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Republicans Suddenly Oppose Higher Ed Transparency

by: Colorado Pols

Sat May 02, 2009 at 17:34:02 PM MDT

That's odd, isn't it? Isn't "transparency" their big deal? Depends, as the Denver Post reports:

A legislative proposal calls for state colleges and universities to open up their hiring processes, despite protests the scrutiny will discourage executives from applying for president and chancellor positions.
Republicans hammered House Bill 1369, which received initial approval Friday in the Democratic-controlled House.
House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, said his concern is that selection committees now meet privately, review candidates and then announce a sole finalist.
The public has little input in that process, he said.
"It's been done behind closed doors. When the finalist comes forward, it's an up and down vote on that person," he said.
His bill would require the search committee to interview at least three candidates and send no more than five names to the governing board. The board would pick the finalists, make their names public, and then the finalists would have to make public presentations before any vote is taken...
Several Republicans blistered the bill. Rep. Ken Summers, R-Lakewood, said legislators were trying to micromanage the colleges. [Pols emphasis]

You see, dear reader, it's all about "tranparency," a well-worn GOP rallying buzzword used repeatedly this session to justify all kinds of bills, but only when it's not going to interfere with a crony-engineered and executed closed door selection process--of the kind that has turned an unbroken string of Republican politicos into presidents of Colorado public universities.

In that case, (don't blink or you'll miss it), "transparency" becomes "micromanagement."

Colorado Pols :: Republicans Suddenly Oppose Higher Ed Transparency

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Republicans Suddenly Oppose Higher Ed Transparency | 14 comments

Transparency Is Not Always A Good Thing

This reminds me of a ballot issue some years ago in which voters were asked to make changes to the hunting rules surrounding bears, despite objections of DNR, et al.

At the end of that issue, and the end of this one, I think is the fact that the general public is simply not qualified to make a large range of decisions.

How many among us could contribute constructively to a hiring discussion involving an English professor specializing in, say 18th Century British Lit? Or Chemical Education? Or Accounting?

The Conservatives have successfully politicized our universities, with issues like Ward Churchill (who did little to help keep this issue sane) and their claims that Colleges are too liberal. Let's remember that these same people believe that all media is liberal too.

But on this issue, they are right, if for the wrong reasons. The hiring decisions made at Institutions of Higher Learning are best left to the professionals who are qualified to make these decisions. And at the executive level, don't we elect the regents at CU, or the Governor, who appoints Trustees at UNC?

Politicizing this (further) is a bad idea.

by: dlof @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 00:56:23 AM UTC

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I think you're off-base there

Absolutely, few of us could make a qualified decision about hiring an English professor. Fortunately, that process is handled by people who are qualified.

On the other hand, there's the selection of presidents and chancellors. This is not currently being handled by uniquely qualified individuals. It's being handled by elected officials or political appointees, whose only unique qualification as a group is their ability to get elected or appointed. Transparency in the decisions of elected officials is a good thing.

Case in point: Benson was recently selected as president of CU. Benson is not qualified to hold a faculty position at any CU campus. Clearly his qualifications aren't in the finer points of 18th century British literature.

"Apple denies that, based on their common meaning, the words 'app store' together denote a store for apps"
-- Legal filing by Apple Computer

by: cdsmith @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 13:06:16 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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Hmm

dlof:

the general public is simply not qualified to make a large range of decisions

A. Lincoln:

government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth

I think we're quite qualified to take control of our own government from time to time, thank you.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

This is serious, you commie dolt --davebarnes, 2012.

by: Ralphie @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 15:32:20 PM UTC

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This is not about people making the decision

It's about people being able to watch the decision making process. Big difference.

No trees were destroyed in the posting of this comment. But a large number of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.

by: DavidThi808 @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 17:47:06 PM UTC

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Transparent Process

#1. Trustees and governors are political appointees from the governor. Not only are they chosen for political reasons, but they are also required to represent a particular party as well.

#2. The sole finalist is chosen chosen behind the scenes based on the financial fund raising abilities more than knowledge of academic institutions. While I will conceded that a certain amount of business sense and management experience is needed, the financial administrators, the Board and the President/Chancellor need to work together to do this; the position does not require experience as a business executive (think about the argument about the President and exec. experience). This is leading to making decisions based solely on dollars incoming/outgoing and students incoming/outgoing rather than on academic standards, programs, activities, high-quality full time faculty employment and affordability. It is about time that academics have more of a say in the governing of higher education in CO.

#3. There has been very little emphasis on the whether or not the institutional community or the taxpayers approve whatsoever. Do you remember that the faculty was up in arms about the CU sole finalist Bruce Benson who has championed moving institutions toward a more private status?

by: bhusher @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 01:23:25 AM UTC

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Shouldn't this apply thoughout other parts of the state complex

Local governments would go banana's about the loss of local control, but certainly at CC's, the state, the legislative staff, and all the states various boards and commissions.

I'm sure the legislature is reviewing application to these other state bodies. It should be interesting to see if the legislature is open to being open or the Guv. is open to the opening of his and future Guvs. patronage positions.

by: Libertad @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 03:20:53 AM UTC

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Awesome!

Secrecy for me, not for thee! This--right here--this hypocrisy--this is why I just can't be friends with these assholes. People ask me why I don't go out for drinks with them, show a little bipartisan friendliness. It's because I remember that they are lying duplicitous fucks even with a drink in me.

Good morning!

Yo quiero gobierno medio!

by: JeffcoBlue @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 14:13:15 PM UTC

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The Elephant in the room

This seems to be a red herring to draw us away from the funding issue. Why are we not talking about closing some of our low enrollment Colleges?

by: Retired @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 16:26:07 PM UTC

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more dumb

I already aired out on the other higher ed post a couple of days ago so I won't repeat anything here. This is dumb at so many levels. Maybe what we oughta do is just roll up a big American Idol style hiring process where everybody (who registers, meets certain criteria, comes from an under-represented group, fills a political balance quota, definitely is not associated with higher ed in any way - including spouses, is a "stakeholder," qualifies for state low-income energy efficiency assistance, represents a Chamber group, etc.) gets to vote electronically after all candidates do a song and dance before them. There, that'll satisfy everybody. And that way we'll make sure we get only the worst candidates imaginable running our flagship campuses.

In fact, I just registered
www.veryliberalagitatedpissedoffpeoplewithnoorganization.com
-Laughing Boy

by: indipol @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 01:43:18 AM UTC

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Heh

Poor people are funny. Thinking they should have something to say about state education. Heh. Indeed.

Everyone knows only Republican businessmen should have a say in public education.

I demand that all students get As, that all our oil comes from American soil, that waste and fraud be eliminated forever, and that potato chips stop making me fat!

by: sxp151 @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 02:42:59 AM UTC

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No one is asking to decide who is selected

all we're asking is that we get to see the process as it occurs.

No trees were destroyed in the posting of this comment. But a large number of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.

by: DavidThi808 @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 04:52:13 AM UTC

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why?

why do you need to? So you can cry about it later? Or try to influence while it is happening? If the latter, then you're asking to help decide who is selected. If the former, then why waste your time?

In fact, I just registered
www.veryliberalagitatedpissedoffpeoplewithnoorganization.com
-Laughing Boy

by: indipol @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 15:53:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Because sunlight is the best disinfectant

The public's business should be conducted in public. That's a basic premise of how we do things here in Colorado.

A leader on the battlefield can be a leader in Congress. -- redstateblues

by: RedGreen @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 16:01:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

right, and

I've been arguing that this isn't any of the public's bidness. I guess we all just disagree. If the state put real skin in the game in the form of reasonable financial support to its "public" universities, then I might feel differently. The fact that CU's Tier-I status and all that accompanies it is almost 100% reliant on federal funding means to me the state can't cry about how CU hires its admin staff.

In fact, I just registered
www.veryliberalagitatedpissedoffpeoplewithnoorganization.com
-Laughing Boy

by: indipol @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 19:10:05 PM UTC

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