[yvonne]

Secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, is going to be the president of the UC, according to the LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me...3979.story

[yvonne]

Secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, is going to be the president of the UC, according to the LA Times.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me...3979.story

[needle]

What I wanted to know:

Her proposed salary has not been released, pending discussions among the regents. But since her Cabinet salary of about $200,000 is about a third of the annual $591,000 that current UC president Mark G. Yudof makes, the regents presumably will be able to avoid a potential furor and not feel pressured to give her a big pay raise over Yudof’s.

[needle]

What I wanted to know:

Her proposed salary has not been released, pending discussions among the regents. But since her Cabinet salary of about $200,000 is about a third of the annual $591,000 that current UC president Mark G. Yudof makes, the regents presumably will be able to avoid a potential furor and not feel pressured to give her a big pay raise over Yudof’s.

[71Bear]

An excellent choice...

The role of the UC President is political (99%) and educational (1%).  I am pleased to see the regents select an experienced politician with strong ties to Washington as the new University President.  She has a lot of educational expertise in her cabinet (the chancellors) to help with that aspect of the job...

[71Bear]

An excellent choice...

The role of the UC President is political (99%) and educational (1%).  I am pleased to see the regents select an experienced politician with strong ties to Washington as the new University President.  She has a lot of educational expertise in her cabinet (the chancellors) to help with that aspect of the job...

[fullmetal]

So...was she just looking for a very challenging job?

[fullmetal]

So...was she just looking for a very challenging job?

[Bruce Wang]

Yep. This Banana Slug does not look happy.

[Bruce Wang]

Yep. This Banana Slug does not look happy.

[OutsiderFan]

Keep in mind there is the potential for an ulterior motive here.  There isn't any public evidence to substantiate this available to my knowledge, but it is entirely possible the UC faculty knows Napolitano has been given some sort of mandate to make getting tenure tougher, reduce pensions, or otherwise do things that will take benefits away from UC professors.  That could be the real reason some UC faculty have their panties in a twist.

Napolitano has a pretty strong academic record from what I gather.  To call her an idiot is just a little over the top.  It's the kind of thing people say about someone else to discredit them as much as possible.  And why do people discredit others, usually because they pose a threat to their own objectives, or otherwise have opposing opinions.

[OutsiderFan]

Keep in mind there is the potential for an ulterior motive here.  There isn't any public evidence to substantiate this available to my knowledge, but it is entirely possible the UC faculty knows Napolitano has been given some sort of mandate to make getting tenure tougher, reduce pensions, or otherwise do things that will take benefits away from UC professors.  That could be the real reason some UC faculty have their panties in a twist.

Napolitano has a pretty strong academic record from what I gather.  To call her an idiot is just a little over the top.  It's the kind of thing people say about someone else to discredit them as much as possible.  And why do people discredit others, usually because they pose a threat to their own objectives, or otherwise have opposing opinions.

[76lsjumb]

To call her an idiot is just a little over the top.  It's the kind of thing people say about someone else to discredit them as much as possible.  And why do people discredit others, usually because they pose a threat to their own objectives, or otherwise have opposing opinions.

One other reason:  Because they're L.ane K.iffin...

[76lsjumb]

To call her an idiot is just a little over the top.  It's the kind of thing people say about someone else to discredit them as much as possible.  And why do people discredit others, usually because they pose a threat to their own objectives, or otherwise have opposing opinions.

One other reason:  Because they're L.ane K.iffin...

[71Bear]

Garvin - The article confirms why she is a great choice.  The University desperately needs someone from the outside who can shake up the status quo.  In addition, the University needs someone who can navigate the corridors of power in Washington DC and Sacramento.  She is a breath of fresh air.

In essence, if the faculty wasn't bitching, I would be worried.........

[71Bear]

Garvin - The article confirms why she is a great choice.  The University desperately needs someone from the outside who can shake up the status quo.  In addition, the University needs someone who can navigate the corridors of power in Washington DC and Sacramento.  She is a breath of fresh air.

In essence, if the faculty wasn't bitching, I would be worried.........

[Roberton3]

For those of you who are defending Napolitano here, how would you feel about a powerhouse football program that has had some down years recently responding by hiring a football head coach who has never coached or played football?  The down years indicate a need to shake things up.  The job is mostly recruiting and administration, and all of the assistant coaches have lots of football experience.  So why not hire someone who's a good salesman and administrator but has no football experience.

Sounds ridiculous, right?  Well, that's basically what the UC system would be doing by appointing Napolitano as UC president.  She has no experience in academia.  I can't think of any other highly-ranked university system that has put a politician in the top spot (the only two decent universities I can think of that have appointed politicians as presidents are the New School and Oklahoma, and they're not in the same academic league with the UC system).

[Roberton3]

For those of you who are defending Napolitano here, how would you feel about a powerhouse football program that has had some down years recently responding by hiring a football head coach who has never coached or played football?  The down years indicate a need to shake things up.  The job is mostly recruiting and administration, and all of the assistant coaches have lots of football experience.  So why not hire someone who's a good salesman and administrator but has no football experience.

Sounds ridiculous, right?  Well, that's basically what the UC system would be doing by appointing Napolitano as UC president.  She has no experience in academia.  I can't think of any other highly-ranked university system that has put a politician in the top spot (the only two decent universities I can think of that have appointed politicians as presidents are the New School and Oklahoma, and they're not in the same academic league with the UC system).

[yvonne]

Donna Shalala?

http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/...biography/

[yvonne]

Donna Shalala?

http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/...biography/

[Bruce Wang]

Donna Shalala?

http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/...biography/

Roberton3 specified "decent" university.  Decent is not what comes to mind when you think of "The U".  Also Shalala was a college professor and administrator.

[Bruce Wang]

Donna Shalala?

http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/...biography/

Roberton3 specified "decent" university.  Decent is not what comes to mind when you think of "The U".  Also Shalala was a college professor and administrator.

[akiddoc]

U of Miami is a very good school. Discounting the football team.

[akiddoc]

U of Miami is a very good school. Discounting the football team.

[97fan]

Billy Bulger - Whitey's brother - is another example of a politician becoming a university president. Maybe not a model to emulate, but another example.

[97fan]

Billy Bulger - Whitey's brother - is another example of a politician becoming a university president. Maybe not a model to emulate, but another example.

[Leftcoast]

The USNWR rankings have Miami at #42 - near, but ahead of, Penn State, University of Texas at Austin and Washington.  Surprising.

[Leftcoast]

The USNWR rankings have Miami at #42 - near, but ahead of, Penn State, University of Texas at Austin and Washington.  Surprising.

[81alum]

Many people do not know that Eisenhower was appointed President of Columbia in the late 1940s.  He was a flop, and he knew it.  Later in life, he claimed that being a University President was the hardest job he ever had--harder than being Supreme Allied Commander or the U.S. President.  In those jobs, he said, he could give orders and they would usually be obeyed.  As the President of Columbia, he said, he couldn't make the engineering faculty agree on a new Dean.

[81alum]

Many people do not know that Eisenhower was appointed President of Columbia in the late 1940s.  He was a flop, and he knew it.  Later in life, he claimed that being a University President was the hardest job he ever had--harder than being Supreme Allied Commander or the U.S. President.  In those jobs, he said, he could give orders and they would usually be obeyed.  As the President of Columbia, he said, he couldn't make the engineering faculty agree on a new Dean.

[washingtonismoney]

Someone compared the economic structure of the typical elite university to a Soviet workers' collective advertising for an attached hedge fund. The analogy explains the difficulty of governance pretty well. 

[washingtonismoney]

Someone compared the economic structure of the typical elite university to a Soviet workers' collective advertising for an attached hedge fund. The analogy explains the difficulty of governance pretty well. 

[Bruce Wang]

Robert Gates was President of Texas A&M and is now Chancellor at his alma mater, William & Mary. My understanding is that he did a great job at A&M along with just every thing else the man has ever done.  Although not a politician in the elected official sense, he served at such high levels so effectively that he has to be considered a master politician.  His first book which "only" covers his career up until his time as CIA chief is a terrific read.  His 2nd book is at the very top of my list of eagerly awaited books.

BTW the man is such a great American that his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom was such a fait accompli that the President surprised him with it at the official announcement of stepping down from Secretary of Defense.

[Bruce Wang]

Robert Gates was President of Texas A&M and is now Chancellor at his alma mater, William & Mary. My understanding is that he did a great job at A&M along with just every thing else the man has ever done.  Although not a politician in the elected official sense, he served at such high levels so effectively that he has to be considered a master politician.  His first book which "only" covers his career up until his time as CIA chief is a terrific read.  His 2nd book is at the very top of my list of eagerly awaited books.

BTW the man is such a great American that his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom was such a fait accompli that the President surprised him with it at the official announcement of stepping down from Secretary of Defense.