I wrote the post - University of Illinois Takes Aim at University of Phoenix.
In the comments, a UIC prof Gerald F responded.
I thought to bring it to a full post in the interest of discussion -
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I work for UIC Liautaud Graduate School of Business. This is a case study
of what can happen when academicians and administrators do not tell the
truth and try to hide something. It is about time they receive their
comeuppance.
If the jarhead slur was said, even behind closed doors, the Chancellor or
Board of Trustees should take firm action. Discrimination is abhorrent to
academic integrity. I cannot speak about alleged jarhead slur, but I did
read about another slur where an Associate Dean, Lawrence DeBrock at
Urbana-Champaign, called his colleagues hookers in writing.
As a Faculty member, I can give you insight into the political and
administrative issues related to the veteran scholarship problem at
Urbana-Champaign.
First, there was good cause why UIC Chancellor, Sylvia Manning, became
involved with U of I President Joe White on the veteran scholarship issue.
It is a turf issue. Before this veterans situation occurred, the Dean for
the College of Business at Urbana-Champaign, Avijit Ghosh, visited UIC and
gave a talk about his plans for expansion of a part-time MBA program in
Chicago at a new facility in the suburbs. There was an air of arrogance
and superiority in Ghosh?s talk and a sense that Urbana-Champaign was
looking forward to taking over UIC?s home base. So, it is likely that
Chancellor Manning was in discussions with President White over this issue
before the veterans scholarship scandal became news. I do not think
Chancellor Manning has an axe to grind on the veterans issue. Whatever
cover-up happened was the doing of Urbana-Champaign and U of I?s
President, Joe White, who asked Chancellor Manning to get involved.
Second, never never never do graduate programs even think about changing
admissions standards and procedures after the first prospective student
applies. It is just not done. The fact that Urbana-Champaign did so in
conjunction with state and federally supported financial aid programs
should raise red flags to the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the
U.S. Department of Education. I would not be surprised that the Illinois
Inspector General refers its findings to an appropriate State agency with
federal oversight. Even if no promise of scholarships was ever made to
veterans, changing admissions standards and procedures for a group of
students a few weeks before classes start is a bad idea, to say the least.
Changing admissions standards to target any group of students is somewhere
between stupid and illegal.
Lastly, the conflicts of interest are multi-level and provide a great case
study in ethics. The relationship between Avijit Ghosh and Joseph White is
deeper than you or others have reported. Both were deans of business
schools. They?ve known each other for some time. Joseph White grew up
in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is where Avijit Ghosh just interviewed for a
job with Western Michigan University. The Baker-Parker executive search
firm that helped President White get his job at U of I also tried to help
Avijit Ghosh get a job at Western Michigan University. And finally,
without a formal search process and faculty search committee, Avijit Ghosh
got a $339,000 running technology and economic development for U of I after
he lost out at Western Michigan University. The biggest issue for U of I
is that Ghosh has no qualifications or background even remotely connected
to the job requirements. Essentially, White gave Ghosh the moral
equivalent of a no-bid contract.
http://www.onlineuniversities-weblog.com/50226711/university_of_illinois_gl
obal_campus_to_offer_online_degrees.php
My god this is sick stuff. University of Illinois discriminating against
the veterans it promised scholarships to? What in the hell is wrong with
them? Faculty and administrators are supposed to teach students
accountability, personal responsibility and ethics. They are setting the
opposite example.
I can honestly say I have never heard about any university intentionally
changing admissions standards to target a specific group of people or
trying to buy somebody?s silence with a $50,000 payoff. No wonder the
Attorney General is after them. I hope the accrediting agencies and the US
Department of Education goes after them too. Where are Illinois Senators
Durban and Obama on this? If anyone should be defending the veterans now,
Illinois? own senators should be out in front on this.
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