Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
What You Can Do To Help – Karen Jans
Dear Karen,
I’d like to start off by saying something in your defense. If I needed to care for my family, I would without hesitation take a sinecure with a rank and salary that exceeded my qualifications. Your mother and UCF are the real villains in this story. Your mom, Senator Evelyn Lynn, was unethically aggressive about getting you hired at UCF, and UCF should be ashamed of their gutless appeasement.
What can you do to help? In terms of appropriate use of resources, your termination could do a lot of good with no negative consequences (except to yourself), but I want to be reasonable. I have an easier suggestion. Stop acting indignant when people correctly conclude that your success is the result of Senator Momma’s intervention. It will make life less irritating for all the people at UCF who do more important work for much less pay.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
I’d like to start off by saying something in your defense. If I needed to care for my family, I would without hesitation take a sinecure with a rank and salary that exceeded my qualifications. Your mother and UCF are the real villains in this story. Your mom, Senator Evelyn Lynn, was unethically aggressive about getting you hired at UCF, and UCF should be ashamed of their gutless appeasement.
What can you do to help? In terms of appropriate use of resources, your termination could do a lot of good with no negative consequences (except to yourself), but I want to be reasonable. I have an easier suggestion. Stop acting indignant when people correctly conclude that your success is the result of Senator Momma’s intervention. It will make life less irritating for all the people at UCF who do more important work for much less pay.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Surprisingly, I’ve gotten some very nice email. I’d like to make a few points.
1. Many people who send email are curious as to who I am. Beyond what I say on the blog, I won’t make any personal comments about myself.
2. Let me know if you are willing to let me anonymously quote all or part of your email. If you say something very general, then I’ll go ahead and quote, but sometimes the writer has enough specificity that I’m afraid quoting them might hurt them.
3. If you send me a tip and I don’t use it, it’s because I can’t verify it. I still appreciate it.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to correspond.
1. Many people who send email are curious as to who I am. Beyond what I say on the blog, I won’t make any personal comments about myself.
2. Let me know if you are willing to let me anonymously quote all or part of your email. If you say something very general, then I’ll go ahead and quote, but sometimes the writer has enough specificity that I’m afraid quoting them might hurt them.
3. If you send me a tip and I don’t use it, it’s because I can’t verify it. I still appreciate it.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to correspond.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
What You Can Do To Help – Terry Hickey
Dear Terry,
When the old man expresses his wishes, you are the one to enforce them. You are Luca Brasi to Hitt’s Don Corleone. Except that Luca Brasi was huge and you are, well, um….
Anyway, I think you should read my letters to John and the administration, and you will have a good idea what to do.
I hope you leave UCF very soon and go ruin another college.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
When the old man expresses his wishes, you are the one to enforce them. You are Luca Brasi to Hitt’s Don Corleone. Except that Luca Brasi was huge and you are, well, um….
Anyway, I think you should read my letters to John and the administration, and you will have a good idea what to do.
I hope you leave UCF very soon and go ruin another college.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Monday, April 21, 2008
What You Can Do To Help – David Mealor
Dear David,
You negotiated a deal with UCF to be paid 30 percent of your salary while you were doing full time work as a lawmaker. Because of a “bad and embarrassing error,” you were actually paid 100 percent of your UCF salary. This resulted in overpayments to you of about 100K. Currently, you are making monthly repayments until 2013.
There’s a question that you have never had to answer. Did you know that you were being overpaid? Either you were too stupid to notice that you were being paid for two jobs when you were only doing one, or you decided to not notice because you love money. Which is it, David? Are you unethical or stupid? My guess is that you are both unethical and stupid. Because of a lack of ethics you didn’t report the overpayments, but you weren’t smart enough to avoid pissing someone off so bad that you were busted.
Here’s what you can do to help. Repent! You are a very religious person who has encouraged prayer in professional situations where it is not remotely appropriate. I’d like you to admit to your Lord and the community that you knowingly let yourself be overpaid.
I want to end this letter on a positive note, David. I think if you really work at it, you can do an acceptable job in the classroom. Your penance is that you need to quit your do-nothing job as an administrator and go back to teaching.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
You negotiated a deal with UCF to be paid 30 percent of your salary while you were doing full time work as a lawmaker. Because of a “bad and embarrassing error,” you were actually paid 100 percent of your UCF salary. This resulted in overpayments to you of about 100K. Currently, you are making monthly repayments until 2013.
There’s a question that you have never had to answer. Did you know that you were being overpaid? Either you were too stupid to notice that you were being paid for two jobs when you were only doing one, or you decided to not notice because you love money. Which is it, David? Are you unethical or stupid? My guess is that you are both unethical and stupid. Because of a lack of ethics you didn’t report the overpayments, but you weren’t smart enough to avoid pissing someone off so bad that you were busted.
Here’s what you can do to help. Repent! You are a very religious person who has encouraged prayer in professional situations where it is not remotely appropriate. I’d like you to admit to your Lord and the community that you knowingly let yourself be overpaid.
I want to end this letter on a positive note, David. I think if you really work at it, you can do an acceptable job in the classroom. Your penance is that you need to quit your do-nothing job as an administrator and go back to teaching.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What You Can Do To Help – John Hitt
Dear John,
You’ve made so many mistakes that it’s impossible for you to right all the wrongs. Still, in your remaining years with UCF, you could do two small things to make life better.
First, don’t make loyalty to you the primary condition for continued employment. Most of the UCF community kisses your ass and tells you what you want to hear. They do this because you don’t cotton to dissent. A lot has gone wrong for UCF lately. Perhaps, it’s because you surround yourself with lackeys who are too cowed to disagree with you.
Second, you have built your giant empire. Now, you should focus on running it. When something goes wrong, you are quick to blame your underlings (e.g., you blamed the overpayment of Mealor on UCF personnel; You put the budget deficits of the College of Arts and Sciences on Kathy Seidel), but the truth is that you are accountable for any mistakes at UCF – that’s why you are the president. Man up and take some responsibility.
Of course, the best thing you could for UCF would be to retire.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
You’ve made so many mistakes that it’s impossible for you to right all the wrongs. Still, in your remaining years with UCF, you could do two small things to make life better.
First, don’t make loyalty to you the primary condition for continued employment. Most of the UCF community kisses your ass and tells you what you want to hear. They do this because you don’t cotton to dissent. A lot has gone wrong for UCF lately. Perhaps, it’s because you surround yourself with lackeys who are too cowed to disagree with you.
Second, you have built your giant empire. Now, you should focus on running it. When something goes wrong, you are quick to blame your underlings (e.g., you blamed the overpayment of Mealor on UCF personnel; You put the budget deficits of the College of Arts and Sciences on Kathy Seidel), but the truth is that you are accountable for any mistakes at UCF – that’s why you are the president. Man up and take some responsibility.
Of course, the best thing you could for UCF would be to retire.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
He Makes a Lot More Money Now
I was doing research when I ran across this article about the budget cut protests of 2003:
Chris Stark, an 18-year-old freshman, read the e-mail that reached him last Sunday night and decided to attend the rally. He said he couldn't believe it when he read that Hitt had received a $93,000 raise this past year.
Rostock agreed. "[Hitt's raise] is hard to justify considering he also gets a free house and car," he said. "We pay for his insurance and give him a travel allowance for him and his wife. The university even pays for his country club membership, meaning we pay for his golf. Basically, all he has to buy is food, and $295,000 is a lot of money to buy food."
Yet, according to one social sciences teacher, students shouldn't be surprised. The teacher, who refused to give his name because he feared he'd lose his job, said that everyone is paying the price for Hitt's arrogance and attitude. "Hitt isn't a leader," he continued. "He's a bully. Hitt and the administration are padding their pockets with raises when real leaders would suffer along with everyone else.
"The captain is filling his lifeboat with caviar and champagne while the rest of the ship sinks," he explained.
Hitt is an arrogant bully. If YouTube existed during Hitt’s younger and fatter days, I bet we could find a video of him slapping around some untenured faculty member or student who made the mistake of disagreeing with him.
Chris Stark, an 18-year-old freshman, read the e-mail that reached him last Sunday night and decided to attend the rally. He said he couldn't believe it when he read that Hitt had received a $93,000 raise this past year.
Rostock agreed. "[Hitt's raise] is hard to justify considering he also gets a free house and car," he said. "We pay for his insurance and give him a travel allowance for him and his wife. The university even pays for his country club membership, meaning we pay for his golf. Basically, all he has to buy is food, and $295,000 is a lot of money to buy food."
Yet, according to one social sciences teacher, students shouldn't be surprised. The teacher, who refused to give his name because he feared he'd lose his job, said that everyone is paying the price for Hitt's arrogance and attitude. "Hitt isn't a leader," he continued. "He's a bully. Hitt and the administration are padding their pockets with raises when real leaders would suffer along with everyone else.
"The captain is filling his lifeboat with caviar and champagne while the rest of the ship sinks," he explained.
Hitt is an arrogant bully. If YouTube existed during Hitt’s younger and fatter days, I bet we could find a video of him slapping around some untenured faculty member or student who made the mistake of disagreeing with him.
What You Can Do To Help – The Students
Dear Students,
You and the administration have become involved in a shortsighted, tacit agreement. As students, many of you want your credentials with as little effort as possible, and the administration is happy to comply because they want as many graduates as possible. The result is that UCF produces a lot of graduates with degrees of little value.
You can help break this cycle by trying harder in your classes. If more students do excellent work, this encourages instructors to adopt higher standards and grade weaker students more harshly.
Best Wishes,
Arthur Barnhouse
You and the administration have become involved in a shortsighted, tacit agreement. As students, many of you want your credentials with as little effort as possible, and the administration is happy to comply because they want as many graduates as possible. The result is that UCF produces a lot of graduates with degrees of little value.
You can help break this cycle by trying harder in your classes. If more students do excellent work, this encourages instructors to adopt higher standards and grade weaker students more harshly.
Best Wishes,
Arthur Barnhouse
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Celebrating 100 Posts
This is my 100th Post at UCF Loves Money. If you would like to donate to the UCF Loves Money Foundation, send an email to ucflovesmoney@yahoo.com*. Your gift can go to a scholarship fund to teach the next generation of leaders how to spot waste, sleaze, and poor critical thinking skills. With your very generous donation, you can have a section of this blog named after you.
*Email is always welcome, but I’m joking when I ask for money. This blog will never accept donations or advertising.
*Email is always welcome, but I’m joking when I ask for money. This blog will never accept donations or advertising.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
What You Can Do To Help – The Administration
Dear Administration,
I look at most of you and I see nothing worth liking. You are quick to take credit for the work of others and even quicker to assign blame to others for your own failings. You probably sucked at teaching and research, and you wanted a big paycheck and a bit of power so you decided to become an administrator. You spend your days trying to figure out how to get a bigger budget and more employees even though there is no rational justification for either. You have put your personal ambition ahead of the needs of UCF and the community.
I don’t think you can change. For you, selfishness, waste, and corruption are autonomic nervous functions. If you want to help make UCF better, then you should quit. Quit and go back to teaching and research. If that’s not an option, quit and go out into the free market and be entrepreneurial.
Truly,
Arthur Barnhouse
I look at most of you and I see nothing worth liking. You are quick to take credit for the work of others and even quicker to assign blame to others for your own failings. You probably sucked at teaching and research, and you wanted a big paycheck and a bit of power so you decided to become an administrator. You spend your days trying to figure out how to get a bigger budget and more employees even though there is no rational justification for either. You have put your personal ambition ahead of the needs of UCF and the community.
I don’t think you can change. For you, selfishness, waste, and corruption are autonomic nervous functions. If you want to help make UCF better, then you should quit. Quit and go back to teaching and research. If that’s not an option, quit and go out into the free market and be entrepreneurial.
Truly,
Arthur Barnhouse
Saturday, April 12, 2008
What You Can Do To Help – The Faculty
Dear Faculty,
Because you are the most important part of UCF, I am glad you have decided to help. I’d like you to do three things:
(1) Start to hold students to higher standards. Simply put, degree completion at UCF has become so easy that the school is starting to lose legitimacy. By developing higher standards in the classroom, graduates will be better prepared for their future, and the value of a UCF degree will increase.
(2) Hold yourself to higher standards and work harder to teach more effectively. There are some really good teachers at UCF, but there are also too many courses that are a complete waste of time and money. It is unfair to students to hold them to a high standard, if you do not also hold yourself to that standard.
(3) Stand up for what is right. As I said to the community, the administrators at UCF are weak and will back down in the face of concerted opposition. If you have not already, consider joining the union. This will make all of you stronger.
The UCF administration sucks. Take comfort in knowing that together you can break them anytime you want.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Because you are the most important part of UCF, I am glad you have decided to help. I’d like you to do three things:
(1) Start to hold students to higher standards. Simply put, degree completion at UCF has become so easy that the school is starting to lose legitimacy. By developing higher standards in the classroom, graduates will be better prepared for their future, and the value of a UCF degree will increase.
(2) Hold yourself to higher standards and work harder to teach more effectively. There are some really good teachers at UCF, but there are also too many courses that are a complete waste of time and money. It is unfair to students to hold them to a high standard, if you do not also hold yourself to that standard.
(3) Stand up for what is right. As I said to the community, the administrators at UCF are weak and will back down in the face of concerted opposition. If you have not already, consider joining the union. This will make all of you stronger.
The UCF administration sucks. Take comfort in knowing that together you can break them anytime you want.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Thursday, April 10, 2008
An Oldie but a Goodie
I was researching something when I ran across this letter from Jim Gilkeson to John Hitt. Go read the whole thing. Gilkeson does a nice job demonstrating that Hitt doesn’t focus on the important issues facing UCF. He also shows that Hitt hates dissent and is a bit of a bully.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
What You Can Do To Help – The Community
Dear Community,
Thanks for deciding that you have had enough of UCF’s waste and corruption. I would encourage you to do the following two things:
First, refuse to donate to the UCF Foundation. If you are an alumni, you will inevitably receive letters and phone calls requesting a substantial donation. Ignore the letters and when the phone calls come, politely inform the telemarketer that you can’t donate to an organization that does the following things:
(1) Bribes legislators
(2) Pays, with donated money, the President an obscene salary
(3) Hires a football coach who has lied about having an advanced degree
(4) Values increasing enrollment over academic rigor
(5) Wastes money on dumb shit
(6) Hires unnecessary administrative employees even though it has one of the highest faculty to student ratios in the country
If just a few people express these opinions to the foundation, then UCF will make some changes. Remember, UCF loves money so they will do what they must to get it; they might as well do the right thing.
Second, continue to hold the politicians accountable. The Orlando Sentinel believes that John Hitt is the second most powerful person in the area, but in the face of community outrage, he folded like a little bitch and agreed to retro-fit that cheap-ass stadium with water fountains even though he really just wanted to sell lots of water (After all, he is so entrepreneurial). These people are weak, and in the face public scrutiny and outrage, they will acquiesce to the conscience of the community.
Good luck, community.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Thanks for deciding that you have had enough of UCF’s waste and corruption. I would encourage you to do the following two things:
First, refuse to donate to the UCF Foundation. If you are an alumni, you will inevitably receive letters and phone calls requesting a substantial donation. Ignore the letters and when the phone calls come, politely inform the telemarketer that you can’t donate to an organization that does the following things:
(1) Bribes legislators
(2) Pays, with donated money, the President an obscene salary
(3) Hires a football coach who has lied about having an advanced degree
(4) Values increasing enrollment over academic rigor
(5) Wastes money on dumb shit
(6) Hires unnecessary administrative employees even though it has one of the highest faculty to student ratios in the country
If just a few people express these opinions to the foundation, then UCF will make some changes. Remember, UCF loves money so they will do what they must to get it; they might as well do the right thing.
Second, continue to hold the politicians accountable. The Orlando Sentinel believes that John Hitt is the second most powerful person in the area, but in the face of community outrage, he folded like a little bitch and agreed to retro-fit that cheap-ass stadium with water fountains even though he really just wanted to sell lots of water (After all, he is so entrepreneurial). These people are weak, and in the face public scrutiny and outrage, they will acquiesce to the conscience of the community.
Good luck, community.
Sincerely,
Arthur Barnhouse
Wanker of the Day
It’s Grant Heston. In an essay where he defends the results of the university audit, he argues the audit shows “the vast majority of UCF's operational policies and procedures to be sound.” Such a dumb statement. Even the most degenerate criminals spend the majority of their time engaged in law abiding behavior.
Heston also brushes aside the whole Mealor debacle as “an error in one employee’s salary payments.” I have to give Hitt credit here because at least he had the guts to admit it was a bad and embarrassing error.
Grant, if I ever run out of ipecac, I’ll just look up your salary.
Heston also brushes aside the whole Mealor debacle as “an error in one employee’s salary payments.” I have to give Hitt credit here because at least he had the guts to admit it was a bad and embarrassing error.
Grant, if I ever run out of ipecac, I’ll just look up your salary.
Monday, April 7, 2008
I’ve Got Some Bad News…
If this turns out to be true, Dr. German better start prescribing anti-depressants:
New degree programs also likely will be delayed. The University of Central Florida's new medical school -- as well as one planned at Florida International University -- could see their planned 2009 openings postponed at least a year.
New degree programs also likely will be delayed. The University of Central Florida's new medical school -- as well as one planned at Florida International University -- could see their planned 2009 openings postponed at least a year.
What You Can Do To Help – A New Series
Over the last 91 posts, I’ve made the case that UCF is a venal, wasteful institution that lacks academic rigor especially at the graduate level. Along the way, I’ve also tried to have some fun.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be writing open letters to different stakeholders – students, faculty, administrators, and the community – to encourage them to take specific steps to make UCF better.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be writing open letters to different stakeholders – students, faculty, administrators, and the community – to encourage them to take specific steps to make UCF better.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
This Blog Needs a New Building
A key performance indicator for this blog is the number of unique visitors. February was the first month where there were a sizable number of unique visitors. In March, the number of uniques jumped 187 percent, and April is looking even better. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read UCF Loves Money.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
No Heroes in This Story
In all the jocularity of April Fools, there was a true statement. William Wetherell, brother of FSU President T.K. Wetherell, was fired by UCF. It’s a story that says a lot about the character of John Hitt.
Listen: It had been discovered that William was actively working to undermine his immediate boss and the interests of UCF. When William’s boss requested of Hitt that he be allowed to fire William, Hitt said no because he didn’t want to deal with the fallout that could come from firing the brother of the politically connected President of FSU.
So, in the insane world that is UCF, William got to keep his salary, but because he couldn’t be trusted, most of his responsibilities and all of his direct reports were taken away from him.
Then, Hitt found out that William was encouraging T.K. to be publicly critical of the UCF President. Finally, William had committed a terminable offense, disloyalty to John Hitt, and William was fired. John Hitt’s life philosophy: You can mess with my family, but don’t mess with me.
Listen: It had been discovered that William was actively working to undermine his immediate boss and the interests of UCF. When William’s boss requested of Hitt that he be allowed to fire William, Hitt said no because he didn’t want to deal with the fallout that could come from firing the brother of the politically connected President of FSU.
So, in the insane world that is UCF, William got to keep his salary, but because he couldn’t be trusted, most of his responsibilities and all of his direct reports were taken away from him.
Then, Hitt found out that William was encouraging T.K. to be publicly critical of the UCF President. Finally, William had committed a terminable offense, disloyalty to John Hitt, and William was fired. John Hitt’s life philosophy: You can mess with my family, but don’t mess with me.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Breaking – Possible Replacement for John Hitt
According to a source at the Board of Trustees, William “Bill” Wetherell who was fired, with a police officer nearby, by UCF Regional Campuses is the leading candidate to replace John Hitt. Of course, Wetherell is politically connected. His brother is T.K. Wetherell – former Speaker of the Florida House and Current President of FSU. Currently, William Wetherell works at Daytona Beach Community College.
Update – Happy April Fools!
Update – Happy April Fools!
Breaking – O’Leary Leaving for the NFL
UCF football coach George O’Leary is leaving to coach the Houston Texans. The Texans were impressed with O’Leary’s coaching resume which states that O’Leary has taken UCF to two bowl victories.
Update – Happy April Fools!
Update – Happy April Fools!
Breaking – John Hitt Resigning
Two sources have told me that John Hitt plans to resign later this month (Don’t try to guess the identity of my sources. Hitt’s personal staff is so large that it would be like trying to pick the winning lottery numbers). Hitt has told staffers that he has more than enough money for the rest of his life. He also wants to go out while he’s on top, and he has some grave concerns about the future of UCF. One of my sources emailed me the following:
Remember when Hitt led the failed effort to make it harder to sue doctors? He was trying to help out future graduates of UCF’s medical school because he knew they would be killing a lot of patients. Hitt wants to go out in glory before UCF’s medical grads start failing their boards and committing gross malpractice.
Update – Happy April Fools!
Remember when Hitt led the failed effort to make it harder to sue doctors? He was trying to help out future graduates of UCF’s medical school because he knew they would be killing a lot of patients. Hitt wants to go out in glory before UCF’s medical grads start failing their boards and committing gross malpractice.
Update – Happy April Fools!
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