To the editor:
I don't know Steve Hedden, the dean of the School of Fine Arts. I have very little interaction with KU's School of Fine Arts. But I have to express my dismay at the Saturday Column writer in which he first smears the current dean ("Whether ... he was 'encouraged' to resign is known only by the retiring dean and a few others") and the provost ("Is this the work of KU Provost Richard Lariviere..."), goes on to lecture the university about what questions and procedures go into a dean's search, states that the chancellor, provost, Board of Regents and "overall university community" must have "the genuine desire" to achieve excellence (thus implying that they don't) and ends with a bizarre series of sports metaphors: winning records, winners, Big 12 championship (in the arts?), the need for a search committee composed of "heavyweights," and a final question: "Why not shoot for the best?" (implying, once again, that KU doesn't).
I believe the editor owes an apology to professor Hedden, to the chancellor, the provost and the Board of Regents, to the faculty, students and alumni of the School of Fine Arts, and, indeed, to the overall university community.
Judy Roitman,
Lawrence
Comments
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classclown (Class Clown) says…
Thin skinned.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Appropriate request considering.....
Fairness952 (anonymous) says…
Along the same lines, today's Sound Off question -- "Is Bob Hemenway ever going to retire and leave Lawrence?" -- is an embarrassment to this newspaper, as is the sarcastic response -- "Well, don't plan on that any time soon. . .". One could just as easily ask: "Is Dolph Simons, Jr. ever going to retire and leave Lawrence?" I'd like to know the answer. I'd also like to know whatever happened to the editorial integrity of the Journal-World?
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
"I'd like to know the answer. I'd also like to know whatever happened to the editorial integrity of the Journal-World?"
You've apparently been here much longer than I have. I've never associated editorial integrity with the LJW,
RuthTheBlackrose (anonymous) says…
When are the citizens of Lawrence and the alumni of the University of Kansas going to wake up? Do you really believe that there is any current progression of the University of Kansas under Chancellor Hemenway's lack of leadership and/or that there is any journalistic integrity on the part of the Journal-World? Rather than circumventing the facts, why has Dolph Simons, Jr. not exposed the true facts regarding the supposed resignation of Irene Cumming as KU Hospital's President and CEO, which was due to the lack of a vote of confidence on the part of Chancellor Hemenway, Dick Bond, et al.? As well, why has Dolph Simons, Jr. not exposed the true facts regarding Chancellor Hemenway's and Dick Bond's involvement in deposing Clay Blair as Chairman of the Kansas Bioscience Authority? As well, why has Dolph Simons, Jr. not allowed further coverage of recent developments at the Kansas Appellate Court level regarding the matter of Fred Williams vs. The University of Kansas Alumni Association? Isn't it interesting that Dolph Simons, Jr. is able to pick and chose the Journal-World's coverage, especially when it could include the involvement of his Phi Delta Theta brothers such as Drue Jennings, John Mize, and et al.?