Strange tales emanating from Virginia where the totally surprising ouster of the President of the University of Virginia, Teresa Sullivan, is leaving in it’s wake a series of revealing records that suggest, in the words of one commentator, a ‘coup by a cabal of MBAs’. In his critical report of events in SLATE, the energetic Siva Vaidhyanathan describes eloquently some of the nonsense surrounding the explanations offered by the university. Yes, people do really talk about the need for ‘strategic dynamism’ as if it means something new, different, and more effective than old fashioned strategic planning. Well, a certain kind of person does anyhow. That would be the same kind of person that accidentally leaves an email trail revealing some shenanigans on the Shenandoah. Said author then resigns over the furor caused by his email. Does it surprise you that he’s connected with the Darden School of Business and Wall St?
However, all is not lost. As if to confirm decency is not entirely lacking in Virginia, Prof Bill Wulf of Computer Science resigns stating publicly that he cannot work any longer for a university that is being led to disaster by an out of control Board of Visitors, urging other faculty to follow suit. It’s the stuff of a bad novel, only it’s happening in the real world. One might be forgiven for thinking that some interest groups have woken up to an idea that universities are an untapped resource for revenue generation and they are not about to let a minor mission like education get in their way. “There’s money in them there ivory towers”, I can just hear it now, though the call is coded in the buzz words of b-speak like ‘structural dynamism’. Don’t imagine it’s only happening in Virginia. The attack on public higher education is not going away anytime soon. Meanwhile at least Teresa Sullivan is retaining her dignity throughout, as befits a leading university president. What a shame the same cannot be said of all others connected with the venerable institution.
STOP the PRESS — this afternoon, June 26th, Terry was reinstated as the President by a new vote of the Board. Now is THAT an example of structural dynamism?