Bible study conflict escalates to national issue

The Journal-Sentinal ran a story about the Eau Claire conflict today, claiming that Eau Claire students aren't that interested. It does end with an anecdote of a student being pressured by an RA after refusing to join a bible study:

JS Online: Bible study conflict escalates to national issue

Welcome Northwestern Readers

I was surprised to see my blog listed in the print edition of the newspaper this morning. Now that I am in print, there may be all sorts of new readers.

If you are someone who dropped in because of the Sunday paper, leave me a comment. I would be interested to know if the printed word lures more people to the blog than the electronic link on the Northwestern's website. . .

COLS referendum results

Faculty of the College of Letters and Science recommends approval of the move of the Department of Economics from the College of Letters and Science to the College of Business Administration, as requested by the Department of Economics.



Approve __134_____ Do not approve __48____

University suspends Bible study ban

New Developments in a story I posted earlier -- UW Eau Claire's attempt to stop resident assistant from leading bible study ends for now.

There was no policy in writing, so it could not be officially enforced. Now, the system will write new rules governing these sorts of questions.

The question remains: should resident assistants, paid for their work helping students in the dorms, be able to lead bible studies in their rooms? Does it hurt their position as an accessible resource for students in the dorms? Will students of different faiths be able to feel comfortable when the person tasked to help them through the vagaries of college life suggests that the best way to do it is to abandon their own beliefs for his?



St. Paul Pioneer Press | 12/01/2005 | University suspends Bible study ban

This story in the Badger herald discusses how the issue is handled throughout the Big 10.

ADDED 12/4: Jody, in comments below, from the sidestreet added her own information about the story and her commentary at this link

Gossip about the Econ Department

I heard an interesting tidbit today about the econ department and their relationship with Dean Zimmerman.

Apparently, the most significant disagreement between the two of them was over money that came from the business school for some courses taught by members of the department. They wanted the money for the department, but Zimmerman kept it. Thus, the sentiment was that Zimmerman "stole" this money from them. I suppose that if I were more in the loop, I would have known about this particular incident earlier. It does clear up the rationale behind the push, though.

Now they want to collect the money directly, by becoming part of the College of Business.

The referendum is now over, so we'll see if there is a big groundswell of support within COLS for affirming the right of any department upset with the dean to leave the college.

I am convinced it is a quite ludicrous proposition, but the distrust and anger apparently runs deep . . .

Eau Claire student fee would fund pay raises

Tony Palmeri posted this link to the COLS list--students at Eau Claire make a nice symbolic gesture to support their professors by offering to help with salaries out of their own segregated fees.

This is part of a broader discussion on our list about the misperceptions about faculty salaries in the UW system. The public and the legislature operates under the assumption that we are making big bucks. Outside of a few high fliers at Madison, we make a decent living, but we are never going to get rich being college professors.

The life of the mind drew us, not the financial incentive. Administrators and legislators both like to take advantage of our idealism . . .

JS Online: Eau Claire student fee would fund pay raises

Wisconsin Supreme court rules on Marder case

Our supreme court ruled yesterday that most of the rules in the Marder case were properly followed. It returned the case to lower courts, however, for an investigation of whether "new facts" were added during a discussion before the board of regent's consideration of his appeal.

I haven't followed this case closely, but TAUWP has been supporting Marder and using him as an example of administrative power out of control for years.

Inside Higher Ed :: Tenured Professor's Firing (Largely) Upheld

Here is the supreme court brief and a story from 2001 about the Marder case that appeared at the Chronicle of Higher Education

For Profit College To Cancel Liberal Arts

Post University is eliminating all degree programs that don't lead directly to careers and upper-level liberal arts courses.

Technical school here we come. . . .

Inside Higher Ed :: Don't Know Much About History

Graduate Student Strikers Blog at NYU

I found this site very interesting. You can read the about the graduate students, the administration and their battles.

I am very sympathetic to the argument that graduate students are exploited, though it is hard to believe that life is too rough at NYU.

Nerds on Strike!: "c"

Turning academia into a cafeteria

The LA Times ran an editorial discussing the problems of the Academic Bill of Rights and the larger problem of a "choice-addled" society. Academic freedom is under assault because the language of diversity and choice has become a mantra in use to throttle lines of inquiry that someone may diagree with.

As Russell Jacoby, a professor at UCLA, suggests, "Truth itself is partisan."

Turning academia into a cafeteria - Los Angeles Times

COLS list invaded by Marines

Monday morning and we're back to work. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! The COLS list was active over the long vacation.

An extended debate got started after a list member objected to the tag-line on Mike Melland's email (see previous entry) which read:

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." President Ronald Reagan, 1985

This line got Gerry Grzyb worked up enough to post a response, a long quotation from a Marine General complaining about the uses of the Marines. And they were off. . .

I don't think it is worthy of a summary, since I have much to catch up on today, but the argument ebbed and flowed about American foreign policy, the U.S. Military, Iraq, the Nuremburg Trials, and finally, some personal insults.

As the postings continued, we were hit by the usual "remove me" emails from people who still haven't learned to avoid responding to the whole list (and who don't actually ever look at the email with specific unsubscribe instructions). The final? unsubscribe came from Tom Lammers, who denounced the whole list (but especially Gerry Grzyb) and let us all know he will not discuss any longer.

The discussion about the Marines has generally been unproductive, but information about book-rental and other campus issues have been informative. Outside the often heated rhetoric of Lammers, Grzyb and a few others, it has not been a bad outlet for broader connections across campus.

Chronicle of Higher Education Article on Wisconsin

This article came across the COLS listserv today, thanks to Mike Melland.

The article discusses the collision between the UW system and the Legislature. There are several interesting moments in the text--in particular Jim Doyle, the "education" governor, criticizes the system in an interview, claiming we don't want the same oversight as other government agencies. It also ends with the standard rhetoric from Krebich, the most vocal slanderer of the UW system. One would think that his extremist views represent the whole of the state.

I hope not, but I guess the way Repubs and Dems alike agree to slash our budget, he probably is closer to it than I am. . .

A Residence Hall Director's Blog

I should be working, I know, but this popped up on technorati.com.

Jim Droste is a residence hall director of Breese Hall, and there are a few interesting university related discussions over there. A few students posted in relationship to the fight over bible study led by RAs in the dorms at UW-Eau Claire.

Check it out!

A Pirate's Log

Econ department continues to push for secession

Unfortunately, I missed the hearings held last week to hear the justifications for the switch from COLS to COBA.

I have not heard any real justification for this proposal, except that the department might work "slightly better" if it were attached to a different College.

The A-T article provides no justification, but it made me think about the topic.

The rumors suggest that this is a personal feud between the department and Zimmerman, and the weak justfications heard so far seem to make that the most likely reason.

I think that if the econ department really thinks that they are better defined as part of the specialized business degree, they should also be asking to be removed from the general education requirements of the university. Students should be asked to take a more general liberals arts course. They will get enough business experience after they graduate.

Both the dept. and Zimmerman claim that nothing will change in terms of requirements and majors, which makes the desire to switch even more puzzling. Perhaps there is economic value in pointless administrative reshuffling. What does current economic theory tell us on that point?




Advance Titan Online

Story Update: House Republicans regroup--cut student aid

Here is the story over at Oshkosh News, with some links to other stories.

The NYTimes Sunday magazine has an interesting discussion of how the Republicans use power in Washington--in particular by letting "moderates" vote against controversial measures as long as there is enough support for passage. In this case, too many moderates defected last week and more arms had to be twisted.

Petri, feeling safe in our district, voted to hurt college students across the U.S.

In a related story, the Journal Sentinal reports that legislators are angling to spend another $400 million on prisons, to keep sex offenders behind bars longer. Any guesses as to where the money for that is going to come from???

Searching for Summer School

The administration has once again begun to hunt for faculty members to teach summer school. Dean Zimmerman has made it clear in his various budget meetings that these courses cost the college money, but system is demanding that we offer more, more, more!! Does UWO really need any summer school courses? Are the ones you teach full?


I don't want to teach over the summer, so are you going to sign up?

Attack of the Career-Killing Blogs - When academics post online, do they risk their jobs? By Robert S. Boynton

Here is another article about how blogging can hurt your academic career. A nationally renown blogger from University of Chicago didn't get tenure, and some blame his blogging.. . .


Attack of the Career-Killing Blogs - When academics post online, do they risk their jobs? By Robert S. Boynton

Threats to Liberal Education from Left and Right

I like this story about liberal education over at slate.com, part of their "college week."

The author proposes that liberal education is under assault from the left-wing that questions the practice of teaching as too elitist and the right wing who is obsessed with making college narrowly practical.
I am not sure I agree with the premise, but it is a good thought piece.

Reforming College - What professors don't tell you. By Astrida Orle Tantillo

Mellon Foundation to investigate college student graduation rates

the president of the Mellon foundation announced that he is planning to research the reasons that only 54% of college students have graduated after 6 years.

UWO's rate is even lower, if I remember correctly, so this is a question we should be thinking more about ourselves.

CNN.com - Focus on getting students into college shifts to getting them out - Nov 16, 2005

Pennsylvania Republicans attack university professors

The Penn. legislature is "investigating" universities in pennsylvania for bias. Academics at Temple organized a teach-in to protest such witch hunts.

I imagine that we may be seeing similar things here in Wisconsin before long. It is a short news story in the Philadelphia Inquirer about it.

Registration is required, but I have begun to use www.bugmenot.com to avoid having to give my email address.

Philadelphia Daily News | 11/12/2005 | Profs get warned of freedoms