Semester at sea

• CRITICISM = HARASSMENT?
In this morning’s Inside Higher Ed (Presidential ‘Pabulum’ and a Professor’s Punishment), there’s yet another disconcerting story about a university's flouting of academic freedom.

It concerns a professor’s less-than-worshipful response to his college’s president’s email.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s President, Shirley Jackson, had sent an email out to everyone, whereupon professor Donald Steiner—evidently, a respected member of the university community—responded (to “all”), writing “Sadly, I found more of the same subterfuge and insulting pabulum.”

Steiner also highlighted Jackson’s other alleged failings, including a failure to advocate for faculty, follow the faculty handbook procedures, etc.

In response, Steiner was cut out of RPI's email system. On what grounds? Steiner, said RPI, had violated two rules: one about everybody’s right not to be “harassed by others,” another about the responsibility to respect the rights (including privacy rights) of others.

Wow. I guy criticizes the President and he gets pulled from the email system 'cause he's a harasser! Sounds familiar.

Some RPI faculty contacted Inside Higher Ed, saying that Steiner is dissenting, not harassing:

They note that in an era when some faculty critics attack presidents in anonymous blogs full of four-letter words, Steiner offered his critiques without hiding and without getting vile. Further, they note that in the context of intense debate over governance at RPI, kicking a critic off the RPI e-mail system reinforced the view that the administration won’t tolerate dissent.

A veritable shit-storm has been blowing over RPI in the last year:

RPI’s administration has replaced the Faculty Senate when its members voted to give voting rights to those off the tenure track, and kicked off campus a controversial video art exhibit that upset College Republicans. And those decisions followed a debate over President Jackson that resulted in her narrowly avoiding a vote of no confidence.

I’m reminded of my own adventures ten years ago here at the South Orange County Community College District. When I distributed a newsletter (Dissent) that (fairly, albeit humorously) criticized the college president and the board of trustees, a letter was placed in my file (a precursor to termination) according to which I had violated the district’s policies. 

I took ‘em to court. There, the district argued that I was the district bully who had single-handedly intimidated the community into silence and had even caused the colleges’ accreditation difficulties! (In the course of its action against me, the district had violated several "handbook" rules, which it seemed to gladly acknowledge.)

Luckily for me, throughout the court process, the judges opined that the district’s claims about me were absurd and the district’s methods were Orwellian:

…[T]his is a case where [the concept of workplace violence], is being stretched for the purpose of taking a vigorous critic of the administration and the board of trustees and trying to keep them quiet. (See Bauer’s court victory.)

I think I’ll drop Steiner and crew a line. Do check out the comments at the end of the IHR article: Presidential ‘Pabulum’ and a Professor’s Punishment.

• YOU'LL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
Inside Higher Ed also reports the arrest of a U of Iowa political science professor regarding a series of alleged incidents. In one alleged incident, a student went to see the professor about what she could do about her poor grades. He told her she’d have to “do something.” He then “grabbed and sucked on her breast”:

The student said that the professor sent her an e-mail congratulating her on earning an A+ and offered to meet to help her get into law school.

• OK, OFF THE FREAKIN' BOAT!
Finally, IHE reports on the U of Virginia’s tough anti-plagiarism policy, which was recently enforced on two students who were enjoying the university’s Semester at Sea program off the coast of Greece. The university explained that “students who are forced to leave the ship are never disembarked in unsafe locations….”

Oh good.

• PARTé.
Last night, a former student (he’s now a full-time professor in the CSU system) and his fiancé dropped by—and that turned into a party. I’ve posted some pictures. Pictured are: Mortimer, a fine young man who is uncommonly quiet and alert—he was the life of the party. Also: Jason and Robyn, the bloggers behind the fine 13 Stoploss (do check it out). Also: Melissa making a point with my 44 Magnum. (It’s my late brother’s beyond-repair gun that, long ago, blew up in my hand down at the range. My first and last experience with such a thing.) Also: Shelly & Robyn. And Ken & Mortimer.

Santa Barbara City College President Andreea Serban recently spotted in her new Cadillac.

See also "Tell me more, Herr Bauer"