Reorganization Debacle

The "proposed" reorganization is a done deal. When was the last time that this administration asked for input from the faculty on anything? Dean Dick's performance yesterday was laughable. "Ok?" His good cop/bad cop all rolled into one administrator was impressive. I have heard that this is a classic Larson trick in his addresses to the underlings-mix in some sweet, but make sure that they know who is in charge! Get mad, make threats, keep the workers scared. Classic King John and little dean dick.

What is the real reason behind this reorganization? They are creating another level of administration. They are eliminating the coordinator position, a position that had to come from the faculty ranks, and they are replacing this position with assistant deans, a position that comes from the administrative ranks. Is that why they are reorganizing in this manner? Eliminate the coordinator position and remove one more faculty voice and get rid of a potential PERC issue in the process. The science department is involved in a grievance regarding the coordinator position. Is this the response of the administration to that grievance?

Comments

[Been Here, Done This]

Seen it all: Try aiming for clarity of expression. Then, perhaps, you won't become so fatigued explaining your positings.

[Seen it all (and am tired of it!)]

It's getting tiresome explaining what I write and maybe I don't check for ambiguity but of course it's not in her past; the issue is one in OCC's colelctive past. And yes she is PHYSICALLY working at the local Stop and Shop.

[Been here, done this]

Are you speaking metaphorically when you say that Karen Vesiltis is working as a cashier at a Stop and Shop? Is you mean that literally, then it probably is difficult for her to "say" it's all in the past.

[Seen it all (and am tired of it!)]

Thanks, OBL, for reminding me that there was an upside.It was a legal precedent. Unfortunately Vesilits is still in Stop and Shop cause OCC probably blackballed her at every turn.Maybe it will stop JL and friends to not do that again. Thant's in the past. It is a new year with new adventures to come......

[Osama Bin Larson]

Seen it all,

The college didn't exactly "get away with" firing Vesilits and Mitchell without cause; the NJ Superior Court ordered the college to give both a statement of reasons for their non-renewals. The reasons were obviously thrown together in 5 minutes - some of the alleged reasons talked about things that happened AFTER their contracts were not renewed - but the college did lose that lawsuit and it set a legal precedent in NJ.

OBL

[Forgotten, not gone]

"Highly qualified, dedicated, well-meaning and principled" we can't have any of that at OCC. Ban that, along with communication, courtesy and respect.

[Been Here, Done This]

Well, that does it for me. "Well meaning and principled" - qualities that are certain to put one at risk while employed by this current administration. I had been told that Ms. Vesilits was a highly qualified, dedicated educator. That description alone would place her on the vendetta list.

[Seen it all (and am tired of it!)]

Karen might have been naive but she was also well meaning and principled. What I never understood was how the college got away with firing her without cause. Cause is NOT signing a letter ddisagreeing with administration.

[Been Here, Done This]

Thank you, Seen It All, for the clarity of your answer re Karen. I don't get it: how could tenured people not warn Karen? Was it a case of CYA? Was she that naive?

[Seen it all (and am tired of it!)]

Dear BHDT: Part of Vesilits' problem was no one gave her sound advice about that plus I think there were other problems between her and administration. The whole thing snowballed. It's just pretty sad that she can only find employment as a cashier with given her education and smarts. Guess it's like Patrick Mitchell but last I heard he had a teaching job and I never quite knew what his story was. He seemed like a nice guy and a good professor. Happy new year everyone.

[Been Here, Done This]

Thank you for answering my question re Hayward's tenure. She has job security, unlike Karen Vesilits (sorry if spelling is incorrrect). Why didn't tenured faculty try to protect Karen and dissuade her from signing that "killer" document? She was vulnerable without tenure.

Hayward's newly tenured. I think she got it earlier this year

[Been Here, Done This]

Is Hayward tenured? Someone already mentioned that Botein-Furevig was recently hired as full-time faculty but is not yet tenured.

[Seen it all]

That IS the reason. She doesn't want to look as if she is part of the department which at best has a very bad relationship with admin, mainly Larson, Strada, Hubbs and before that, with Wetta. That group doesn't see her or apparently the second in line for the crown in the same light as they view other faculty. There has always been a lot of dissention and grievances in English adn then there was the issue with Vesilits who is now working in Stop and SHop cause she cannot find another teaching position presumably because OCC blackballed her. Hayward is not a stupid woman and that is probably why she keeps her distance physically and socially from the rest of her department.

[Been Here, Done This]

Why does Hayward not want to be in the Russell Building? That is, after all, the location of the English Department. Could it be (ha!) that she literally and metaphorically wants to distance herself from other English faculty?

[Seen it all]

Maysa is more a player than a mouthpiece. She will complain with the dept. but spends lots of time over at admin and with Miss Manners. It's questionable if she would support her dept or sell them down the river.She is hte only faculty person invited to JL's shindigs. SHe does not want to move into the Russell building. As far as Ali goes, I don't know her too well except for passing in hallways. She seems pretty sharp and pleasant enough. I'm just shocked she would even be choice #2 since she's only been full time a year or two--must know where the skeletans are hidden. She's another one though who unconditionally supports JL and Co.Some of the faculty did ask her and she would not admit anything so who knows??? Maybe we will find all this out at the colloquium.

[Webmaster]

Haywood doesn't really strike me as a mouthpiece for the admin. I don't know her very well, but she seems to be able to think on her own. We have said that about many of our colleagues in the past and have been surprised when they pucker up at the drop of a hat. I guess that time will tell.

The VN reaction is pretty typical of King Jon. Threaten a lawsuit to try to intimidate the reporters on the VN from writing anything else that paints the true picture.

As far as the "investigation" goes, who the hell knows if it's still on-going. How long do these people get to pillage OCC?

[One flew out of the cuckoos' nest]

I have heard so many rumors lately it isn't even funny!

First I hear someone wasn't happy with the VN and the diploma mill story, even to the point of speculating a lawsuit (from some science insiders) but the story was apparently ALL factual, no case for libel.

Then I hear about Hayward being offered the position after Perabo declined without Angona as Assitant, but I heard that she isn't necessarily a mouthpiece for the admins, but she isn't chummy with the english professors either.

Then I hear rumors of further investigations. NOt sure if this in in connection to the diploma mill story or something even bigger. I wish we weren't so afraid of talking in the open!

[Forgotten, not gone]

Well, JL has stated in a recent meeting that part of the reason for this reorganization is to 'provide leadership opportunities' for new people. Translated, that likely means getting rid of some of the "more experienced" individuals around here and bringing on newbies who don't know any better and are more likely to be the "yes" people he likes to keep himself surrounded by.

[Seen it all]

Wasn't teasing,I just assumed it was widely known.From what is rumored,the first person chosen for annointment to deanship of Humanities is Maysa Hayward and if she didn't take it, the next princess in line for the offering is Botein-Furevig who was an adjunct forever and was hired a year or so ago so is not tenured. Both aren't talking or admitting anything when asked. These two and Lavundi who is out on leave are cozy with administration and their mouthpieces so it should not be any surprise. Neither is being asked to be junior deanlet which is going to someone allegedly nontenured in another discipline but no specific name has floated around yet. If all this comes to pass there is going to be a lot of resentment by those with more seniority.

[Jefferson]

In this holiday time, we can be grateful that there is still a core of individuals (you know who you are) who still labor in the administrative darkess here to advance students' interests. The idea of a college resides with them, as they teach and inspire the young toward independent thinking and principled actions. Since the "adult" leadership of OCC has now devolved into a spectacle of cronyism and unprincipled manuevers akin to those of a mafia don seeking allegiances, the quiet work of leading & teaching is more important than ever, and more threatened. The gerontocracy of the trustees, seeking solace of authoritarian practices, aids and abets repeated acts which show that personal favoritism and rancid careerism are what motivate the top leadership. Who will take the bait of power next? Who will refuse it? Never asked or imagined any more is the notion of demonstraed competence in the service of ideals worthy of a college. In the midst of this darkness, those faculty striving to stay true to their calling are admirable. Like Albert Schweitzer's ministry in the kingdom of sickness, they work to keep the college alive. Thank you, and enjoy a well-earned hoiiday.

[Webmaster]

Ok, Seen It All, I'll bite, can you give us the names of the alleged Dean and Deanlet?!

[Seen it all]

GP and Angona are a duo apparently and he wouldn't take the deanship unless she got the second position. Unless he changed his mind the scuttlebutt is he's out of the running.That said, names of two English faculty without seniority who were going to be tapped and offered the royal crown of humanities leaked out but whether its true or not isn't clear.

[Been Here, Done This]

Last I heard, Perabo was planning to take the super deanie position. Also heard that he wanted Angona as his mini dean, and was told absolutely not. Perhaps that caused Perabo to change his mind.

[Seen it all]

ANyone out there hear rumors flying around about the new reorganized Humanities dept. which used to be English which used to be Humanities??? Seems Perebo isn't taking the exalted superdeanship and so admin is picking their own little sycophant Golden Girls. Guess that tenure and seniority are trumped by kissing a--. SOme things never change but people do.