Hennessy stepping down - Printable Version
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Re: Hennessy stepping down - CornFed - 06-14-2015
Marginalized at her level is a different kind of concept than it is, say for instance, at my level. To think that the qualities you mention (and many others) do not make her a person that any university would die to have lead suggests to me that she is being marginalized. Although I may be misconstruing the term.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - winflop - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 04:57 AM)garvin link Wrote:I don't know what "marginalized" means in this context, but she is certainly not engaged in management of the University.
Currently that's true, but remember that she was provost. And in terms of management, she held multiple management positions in the GW Bush administration including SecState. There's no question she's qualified.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - Roberton3 - 06-15-2015
(06-14-2015, 03:35 PM)CornFed link Wrote:I think it's a shame that someone with her impressive credentials can be dismissed, or marginalized, because of prejudices stemming from distortions of her record. Reasonable disagreements can arise with regard to her depicted role(s) in the Bush Administration, but I do not believe anyone can credibly argue that she was incompetent. On the contrary, I personally think more highly of her for the way in which she handled herself. She demonstrated integrity and forthrightness, among other admirable traits in what was surely a seriously stressful environment. Why can't we all just get along? :(
Most of the reasons that she's controversial among faculty predate her time in the Bush Administration, and have absolutely nothing to do with national politics. She made many enemies during her time as provost at Stanford. Depending on whom you talk with, you'll hear very different stories about why that is. Some faculty will say that anyone who makes tough decisions makes enemies. Some will say that she was autocratic, didn't listen, and made bad decisions. I don't know enough to judge, though I will say that I've heard more complaints about her than about any Stanford provost before or since.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - FarmBoy - 06-15-2015
It was always a nagging concern to me that Hennessey leveraged his role at the university to generate enormous personal wealth. I always wondered if he was able to stay unbiased when evaluating the overall funding and resource distribution for the university when he would personally gain from funding and resourcing to given departments, given their connection to the Silicon Valley. Also, the campus feels more and more "professionalized" under his administration. It's hard to truly evaluate without being on campus, but my sense is that entering freshman are much more focused on how to generate a financial ROI and networking and resume building and less interested in exploring for the sake of intellectual curiosity and academia itself. I'm a very practical person myself (engineering degree + MBA), but I always valued the diversity of thought and personality at Stanford, and that feels reduced over the past 15+ years. I remember visiting a friend at Georgetown during my Freshman year and hanging out in the dorms with a bunch of kids where khakis and button down shirts on a Saturday night. They talked about career ambitions and internships and I just thought to myself how glad I was that my dorm mates were the polar opposite.
I hope the University targets someone with a humanities background to bring balance to the force. Preferably a humanities background with a passion for sports, of course.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - BostonCard - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 06:33 AM)Roberton3 link Wrote:[quote author=CornFed link=topic=12253.msg120632#msg120632 date=1434321321]
I think it's a shame that someone with her impressive credentials can be dismissed, or marginalized, because of prejudices stemming from distortions of her record. Reasonable disagreements can arise with regard to her depicted role(s) in the Bush Administration, but I do not believe anyone can credibly argue that she was incompetent. On the contrary, I personally think more highly of her for the way in which she handled herself. She demonstrated integrity and forthrightness, among other admirable traits in what was surely a seriously stressful environment. Why can't we all just get along? :(
Most of the reasons that she's controversial among faculty predate her time in the Bush Administration, and have absolutely nothing to do with national politics. She made many enemies during her time as provost at Stanford. Depending on whom you talk with, you'll hear very different stories about why that is. Some faculty will say that anyone who makes tough decisions makes enemies. Some will say that she was autocratic, didn't listen, and made bad decisions. I don't know enough to judge, though I will say that I've heard more complaints about her than about any Stanford provost before or since.
[/quote]
Yes, I agree. As a student at the time, she was not exactly loved by the students. She was certainly a polarizing figure, beyond her political perspective. That may not have been her fault; the President and Provost sometimes have to play good cop/bad cop, and Casper left a lot to be desired as President. I will say this for Condi, she's been a steadfast supporter of Stanford athletics in general and football in particular. She also is most certainly qualified, former provost, former Secretary of State, and a long and distinguished academic career. The job of University President would almost certainly test her diplomatic mettle.
BC
Re: Hennessy stepping down - CTcard - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 09:59 AM)Boston Card link Wrote:As a student at the time, she was not exactly loved by the students. She was certainly a polarizing figure, beyond her political perspective.
That is surprising to me because I do not remember that as an undergraduate I ever had a single thought about the provost of the university and am pretty sure I had no idea who held the position.
I suppose Rice may have had a higher profile than most since she had already served in the Bush I administration - but I am still surprised undergrads noticed a provost enough to be polarizing.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - stupac2 - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 11:15 AM)CTcard link Wrote:That is surprising to me because I do not remember that as an undergraduate I ever had a single thought about the provost of the university and am pretty sure I had no idea who held the position.
I suppose Rice may have had a higher profile than most since she had already served in the Bush I administration - but I am still surprised undergrads noticed a provost enough to be polarizing.
I think the people who care about these things go out of their way to notice that stuff. I also have no idea who the provost was when I was in school. Or what a provost does. If you had asked me on Friday who the president was while I was there I probably couldn't have answered that, either.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - yvonne - 06-15-2015
It couldn't have been Don Kennedy, then. He was everywhere. I'd often see him in line to buy grilled chicken sandwiches outside Tressider. The first time I saw him was at the Big Game bonfire, which impressed me a lot I'd never seen Bloustein at Rutgers or Bowen at Princeton so engaged with the students. Heck, I almost literally ran into Kennedy while running through the quad when the two of us were running one day.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - BostonCard - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 11:32 AM)Yvonne link Wrote:It couldn't have been Don Kennedy, then. He was everywhere. I'd often see him in line to buy grilled chicken sandwiches outside Tressider. The first time I saw him was at the Big Game bonfire, which impressed me a lot I'd never seen Bloustein at Rutgers or Bowen at Princeton so engaged with the students. Heck, I almost literally ran into Kennedy while running through the quad when the two of us were running one day.
+1 for the correct usage of the word "literally".
BC
Re: Hennessy stepping down - needle - 06-15-2015
Quote: By the way, those of you who are Casper-haters should know she was one of the big cheeses on the search committee that selected Casper.
Well, what role did Casper have in Rice being appointed provost? For that matter, what role did he have in Hennessy's appointment to provost? I would assume a pretty big role, but I don't really know.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - yvonne - 06-15-2015
Casper was president from 1992-2000, Hennessy from 2000 to the present. https://president.stanford.edu/history/
Rice was provost from 1992-1999 https://provost.stanford.edu/history-office
Refresh my memory - Redrum - 06-15-2015
Is the Provost the real power/decider on the day-to-day running of the university? The President stays up in the stratosphere, guiding the eternal search for money/power/influence and relations with the trustees?
Re: Hennessy stepping down - Rally - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 11:15 AM)CTcard link Wrote:[quote author=Boston Card link=topic=12253.msg120671#msg120671 date=1434387581]
As a student at the time, she was not exactly loved by the students. She was certainly a polarizing figure, beyond her political perspective.
That is surprising to me because I do not remember that as an undergraduate I ever had a single thought about the provost of the university and am pretty sure I had no idea who held the position.
I suppose Rice may have had a higher profile than most since she had already served in the Bush I administration - but I am still surprised undergrads noticed a provost enough to be polarizing.
[/quote]
Was there a Provost in the 60s? I knew who the President, Wally Sterling, was only because I lived near his house and he would invite us over once in awhile for a glass of wine and a chat. Usually about broken beer bottles.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - yvonne - 06-15-2015
Terman and Lyman were provosts during the 1960s.
(Sorry about the bad link earlier) https://provost.stanford.edu/history-office
Re: Hennessy stepping down - Rally - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 12:53 PM)Yvonne link Wrote:Terman and Lyman were provosts during the 1960s.
(Sorry about the bad link earlier) https://provost.stanford.edu/history-office
Did you know that when you were an undergrad?Â
Re: Hennessy stepping down - Rally - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 01:16 PM)garvin link Wrote:I certainly knew of both of them. Lyman, of course, had been provost only a year or so before I got there. But Terman, though his tenure went back further -- he started in the job in 1955 -- was renowned as the guy who built Stanford into a national university.
I find this idea that provosts are obscure characters to be odd. Of the names on the list in Yvonne's link, the only two unfamiliar to me are Douglas Whitaker, who left the job just a year after I was born, and James N. Rosse. (I must have been asleep that decade.) Seriously -- have you never heard of John Etchemendy, the current provost?
Of course. Every year since I graduated, beginning while a penniless grad student, at least one donation pitch from the Provost du jour has been included in the barrage. Until then, though, no. Maybe if I had been politically active, or on the Daily staff, but I wasn't. My parents certainly knew the Provost's name as they were subjected to the donation barrage even while struggling to pay my tuition. Still true? I know we got them when our kids were in school.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - Leftcoast - 06-15-2015
In Army football in the 40s the Black Knights has a dual Voldemort winning Tailback tandem of Glenn Davis and "Doc" Blanchard who were commonly known as Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside. My short hand for the roles of Stanford's president and provost are similar.Â
The President is Mr Outside, handles all of the external relationships and stakeholders and is the public face of the University.Â
The provost is Mr Inside and deals with the academic community, internal affairs and most student issues. The provost is generally the second ranking officer in American universities.
Is this other people's understanding?
Re: Hennessy stepping down - stupac2 - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 01:16 PM)garvin link Wrote:Seriously -- have you never heard of John Etchemendy, the current provost?
I've heard of him, but if you asked me in a week who Stanford's provost is I wouldn't be able to answer. It's just not important information for me.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - Papa John - 06-15-2015
Lefty, consider this from https://provost.stanford.edu/:
Quote:[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)]As the chief academic and chief budgetary officer of the University, the Provost is responsible for administering the academic program, including both instruction and research, and for the coordination of the administrative and support functions of the University with its academic purposes.[/color]
So I'd say that your Mister Inside metaphor is accurate. Except in this non-football case, Mister Inside is not well-known (usually) to the public.
Re: Hennessy stepping down - PrinceLightfoot - 06-15-2015
(06-15-2015, 11:52 AM)garvin link Wrote:I wouldn't say you have to go out of your way to notice who the provost is; I remember that Bill Miller, a professor from the Computer Science Department, had the job when I was a student in the early 1970s. Fred Terman, I believe, was very well-known when he was provost from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s; and I'm certain Richard Lyman was well-known during his years as provost. (He was the one who called the cops to put down anti-war demonstrations.)
Anybody who was paying attention to Stanford at all in the early 1990s. She was the first Stanford provost to be black or female, and she was the youngest in University history. She came in during a financial pinch that required something on the order of $25 million in budget cuts; she made them, and took the campus heat (including a hunger strike by students when she cut some offices and jobs related to affirmitive action stuff), often playing the bad cop to Casper's good one.
The affirmitive action cuts were a prelude to other extremely contentious episodes involving what might broadly be called ethnic-minority affairs at Stanford, famously including a meeting with the Black Students Union at which Rice snapped that she didn't need anybody lecturing her on how to be black. As several others here have noted, Rice was a controversial figure on campus long before she joined the Bush White House.
By the way, those of you who are Casper-haters should know she was one of the big cheeses on the search committee that selected Casper.
I was a freshman during the hunger strike and knew those involved personally having lived in Casa Zapata that year and being well connected with others in the Mexican-American community. Here is a decent review of events:
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/05/23/fighting-for-the-future-a-history-of-the-1994-hunger-strike/
I was at the strikes, but did not participate because I honestly did not understand the need nor the anger. So many said her name, "Condi", with such a distinct flavor that I would have thought it meant something repulsive if I did not know it was name. I also recall that there was an idea to combine the various ethnic centers into one building which while more cost effective was not popular at all with those who maintained the ethnic centers.
This response was primarily by students trying to save the perceived voice they had with administration in Cecilia Burciaga, RA of Casa Zapata, who was being laid off from her position as assistant dean of student affairs. There was also a call to create a Chicano Studies and an Asian-America program since many felt students in these groups were being marginalized and not understood on campus given their background. I never felt like either was necessary (first generation American fyi who never felt out of place at Stanford) but others believed it to be true or were made to believe it was true. Burciaga had been there for 20 years, so she had become a fixture within the Stanford Chicano community having helped several students personally. Many students she helped felt out of place and she encouraged them to stay the course. She encouraged me to start the Mariachi program on campus and even stated publicly at the first community meeting of the year that I would bring Mexican folklore music to the campus...no pressure at all! While I liked the Burciagas personally, I just saw the move by the university as a necessary one given the budget constraints and that others would rise up to fill any void. Others did.
So much of the activism on campuses are due to professors or others in positions of power with relatively radical or extreme views who are able to incite intelligent, yet very impressionable minds. Is it really education at that point when all ideas are not presented to our youth for them to decide the best choice within their understanding or is it simply indoctrination so that any other choice is to be dismissed or destroyed before it even has a chance to become viable? I remember asking questions and then being skewered for simply asking them. Not my cup of tea if you cannot explain why or what goes into the cup convincingly...just my opinions without intention to offend.