[University of Alabama football coach Nick] Saban’s deal now runs through Jan. 31, 2020, and his total financial package will average out to $5.62 million per year. He’ll earn $5.32 million in 2012, and with raises built into the deal, would go up to $5.97 million in the final year of his contract in 2019…

Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart went from $850,000 to $950,000. Also, first-year offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier will earn $590,000. Both Smart and Nussmeier have three-year deals.

Outside linebackers coach Lance Thompson, back for his second stint at Alabama after coaching at Tennessee the last three years, received a two-year deal and will make $375,000.

Of the Crimson Tide’s 10 assistants, counting strength and conditioning coordinator Scott Cochran, seven make at least $310,000 annually.

UD always says that understanding the existential implications of, er, student-athletes would tax Jean-Paul.

A sports reporter grapples with it.

[The University of Kentucky’s] one-and-doners were finished being college students at the start of the SEC Tournament, or sooner.

Thus, it quacks like a fraud. It seems a lot like financial and academic fraud, systemic fraud, fraud by design and with a major university serving as the front.

… Sure, there are precedents. P.J. Carlesimo’s 1989 Seton Hall players, who lost to Michigan in the NCAA Final, simply went their individual ways after that game. No reason to return to school; their business at and for Seton Hall was done for the year, if not forever.

Heck, Andrew Gaze’s first day enrolled at Seton Hall was the first day of practice. Right after the Michigan game, he returned home to Australia. His one-and-done lasted from Day 1 of practice to the last game of the season. So long, mates!

If Seton Hall was in violation of anything — internally or by NCAA code — it wasn’t charged. Kentucky is apparently clean, too.

Being and nothingness. In big-time university sports, it’s hard to tell the difference.

… will serve as a
temporary motto
for Columbia University.

Its actual motto is
IN LUMINE TUO
VIDEBIMUS LUMEN.

But Columbia has just sued a
biotech company, Illumina,
for mucho money, because they
say Illumina stole some of
their gene sequencing patents.

So instead of IN THY LIGHT
SHALL WE SEE THE LIGHT, it’s
ILLUMINA, WE SUE YOU.

UD this morning, in a George Washington University newspaper editorial.

A widely-used source for online courses called Udemy has begun an initiative called the Faculty Project where professors post free courses on the site.

Margaret Soltan, an English professor, was contacted by a Udemy associate several weeks ago and now has an 11-lecture series on poetry with more than 100 subscribers from around the world.

“My experience so far has been great. I look forward to every Saturday when I get to film my lecture,” Soltan said.

Why did an outside organization … provide this course?

Professors such as Soltan are helping spread knowledge and open up the world of higher education but they should have the opportunity to do this under the GW banner.

The elite institutions are already launching their own versions of free online courses. It would be a shame for the University to be left behind.

… is a very bad response to international university rankings, as Andres Oppenheimer pointed out not long ago in the Miami Herald. He was lamenting Latin America’s decision to create its own ranking system, in response to the region’s poor showing in established global rankings. It is, he wrote, “the equivalent of withdrawing from the soccer World Cup to compete only within the neighborhood.”

And now Russia, with a similarly bad showing, is talking about doing the same thing.

Instead of spending its money to create a pretend world in which Russia gets to be a winner, that country would do better to fund anti-corruption initiatives in its universities.

… in my series on what it’s like to do a MOOC, is here.

As a follow-up to this post — about a group of Australian scientists so dismayed by alternative medicine having crept into the university curriculum that they have formed a pressure group to fight the trend — there’s this heartwarming father-and-son tale.

Dad runs a cult-of-personality clinic (watch the film) which will cure you of incurable cancer if you’ll just listen to the Leader. Sonny’s CEO of a big vitamin concern that uses Dad’s research to back up its product claims. The big vitamin concern dismisses conflict of interest charges with the following argument: “The mere fact of both having the same surname was the ultimate disclosure in itself.” Game, set, and match.

Meanwhile, there’s an ongoing court case in which Australia’s regulatory Therapeutic Goods Administration has ordered the vitamin concern to stop making claims about their stuff’s effectiveness having been “clinically proven,” onaccounta it ain’t – despite Dad’s best efforts – been.

“I’m covered from head to toe in chalk,” he said. “I don’t use PowerPoint. Ever.”

Recipe for success.

… Distinguishing Between Good and Bad Poetry, has just been published. To watch it, go to the Faculty Project page, scroll down to Poetry, and enroll. It’s free. So far 112 people have signed up. Join the crowd.

… I’ve been recording my third lecture in my series on poetry for the Faculty Project. The lecture should be available this evening.

This sign appears on a building at the
Academy of Fine Arts on Mysliwiecka
Street in Warsaw.

It’s where Mr UD’s father,
Jerzy Soltan, worked.

The sign says:

Thank you for this place,
Professor Jerzy S.

************************

UD thanks Andrzej.

… has been nominated to head the World Bank.

Under withering attack from much of the faculty (“In our view [Hogan] lacks the values, commitments, management style, ethics, and even manners, needed to lead this university, and his presidency should be ended at the earliest opportunity.” Ouch.), Michael Hogan has announced his resignation.

***********************

UD thanks Wendy.

Beier further demonstrates his deference by welcoming feedback mid-way through each term. Sometimes the feedback leads to big changes, like the time he ditched PowerPoint presentations.

An award-winning teacher is interviewed.

Given arrest rates on big-time university basketball teams, it’s not surprising that police have begun arresting players at their games.

When [an Old Dominion University player] didn’t show up to court [on a DUI charge], an arrest warrant was issued.

[A] Virginia Beach detective drove to the Ted Constant Center Wednesday night, knowing [the player] would be there.

After warming up with the team, [the player] came off the court and was arrested in the back of the arena.

Yes. For the sake of fan and donor morale, it’s much better to arrest them in the back of arenas. Seeing team members arrested on court before games would be a downer.