Pages

▼

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

UA President Apologizes to UAA Faculty

This is going to be a short post.   I've raised some questions in the last week or so about the appointment of the UA Chancellor.  Today, UA President Patrick Gamble came to talk to the Faculty Senate. (He'd spoken to the University Assembly just before.)  I don't have time to sort through all that was said, but I'll briefly summarize:

  • The President apologized
  • Acknowledged he'd made a mistake
  • Acknowledged he didn't understand the meaning of 'shared governance' the way the University understood it
  • Listened to some pretty heated faculty
  • Listened to some less heated faculty
  • Explained his thinking process when he made the decision on the Chancellor

My sense is that he was genuine.  That he hadn't realized the huge difference in organizational culture between the Air Force, Alaska Railroad, and University of Alaska. I felt that the faculty accepted his apology, but were less sanguine than the president about how quickly he's going to be able to adapt to the vocabulary and ways of this institution.  But he proved that he will listen, acknowledge mistakes, and apologize. 

I think that this is a good first step.  I'll post more about the meeting later, but that will take a while to sort through.  For those who are interested in what happened, I at least want to get this out.  Below is a short clip of the President apologizing.






Other posts on this topic:
The Alaska Military-Educational Complex: Gen. Tom Case to be New UAA Chancellor 

UAA Faculty Senate Upset about Chancellor Appointment Process
Former Lt. Gov Craig Campbell Replaces Tom Case as Head of Alaska Aerospace Corporation


Choosing a Chancellor:  One Decision, Two Cultures
at

5 comments:

  1. Philip MungerWednesday, February 9, 2011 at 11:03:00 PM AKST

    I posted the video at Progressive Alaska. You may gauge Gen. Gamble as sincere. I'm not at all sure. Perhaps it helps to be there, and I wasn't.

    ReplyDelete
  2. slowhandThursday, February 10, 2011 at 10:26:00 AM AKST

    Of course he doesn't understand "shared governance." He's military. He understands "chain of command." He gives the orders, you salute.

    ReplyDelete
  3. akfishergalThursday, February 10, 2011 at 11:09:00 AM AKST

    Thanks for clip and the summary. Off to a stumbling start, and just in time for contract negotiations for the faculty CBAs. Best wishes to all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. HarpboyAKFriday, February 11, 2011 at 12:34:00 AM AKST

    Another general is exactly what we did NOT need to run UA! The current regents are unfortunately just mushrooms, that is the administration just keeps them in the dark and feeds them bullshit.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jakob Dugan-BrauseFriday, February 11, 2011 at 12:35:00 AM AKST

    So the story make the news... with ADN reader comments. What would the world be without them? Prissy academics and rock-jawed generals.

    Your ox lies bleeding on the ground and some are ready to carve the flanks.

    ReplyDelete

Comments will be reviewed, not for content (except ads), but for style. Comments with personal insults, rambling tirades, and significant repetition will be deleted. Ads disguised as comments, unless closely related to the post and of value to readers (my call) will be deleted. Click here to learn to put links in your comment.