Just a few weeks ago or so, Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo confirmed that they had reduced the student population by 1100 or so. This was said to be due to the state budgetary ‘shortfall’ . (they’re getting more, just not as much as they were asking… in bureaucratic terms, this is referred to as a ‘short fall.’)
Now, the bureaucrats are planning to spend the taxpayer’s scarce resources teaching male-only students Engineering in Saudi Arabia. This according to one quote will ‘set terrorism’ back. Huh? If only it were true, I might agree if we were teaching philosophy or western literature or even if there was a ‘student’ exchange.
By the way, engineering are the skills one needs to know if one wants to blow up a building.As a reminder, Bin Laden was also an engineer.
Today, Cal Poly Provost William W. Durgin spun a great yarn in our local paper ( tough to find it on-line… but here it is ) entitled: “Cal Poly – Saudi Deal will adhere to U.S. Laws and reap untold benefits.” Why does this sound like a line from the evil Prince John in the tale Robin Hood,” Golden Days are ahead, Sir Guy!” ?
So, let’s take a little look at some of the Cal Poly spin:
Durgan: “JUC’s provost has advised us that the college will offer engineering to men and women as student and industry demand emerges.”
Translation: female engineering students and faculty are as likely to participate as finding snow in Saudi Arabia
Durgan: ” Project faculty and staff will be Cal Poly employees selected by the university.”
Translation: Cal Poly will not ’embarrass’ Saudi Arabia by forwarding an inappropriate teacher. By the way, Cal Poly’s own record with women — in my humble opinion — in many ways mirrors their new client.
Durgan: “Cal Poly faculty members who developed this proposal did so at their initiative…”
Translation: However, it is my understanding that Cal Poly employees were asked to develop this program from the outside.
Durgan: “With this initiative, Cal Poly joins Harvard, Cornell, Duke, Texas, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley and Stanford in establishing academic collaborations in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.”
Translation: Watch for hidden qualifiers like “and the middle east”… the meaning changes
Durgan presented a letter from Charles Hill that included,” It (Cal Poly’s involvement in Saudi Arabia) is a true setback for the extremists”.
Translation: It is important to look into who the person is, the decisions they’ve made and what where they stand. Charles Hill obtained his experience in a time — in my opinion — when America wasn’t making great foreign policy decisions.
Here’s a quote Charles Hill made right after 9/11/2001:
“The (YALE) News: Do you personally feel safe in today’s America?”
Charles Hill : “I feel safe, utterly safe. America is the safest country…I don’t feel any less safe now than I did a year ago.”
My Observation: Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz spoke to the graduation West Point Grad class of 2001 (my daughter’s) and warned of the upcoming storm and our need to look at it with resolve. His speech was amazing…. so my question to Mr. Hill : why are you and Paul Wolfowitz so far apart?
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So, Mr. Warren Baker, Mr. Mohammad Noori and Mr. William Durgin, here are a few questions that you did not answer:
1) How does this fit with the mission of the Cal State System to educate California’s students?
2) How will teaching engineering to Saudi nationals help them better understand our way of life?
3) Why would we agree to work with any system that practices “gender apartheid”?
4) Why won’t you share with us the contract, both in English and in Arabic?
5) I have to ask… is that really the job we want Cal Poly to undertake? And with Administrators who have spent their entire life in the ivory tower… are they really qualified or even competent in negotiating with a foreign government?
6) When the Saudi-Poly Plan was first uncovered, we were told that there was no money for the university. Now we are being told there is buckets of it. Why was this important fact omitted?
With so many unanswered questions — and we could go on and on — it is obvious WHY the Cal Poly administration has refused to be more transparent. The more people know… the more it smells.
Now more than ever, Cal Poly needs oversight.
Roger Freberg