UI students join faculty in voting 'no confidence' in regents

[cigaretteman]

Governments representing the undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the University of Iowa have joined the UI Faculty Senate in issuing no-confidence votes in the Iowa Board of Regents.

The measures approved Tuesday by the UI Student Government and the Graduate and Professional Student Government came five days after the regent's unanimous hiring of a former IBM business executive Bruce Harreld as the 21st UI president.

The UISG resolution said regents showed a "willful disregard for the opinions" of students. The graduate student government said the regents' actions "portray a board not acting in the best interest of the university."

The graduate students' statement also noted that "the pretense of transparency throughout the search wasted taxpayer money and UI constituency members’ time and effort."

Earlier Tuesday, the Faculty Senate approved for a similar rebuke of regents for selecting Harreld, who has no experience in university administration, over his fellow finalists: two university provosts and a college president.

The UI Staff Council is scheduled to discuss the presidential search process during its meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The votes from the faculty and student governance groups add to the backlash against the regents' unanimous decision last week to sign a five-year contract with Harreld, offering an annual salary of $590,000 with $200,000 per year in deferred compensation. The contract also allows Harreld to request a tenured position within the UI Tippie College of Business, but Harreld said Friday he will not seek tenure.

Similar condemnations have been issued by COGS UE Local 896, the union representing UI graduate employees, and the UI chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Faculty and student leaders stress that the "no-confidence" votes are directed at the regents and not at Harreld, whose first day is scheduled Nov. 2.

"By selecting a president believed to be qualified by less than 5 percent of the polled UI faculty, students, and staff, the Board has left the UI community and our new president with a tense relationship when we should be focusing on an exciting new era for the University," the graduate students' statement read. "Despite the flawed selection process, we expect to work closely with President-Elect J. Bruce Harreld to ensure that the University of Iowa continues on the path to greatness."

http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...t-group-votes-no-confidence-regents/71914788/

 

[KennyPowers_96]

I'd be way more impressed if they were working on a way to bridge the gap between themselves and the president, as opposed to bitching about a process that is already complete. It's this type of petty, time wasting reaction that makes it very difficult to defend any faculty.

 

[jscott78]

Tend to agree. But Terry and the ratstetter rammed their guy through. The bribe didn't smooth things over. Now its time to grow up, faculty etc. Maybe this is why UI is falling so far behind Iowa State in enrollment?

 

[torbee]

I'd be way more impressed if they were working on a way to bridge the gap between themselves and the president, as opposed to bitching about a process that is already complete. It's this type of petty, time wasting reaction that makes it very difficult to defend any faculty.

Actually, that's exactly what they said they're going to do: "Despite the flawed selection process, we expect to work closely with President-Elect J. Bruce Harreld to ensure that the University of Iowa continues on the path to greatness."

There is no question that the BOR wasted a bunch of taxpayer money by hiring an outside selection firm to try and fake "transparency" when it is blatantly obvious they were going to install their hand-picked candidate from the outset.

 

[mstp1992]

Actually, that's exactly what they said they're going to do: "Despite the flawed selection process, we expect to work closely with President-Elect J. Bruce Harreld to ensure that the University of Iowa continues on the path to greatness."

There is no question that the BOR wasted a bunch of taxpayer money by hiring an outside selection firm to try and fake "transparency" when it is blatantly obvious they were going to install their hand-picked candidate from the outset.

Rastetter would gain a bit of credibility if he just admitted the Final 4 was for show and they made a mistake by parading in 3 candidates they knew would generate a positive response from the university community when from the beginning the board had their choice in place.

I guess I'm having a hard time figuring out why Rastetter just can't admit the selection process was flawed.
Of course, anyone who's dealt with Rastetter knows what kind of asshole he can be.

 

[SCHawkFan]

Lemmings.

 

[22*43*51]

Children leading children.

 

[Err.]

Maybe this is why UI is falling so far behind Iowa State in enrollment?

Or, it is because Iowa State doesn't mind cramming as many kids into crappy dorms as they can. Iowa was perfectly happy keeping enrollment about the same until the the regents threatened to take their funding if they didn't bring in more Iowa kids. Then the regents throw a hissy fit when Iowa tries to get a satellite campus in Des Moines saying it will cause competition among Iowa and Iowa State.. well no crap... who do you think started that competition by trying to tie funding to the number of Iowa kids enrolled?

 

[augHAWK]

There is no question that the BOR wasted a bunch of taxpayer money by hiring an outside selection firm to try and fake "transparency" when it is blatantly obvious they were going to install their hand-picked candidate from the outset.

Actually, there must be a question, because I don't see it this way.

 

[timinatoria]

Rastetter would gain a bit of credibility if he just admitted the Final 4 was for show and they made a mistake by parading in 3 candidates they knew would generate a positive response from the university community when from the beginning the board had their choice in place.
QUOTE]


Suuuuure he would. Everyone would just join hands and sing songs together if he said that.