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the problem is that prestigious institutions are run by bureaucrats wearing its skin. For example this article says "MIT buckled", when in reality some campus a

the problem is that prestigious institutions are run by bureaucrats wearing its skin. For example this article says "MIT buckled", when in reality some campus admin buckled because to them it's not worth risking their comfy job over a speaker. The bureaucrats have no skin in the game, they don't benefit from thinking about long term damage to MIT or society in general. From their perspective it's logical to bow to Twitter mobs and collect their paychecks

tekacs 5y ago
According to the upstream article posted in a sibling comment [1], the decision was made by the department head for EAPS, themselves a scientist AFAICT [2]. That doesn't necessarily change anything (and I'm not weighing in here), but given your assertion it seemed worth pointing out. [1]: https://orgchart.mit.edu/node/6/letters_to_community/important-update-re-eaps https://orgchart.mit.edu/node/6/letters_to_community/importa... [2]: https://eapsweb.mit.edu/people/hilst https://eapsweb.mit.edu/people/hilst
- ta988 5y ago
  Most department heads are administrators doing subpar research and collecting money on both sides.
  - stochtastic 5y ago
    That's an odd generalization to apply when we're talking about an individual whose significant academic record is easy to find [0,1]. Many department heads are more senior, taking on organizational responsibilities that would be more of a burden to younger faculty. Perhaps that is what you're referring to. But in the scheme of things EAPS is - and always has been - high on the rigor scale and low on the bureaucracy scale. [0] - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RxOuRnMAAAAJ&hl=en https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RxOuRnMAAAAJ&hl=en [1] - https://hilst.mit.edu/publications/ https://hilst.mit.edu/publications/
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
motohagiography 5y ago
A pervasive lack of backbone among individuals in institutions is key to this. The shunning and shaming tactics used by online mobs are a very particular form of human aggression. Speculating on a correlating factor among the people in these institutions who seem so consistently vulnerable to it may be itself, problematic, but it's as though the organizations are missing anyone with the instinct to challenge or deflect hysterical twitter mobbings, and where we are now is a result of that absence of resistance at all.
- freebreakfast 5y ago
  The most memorable example of "lack of backbone" for myself was Evergreen State College president, George Bridges. There was a large protest in 2017. The administration met to discuss the situation. Students prevented the administrators from leaving the meeting room unless they had an escort to ensure the administrators came to a resolution. The president mentioned his need to use the restroom to one of the protest leaders. The student responded, "Hold it."[0] He finally went to the restroom a couple of minutes later, but he was escorted by some of the protesting students.[1] [0] https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=290 https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=290 [1] https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=455 https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=455
  - h2odragon 5y ago
    At that point, somebody should get pissed on.
  - ng12 5y ago
    It's shocking, really. The blood-and-guts types are a dying breed, unfortunately.
  - WalterBright 5y ago
    If a person physically prevented me from going to the restroom, I'd press kidnapping charges.
    - akomtu 5y ago
text70 5y ago
Why does this sound like, MIT doesn't know how to use rhetoric? Isn't that the point of their job as administration, to be the interface between the public and the institution?
lazyeye 5y ago
These are the kinds of institutions that like to tell others how to think and behave.
robotresearcher 5y ago
> the problem is that prestigious institutions are run by bureaucrats wearing its skin Universities are run by their professors. Invited talks are regular academic business. A 'campus admin' does not invite or disinvite anyone to give an academic talk.
- tarboreus 5y ago
  As someone who left a job in academic administration recently and who is also faculty at another university, this is not true. Administrators can invite and often can disinvite or make other decisions about talks. This kind of day-to-day running of the university has been largely ceded to administrators.
  - robotresearcher 5y ago
    My experience as a professor contradicts this. Perhaps we are using the word 'administrator' differently.

tekacs 5y ago

According to the upstream article posted in a sibling comment [1], the decision was made by the department head for EAPS, themselves a scientist AFAICT [2]. That doesn't necessarily change anything (and I'm not weighing in here), but given your assertion it seemed worth pointing out. [1]: https://orgchart.mit.edu/node/6/letters_to_community/important-update-re-eaps https://orgchart.mit.edu/node/6/letters_to_community/importa... [2]: https://eapsweb.mit.edu/people/hilst https://eapsweb.mit.edu/people/hilst

ta988 5y ago
Most department heads are administrators doing subpar research and collecting money on both sides.
- stochtastic 5y ago
  That's an odd generalization to apply when we're talking about an individual whose significant academic record is easy to find [0,1]. Many department heads are more senior, taking on organizational responsibilities that would be more of a burden to younger faculty. Perhaps that is what you're referring to. But in the scheme of things EAPS is - and always has been - high on the rigor scale and low on the bureaucracy scale. [0] - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RxOuRnMAAAAJ&hl=en https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RxOuRnMAAAAJ&hl=en [1] - https://hilst.mit.edu/publications/ https://hilst.mit.edu/publications/

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

motohagiography 5y ago

A pervasive lack of backbone among individuals in institutions is key to this. The shunning and shaming tactics used by online mobs are a very particular form of human aggression. Speculating on a correlating factor among the people in these institutions who seem so consistently vulnerable to it may be itself, problematic, but it's as though the organizations are missing anyone with the instinct to challenge or deflect hysterical twitter mobbings, and where we are now is a result of that absence of resistance at all.

freebreakfast 5y ago
The most memorable example of "lack of backbone" for myself was Evergreen State College president, George Bridges. There was a large protest in 2017. The administration met to discuss the situation. Students prevented the administrators from leaving the meeting room unless they had an escort to ensure the administrators came to a resolution. The president mentioned his need to use the restroom to one of the protest leaders. The student responded, "Hold it."[0] He finally went to the restroom a couple of minutes later, but he was escorted by some of the protesting students.[1] [0] https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=290 https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=290 [1] https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=455 https://youtu.be/Msfsp5Ofz4g?t=455
- h2odragon 5y ago
  At that point, somebody should get pissed on.
- ng12 5y ago
  It's shocking, really. The blood-and-guts types are a dying breed, unfortunately.
- WalterBright 5y ago
  If a person physically prevented me from going to the restroom, I'd press kidnapping charges.
  - akomtu 5y ago

text70 5y ago

Why does this sound like, MIT doesn't know how to use rhetoric? Isn't that the point of their job as administration, to be the interface between the public and the institution?

lazyeye 5y ago

These are the kinds of institutions that like to tell others how to think and behave.

robotresearcher 5y ago

> the problem is that prestigious institutions are run by bureaucrats wearing its skin Universities are run by their professors. Invited talks are regular academic business. A 'campus admin' does not invite or disinvite anyone to give an academic talk.

tarboreus 5y ago
As someone who left a job in academic administration recently and who is also faculty at another university, this is not true. Administrators can invite and often can disinvite or make other decisions about talks. This kind of day-to-day running of the university has been largely ceded to administrators.
- robotresearcher 5y ago
  My experience as a professor contradicts this. Perhaps we are using the word 'administrator' differently.