Comments on: Patty Limerick’s Valentine to Bruce Benson http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/ History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:56:54 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/comment-page-1/#comment-596 Historiann Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:52:35 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/#comment-596 Linda--thanks for the compliments, and most of all for your insider perspective. It sounds to me like he totally blew a very good and very obvious question--something that most departments would resent in job candidates for their obvious lack of preparation! And since when is it "elitist" for universities to have high expectations for the credentials of people who work in administration? It's only elitist if you would demand that he have a Ph.D. from Stanford or Harvard, not THAT he have a terminal degree in *something* from *somewhere* The "elitist" rap is leftover from the old John Andrews days, not something that should be useful in intimidating CU out of enforcing minimal standards on its candidates for president. CSU only fended off the Holtzman challenge because the faculty ORGANIZED and circulated a petition that earned the signatures of 2/3 of the regular faculty. The vote last night was very encouraging, but whatever you can do to put pressure on your Board of Regents will help. We didn't know if our petition would make a difference or not, but what do you know, the Board of Governors actually listened to us, or behaved as though they did! CU faculty are unfairly more often targets for the free-floating ressentiment of right-wingers, but I'd have to think that appointing Benson against the articulated wishes of faculty and students would be a very bad move. Thanks for stopping by historiann.com, and come back any time for a visit and a chat. Linda–thanks for the compliments, and most of all for your insider perspective. It sounds to me like he totally blew a very good and very obvious question–something that most departments would resent in job candidates for their obvious lack of preparation! And since when is it “elitist” for universities to have high expectations for the credentials of people who work in administration? It’s only elitist if you would demand that he have a Ph.D. from Stanford or Harvard, not THAT he have a terminal degree in *something* from *somewhere* The “elitist” rap is leftover from the old John Andrews days, not something that should be useful in intimidating CU out of enforcing minimal standards on its candidates for president.

CSU only fended off the Holtzman challenge because the faculty ORGANIZED and circulated a petition that earned the signatures of 2/3 of the regular faculty. The vote last night was very encouraging, but whatever you can do to put pressure on your Board of Regents will help. We didn’t know if our petition would make a difference or not, but what do you know, the Board of Governors actually listened to us, or behaved as though they did! CU faculty are unfairly more often targets for the free-floating ressentiment of right-wingers, but I’d have to think that appointing Benson against the articulated wishes of faculty and students would be a very bad move.

Thanks for stopping by historiann.com, and come back any time for a visit and a chat.

]]> By: Linda http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/comment-page-1/#comment-592 Linda Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:38:52 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/#comment-592 I don't mean to imply that Limerick's support for Benson lacks integrity, because I don't know that for a fact. Many of my colleagues here in Boulder know her well and really admire her; they're utterly perplexed by her support for Benson. You make a good point that her experience outside academe may have given her a different perspective. But the fact that he supported her endowed chair just looks bad; she probably should have recused herself from the search committee. The media are consistently reporting faculty opposition to Benson as either purely political (because we are all left-wing crazies) or elitist (because he lacks an advanced degree). But for me it came down to what I saw in his meetings with faculty. Again and again, he fumbled over questions about his vision for the university. When asked which other public university systems he admired and could be a model for CU, he didn't have any idea and clearly had never even thought about the question. It was sad. Be glad that CSU is less politicized than CU is (at least for now) and that both your recent presidential candidates were better candidates than Benson is. And congrats on your recent book (just discovered this blog and read your bio)! I don’t mean to imply that Limerick’s support for Benson lacks integrity, because I don’t know that for a fact. Many of my colleagues here in Boulder know her well and really admire her; they’re utterly perplexed by her support for Benson. You make a good point that her experience outside academe may have given her a different perspective. But the fact that he supported her endowed chair just looks bad; she probably should have recused herself from the search committee.

The media are consistently reporting faculty opposition to Benson as either purely political (because we are all left-wing crazies) or elitist (because he lacks an advanced degree). But for me it came down to what I saw in his meetings with faculty. Again and again, he fumbled over questions about his vision for the university. When asked which other public university systems he admired and could be a model for CU, he didn’t have any idea and clearly had never even thought about the question. It was sad. Be glad that CSU is less politicized than CU is (at least for now) and that both your recent presidential candidates were better candidates than Benson is. And congrats on your recent book (just discovered this blog and read your bio)!

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/comment-page-1/#comment-591 Historiann Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:25:18 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/#comment-591 Excellent pickup, Linda--thanks! I should have done better research. On the one hand, having worked with him Limerick can testify that he doesn't have horns and a tail. On the other hand, we all have friendly relationships for people that we wouldn't recommend for jobs for which they're unqualified. Right? Excellent pickup, Linda–thanks! I should have done better research. On the one hand, having worked with him Limerick can testify that he doesn’t have horns and a tail. On the other hand, we all have friendly relationships for people that we wouldn’t recommend for jobs for which they’re unqualified. Right?

]]> By: Linda http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/comment-page-1/#comment-590 Linda Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:16:37 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/#comment-590 If you go to the Center for the American West website, you'll see that Bruce Benson is not only a board member, but a supporter of Limerick's endowed chair! And she was on the search committee that chose him. Seems like a conflict of interest to me. If you go to the Center for the American West website, you’ll see that Bruce Benson is not only a board member, but a supporter of Limerick’s endowed chair! And she was on the search committee that chose him. Seems like a conflict of interest to me.

]]> By: Friends of Pigasus II http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/comment-page-1/#comment-553 Friends of Pigasus II Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:33:14 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/#comment-553 Viva academic freedom! Viva Pigasus! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pigasus/ Viva academic freedom! Viva Pigasus!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pigasus/

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/comment-page-1/#comment-550 Historiann Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:46:31 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/#comment-550 Well, that book *did* make a splash, and her background in journalism meant that she paid more attention to the craft of writing than did most professional historians in the 1980s, which may explain why she more than others could take credit for the "New Western history." I remember reading her book in graduate school and being blown away by it, and I'm sure it was influential in my thinking about the Eastern frontier. I just don't get why she or anyone else at CU thinks Benson is the horse to bet on. Part of the ethic of morphing CU fully into Corporate University, I guess. Perhaps her work outside of academe has led her to develop a different set of values than most of us have. (Which is not to say that academic values are the best values in all cases--although I believe that academic values should be the default when leading academic institutions.) Well, that book *did* make a splash, and her background in journalism meant that she paid more attention to the craft of writing than did most professional historians in the 1980s, which may explain why she more than others could take credit for the “New Western history.” I remember reading her book in graduate school and being blown away by it, and I’m sure it was influential in my thinking about the Eastern frontier.

I just don’t get why she or anyone else at CU thinks Benson is the horse to bet on. Part of the ethic of morphing CU fully into Corporate University, I guess. Perhaps her work outside of academe has led her to develop a different set of values than most of us have. (Which is not to say that academic values are the best values in all cases–although I believe that academic values should be the default when leading academic institutions.)

]]> By: James Stripes http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/comment-page-1/#comment-549 James Stripes Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:17:54 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/2008/02/14/patty-limericks-valentine-to-bruce-benson/#comment-549 I'm disappointed, but not surprised. Aside from the highly regarded, but severely flawed <i>The Legacy of Conquest</i> has Patty Limerick accomplished anything to explain why we all seem to know her name? Even though I recommend her book frequently to students, I've never been impressed with her work. <i>The Legacy of Conquest</i> is an icon that highlights post-Turnerian Western history, but folks like Donald Worster, Richard White, Sue Armitage, and even Larry McMurtry all did far more to bring about this shift than Limerick. The subtitle (the unbroken past of the American west) is the best part of her synthesis. I’m disappointed, but not surprised.

Aside from the highly regarded, but severely flawed The Legacy of Conquest has Patty Limerick accomplished anything to explain why we all seem to know her name? Even though I recommend her book frequently to students, I’ve never been impressed with her work. The Legacy of Conquest is an icon that highlights post-Turnerian Western history, but folks like Donald Worster, Richard White, Sue Armitage, and even Larry McMurtry all did far more to bring about this shift than Limerick. The subtitle (the unbroken past of the American west) is the best part of her synthesis.

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