Sounds like the inmates are upset that they can no longer run the asylum.

As a Former Student, I think she's doing a great job! Kicking a$$ and taking names of all the libs.

TAMU bball fan said:

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Has an A&M president ever had a worse start? It seems she's ticked off everyone at this point.

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/10/texas-a-m-faculty-president-kathy-banks/

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Sounds like liberal faculty whining. I agree with posters above. I hope she is resetting Texas A&M to what it should be.

You can't make an academic omelette without busting a few eggheads.

She has my vote if she's pissing off a lot of those tenured aszholz.

when your source is texas tribune..... lol

Aggieland Proud said:

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As a Former Student, I think she's doing a great job! Kicking a$$ and taking names of all the libs. folks who don't want to get on board regardless of their political slant.

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Absolutely shocked and disgusted that faculty would want a say in how an institution dedicated to teaching and research should be run.

Texas Tribune writing an entire article over faculty whining via a meaningless, time-wasting procedural vote?

Sounds about right.

I generally dont like her, but that article made me like her alot more.

FlyRod said:

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Absolutely shocked and disgusted that faculty would want a say in how an institution dedicated to teaching and research should be run.

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"Running" a billion dollar enterprise is a whole lot different than teaching and researching.

They do get a "say." They don't get the final vote though.

and, as it always has, HWY 6 runs both ways.

It is a mistake to view this issue through the lens of liberal vs. conservative.

The issues the faculty are upset about have nothing to do with politics. The immediate impetus for this resolution has to do with TAMU Qatar, but the bigger problem is her management style. She has gone through 2 interim provosts, and is now looking for a third.

Highway 6 does run both ways. I know of number of good faculty who have left, and Kathy Banks was at least part of the reason they did. Despite what some people think, you cannot simply replace " tenured aszholz".

This has to do with the college shuffle and the Library reassignments Needed for a long time.. IMHO

Maybe we can get her to run for mayor when she's done.

Quote:

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Despite what some people think, you cannot simply replace " tenured aszholz".

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My proposition is to eliminate them and not replace them.

Quote:

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It is a mistake to view this issue through the lens of liberal vs. conservative.

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The texas tribune certainly asserted that lens.

Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

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Quote:

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Despite what some people think, you cannot simply replace " tenured aszholz".

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My proposition is to eliminate them and not replace them.

Quote:

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It is a mistake to view this issue through the lens of liberal vs. conservative.

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The texas tribune certainly asserted that lens.

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I think the Texas Tribune missed the real story.

Do mean not replace faculty at all, or replace them with untenured instructors?

Since I guess you mean replace them with untenured instructors, I will simply point out that tenured faculty are the people bringing in the vast majority of research funding. If tenure were eliminated, these faculty would not come here, and the reputation of Texas A&M would over time revert to what it was in 1970.

I realize that some people would like that. But I think most Texans like the fact that A&M is an academic powerhouse, and trains students for high-paying technical jobs.

She is getting paid to run the university; they are getting paid to do research and teach. Do you think Elon Musk asks his engineers if he should build a new building or buy Twitter?

lost my dog said:

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doubledog said:

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This has to do with the college shuffle and the Library reassignments Needed for a long time.. IMHO

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Why do you think that the changes in college structures needed to be done?

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For the library... Yes, the Library should be headed by a Librarian, all of the "instructional" professors needed to be regrouped into a common category of just professor (assistant, associate etc.) and moved to degree granting departments.

Liberal Arts and Sciences... Yes (not a hard yes). This will bring TAMU more in-line with other research institutions. The alignment will help funding and education.

lost my dog said:

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Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

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Quote:

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Despite what some people think, you cannot simply replace " tenured aszholz".

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My proposition is to eliminate them and not replace them.

Quote:

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It is a mistake to view this issue through the lens of liberal vs. conservative.

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The texas tribune certainly asserted that lens.

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I think the Texas Tribune missed the real story.

Do mean not replace faculty at all, or replace them with untenured instructors?

Since I guess you mean replace them with untenured instructors, I will simply point out that tenured faculty are the people bringing in the vast majority of research funding. If tenure were eliminated, these faculty would not come here, and the reputation of Texas A&M would over time revert to what it was in 1970.

I realize that some people would like that. But I think most Texans like the fact that A&M is an academic powerhouse, and trains students for high-paying technical jobs.

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Replace them with nothing. They dont actually provide anything of value, that's why it has to be subsidized. People wouldnt pay for it at all if they werent forced to.

There is some good, some bad. Her biggest problem is that a lot of the changes are not going smoothly for the groups/schools who have had the most change. Then, faculty can't get things they were used to getting quickly and they get mad because it disrupts their work/research.

I can tell you in my group, things have not been great even though we've all kept our jobs and some have even been elevated (wonder how they're paying for that???). It's just plain chaos and there is very little leadership so we are making it up as we go. A lot of our teams quit and went elsewhere because the new direction just wasn't for them, fair enough and good for them. They will be missed, but I can totally see why they ran away from this fast.

It seems the focus is more on "we are making changes, look how great it is, shut up and take your paycheck" than "this is how the changes will take place and here is where you will go for this/that/other from now on."

lost my dog said:

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Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

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Quote:

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Despite what some people think, you cannot simply replace " tenured aszholz".

---

My proposition is to eliminate them and not replace them.

Quote:

---

It is a mistake to view this issue through the lens of liberal vs. conservative.

---

The texas tribune certainly asserted that lens.

---

I think the Texas Tribune missed the real story.

Do mean not replace faculty at all, or replace them with untenured instructors?

Since I guess you mean replace them with untenured instructors, I will simply point out that tenured faculty are the people bringing in the vast majority of research funding. If tenure were eliminated, these faculty would not come here, and the reputation of Texas A&M would over time revert to what it was in 1970.

I realize that some people would like that. But I think most Texans like the fact that A&M is an academic powerhouse, and trains students for high-paying technical jobs.

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Speaking of the Tribune here's a shout out to TexAgs sponsor https://thetexan.news/

Great alternative to "The Lib Trib" for state news.

cavscout96 said:

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FlyRod said:

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Absolutely shocked and disgusted that faculty would want a say in how an institution dedicated to teaching and research should be run.

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"Running" a billion dollar enterprise is a whole lot different than teaching and researching.

They do get a "say." They don't get the final vote though.

and, as it always has, HWY 6 runs both ways.

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Tookieclothespin said:

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There is some good, some bad. Her biggest problem is that a lot of the changes are not going smoothly for the groups/schools who have had the most change. Then, faculty can't get things they were used to getting quickly and they get mad because it disrupts their work/research.

I can tell you in my group, things have not been great even though we've all kept our jobs and some have even been elevated (wonder how they're paying for that???). It's just plain chaos and there is very little leadership so we are making it up as we go. A lot of our teams quit and went elsewhere because the new direction just wasn't for them, fair enough and good for them. They will be missed, but I can totally see why they ran away from this fast.

It seems the focus is more on "we are making changes, look how great it is, shut up and take your paycheck" than "this is how the changes will take place and here is where you will go for this/that/other from now on."

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sounds like the problem existed before KB if there is "very little leadership."

I will echo its not political, and it's not just people complaining because they aren't getting their way.

It's also immature to say that because someone disagrees with leadership, they should just leave. If everyone did that the university would be empty. If that is your opinion, I invite you to try it at your own job first and tell me how that goes.

It's a trend of hypercentralized decision making and ignoring the people with valuable information who are the boots in the ground, making things happen. This president in particular has a habit of forming focus groups and then telling them what conclusions they need to come to.

She has also made some bad hires, including people she installed when she became president who are already getting fired.

I don't think the faculty senate vote was the way to go about it either but let's not pretend she's doing great because her rhetoric panders to old army.

The venn diagram overlap of "great research asset to a university" and "great mentor to young minds in the classroom" is painfully small.