03.03.05 – Life Update

It’s been a while since I updated the blog, and yes, I just now noticed. I’ve been agitated and annoyed this week. I can tell because I’ve not been interested in my classes and have been doing only the barest minimum I have to get an A. I’ve also been a grouch and have been eating out a lot and spending money – a clear sign of a Rob in discomfort. So let’s see, Ward Churchill, ah yes that’s where some of my annoyance comes from.

Two hundred of the 1000+ faculty members at CU signed a petition and took out a full page add in the Colorado Daily insisting that CU drop the investigation into Ward Churchill based on the idea of academic freedom. Their premise is that, because the investigation was initiated by public outcry around something he wrote, that, as a first amendment issue, he shouldn’t have been investigated in the first place. As such they want the investigation halted. In layman’s terms, because you were looking for something you weren’t supposed to, you should discard everything you found along the way.

When asked about the add and the position of the teachers on the issue, Magarte Lacompte repeatedly indicated that what Ward had said was not at issue and that what was at issue was academic freedom. In short, legislators have been trying to reach over the wall of tenure at CU for some time. This is not an idea I support. Tenure exists to protect educators from outside influence. I must extrapolate that this is what the professors are concerned about. Few of us could hold up under the scrutiny that has been applied to Ward Churchill. If you’d like to hear Peter Boyle’s interview its here:

Peter Boyles

The problem for me is that I believe Mr. Churchill has the right to say or write anything he wants including advocating the violent overthrow of the US government. Where he crosses the line is that as Professor Churchill working for a State University, he must uphold the constitutions of Colorado and the USA. From what I’ve heard and read, he has failed to do this. Refer to the above link and this one for the evidence on Ward Churchill:

Caplis and Silverman

I don’t often agree with these two respected attorneys but they have been very thorough with regards to exploring Mr. Churchill’s background and have put together a pretty good case for why he should be terminated.

My prediction is that he will not be fired. At best, he will be bought out and at worst he will get a reprimand. I don’t support either option. I think he shouldn’t receive a dime for cheating the University. I think Dr. Elizabeth "Betsy" Hoffman, President of CU, will do as she has done in the past. She will generalize, justify, and ignore the facts.

Just this morning there was a press conference in which, as soon as she was questioned about the leak of the grand jury report surrounding the CU football recruiting scandal, she ended abruptly:

Roller-coaster day for CU at Capitol

I think Dr. Hoffman is not the administrator CU needs to restore it’s reputation. I think the sooner she moves on the better.

Cher’s decided to go back to school and finish her BRN which is very exciting. We’ll be doing alternating schedules. One of us will be going either Monday and Wednesday and the other Tuesday and Thursday. That will limit the classes we can take to a certain extent but, we can work it out as we go. We both think it’s important enough to compromise.

Jade comes home on Monday! I’m excited! We’ve missed her. It will be good to have all the kids home for a change. She’s spent the past 3 weeks visiting her grandparents. She’s had fun but is ready to come home(and we’re ready to have her back).

I’m headed to microeconomics. Yay! More later…

RCS