Sometimes, a college exists to serve the purposes of the people who work there, not the students. And when anyone threatens that system, they are viciously attacked. That is why politics in education is the most ruthless — because there is the least to lose. So, when people who are working the system feel threatened, they will fight, scratch, crawl, and do whatever it takes to retain their cushy job. Clearly, a culture exists at this college where faculty are more interested in lining their own pockets than doing what it is right or in enhancing the development of the students is purports to serve.

RS, at 11:35 am EDT on June 30, 2006

“cushy job”

I teach at one of the fifteen Massachusetts community colleges, but I was unaware of this case. It is shameful when a whistle-blower is sacked for doing his job. However, to comment, as RS does,” So, when people who are working the system feel threatened, they will fight, scratch, crawl, and do whatever it takes to retain their cushy job,” it is clear that RS has no clue about what it means to be a full-time community college faculty member. Several years ago when the state was in financial difficulty, faculty agreed to increase their teaching load from four to five courses per semester without a concomittant pay increase. As the numbers of full-time faculty decline and those of part-timers increase, the full-timers have more committee assignments and more advisees than ever before. In the past couple of years, abusive behavior by students has been on the increase. Anyone who thinks that this is a “cushy job ” has deeply offended all of those who do their best every day in increasingly difficult circumstances.

Betsy Smith, at 5:55 pm EDT on June 30, 2006

Epidemic of Retaliation Against Whistleblowers

IHE should put out a call for details of incidents in the past five or ten years where academics have witnessed administrators launching retaliatory strikes against critics — I suspect this plague is spreading. We are not talking about whistleblowers leaking national defense secrets here. Just inquiring about sudden and surprising “fait accompli” presidential personnel or policy decisions can find a lecturer brought in for “counseling” by the Chair or Dean. A Professor publicly sharing concerns over seemingly blatant malfeasance in hiring or budget areas can unleash upon her/himself an avalanche of discrediting and demonization. In a decade on campus, I have seen both of these. What today could be giving these Newly Tyrannical campus executives the confidence to react viciously rather than candidly discuss or, gawd forbid, recant and repent are the mushrooming legions of paid apologists. Mr Cronin, Massasoit’s Executive Director for Marketing, may be one of them or he may be an ethical and underpaid professional diligently supporting MCC’s Mission to “enhance communications” and “manage efficiently.” I do not know him or of him beyond the quote in the article and the MCC website... and the state auditor is still out on whether the million is missing nefariously or just carelessly. Unfortunately, far too many seemingly innocuous spokespersons elsewhere are, behind the scenes, “take no prisoners” and “best defense is a good offense” types. In fact, Chancellors and Presidents in the largest public collegiate systems (such as SUNY) hire and pay their local campus spin doctors (too often close personal friends) high six figure salaries as communications and/or recruiting staffers (redundant to professionals already in place) but use them to crush critics great and small, foreign and domestic. Most informed readers already know the careers of whistleblowers in government service rarely survive (much less prosper from) “doing the right thing.” I believe a new era of higher ed administrations practicing intimidation and retaliation against whistleblowers is upon us. Some body should be collecting evidence, if any, on point and some person(s) should be doing further research into and useful analysis of such data.

David Schlafman, at 11:35 pm EDT on July 1, 2006

FAMU

FAMU in Tallahassee has a whistleblower who just got ousted, because he (and his assistant)blew the whistle on Dr. Castell Bryant, interim president of FAMU. Mr. Mike Brown WAS the Inspector General of the university. READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT newspaper: tdo.com

Karen, at 9:35 pm EDT on July 6, 2006

Phil Pergola

I am Phil Pergola’s lawyer. Look forward to the other shoe dropping. Mr. Pergola has been granted a temproray restraining order allowing him to keep his job until the hearing on the injunction. Oddly, the attorney general’s office has notified me that they will be filing an appearance for the president and the community college. I thought they were supposed to assist whistle blowers in uncovering the improprienties. Stay tuned.

Attorney Joseph Krowski, Brockton, MA

Joseph F. Krowski, lawyer, at 8:50 pm EDT on July 12, 2006