The University of Idaho is paying a Minnesota consultant who spends less than two weeks a month on the Moscow campus $112,500 to serve as its “chief inspiration officer,” according to public records.
This one takes UD‘s breath away. Read the whole thing.
The only precedent she can find is from her favorite university, Southern Illinois Carbondale. Remember?
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Update: Chronicle of Wasted Time. And Money. DO NOT READ if you are currently on any form of depression medication.
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Update: Google Image, Chief Inspiration Officer.
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June 8th, 2009 at 7:05AM
"She created a 2-day process that creates lasting culture change."
Amazing, isn’t it? All we need to do is pump enough money into Magaly’s bank account, and she will turn around the Taliban, the Somali pirates, and the Israelis and Palestinians–and still be back in time for Sunday dinner.
June 8th, 2009 at 7:18AM
Ya gotta hand it to these people at universities everywhere. They know how to breed cynicism, alienation, and disgust with higher education.
If the roof falls in, I dread the whimpering that will come from the lap-dog I-got-mine professorate that closes its eyes to corruption, abuse, and contempt for students and tax payers.
June 8th, 2009 at 8:20AM
From her website:
"She created a 2-day process that creates lasting culture change. This process has been proven with over 75,000 people. Participants emerge energized, hopeful and armed with advanced skills that facilitate action."
All I have to say is, if it was that easy, every dissertator’d be doing it.
June 8th, 2009 at 9:40AM
Remember the Kansas State debacle of the secret $3 million severance deal on top of the $1.5 million deal? Well, our provost Duane Nellis is leaving Kansas State to head to the University of Idaho. Perhaps he can drop us a line to give us Ms. Rodriguez’s suggestions on vitalizing change to get our money back and restore our good name.
June 8th, 2009 at 10:55AM
Doesn’t the university of Idaho already have a president? Isn’t providing inspiration one of the primary functions of a leader? Is the chief executive of this university implicitly admitting that he doesn’t have the ability to do his job?
June 8th, 2009 at 11:00AM
Well darn — I’m an inspiration officer of sorts, but I have the misfortune of dealing with all those credible religious types instead of clear-eyed rationalists like university administrators and deans. Guess that’s why I don’t bank six figures over nine months.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:34PM
Maybe what we need at Minnesota is a Chief Inspiration Officer?
After all we’ve got a Minister of Culture, we are Driven to Discover, and we typically call in consultants when we are in deep doo-doo. This allows administrators to shirk responsibility for what they were not doing…
Today, thanks to UD, I learned about the Chief Inspiration Officer at the University of Idaho. Since this consultant is from Minnesota, maybe we could get a special rate, no big travel being involved?
After all a prophet should not be without honor and money in her own land.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:46PM
This is Red Stater’s university. Basically we’ve had clueless leadership here for the past 30 years. This "CIO peacemaking" episode is rather mild to compared to others. I think that we don’t find the bad publicity as much as say SIU, because we’re in the backwater of a podunk state.
Yes, we’re all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Nellis.