Dragas hugged: Controversial UVA rector embraced by Governor McDonnell

Her reappointment is, sadly, not unexpected. Regrettable, though. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/mcdonnell-re-appoints-dr...

The reason she was targeted with criticism is not because she is a woman, it's because, as far as anyone can tell, she orchestrated the whole thing! Silly Bob. This will just give those who want Board reform renewed energy and purpose.

Thank you Gov Bob.....another insult to UVA. Helen Dragas caused more disruption and upset to the UVA community with her underhanded and secretive plot to fire President Sullivan than we could ever imagine. Why would you stoop so LOW as to reappoint her? Oh....that's right.....she has a lot of $$$.

Well, one small consolation is that she'll face a confirmation vote in the General Assembly. I very much hope that her role in recent events will be the subject of extensive and probing questions by members of the committees that, initially, will have to pass on her nomination.

Time for the legislature to step up and stop the reappointment of Helen Dragas. And time for journalists to do some more digging .

"The question is not whether Rector Dragas has a majority of the House and Senate on her side, the question is will she even appear on the resolution on which a vote is then taken.

Here’s where the whole thing gets really sticky for the Governor if he did make the deal to reappoint Dragas. "

http://bearingdrift.com/2012/06/28/the-politics-behind-a-dragas-reappoin...

BTW: is anyone surprised to see Edward Miller, former CEO of Johns Hopkins Medical, is also now appointed to the BOV?

Here's the strategy: surround her with smiling vipers. Turn every error into a grievous failing, every disagreement as a "failure to work with us as she promised ..."

It's an ancient strategy.

President Sullivan's gifts will be wasted at UVa. She deserves better and won't get it here.

"She clearly acted dishonorably and against the best interests of the University."

Truer words were never spoken.

By the way, Creigh Deeds, John Edwards and Donald McEachin are all on the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee which traditionally has the first crack at gubernatorial appointments.

This is not surprising. McDonnell wants to be VP and he's catering to conservative campaign donors. Dragas will continue to push the ACTA agenda and try to privatize UVa. Dragas wants to be governor and needs the same conservative campaign donors...it's synergy. This is the time for the Hook and Cav Daily to be vigilant and connect the dots to what national agenda is driving this. McDonnell was very quick with the 'move forward' language.

You had to figure that the governor was going to reappoint Dragas. She has been touted as a future gubernatorial candidate, and not reappointing her would have killed that possibility. This reappointment as rector gives Dragas an opportunity to rehabilitate her reputation. Will she act in the same nefarious way? Keep a close eye!

Keep up the investigation. It is not time to let guilty parties get away with this. Hopefully this will bring the Gov. down, as he deserves to be brought down. How can we now not believe Kierman's claim that this was all done "with the assent of the Gov."

See GT Shin's comment in a related post reprinted here. Thank you GT Shin

GT Shin on June 26, 2012
Ok, even though President Sullivan’s statement is a huge win, I am still really, really angry. This is very perplexing. So, let’s recap:
1. Dragas decides President Sullivan is not doing something enough. (What, exactly that is, is still unclear. How she came to this determination is also unclear, but it seems to involve reading at least a few articles in the NY Times.)
2. Dragas then does not tell Sullivan that she is not doing something enough. Repeatedly.
3. Dragas receives a detailed memo from Sullivan describing a strategic approach to address complex and inter-related problems at UVa, based on months of work consulting with the “Provost, the Chief Operating Officer, deans, and other key personnel”. Dragas then does not share this memo with the board.
4. Dragas then colludes with Kington and non-BOV member Kiernan to conduct a series of clandestine meetings with individual Visitors to garner their support to force Sullivan out for not doing whatever it was she wasn’t telling Sullivan she wasn’t doing. This takes months, over which time Dragas continues to not tell Sullivan that anything is amiss.
5. Dragas and Kington carefully avoid talking with three Board members who are widely believed to have been enthusiastic Sullivan supporters, and therefore unlikely to go along with such a subversive action.
6. Dragas lies to the Governor, saying that she has the BOV’s unanimous support for ousting Sullivan.
7. Dragas and Kington begin composing the announcement of Sullivan’s resignation a week before arranging a surprise, informal visit to Sullivan late on a Friday afternoon to inform her they have the votes to force her out. Stunned, Sullivan agrees to resign to save the University embarrassment.
8. Dragas then calls an emergency meeting for the following Sunday morning for an event she knew was going to occur at least a week in advance with complete disregard for the notice requirements as stipulated in the BOV Manual
SECTION 2.34 NOTICE OF MEETINGS—Due notice in writing of the Annual Meeting and all regular meetings and of any changes in the dates, times, or places of a regular meeting shall be given by the Secretary of the Board of Visitors. Such written notice shall be sent at least ten days prior to the meeting. Written notice of all special meetings shall be sent by the Secretary at least five days in advance of the meeting. (Emphasis mine)
So, either Dragas knew this and chose to disregard it, or she was acting in ignorance of the Manual. Coincidentally, the three prominent Sullivan supporters are unable to attend.
9. In fact, only three board members are able to attend to accept Sullivan’s resignation, which is far below the requisite 2/3 needed to do so as stipulated by the BOV’s Manual.
SECTION 4.21 ELECTION—The President shall be elected by the Board of Visitors and may be removed only by assent of two-thirds of the whole number of Visitors.
Now, while she may have garnered such assent informally, Dragas never convened a meeting of the board, which Sullivan would have been expected and required to attend, again as stipulated in the Section 4.21 of the BOV Manual.
The President shall attend all meetings of the Board and shall have notice of and the privilege of attending all meetings of its committees.
So, again, either Dragas deliberately disregarded these rules or was completely ignorant of them.
10. Dragas’ announcement of Sullivan’s resignation sets off a firestorm of protest, resulting in several actions unprecedented in UVa’s history, including a vote of no confidence by the Faculty Senate, Kiernan’s resignation from the Darden Board, Kington’s resignation from the BOV, and massive demonstrations by students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
11. Dragas hires a PR firm at $750 an hour to control the fallout, which fails miserably and only serves to make her case even more transparently insupportable. (Can we FOIA the final bill?)
12. The end result of Dragas’ subversive, illegal and/or incompetent actions is to force the board to meet in special session and reverse themselves publically while streaming live with thousands and thousands of people watching for the first time in UVa history, reinstating Sullivan.
13. In conclusion, the BOV votes unanimously to express its confidence in Dragas.
Now I know why I am angry. In reinstating Sullivan’s presidency, the BOV redressed a grievous error, but instead of following up the first motion with a second one calling for Dragas’ resignation, they let her get away with it. By expressing unanimous confidence in Rector Dragas, they utterly failed to hold accountable the chief agent responsible for that error, and made themselves accessories in the process.
So, either the confidence vote was a cowardly attempt to present the world with a veneer of integrity, or they really, truly don’t understand that what Dragas did was wrong.
SECTION 2.4 POWERS AND DUTIES—The powers and duties conferred upon the Board are to be exercised for the purpose of carrying into effect the Statement of Institutional Purpose contained in Chapter 1.
The major powers and duties are
1 the preservation of the ideals and traditions of the University and particularly encouragement of the maintenance of the Honor System by the student body(…)
The STATEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSE reads:
The central purpose of the University of Virginia is to enrich the mind by stimulating and sustaining a spirit of free inquiry directed to understanding the nature of the universe and the role of mankind in it. Activities designed to quicken, discipline, and enlarge the intellectual and creative capacities, as well as the aesthetic and ethical awareness, of the members of the University and to record, preserve, and disseminate the results of intellectual discovery and creative endeavor serve this purpose. In fulfilling it, the University places the highest priority on achieving eminence as a center of higher learning.
While Dragas’ actions were reprehensible, the Board’s constitute a massive failure of governance and responsibility.

"When I Think of You"
http://yogachickie.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/when-i-think-about-you-you-t...

Hawes: Factual correction:Glynn Key was not eligible for re-appointment. She was apppointed in 2004 and had served 2 4 year terms.

My friends are interested in the time line and timing. June 10 Sullivan forced to resign.
Sets up for just two weeks later Gov. McDonnell's grand entrance at the Romney event in Utah and next day Koch event in San Diego. Clever....

On 13 June, McDonnell's office denies fore knowledge of ouster but then subsequent reports say he was told two days earlier of the ousting, June 8 when Sullivan was confronted. Of course, he could have been involved from the beginning.

Going back over the broad outline: far right ACTA , a Washington DC based pressure group, has been working the culture war against higher education since 1995. They are backed by conservative foundations such as the old Smith Richardson Foundation renamed Randolph Foundation. They work with political leaders and business leaders to implement "educational reform." They target state legislatures and provide game plans to willing accomplices. They target certain business interests and players to implement their game plan.

What is the overlap between their game plan for Virginia and the General Assembly 2011 legislation on higher education?

Anne Neal of ACTA during the interim period prior to the reinstatement praised the ouster and called it a "precedent." She boasted prematurely. But she is a lawyer and the word/phrase "precedent" is a word of art for lawyers. Clearly, she and her allies hoped to use a successful attack on UVA elsewhere in the US as a precedent. As she runs a lobby outfit, she needs some meat to throw her donors...foundations, wealthy individuals etc. President Sullivan was to be some meat...

Anonymoose and others correctly warned about a Dragas reappointment. McDonnell has to look tough for his political aspirations (VP, Cabinet slot, whatever) and also they still want to implement their vision for Mr. Jefferson's University.

As I was demonstrating my concern at the Rally on Reinstatement Day, my two female companions both said ,to paraphrase, "Thie Sullivan ouster is a microcosm of what is wrong in our country and in the world." Indeed One friend pointed to the chapel as we left the event saying her father, an alum, was married there in the 1930s and taught at UVA. Her own children went to UVA. My other friend who has lived in the county over 60 years was deeply concerned and quite upset by the overall situation to include Jones and the Ashtanga yoga hustle. She has been into the yoga scene for 40 years and knows it thoroughly.

There is a long ways to go here. Next major objective should be one permanent voting Faculty seat on the BOV and then after that one permanent voting Staff seat. It is perhaps apparent that they will place an educator on the board and use that to deny the Faculty representation. Thus the James Madison person...just a thought. One the other hand, if he is there it is now logical for Faculty to have a permanent seat. All this is for the next governor and General Assembly.

Logically all 6 of the new BOV members and all of the old ones will need to be under watchful eyes now lest we have any repeats and lest ACTA's agenda be implemented in more subtle ways.

Thanks MB for heads up.

.

I feel awful that McDonnell is patronizing women voters by reappointing an undeserving woman to a leadership position.

Compare each person on the board and their list of accomplishments. Dragas would never have made the top 100 unless she was a woman. This is not good for women. It's like a token position. Ugh!

Facebook is lighting up with outrage.

Is it true that new appointee, Miller was to be the replacement for Dr. Sullivan?

I want to hear from President Sullivan.

We need faculty and students with voting rights on the BOV!

These new and renewed appointments show how very narrow the window of opportunity was to restore President Sullivan to her position. As of Sunday, Heywood Fralin and Glynn Key no longer are able to call meetings or galvanize action. The university is particularly indebted to Mr. Fralin for taking such vigorous action while he could.

And of course President Sullivan will work as productively as possible with the Board of Visitors, but I would be quite concerned if one of the people to whom I report had apparently been the preferred interim candidate for my position. If the press stories from around June 11-18 are reliable, the formerly ex officio, now-voting BOV member Edward Miller was also working with the Rector about moving the University forward without President Sullivan.

They won't try the blindside again, but it's unsettling to see that President Sullivan's main supporting BOV members are gone, and at least one who worked toward replacing her is now elevated to voting status. Pay attention to that more than reappointing Dragas, whose reappointment is more about state politics and donors than about UVA. It would be so easy for President Sullivan to become wedged between the interests of the faculty and the interests of the BOV, and with this BOV membership, it would be true of any President.

"Is it true that new appointee, Miller was to be the replacement for Dr. Sullivan?"

That has been reported, in the Washington Post. Whether or not he was knowledgeable (to take the most generous BOV statements on their face) before Kington and Dragas told Sullivan to resign is not yet in evidence. Baltimore Sun reports him as saying he was asked the interim presidency (June 18: "Hopkins CEO Edward D. Miller said he was asked about coming on in an interim basis shortly after President Teresa Sullivan resigned")

Who will be Rector and Vice Rector?

I believe Gov. McDonnell is trying to send us a message. My hope is that Virginia's General Assembly will intervene and balance this polarizing decision. It is time they stepped up to the plate.

Governor McDonnell has sent a message. He believes secret, back-door one-on-one conversations which hide issues from public view are an appropriate way to run a public institution. He believes lying, 'emergency meeting', to get around the open meeting laws is an appropriate action. He believes telling constituents with an interest in the actions of a public organization can be told to not interfere with the actions of the managing board of that public organization.

He accepted and now rewarded dishonorable actions on behalf of a public agency by reappointing the person leading the governing board member who LED the board during that action.

He's either hopelessly naive, a puppet of others, or believes laws are mere technicalities to be evaded rather than obeyed. I just wish he'd tell us which is the right characterization.

how do board members acquire their knowledge of the univ. Can they just wander around classes and ask questions? Does the school provide canned briefings to all? Can they dial up a professor and axe him? i.e. is online learning effective, etc.?

The message the Gov. is sending is "Thanks for doing what I asked so here is your reward."

Title 23, Chapter 11, Section 23-115 of the Code of Virginia provides for the "Appointment of visitors generally; number and eligibility" for the BOV of Virginia Tech.

There is express provision for an 'ex officio' member.

Title 23, Chapter 9, Section 23-70 of the Code of Virginia provides for the "Appointment of visitors generally; number and terms of office" of the BOV of the University of Virginia.

There is no express provision for any appointment of an 'ex officio' member.

Did the Governor exceed his authority in appointing Ed Miller to serve as such a member?

if you are outside the state of Virginia you do not have a vested interest in this topic. Why are you chiming in now?

Please educate yourself and read all postings at the TUMBLR link Friends of the Academical Village.

Another bad day for the Big State School

Does anyone have more information regarding Edward Miller, MD's speaking engagements paid for by major pharmaceutical companies?

It is understood that he was on the elite list and paid thousands for numerous one hour talks. He is also on the board for a major pharmaceutical company.

I just want to know what we are in for with the newly appointed board of visitors.

Stranger and stranger:

http://www.kirkcox.com/2011/06/press-releases/press-release-governor-mcd...

Would folks with an expertise in higher ed please read the cite above and discuss?

just started following this feed.

seems Bob's for Jobs has no merit. tangled words to support his political endeavors. where is Bob's support for UVa faculty, alum and students? lots more questions too Bob.

There would be no university without the faculty. Maybe UVA faculty should move on and accept recruiter's offers rather than wait for a catastrophic event.

President Sullivan is under the microscopic. I don't know of anyone in private industry that succeeded under this type of scrutiny. She should just negotiate a golden parachute and let it go.

UVA is deserving of less and less.

I will never again donate to UVA with knowledge this bias against a sitting president.

General Assembly for State of VA would never intervene in a stupid UVA disagreement. No benefit to siding with factions. No history of a win. No action government at its best. Polarizing government at its' best. Be proud State of Virginia for rousting the sleeping officials, and then letting them sleep in. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Think I will complete a few downward dogs and sleep this off. Whoa cares? No one!

For your consideration: http://www.goactablog.org/blog/archives/2012/04/

only could a one term governor do this. he doesn't need virginia votes.

No one questions, really, that this was all part of the behind-the-scenes Sullivan reinstatement deal, does he/her?

I pointed out previously that members of UVa's Board (Dragas and Kington, for example –– and cognitively-challenged members of Bob McDonnell's entourage –– have latched on to education privatization schemes of people like John Chubb and Terry Moe (who were referenced in Board e-mails).

Chubb and Moe are at the Hoover Institution, a conservative "think" tank that promotes "free enterprise" and the privatization of public education. Both Chubb and Moe are members of Hoover's Koret Task Force on K-12 education, funded by the Koret Foundaton. The Koret Foundation pushes "market-based K-12 education reform" and subscribes to the mistaken and easily disproved notion that "America's broken educational system lies at the heart of our nation's troubles" and drastic "reform" is imperative for "economic competitiveness."

Chubb and Moe recently (2009) wrote a book titled Liberating Learning: Technology, Politics, and the Future of American Education. In it, Chubb and Moe push all the conservative "reform" buttons: competition, charter schools, vouchers, merit pay for teachers. Technology is what will "make our children better educated." The problem –– and it's a big one –– is that there's little or no research to back any of it up.

Here's their web site. Click on Virginia in the map to find out about "recent developments" in the Commonwealth regarding technology and privatization initiatives.

http://www.liberatinglearning.org/?page_id=20

Bob McDonnell had to have been involved in the effort to oust Teresa Sullivan. As Chubb and Moe noted, McDonnell pushed very hard in the last legislative session for more charter schools and "virtual school opportunities." Conservatives, especially Republicans (but also business-oriented "fiscal conservatives like Helen Dragas), view education simply as a commodity to be bought and sold. They refuse to acknowledge the historical foundation of public education as a central civic responsibility of government in a democratic republic. More than two thousand years ago, Aristotle understood the importance of public schooling to democratic citizenship, noting that "each government has a peculiar character...the character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarch creates oligarchy, and always the better the character, the better the government."

With his latest appointments, especially those Bobbie Kilberg and Frank Atkinson, McDonnell – like his national Republican cohorts –– has opted for oligarchy.

Bobbie Kilberg worked previously for Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and both Bushes. She’s been a big fund raiser for Republicans, and said that “she had initially decided to back Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, if he ran for president.” Haley Barbour? The same big-money tobacco lobbyist Haley Barbour who now works with Karl Rove at right-wing American Crossroads, a group that refuses to disclose its donors? The same Haley Barbour who said in reference to racial segregation in the South that "I just don't remember it as being that bad?” The same Haley Barbour who as governor of Mississippi issued pardons to eight men who’d killed their girlfriends or spouses?

As head of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, Kilberg enthusiastically supported McDonnell’s “Top Jobs” legislation. McDonell touts “Top Jobs” as “a pathway towards awarding 100,000 more degrees over the next 15 years and will bring more innovation and accountability and STEM concentration to Virginia's colleges and universities.” Never mind that there now is and never was a STEM crisis in the U.S. Far from it.

Technology “innovation” is one of the major components of McDonnell’s “Top Jobs” plan. The notion of “innovation” includes virtual schools in K12 public education and “aligning higher education and the business sector.” That “alignment” uses terms like “reform-based investment and innovation” and “technology-enhanced instruction.” The term “reform-based” is never defined, but given the current and past state and national Republican policies, it means privatization. As McDonnell himself notes, “I have said many times before that 'Virginia is Open for Business’.”

One commenter (BleedOrangeandBlue) called Frank Atkinson the “ Vito Corleone of the Republican Party of Virginia.” Perhaps. He does have a long track record, and one that usually hides his fingerprints. Atkinson was Deputy Chief of Staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese as the Iran-Contra (weapons for hostages) scandal unfolded. According to the special prosecutor in that scandal, life-long Republican Lawrence Walsh, "Attorney General Edwin Meese III became directly involved in the Reagan Administration's secret plan to sell weapons to Iran in January 1986, when he was asked for a legal opinion to support the plan. When the secret arms sales became exposed in November 1986, raising questions of legality and prompting congressional and public scrutiny, Meese became the point man for the Reagan Administration's effort, in Meese's words, 'to limit the damage’.” In other words, the Attorney General of the United States led a cover-up of illegal and unconstitutional acts in “a conspiracy among the highest-ranking Reagan Administration officials to lie to Congress and the American public.”

Atkinson worked closely with former governor George Allen when he allowed a small group of conservatives to seize control of writing new state education standards, and when foisted the standards of learning testing program on public school systems (and on taxpayers) claiming that it was “revenue-neutral.” Instead the program has cost taxpayers close to $500 million to develop and sustain, with higher costs looming.

Atkinson is a member of the Federalist Society, co-founded by Ed Meese and co-funded by the Koch brothers, a conservative organization that pushes an “originalist” interpretation of the Constitution (except, of course, whenever it get in their way). Outside the Federalist cabal, the “original intent” theory of constitutional interpretation has virtually no credibility among constitutional and legal scholars. As Judge Walsh said in his aftermath book on Iran-Contra, "In calling for the narrow construction of constitutional grants of governmental power, the Federalist Society seemed to speak for right-wing Republicans. I was especially troubled that one of White House Counsel Boyden Gray's assistants had openly declared that no one who was not a member of the Federalist Society had received a judicial appointment from President Bush."

Frank Atkinson is also on the board of directors of the conservative Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The Mercatus Center focuses on “economic development” and “privatization.” Ed Meese is also on its board, as are several others with very close ties to the right-wing Koch brothers (who funded Americans for Prosperity and the Tea Party), including Charles Koch. Make no mistake. Atkinson is on the UVa board for very specific reasons.

Taken together, McDonnell did indeed “double down” on has plans for UVa with the reappoinment of Helen Dragas and the added appointments of Kilberg and Atkinson. The message to Teresa Sullivan is clear: comply quickly, or get out of town. So too the message to the UVa community and all those who were outraged by the duplicity and deceit: You didn’t win, the “inevitable” is only postponed.

As I noted before, the money people are going right back to work. Quickly.

Is there anyone who still believes that "The evidence so far does not point to this being political...?"

As one far less informed than most of you on the matter of how/when/how long these folks are appointed -- DOES the GenAss have power over this decision, as one or two bloggers suggested?

democracy, many thanks for your insights based on what is certainly deep knowledge and reflection.

The culture wars launched against higher education appear to come out of the 1980s and 1990s Washington DC inside the Beltway political culture of the Reagan years, Wall Street financial culture generally, and the like.

I recall back in the 1980s being invited to a very select and small seminar hosted at the Hoover Institution. After a day's sessions with the likes of George Schultz, we had a small private dinner. It was in the Carnelian Room Restaurant 52 floors up overlooking San Francisco. The night time view with the lights and all was most spectacular. My dinner partner seated to my immediate right was Ed Meese. I know this political milieu first hand.

To review: do a Wiki on the Federalist Society; do a Wiki on Dominionism.

Then,do a Wiki on "American Liberty League" a Big Business lobby from the 1930s following elements of European Fascism such as the Croix de Feux, for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Liberty_League

Then note that the American Liberty League, while it closed in the 1940s, had operations which persisted. For example, the Pew interests financed a variety of right wing operations to include the ISI of which one offshoot became ACTA.

I provide some analysis of the transformation of the Republican Party from that of Ike and Taft to Irving (Kristol) in my book: Dark Crusade: Christian Zionism and American Foreign Policy (London: IB Tauris, 2009).

By the way, just where is Larry Sabato and the professors at UVA and elsewhere to "profess" to know something about Virginia state politics? So far, I have seen no substantive analysis done under there own names. It would be helpful to those of us who are not specialists.

Democracy, I appreciate your insights and agree with your conclusions

Teresa Sullivan has been effectively surrounded by a nest of vipers who have a clear agenda to humiliate any efforts to maintain UVa as a first rate university. Mr. Jefferson's "academical village" won't be tolerated, and will be turned into a mere profit center.

Sadly, this is a fait accomplis; President Sullivan cannot win this, no matter how nobly she works to do so. This can only be won by the electorate. She should seek a position elsewhere ... There are places where her gifts and courage will be valued and where she will have actual colleagues to work with.

Disgusting!!! I cannot believe the decision.
He did not even listen or care about the community by making this decision based on greed - money.
She is anti all that the University stands for --- what an unbelievably self-serving decision.
We all know she wants her estate close to Charlottesville -- get her OUT OF TOWN>
Dragas is BAD for the University - students and faculty.....OUT

Two women trying to run a University ...LOL

Peabody,

perhaps Larry Sabato can explain that to us and relate it to the present situation at UVA. Why is he, and why are other professors professing to teach political science silent? Now is the time for them to step foward and urgently to help us understand the situation we are in.

As a student at the University, one professor who later became my advisor got me very interested in the subject of political ideology. He taught courses on "Ideological Influences in International Relations" and we worked through meticulously Marxism-Leninism, Maoism and so on in a Cold War context. We studied the ins and outs of the Communist parties of Eastern Europe, Russia, and China. Adding to this as an undergrad and grad student I was able to study with Prof. Leng and learn still more about Communist China. These teachers were real influences on my life and career. The analysis of political ideology became one of my areas of research.

Another profound influence was Prof. Ramazani. I was his research assistant at one point when he was working on studies of India and Iran and the Persian Gulf. He would give me very complex research topics and when I asked how he wanted me to approach them, he would say, "Just use your imagination." How many hundreds of times have I said this to students in years past. So let's USE OUR IMAGINATIONS.

So how has the political ideology of the Republican Party changed over the years from the Ike and Bob Taft era in which many of us on this blog grew up to today?

Today, the dominant political ideology within the party is "Neoconservatism." Old line progressive Repubicans and moderates have been all but purged. Look what just happend to the very moderate Senator Richard Lugar in Indiana. The far right of the party (which is dominant) knocked him out of the primary. To be sure, he was vulnerable on the residence issue (dumb) but it was the Tea Party backed by big money organized by Dick Armey and Steve Forbes etal. which did the trick.

The Tea Party is divided into two broad factions: the Christian Fundamentalists and the Ron Paul Libertarians. The Fundamentalist/Dominionists seem to have the upper hand in Virginia., Perhaps Bell can explain that to us. The fundamentalist faction is backed by Dick Armey and his network.

At any rate, the core political ideology of the Republican Party today is "Neoconservatism." It has nothing to do with Lincoln, let along Mr. Jefferson.

For Neoconservativism as a political ideology see Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism

A careful examination of Neoconservatism leads to the influence of the German legal theoretician Carl Schmitt, well known in the Nazi era. I mentioned this before.

One way of looking at the matter is to compare the present Republican Party ideology and action (and I would not exclude the Obama Administration either) with the Fascist European right of the 1920s and 1930s. Former President Jimmy Carter has just blasted the Dems and American politica leaders as a whole for falling into authoritarian ways. He certainly has a point.

The interface between the right wings of the Republican and Democratic parties to European Fascism was noticed in the 1930s. Then the "American Liberty League" was active as I mentioned earlier and its ideology is making a comeback today repackaged within Neoconservatism and as expressed in particular by the Republican Party.

So, to review, wiki: Federalist Society, Dominionism, Neoconservatism, Irving Kristol, Carl Schmitt, American Liberty League.

[Now back to dealing with a huge tree which fell across my shed and damaged a couple of plum trees (a Santa Clara and a Burbank) in my small orchard as well. Long weekend here with chain saw and so on. What a storm. Sorry for all the typos ]

academical-village.tumblr.com

University of Penn President, Amy Gutmann's new book, "The Spirit of Compromise, Why Governing Demands it and Campaigning Undermines it", spells out reasons why Gov. McDonnell is behaving badly. McDonnell is running his own private campaign for the Vice Presidential nod from Romney.

Penn State launched its first FREE online class this week via Coursera.

Tom Wolfe's, "I am Charlotte Simmons" (said to have been based on his daughter's experiences at Duke) spells out reasons why a new Basketball arena may be the worst thing for education at UVA.

Questions about the Jones' Yoga Facility: once built, where will funding come from in order maintain, staff, provide heat and air? Will there be outcome studies that prove it significantly improves higher education? Is it going to be "green"? Can someone enlighten me?

The irony about UVA: the university's honor system leaves absolutely no room for forgiveness and reconciliation. Once you violate the so-called community of trust, we throw you out forever. It just goes to show that the rules are very different for the rich and powerful.

@ Mary Louise -

Exactly. This is a long term matter for the electorate to tackle. But in the meantime, President Sullivan's being led to the slaughter.

mlb, very interesting

mary louise, very helpful concerning governance, Penn is WAY ahead of us in terms of democratic governance it would appear. The Penn example should be held high.

Logically, a study of governance at all state universities in our 50 states would be interesting. Compare and contrast.
many thanks for that Penn reference, just what I needed.

Wonder what happened to Mark Kington, Dragas' most overt co-conspirator in the first phase of their campaign to ditch President Sullivan?

He resigned almost immediately after the news broke, and hasn't been publicly heard from since, that I know of. His email exchanges with Dragas were a key piece of the puzzle early in the investigations. Now he's off the screen entirely, while she is virtually basking in notoriety and the all-important "name recognition."

Wonder why he spooked so early and so easily?

"What is the political angle here?"

McDonnell's reappointment of Dragas plays well with the base. Her beliefs in strategic dynamism and online courses are a cornerstone of the right-wing education agenda as dictated by the Kochs and ALEC. Keeping Dragas is the politically expedient thing to do.

Yes, the legislature can stop the Dragas appointment, but I doubt if they will. Collateral damage would be high and the payoff too low. They will most likely keep their powder dry for a bigger issue.

mlb,

Bruno works for the Leadership Institute, a "movement conservative" training institute established by Morton Blackwell of New Right days. Through the years it has been an extremely effective organization developing cadres of young people to support conservative causes.

" Karla Kraynak Bruno is a former English teacher and librarian, with over 20 years as an educator and researcher to her credit. A published author of historical fiction (Mischiefs and Miseries: a novel of Jamestown 1607) and frequent guest columnist for two regional Virginia newspapers, Ms. Bruno esteems strong verbs, well-chosen points, logical argumentation and the people who use them.

Ms. Bruno holds a B.A. in English and an M.A.Ed in Secondary English Education from The College of William and Mary, as well as a Master’s in Library and Information Science from The Catholic University of America. A life-long lover of liberty and conservative values, she has written grants, reports, newsletter articles, and other fundraising materials in support of several conservative organizations. Her son Evan is a LT(jg) serving in the U.S. Navy. In her copious free time, she is active in higher education reform and presidential politics."

http://www.leadershipinstitute.org/contactus/contact.cfm?StaffID=145922

She makes some interesting comments on governance at William and Mary.
http://www.vagazette.com/articles/2012/06/27/news/doc4fea75ff96587829765...

If any good comes out of this more people will get out and vote. That is your recourse against McDonnell.

After reading these latter comments I am sick to my stomach. I was a Young Republican when it was unfashionable to be one and when it was, I believe, anathema to many. I am not sure that I have changed so much as the Republican Party has changed. While voicing small government values it seems to favor a "benevolent" fascism and militarism. And I say this as a former Naval officer. I left years ago and have not looked back. My former colleagues, including two Virginia governors, would probably not understand. But then again, I am not a politician. I mean what I say and, I hope, I stand for the principles I really believe in. Funny, I bought into the whole Jeffersonian ideal (not necessarily the reality). How quaint!

Now, why doesn't Sabato say something? Probably because despite tenure it would not be politically expedient to do so. It seems to me he makes his money and fame by being neutral and usually obsequious to those in power. He was no different as an undergraduate, in my opinion. I would not look to him or to most present professors to lead a protest. Who will want him to be a regular commentator in the media controlled by big money if he takes them on in this venue? After all, it apparently took an idealistic graduate student to organize the rallies that led to Sullivan's reinstatement.

If even one-half of what has been recited in these comments is true, U.Va. is in for serious trouble. Maybe the Faculty Senate can stop what seems to be the inevitable. But I doubt they will step up to the plate. My experience with Faculty Senates in "plantation" universities is that they will mouth platitudes but do nothing. And U.Va. is quickly becoming a plantation. I would never in my wildest dreams have thought this was possible.

My guess is that Sullivan will be at U.Va. for one more year. She then will go to another institution that has not been politicized. A loss to us and to the Commonwealth.

Nick Payne

Mark Kington is most likely hanging out at his paid gig, Dominion Power along with Dragas and Farrell.

@democracy and @old wahoo are spot on.

The reinstatement of President Sullivan was a wonderful and partial victory, partly brought about by widespread citizen participation and pressure.

In the plantation system only the elites count and the rest of us citizens don't. So maybe the capitulation statements by Sabato, Sullivan, and Cohen on just accepting the reappointments and the rest of the corporate appointments are reflections of this. "Thanks peon faculty and citizens for coming out to support us, but we got it from here so let's all just settle down and kiss the Governor's benevolent hand". But we expected the leaders to fulfill their promise as listed on the Faculty Senate website and that promise included resignation of Kington and Dragas, and a change in the appointment process.

There will be two tests of whether or not UVA is finally a plantation:
1) the President and the Faculty Senate go back to business as usual, don't pick up the mantle of protecting public higher education at UVA, the State, and the Nation, they forgive and forget, reconcile without a a full accounting, show no leadership for real change as a result;

2 )the treatment of non-star faculty and staff by administrators will be the same way that the BOV treated Sullivan UVA has a reputation as an elitist-run plantation already. The African-American Community in Charlottesville refers to it this way all the time (and were absent in this recent "unpleasantness." There will be no transparency or shared governance at the level of schools and colleges and departments.

While I appreciate the bone of the President from JMU and Leonard, it doesn't come close to the reform of corporate controlled appointments to the BOV. In fact it merely is s sleight of had trick.

At the risk of sounding crass and my intention is not to be so and with all due respect, A friend asked me today: If Ms. Love was to forgive George Hugely, would that mean he wouldn't need any further punishment? If a student had done this would they have been kicked out by the honor system? The hypocracy is beyond belief. If the orchestrated political show, love fest, at the end of Tuesday was meant to put an end to the problem that was illuminated by the failed Dragas-led attempted corporate hijacking of public higher education, shame on all of us!

I didn't get into this simply to get one privileged and well-paid, woman her job back. I got behind this because I expected leadership from her and the faculty in leading a roll back of conservative, corporate-driven privatization of public higher education.

I expect leadership from President Sullivan and George Cohen and Sabato on this now. Its not time to take a break and reconcile us into pre-Dragas trance of civility and complacency. Time for them to put their money where their mouths are. If they don't and this happens again...not sure we will be there behind you.

Let your voice be heard

We hear your concern. How do you suppose we hold anyone accountable? Not possible. You need rest. You need FOIA!

BOV: You have proven there is no leadership in your decisive move to oust President Sullivan. Might I suggest you rally around her thoughtful progress rather than remove her from Presidential position & stain the University's image further? If you do not support the President, you should not accept placement on the BoV at UVA; after all, that is why you are on the BoV. Correct?

Overwhelming support for President Sullivan came by way of digital media. Seems digital media will keep you resolute and compliant of the law?

Just in:

"Already, a social media campaign has started to lobby the General Assembly not to approve McDonnell's reappointment of Dragas....."

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/state-news/2012/jul/01/6/tdmain01-dra...

Hill and Knowlton etal at work on damage control and spin. Dragas etal getting their money's worth it would seem.

Article quotes indicate the disinformation/spin theme of "lack of communication" as the problem. Oh really? Not political agendas and culture wars? Not sleezy secret plots?

Note reference to George Mason U and to....Ed Meese.

Friends of the Academical Village
academical-village.tumblr.com

@ Tig, who asks, “do you view Sullivan as staying to fight these forces? She surely knows what's up by now. She is not without other options.”

Let’s consider what options Teresa Sullivan really has at this point:

1. She can “fight the power.” But “the power” of conservative big-money forces on the Board just increased and McDonnell’s minions now have very firm control. If she “fights the power” at UVa, she’s toast.

2. She can continue focusing on incremental change. But incremental change is what got her in trouble with Dragas and the other corporate gun-slingers in the first place. Unless Dragas and Atkinson et al agree that an incremental approach –– turning up the heat slowly but surely –– is the best way to boil the frog, that’s unlikely.

3. She can comply, and do precisely what the Board (i.e., Dragas, Atkinson, and of course, McDonnell) wants her to do, and get reappointed when her current contract is up. Then, UVa and the Commonwealth are the losers. And Sullivan will have surrendered her integrity.

4. She can try for “reasonable” accommodation of Board demands, and if she feels the Board is unreasonable, she can quit. At this point, she can find another job elsewhere with no trouble.

Still, we don’t know what agreements were reached between Sullivan, Dragas, and McDonnell when Sullivan was reinstated. But it would seem that McDonnell and the Board have Sullivan backed into a corner.

@ Clifford Kiracofe and Old Wahoo, who ask “why doesn’t Larry Sabato say something?”

Where is Doctor Dial-a-Quote when you really need him? Sabato has been known for his willingness to opine on almost all things political, but he’s been strangely silent in offering up any analysis on the Dragas-Sullivan debacle. What he has said is not reassuring.

Sabato said initially that the ouster of Sullivan was “absolutely outrageous.” Then he complained that the Sullivan fiasco had given UVa “the worst two weeks of publicity” since he’d been there, and he was “sick at heart.”

But after McDonnell reappointed Dragas, and named uber-partisan conservatives Bobbie Kilberg (Haley Barbour for president? Really?) and Frank Atkinson to the Board , Sabato said this about Atkinson:

“I can endorse him wholeheartedly, and I’m absolutely delighted that he’s agreed to serve. He realized the importance of this and agreed to do it when asked.” Huh? Choke.

One commenter described Frank Atkinson as the “Vito Corleone of the Republican Party of Virginia.” I’m not so sure he’s the Godfather, perhaps more the consigliere, the trusted advisor and Mr. Fix-it-and-make-it-happen-and-don’t-leave-our-fingerprints-on- it type of guy. Had Atkinson been on the Board when the Sullivan putsch took place, it would have happened very differently and probably out of the public eye.

I’ve already noted Atkinson’s long and close association with Ed Meese, who according to Iran-Contra special prosecutor (and life-long Republican) Lawrence Walsh, led “a conspiracy among the highest-ranking Reagan Administration officials to lie to Congress and the American public” about illegal and unconstitutional acts.

And Sabato is “delighted” to have him on board? Please.

What Bob McDonnell plans for UVa is not much different that what he (and Republican nominee MItt Romney) intend for public education in general. For K12 education, as Diane Ravitch describes it, it’s “a rehash of Republican education ideas from the past 30 years, namely, subsidizing parents who want to send their child to a private or religious school, encouraging the private sector to operate schools, putting commercial banks in charge of the federal student loan program, holding teachers and schools accountable for students' test scores, and lowering entrance requirements for new teachers.” It’s “support for using taxpayer money to pay for private-school vouchers, privately-managed charters, for-profit online schools, and almost every other alternative to public schools.”

For higher education, the emphasis is on "innovation and skill attainment" and not "time in the classroom" or on campus. As Ravitch notes, the (misguided) belief is that “ higher education will become more affordable when more students enroll in online universities, most of which are low-cost and for-profit. Of course, online universities are cheaper; they have no capital costs, no library, no facilities, and minimal staff. Some are under investigation for fraud because of their methods of recruiting students; they have fended off federal regulation by a heavy (and bipartisan) investment in lobbying.”

See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/11/mitt-romney-blueprin...

Or: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jul/12/mitt-romneys-school...

McDonnell’s reappointment of Dragas and his new appointments are very much political. And, in essence, they are all about the future of public education in Virginia (and in the country).

Rest assured there will be complete compliance, spinelessness, and no fighting any power.

I think Dan Friedman probably has it right in saying that "there will be...compliance." Whether or not it is "complete" and "spineless" remains to be seen.

Certainly there are those who think the issues and problems were resolved with Sullivan's reinstatement. Not so. They've just started.

And clearly there are those who have little or no "courage of their convictions." Maybe Sabato is one of them. SkipD asks, "What makes you think Larry Sabato knows anything?" He may not know anything, yet he is much closer (academically and politically) to the arena of action than most are. And his job, besides teaching, is to analyze political events, and the Sullivan debacle surely qualifies as one. In fact, that's where Sabato has made his national reputation, as a political analyst. But there sure is a dearth of that analysis now, isn't there?

And there are those who think this whole flim-flam was only about UVa. That's the most egregious error of all.

The reinstatement of Teresa Sullivan is surely not the end of this story. It’s only the start. And it’s not just about UVa.

In my opinion, Sullivan has momentous power right now, and should tackle the ugliest task on her to-do list while she walks on water. Maybe now would be good time to clean house of some Casteen staff holdovers.

Dan,

thanks and thanks to democracy and others for helping me to understand this situation better. this has to be a group effort as it is too complex and dynamic for any single person to stay on top of.

You make a key point and that point was made also by the Vice Mayor in her excellent presentation at the Rally for Honor. This is not just about UVA and the Grounds. It is about the community in Charlottesville and Albemarle County for sure. There is an economic impact and other sorts of impacts. Also, I would think Greene County and Orange and Nelson are impacted as probably some Staff and Faculty live out beyond Albemarle country. If tourism takes a hit in Cville/Albemarle it can impact Orange also with Madison's home and all. Thus the Vice Mayor was fully justified in her points IMO and I am glad she made them.

Didn't Outdoor Mag or ? name Cville some years ago as a great place to live? I notice that Lewisburg, West VA has been named a great small town to live in. I think the Vice Mayor had just this sort of thing in mind.

Democracy, I agree entirely, this is a national issue and we have just been hit.

TIME Magazine makes this point specifically in its coverage, and being a national magazine they certainly should have a feel for the issue:

"the issues the drama brought to the forefront are likely to echo across college campuses nationwide for months to come. "

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2118140,00.html#ixzz1zNW0...

Anne Neal of ACTA has already made new threats against UVA saying they would laser focus on UVA now.

Of course, the more the enemy attacks, the more it will be noticed here and around the country. The political issues will thus be more firmly placed into the public's attention. I have already seen news articles appear in Australia about the mess and opinion pieces in the United Arab Emirates. So clearly this is moving out internationally as well.

Helen Dragas is one of the worst things to have befallen UVA ever. For the governor to reappoint her is inexplicable. She doesn't seem overly intelligent. She's not especially articulate. There's no evidence that McDonnell or any other principal in this debacle is sleeping with her. I'm baffled.

Online Education Industry? Education Management Corp, etal?
Follow the money...Remember the Wall Street Toxic Mortgage Scam, here is another:

"A Defense Department proposal will increase oversight of online, for-profit colleges that are attracting a growing number of U.S. troops and the millions of federal dollars that pay their tuitions, U.S. military officials said.

The policy, which the agency may issue in final form as early as December, will require online colleges to undergo the same reviews as ground campuses that operate on U.S. military bases, said Robert Gordon, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, at a hearing today by the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations.

Concerns about the quality and cost of online military education have risen as for-profit colleges have begun offering degree and training programs over the Internet, said Susan Aldridge, president of the University of Maryland University College, who helped the Defense Department develop its proposal."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive

"These days, Pantzke, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, yells at his wife and punches the wall when he can’t understand his homework assignments. He enrolled last year in the online division of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, owned by the for-profit college company Education Management Corp. His veteran’s benefit and other federal aid pay the $20,000-plus annual tab.

Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Disabled Iraq war veteran Chris Pantzke talks about the frustration he's experienced while studying photography as an online student at Education Management Corp.'s Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The post 9/11 GI Bill, which took effect August 1, 2009, expanded military benefits for returning soldiers and has provided about half of the $50,000 in financial aid Pantzke has received. The for-profit college industry has tripled revenue in the past decade to nearly $30 billion by taking advantage of U.S.-supported federal loans and grants and is targeting the more than 1.2 million war veterans deployed since 2001 in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Source: Bloomberg)

Chris Pantzke, an Iraq war veteran, shows pictures he took of a helicopter rescuing wounded service members after his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Photographer: Britton Staniar/Bloomberg
.
Working alone on a computer in his Prince George, Virginia apartment, Pantzke has failed seven of 18 courses and dropped two others. The school rejected his pleas for face-to-face tutoring and simpler homework instructions, he said.

“I stare at the screen and fume and fume,” Pantzke, 41, said in an interview. “I’m kind of regretting my decision.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-23/veterans-failing-to-learn-show-...

"Kaplan University has become one of the most active colleges in the U.S. in targeting veterans -- and the increased government funds for their tuitions. Federal spending on veterans’ education will more than double this year to $9.6 billion from $4.2 billion in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Kaplan University ranked third among U.S. colleges in 2009 in the number of students funded by veterans’ benefits, behind two other for-profit institutions, the University of Phoenix and Charles Town, West Virginia-based, American Public University System, according to the department.

Two-thirds of Kaplan’s students drop out, Kaplan spokesman Ron Iori said in an e-mail. Its graduates earn less than the national average, according to Payscale, a Seattle-based online provider of employee compensation data.

Kaplan recently curtailed some of the practices that brought in veterans, such as paying recruiters based on how many students they enroll. It offers a course for new students in academic strategies as well as online tutoring in math and writing, and has a higher graduation rate than many traditional schools that also serve a predominantly low-income student body, Iori said."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-01/kaplan-quest-for-profit-at-taxp...

Online K12? Charter Schools?

"The children attend Agora Cyber Charter School, managed by K12 (LRN), the largest U.S. operator of taxpayer-funded online schools and part-owned by billionaire Michael Milken.

In a development that would have been unheard of a decade ago, about 200,000 U.S. school children are enrolled in full-time online programs. Eleven years after its founding, K12 has 81,000 students in 27 states and the District of Columbia. If it were a school district, it would be one of the largest in America. K12 expects to generate $500 million in revenue this year—it earned a $21.5 million profit last year—and its stock has doubled in value since the company went public in December 2007. The financial success of K12 has shown that Milken—the 1980s junk-bond king, convicted felon (securities fraud), and health-care philanthropist—has figured out how to profit from public schools. But while online education may have paid off for Milken and other investors, it's less clear that K12 is benefiting its students.

The company says its kids are making impressive gains in academic achievement, but a growing group of critics, including school superintendents and academic researchers, disagrees. They're concerned that online schools fail children and overcharge taxpayers—and that the money-making model that Milken has championed could be embraced more broadly as a way to overhaul public schools at the expense of actual education.

"This isn't going to turn out to be good for education or good for kids," says Diane Ravitch, an education historian and former assistant U.S. Education Secretary under President George H.W. Bush. "When you think about people in isolation, sitting in their basements at home, not having to learn how to deal with people, how to cope with cliques, how to work out problems with other children, how to function in a group, it strikes me this is a hugely dangerous direction for our society."
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_24/b4232076996440.htm

Peter Kiernan and Charter Schools:
"a founding board member of the Center for Charter School Excellence;"
http://www.peterdkiernan.com/about/

New York City Center for Charter School Excellence Funders:
Our work is supported by local and national funders interested in building and maintaining a system of great public schools for all children in NYC.
•Pumpkin Foundation - Joe & Carol Reich
•Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
•Capital One Foundation
•The Clark Foundation
•Leon Lowenstein Foundation
•Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
•The Peter & Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation
•The Robertson Foundation
•The Robin Hood Foundation

Now it is crystal clear who also cannot handle a SIMPLE personnel issue - Governor Bob McDonnell. Instead of doing the right thing he insisted on playing games with the University of Virginia, the faculty and staff and the students. Now to resolve this issue - it is time for Governor Bob McDonnell to resign or it is time for us to begin the recall election process. A new governor can request the appropriate resignation.

Newsplex.com Poll: as of 7/1/2012, 3:25pm est

Results: "Do you trust the Board of Visitors to act in the best interest of the University of Virginia?

Yes 7.5%
No 92.5%

Houston Chronicle Editorial. (This isn't a national issue? read the editorial)

"Over the past few weeks, we've watched with interest the fall and rise of the University of Virginia's President Teresa Sullivan, contemplating what lessons this scandal holds for the University of Texas.

For those who haven't followed the story, after two noncontroversial years serving as university president, the University of Virginia governing Board of Visitors pressured Sullivan to resign, citing "philosophical differences." Following her resignation, students, faculty and alumni - and the entirety of American academia, it seemed - united behind the former president and within 16 days she was unanimously reappointed.

University conflicts like this are rare, but not unheard of. Rice University alumni may remember when in 1969 the trustees appointed William Masterson as president without consulting any outside groups, only for him to step down after five days of protests.

What makes the Virginia situation special is that it stands as the most recent, and most heated, battle over the future of academia.".....

http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-Lessons-for-Te...

Friends of the Academical Village
academical-village.tumblr.com

@ non smoker: You need to resume the vice, clearly.

@freddie

This is exactly why the General Assembly should be involved.

The BoV must be changed to reflect voices from the faculty, alumni and students. Anything less is a disservice to the University.

Strategy is about the next 5 - 10 years.

Strategic dynamism is immediate so that no one looks at the long term consequences the majority must endure for years to come.

@jkipling is right on target. There is an old saying that fits here: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight. Use some of the A&S writing and organizing skills to mobilize supporters to reach out 'en masse' to the politicians and media.

spelling error: "vein" should be "vain"

all in favor?

Tootsie Dragas is the best thing to happen to Cville since Crossfit. All you weaklings wait: UVA will soon rival Ruckersville as a destination nonpareil....

Perhaps I missed it but does anyone know who hired Hill & Knowlton - for what purpose, how much are they paid, and where is the money coming from? FOIA opportunity?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_and_Knowlton

"In 1990, H&K led over 20 other American PR firms in what has been called the "largest foreign-funded campaign ever aimed at manipulating American public opinion," according to the liberal Center for Media and Democracy.[8] H&K earned over $10.8 million for their work, paid by "Citizens for a Free Kuwait," an organization funded almost entirely by the Kuwaiti government.[8]

One controversial maneuver was the arrangement of the testimony of the Kuwait ambassador's daughter as “Nurse Nayirah” to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus on October 10, 1990. Nayirah falsely testified that she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers killing hundreds of premature babies at the al-Addan hospital in Kuwait City.[9] This lie had an enormous emotional impact on the decision in US-American politics and public to support the war against Iraq.[10] It was mentioned several times by president George H.W. Bush and other war-supporting people to manipulate the public opinion.[11][12]"

Also given it's representation of BCCI and ANGA (gas fracking) these guys seem like the big guns brought in by the neocons for damage control.

This is a really sad development for Virginia. The governor was in on the ouster plan from the beginning. Any possibility of questioning Dragas under oath before a General Assembly committee? If she tells the truth she will not be confirmed; if she lies she could be indicted for perjury.

Teresa Sullivan is in an impossible situation. If she packs it in no one of any caliber will take the position. I think the governor may have just degraded UVa's reputation with this Dragas reappointment. It might have bounced back without a hit had he got rid of the shrew, but not now.

We are all justifiably irate at the Gov's duplicity, lack of moral courage and all the other adjectives we can throw at him. Ok, he has shown his true colors. The real work begins with an effective plan to replace the BOV and the Gov. May his future political career reflect this episode. Lets direct our energies there. Together we got the job half done last Tuesday, and the underhand forces hope that we will go way and lie down. Starting with the General assembly is a good place ,but we should not let ourselves be too hopeful.
Over to you Bob T and Clifford Kiracofe.
To Mr. Friedman, I had wonderful professors to whom I am eternally grateful.

George, Nick, Outraged, all concerned,

Yes, we must as concerned citizens work hard on the General Assembly to defend our University. No doubt, we will find allies there and then can expand that. Democrats, Independents, and Republicans can all work to build a better future for our University. It should not be a partisan issue but these are partisan times.

As we have learned, reform of the BOV is a top priority. Including a Faculty voting seat and a Staff voting seat among other appropriate measures should be goals. such as a voting seat representing Alumni.

I think that young lady who so courageously put together the Rally for Honor and websites might consider organizing "Teach Ins" this fall for students to get them up to speed. Faculty can speak at these Teach Ins and I think the dialogue and discussion would be fruitful in many ways. (Remember "Teach Ins"?)

We know precisely who some of the enemy are. The right-wing American Council of Trustees and Alumni which has a nationwide culture war against higher education. Advocates of so-called education reform such as John Chubb and Terry Moe have been identified in our discussions (and in the infamous emails).

But we have a lot of allies across the country in the world of education, progressive politics, and so on. So we need to connect with these fellow concerned citizens also.

Dr. Mark Schulman has written an excellent piece entitled "The University of Virginia is Just the Tip of the Iceberg." I was really excited to read it today. He is the President of Saybrook University and so knows exactly what is confronting President (my that sounds nice this week) President Sullivan.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-schulman/post_3233_b_1639112.html

The Friends of the Academical Village is posting as much data and analysis as we can find. We hope this can spark research, discussion, and action. The General Assembly is indeed the right place to begin.

academical-village.tumblr.com

John Gault,
You mentioned BCCI. As it happens, I was involved in the investigation of BCCI working along with Senator Kerry and his staff. One day, Senator Kerry's lead investigator, my colleague and friend Jack Blum, buzzed me in my office and said "Cliff, we need to talk." I said sure and walked across the hall to see what the problem was. Jack said that forces were working to shut down our investigation. A powerful Washington lawyer-lobbyist named Clark Clifford was calling Senators and putting on pressure to halt the investigation and water down the findings. I said to Jack that we would deal with that and that I ws confident that my side, the Republican side, would back Senator Kerry fully. We did. So, on a BIPARTISAN basis, we were able to bring the investigation to an positive conclusion and issue a final public report. We can deal with Hill and Knowlton and all the rest, we just need determination.

"er"???

That's supposed to say "Nick Payne" ... sheesh.

Does anyone have a link to FOIA communications dated 5/3/2012 through 6/9/2012 from UVA, re: what led to President's Sullivan's resignation?

Thank you

"June 22, 2012 - from Carol Wood, U.Va. spokesperson....While invoices will be submitted through the Board of Visitors office, no state funds will be used to pay for Hill+Knowlton's services. The funds will come from other sources of University funds, including the endowment. "

So is Hill + Knowlton STILL providing "services" to Rector Dragas? Or not? Nice to know the endowment is helping to pay for it. A total waste of endowment resources and a slap in the face to every donor who has given over the years.

BREAKING NEWS regarding UVA - see Dr. Kiracofe @ "Friends of the Academical Village" on Tumblr - he has BREAKING NEWS

The Washington Post reported today that Governor McDonnell, who is chairman of the Republican Governors Association, will also chair the Republican National Committee Platform Committee. McDonnell was quoted as saying,

“I look forward to hearing from voters across the country as we seek to give voice to the concerns, priorities, and values of the American people,’’ McDonnell said. “This process is about more than writing; it is about listening. Voters deserve a party who listens to them.”

Who did the Governor listen to in reappointing Helen Dragas to another term on the Board of Visitors? The 99% or the 1%? Who do you think he is listening to in putting together the RNC Platform?

McDonnell is a panhandler for the State of Virginia's wealthy elite, dragas, DOMINION. McDonnell's supposed absence (even with all the social media/facebook/twitter/tumblr) during the most trying time for the UVA! What a blatant lie! McDonnell cannot claim ignorance because he was across the Pond. Give us a break!

McDonnell makes republicans, such as myself, want to just ...ick to the Nth degree. McDonnell this and that...who cares about a one term Governor - I guess the Commonwealth of Virginia does! Thank goodness he won't be around after 2 MORE LONG YEARS. This guy should be recalled!

RECALL MCDONNELL for horrible leadership particularly his decisions regarding the esteemed university of VIRGINIA. RECALL PETITION. RECALL MCDONNELL TODAY!

McDonnell is such a bold faced LYER!

Recap and summary:

I’d like to re-emphasize several points I that I made earlier regarding the UVa debacle.

First, there is a cognitively-challenged cadre –– on UVa’s Board, and in political circles –– that subscribes to conservative, ideologically-driven privatization schemes, like outlined by John Chubb and Terry Moe (whose work was cited in Board-emails.)

Chubb and Moe are both associated with the Hoover Institution, a conservative "think" tank that promotes "free enterprise" and the privatization of public education. Both are members of Hoover's Koret Foundaton-funded Task Force on K-12 education. The Koret Foundation pushes "market-based K-12 education reform" and claims (incorrectly) that "America's broken educational system lies at the heart of our nation's troubles" and drastic "reform" is imperative for "economic competitiveness."

Chubb and Moe recently wrote a book titled Liberating Learning: Technology, Politics, and the Future of American Education (2009). In it, they push all the conservative "reform" buttons: competition, charter schools, vouchers, merit pay for teachers. Technology, they say, is what will "make our children better educated." The problem –– and it's a big one –– is that there's little or no research to back any of it up.
In a 2003 book (The Flickering Mind), Todd Oppenheimer reviewed the research on technology and learning and and concluded that technology was a "false promise."  Technology is no panacea to improving learning, and speinding on it and often undermines funding that might have gone to reducing class sizes and improving facilities.  Classroom observations found that "more often than not" classroom use of computers encouraged "everybody in the room to go off task."
 
More recently the New York Times reported recently on classroom use of technology in Arizona, where “The digital push aims to go far beyond gadgets to transform the very nature of the classroom.” As the Times reported, “schools are spending billions on technology,even as they cut budgets and lay off teachers, with little proof that this approach is improving basic learning."

Second, Bob McDonnell had to have been involved in the effort to oust Teresa Sullivan. As Chubb and Moe noted, McDonnell pushed very hard in the last legislative session for more charter schools and "virtual school opportunities." Conservatives, especially Republicans (but also business-oriented "fiscal conservatives like Helen Dragas), view education simply as a commodity to be bought and sold. They refuse to acknowledge the historical foundation of public education as a central civic responsibility of government in a democratic republic. More than two thousand years ago, Aristotle understood the importance of public schooling to democratic citizenship, noting that "each government has a peculiar character...the character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarch creates oligarchy, and always the better the character, the better the government."

Third, McDonnell’s reappointment of Dragas, and his new Board appointments show he’s chosen the character of oligarchy over that of democracy, and that’s especially true in his naming Bobbie Kilberg and Frank Atkinson to UVa’s Board.

Bobbie Kilberg worked previously for Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and both Bushes. She’s been a BIG fund raiser for Republicans, and said that “she had initially decided to back Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, if he ran for president.” This is the same big-money tobacco lobbyist Haley Barbour who now works with Karl Rove at right-wing American Crossroads, a group that refuses to disclose its donors. The Haley Barbour who said in reference to racial segregation in the South that "I just don't remember it as being that bad.” The same Haley Barbour who as governor of Mississippi issued pardons to eight men who’d killed their girlfriends or spouses. Uh-huh.

As head of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, Kilberg enthusiastically supported McDonnell’s “Top Jobs” legislation. McDonell touts “Top Jobs” as “a pathway towards awarding 100,000 more degrees over the next 15 years and will bring more innovation and accountability and STEM concentration to Virginia's colleges and universities.” Never mind that there now is and never was a shortage of STEM workers and professionals in the United States.

Frank Atkinson is the consigliere to conservative Godfathers. He’s the trusted advisor and Mr. Fix-it-and-make-it-happen-and-don’t-leave-our-fingerprints-on- it type of guy. Had Atkinson been on the Board when the Sullivan putsch took place, it would have happened differently and probably out of the public eye. Atkinson has a long and close association with Ed Meese, the Reagan administration Attorney General, who according to Iran-Contra special prosecutor and life-long Republican Lawrence Walsh, led “a conspiracy among the highest-ranking Reagan Administration officials to lie to Congress and the American public” about illegal and unconstitutional acts.

Frank Atkinson is also on the board of directors of the conservative Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The Mercatus Center focuses on “economic development” and “privatization.” Ed Meese is also on its board, as are several others with very close ties to the right-wing Koch brothers (who funded Americans for Prosperity and the Tea Party), including Charles Koch himself. Make no mistake. Atkinson is on the UVa board for very specific reasons. UVa’s Larry Sabato says he is “delighted” to have him on board. Delighted?

Fourth, What Bob McDonnell plans for UVa is not much different that what he (and Republican nominee MItt Romney) intend for public education in general. For K12 education, as Diane Ravitch describes it, it’s “a rehash of Republican education ideas from the past 30 years...subsidizing parents who want to send their child to a private or religious school, encouraging the private sector to operate schools, putting commercial banks in charge of the federal student loan program, holding teachers and schools accountable for students' test scores, and lowering entrance requirements for new teachers.” It’s “support for using taxpayer money to pay for private-school vouchers, privately-managed charters, for-profit online schools, and almost every other alternative to public schools.”

For higher education, the emphasis is on "innovation and skill attainment" and . As Ravitch notes, the (misguided) belief is that “ higher education will become more affordable when more students enroll in online universities, most of which are low-cost and for-profit. Of course, online universities are cheaper; they have no capital costs, no library, no facilities, and minimal staff. Some are under investigation for fraud because of their methods of recruiting students; they have fended off federal regulation by a heavy (and bipartisan) investment in lobbying.”

Fifth, e-mails released under Freedom of Information Act requests by The Hook and Cavalier Daily have helped to reveal the machinations by Dragas and Kington (and others), and to expose their commitment to corporate-style, business-model “reform” (other FOIA requests pend). Without those e-mails, what transpired might have remained unknown, the dirt unseen by the public. I noted in other comments serious problems in the county schools with SchoolNet, the expensive glitchy technology system that’s been a disaster. (The Hook reported on it multiple times.) The county school superintendent and the school board are still withholding 268 SchoolNet-related emails from an FOIA request by The Hook. Two hundred sixty-eight! The county superintendent sits on McDonnell’s higher education “reform” commission.

Lastly, as I’ve mentioned several times, this whole sordid affair is is not just about UVa, though there are many who’d like to believe that. It’s about the future of public education in Virginia and in the country.

Is Governor Perry of Texas a role model for Gov. McDonnel of Virginia for higher education policy? Curious parallels here, packing boards, getting rid of presidents....:

"The recent hiring of Rick O’Donnell, a higher education reform advocate with a healthy doubt of the value of academic research, as a special adviser to the board of regents at the University of Texas System has some observers — worried about the implications for the University of Texas at Austin — playing connect the dots.

The leadership of the Association of American Universities, the country’s most elite collection of research universities, has already expressed discomfort with reforms being implemented at the Texas A&M University System. Senate Higher Education Chairwoman Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, worries that “if they tie this into the governor through Jeff Sandefer and through the appointments of these most recent UT regents,” the AAU could see something more than simply a convergence of like-minded thinkers. They might draw the conclusion that a coordinated statewide effort is afoot.

The Jeff Sandefer in question is a successful Austin businessman, a friend and donor to Gov. Rick Perry, and a board member at an influential Austin-based conservative think tank known as the Texas Public Policy Foundation — the source of many of the reforms being implemented at A&M that have set the old academic guard off kilter.
...."
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/higher-education/whos-behind...

Trapulator - See, the Dragas is simply a superior businessperson.

I think McDonnell set Dragas up as the puppet for all of this. He was unhappy with Terry Sullivan (especially her hesitation to institute online learning) and set Dragas up to take the fall for everything...which is why she is still sitting high and mighty on the BoV throne.

By the way ... ask Frank Atkinson about Thomas Jefferson. If you catch him in a moment of rare candor, he'll tell you he does not hold Jefferson in high regard.

Yeah, but ask Atkinson about Ed Meese ... now there's a "great 'Murrican ..."

Seems to me that having a low regard for TJ would be something of a disqualifier for being on the UVA BOV.

@BridgforthAllen,

With regards to technology at UVA you might look at:

http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/the-right-way-to-lead-higher-educ...

and/or

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2649118?uid=3739936&uid=2129&uid=2...

Technology like any other tool can be used for efficiency and making money (doing what we do now only more efficiently) or it can be used for improving quality or innovating (e.g., using technology to engage in education in ways that are not possible currently and without it). These two, sometimes conflicting values, often influence the way in which technology is interpreted by policy makers and administrators. My sense of UVA is that the are not interested in becoming an online diploma mill like Phoenix. As far as copying Stanford or Princeton or any other Ivy, I would say we are not a private and we should strive to be better and different that those places not the same.

I think in the economy there is always pressure to copy the money makers. I don't think this is analogous in higher education.

@Bridgeforthallen - online universities have redirected funding (legally) from the states/feds to pay for students of today via student loans (which the student/parent are responsible even in a bankruptcy). Take a look at any for profit or non-profit university and one of their biggest programs is student loans/student finance etc. Corporate America has discovered that pushing for student loans is pretty risk free. College students and parents are on the hook and cannot be absolved via bankruptcy...much like taxes. No way out once in at an online university that gets you the funding. No way out at all.

DEATH, TAXES & STUDENT DEBT - why do you think investors are buying into the online university theory? they are speculating! Hello! anybody listening?

@Mula bandha - MOOC supported by Dragas et al would not have traction. The funding will be through STUDENT DEBT - AMERICAN TAX PAYER DEBT - eventually. And, the non-revenue producing (unless you want the certificate - then you pay) from Thrun cannot exist without funding. That is why it is a short term solution to a global problem/perspective on education. The United States cannot serve its' people well presently, & it certainly should not be educating the masses of the world for FREE. Who will step up to the plate and say enough?

Funding Posted on April 4, 2012
'Elite' Online University Gets $25 Million in Funding

The institution plans to open in fall 2014.

Who needs Harvard? Investors in The Minerva Project are hoping to reinvent American higher ed, VentureBeat reports.

The San Francisco company behind the project—an elite online for-profit university, opening fall 2014—announced yesterday that it has brought in $25 million in seed funding from Benchmark Capital. That’s the most the VC firm has ever invested; the money will be used to gain accreditation and hire academics.

Manerva Project: Priority Research Topics

In 2011, the Minerva Research Initiative released a Broad Agency Announcement seeking proposals for innovative basic research in seven high-priority thrust areas:

Strategic Impact of Religious and Cultural Changes [description]
Terrorism and Terrorist Ideologies [description]
Science, Technology and Military Transformations in China and Developing States [description]
National Security Implications of Energy and Environmental Stress [description]
New Theories of Cross-Domain Deterrence [description]
Regime and Social Dynamics in Failed, Failing, and Fragile Authoritarian States [description]
New Approaches to Understanding Dimensions of National Security, Conflict, and Cooperation [description]

What are the most important remaining fundamental knowledge gaps for defense social sciences? In Winter 2012 the Minerva program staff invites government communities of interest to send proposals for which topics the Minerva program should prioritize for future university research solicitations.

Please submit your ideas, or your questions, to by March 31, 2012 for possible inclusion in the 2012 research BAA.

Udacity http://www.udacity.com/ and Coursera https://www.coursera.org/ are 2 others

Yep! That's why all is well when the professors are off on their "academic" theories - that the BoV @ UVA can sit pretty.

Follow the money. Academics must look at the economics now.

A trillion dollars in student debt will eventually BUBBLE, just like dot com; just like Wall Street. No way around it!

See the familiar faces in YouTube: "Jois Yoga Greenwich: 1st Week + Grand Opening"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0dc6JQ7X0o