Out of the blue, chancellor leaving

Maybe we're looking at fallout from the recent unflattering article re. UMM in the Star Tribune. 

Unflattering? It was rather like a bomb dropped here. I wonder what Steve Sviggum thought upon seeing this article. Maybe vindicated some? He's the former legislative big shot who was on the Board of Regents. I used to be awed by the Regents but I'm not any more. Sort of a ceremonial group charged with puffing up the U of M all the time and trying to get as much $ out of state coffers as possible. But I'm not sure these guys are as good at that as Mark Yudof. 

They come and they go, these U of M administrators. And now we're saying goodbye quite abruptly to our UMM chancellor. Shall I say "UMN-Morris?" As a matter of policy I'm not sure "UMM" is still acceptable. 

I got word from a friend yesterday morning on the chancellor's planned departure. I guess one should never be surprised. Remember when Joan Gabel became U of M President? You might have forgotten about her already. I personally attended public functions "welcoming" her. When Cunningham came along I sought no such involvement. 

I attended a reception for Gabel in winter when I rode bike out to the campus because I don't have a parking permit. I'm sure I could have assumed that campus security would not be checking the lots that day. But I hate to assume. How embarrassing if I were to get a ticket. I'm at an age now where I should not consider riding bike in winter. 

Do not dismiss me as "negative," because I do support events on campus. I've been to three volleyball matches of late, plus the jazz concert. Right now the HFA "recital hall" is apparently not in use because of the floor "buckling." Jazz was at Edson which you should know was the home for for all music and theater events in UMM's earliest years. If there's a problem with "acoustics" there I sure don't notice it. 

The jazz director commented favorably on Edson right during the concert. Why not? The Morrisons poured money into refurbishing the place, right? It is most pleasant and accommodating. However, I do not know the distinction between Edson Auditorium and the "Morrison Performing Arts Center." I'm not refined enough to understand. 

 

The big news 

Boy, I sure am beating around the bush here, as the purpose today is to make note of the chancellor's announcement of departure. Later in the day yesterday, someone with UMM delivered the standard official announcement that was dripping with "company line" language. It's to be expected. As an old Watergate era journalist I'm quick to recognize such releases for what they are. OK what's the real story? 

Is "hell coming to breakfast" because of the Star Tribune bomb that got dropped on the institution? Because the article wasn't just embarrassing for UMM, it made top U of M administrators squirm I'm sure. We can't get out of this one by pointing fingers at the Star Tribune. Thank goodness for some media institutions that still have some balls. 

 

Remember Ralph, Martha

I am attached to UMN-Morris because of the family fund that I established for music. The whole purpose is to keep the memory of my parents alive. I'm on my own to form opinions of the place outside of that. For example, the opinion that we should not be like U-Crookston and openly have music ensembles billed as "campus/community." Hey, we're not Crookston or at least we didn't used to be. 

Music comes at us openly with the "COMMuniversity" term. It's ugly. Not sure I can get myself to attend a concert that is billed this way. The jazz concert was NOT billed this way, so maybe that was a deciding factor for me attending. I was most pleased with the concert. 

We all had time to reflect on the chancellor news last night (Wednesday) as many of us followed the MACA Tigers in their MEA week game. Another milepost on the calendar: "MEA weekend." I walked to the game and stayed a while. A friend informed me this morning we won.10-3. Hooray! My friend said "New London-Spicer was on the one, ready to score at the end of the game, but the runningback fumbled into the end zone for a touchback."

There are no game details in the West Central Tribune coverage this morning. That is surprising because NL-Spicer would normally be a priority for them. I would have expected a West Central Trib article full of details on the NL-Spicer players but with "stats not available" for Morris. How can the paper keep doing that to us? Well, Forum Communications failed in its try to own the Morris newspaper. Remember that? 

 

Pondering UMN-Morris

People are wondering what's up with the UMM change. I'll quote two friends by name here because their thoughts are totally reasonable. 

From Warrenn Anderson: "I will be most interested to hear 'the rest of the story' on the Janet Ericksen matter. Why is Rodriguez scheduled to have the job through 2028?" 

From Del Sarlette: "2 questions I was curious about as well. Her departure in the middle of the school year is highly unusual. And it sounds like her replacement isn’t “interim” (?).

 

Michael Rodriguez

We're curious

Aren't we always supposed to assume an "interim" replacement? Not sure we'll ever hear more background about it all. I'm waiting anxiously to see how well UMM retains its students from one semester to the next. Will this Rodriguez fellow get a full-fledged "inauguration?" Or is there no time for such frivolity now?

Here's from the email I sent to Warrenn yesterday: 

 

NEWS FLASH THIS MORNING: Janet Schrunk Ericksen is leaving in December! OK what might this mean? Remember how UMM got raked over the coals in the Star Tribune? Maybe Ericksen senses that something bad is on the horizon for UMM. She's "getting out of Dodge?" She had it pretty good here as the chancellor of a college in the prestigious U of M. Does it get any better than that?

But here's the deal: I just read an article yesterday on Yahoo! News about how Trump and Stephen Miller and others are REALLY going to start cracking down on "woke" tendencies of colleges/universities. Regarding this, I fear UMM might still be a sitting duck, even with our Native American policy. I keep asking if the policy is based on a "treaty" and I can't get anyone to say "yes." So I'm assuming it is not. Whether or not it is a "good thing" is entirely beside the point. Trump and Stephen Miller are on the way, it looks like. The problem might be at central administration with the U of M because they certainly would not want Morris to drag them down. Would they really mount a "fight" against Trump? This is the question they might have to answer. It is hard to resist self-preservation.

 

Busy day for communicating yesterday. Here's from an email I sent to Del:

 

I think the Star Tribune article on Morris was like a bomb dropped on the whole U. Huge headline containing such sharp words. After the article Janet fumbled along trying to claim the numbers are getting better. This just made me want to ask: why did the dip happen in such an extreme way? Someone's big foul-up? Well, you know how it is, the buck stops at the top. 

UMM went through such uncomfortable times with the political stuff, the gay rights and then the right wing kids creating such an unpleasant atmosphere. Well, the top adm. probably felt "that's your problem, Janet, it's your responsibility to do something about it. Whatever it takes." 

And like I wrote on my blogs: Students need to be told they are "not here to push political causes. They are here to take their studies seriously in preparation for the rest of their lives." You cannot tolerate the group called "gay devil worshipers." That story got into the Twin Cities media. It's not funny now. 

The lack of a Homecoming parade is significant. Not that it has to be super fancy. The problem now is this schism between campus and community which has grown worse. So Janet needed to be told, "do something about it." And as far as the "Northstar" publication was concerned, Jacqueline Johnson was wrong in citing "the First Amendment." Those kids had their own attorneys outside of UMM, as I discovered. UMM should not have been forced to allow the distribution of that paper on campus using campus newsstands. It wasn't just "conservative," it was tasteless. 

Bring back the Homecoming coronation on proper terms and enforce those terms. "You have to show who's boss." I know UMM does not like to restrain the students - my mother told me that - but there's a time when things have to change. UMM was "cute" with some of its characteristics in the past, but now it needs to roll its sleeves up. 

The very existence of UMM is probably threatened by what's going on in Washington D.C.

When I think of it, Janet was a little confrontational in her response to Steve Sviggum. I remember her saying in effect "our students would be shocked that you think that." It's like she was taking sides and you don't want to take sides against a Regent who had quite the legislative resume. 

UMM has always been able to push a lot of people around right here. But there comes a time for humility, a trait that has not often been exhibited in the rarefied air of UMM.

I walked to Tiger game. 0-0 at halftime, boring. Didn't stay long. Wore winter coat for first time this season. It was a "damp" cold.

- BW

 

I sent not one but two emails to Del. Inquiring minds want to know I guess. So here's from the other missive I sent to him:

  

Del - What? No "nationwide search" for a successor? Sounds like just the standard bumping someone upstairs. What might this mean? Is UMM set to just sleep-walk for a time until something drastic happens? Last year there were rumors of lots of students not coming back for the second semester. We'll have to see this year. If the central administration is scared of what Trump/Miller might do, they might come down hard on UMM. 

Central adm. isn't real fond of the "coordinate campuses" anyway, or so I've heard like from that "Peach" writer a couple years ago. Central adm. is not going to let UMM be a hindrance to the system, that's for sure. We haven't let go of "DEI," have we? What about the "women's studies" major? The guy on that podcast talked about our "grievance majors" taking over. Trump and Miller have NO TIME for that stuff. Our best hope might be that we're so small and remote out here, not worth the trouble. "Indians lining up on the hill." 

 

Janet Schrunk Ericksen

Del responded and began with a quote from one of my emails:  

"Students need to be told they are 'not here to push political causes.' " That’s like telling a dog not to bark. That’s what college kids do, they feel it’s their right or responsibility.

I really wonder why Janet chose the timing for her departure – between school years is always the norm. Maybe health reasons? “I’m quitting for health reasons – I’m sick of this job.” 

I’m sure the pressures are immense, I know I couldn’t handle it.

  

Another milepost

Well, maybe we can all relax over Thanksgiving. Is "Black Friday" dying out? I sense that more and more businesses are using Black Friday as an excuse to set up a four-day weekend. We could have predicted this. 

Final note: I will never forget how UMM singers performed my father's "UMM Hymn" for Janet's inauguration. Thanks Yulene.

 

Just before I published this blog post, I got word thanks to Erin C. at UMM that Lucy Imholte has passed away. RIP Lucy. 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com