Who’s Really embarrassing Cal Poly?
Recently, a member of the engineering faculty was called into what appeared to be a administrative ‘disciplinary meeting’ but ended as a rant by the engineering dean and the provost regarding how certain disgruntled folks were ‘embarrassing the university.’ Little did they know, it aint one guy!
Well, the only advice I can give Cal Poly is ‘don’t do anything embarrassing.’ Unfortunately, according to one expose’, Cal Poly has a lot of things that might be called ‘embarrassing’; here are a few select quotes:
1) “Declining morale and a high level of turnovers also plague the college. During the past three years, staff turnovers have exceeded 50 percent. In addition, six chairs have stepped down and numerous faculty and staff have voiced dissatisfaction.”
2) “… this year’s anticipated $1.3 million shortfall.”
3) “Noori also is the guiding force behind a controversial effort by Cal Poly officials to provide College of Engineering expertise and personnel to help start a similar institution in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Critics of the plan contend women, Jews and other minorities will be excluded.”
4) It appears as though both Dean Mohammad Noori and Provost Bill Durgan worked at the same small college years ago which may explain why:
Cal Poly Professor Mike Cirovic said, “Durgin wanted to quell rumors that would not help, and in fact, would harm the college.”
5) Yet, Mohammad is “the highest paid dean, adding salary and perks, in the California State University system”…. And in spite of faculty objections has been rewarded by higher administrators by having his: “salary has increased 11 percent over the past two years; his $900 monthly housing allowance is additional to his $213,000 annual salary.”
6) One can only wonder why Cal Poly even entertained employing Mohammad Noori after comments like this were made by North Carolina State University:
“He is an incredible bully who doesn’t respect his faculty,” said Larry Silverberg, Professor and Associate Head of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NCSU. “This place shut down while we waited for his contract to run out.”
In any event, the one thing I have learned about Cal Poly is that everything starts at the top. Nothing, from my observation, happens without Cal Poly President’s Warren Baker’s tacit or expressed approval.
So, who is really embarrassing Cal Poly? Don’t be surprised after all this; Warren gets a 21% raise.
Roger
For the complete story on the recent Cal Poly Follies!
Share on Facebook
