<p>Shirley Jackson of Rensselaer is an eminent African American woman physicist. She could basically “write her own ticket” for a university presidency. Rensselaer has been trying to keep her, rather than losing her to MIT or another very highly ranked university. Dr. Jackson is also very generous to younger scientists. I say she’s worth it, and then some.</p>
<p>Yet if Rensselaer doesn’t keep her, how much worse off would they be?</p>
<p>If you’re paying a premium, then
- The premium has to be worth something extra.
- You have to be able to afford it.</p>
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<p>Is that not exactly what she has done? </p>
<p>Jackson sounds like a thoroughly unpleasant person.</p>
<p>No, not at all, sorghum (#23). I actually know her. </p>
<p>By “write her own ticket,” I mean that Jackson could be President at a number of institutions that outrank Rensselaer. For example, I suspect that MIT would be super-pleased to have Jackson as their President when the spot opened. Based on the wikipedia entry on her, I believe that Jackson was the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. at MIT. When she was at MIT as an undergrad, she was one of just 20 African American students (its unclear whether this was her entering year, or in the entire undergrad body). </p>
<p>It is of significant benefit to Rensselaer to have her as their President. She might have spent a couple of years at Rensselaer, and then moved on to a Presidency elsewhere. Rensselaer set up a contract to forestall that. It makes sense to me.</p>
<p>@QuantMech, you haven’t detailed what significant benefit RPI receives from having her as President.</p>
<p>Also, the coaches in revenue sports at NCAA Div I schools (the “real” NCAA Div I, not the Div I variety the Ivy League schools play in) make more than Jackson has as President at Rensselaer. In fact, in a majority of states, the top paid “public official” is either the football coach or the basketball coach at a big state school. And that is only the “public” part of their compensation–it doesn’t include the TV shows, athletic equipment and clothing contracts, . . . </p>
<p>One benefit to Rensselaer that I am certain about: African American students (and, I think other under-represented minority students) have a very powerful and successful role model, right on campus. That is more effective for the students than simply knowing of her existence, or even being at another university in New York, and knowing about her. As I mentioned, she is very generous to younger scientists (and engineers).</p>
<p>The primary job of a President at many universities is fund-raising. I don’t have the figures on fund-raising at Rensselaer, but just having a President who is nationally prominent is [usually*] beneficial in fund-raising. While people on this thread may not know of Jackson, people in science & engineering often do–so she is high-profile to the Rensselaer alums. Being high-energy increases one’s effectiveness in fund-raising. Being a good “people person” (at least in a STEM context) increases one’s effectiveness in fund-raising. Jackson has those qualities in abundance.</p>
<p>It is not just other universities that Rensselaer had to compete against, to retain Jackson. There is the entire corporate sector. </p>
<p>*I don’t know about Larry Summers’ influence on Harvard’s fund-raising, although he is certainly nationally prominent. </p>
<p><a href=“https://chronicle.com/article/Behind-RPIs-Highly-Paid/150441/”>https://chronicle.com/article/Behind-RPIs-Highly-Paid/150441/</a></p>
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<p>“The Honorable”, lol.</p>
<p>How to use “The Honorable:” <a href=“http://www.formsofaddress.info/Honorable.html”>http://www.formsofaddress.info/Honorable.html</a></p>
<p>Setting the temperature in conference rooms: Helloooo–please think about this for a few minutes.</p>
<p>This profile of Jackson indicates the changes in the number of applications to Rensselaer during her tenure as President, the fund-raising activity, and her national-level positions. </p>
<p>If the U.S. President’s Cabinet stands when the President enters the room, do you think it should be so different for a university President and her cabinet?</p>
<p>As far a clearing President Jackson’s plate goes, let’s think about the “optics” of having an older African-American woman clearing her own plate . . . </p>
<p>I am female, and at a lot of meetings that I attend, a man will pull out my chair for me. This is not weird, it is just old-fashioned manners (admittedly, gender-based).</p>
<p>Here’s the map of the highest-paid public official in each state: <a href=“Infographic: Is Your State's Highest-Paid Employee A Coach? (Probably)”>http://deadspin.com/infographic-is-your-states-highest-paid-employee-a-co-489635228</a></p>
<p>I have to correct an earlier statement that I made: The compensation that counted for the map did include outside contracts (TV, apparel contracts, etc.)–however, apparently this compensation was included only to the extent that the university was required to make up a shortfall in the expected earnings from those sources. The “make-up” funds would come from public sources, in the event of a shortfall. Bonuses for performance by the teams were not included.</p>
<p>A university president who demands to be called “The Honorable” is a pompous fool.</p>
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<p>If others clear their own plate, she should, else leave it for the service staff.</p>
<p>Setting the temperature, sure that’s her prerogative.</p>
<p>Coming late and making people wait, habitually, would be a jerk move if she does it.</p>
<p>Jackson is “The Honorable” based on her positions in Washington, DC: “In the United States the Honorable is a courtesy title used with current and retired high-ranking federal and state officials and judges, and with some local officials. As a general rule, those appointed by the President of the United States (and approved by the United States Senate) and anyone elected to public office are entitled to be addressed as the Honorable for life.” (Quoted from the link I provided earlier) It’s just protocol. I don’t blame Jackson for insisting on it. For one thing, she will often move in circles (in Washington, DC or elsewhere) where it’s the right title to use, because of the signal it gives.</p>
<p>Arriving late–just like Bill Clinton’s frequent “jerk move” of arriving late. Odds are, if the President arrives late, it’s because something else was going on ahead of the meeting that could not be interrupted or postponed. </p>
<p>The Vice Presidents of a university often serve “at the pleasure of the President.” They do not have a contract. If you think about it, according to the standard joke, students have to wait 5 minutes for an Assistant Professor, 10 minutes for an Associate Professor . . . The VP’s ought to be willing to wait for the president of the university–who does not have complete control of her schedule. If the VP’s are smart, there is business they can conduct before President Jackson arrives. They don’t have to just sit there!</p>
<p>I disagree with you on the issue of clearing her plate. For one, it would be common courtesy for a member of the President’s staff to clear her plate. For a second, you don’t know how many times in her life Shirley Jackson has been mistaken for a maid or house-keeper. If she got to the point where she just said, “Enough!” I would not blame her.</p>
<p>When Shirley Jackson speaks at a scientific conference, one understands about 3 sentences into the talk that one is hearing a distinguished scientist. In normal conversation, it takes significantly longer to understand who one’s conversational partner is.</p>
<p>This news just in: African-American woman university president demands to be treated with the respect to which she is entitled. Region outraged. </p>
<p>It seems that using The Honorable is only OK for a current or retired official, not someone employed in a new position that would not itself attract the honorific. In any case it is bizarre for a university president.</p>
<p>The protocol states that someone appointed by the President (or elected to public office at a certain level) is entitled to be addressed as “The Honorable” <em>for life.</em> It does not say: “or until taking another position.”</p>
<p>Jackson was appointed by President Clinton to chair the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She was appointed by President Obama to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. I believe that she also plays a role in a national security/intelligence group.</p>
<p>Jackson presumably travels quite a bit to Washington, DC, where many people are (properly) introduced as "The Honorable . . . " It makes sense that she wants her associates at Rensselaer to have the practice of introducing her that way–they may be accompanying her to Washington.</p>
<p>Incidentally, members of our Board of Trustees are listed and introduced as "The Honorable . . . " when they have served in the House or in the Senate. No one thinks it is bizarre.</p>
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<p>This news just in, a United States President would be widely mocked for most of those things. In the US, an ‘imperial style’ is not generally admired.</p>
<p>You are seriously mistaken if you assume that misgivings about her personal style (such as reported in the lengthy Chronicle article, with a lot of detailed comments below it) must be due to her ethnicity or gender.</p>
<p>I am not saying that the comments about her personal style are due to her ethnicity or gender (though, to be sure, I cannot rule that out). I am saying that certain things that may strike you as unusual may be due to experiences she has had, or customs that were followed when she was younger–or customs that are followed now, whenever she goes to Washington, DC.</p>
<p>If you want to argue that calling someone "The Honorable . . . " seems inconsistent with American political philosophy, or with the Constitutional ban on titles and preferments, I will agree. If you think the first person who should drop that title (properly used) is an African-American woman, I’m going to suggest that other people should drop it first.</p>
<p>Admittedly, I thought it was a little odd to have one member of our Board of Trustees addressed as "The Honorable . . . " when others weren’t, but it was explained to me. I never thought it was actually “bizarre.”</p>
<p>I think a lot of the things that have been mentioned are practices that go without comment, when done by a U.S President–or for that matter, by a white male university president.</p>
<p>In my childhood, all men stood when a woman–or rather, a lady–entered the room. President Jackson is older than I am. </p>
<p>I’m looking for RPIs financial statements, but am having trouble finding them. They appear to be less accessible than HYPs. Anyone have a link? </p>
<p>If she is so unpleasant, snooty or however else she has been described - why are the Board of Trustees be considering the same type of agreement for her again? </p>