6/14/2013: President Gottfredson has to decide who will replace retired UO law professor Jim O’Fallon very soon. O’Fallon has been the FAR for 23 years – since back when he actually was faculty – without ever going through a performance review. This is a clear violation of OUS rules, and in addition the 2004 UO Task Force Report on Athletics – signed by Dave Frohnmayer and then AD Bill Moos – specifically called for a review of O’Fallon.
Bullet point #2:
This never happened. O’Fallon’s contract is here. His current deal is set to expire in two weeks:
The FAR job is a pretty sweet one for a professor who likes sports and junkets to the UO games – paid for out of the academic budget of course. Rumor down at the faculty club horse barn is that the jockeying to replace O’Fallon has begun in earnest. Prominent among likely contenders would be former Intercollegiate Athletics Committee chair Dev Sinha, who recently demonstrated his loyalty to the Ducks with this impassioned 32 page powerpoint to the UO Senate, opposing the motion to get the athletic department to follow Task Force recommendation #1 on contributions to the academic side (posted with permission):
Dev Sinha seems to have sold out to the athletic department without the salary bump. Imagine what he’ll be like once his livelihood depends on his actions.
I’m thinking it isn’t likely. I hear that the atheltic department has a love/hate thing with him, though. They value any and all allies, which are becoming fewer in number, but they wish he was smarter. They can’t have Dev representing them without exposing themselves to some significant risk.
One might think that Lorraine’s PhD in physical education (i.e. gym class) makes her a good choice. But she is a jock strap sniffer extraordinaire, has low ethical standards and isn’t that smart either.
The misogyny of the above post deserves comment. Does the denigration of female administrators enable the author to imagine himself brilliant?
girltroll
I know plenty of smart and ethical women at the UO and elsewhere — Lorraine just isn’t on the list.
By the way, your assumption about my gender is incorrect.
You don’t have to be male to be a misogynist, just like you don’t have to be white to be a racist. UOM is rife with misogyny. While I will not make any assumptions about your gender, I’m assuming it’s okay to presume you teach at the UO. My suggestion is that you stop and think before you write anything here – would you make your jockstrap sniffing comment in front of students in class? If no, then it doesn’t belong here either. (And if the answer is yes, then you don’t belong at a teaching institution, but that’s another story.)
Just to be clear — when I used the term “jockstrap sniffing” I was thinking about the second definition listed in the urban dictionary:
jock sniffer
(n) one who hangs around with professional athletes or jocks in general, thinking this will make them higher on the social food chain. Sometimes does dirty work for jocks.
My comment was not intended to suggest other connotations of the term (e.g. the erotic aspect of the sniffing). Actually, on reflection I don’t think LD hangs around jocks to improve her social standing. She does it in spite of the fact that it harms her social status among faculty. So she’s really just a super fan — but jock strap sniffer is funny while super fan is merely a dull but accurate descriptive phrase.
regarding teaching: Why would any instructor feel the need to discuss jock strap sniffing in their class? Maybe if I were teaching the class on sexual fetishes?
I know you object to the olfactory aspect of my post, but you haven’t commented on Lorraine’s low ethical standards and her limited intellectual abilities. These characteristics are equally disturbing especially given her super fan status.
Finally, is it possible to criticize a women without being labeled a misogynist?
Dear J-s,
Keep thinking! If you can make criticisms based on evidence and reason, without resort to name-calling or gendered stereotypes, then your arguments may gain persuasive force. It is never too late for someone who teaches at a university to learn what is and what is not misogyny.
This whole exchange could be exhibit A for a study of the sexist underside of faculty politics.
Glad to see the evolution of EOM as a pedagogical tool.
I hope girltroll and others will continue to take on authors who rely on misogyny and name-calling in place of evidence and argument. Kudos to anonymous for the excellent points raised above regarding appropriate language for this blog.
And let me say it–I know plenty of smart and ethical men!
girltroll fan
I know plenty of smart and ethical men and women at the UO. But none are administrators.
Well, you know, as a girl myself, I’d really rather this not become an educational space… I understood what the original anonymous meant by the sniffer remark (even before receiving further enlightenment) and thought his/her whole post a perfect encapsulation of my own opinion of Davis. Since the implied question is whether she’d be a fitting replacement for O’Fallon, it made a case for “no.”
This is a blog: I’d rather have sarcasm than sanctimony.
None are administrators? Really? Jamie Moffitt? Scott Coltrane?
I’m a girl offended on behalf of those who teach about sexual fetishes and all jockstrap sniffers everywhere. Doesn’t a good liberal arts education teach us ‘de gustibus non est disputandum’?
Dev would be an excellent choice as FAR. He’s got a passionate belief in the importance of intercollegiate athletics for the participants and for UO in general. Also lots of experience on the IAC, and the respect of the athletic department, Johnson Hall, and the faculty.
Is that the line you’re going to maintain for your campaign, Dev?
Another voice in support of Dev. And now I’m not Dev. He is thoughtful and well spoken and really cares about the University and athletics.
My first choice would be Nathan. Are any COIA people from other universities serving as FAR’s?