And now my colleagues are engaging in a passionate discussion of who should be fired first to accommodate the budget cuts. The discussions are conducted in the “Crucify her first, since she’s more expensive!” mode.
Note that nobody in the administration has proposed that people should be fired. This is simply a servile way of anticipating the possible future desires of the higher-ups.
Solidarity bites the dust.
Clarissa's Blog 
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No, I’m so disgusted at this point that I don’t care. I’ve been away from the computer all day and then I come back and see this entirely undignified discussion. So I don’t care who gets upset by my evaluation of their degrading lack of collegiality.
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I don’t have anything to say except for I’m disgusted on your behalf. I despise when faculty act in such a manner.
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Our current dean, however, is really great at dispelling the tensions. After this debate raged on for hours, he sent out the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Chairs that were written in a truly Dickensian humorous style. Now we are all collectively enjoying the funny minutes. 🙂
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Wow. That’s an amazing dean!! The deans I know of only encourage in-fighting.
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We all have a collective professional crush on him. 🙂 Sadly, he is an Interim Dean and is soon leaving.
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Have you read a recently published book by Steve Frazer, a noted labor historian, by the title of “The Age of Acquiescence”? In the last gilded age during the Nineteenth century, people fought and sometimes died for the establishment of such things as the forty hour work week and pay for overtime. Today, workers seem to roll over and die or acquiesce to any demands from employers. The author tries to explain the reasons for the different reactions between then and now. I would be interested in your comments on the book.
http://www.amazon.ca/The-Age-Acquiescence-Resistance-Organized/dp/0316185434
And a review by Naomi Klein in the NYT.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/books/review/the-age-of-acquiescence-by-steve-fraser.html?_r=0
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I as going to but then I read Klein’s review and lost all enthusiasm. She pretty much says the book is boring. But maybe I should go by my original judgment and read it.
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RESERVE YOUR PRIORITY SEATING IN THE BOILING CAULDRON
[Administrative levy of £449 applies to all non-administrators wishing priority seating]
You see, one day you’ll have to pay for better seats at your own lynching. 🙂
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(this offer is not valid during Jacobin counter-revolutions, administrative leave days, bank holidays, lurid holiday binges with bankers, attempted administrative assassinations, colour guard wash days, and any day of the week ending in ‘Y’)
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