Public Admission

So loyal readers, I feel compelled to admit to being wrong about a recent prediction I made about the number of courses that would be cut this semester. I predicted 250 courses would be cut. I was wrong. It was actually 278. Of the roughly 1,500 courses we started with that is only an 18% cancellation rate. I wonder what would happen to an airline that cancelled 18% of its flights. How long would that airline stay in business? So what happens to a university that develops a reputation as an institution where students can't get the classes that they need to graduate in a timely manner? Does enrollment decline? No faculty member would argue that no classes should be cancelled but the process used by this administration is so dysfunctional as to be counter-productive to sound management practices. In the past five or so years there was much hoopla about the implementation of Ad Astra. It was to be the tool that would manage space utilization, course planning, and scheduling. The university would be saved from the semi-annual blooding ritual known as the cut session. At yesterday's Faculty Senate meeting, the body was informed that the university, did not purchase the module of Ad Astra that manages course planning. There was talk, according to the Provost, but as usual no action taken. The administration is much more focused on the minutia of faculty governance apparently as many hours have been dedicated by this administration to ensuring the most disrespectful intrusion into faculty affairs possible by administrators with no university experience, much less university faculty experience. As an aside, I find it deeply troubling that a provost would be appointed who is not tenurable in an academic department. That slap in the face of all faculty demonstrates the utter contempt this failure of an administration holds for its professional betters. But I digress.The administration's inept response to this fiasco is to try to fix individual students' situations instead of some rational, data driven decision making about a process that has devolved into a horror for the less than 5, 000 remaining students. As long as band aids are applied to sucking chest wounds, the patients will die. In our case enrollment, now in the hands of the least competent administrator on campus, will continue to plummet. 

One of my distinguished colleagues has often commented on the nature of the patronage pit that is CSU. The irony is that there will be no patronage without students enrolling for classes. There won't be students if the word on the street is that CSU has no classes to offer. This university is circling the drain and if the "reformers" in the state want to eliminate the patronage pit, all they need do is let this Board and administration stay in place just a couple of semesters longer.
Another cruel joke played by the universe was the small flicker of hope that the Board of Trustees might be righted with the appointment by Pat Quinn of former State Representative Kim du Buclet. The late term appointment was promptly rescinded by Governor Rauner. And the disintegration of the university now continues unabated. For those of us who actually care about the university and don't just mouth the words, we should send Thank You cards to Pat Quinn in his much needed retirement for his part in this avoidable disaster.