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[quote]
University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer has separated from his wife, Terese, moved out of the presidential mansion on the Hyde Park campus and begun a romantic relationship with a faculty member who is also separated from her spouse.
[/quote]
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<p>Do you think Zimmer is still fit for his job as UChicago President? Will this tarnish UChicago’s image? Will this negatively impact its yield this year? Do people care?</p>
<p>They care about 6 posts worth in the last week, counting yours. None substantive. Can you make an argument that the answers to your questions are anything other than [no change], no, no, no, no?</p>
<p> <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/857299-zimmer-dating-professor-after-split-wife.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/857299-zimmer-dating-professor-after-split-wife.html</a></p>
<p>The Maroon had a long story with quotes from Andrew Alper, Chair of the Board of Trustees, about how professionally Zimmer has handled this, and how Zimmer has his full confidence.</p>
<p>Oops, I missed the thread completely. I guess people really don’t care…</p>
<p>“Do you think Zimmer is still fit for his job as UChicago President?”
No</p>
<p>“Will this tarnish UChicago’s image?”
Probably. I think it would be incredibly awkward to attend an official event at the president’s house knowing that his wife has basically thrown him out of it. That must damage the University’s prestige.</p>
<p>“Will this negatively impact its yield this year?”
I doubt it.</p>
<p>“Do people care?”
I do. It’s also the most commented on story of the maroon.</p>
<p>I love you, man.</p>
<p>You always have such interesting things to say.</p>
<p>Here’s another take on this story. I suspect there is more to the situation than has yet been disclosed. </p>
<p>[News:</a> Limits on Presidents’ Love Lives - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/03/chicago]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/03/chicago)</p>
<p>That “take” has to twist itself in knots to find something interesting to say. The most interesting thing it comes up with is wondering how a tax-exempt university can let a private person live in the Official Residence while the president lives elsewhere? Good question! Except . . . she’s also a university employee. So it’s not even remotely a tax issue. (It IS an appearance issue. Terese Zimmer has to get out of the Official Residence, and probably should have already. It’s not fair, and her husband should have his support obligations jacked up through the roof because of it, but she should have vacated a long time ago.)</p>
<p>The number of times a university president makes decisions affecting a tenured classics professor in any interesting particular way is somewhere between never and almost never.</p>
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What the article did not mention, which you probably would not know unless you are in the tiny field of ancient studies, is that Bartsch was hired as a tenured professor at Brown just last year, and she accepted the position. After serving in that role for one year, she’s suddenly back at Chicago. </p>
<p>Perhaps I am cynical, but one wonders how long this has been going on. Such things are not unheard of… </p>
<p>I am not sure exactly what occurred with Bartsch and Brown, but I find it a colossal waste of time and effort for the classics faculty there, as well as the other applicants for the position.</p>
<p>Cynicism aside, good for Zimmer. Bartsch is a very nice and attractive lady, and not too many classics professors are hardcore mountain climbers.</p>