<p>[Moderators, feel free to move this to the Election and Politics forum if more appropriate.]</p>
<p>Ken Starr is going to be the new president of Baylor University. OMG. The school is now off the list for any of my kids.</p>
<p>This goes into the category of… What were they thinking?</p>
<p>I thought we might take a second look for my son, mainly because they offer some decent NM $$.</p>
<p>Not now.</p>
<p>THAT’S why we never considered Baylor.</p>
<p>The funny thing is, at this point Starr may be too liberal for a lot of Baylor’s natural constituency. (None of the previous posters has said why precisely the Starr appointment makes them cross Baylor off their lists, but I sense it’s not because he is too Establishment.)</p>
<p>What is the objection?
Currently he is the Dean of the Pepperdine Law School. I don’t see moving to college president a stretch.</p>
<p>JHS - I think you could be right.</p>
<p>Well, I wasn’t enthralled with his prosecutorial tactics in ‘le affaire Lewinsky,’ but as was said, he’s been an official/executive of a significant university for some years now. So folks shouldn’t have a problem with his appointment at Baylor. Pepperdine was a few rules based on religion, and Baylor has a few (actually, quite a few) rules based on religion. So what’s the problem?</p>
<p>This is unbelievable. I’m starrstruck! How can this be happening? :D</p>
<p>Wow. That’s my first response. Then my second response is to agree with JHS and further, to wonder how Starr will stand on issues (roiling for some…) such as the teaching of the theory of evolution etc. Will he duck?</p>
<p>Wow…it would take a lot more than a university presidency to get me to move from Malibu to Waco! His new digs will be just a touch less scenic.</p>
<p>Wasn’t there some kind of controversy when Starr was offered the Pepperdine job? I don’t doubt that he has many of the qualities one would want in an academic. A certain tenacity, for example. Strong moral values. Dedication, dedication, dedication. Willingness to pursue the truth, spare no expense. These qualities might not be the absolute best in a University President but, who knows what the Trustees and Search Cttee were thinking. Maybe Starr is looking for a bully pulpit before charging out to rescue the Republican Party?</p>
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<p>He’s from Vernon, Texas, so perhaps he’s missing flat and brown. Or maybe his fundamentalist guilt prevents him from enjoying Malibu.</p>
<p>“I don’t doubt that he has many of the qualities one would want in an academic.”</p>
<p>Willingness to lead the charge against someone for a sexual infraction with the zeal Starr displayed causes me to question his mental framework. I would have felt the same way if the person pursued had been a Republican president. The entire episode was unnecessary and distasteful, and made America a laughingstock to the rest of the world.</p>
<p>I’m with Missypie.</p>
<p>I live in north Texas and Baylor is respected here. I know a lot of Baylor grads and current students and most did not/do not attend there because it is a conservative, Baptist school. Rather, it is known as a good, slightly selective school with a pretty campus that has some fine academic programs. At least around here, Baylor is viewed as a fairly mainstream option.</p>
<p>That is why hiring Starr has me baffled. They seem to be making a statement about the direction they want to go and how they want to be perceived and it’s certainly not in a more mainstream direction. Who knows, maybe they had too many applicants so it will be fine if they lose the mainstream and liberal ones.</p>
<p>“… he has many of the qualities one would want in an academic. A certain tenacity, for example. Strong moral values. Dedication, dedication, dedication. Willingness to pursue the truth, spare no expense.”</p>
<p>EngProfMom - Did you leave our fairness, open-mindedness, and collegiality by mistake?</p>
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<p>Mr. Clinton was not impeached for having sex with Ms. Lewinsky. He was impeached for committing perjury during testimony about the affair in a separate sexual harassment suit brought by a Ms. Jones, which was then settled for $800,000 or so, and for obstruction of justice during the investigation of that perjury.</p>
<p>newhope - i have met ken starr and have worked with those who have been exceedingly close to him. </p>
<p>He is by any measure an open minded and fair person, and people really like working for him. </p>
<p>I don’t understand Missypie’s gooey emotive, non-fact based and non-analytic assessment of the man. I guess that is par for the course.</p>
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<p>Whether my assessment is fact based or non-fact based, analytic or non-analytic, emotive or rational, gooey or firm (?), I am a Texas parent who will sending two bright daughters to college in the next few years. Baylor’s appointment of a known lightning rod as a president has caused me to take Baylor off the list of schools to which I will consider sending my daughters. </p>
<p>Why would a university hire an extremely controversial and devisive person as president, no matter the political party?</p>
<p>I do not get it- Mr Starr seems to be an intelligent man who has experience within Higher Education- maybe he was the best fit and met the qualifications for the job.</p>
<p>I bet it was because he’s an URM. Damn minorities always taking university presidencies that they don’t deserve…</p>