It's been a long two days of interviews topped off by an extremely stressful "debriefing" that didn't allow for discussion before Delores Spearman, wife of top insider lobbyist Guy Spearman, made a motion to include academics Michele Wheatly, Michael Martin, and Richard Marchase as well as non-academic politician John Thrasher. Motions were made to add Garnett Stokes as one of the finalists, but they failed, including the one that the people in the room cheered for--replacing Thrasher with Stokes. But the faculty, students, and dean were outnumbered again, twice, and the fix is still in.
I want to talk about the wonderful distinguished academic candidates who have a wealth of experience in higher education leadership as well as in fundraising and athletics and everything that was asked. How they talked about important issues such as how to enhance diversity of students and faculty and the importance of shared governance. How they talked about how they could unite the FSU community to move us forward to excellence.
I want to talk about how Thrasher wasn't asked the same questions the other candidates were asked, how he talked more about his family than his (lack of) qualifications, how he stated he wasn't a thespian when answering a question about the arts, how he said he woke up this morning thinking about "this academics thing," how he said he didn't know any presidents of universities in states other than Florida but said he'd meet them "if it's important," how he said he "embraced" tenure, but that K-12 teachers just sit in chairs and get tenure, and how he was campaigning rather than interviewing to be the leader of a research one institution.
I want to talk about how the faculty, students, and dean were outnumbered again on a motion to replace Thrasher with Stokes and against the motion to accept the four candidates because it included Thrasher, who doesn't have the qualifications necessary to move us forward to the top 25 or AAU (well, he doesn't know and isn't sure if it's important to know other presidents or anything about "this academics thing").
I want to talk about how the air was sucked out of the room when that happened.
I want to talk about how people stopped me and wrote me today to say, yes, indeed, the fix is in and political cronyism ruled the day.
But I have this horrible taste in my mouth. Can't tell if it is disappointment or disgust or a little of both. So I'll save all that for another day.
