Tom,

I applaud you!   I think this is a case of what we see in almost every
institution/situation: how a few bad apples in a group can spoil the view
for the rest!   Unfortunately, like in everything else...  The "bad" seems
to speak louder and get more attention than the "good".  Why that is, I
don't know, because I think the majority of people would rather see the good
than to focus on the bad.  But I applaud your suggestion to be your own
"gatekeepers".  If that would be the standard for everyone, we'd never have
to worry about this or anyone thinking something that was not true, and
maybe the 'abuses' would stop also.

Just "my" thoughts!
Linda

-----Original Message-----
From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom
Bissonette
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 11:03 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [UTCSTAFF] Friends you've taken the bait!

Dear colleagues,



The following is not necessarily the position of the Counseling Center nor
the Department wherein I teach, but I feel personally compelled to share
this because of the importance if the issues:


>>>>>So, what I am proposing - along with speaking out against abridgement
of academic freedom - is a dialog about the bigger picture as to what we can
do to restore public confidence in higher education. When some people
believe that we work 9 hours a week for triple digit incomes, we need to pay
attention. When major groups believe there is some insidious liberal plot to
dominate American thinking, we need to address this.
Additionally, while being customer-driven is necessary for our survival, we
run the risk of shortsightedness if our survival becomes more important then
our mission. Let's not take the bait and fight over our own personal
agendas, disguising it as reform or opposition to new ideas. Let's, instead,
be our own gatekeepers and collaborate on a unique institutional vision that
will result in excellence, the only real guarantee for both survival and
mission realization.<<<<<



Just thinking OUT LOUD.



Tom Bissonette

UTC - Counseling and Career Planning

338 University Center

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga



(423)425-4438