Is the future of the University of Illinois black? Perhaps there will be a Black in its future, as state representative Bill Black has requested to be named as a Board of Trustee member since the fallout of the Admissions scandal.
We believe that Bill Black has been a well-established voice of the community in downstate ILL and believe as a result he will be an excellent voice on the board. Given too, his proximity to his constituency (and hence, the university) we would support him.
Black has previously said that "When I think they [the University administration] are wrong, I'm going to say so."
We hope so.
And yet, we have trepidations, since we feel Black will not send those responsible with their tails between their legs. His "no preconceived notions" of the culpability of White, Herman, etc. and his necessitating of examination in "and orderly fashion and with due process" worries us. The latter, no. The former yes.
It surpasses the bounds of belief that Black can have no preconceived notions of White nor Herman's unethical behavior. If the results of the Mikva report are not sufficient in its own right, then what? Perhaps White's admission of pushing for family member entrance via his official position (an obvious violation of UI ethics policy)? Or perhaps Herman's grudging acquiescence that Hurd's "facetious" nonsensical ramblings were indeed genuine ("Sometimes a plow is a plow," as Mikva himself observed)?
Black is up to the task of leading the university no question, but that cannot be seriously undertaken until the obstacles that prevent that are removed. Right now that is White, Herman, Hurd, Ghosh, DeBrock, Hardy, Kaler, et al. Unless the darkness that engulfs the Unversity now is disinfected with transparency and new light, there is no sense in adding more Black.
Posted by Hound No. 6
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