involving the Lane County DA or the Eugene PD. Seems pretty broad: Arnold’s website is here.
Posts published in “Uncategorized”
10/16/2015: No, of course I’m not talking about Chuck Lillis and his statement to Oregonian reporter Rich Read that he hoped the UO Senate could survive my election as president. Lillis will come around.
I’m talking about UBC board chair John Montalbano, who resigned today, 7 weeks after he called up UBC professor Jennifer Berdahl to complain about her blog post, which called his board’s decision to fire the UBC president racist and sexist. Berdahl’s chair was funded by a $2M donation from Montalbano.
The CBC has a report about the subsequent investigation and Montalbano’s resignation here, and Professor Berdahl is gleefully blogging about it here:
Two months ago I wrote about my experiences of reprimand at UBC after publishing a blog post that raised uncomfortable questions about organizational culture, diversity, and leadership. A fact-finding process was agreed to by the University of British Columbia’sFaculty Association and the UBC Administration into allegations of interference with my academic freedom. The findings of the third party investigator, the Honourable Lynn Smith, Q.C., led her to conclude that UBC failed in its obligation to support and protect my academic freedom.
The Smith Report notes that “The protections of academic freedom extend to the dissemination of scholarly research and opinion through these new electronic media” (p. 5) as well as to “commentary (whether positive or negative) by members of UBC on the extent to which the central functions of the University are being advanced or hindered by decisions or initiatives affecting the University” (p. 6). Some people did not understand that an academic blog, and comments about one’s university and its leadership, are protected by academic freedom. So is scholarly opinion and speculation; asking questions and proposing theories are crucial to the advancement of inquiry and knowledge.
Academic freedom is to a university what love is to a family….
8/26/2015: UBC Board’s John Montalbano defends self against blogger Berdahl
He comes off very well. I particularly liked the part where he explains that the UBC faculty *elects* several board members. Don’t tell that to UO Law Professor Susan Gary, who was first appointed on recommendation of UO Law Professor Margie Paris without faculty consultation, and then kept her position on the board last year without an election, despite UO Senate legislation to hold one for nominees.
Under Dave Hubin UO’s Public Records Office refused to give fee waivers to journalists – even UO student journalists. Oregon public records law requires an explanation for fee waiver denials. Hubin and PR Officer Lisa Thornton ignored that law. Now Daily Emerald reporter Noah McGraw has written a very good report…
Undergrads respond to Provost Coltrane’s pleas for a rescue effort: “Nope. Voluntary collective action would be a violation of the standard model.” “Wait, let me check my 201 grade on Canvas. No. Definitely not.” UOAlert! This is a test of the UOAlert! system and a reminder to practice earthquake response: Duck, Cover, and Hold.…
The BBC reports that the Ashmolean only paid £250,00 for their bowl: So far UO’s tab is: $452,200 Attorney Fees to plaintiff’s lawyers $ 45,773 Costs to plaintiff $650,000 Economic damages $105,000 Punitive damages $1,252,973 Total Then of course you have to add in the many billable hours UO’s outside lawyer Andrea…
Transparency, accountability, etc. Presumably this explains why UO faculty Trustee Susan Gary (Law), who was appointed with minimal input from faculty, and then reappointed with none, has suddenly started holding office hours. From the HECC docket, here:
10/14/2015: The NYT has the news here.
Whoops, that’s about Berkeley Astronomy Prof Geoffrey Marcy, not about UO AAEO Director Penny Daugherty.
10/12/2015: UO’s workplace relationships policy is broken
Stuart Tomlinson has the report in the Oregonian, here: Oh, wait, this is the earthquake data. Never mind.
10/13/2015: That’s the latest from the faculty club – no more money down this hole. It’s nice how even the rumors are more optimistic at UO these days. But don’t forget how much effort it took to end this, if it’s really ended: public records requests, a petition to the DA after UO’s General…
Taking out the mirror requests, it looks like a bit less than one PR request per day. Most are pretty simple requests for a contract or some such. The office has a $300K budget: How can they be this far behind? It’s almost as if they’re not really trying. Full log…
Here. But don’t try to get them to provide basic financial records during union bargaining, unless you’re willing to file an Unfair Labor Practices complaint. The latest data omits some of the more interesting administrative bloat salary data that IR revealed last year:
10/30/2018 update: I’ve always had a soft spot for Kelly, because he had the sense of humor to hide his $25K payoff to Willie Lyles where no reasonable person would ever have found it – in the UO libraries financial accounts: Unfortunately for Kelly, sports reporters are not reasonable people.…
10/12/2015: Today’s report by the Daily Emerald on this course, here, doesn’t mention that little detail. How did UO’s Faculty Athletics Representative miss this irregularity?
Fortunately for the Ducks, the UO Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Committee discovered this and put an end to it several years ago. The course is now pass/fail.
What other questionable courses are UO’s student-athletes taking? Hard to say. AD Rob Mullens and his designees have refused to meet with the IAC since a few days after Mullens and Mike Gottfredson read the EPD report on the basketball rape allegations, and Gottfredson then appointed his handpicked “Presidential Advisory Group on Intercollegiate Athletics” to take over the IAC’s job. The IAC asked too many questions.
And the PAGIA’s meetings are closed.
10/23/2014: Report on gut classes for athletes leads UNC to fire nine employees