Somebody else better do it.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/07/arctic-science-risk-university-alaska-braces-draconian-budget-cuts
2 replies (most recent on top)
“The situation is looking rather grim,” says Kenrick Mock, interim dean for UAA’s College of Engineering. The college offers degree programs in computer science, electrical engineering, computer systems engineering, and project management among others. Mock, who is in the Computer Science and Engineering Department, says budget cuts could mean losing one or two faculty members from a departmental staff of six, which currently supports 250 computer science majors and 50 computer systems engineering majors."
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/at-work/education/alaskas-engineering-colleges-prepare-to-slash-programs-lay-off-faculty
Looks like this is a time for leadership, innovation, and resistance. Not just as buzz words, but as points for action. What have other schools done? How have other schools survived and improved?
Who and what are the top priorities?
What you say and do reflects your true values and what you believe is important.
One good example of innovation I know of is Spelman, which got rid of its competitive sports and replaced them a cheaper, more functional, and more democratic wellness program. But UA will have to come up with a new system that is sustainable over the long run, something Alaska is not known for, but something that is possible.
Landscaping? You mean xeroscaping? How can that be cheaper and more sustainable? And go down the list.
Do you believe in democracy? Do you believe in justice, based on history and critical thinking? Or do you believe in authoritarianism, colonialism, and short-sightedness which is a major theme in a very white and male Alaskan "history"? What lies have been told over the years, in whitewashed/
brainwashed Alaskan history books and in boring lectures?
In times of turmoil, leaders also have to show they are down with the problem. How many top administrators would be willing to work for $1? If not, why not? How many rich retirees could donate their pensions?
Where's the deadwood? Who isn't pulling their weight? Who doesn't care about the students or the health of the community? Do these carpetbaggers belong in the State? Why have they been allowed to mess up the state?
What resistance is there? Are the unions doing enough in terms of action and innovation? What if you are the union? Who are your allies? Does the union accept innovation?