CSU Faculty Voice: This Can't Be True

Thursday, July 16, 2015

This Can't Be True

So if I am reading the excerpts in the previous post correctly, the president of this university has little grasp of the functioning of the institution, which runs counter to what I have personally witnessed during the past six years. When the president of the university is in involved in minutia like the Faculty Senate governance documents, hiring of faculty, and a myriad of other activities, then he doesn't get to say later, I don't know how things work. Watson has been unable to stay in his lane since arriving at the university and now under oath, he portrays a hands off management style? I am incredulous at these assertions.

For someone who has purportedly walked into meetings asking who he can fire, it seems disingenuous to first state that he has authority to terminate the employment of a subordinate and then in a follow up question not understand the question "And do you have the final decision about whether or not to terminate the employment of those individuals who reported directly to you?"

As for the hiring of Ms Muscadin as the Associate Vice President of Student of Affairs, it doesn't "bubble up." There is a process, that includes a search committee and interviews and comparisons against other qualified candidates. I know there was a "process" because I was part of that process and made my judgements about it and its outcome known to the committee and its chair. That's how the process works. Hiring decisions of senior administrators don't just bubble up.

Since it is apparent he knows so little, let me help here. Resign. Today, now. Save the university from your acknowledged ignorance. Admit to the board that you are unable to function as the president and resign. Otherwise, your incompetence will continue to be on display.

The full transcript must lead one to conclude that the most inept, incompetent president of a four year university is ensconced at CSU. Along the continuum of embarrassment where is this university?

Words at this point fail your humble narrator.

And as one loyal reader recently remarked, the carnival is still in town.

1 comment:

UnknownJul 16, 2015, 7:48:00 PM
"Bubble up" seems an honest description. By comparison, things "bubble up" at sewage plants and historically in some of our local creeks.
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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.