terrapinsanity.com

Nothing says ‘rubber stamp’ better than leadership’s expectation that the campus senate will process several major proposals in one busy voting session on the 16th of this month.

Already on the agenda is the merger of two major colleges, Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences with Chemical and Life Sciences. Well, not a merger – a hostile takeover is more like it. CLFS has effectively ceased to exist, killed by fiat, and its units absorbed administratively into the regime of Steve Halperin, the CMPS Dean. This was a coup worthy of any good banana republic: no substantive reviews have been performed, no serious analysis of cost versus benefit produced, a vote of faculty and staff (that was not a secret ballot, and was overtly monitored by supervisors, with the obvious chilling effect) and the very first meeting at which faculty in one of the colleges could have voiced question or concern in open forum only occurred last week. Yes, after it all happened, and conveniently scheduled at the last minute during a time least populated by faculty about to return to campus for fall semester. What is so important that it must be implemented without a fair and open vetting of the issues among stakeholders? We’ll never know from the senate meeting, that’s for sure.

Add to the agenda approval of the new diversity plan. Let’s review: this plan has had a couple abortive attempts at advancing over the last year, each time panned by the community. We don’t envy the proponents this task – no question, this is a tough one to handle – but the solution now isn’t any better, which is, rush through edits they want, forget any new round of public vetting and slide it into a senate calendar packed with monkey business. [President Mote's announcement about this - sent in his name after we actually thought he was officially gone - is appended.]

Will senator push back and demand some serious involvement in these fundamental questions? Or meekly serve as the rubber stamp that leadership obviously seeks? We’ll know soon enough.

Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:00:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: “President C. D. Mote, Jr.”
To: “University of Maryland Community”:;
Subject: UM Diversity Strategic Plan

Dear University of Maryland Family:

I am very pleased to announce that the Diversity Strategic Plan
Committee has completed its work on the plan, Transforming Maryland:
Expectations for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion. Diversity at
the University of Maryland is a cornerstone of our excellence, adding
value to our educational, work and social environments. Creating
environments that are rich in diversity, inclusive and supportive of all
members of our community enriches our campus exponentially.

In order to cultivate diversity even further, the diversity strategic
plan outlines goals and strategies to which the University commits
itself. Maintaining working and learning environments in which all
members of our community can flourish is the essence of the plan and I
am confident it will be achieved.

The University is grateful to the Diversity Strategic Plan Committee,
led by Dr. Robert Waters, and to the hundreds of campus members who
contributed their inputs. The diligence with which the plan was crafted
is apparent. The Senate Executive Committee has forwarded the plan to
the University Senate for consideration at its September 16th meeting.

Our vision for the next decade is to be a model diverse community of
learning, exploration and self examination. I am confident that we have
the commitment, the people and now the plan to realize this vision.

Yours sincerely,

C. D. Mote, Jr.
President

********************

This note was authorized for distribution to
University of Maryland Community by:
President C. D. Mote, Jr.