Brains are Sexy
I think I’m mostly posting for my own amusement these days… But let’s look at recent developments.
1. My honey (pictured above) left yesterday. That bites. But I’ll see her in a week. That’s very non-bitey. Except for Dexter.
2. Texas is something of an autocracy when it comes to higher education. The governor runs it. Currently, this is a governor who won his reelection bid with about 30-odd percent of the vote. Niiiiiice. And he appoints the entire board of regents for the University of Texas System (of which my university is a teensy part). The board of regents makes the rules. And they cannot be argued with (well, I suppose they could, but the regents don’t have to listen). And they all just happen to be the kind of people who might conceivably make large contributions to a gubernatorial campaign–and be very difficult for any educators to oppose in any legislative action. Lawyers and bussinesspersons. Not an educator among them, from what I’ve heard (although I’ll have to do my homework and verify this). I’m sure they’re all very nice, very intelligent people. But come on. Should an automotive assembly plant be governed completely by a bunch of anthropologists and sociologists? Should a bread company be run by recycling specialists? Should law firms be run by teachers? (oh, wait… maybe that one is a good idea…)
Anywayz, that’s how we get rules in our official university policy that state that we non-tenured types can be fired at any time (although we do get advance notice), for any cause–good, bad, or silly. There’s even a rule that states that the administration doesn’t have to give any reason (seriously) or any explanation for firings. Freaking scary.
For tenured types, the situation looks a little better. There’s a whole section in the University policies (which mirror the System policies) explaining how they get a hearing, and they can assemble evidence, and call witnesses and cross-examine, and get a statement that they’re being fired for good reason, etc. But later on, it says the president of the University or the provost can just fire them, as well, and they don’t have to explain themselves to anyone. Give them a fair trial and then hang them.
Maybe this is why I heard from a few profs (before I moved here) that Texas is a nice place, but you wouldn’t want to teach there. Me, I love my job; I guess all I can do is make myself valuable in general, so that if I get canned (for no reason at all that nobody has to explain to me), I can maybe get a job somewhere else.
Pale comfort, but better than none. As one of my fellow profs says (quoting Rousseau), none of this is a problem while we have a benevolent king–er, president. but look out for the king’s idiot son.
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