Lootens and one of the trustees stood beside the faculty processional and shook hands as the faculty passed into the gymnasium saying, “Thank you for teaching for Edison!” It was a lovely moment that made all of the difficulties of the previous year melt away.
Students were in graduation regalia, spring was in the air, and we had an administration that understood that Edison is about students and their successes, not about isolationism and protecting the posh life of the administrative elite.
19 comments:
Thank you for posting an accurate Dashboard. We are accustomed to Texas forgeries
FYI it's Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay. And the Trustees and their guests are rushed from the gym to the reception using a side exit. Lots of the best for these folks, not cookies. Interesting that your comments reflect how the elite execs think they do the college's work, when in fact the college easily work as well, if not better, if they were not here. You cannot do without the front line workers who really do the real work. The faculty, the clerical staff, the maintenance workers, the computer techs. WHo would you rather do without for a month? The elite admins, or the computer guys or the faculty or anyone who is not admin? Tell you real quick who does the work and who is kidding themselves.
KY is invisible most of the time he's on campus. Graduation was likely the first time for many not only to graduate, but to view the exalted president. OOOOoooohhhh, so that's what he looks like.
The real reason KY cloisters the trustees is in order to keep them as far from the real Edison and the truth as possible. Believe it...
Well, and, of course, he can't be dirtied by the masses.
The trustees have to share some of the blame for allowing themselves to be herded like sheep. It doesn't have to be the way it is.
Pray the trustees see fit to clean house and soon.
To be an Edison trustee do you have to be able to say "Baa?"
Why all the Firearms on Campus for Graduation? Did Jane think there would be violence? Jane doesn't need a bodyguard. She needs to retire.
No, the paranoid idiot Barney over-reacted to rumours just as he always does. He thinks everyone is plotting terrible things like using up visitor parking spots so KYs precious conspirators like Doug Murray will have to park amongst the common folk. Methinks the presence of the local constabulory reflects exactly how KY deals with things he cannot control, with force and intimidation anywhere he can get it. And, yes, like the contract non-renewal non-firing dismissals, it was so unnecessary. Ah, my friends . . . parnoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creep, starts when you're always afraid . . . you know the rest.
Somethin' is hap'n'ing here. Yes it is.
You have to "baa" on cue, in unison, in order to earn your wings as a trustee and go flying with Air KY. Careful though, ladies and gents, this flight of fantasy is running out of fuel, and won't keep running on vapors much longer. Better bail out on this regime, my deal little trustees, just strap a small paarachute on KY and send him on his way. C'mon little sheepies, you can do it.
Didn't Jane retire several years ago? Her qualification to do this CQI thing was what? A doctorate? Her high esteem among peers? Her sensitive and caring demeanor? Her allegiance to the dictator? Like mentioned elsewhere, its sounds pretty good on paper, but it doesn't work. In fact, her strongarm tactics for forcing it on the masseshas helped to ensure it won't ever work here. CQI ain't for no colleges, especially this one.
Nice to see everyone up so early this AM. The comments have already brightened my day, but do not fail to remember that change comes only thru the action of the Board of Trustees. KY will not quit, Jane won't retire, Danny Boy R is too money hungry, and the others too bought-and-paid for to leave KYs tightly woven web. Let's hope our Trustees can get their "baa"s together and end this horrible saga. Maybe a little sheep that could will arrive to lead them out of the darkness. Have a nice day folk.
Jane is well compensated for telling the boss exactly what he wants to hear, and trying to force everyone else to do the same. Whether or not it constitutes a form of retirement is moot. She needs to go . . . as in go away. I'm sure there are many who would gladly escort her out the door.
Nothing worse than faculty becoming administrators above reproach. Of course, she really wasn't one of us.
CQI Consent and Quit Inquiring
The inexperience of administrators ruling over areas they know nothing about is forgivable if they truly administrate rather than “rule.” Service is a core value at Edison, but to many administrators at Edison it is service to their own power. When “TRUTH” is pored through a funnel of a hand full of self-serving administrators, justice is stomped on. Worse yet service to our students, academic integrity, creativity and civility to fellow human beings are also trampled.
How can a former instructor who only taught anatomy and physiology (without, by all academic standards, qualifications) be making decisions about people in jobs that person has never done. Worse yet, these decisions are made without consulting the person doing the given job. I am sure we all have been in jobs in which your supervisor did not know the details of your job, but trusted you to do it and do it well. This has not been the case at Edison the past three years.
This insane administrative practice has cost Edison numerous creative and energetic faculty and good administrators. Many of these lost precious resources have left with the administration attempting to portray them as non-team members.
There is no open debate on academic maters or any subject for that matter at Edison. If you attempt to have an open and civil debate you are branded as one who is violating Edison’s so called core values. What an irony that such lofty ideals are used to impose such a repressive style of administration.
At Edison, the members of the Board of Trustees are the arbiters of how well the college is functioning. There single source of information is through the President. When they did allow a faculty leader to address the Board, they allow the President to strap the faculty member in a straight jacket. Even before the faculty leader could speak, the President dictated the context of the decision. The faculty was in a poker game in which the President was openly dealing from the bottom of the deck. Hopefully this was not lost on all the Board members and they will take action to remedy the present situation with a positive result for the Edison community.
Corrections for the last paragraph of the previous (Anonymous)^2
At Edison, the members of the Board of Trustees are the arbiters of how well the college is functioning. THEIR single source of information is through the President. When they did allow a faculty leader to address the Board, they allow the President to strap the faculty member in a straight jacket. Even before the faculty leader could speak, the President dictated the context of the DISCUSSSION. The faculty was in a poker game in which the President was openly dealing from the bottom of the deck. Hopefully this was not lost on all the Board members and they will take action to remedy the present situation with a positive result for the Edison community.
(Anonymous)^2 did not take COM121S from Dave J.
That oh so proud, elite, pompous, arrogant, aloof, presumptious, haughty, conceited, self-important, pretentious, aristocracy has no idea what you're talking about.
Graduation celebration for the elite few shows that you ain't got no class. And you don't care if everyone knows it. Paints a good picture of arrogance personified. That's our KY. That's our minions. Thanks all.
I'm, baa, getting the impression, baa, that some Edison folks, baa, aren't happy, baa. Baa, what seems to be, baa, the problem. We were treated like, baa, royalty, fed nice canapes and shrimp, baa, and drank some, baa, real nice wine. All in all, baa, it was, baa, a real nice, baa, graduation. Burp, baa. Guns and all.
Besides, baa, I like the accumulation into my, baa, state retirement account, for my, baa, oversight of the, baa, administration, such as it is once a month at the snoozefest.
Phil Lootens: class act. Thanks for remembering those moments.
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