Contents:
Home
  1. The President's Address 
    1. Content of the Address
    2. The Address in the News
    3. State and Federal Parallels
    4. How the President has Responded
  2. The Restructuring of the College of Arts & Sciences and the Proper Role of the Arts & Humanities [now on its own page]
    1. Views of the Administration
    2. Situation within the College
      1. The Dean
      2. The History Department
      3. An External Review!?
    3. The Role of the Arts & Humanities and "Global Competitiveness"
  3. University Budget Reallocation, Policies, and Impact of the Strategic Plan [now on its own page]
    1. Budget "Reallocation" Plans
    2. Policies and the Impact of the Strategic Plan
    3. UT STEMM and the Corporate Model
    4. Solar Energy - a "Strategic Goal"
    5. Intermodal Transportation - a "Strategic Goal"
    6. Student Centered?
    7. Who Decides?
  4. Seeking Synthesis: All the issues start to come together... [NEW!]
  5. Additional Materials
  6. Discussions
  7. Associated Movements
  8. Stories We Aren't Covering

The President's Address


Content of the Address
Second Annual President's Address (Video) External Link Apr. 2, 2008
Watch this video of the complete address to see for yourself the President's proposals and come to your own conclusions. (approx. 45 minutes; approx. 12MB).
Second Annual President's Address (Transcript) External Link Apr. 2, 2008
If you would like to read the President's address, look at this official transcript from the Office of the President. Note that within the document, two abbreviations remain undefined: Note also that this document is formatted in the way Dr. Jacob's used it to read off his speech; we have provided an easier version for printing here for your convenience.
Digest of President's Address Apr. 2, 2008
This document includes an impartial summary of the President's Address, followed by a semi-impartial analysis, authored by Students for Real Student Centeredness, a student movement encouraging greater dialogue between administrators, students, and faculty.
The Address in the News
Blade: UT's Jacobs advocates new approach to education External Link Apr. 2, 2008
The Blade's take on Dr. Jacobs' Address.
Blade: UT president proposes student-centered approach for customizing education External Link Apr. 3, 2008
A more detailed summary from the Blade regarding the President's Address.
Collegian: Jacobs looks to change Higher Ed External Link Apr. 3, 2008
A summary of the President's Address.
UT News: President calls for sweeping changes in undergraduate education during address. External Link Apr. 3, 2008
This is the story as reported by UT's PR branch, "the Communications Department" [not to be confused with the academic Communication Department within the College of Arts & Sciences]. Reading the story as presented by the University may be helpful for understanding where these various administrators are coming from.
Collegian Editorial Board: ReEngineering Faculty Relations External Link Apr. 3, 2008
An Opinion piece from the Collegian Editorial Board on the nature and impact of the President's Plan as announced in the Address.
Collegian Editorial Board: Dude, You're Getting a Dell-Gree External Link Apr. 3, 2008
An Opinion piece remarking on how strange the metaphor of our college degrees as Dell computers really is.
Collegian Editorial Board: UT Inc. External Link Apr. 14, 2008
Argues that the University should be maintained as a bastion of democracy rather than getting locked into corporate interests or business models.
Toledo Free Press, Letter to the Editor: Analyzing Jacobs External Link Apr. 20, 2008
This first of two relevant Letters to the Editor, written by Dr. Rene Heberle of the Philosophy Dept., reacts to the April 13th article that she feels put Dr. Jacobs' plan for UT in too good of a light, and analyzes that plan's real ramifications.
Must Read! Toled City Paper: A Brave New Entity External Link April 30, 2008
This article addresses in detail the implications of and perspectives on the ambiguous "New Entity" initiated in President Jacob's State of the University Address.
Blade: UT President says he backs Liberal Arts External Link May 7, 2008
An article about the recent Town Hall in which UT President, Dr. Jacobs, was questioned on his support for the Liberal Arts at UT. It discusses the questions he received and the opinions of a few who protested there.
Collegian: UT Learning Collaborative funds First Year Women in STEMM areas External Link Aug. 25, 2008
The "New Entity," now officially known as the "UT Learning Collaborative" may be doing some good by advancing women who are pursuing careers in the STEMM disciplines.
Collegian Editorial Board: A WISE program External Link May 7, 2008
An Opinion piece celebrating the positive impact the Women in STEMM Excelling program, an initiative of the UT Learning Collaborative, could have on these male-dominated and male-focused fields.
State and Federal Parallels
Eric Fingerhut's 10-Year Strategic Plan for Ohio Universities External Link Mar. 31, 2008
This 140-page plan lays out in detail the future of the Ohio University System.
Executive Summary of the Ohio Strategic Plan External Link Mar. 31, 2008
Here is the Executive Summary portion of the full report and strategic plan. It can provide a quick overview, from the authors' perspective.
Blade: Ohio higher-ed plan aims to spur degrees, cut costs. External Link Apr. 1, 2008
The Blade's interpretation of Ohio Chancellor of the Board of Regents Eric Fingerhut's Strategic Plan for Ohio's public universities, which Dr. Jacobs mentioned in his address.
The Chronicle of Higher Education [Harvard]: Ohio's Governor Presses Plan to Overhaul Higher Education. External Link Apr. 4, 2008.
We have provided the text of this article as the University sent it out to everyone, but it can only be accessed by computers on the Main Campus or once you authenticate through the UT Library system.
Blade: Chanellor visits UT to push plan for Ohio higher ed External Link Jun. 18, 2008.
Reports on Chancellor Fingerhut's visit to UT and the conversations around the meaning of "Centers of Excellence" among Ohio's public colleges and universities, and its relation to a STEMM focus at UT. Fingerhut appreciates STEMM as a center for UT, but acknowledges that it would be going to far to then neglect all other programs.
UT News: Chancellor discusses higher education strategic plan, Centers of Excellence External Link Jun. 23, 2008.
Gives UT's take on Chancellor Fingerhut's visit to UT. It highlights the benefits of the Chancellor's plan and makes it seem that STEMM is not only essential to the implementation of that plan at UT but the key to the economic development of the region. While it mentions how one panelist raised their concern that a focus on STEMM would "diminish" the arts and sciences, it immediately thereafter asserts that "However, all panel members and several speakers from the audience noted that STEMM emphasis is not intended to diminish arts and humanities," making it seem that this individual was the only person to think that way, and thus discrediting their concern. It is also humerous how that individual's comment was "injected" into the discussion, maintaining STEMM metaphors. While we usually post items and try to describe them impartially, to let them speak for themselves, we must acknowledge that this is the most biased article we have seen in some time.
Collegian: Fingerhut talks Strategic plan External Link Jul. 7, 2008.
This article recounts Fingerhut's recent visit to UT and gives his explanations for why Centers of Excellence are a good strategy for Ohio, and what that concept really means; as well as its implications for UT.
Collegian Editorial Board: Definition discord External Link Jul. 7, 2008.
This editorial discusses Fingerhut's visit and finds a seed of hope in how all of those present did assert their support for the liberal arts, and that some preliminary signs suggest that, at the vary least, the liberal arts won't be strangled out of existence just yet.
How the President has Responded
Collegian Editorial Board: Rude awakening External Link Jun. 9, 2008.
This editorial describes its author's frustration with Jacobs' contradictory claims and actions, particularly around consumerist concepts like "extreme student centeredness" and "mass customization".
Must Read! Letter to A&S Faculty responding to recently released emails External Link Jul. 7, 2008.
This letter is the official response of the Arts & Sciences Council rearding the "under the bus" emails. It expresses the view that the emails reveal disregard on the part of the Administration when presented with a thoughtfuly considered No-Confidence vote.


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