The incoming leader of the University of ILL, Michael Hogan has handily set himself in to the system and repertoire of the institution. Only a month into his tenure, he has managed to lead the institution into a discrimination case for one of his adjunct professors, and he has raised eyebrows about the cost of his services in a time where the state faces record budget deficits, a clear result of fiscal mismanagement, overspending, and conspicuous consumption concerning higher and primary education. An unquestionable benefit resulting from the whole situation is the ever-more stringent scrutiny over university finances, and its disposal of taxpayer monies from the ever-constant shakedowns political allies in the state government undertake on its behalf. Several local news outlets including the News-Gazette and the TASSers at the DI have filed FOIA regarding the costs and identities the U of ILL’s presidential search. While the amount spent on the searches is a story in of itself, there is another result which is even more telling...

Described in a News-Gazette, the U’s reaction is, at least, doubtlessly consistent. All the pertinent names of the candidates and institutions had been blacked out. And airports they may have flown from. And travel agencies. And other expenses

This, in spite of Public Access Counselor Cara Smith's maxim, " the disclosure of this information [said expenses], in and of itself, does not constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

So the university, like so many other institutions, sees fit to rationalize and hide behind FIOA privacy clauses, as well as the misapplied FERPA exemption, in order to protect its own inconvenient truths.

Despite all of Hardy' claims about how we need to protect the privacy of candidates fielded for the leadership positions, he never answers the most fundamental question that arises: why do we need to protect the identities and privacy of the applicants? Should not the shareholders of the university, as the IPA's Craven asserts, be privy to exactly what type of candidates are fielded, especially in a plus-$300k deal? Considering the growling and hissing about how Professor Howell was employed through the Newman Center, why should not the rest of the professtocracy and administrators be held to the same amount of transparency? Hardy obviously subscribes to a much different type of transparency: the B.J. White kind. If, as said, that sunlight is the best disinfectant, the U of ILL could quite easily rival the the brilliance of say, Minakami Village.


Hardy may speak more accurately than he realizes when he challenges the view of the Illinois Press Association counsel, that the U of ILL thumbed it’s nose at the public. A more accurate assessment would be to say it lifted its leg on the public.

Posted by Hound No. 6