Mathur bloviates (Q&A at IVC)

CHANCELLOR RAGHU P. MATHUR’s “Q & A” at Irvine Valley College this afternoon was a bust. Aside from administrators, only a handful of classified employees attended.

Except for me, no faculty attended.

Mathur was in “bloviation” mode. There weren't many questions, so he held forth.

Fearful employees nodded subtly. The sound of his voice reverberated in the empty room with its high ceiling and odd blackness.

After a few minutes, I just got outa there.

Later, I asked someone how it went after I left. They said, “His mask slipped.” For a moment, the real Raghu was in full ghastly view.

REMEMBER that email two days ago? The one from Mathur that “encouraged” the colleges to “add any comments about the inclusion of the District...Response...as deemed appropriate, particularly if such additions would enable the accreditation chairs to appropriately include their signatures on the reports”?

The team at IVC did just that. IVC's chief Accred writer added two brief paragraphs that explained the facts concerning the district's inclusion of the “response.” That, of course, is just what it would take to get those signatures.

That's all.

Guess what?

Mathur rejected them.


BUT I SEE THE FUTURE. I see a dark time ahead for Raghu and his patrons. Angry commissioners. Peevish goblins. Foul incubi. Wakeful, sweaty Mathurian nights.

Spooky, ain't it?

Meanwhile, Back at the Copy Machine...

Reporters in the field noted that the copy machines in the A-100 and A-200 buildings were once again empty yesterday afternoon. No reports were recieved from the B-200 building though some faculty and staff were seen trudging off in that general direction.

This reporter reminds all readers that love and appreciation for the "copy guy" has been duly registered on this blog and that this post does not in any way signal a lack of love and appreciation for the "copy guy."

Get your copies done early folks!

On one page?

The Sturm und Drang over the Accreditation reports continues. It’s beginning to look like nobody’s in charge at the district level. Mathur and Co. seem unable to stay on one page.

As you know, yesterday, Mathur and board president Dave Lang wrote faculty, saying that “the colleges are encouraged to add any comments about the inclusion of the District/Board of Trustees Response and make other minor changes in their reports, as deemed appropriate, particularly if such additions would enable the accreditation chairs to appropriately include their signatures on the reports.”

Gosh, that’s some encouragement. Did they mean it? Is this some kinda rope-a-dope? We'll see.

The Chancellor will be at Irvine Valley College today, at 2:30, for a “Q & A.” He’ll hold another tomorrow at 10:00. (Both are in Lib 213.)

MEANWHILE, yesterday, the OC Register reported on Saddleback College student Jamal Malone, who remains in a coma:

More than a week after the altercation that led to his hospitalization, Jamal Malone, 20, remains in a medically induced coma at Mission Hospital, his family members said, in critical but stable condition.

Meanwhile, police are still investigating the Sept. 30 fight at Promenade Apartments on Marguerite Parkway.

Chad Duran, Wallace Rodrigues, and Nigel Kawai, all 18, and an unidentified minor were arrested in connection to the incident and District Attorney officials say they will decide what, if any, charges to file against them by their arraignment in late October. (See Saddleback College football player remains in coma)

GRADE LAWSUIT. Inside Higher Ed reports that students are now suing colleges over grades:

Tired of students complaining about grades they don’t like? It could be worse — you could be sued. The Boston Globe reported that a student unhappy with his C grade at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst did just that, with a 15-count lawsuit in federal court. A federal judge dismissed the case, but an appeal is possible.