Vinay, some months ago I went for a haircut at my local barber. He told me he still sees the odd client come in for the first time in 18 months. “They typically open the door a crack and peer in cautiously looking around. They’ve been holed up in their condo for many months and want to know if its Safe to come in”. For some time my barber had been very accepting of this reaction but now his patience had run out and turned to anger. “Where the F*k have these people been while the rest of us are out here trying to keep our businesses afloat and keep basic services running? They have been in their hidey holes buying off Amazon and watching Netflix videos while the rest of us have been working to survive.”
I can cut uninformed, terrified people some slack, but I can’t do so for these highly paid administrators, so while I agree with the context of your piece Vinay, I think their failure is catastrophic and completely unacceptable. They failed to stand up when it was critically needed for them to do so, even though it was their job to do so. We had nurses, doctors, emergency workers (and even barbers) standing up in the face of this emergency while these folks did nothing! The damage is done. Now it’s pretty simple. They do not qualify to hold positions of leadership. They need to be vilified and fired.
Vinay is completely and utterly correct here. But I have spoken with many of these administrators (heavens, I am not one) and a reasoned number of those that I know have hated everything they have done. I am sure there are a boatload that are just generally bad/useless/scared people, but some of those I know (in medical school) have hated every minute of what they have had to do. But each has been warned by their county/city/state governments that if they do not bend over and do absurd stuff, and not make noise, they will be externally shut down.
This is not an excuse, but as usual, the underlying villain is the government who has made dissent for those who need governmental permission to function almost impossible. I watched some administrators try and get crushed.
The stupid half of the faculty that believes all the BS (and it is almost all BS) makes it worse. But they would be shouted down/overruled if it weren't for the external threats in, at least, some cases of my personal acquaintance.
I just want to underscore that there is plenty of high dudgeon that should go around, but it is important to not lose sight of the underlying source of most of it.
Excellent post. I think the articulated Netflix position should be referred to as the DeSantis-Disney effect though. Corporations have been taking what has up to now been the easiest way, which is caving to vocal and aggressive internal views of a small subset of employees. The tussle in Florida showed that may not be the easiest way anymore. However, universities are much further from their "customers", and have much less accountability. The closest to a customer base in universities is actually the faculty, who have an interest in allowing heterodox discussion -- even if it takes them a long time to realize this.
Completely agree. The cowardice among the conventional forums for debate (universities, professional associations, media, religious institutions, etc.) has been very telling.
The universities should have said,
1. The whole wellbeing (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) of our students is our top priority.
2. We will provide reasonable special accommodations for any member of our community (students, staff, and faculty) at high risk due to Covid.
3. We will let evidence and data guide our decisions at every step.
4. The vast majority of our student population is at nearly zero risk of death from Covid.
5. We will respond appropriately to the safety and needs of our faculty and staff.
6. We will publicly express dissent with public health officials and elected representatives if they neglect the whole wellbeing of our students.
7. We will apply due skepticism to mandated actions, including vaccination
8. We will not simply follow instructions: we are an institution of higher learning.
(and, of course, Vinay has done a superior job:) )
Universities see it as their job to protect students. To a degree, that's true. But they got the risk balance completely wrong: they applied the risk balance that would be appropriate for a 90-year-old to a population with an average age around 25. Their neglect has caused way more harm than benefit.
Vinay, some months ago I went for a haircut at my local barber. He told me he still sees the odd client come in for the first time in 18 months. “They typically open the door a crack and peer in cautiously looking around. They’ve been holed up in their condo for many months and want to know if its Safe to come in”. For some time my barber had been very accepting of this reaction but now his patience had run out and turned to anger. “Where the F*k have these people been while the rest of us are out here trying to keep our businesses afloat and keep basic services running? They have been in their hidey holes buying off Amazon and watching Netflix videos while the rest of us have been working to survive.”
I can cut uninformed, terrified people some slack, but I can’t do so for these highly paid administrators, so while I agree with the context of your piece Vinay, I think their failure is catastrophic and completely unacceptable. They failed to stand up when it was critically needed for them to do so, even though it was their job to do so. We had nurses, doctors, emergency workers (and even barbers) standing up in the face of this emergency while these folks did nothing! The damage is done. Now it’s pretty simple. They do not qualify to hold positions of leadership. They need to be vilified and fired.
Vinay is completely and utterly correct here. But I have spoken with many of these administrators (heavens, I am not one) and a reasoned number of those that I know have hated everything they have done. I am sure there are a boatload that are just generally bad/useless/scared people, but some of those I know (in medical school) have hated every minute of what they have had to do. But each has been warned by their county/city/state governments that if they do not bend over and do absurd stuff, and not make noise, they will be externally shut down.
This is not an excuse, but as usual, the underlying villain is the government who has made dissent for those who need governmental permission to function almost impossible. I watched some administrators try and get crushed.
The stupid half of the faculty that believes all the BS (and it is almost all BS) makes it worse. But they would be shouted down/overruled if it weren't for the external threats in, at least, some cases of my personal acquaintance.
I just want to underscore that there is plenty of high dudgeon that should go around, but it is important to not lose sight of the underlying source of most of it.
Excellent post. I think the articulated Netflix position should be referred to as the DeSantis-Disney effect though. Corporations have been taking what has up to now been the easiest way, which is caving to vocal and aggressive internal views of a small subset of employees. The tussle in Florida showed that may not be the easiest way anymore. However, universities are much further from their "customers", and have much less accountability. The closest to a customer base in universities is actually the faculty, who have an interest in allowing heterodox discussion -- even if it takes them a long time to realize this.
Wonderfully said ! I wonder how Vinay is getting away with writing this type of content in his own medical / academic setting .
I wish everyone in our country could/would think like this and DO this.
Completely agree. The cowardice among the conventional forums for debate (universities, professional associations, media, religious institutions, etc.) has been very telling.
The universities should have said,
1. The whole wellbeing (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) of our students is our top priority.
2. We will provide reasonable special accommodations for any member of our community (students, staff, and faculty) at high risk due to Covid.
3. We will let evidence and data guide our decisions at every step.
4. The vast majority of our student population is at nearly zero risk of death from Covid.
5. We will respond appropriately to the safety and needs of our faculty and staff.
6. We will publicly express dissent with public health officials and elected representatives if they neglect the whole wellbeing of our students.
7. We will apply due skepticism to mandated actions, including vaccination
8. We will not simply follow instructions: we are an institution of higher learning.
I try to articulate that here: https://gregpowell.substack.com/p/what-the-universities-should-have?r=6q1ps&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
(and, of course, Vinay has done a superior job:) )
Universities see it as their job to protect students. To a degree, that's true. But they got the risk balance completely wrong: they applied the risk balance that would be appropriate for a 90-year-old to a population with an average age around 25. Their neglect has caused way more harm than benefit.
Dr V
What you are seeing is the result of ceding the virtue of Truth and Knowledge to the virtue of Feelings and Inclusion.
All the rest is details
Bravo! Bravo! No more euphemisms... "spinelessness" is exactly right!
So refreshing.
You read my mind this morning but with better vocabulary. Nail on head.