I usually don’t poke fun at the academic world. I have to live here, you know. But this week I found a case study that’s amusing, and instructional from a PR perspective. The setting is the University of Akron, just 14 miles from home, so there’s a local angle, too.
Update #1: I’ve added the spoof ad above. It’s been making the rounds among UA faculty for the past few weeks, I’m told. Also, here is the local coverage from ABJ 3/22/08.
Update #2: A popular local columnist weighed in this morning in an essay that — get this — he wrote from home. It won’t tell you anything you don’t know, except that Dr. Darchame’s nickname is “Dewey.” It will confirm that he is an outstanding performer, respected by students and faculty — everyone, it seems, but his dean. One of Dewey’s colleagues sent me a copy of his last performance review (at state institutions, these documents are public record). Number of philosophy majors doubled on his watch, number of minors quadrupled. This led UA to add two tenure track faculty lines to serve the demand. Meantime, UA remains unwilling to discuss reasons for his dismissal as chair. I’d chalk it up to “CD Syndrome” (Clueless Dean). 3/27/08.
If you accept the facts as reported in this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education, the chair of Akron’s philosophy department was fired from his administrative post for being away from his desk without the dean’s blessing. (Story available only to subscribers. Email and I’ll send a copy.) Read the rest of this entry »