… the latest in Norwegian faculty speech codes.
The University of Oslo recently fired Arnved Nedkvitne, a medieval history professor with a mouth on him. He appealed, but a court backed the university, which argued that he often said mean things about his colleagues.
Spurred on by this victory, the university’s human relations specialist Mette Børing
… proposed to work out guidelines as a kind of code of conduct at the university with lists of words and expressions not to be tolerated when describing a colleague. She claimed this was needed, having four or five other cases on her table after the Nedkvitne case, with similar accusations of improper characterisations of colleagues. She said something had to be done.
This strange proposal brought her to the front page of the major Oslo finance newspaper, Dagens Næringsliv, with a comment by Kristian Gundersen that he regarded this as a clear breach of his democratic right of expression. The following day, Oslo Rector Ole Petter Ottersen denied such a work was in progress.
Several people commented on the proposal with Professor Bernt Hagtvet of political science at the university asking rhetorically: “Would for instance the expression ‘braindead perfumed puma’ be accepted in her list of words?”…
***********************************
Update: Limericks:
1.) From Ahistoricality:
There was a braindead perfumed puma
subsisting on gossip and rumor:
“When I make up rules
to govern these fools
I can fire all these Molly Bloomers!”
2.) Dave:
I said “you’re a puma: brain-dead, perfumed”
To the Dean, and my tenure was doomed.
It wasn’t much to the liking
Of a censorious Viking.
“Should’ve called him a lynx,” I assumed.
3.) UD:
The brain-dead and perfumèd puma
Lives deep in the hills of Exuma.
At first it was Prussian.
Then, quite briefly, Russian.
Until banned from the halls of the Duma.
February 21st, 2010 at 9:28AM
I said “you’re a puma: brain-dead, perfumed”
To the Dean and my tenure was doomed.
It wasn’t much to the liking
Of a censorious Viking.
“Should’ve called him a lynx,” I assumed.
February 21st, 2010 at 10:56AM
There was a braindead perfumed puma
subsisting on gossip and rumor
“When I make up rules
to govern these fools
I can fire all these Molly Bloomers!”
February 21st, 2010 at 11:24AM
Two beauteous limericks, people.
February 21st, 2010 at 12:44PM
Is it not a little suspicious to have a human relations specialist called “Mette Børing”? I’m not sure how the Norwegian is pronounced, but still….
February 21st, 2010 at 2:59PM
Colin: LOL. I had the same thought. If her great-grandparents had emigrated to Lake Wobegon, would they have changed Boring to… I dunno… Boering…? Berring?…