Well, the 2010 Winter Olympics are finally over. The Canadians should be proud of themselves, both for putting on the extravaganza and for their showing..  Previous to these games, they had not won Olympic gold on their “home and native land.”  Now they’ve won 13, close to realizing their national goal of “owning the podium.”  I used to think I was one of the few in the area that knew the words to “O! Canada,” but by now I’m sure I’m not the only one thoroughly sick of a song I used to like.
The USA media would have us believe we “won” these olympics by accumulating 37 medals. an impressive and, s I understand it, record total.  But only eight of them were gold.  Germany and Norway each had more golds, so I  guess if there’s a winner, it depends on how you count.  If you just count golds, Canada won.  If you use some other scoring system, like 3 points for a gold, 2 for a silver and 1 for a bronze, I imagine one could get a variety of winners, depending on the weight given each type of medal.

But the American’s accomplishment should not be belittled.  We scored in sports for which the podium had been only viewed from a distance by US athletes.  Specifically, I refer to the skiing events, bobsledding, luge figure skating and ice dancing, to name but a few.  Previously the Russians had owned the podium in the figure skating and ice dancing events, but no more, probably due to a drop in state support.  The improvement in bobsledding was remarkable.  Most of have heard of the Jamaican sled that made the olympics a few olympiads ago, but how many realize they defeated the US sled?

Austria and Switzerland have always been the countries to beat in downhill skiing, but the Americans pulled in their share of medals, despite the fact there is no financial support for skiing from the US Olympic Committee.  In the X-game events, Shaun White dazzled everyone that watched him. When these events were introduced, I wondered about their appropriateness.  After all, the original olympics in antiquity were between warriors that stopped fighting long enough to determine who was best at the various battle skills.  But there can be no denying that Shaun White, for example, is a marvelous athlete.

The hockey tournament was highlighted by the strong showing of the Swiss team and the two games between the US and Canada.  I’ve been watching hockey for nearly 60 years, have seen the Soviet Red Army team on a number of occasions including a game against Czechoslovakia in person, the NHL-Soviet series in 1972 on TV and have never seen such hard fought, almost flawless hockey.

the speed skating was interesting.  In the 1500 meter race, won by Apollo Ohno, there were comments before the finals that the South Koreans might skate as a team, which is illegal but unenforceable.  Of course, there were Canadian voices making some of these accusations.  Sure enough, on the next to last turn one of the Koreans grabbed Ohno and another shoved him out of the way so that the Koreans were at that point, heading toward the finish line, the Koreans were 1-2-3.  Then, an ironic twist of fate, the two Koreans that had mugged Ohno wiped each other out, and the US, led by Ohno, got second and third.  Then, in the 500 meter race, Ohno was making his patented move from the back toward the end of the race when he put his hand on a skater he was passing, who then fell down.  Ohno finished second to the Canadian winner.  The announcers were saying that Ohno might be disqualified since the skater he put his hand on fell down.  If he hadn’t, there would likely be no disqualification, since the touch was very slight.  Sure enough, Ohno was disqualified.  The nationality of the skater that fell: Canadian.  Anyone for skating as a team?

Of course, both men’s and women’s curling were  thorough embarrassments.

I did like the television coverage, which was on four chanels: NBC, USA, and two different CNBC’s.  They covered manyu events in their entirety, and spent time in many events to show a significant number of competitors and explain what made the higher placers better than the lower ones.  This was a far cry from the usual showing two US entries in a sport, like luge for example, in their performances and then cutting away as they place something like 70th and 71st.

Due no doubt to the strong US showing and the extensive coverage, I enjoyed these winter olympics

Another movie from Cormac McCarthy(Brokeback Mountain, No Country for Old Men), The Road, is no playing on the off Broadway screen at the Fargo Theatre.

The Road of the title is apparently the path taken by the few surviving humans after an unspecified global disaster.  There are apparently few human survivors, and many are sick with an unspecified malady which could be radiation poisoning.  But it could also not be.  The idea of a nuclear holocaust isn’t born out by the fact that everything is damaged, strewn about and in disarray.   In other words, the damage doesn’t seem to be in any way localized.  In the beginning, thee ae fires which continue on a smaller scale.  Read More Here

Fargo ND. – Although Congress is still working on health care reform legislation and it is far from final, rural North Dakota may be at the center of what some believe is the crowning achievement of the Obama Administration’s first year in office. Virginia Wolking, rural organizer with the Center for Rural Affairs, says the lack of health care services in rural areas has led to more serious and chronic medical conditions for many small town residents. She say one problem is that there are too few places for new doctors to learn the ropes.

“It is one of the big issues that, even if somebody wanted to practice in a rural area for their residency, there just are not enough slots for them. And research shows that when someone comes to a rural area to do their residency, they end up staying there, so that’s a really positive thing. ”

Wolking says she is sometimes discouraged by the politics around health care reform, but she thinks the benefits to people outweigh the benefits to corporations, if the outcome is that most people will be insured.

“More rural people are uninsured than people in urban areas, and people who are uninsured receive fewer preventive services. That’s part of why having 95 percent of people covered by insurance is so important, so that people can get the preventive care that they need.”

Critics continue to point out the costs involved, but Wolking says that while the House and Senate bills are being combined there’s a chance to work out the best possible compromise.

As I was about to write another essay on what I see as the crisis at NDSU my editor called my attention to the response to my Minard Hall ssay. Since it raises precisely the issues I wish to address, I will respond to these remarks.

Tom Isern is presumably  For the record, I have been at NDSU quite a bit more than twice Isern’s tenure(I believe he came to NDSU in the early 90’s as dean of what is now the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, a post he did not hold for long).  As for “bold words … published anonymously,” it is FargoPhantom staffs) policy to write using pen names(mine is assigned by the   The Phantom knows my identity in the case of legal issues. I’ve used much bolder words on the floor of the University Senate.  As to my commitment to my students and the state, I don’t think Isern has enough experience to have the commitment I have and have had to my students nor to develop the disappointment I have for the state.

I can see why Izern wants to talk about consolidating gains, since the only gains I see are expansion in his college, more departments and more degree programs.  Since I am in favor of NDSU eventually becoming a respectable university, I am pleased about this expansion.  However, NDSU is the North Dakota State University and Apoplied Science, and regardless of what the President’s office has been feeding the press, I see no gains there to consolidate.  In fact, I think that we are in a crisis when it comes continuing quality teaching and research.

In the last few years, we have dramatically increased our student numbers wthout a corresponding increase in faculty or infrastructure spending.   In fact, I  do not think there has not been an increase in departmental operating budgets, at least in the College of Science and Mathematics since the late eighties.  Department Heads and Chairs are under pressure from the upper administration to increase class sizes, open more sections and hire less qualified short timer staff to teach them.  This has been going on for decades and is, I believe, in crisis mode.  Infrastructure for reserch is also under pressure, and retention of quality reserch is a problem, as is retention of faculty in general.  In fact, the Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering resigned effective January 1st, whiom I cosider one of the best scholars I’ve ever met, over similar issues.  Research faculty as well as students need a good library for their work.  But departmental book budgets(the amount of library money departments can ask the library to spend on books in their disciplines) has declined to the point that for at least many departments, one can count on one hand that amount of books they can add to their collection in a given academic year.  Scholarly journal collections decrease at least bi-annualy.  This decline has been going on for well over thirty years, and I see it as a crisis.

The University has admitted for a number of years that faculty retention is a serious problem.  I believe it is beyond crisis.   There are 13 associate professors in the College of Science and Mathematics out of a faculty of about 80.  For those that aren’t familiar with academia, a new faculty member will typically be hired as an asssistant professor is reviewed after three years and is considered for tenure in his/her sixth year.  If awarded tenure, he/she is promoted to associate professor.  Full Professors are those that should have achieved an international reputation for their scholarly activity, as well as demonstrated excellence in teaching.  So, at least in the College of Science and Mathematics, the overwhelming number of faculty are either relatively young or senior.  And I can say without counting that the overwhelming number are assistant professors.  In fact, when a department needs a new chair or head, some departments find it difficult to find someone qualified.  Hiring outside heads/chairs seems to be difficult but not impossible.  My experience in serving on search committees both for chair and dean is that most qualified candidates turn down their offers, not necessarily  because their salary would be so low, but because they see the university as being desperately underfunded.  The only evidence I have for this is, of course, my own observation and experience, which is considerable.

As to faculty, our assistant professors have competitive salaries with our peer institutuions, the associate professors lag by 15% and professors by 35%.  More senior people can lag their peers by as much as 50%.  In my experience many if not most assistant professors do not even see their tenure question adressed.  After a couple of years and they’ve had an opportunity to look around, they leave, if they can.  I do not believe that the main reason for this is their individual salaries, but the awareness of the general underfunding of the University as well as the general lack of respect the University has in the state’s population.   In fact, a young PnD that stayed one year told me he was leaving because “the state of North Dakota does not want what we’re selling.”

I will point out again, as I remark that North Dakota ranks 50th in higher education salaries, that we have a billion dollar surplus.  I think the lack either of respect or knowledge is reflected in the make up of the search committee for the a new president.  The committee of 13, appointed by the State Board of Higher Education, contains one faculty member and one student.  Most of the rest are area businessmen.  I do not thnk this a good make up of a search committee for the president of a land grant university.  For that matter, I thiink the same of the State Board.  Before Isern came here, then Chancellor Treadway exhorted us all to become big Valley City States.  Nothing against VCSU, but their forte is elementary education.  NDSU is the State University of Agriculture and Applied Science.  Why is this relevant?  Because this is the situation we’re in, put there by a disrespecting or unaware public.  And I think the media is part of the problem.  According to WDAY, the decision to move to division one athletics was the “most important decision in the school’s history.”  Frankly, I think that, for example, the decision to hire Tom Isern more important.  When Interim President Hanson’s credentials are discussed, it is always mentioned that he is an ex Bison and Giant.  His other credentials are seldom mentioned, even though they are considerable.  When the MSUM enrollment crisis is mentioned, hockey is discussed as well as the effectivness of some of their billboards.  The idea of improving academic quality is never mentioned.  Do I believe that no one at MSUM has considered that?  Of course not, but it has been ignored by the athletics loving media.  I’ve spent years at other institutions, and this not the situation at those schools.  The public and media treat their academics with much more respect.

The above might seem off the subject, and maybe it is, but if the public is going to respect us enough to spend some of our billion dollar surplus to make higher education reasonable, we’re going to have to do something other than return to business as usual, or soon we won’t have a business to return to.

I would like to say that I remain committed to my students, like the people of North Dakota.  When I came to NDSU, we had 5,000 students and were still refereed to as “the AC” even though we weren’t.  I’ve seen many chnages and like to think I’ve been a positive force in some of those changes.  But I have also watched the support from the state erode, even in the environment of a huge surplus.  And when I saw the pictures of my beloved Minard Hall’s collapse, it’s as though a considerable piece of my insides died.   I fervently hope it wakes up again, a good reason.

Menards Hall collapses at North Dakota State University.

Definition of “Creeping Meatballism” The idea of thinking individually has become a big joke. Old Thomas J. Watson of I.B.M. came up with the idea for a sign which just said: “Think”. And today, it’s a gag! This is the result of “Creeping Meatballism”.

On the first of December, Dr. Richard Hanson became the interim president of NDSU. I recall thinking at the time that he might becoming president of an institution on the verge of collapse.  I had no idea that it might happen literally.  I’m referring, of course, the collapse of the north side of that grand old structure Minard Hall.

For those unfamiliar with the NDSU campus, Minard Hall is the four floor yellow brick building with maroon trim across Albrecht Blvd from the NDSU Library, sandwiched between Askanase Hall(the Little County Theatre), the heating plant and Festival Hall.  It was built in three stages, the first being in 1901. It houses the College of Arts, Humanities and social Sciences, as well s the Mathematics and Psychology Departments of the College of Science and Mathematics.

For those not involved in higher education at a research university, this is a catastrophe of indescribable proportion.  To me, it is symbolic of the neglect  a state with a billion dollar surplus and its population treats its higher education system.  I don’t expect to make any friends by saying this, but for me, this is the straw that broke the camel’s back.  I no longer care whether the youth of North Dakota get quality education or not.  Much as I love my students, the state just doesn’t deserve the effort.

So let’s return to Minard Hall, clearly one of the most important buildings on campus.  Currently it is closed to everyone.  There is hope to get the offices and classrooms not affected by the collapse ready for the start of spring semester.  There will supposedly be a window of opportunity for faculty with offices in the safe part of the building to return to their offices to retrieve important materials, such as books and papers, before the building is closed again.  I find that many don’t understand that NDSU is a research university, meaning that just because classes are not in session does not mean the faculty don’t need to use their offices.  I think the NDSU administration, in particular provost/academic vice president Craig Schnell, and, for that matter, some of the students, of publicizing the fact that many of the lost books and papers are irreplaceable.  I can only imagine how much research has been lost.

Bruce Frantz, who is in charge of the physical buildings on campus, would have us believe that this was an unforeseeable accident, and there were no mistakes made by his office or the contractor.  Snort.  This is an engineering school with a strong construction engineering program and excellent construction engineering faculty.  They just didn’t pay attention, in my view.  Franz is probably right to say the collapse happened at one of the few times no one would get hurt.  I’m glad, of course, that no-one did, but if someone had, I would have enjoyed the embarrassing national publicity that might have followed.

Franz would also have us believe that the damage can be fixed(for half a million.  The loss to the affected faculty, of course, can’t.  Even if it could, it turns out that NDSU carries no liability insurance).  I question whether Minard Hall should be repaired.  The building has been an expensive disaster for decades.  My office is in Minard Hall, but not in the affected area.  But my library and research papers and very probably my health has suffered much over the years.

Sometime in my first few years at NDSU the roof above(by a floor or two) sprang a leak and much of my library, carefully and costfully assembled while I was a graduate student and new faculty member, was drenched, rendering many of the books unusable, as the pages are all stuck together. This has happened so many times since that during a rain storm there is apparently a stand-by crew available  that can go rushing into faculty offices and cover everything with plastic if the roof leaks.  I read something about this once, but since I’ve observed it happening a few times, there’s no need to cite it.

Air quality has also been an issue in Minard Hall, due to its proximity to the heating plant.  In fact, the state health department once declared my office as uninhabitable.  My department and college administration was unable to find another office for me, but fortunately I was able to generate two invitations from departments in other buildings to reside there.  Yes, that is a dig at the problem solving abilities of the NDSU administration.

So, what we have here is an historic building that houses many important departments and in which many classes are taught that is virtually collapsing.  We didn’t have enough space for our 14,000 students before this happened.  And all of this at the end of an eleven year term of a president, Forum’s man of the year, that could raise millions for athletics, but couldn’t keep a major building safe in a state with a billion dollar surplus.

There’s many more problems Chapman left us with, but that could be the topic of another essay.

On Saturday, December 19, NDSU held the first commencement since the “retirement” of Forum Man of the Year Joseph chapman.  Presiding over the ceremonies was interim president Dr. Richard Hanson.

Anyone that has not been to a major(well, in this case, maybe semi-major) college graduation shuold go, at leatt once.  They are colorful, precise and a true ceremonial tribute to the students, faculty and institution.  It is much more interesting if you know someone that is being awarded a degree.  Also, NDSU is almost unique in institutions of higher learning in that there are no outside speakers.  A couple of hours ofn watching people walk across a stage is boredom enough, I guess.  Not all universities award all the degrees individually.  When I got my PhD at the University of Minnesota, the university had about 60,000 students, and the spring commencement awarded about 10,00 degrees.  so individual awards were not possible, except for the PhD’s(but not the MD’s).

The proceedings start with the processional, first of the faculty.  I sometimes wish I didn’t have to watch this part from the inside, as each faculty member wears a PhD gown with a large hood with the colors of blue(for philosophy) and the colors of the institution were the PhD was rewarded, in my case, maroon and gold.  Oh, yes, they march by seniority, which means not how long at NDSU, but how long at NDSU with their present rank.  Some universities have thieir own gowns with other colors than black, and the same for the cap.  It is wuite a colorful sight.

Thjen comes the “stage party,” consisting of the president, academic vice president, the deans of the several colleges along with the Distinguished Professors, in this case a member of the State Board of Higher Education, some people that read names, all lead by the Presiding Officer of the University Senate, carrying the mace that is the symbol of authority of the university, symbolizing that the ral autority of the university lies with the University Senate.  Then, of course the students, who march be degree and college.

President Hanson made a few opening remarks.  He commented that this exercise was the most important day of the fall semester, and that this day would be the most important in the careers of the degree recipients thus far.  Of course, he congratulated everyone on their work ethic, perseverance, etc.  Greetings were also presented by Sue Andrews of the State Board of Higher Education.  Finally, before the awarding of degrees, there were remarks by a representative of the graduating class, Patricia Romaine.  I’m not sure when this tradition got started, but I think it an excellent one.

The degrees were then awarded, with the highest(PhD’s) first and moving down, if I can use that word here: I don’t think of any of these degrees as down, to the Bachelors degrees. Most institutions do it the other way around.  In the spring, there are actually two different ceremony’s, one for advanced degrees and one for the undergraduate degrees.  There’s a reason for this, which I’ll explain in a bit.

Then there is applause, the playing and singing of the “school song,,” The Yellow and the Green.  Then the recessional, of course, followed by a reception in the concourse of the Dome.

I always feel good for a couple of days aftr attending one of these events, possibly because I take my own advice and don’t go unless someone close to me is graduating, in this a very special student of mine that actually got two degrees(BS and MS) degrees, and this was no exception.  I also was gladdened byu the fact that no one from the Athletic Department was present, threw was no mention of athletics, except for the last line of the description in the program of Dr. Hanson’s credentials, where it was mentioned that he had played for the Bison and the New York Giants.

I promised I would explain the inverted order of the awarding of degrees.  I hate to bring this up in such a positive, but to me it is symbolic of what appears to me(and many of my colleagues) is the total lack of understanding and therefore respect the population of North Dakota has for higher education.

NDSU used to use the more popular of lowest to highest, but by the time the graduate degrees were awarded, most of the parents and the like had left their seats and were milling around the stage talking and laughing, taking pictures and the like, creating such a ruckus that the announcer could not be heard over the din.  Contrast that with the ceremony in Minneapolis when my PhD was conferred.  There was complete silence until it was over, at which point we got a standing ovation.  From everybody.

Even in this ceremony, when each degree was awarded, there would be four or five people in the audience that felt they had to yell and shout.  Most of my colleagues in my neighborhood did not appreciate this, and neither did I.  Usually, there is announcement to hold the applause until the end, but there wasn’t this time.  In my experience, it doesn’t matter.  In case I did not make the point clear, this is supposed to be a solemn, formal occasion.  Shouts in the middle are not called for nor appreciated.

These events are always learning experiences for me; a chance to join in the congratulation of the graduates, renew acquaintances among my colleagues and administrators, and in my case, to visit with former students that are now faculty.  I definitely recommend attendance at a commencement if someone close to you is graduating.

Members of the NDSU Community:

Please be aware that overnight serious structural problems developed in
the northwest corner of Minard Hall near the site of the new addition that
is under construction.  The northwest corner has collapsed and is still
unstable. Minard Hall is locked and secured.  The building is off limits
to everyone at this time and will remain so until further notice.  Deans
Riley and McCaul will be in touch with individuals who have offices in the
building.

We have structural engineers and other consultants on site at the present
time evaluating the situation.  I expect to be presented with options
later this afternoon. Pictures of the site have been posted at

To our students, faculty and staff:

After reviewing the details of NDSU’s adjusted appropriated budget for
2009-2010 it is apparent that our tuition revenue will not meet budget
projections. I believe two major factors have contributed to this:
lagging tuition collections and a greater number of tuition waivers.
Therefore, the budget shortfall amounts to approximately $1.8 million.

To ensure a balanced appropriated budget, I am issuing a temporary
hiring freeze. I am asking that there be no new hires and that no vacant
positions be filled until further notice. However, as we review our
spring tuition revenues, we will revisit this decision.  In the
meantime, we will increase our tuition collection efforts and we are
reviewing our tuition waiver process.

Reviewing our budgeting process is an important step in maintaining our
university commitment to excellence.

I appreciate your support and I will continue to keep you informed.

Richard A. Hanson, Ph.D.
President

The unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent for the first time since 1983 — and is likely to go higher. Nearly 16 million people can’t find jobs even though the worst recession since the Great Depression has apparently ended. Many economists worry that persistently high unemployment could undermine the recovery by restraining consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy. Read more Here

UPDATE: Here’s What CBS Is Saying About Oprah

EXCLUSIVE: One of the biggest questions in the TV biz has been when, and even if, Oprah Winfrey would give up her daytime syndicated talk show to focus on OWN, her long delayed Oprah Winfrey Network in 70 million homes that was supposed to launch in place of the Discovery Health Channel as a joint venture between Winfrey and Discovery Communications. The industry has been betting that the daytime diva would extend The Oprah Winfrey Show for at least another year or two because of the huge cash license fees which stations have long paid her. But people around Oprah are telling me that won’t happen. They say that Discovery Communications chief David Zaslav has demanded that Oprah “move it or lose it” — move her talk show to OWN, or risk losing the Oprah Winfrey Network altogether. I’ve learned that in coming days Winfrey and Discovery will issue a press release announcing OWN’s on-air launch for the start of 2011. And, in several weeks, Oprah will tell the public that she’s ending her syndicated Chicago-based daytime talk show when her current deal runs out and moving it to OWN headquarters in Los Angeles probably as soon as mid-2011.

How long has it been now since Joseph Chapman has made the front page of the Forum or been the topic of a Television News Feature about his alleged accomplishments?  I’m not sure, but he sure seems to have dropped off the radar all of a sudden.  Wonder why  that is.  I can only speculate, but I think we don’t know very much of the story.  His sudden and unexpected resignation(regardless of what he says after the fact) and the speed with which the State Board of Higher Education accepted his resignation certainly makes one wonder.  It has been amusing, however, to watch the news media display their ignorance of the Chapman presidency and how a research university functions.

I recall the huge issue of the forum with the front page headlines of “Say it ain’t so, Joe,” together with several other articles with color photos of Chapman and his missus.  I have often wondered what NDSU president’s wives have to do with the situation: it is not their credentials that are examined, they are not the ones to give an address, as is customary, to the entire university community, so why do the presidents always refer to their spouses when announcing news about their actions on belhalf of the University?  In this case, Chapman’s wife was paid approximately the salary of a beginning assistant professor, supposedly to represent the University.  How could she do that, when she is not a University administrator, faculty member or staff member?  Of course she was not paid with apporpriated funds, and to focus on such minor apparent abuses is, I think, to miss the point.

There was supposed to be a huge rally in support of Chapman during the middle part of the class day featuring the Gold Star Band, speakers and throng of students.  Channel 11 hyped the event for approximately a week. promising full coverage.  I watched their coverage, and tried to figure out where the event was held.  There were remarks by Chapman and his wife, some members of the Gold Star Band performing on a stage, interviews with a couple of students(what does two interviews out of 14,000 students tell us about anything?) and some shots of some students sitting in an auditorium.  I noted there were a lot of empty seats.  Channel 11 did remark that the event was smaller and more subdued that the previous Chapman rally.
Later, I found out that the event was held in the Memorial Union’s Century theater and was attended by about 150 students.  If true,e I find even 150 a bit high, since that’s about all Century theater holds.  At that time of day, I could get 150 students to watch people flipping coins in the union.

I’m not sure what happened during the first rally to cause such a large and enthusiastic turnout, but I suspect it had something to do with athletics and a large dose of propaganda from the president’s office.  The turnout this time is not surprising: students really have almost zero contact with the president or his office, academic policy is not made by the president, so in general most don’t know or care who the president is.  Anything they learn about him will come from the media, which apparently gets its information directly from the president’s office.

So, now we come to the interim president, selected rather quickly by Chancellor Goetz.  Before the appointment of Dick Hanson as imterim president, the Forum again amused me with their picks.  One was Allan Fischer, who was interim president once before, and the mdia has indicated was “The student’s Choice.”  This last is pure balderdash: just because a fes students held a vigil outside the president’s office while Fischer occupied it does not make him the student’s choice.  As a metter of fact, the vigilantes were, as it turned out, all members of the Campus Crusade for Christ, an organization of which Fischer was the Faculty Advisor.  In fact, Fisher was previously Dean of the college of Science and Mathematics.  He neglected to have the faculty perform their mandatory evaluation of him, so Vice President Schnell stepped in and had the faculty evaluate Fischer.  Most people on the evaluation committee were shocked as to how unpopular he was with his own faculty.  Now, it is important that Dean does not mean “Boss.”   His unpopularity among his faculty did not come from poor administrative decisions, but rather from poor administrative style.  In fact, under current University policy, his style of administration would now be illegal.  But I won’t go into detail.

Despite an attempt by an end run by some local luminaries, Fischer was not appointed without submitting to the usual search process.  I asked one of the search committee members about his candidacy, and was told he was not a serious candidate.  During televised interviews he was often not able to respond in a complete sentence.    I was tempted to attend his address to the University community just so I could ask enough questions so that he would embarrass himself, but was told by the same member of the search committee that would be unnecessary, since he would do a perfectly good job of doing that himself.  Apparently, that’s what happened.  So, not a good choice for interim ;president now, I don’t think.

That brings us to another Forum choice, Provost/Academic Vice President Schnell.  Craig Shcnell is the closest thing to leader the University has.  He is far, far too valuable to the University and its academic programs, both teaching and research, to spend his time on funding and the like, in my opinion.  Also, he has a direct and honest style which I find refreshing and is unusual in a university administrator, which makes him all the more effective as provost and Vice President, but I don’t think it would help much in the Legislature or in fund raising.  Of course, that’s just my opinion.  I could be wrong, on all counts, but I  dont’ thiink the Forum consider any of these issues in deciding who they think should be NDSU’s president, either permanent or interim.

That brings us to Chancellor Goetz’s pice, Dick Hanson, whom the Forum apparently supports.  I knew Dick rather well when he was Sharon Wallace’s Associate Vice President for academic affairs, and admired him as the only man in the uppr administration with any brains(remember, Sharon Wallace, the Academic Vice President and Jim Ozbun, the president at the time were essentially run out of town on a rail).  I suspect that the Forum supports Hanson because he is an ex Bison football player, and so will continue to support higher profile athletics.  If so, I think they are mistaken: I think Dick’s football days are in his past.

But let’s look at the rest of the story.  Hanson, as reported in the Forum, was indeed a faculty member at NDSU for a few years, but I believe his PhD is in Home Economics are a similar field.  NDSU is the state university of agriculture and applied science.  Even though he had some success in the past. I don’t think Dck’s credentials qualifies him to seek funding for such a university.

When Dick left NDSU, it was to become academic vice president at Augustana College.  He apparently has had several other positions since then, most recently as president oi Waldorf College in Iowa, a 440 student liberal arts college.  The similarity between such an institution and NDSU is non-existent.  One main difference is that Waldorf wouldn’t be doing any researchm, while NDSU gets approximately 1/3 of its budget from overhead money for its research programs.  Dick is an advocate of high teaching standards for the faculty, and who can disagree with that, but he , at least used, to have some what are to me funny ideas.  For example, he doesn’t agree with those of us that think active researchers use that activity to make them better teachers.  Well, just think about it.  Would you rather learn a subject from someone active in the field or someone that just studies it?  He thinks, or used to, that high student evaluations were synonymous with good teaching.  sometimes, maybe, but when I was a department chair I used to be suspect of abnormally high student evaluations, and investigation proved me right on many occasions.  Besides, we are have a large College of Engineering: in taking their beginning science and mathematics courses, it is far more important that the students learn the material that if the like how its taught.  But all of this may be moot, the president doesn’t have much control over these things, and Dick may have changed some.  I always found him intelligent and open to new ideas.

But I cannot emphasize enough the difference between a school like Waldorf and NDSU.  Of course I’m biased, but to my way of thinking and experience, education at state land-grant schools is a real bargain.  Small liberal arts colleges pride themselves in academic excellence, but they are very limited in what they can offer.  In some departments at NDSU, the best students in their graduate courses are their own undergraduates.  I currently know of one student that in 3 1/2 years will have completed a double major in the sciences and earned a master’s degree in addition.  The type of institutions Hanson has been associated with would have noting to offer such students.

So, I hope whoever makes the decision of the composition of the search committee and ultimately the president will take into account the actual make up and structure of the University, and I hope everyone ignores the Forum.

by:Fear the Lutefisk

This past Sunday, the Minnesota vikings lost their first game of the season. Given that their previous opponents were of questionable quality, this may be cause for some alarm among the Viking faithful. My view, however, is somewhat different.

In the first place, the Vikings were playing the world champions on their own field. A win under these circumstances would be exceptional for any team. Secondly, the lost in a sand lot free for all that could have gone either way. The fourth quarter was one of the most exciting quarters of football I’ve seen in more decades of football watching than I care to admit.

Read More Here

Minnesota Viking SuperBlog

Top Ten 2010 Hottest Politicians in the World by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Women are the hot topic in politics, but are they hot? Hmm maybe One way or another, these 10 politicians captured my attention and are some of the most well-known names in politics

The Bison Turf Review

Just North of the Loaf & Jug at the corner of University Drive and Twelfth Avenue North stand the historic Bison turf.  I say historic, because it has been there since sometime in the seventies, and has been involved in at least a couple of underage and binge drinking incidents.  Before the Turf opened, the building was occupied by a cheap restaurant called the SU Hasty Tasty. I ate there once and only once.

The Turf has had its ups and downs.  I used to eat there several times a week, since except for the NDSU Memorial Union, there wasn’t anywhere else to eat, and they had daily specials that would keep one moderately healthy if one stuck to the regimen of their specials.  However, it was, particularly at night, primarily a bar, and not always a pleasant place for those that did not want to indulge heavily.  At one time, I know several NDSU faculty that would not take their visitors there for lunch.

Recently, I had occasion to take a visitor of my own to the Turf.  Much to my pleasant surprise the place was clean and well lit.  It still is divided into two halves: a restaurant and a game room with a full bar available to each.  The menu is mostly appetizers and sandwiches, but what a list of appetizers!  Of course, if they are catering to a bar crowd, that is to be expected, but thery have 25, at least.  There are also some salads and burgers, of course, including a buffalo burger, which I wish more restaurants had.  Buffalo meat, if you don’t know, is like very lean beef, and has always been a favorite of mine.

The sandwich menu is also extensive, covering a full page on the menu.  Chicken, beef, turkey, sea food, and traditional club style sandwiches   So many that I can’t really pick out any to discuss, but would like to point out that prime rib and ribeye sandwiches are available.

The sevice is prompt and friendly (presumably these are college students), and the food at least good,  And they do have specials.  As one might expect, catering to a college crowd, the prices are very reasonable.  It would be easy to have lunch, even with a drink or two, for under $10.  Definitely not your father’s Turf.

John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was an unqualified disaster. Not only did voters flee from the novel idea of a female vice President (at least– this potential female vice president), but they abandoned the Republican Party in greater numbers than ever.
Since the election, Sarah Palin’s continued quest for the spotlight has further doomed the Party’s chances for taking the White House. There was that whole incident with the turkey and the reenactment of that scene from Fargo. There is that whole string of ethics scandals. And, at last, the Bristol-Levi shotgun wedding sham was finally given up, since the voters no longer car

ed if the kids “did the right thing.”
About the only successful enterprise involving Sarah Palin seems to be Naylin’ Paylin, the Hustler-sponsored porn film. Now, Larry Flynt and company are shooting a sequel, which promises to keep Palin in the public eye for a lot longer… if only in the eyes of bugging-out pervs…

Recently, as we all know, Joseph Chapman

unexpectedly and suddenly resigned as president of North Dakota State University.  There was, at the time, a controversy about cost overruns on his new house and his $22K trip to O’Bama’s inauguration.  However, the suddenness of the resignation and the speed with which the State Board iof Higher Education accepted the resignation makes one wonder if there isn’t much more that might bear scrutiny.  In fact, I have heard from leaders of the University Senate, the actual governing body of the University, that all we have seen is a very small tip of the iceberg.  However, since I’m not aware of other issues, I will not speculate what more there might be.

The local media was filled with interviews with faculty, students, and, of all people, Bison athletics fans.  This last I think significant, and I must say that the media must know a radically different group of faculty and students than I do.

President Chapman is not extremely popular among the faculty.  It is important, I think, to note that he is not the “boss” of the faculty in any sense.  The University is governed be the University Senate, which is primarily composed of elected and appointed faulty representatives. There are two staff members and five students, but the rest of the Senate, well over 40 members, I think, are faculty.  I think the proper perspective is gained by noting that the Mace, the symbol of the University’s authority, is carried at graduations by the presiding officer of the University Senate.

Much has been made of all of Chapman’s so-called accomplishments.  I’m not sure how many accomplishments of NDSU are actually his.  Sure, one gets that impression by reading the Forum and watching the local news on television, but it seems to me that they get most, if not all, of their information from Chapman’s office.

Now I happen to know Chapman reasonably well, as well as several other administrators and lots of faculty and students at NDSU.  From first hand experience I can say that despite his smiling veneer, Chapman is the type of leader that doesn’t receive mail he doesn’t want to receive, doesn’t answer questions he doesn’t like, and will avoid situations that might turn confrontational.  Never fear, I can prove all of these things, but decline to be specific in keeping with the more’s of this site.

Chapman arrived on campus eleven years ago, trumpeting the advantages of moving to division one in athletics.  He assured us that this would help the faculty to obtain grant funds, and besides, that’s what are peer institutions do.  When it was pointed out to him that the type of athletic teams NDSU play do not come from NDSU’s academic peers, he responded he meant Land Grant Schools.  Well, South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T are land grant schools, a fact which Chapman denied, citing that Clemson, for example, is the land grant school in South Carolina.  Unfortunately, Chapman was apparently unaware that in the southeastern United States, each state has two land grant schools(”separate but equal”).  Alright, so the athletic department hired a consulting firm to study whether NDSU should go division one or not.  Sure enough, this firm recommended a move to division one.  A poll of the members of the University Senate showed that a majority opposed such a move.  Athletic Director Gene Taylor went so far as to claim that this same consulting had surveyed the faculty and discovered that a majority favored such a move, and even wouldn’t object tro appropriated funds being spent on a division one program.  Of course, no such questions wre actually asked of the faculty, and Taylor somehow bvelieved the University Senate would believe him when he said they(apparently the athletic department) had come to that conclusion on their own based on other un-named responses.

One might wonder how this move was accomplished if the University Senate was opposed.  Simple.  No apoproriated funds were involved: the money was all to come from donations to the Development Foundation and Teamakers.  So, according to Chapman, it was none of the Senate’s business.

Now, about athletics.  The athletic program has virtually nothing to do with academics, and certainly nothing to do with the availability of external funds to faculty for their research.  Chapman made a big thing about NDSU becoming a Carnegie 2 research Institution, but neglected to note that despite tremendous problems, such as poor or non-existent laboratory facilities or research library, the faculty does pretty well with its research.  Many of the best research institutions(e.g University of Chicago, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, case Western Reserve, Caltech to name a few) have very minor or non-existent athletic programs.

So despite the fact that the media claimed that the decision of NDSU(actually, Chapman and the athletic program) to move to division one as “the most important in the school’s history,” the move to division one athletics did not benefit the educational or research programs one iota.

Now, what  of his other “accomplishments?”  He himself haws talked publicly both within and without the University about the excitement of the 14,000 enrollment.  Many do view this as a positive development.  Why?  There has been no increase in faculty or facilities to accommodate these students.  I have heard many faculty complain that the quality of NDSU’s undergraduates has decreased as a result, although I haven’t observed this nor am I able to verify it.

This is a crucial issue.  All this hype about the athletic program has clouded the fact that NDSU remains desperately underfunded.  I will focus on one important department which I will not name, but is crucial to almost every academic program at the University.  This department has ten assistant professors out of a faculty of sixteen.  In 2004, at the request of the NDSU administration, this department was reviewed by a faculty member from the University of Nebraska.  His conclusion was that this department needed 21 faculty minimum in order to perform its function, and that dramatic salary increases wre needed to retain the very well qualified faculty.  Evidentially much of this has gone unaddressed, since the inordinately large number of junior faculty are a result of having to replace more senior, well qualified faculty that have moved on to better funded situations.  So, I don’t think more students means a better institution, but continually losing qualified faculty due to low salary and facilities is not an accomplishment.

Now, how about research?  It is true that external funding has increased across campus, but I don’t think Chapman had much to do with it.  In several department at least, older, non-research faculty have retired to be replaced with younger faculty, more schooled and experienced in research.  The resulting increase in research capability has naturally resulted in an increase in extra mural funding for research.

The research park does not impress me much.  There is some research that goes on there, but I don’t think much o0f it has to do with the University.  Alien Technologies doesn’t do any, and has 34 $9 an hour jobs to add to the local economy.

So, unless one wants to to include athletics, I don’t see much in the way of benefit NDSU has received from Chapman’s tenure.  And I don’t see any connection between academics and athletics anywhere, except on NDSU’s webpage, a fact which infuriates many faculty.

How did this happen?  People think athletics have something to do with academics, and the search committee that sent Chapman’s name to the State Board of Higher Education did not include any faculty members.  In fact, Bruce Furness was the chair of the committee.  Nothing against the former mayor of Fargo, but what does he know about higher education.  For that matter, what does the State Board, composed primarily of political appointees, know about higher education.

Chapman is not, I think, without his accomplishments, however.  I think now people understand that NDSU is the true flagship state university.  I think there have been several departments added to the institution to give it a true university flavor.  But everything still remains desperately and critically underfunded, and it is the President’s job to address that.  In my view, he hasn’t.  He has done some fund raising, but much of it for the athletic program, and by mishandling of the situation, has, I think, damaged the chances of his successor to seek donations.

So what’s the bottom line to this?  The University has been hurt by hiring a fundraiser that concentrated on athletics and not on the academic and research programs that are the real business of the University.  In other words, the emphasis on athletics, both by Chapman and the media nad the population has in fact been detrimental to the growth in quality of the University.

This week will be Looong week for this guy.

Next week faculty comes forward.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

Earlier today, I tendered my resignation to Chancellor Goetz. Serving as
president of North Dakota State University for the past 11 years has been
the greatest privilege of my academic career. Together, we have taken
this institution to new levels, and I take great pride in all we have
accomplished together. Gale and I have made friends and community ties
here we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Controversies in recent days have created distractions that have made it
impossible for me to provide the leadership this institution deserves.
Students have always been paramount, and I fear these distractions have
impaired my ability to serve their interests.

I have full confidence NDSU will continue to thrive and contribute to the
prosperity of North Dakota well into the future.

I thank you all for your kindness and support.

Joe

“There is no basis for the Marxist hope that an “economy of abundance” will guarantee social peace; for men many fight as desperately for “power and glory” as for bread” – Reinhold Niebuhr

END OF CAMELOT

BOSTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, a towering figure in the Democratic Party who took the helm of one of America’s most fabled political families after two older brothers were assassinated, died at age 77, his family said.
“Edward M. Kennedy, the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply, died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port (Massachusetts),” the Kennedy family said in a statement early Wednesday.

Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1962, when his brother John was president, and served longer than all but two senators in history. Over the decades, he put his imprint on every major piece of social legislation to clear the Congress.

His own hopes of reaching the White House were damaged — perhaps doomed — in 1969 by the scandal that came to be known as Chappaquiddick, an auto accident that left a young woman dead.

Kennedy — known to family, friends and foes simply as Ted — ended his quest for the presidency in 1980 with a stirring valedictory that echoed across the decades: “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”

The third-longest-serving senator in U.S. history, Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in May 2008 and underwent surgery and a grueling regimen of radiation and chemotherapy.

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Finally Roxana Saben has been released from an Iranian prison and returned home among much publicity.  I’m not sure what all the politics were that were involved in this, but I’m glad she’s not any longer in danger in an Islamic rogue state.

Are all Islamic states rogue?  Decidedly not: Egypt and Jordan are two that, to me, clearly aren’t.  I will not dispute thta the Islamioc Republic of Iran is.  But I think it helpful to realize how they got that way.

In World War II, Iran was sympathetic to the Axis powers, as wee most of the middle east countries.  However, they had oil that the Russians wanted,and we wanted  them to have.  Further, we didn’t want the Axis, particular the Germans, to have it.  What to do such a situation?  Why, occupy them of course and support an oppressive regime, in this case that of Shah Pahlvi, to keep the people in line.  It is not clear to me why humankind and the Western posers, in particular the US, have never realized that doing so has its consequences.  Eventually, the people revolted, threw out the Shah and became an Islamic republic, which, for very understandable reasons, was anti-American, anti-Russian and, for reasons not as clear, anti-Israeli.

As a general rule, I am not as sympathetic with victims that intentionally put themselves in harms way as I am with others.  For example, when people follow hooligan teenagers instead of calling the police and just leaving them alone, then if they are harmed by the hooligans, they have contributed to their own harm.  Now, I am not saying that Roxana should have not visited Iran: she likely had good reason to do so.  And I don’t think she was a spy.  Not because she couldn’t have been, but because I don’t see what she could have contributed to our intelligence on Iran.  As a sidelight, missionaries and peace corps workers are very suspect when it comes to the espionage game.  But she did, once in Iran, visit Israel.  Rogue nation or not, the middle eastern Islamic nations, except for Egypt and Jordan, take a dim view of people entering, or re-entering, their country with an Israeli visa in their passport.  Often, they don’t survive the experience.

So we are all glad that Roxana made it home safely.  It could have been a lot worse

Not long ago I was visiting Rochester, MN, when I heard on the local news that the Red River of the North had fallen below flood stage.  This event probably made national news.  In each case I’m sure the community of people in the Fargo-Moorhead were deservedly lauded for their spirit, work ethic, etc.  The only question I have, is what really did happen?  Why are we consistently able to dodge bullets when many others cannot.

I’m a little less than convinced that we have a stronger work ethic in this area than others.  It may appear than way since there are so few decent paying jobs in the area, so most jobs go to those with strong work ethic.  The car wash worker in Fargo would probably have a much better job in Chicago, say, giving the appearance our lower paying service jobs are filled by people with stronger work ethic than those in Chicago.

We also have three institutions of higher learning in the area, giving us a large force of willing sandbaggers.

One thing I think we do have going for us in fargo is the lack of willingness to wait for someone else to solve our problems for us.  Perhaps our devastating winters have something to do with that.  Nothing teaches us better that we will have to take the consequences of our actions, or lack thereof, than a North Dakota blizzard.  Who can forget the thousands of people in New Orleans huddled on the frreeways waiting for someone to help them during Katrina.  The situation is different, but I bet if that were 94 in Fargo Moorhead, that’s not what we would have done.  It is perhaps notable that New Orleans has huge pockets of poverty depending on government assistance while the government of North Dakota could hardly be called socialist.  Yes, I know, the governments, but according to Mayor Wallaker, the federal government had advised him to evacuate.. He refused, and we won.

It should not be lost on anyone that perhaps we’ve become far to good at this.  Winnipeg, Grand Forks and Wahpeton all have far less flood concerns after huge infusions of federal cash to give them flood protection after cataclysmatic floods.  It certainly is not lost on the North Dakota congressional delegation.  Let’s hiope they can get someone’s attention before we have a similar disaster.

Finally, plaudits to Dennis Wallaker, who was instrumental in both recent flood fights.  In fact, since he need protection by armed guards during the flood of 97 to protect him from those that threatened his life due to some of his decisions to not protect some areas, maybe we’re not as cohesive bunch as has been portrayed.

So, is there a point or lesson in all this?   A couple, I think. Work ethic or no, we understand that the best way to ensure our destiny is to do what we can to control it ourselves.  And I think there is an element of “North Dakota Nice” in all this: most, but not all, cooperated with the authorities it closing their businesses, staying out of town if we did not have business there, even if we couldn’t physically help.