Comments on: Is it really a question of style more than substance in UA ruckus? http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/2009/09/18/is-it-really-a-question-of-style-more-than-substance-in-ua-ruckus/ Thoughts on heaven and earth and some things in between Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:25:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: CBomb http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/2009/09/18/is-it-really-a-question-of-style-more-than-substance-in-ua-ruckus/comment-page-1/#comment-12321 CBomb Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:26:08 +0000 http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/?p=249#comment-12321 It's interesting that anybody would cite the UA Defender blog - I attempted to post comments to it, and although the blog writer will defend to the death your right to say something she won't agree with, she also won't post it. Champion of truth and justice! LOL. I know that several previous colleagues of mine from UA agree that it is high time for change at UA - and I agree with above poster, Hay is NOT there to build consensus.  And I"m gonna go on a limb here, without too great a leap in logic, and say that faculty member X who was told to cut more people off his budget probably has at least one relative, one undergraduate lover, and several people he owns a business with working for him.  And maybe some of his wives friends.  And I can guarantee you, if he's in medicine, as a faculty member, whether it's pharmacy or college of Med, he's making biiiiiiiiiig bucks and probably not even required to teach/mentor or anything else resembling education. Stroll in at 10am ("meetings"), leave at 2pm ("meetings"). We are in a recession folks. It's time for do-nothings with cushy 100K plus (or 200K and 300K plus) a year salaries (public institution, remember?) to start asking hard questions.  Go ahead and dust off those conflict of interest forms that nobody's audited in ten years and see what needs to be cut.  How about we first cut the contracts of faculty-owned businesses who are running their enterprises through fee-for-service entities at the University of Arizona - with taxpayer-subsidized infrastructure, hell yeah that's a bargain, baby. Tyranny?  Yeah, well let's just say there is a HUGE contingent of faculty at UA who are here for the lifestyle - I call them the get-sum-for-less crowd - lots of New Yorkers, Chicagoans and even a few NoCal residents for good measure.  They want to have more time for themselves, golf, travel and grad student skirts and hiring their buddies.  Toooooo many 4.5 FTEs at UA.  It's high time Shelton and Hay clean house, repossess the education part of the land grant mandate, and return this public institution to both ethics and sanity. That's right.  PUBLIC institution.  What you do on your own time as a faculty member here, yeah, it matters to taxpayers.  Wanna hottub with your students - do it somewhere else, please. UA folks wouldn't last two minutes at ASU which is KILLING UA in its ability to attract and retain talent.  The old boy network and their infinity pools have RUINED the UA, entrenched the very very worst kind of people (and all the buddies they can hire)...personally I don't give a rat's a** whether faculty like it.  They will never like it when people come in and ask them to be more accountable. YOu want to keep your job?  Produce!  Yeah, I can see how that would piss off UA faculty. You want a raise? Teach. Mentor.  Publish. Chasing grad student tail should no longer be the unifying cause around which faculty congregate and commiserate.  I've never worked at a more unprofessional place in my life.  And if you try to fix it at the bottom life, you WILL be escorted out.  I hope HAY is able to make some headway and clean house.  Who cares about her social skills.  Get rid of the chaffe. And tell them take their viagra and condom machines with them. Go ahead and show some more numbers from UA Defender.....that is the old boy network right there.....Hay's encroaching on her 4.5 FTE. LOL. Of course they aren't happy.  Their lucrative get-sum-for-less lifestyle is being threatened. Think of all the money we could save if we start cutting the highest paying jobs....administrators with bachelor's degree making 150K as Assistant VPR?  Seriously folks?  Give me a CPA certification or something. I guess an MBA or PhD is out of the question. What a joke. Tucson is no longer for Tucsonans, and neither is the UA.  YOu want a good undergrad education, go to NAU, you want a professional work environment and a grad school environment that doesn't outright exploit you, go to ASU. They have rules there, and they actually follow them. UA is broken and faculty privilege and backscratching are to blame.  Who do these people think they are? SO many native Tucsonans have said no thanks after working there.  These are not the values I, for one, grew up with. The only people comfortable there now are the folks from cities where corruption, gladhanding and schmoozing/hiring friends and family are commonplace. Tucson used to be an okay place until this lot started strolling in their BMW's. I think it's telling that Bio5 is named after KEating of the Keating 5 fame. LOL. We don't care where or who the money comes from....just as long as it comes. LOL.  What a joke.     It’s interesting that anybody would cite the UA Defender blog – I attempted to post comments to it, and although the blog writer will defend to the death your right to say something she won’t agree with, she also won’t post it. Champion of truth and justice! LOL.
I know that several previous colleagues of mine from UA agree that it is high time for change at UA – and I agree with above poster, Hay is NOT there to build consensus.  And I”m gonna go on a limb here, without too great a leap in logic, and say that faculty member X who was told to cut more people off his budget probably has at least one relative, one undergraduate lover, and several people he owns a business with working for him.  And maybe some of his wives friends.  And I can guarantee you, if he’s in medicine, as a faculty member, whether it’s pharmacy or college of Med, he’s making biiiiiiiiiig bucks and probably not even required to teach/mentor or anything else resembling education. Stroll in at 10am (“meetings”), leave at 2pm (“meetings”).
We are in a recession folks. It’s time for do-nothings with cushy 100K plus (or 200K and 300K plus) a year salaries (public institution, remember?) to start asking hard questions.  Go ahead and dust off those conflict of interest forms that nobody’s audited in ten years and see what needs to be cut.  How about we first cut the contracts of faculty-owned businesses who are running their enterprises through fee-for-service entities at the University of Arizona – with taxpayer-subsidized infrastructure, hell yeah that’s a bargain, baby.
Tyranny?  Yeah, well let’s just say there is a HUGE contingent of faculty at UA who are here for the lifestyle – I call them the get-sum-for-less crowd – lots of New Yorkers, Chicagoans and even a few NoCal residents for good measure.  They want to have more time for themselves, golf, travel and grad student skirts and hiring their buddies.  Toooooo many 4.5 FTEs at UA.  It’s high time Shelton and Hay clean house, repossess the education part of the land grant mandate, and return this public institution to both ethics and sanity. That’s right.  PUBLIC institution.  What you do on your own time as a faculty member here, yeah, it matters to taxpayers.  Wanna hottub with your students – do it somewhere else, please.
UA folks wouldn’t last two minutes at ASU which is KILLING UA in its ability to attract and retain talent.  The old boy network and their infinity pools have RUINED the UA, entrenched the very very worst kind of people (and all the buddies they can hire)…personally I don’t give a rat’s a** whether faculty like it.  They will never like it when people come in and ask them to be more accountable. YOu want to keep your job?  Produce!  Yeah, I can see how that would piss off UA faculty. You want a raise? Teach. Mentor.  Publish. Chasing grad student tail should no longer be the unifying cause around which faculty congregate and commiserate.  I’ve never worked at a more unprofessional place in my life.  And if you try to fix it at the bottom life, you WILL be escorted out.  I hope HAY is able to make some headway and clean house.  Who cares about her social skills.  Get rid of the chaffe. And tell them take their viagra and condom machines with them.
Go ahead and show some more numbers from UA Defender…..that is the old boy network right there…..Hay’s encroaching on her 4.5 FTE. LOL. Of course they aren’t happy.  Their lucrative get-sum-for-less lifestyle is being threatened.
Think of all the money we could save if we start cutting the highest paying jobs….administrators with bachelor’s degree making 150K as Assistant VPR?  Seriously folks?  Give me a CPA certification or something. I guess an MBA or PhD is out of the question. What a joke.
Tucson is no longer for Tucsonans, and neither is the UA.  YOu want a good undergrad education, go to NAU, you want a professional work environment and a grad school environment that doesn’t outright exploit you, go to ASU. They have rules there, and they actually follow them.
UA is broken and faculty privilege and backscratching are to blame.  Who do these people think they are? SO many native Tucsonans have said no thanks after working there.  These are not the values I, for one, grew up with. The only people comfortable there now are the folks from cities where corruption, gladhanding and schmoozing/hiring friends and family are commonplace. Tucson used to be an okay place until this lot started strolling in their BMW’s.
I think it’s telling that Bio5 is named after KEating of the Keating 5 fame. LOL. We don’t care where or who the money comes from….just as long as it comes. LOL.  What a joke.
 
 

]]> By: Ruth Ann http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/2009/09/18/is-it-really-a-question-of-style-more-than-substance-in-ua-ruckus/comment-page-1/#comment-1351 Ruth Ann Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:52:10 +0000 http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/?p=249#comment-1351 Comment from the UA Defender blog: <strong>86% not supportive of Hay</strong>, and <strong>80% not supportive of Shelton</strong>. And 69% not happy with their high-handed handling of the budget cuts. And 43% saying, wait a minute, stop saying "ALL the faculty support differential cuts" - 43% shy of 100 is pretty far from ALL. Where did those percentages come from ? The Defender did a tally. Here's how: On the questions assessing "confidence" or "no confidence" where 1 = "no support" and 5 = "full support," the range 1-3 defines the range going from "no support to neutral." Everything shy of 3.0, the midpoint, is negative - the "unhappy range." Or "no confidence," if you prefer. The Defender posted this tally of percentages in the "unhappy range": #1 ... the way the President has carried out the Transformation process: <strong>77% unhappy</strong> #2 ... the way the President has handled the recent budget cuts: <strong>69% unhappy</strong> #3 ...the way the Provost has carried out the Transformation Process: <strong>86% unhappy</strong> #4 ... the way the provost has handled the recent budget cuts: <strong>82% unhappy</strong> #5 ... the principle of differential cuts: <strong>43% not happy with it</strong> #10 How much confidence do you have in the ability of central administration to lead us through the tough challenges we face now and in the forseeable future? <strong>80% in the no-confidence range.</strong> The tally is at http://UADefender.blogspot.com Comment from the UA Defender blog:
86% not supportive of Hay, and 80% not supportive of Shelton. And 69% not happy with their high-handed handling of the budget cuts. And 43% saying, wait a minute, stop saying “ALL the faculty support differential cuts” – 43% shy of 100 is pretty far from ALL.
Where did those percentages come from ? The Defender did a tally. Here’s how:
On the questions assessing “confidence” or “no confidence” where 1 = “no support” and 5 = “full support,” the range 1-3 defines the range going from “no support to neutral.” Everything shy of 3.0, the midpoint, is negative – the “unhappy range.” Or “no confidence,” if you prefer.

The Defender posted this tally of percentages in the “unhappy range”:

#1 … the way the President has carried out the Transformation process: 77% unhappy
#2 … the way the President has handled the recent budget cuts: 69% unhappy
#3 …the way the Provost has carried out the Transformation Process: 86% unhappy
#4 … the way the provost has handled the recent budget cuts: 82% unhappy
#5 … the principle of differential cuts: 43% not happy with it
#10 How much confidence do you have in the ability of central administration to lead us through the tough challenges we face now and in the forseeable future? 80% in the no-confidence range.

The tally is at http://UADefender.blogspot.com

]]> By: beenthere http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/2009/09/18/is-it-really-a-question-of-style-more-than-substance-in-ua-ruckus/comment-page-1/#comment-1254 beenthere Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:11:35 +0000 http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/?p=249#comment-1254 With all due respect to her official position vs her real role as a "hit person",  she is not here to create consensus or buying in.  She has to make changes immediately and protect the president.  Her future career with another organization depends on her being able to make a claim to fame of  scorched earth at U of A. However, even she is not cutting enough or doing it fast enough to solve the real crisis and chaos at U of A. I would gladly work for her and help make change happen,  as long as she protected my back. With all due respect to her official position vs her real role as a “hit person”,  she is not here to create consensus or buying in.  She has to make changes immediately and protect the president.  Her future career with another organization depends on her being able to make a claim to fame of  scorched earth at U of A. However, even she is not cutting enough or doing it fast enough to solve the real crisis and chaos at U of A.
I would gladly work for her and help make change happen,  as long as she protected my back.

]]> By: Anon http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/2009/09/18/is-it-really-a-question-of-style-more-than-substance-in-ua-ruckus/comment-page-1/#comment-1251 Anon Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:21:59 +0000 http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/?p=249#comment-1251 Style is a big big problem, but be assured that this is not just about a "tough person" in the "laidback old Pueblo".  Not even close.  It is about the by-passing of input on major decisions, having a preconceived ideas of what you want before doing any research, and then trying to ram it down peoples throats.  That is not leadership...that is not tough...it is unwise, leads to poor decisions, leads to distrust, and ultimately where we are now which is a place where we should be fighting the legislature, but instead have major internal problems that that keep us from uniting.  If you look at the differential cuts decision, whether intended or not, division was the result.  And it certainly may save the administration's skin because those in Science, Law, and Eller who took low cuts, may be likely to ignore all the problems and not oppose them.  I could write for hours about just how many major decisions, some good ideas, with BIG consequences were just made without vetting them, without seeking guidance, without seeing support, and without caring when people got upset.  That IS leadership. It is called tyranny.  And, in a place like this, tyrrany doesn't work.  You don't have an army to enforce it. Style is a big big problem, but be assured that this is not just about a “tough person” in the “laidback old Pueblo”.  Not even close.  It is about the by-passing of input on major decisions, having a preconceived ideas of what you want before doing any research, and then trying to ram it down peoples throats.  That is not leadership…that is not tough…it is unwise, leads to poor decisions, leads to distrust, and ultimately where we are now which is a place where we should be fighting the legislature, but instead have major internal problems that that keep us from uniting.  If you look at the differential cuts decision, whether intended or not, division was the result.  And it certainly may save the administration’s skin because those in Science, Law, and Eller who took low cuts, may be likely to ignore all the problems and not oppose them.  I could write for hours about just how many major decisions, some good ideas, with BIG consequences were just made without vetting them, without seeking guidance, without seeing support, and without caring when people got upset.  That IS leadership. It is called tyranny.  And, in a place like this, tyrrany doesn’t work.  You don’t have an army to enforce it.

]]> By: Sallygradstudent http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/2009/09/18/is-it-really-a-question-of-style-more-than-substance-in-ua-ruckus/comment-page-1/#comment-1250 Sallygradstudent Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:55:24 +0000 http://tucsoncitizen.com/godblogging/?p=249#comment-1250 At Sallygradstudent, we're not so sure that Hay's personality is the only source of the discontent on campus.  You have to keep in mind that people are really getting fired and their colleagues feel they can't resist or they may go down, too.  As for graduate students, we're already at the bottom of the barrel, so when we hear that the U might cut our health benefits or salaries, well, that's just outrageous.  The administration of the U has yet to take a voluntary (even token) pay cut. At Sallygradstudent, we’re not so sure that Hay’s personality is the only source of the discontent on campus.  You have to keep in mind that people are really getting fired and their colleagues feel they can’t resist or they may go down, too.  As for graduate students, we’re already at the bottom of the barrel, so when we hear that the U might cut our health benefits or salaries, well, that’s just outrageous.  The administration of the U has yet to take a voluntary (even token) pay cut.

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