Is that what Mr. John Gardner said today during his speech at the colloquium or was I hallucinating? I believe that he was speaking about the benefits that the first year college student would obtain by adhering to his advice and one of the benefits had to do with "women's sexual positions." I cannot imagine a more inappropriate phrase to use during a college-wide address. Not only did we have to endure King John's biannual, self-congratulatory but-I-need-to-get-in-some-threats-to-keep-the-peons-in-their-place rhetoric but then we were assaulted with a speech that verged on sexual harassment. Is this the type of speaker who truly motivates the employees at OCC? Do we have a hostile work environment when the president of the college retains a key-note speaker who touts "women's sexual positions" as one of the advantages to his first-year college student program?I feel as if I have been sexually harassed.
What's next? "Dr. Dong will now give a Power Point presentation accompanied by Ms. Lovelace..." queue the music, "bow, chicka bow bow..."
Did anyone notice the Schaffer story is no longer on the VN site?
Posted by: Sag | May 24, 2009 at 10:07 PM
OK I found it on line. You're right WM, who the hell is he?; more apt, where is he? Is this one of our new FT hires? Another mouthpiece (without voice) for Admin?
Posted by: surfin by | April 06, 2009 at 06:21 PM
Hey--Is the Mar 5 ed. of VN on line??----I'd like to read the article you[re discussing.
Posted by: surfin by | April 06, 2009 at 06:05 PM
No response other than to have our newspaper article ripped off the door! LOL!
The best part is that they don't even seem to care! And you can ask his "officemates" if what we wrote it true. EVERY BIT truth!
Posted by: Suzanne | April 06, 2009 at 07:13 AM
I just read the latest (? March 5) version of the VN. Who the hell is this Schaffer guy? Do we not have search committees and hiring guidelines anymore? If Bosley is retired, then how long can the VN last with whomever replaced her? Nice job, Suzanne, and everyone at the VN. Have you gotten any response from any administrators?
Posted by: Webmaster | March 31, 2009 at 10:18 PM
I agree that Larson has done some good things for OCC but lately he is nowhere to be found. Very low key. He's leaving the running of the asylum to the inmates. Playing favorites is so pointless and divisive. Dean Dick seems to be running the show and is way over his head. Makes you wish Wetta was back???? At least he was reasonable and polite.
Posted by: surfin by | March 30, 2009 at 10:41 PM
I should clarify. I do not object to old white men in general. Rather, I object to old white men who are overtly narcissistic and misogynistic.
Posted by: stupefied | March 30, 2009 at 08:30 PM
Webmaster, I could not agree with you more. The whole leadership structure at OCC requires a complete overhaul. A college cannot be run successfully and for the long-term on the whim and fancy of a group of old white men. President Larson has done good things for the reputation and infrastructure of the college. But man cannot live on infrastructure alone... Ignore (or beat down) the human element for too long, and the kingdom will begin to fail. Leadership positions require people skills and common sense-- two characteristics that President Larson and his sycophantic minion seem to lack.
Posted by: stupefied | March 30, 2009 at 08:27 PM
I have heard it's the same with Strada. If he likes you he takes your personal life into account when making your schedule. If not, be prepared to be on campus until 5 every day. "According to the contract"..."Needs of the college..." The old boy network lives on.
I also heard he also took it upon himself to schedule the history faculty. They aren't even in the social science department anymore!
Posted by: onomatopoeia | March 30, 2009 at 05:15 PM
Perabo consults re teacher's time preferences only if he likes you.
Posted by: Been here, done this | March 29, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Who does the scheduling of classes in social sci these days? Dean Dick (funny that he runs Women's History Month)or Acting Dean Lafferty? Profs should be at least consulted insofar as their time preferences. That's what Perabo does in English
Posted by: surfin by | March 29, 2009 at 08:29 PM
Ignore that last sentence, rewrite. Only one man in the social science department has school age children.
Posted by: onomatopoeia | March 29, 2009 at 05:49 PM
Sexist comments are just the tip of the ice berg. I heard that the women in the social science department are pretty unhappy about their Fall 09 schedules.
Most of the men in the department weren't scheduled past 1:45 and the women are scheduled from 8 am and don't finish until 3:15 or 4:45. Sadly, most of the women are the primary caregiver's of their children and all but one man in the department have school age children.
Posted by: onomatopoeia | March 29, 2009 at 05:48 PM
Shouldn't surprise anyone. There needs to be a complete clean of house from the members of the BoT to the President and, the two who are really running the college, Miss Manners and little dean dick.
Will check out the latest edition of the VN this week...
Posted by: Webmaster | March 29, 2009 at 01:31 PM
What a sexist and inappropriate comment Thulen made. He should know better.
Posted by: surfin by | March 29, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Relating to the original topic: years ago I was at a board meeting where Thulin took a moment at the end of the meeting to express holiday wishes to the administration, faculty, students, "all the way down to the good-looking secretaries." The remark was met with uncomfortable looks around the room and the sound of crickets.
Posted by: Osama Bin Larson | March 29, 2009 at 04:11 AM
Sorry about the typos, guys.
Posted by: Seen it all (and am tired of it!) | March 26, 2009 at 06:46 PM
Adjuncts, you say, applying for super deanie?That's interestingly pathetic. I had heard adjuncts applied for deanlet job but that Maysa Hayward and Ai Botein-furrevig (non-tenured)frontrunners and first choice of administration for the school of language and arts or whatever the name is, but both are keeping low profiles.Is there a real search committee or is admin just going to annint who they want under the guise all applicants were considered.Will we know what's gong on by the end of the semester?
Posted by: Seen it all (and am tired of it!) | March 26, 2009 at 06:21 PM
It was excellent. I telephoned the VN staff to tell them. These students are truth seekers and they deserve all possible support.
Posted by: Been here, done this | March 26, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Hey, how come noone said anything about the last edition of the Viking News. I was figuring I would hear some feedback.
Posted by: Suzanne | March 26, 2009 at 07:28 AM
Re:haiku for dummies,
I know this was posted somewhat late in the evening of St. Patrick's Day, but, PLEASE, spare us the silliness. After all, this space is for the discussion of only SERIOUS ideas.
Posted by: Been here, done this | March 18, 2009 at 01:25 PM
File suit for WHAT?
Posted by: Suzanne | March 18, 2009 at 07:15 AM
We find who you are
We file suit, take your house, car
Give to charity
har, har, har
Posted by: haiku for dummies | March 17, 2009 at 09:33 PM
An adjunct to be a SUPERdeanie? OK - please tell me true: do the potential candidates have a Ph.D.? Just trying to understand how the "chief academic administrator" can NOT have the doctorate in an ACADEMIC subject (I don't mean an Ed.D.)
Posted by: Been here, done this | March 13, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Heard that there are a couple of adjuncts who are administrative booty smoochers who are in the front-running...
Posted by: BlueStateBlues | March 13, 2009 at 09:12 AM