The Grounds

Well said, and exactly right, don't blame Mr.Wulf and his wife one bit, big loss to UVA.

We did have pretty capable leaders in some of those disciplines. Dean Z for example is fantastic (I say this as a Comm school graduate). It's really hard to make sense of this. Unless you are in the departments you don't really know. I think having departments that are less commercial do serve a role. How will we reclaim #1 public university if we don't offer the same classes Cal does? Getting back to that level would be fantastic and I don't think fundraising alone and University of Phoenix online classes will get us there. That being said I hear where you are coming from. In my view we ultimately have to raise tuition and get more out-of-state to increase funding, but that is obviously not a popular view with VA politicians. The state funding has been pathetic for many years now. If you look at the most successful parts of UVA (McIntire, Darden) you can see a trend though

I can't defend everything about Bill Wulf's actions. I got a little uncomfortable myself when he started listing his achievements, it seemed very self-serving. But the fact is that this is a BOV out of control. Only Heywood Fralin, and perhaps Messrs. Hardie and Caputo, seemed to grasp the seriousness of the board's actions. It's absolutely plain they "heard" the faculty's statement of no confidence and just didn't care. Apparently it finally dawned on Mark Kington today.

But this is the sort of thing it will take. Will it hurt the students? Perhaps. But as resignations go, Wulf's is ideal and is probably beneficial in the long run if it fired a large enough shot across the bow. He's in his 70s and was like three-quarters retired anyway. He's highly respected and has a list of distinguishments as long as your arm. And because he taught like one class, the actual effect of his departure is minimal, but the symbolic effect is enormous.

There are consequences, sure, and his resignation email was certainly much more brusque than the polished tone we're used to seeing out of academia. But that is the kind of thing it's going to take for the BOV to realize just how distrusted they are. It's very easy to ignore most of the other things. It's not so easy when you've pegged faculty retention as a concern in regards to President Sullivan's performance and suddenly your own actions damage faculty retention in a very public way. It's a good test of their sincerity; if they really mean what they're saying, and I think on some level they do, they can't ignore a thing like this the way they can easily ignore a few cardboard signs at a protest.

I think the very least UVa can do is prepare young people for productive lives, serving their fellow men and being rewarded for it, which is the only honest way to earn wealth in the world.

I expect much, much more....I myself am a man who treasures my liberal arts education. I don't think UVa should be some sort of vocational school. But, if the school cannot fund both German and Mandarin, I think the prudent decision is to go with Mandarin. Likewise, if we must choose between bringing more social workers into the world or more engineers, I'm going to go with engineers. That's a value judgment on my part that some may disagree with....and reasoning minds can certainly differ. But my experience as a recent graduate is that my friends who earned social science degrees are frustrated by their job prospects, while those who studied hard sciences, and even the more readily applicable social sciences like economics, have had success getting work straight off the Lawn.

The University shouldn't just prepare a person for work, it should prepare them for life. I absolutely believe this and think it's a primary function of a liberal arts education. I'm not for abandoning the liberal arts, or a core curriculum. If anything, I wish our core curriculum were more stringent. I'd love all our engineering and business majors to read the Nicomachean Ethics. The world would be better for it. But 2/3 of one's waking hours are spent at work...and a school that doesn't do its very best to prepare its graduates for work in the present and the future is doing them a grave disservice. Eventually it will become uncompetitive when juxtaposed to schools that prepare their students adequately. Let's not kid ourselves. If no one thought a UVa degree would lead to success in their careers, nobody would give a damn about going there.

Well played.

E-mail from Dean Zeithaml to the Comm School alumni e-mail list:

McIntire Alumni,

As you probably know, yesterday I was asked by the Board of Visitors to serve as Interim President of the University, effective August 16. I accepted this daunting responsibility because, at this time of turmoil and uncertainty, we need all members of the UVA community to step forward and ensure that the mission of our great University is fulfilled. When it became clear to me that the decision which created this situation would not be reversed, I agreed to join with many colleagues across the University who recognize that we need to reestablish a clear and positive momentum. We cannot, even for a moment, abandon our immediate and exceptional commitment to our students, our patients, learning and knowledge creation, community and professional service, and, very simply, to each other. We may not agree with the recent decision involving President Sullivan or the process, but, rather than walk away, it is up to us, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, to continue to forge UVA as a preeminent global university. Everyone, from Mr. Jefferson to our entering students, should expect no less.

Some people disagree with my decision to serve in this role, and I understand their reasons. After profound deliberation, however, I felt that I had no choice. I am sorry if you disagree with my decision, but please join me in my efforts to move the University forward. I intend to rely on the same formula for success that we use in the McIntire School: a shared understanding and commitment to an ambitious strategy, an unselfish and dedicated community, and a phenomenal team effort. I will need each of you to help me in this new role, and the School will need you. I hope you will understand my reasons for making this very difficult decision.

Because I am temporarily leaving the job that I truly love, I have asked Senior Associate Dean Rick Netemeyer to serve as the Interim Dean of the McIntire School until I return. He agreed with his usual thoughtful and humble dedication to the School. Rick is an extraordinary scholar, teacher, and academic leader, and I know he will work closely with the rest of our terrific leadership team to continue our tradition of excellence, innovation, and community. As always, it will be an exciting and challenging year, and please provide Rick and the rest of our School leaders with the extraordinary and generous support that I enjoyed for the past 15 years.

I look forward to seeing you in my travels and on Grounds, to your essential engagement in the School and University, and to your overall great support. The McIntire School has a strong foundation built on its people, and I know that we will excel through this time. Thank you very much for everything, and I hope to see you soon.

Carl