So Began the Fall of Rome

Today's meeting was a farce. There was never an intention to "decide" anything as the decision had already been made. In fact, the voice we have raised only hastened Lariviere's exit... originally his contract was not to be renewed in June... and now that several THOUSAND people have voiced support, that date got moved up.

This was about politics. Dr. L. did not play the game the way the politicians wanted him to play so they took their ball and went home. They are gutless cowards who know NOTHING about how to be great... being great requires a little intestinal fortitude and these scared bastards have little if any fortitude of any kind. I have tried to keep my cyber columns away from politics, but this is a time to speak on something other than sports...

The sad part is that the excuses they give for their decision are, business wise, justifiable. That is the reason that the support has fallen on deaf ears. Look, we all love his "gumption;" his guts. Nonetheless, he did violate direct mandates. It is irrelevant that the violation of those mandates was the right thing to do; as an employee, he violated the wishes of his boss. If the CEO of a major corporation is given a mandate to not raise salaries by his Board of Directors, then chooses to give those raises anyway; he would be fired. But if he gave those raises to keep the best people in the fold, it was the right move... even if the right move costs you your own job, if it makes the company stronger, you make the move. After all, that is his fiduciary responsibility.

The University of Oregon is, after all, a research institution. How on earth is it to meet its mandate if the best of the best professors leave the university because the university does not value their contribution and worth enough to give them what they have earned and what they deserve?

Unfortunately, this decision was not brought on just by the State Board of Education, it was brought to us by other universities whose Presidents were either unable to devise a plan to fund pay raises without public funds or lacked the guts to do what is right. Institutions like Oregon State, Portland State, Western, Eastern, and Southern Oregon University refused to follow suit and instead went to the State Board to complain. Their professors had caught wind and voiced their displeasure that ALL of the universities should be able to get creative like Oregon had done.

Once again, jealousy and pettiness rules when it comes to political aspirations. When those other universities cried fowl, the State Board felt that they had no other choice; they were cornered.

Today, the State Board of Education proved only one thing; they have absolutely no concern for higher education. Their only concern is appeasing the masses. So began the fall of Rome.

More to come tomorrow with a full "story" as these were just some thoughts I had today.