CSU Faculty Voice: Anatomy of a Scam--How to be the Perennial "Educator of the Year."

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Anatomy of a Scam--How to be the Perennial "Educator of the Year."

Flim Flam 101

Introduction to Fleecing the Rubes--How to Win the Same Award More than Once:

One of the great things about the internet is that often things do not disappear, they sort of float out there waiting to be recovered. Many of you might remember the announcement of Watson's "Educator of the Year" award in 2012. If you look at the news releases on the Chicago State website, it is, unfortunately, gone. However, it is still possible to retrieve the news release by doing a simple search of the site. As a result, we can see how our communications (or whatever they're called) people participate in scamming the university community. Do not take my word for this, however, look at the two announcements side-by-side and decide for yourself if this is an example of the old o-ke doke.

Because of Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 Thurgood Marshall awards gala had to be cancelled. Thus, the organization did not actually present any awards (including Watson's award for "Educational Leadership") in 2012. This is the announcement of the event's cancellation: https://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.net/press/the-thurgood-marshall-college-fund-25th-anniversary-awards-gala-in-new-york-city-october-29-2012-at-the-hilton-hotel-is-cancelled. Nonetheless, the day after the scheduled gala, Chicago State's website carried an announcement that the Thurgood Marshall College Fund had "coined" Watson as "Educator of the Year." Here's the October 30, 2012 announcement from the Chicago State web site (I've put the link into the text in case anyone is interested) of Watson's award in 2012:

Here's the announcement from the Chicago State web site of the same award to Watson in 2013:

Now we know how to turn a single award into multiple awards, simply have a hurricane blow through cancelling the event. When it is held a year later, you can say again that you've been acclaimed the "educator of the year," or something like that. I can only echo the artist on "Cougar 4 Life." "Really?"

1 comment:

Professor PanchoDec 11, 2013, 3:49:00 PM
"We got the info/the people who gave him the award are like kinfolk"
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Thanks to Haki Madhabuti

"1. He/she must be a scholar of national note, with significant peer review publications and books in his or her field. There must be no doubt as to his/her standing in the community of scholars. This would also include a history of the candidate’s participation in the appropriate professional organizations.

2. He/she must have served with distinction as the administrative head of a major unit within an institution of higher learning or at the important position of Provost and/or Dean. Of course, prior service at the presidential level is preferred.

3. He/she must have a documented history of raising significant monies from the private and public sectors. At most major and research one universities it is not unusual to expect the president to come with a plan to raise in excess of half a billion dollars or more in the first few years.

4. The prospective president must have a consensus buy-in from the faculty, students, administration and staff, therefore, arriving with a unity mandate to lead by joining a University community that has bought into his or her vision for the future."

From an open letter to the CSU Community, 2009.