Vaccinations

 

It is time to schedule your vaccinations if you have not already done it. We scheduled our flu shot for the end of September. Today, we had our second shingles vaccination (it takes two.) Hopefully, we will be able to get a Covid-19 vaccination before the end of the year. I keep hearing that many people are going to wait for the Covid-19 vaccination until there is more data available. The only way more data is going to be known is if people get vaccinated. Sounds like a Catch 22 situation. Right now there are at least three competing vaccines in third stage testing. Personally, I will get the first available one, and then the second available one, and also the third one that is available. If each one is less than 100% effective, I intend to be protected, especially when 25% of the US population says they will not be vaccinated. If that sector does not help protect me, I will defend myself. And this is from someone who absolutely hates getting shots and hates going to see a doctor.

Risk and Trust in the Pandemic

 We have been socializing with another couple every week. All of us have been self-quarantined, so little to no risk. The other couple attended a family function this past weekend with their two children, their spouses, and three grandchildren. We will not be socializing with the couple for a couple of weeks to minimize our risk of exposure to Covid-19. We were ok with the risk of exposure before—two people who were seeing two people who were all social distancing and self-quarantined. The socialization risk factor has increased by several hundred percent. If we were to socialize, we would be extending our trust to four additional adults and three children.

We have no idea how many people those seven have been exposed to. If it is only 2 people each, potentially, we risk exposure to a minimum of 21 additional people. In a state where the infection rate is 10% or more, two of the 21 people probably have the virus. Since my wife and I are in a high-risk group, this is more risk than I am willing to take. If each of the seven additional people has been exposed to 4 other people, we would be extending trust to 35 people. There are likely at least 3 infected people in the group. When people meet in groups, without social distancing, they are significantly increasing their risk of infection. Yet, we continue to see people that refuse to wear a mask and ignore social distancing rules. I don’t think we will stop the pandemic until we have a vaccine that works, and enough people have received the vaccine. With 25% of the population saying that they will not get vaccinated, we may never end the pandemic.

The first week of school

 

Today is Thursday, the first Thursday of the Fall 2020 semester. Classes and emails are typical for the first week, especially for the incoming Freshmen who are taking the course online instead of in person. That is my accommodation for the Covid-19. In the first three days, I have been notified that ten of my students are quarantined due to Covid-19 exposure or positive testing. With other universities going 100 percent online, the question is, when will Oklahoma State University? The faculty I communicate with are anticipating that will happen soon. Some hope that we will continue with the current model for six to eight weeks. Personally, I think that the University should not have opened for in-person classes. No one asks me or cares what I think. The administration is more concerned about money than anyone’s health. The current university model cannot survive 100 percent online. There is too much overhead.

 I am quite happy to be online and living in Texas, although I feel for my colleagues that are teaching face-to-face. I spent my fourth morning in the Glass Art Studio making leaves. Leaves are a good practice item for improving my flameworking skills. The problem with the oxygen concentrator disappeared with the relocation of the concentrators and the addition of a fan. They were getting overheated, and so was I. With our 100 degree days, I can only work until about 9:30. That is fine since I start before 6 am. I am looking forward to cooler weather.

Glass Art Studio - Day One

 

My glass art studio is finished. I was able to work for about an hour this morning and then had an issue with the oxygen generator. I emailed the manufacturer. If I haven’t heard from them by 11:30  am, I will call. One of the oxygen concentrators started alarming, so I shut the system down. The instructions say not to shut off the concentrators, but shut the system down. I waited for an hour and then tried to turn the system back on. The generator stayed dark. Nothing would come on. No oxygen, no flame, no working glass. Darn!

The Missing Month

I missed posting in the blog for almost a month. A lot went on in that month. I taught a summer class online that had 72 students. This led to many emails. I held online office hours using Microsoft Teams, which went well after I learned to use it. My TAs and I will keep office hours this way this fall. This fall, all of my classes will be online. I currently have 894 students enrolled in my four sections. I have a long list of things I need to do to get ready for Fall, which is really August. Besides updating some videos, I really need to find TAs. We have 18 assignments that are due in 12 weeks. Yes, that is 16,092 assignments to grade. We will also hold student meetings with company representatives through MS Teams. More on that later.

I decided to build an art glass studio. I will do flameworking, also called lampworking. The glass art is created using a torch powered by propane and oxygen. I will be concentrating on borosilicate glass (also called hard-glass with a COE of 32.) I will have the capability of creating glass art with soft-glass since I have glass rods and frit left from glass blowing. I purchased an 8 x 8 ft. Tuff Shed that is installed on the covered parking pad. Today the electrical is being installed. Then we have to wait for the city to connect the electricity. I have already ordered and received a holding kiln, a torch, several hundred pounds of borosilicate rod and tubing, a steel workbench, and a chair.

Yesterday, the oxygen generator arrived. I already have the cement board to go on the floor and some of the walls. My dear wife makes fun of me getting all of the equipment here before the building is ready. Oh well, we each do things in our own way. Tools are due tomorrow and the toolbox next week. Again, she is making fun of me getting supplies and materials delivered out of order. At least I have not ordered the kiln yet, but only because I did not want to have to move it more than once. That and the garage is really pretty full, waiting for the shop to be finished. After the electric is completed, I have to install the vent fan (yes, it is sitting in the garage), insulate (spray foam), and install the cement board. Then I will finally be ready to assemble the equipment and be prepared to work glass. I hope it happens before classes start.

I spent a lot of time last month researching what I needed to set up a glass studio. Also bought and read a couple of reference books. And watched several YouTube videos on flameworking. I have not been wasting my time during our self-quarantine. Pictures will be posted when the studio is complete.

College Costs

Over the last 30 years, college costs have increased by 213% compared to a 113% increase in the CPI over the same time. College cost increases have been twice the CPI for the last 20 years and the previous ten years.

There have been many articles written about the ill financial health of America’s universities. The higher education financial problem is not new news; the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the issues because we are seeing students that are not willing to pay the price when they do not get the “college experience.” First, let’s briefly review some of the reasons for the escalating costs.

The ratio of administrators and staff to teachers/faculty has increased dramatically. All universities I looked at have at least three times as many administrators and staff as faculty. Fifty years ago, most universities had fewer administrators and staff than faculty. The university’s business is to teach students. Administrators and staff do not contribute to the main business of the university, but instead, they facilitate it. The question is: are that many more people required to facilitate the business than in the past? To answer that, we need to look at the structure of the organization. First, universities tend to be very hierarchical organizations. Every manager needs one or two people working for them. Very few of the organizations are approaching a span of control of 5 to 7 subordinates for each supervisor. Please do not think that this is a call for a flat organization. This only points out that many universities have many levels of management and often duplication at each level.

Second, let’s look at the duplication of functions across the university. Each college has staff positions duplicated at the university level. For example, each college has a human resource function, accounting function, student advising function, marketing, communications, event planning, and online education function. One example that is easy to identify at the college level and university level is the online education department. At the college level, this department has a manager, two assistants, a production manager, a project manager, two instructional specialists, and six others with the title of an adjunct instructor for a total of 13 people. The university instructional services for online has 34 people. Several colleges at the university duplicate the online education department. At the very least, we have redundancy at the managerial level and probable underemployment at other tiers. This example is just the online education department. Any support function will reveal similar personnel excesses.

One of the explanations given is that the business school is different from engineering and other colleges; and therefore, it needs to maintain control of the online education support function. I have news for people that believe that this is a valid argument. Support for online education is not specialized, and your department/college is not unique. Working in industry, I had heard this argument repeatedly when we were trying to combine support functions to get an efficiency of scale. I never observed a case where it was true. Some support functions need duplication at remote sites, but not when all were in the same location. A valid argument for having single support departments is that the supervision of support functions (e.g., human resources, accounting) needs to have expertise in the supervisory role to manage the service properly.

Another reason for the increasing costs is the university building programs. One major Midwest university went from $50 million in debt to over $700 million in debt in less than ten years. A debt level of $1 billion is not unusual because of continued building programs. One university recently announced a $100 million new agricultural college building, with only half of it funded. They hope to raise the remaining $50 million before it is completed in 2023. One explanation of the problem is here: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/10/why-colleges-are-borrowing-billions/542352/. Notice that this article is three years old, and the trend has not slowed. If anything, it has accelerated. Even when the construction is fully funded, it can increase the university’s debt. Often, gifts are recognized now, but the university receives money in the future. If you donate in your will, the university will receive the funds from your estate when you die. The university often commits this planned gift to a current project and borrows the money increasing its debt.

The primary source of the university’s income is from the students in the form of tuition and fees. Fees are frequently more than tuition. Most universities do not discuss the fees when talking with prospective students and their parents. If you go to a university website, you may have to dig to find what these fees are and what they support. As an example, I went to the University of Oklahoma to see what their in-state undergraduate tuition is for a business school student. The following table gives the costs for a single semester.

Item	Cost/semester
Tuition	$2,394
Mandatory Hourly Fee	$2,010.75
Technology and Program Fee – Business School - $151/hour @ 15 hours	$2,265
Academic Excellence Fee - $90/hour @ 15 hours	$1,350
Total per semester	$8,019.75

Tuition and fees yearly cost $16,039.50, which does not include a place to live and food. Living on campus will add approximately $15,000 per year. A four-year business school education will cost approximately$124,000. The cost at most state schools will be comparable, and in some cases, substantially higher.

Is it any wonder that universities are very concerned about student retention and how to attract more students. What they have not been concerned with is lowering costs. The old adage is true, “when you are in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.” Universities have not stopped digging and are going to experience a revolution against the current university costs and curriculum.

Why are universities reopening this Fall?

Most universities are planning to hold in-person classes this Fall. They are telling us how they will do this. My university is telling us how in very general terms, at this point. Which means that they are not really sure how, in detail, they will manage a reopening and face-to-face classes. We have seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 cases with states reopening. Just today, Texas has closed again, specifically bars and restaurants. Does the university think they can do better with a population of close to 30,000 students, aged 18 to 24?

The question the university leaders are not answering is “why.” Why are they insisting that the university reopen and expose students, faculty, and staff to a significant possibility of catching the virus? What is driving their actions? It is not likely that it is out of a concern for health and safety because their efforts will have exactly the opposite consequence.

I suggest that the driver for reopening the university is financial. The pandemic has exposed years of financial mismanagement. If the university charges students only for the education and subtracts all of the charges related to the university experience, they will be operating at a significant deficit. This would then require that the administration reduce the organization to only those functions necessary for education. Many people would lose their jobs, but the cost of a college education would come down dramatically. Those students that are only at the university for the experience would likely drop out. It would be interesting to teach a class where the students are there only for education.

Back again

Back again. I have been absent from posting for about a month. A lot has gone on during that time. I will post on the things that I have been working on in the future. Today's post is related to one of the things that has taken a lot of my attention. Stay safe.
Fletch

Canceled. Darn!

Rick Steves notified us today that our trip to Ireland is canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. At least, Rick Steves will be sending a 100% reimbursement. Other tour operators are only giving credit for future travel. My sister had a tour to Italy scheduled with Grand Circle. Grand Circle changed its refund policy before canceling the trip from a refund to future credit.

Now we need to cancel the air and hotel portions of the trip that we added on our own. It sounds like a task for tomorrow. The pandemic is destroying the tour and travel industry, which includes airlines, restaurants, hotels, car rentals, and shuttles in addition to tour operators and travel agents.

I notified the airlines and hotels that our tour company canceled our trip to Ireland. One hotel is issuing a full refund. One hotel has not responded yet. The airline sent a case number. Hopefully, we will get a full refund. I will cancel the trip insurance if I get refunds from everyone. Otherwise, I will let the trip insurance make us whole. What a disappointment it is to have to stay home this summer. At least we are healthy. I just want to get out. It is so bad that I offered to relocate the opossum that Candi caught in here Havahart trap. I gave that possum the ride of its life going to the country and got to exercise the 370Z.

How do we know what is going on in the world?

Have you ever stopped to think about how we know about the outside world since we are all staying at home and practicing social distancing? Is it through contacting friends and colleagues through Zoom or Skype? But wait, aren’t the people we contact also staying at home and social distancing? How do they know what is going on in the world?

We depend on news reporters to know what is going on in the world. But can we believe them? The president keeps calling them fake news. But the president repeatedly lies, almost pathologically, so does that mean that the ones he calls fake news are reliable? If that is true, then the ones that he calls real news are really fake news. This is so confusing. 

Now the president is suggesting that we take sanitizer internally. Even I know that is a good way to injure or kill yourself. Drinking Chlorox or Lysol is not smart. Why doesn’t the president know this? I have to wonder how many people will attempt to take sanitizer internally because the president suggested it. The only good thing about that is that only a true Trumper would believe anything so idiotic. If they did follow his suggestion, then there will be fewer votes for his re-election.

How do you know what is going on outside your home?

Higher Education Has Changed.

Universities that are led by visionaries will know that higher education has fundamentally changed with Covid-19 and substantially all education at all levels delivered over the Internet. The only question is, how many universities are led by visionaries? I suggest that the answer is very few. I suspect that most are led by reactionaries who will refuse to change unless change is forced upon them. People are beginning to realize that the cost of a college education is artificially high because tuition and fees support many things that are not related to obtaining an education. Online classes do not require all of the things that support a college experience. Are parents, who foot the bill, concerned about the college experience or the education and the subsequent job/career that will result from the college degree?

Those universities that adapt and change will survive and flourish. Students will be encouraged to go to them by parents that are concerned about their child’s education and about getting in debt to get the degree. The other universities will either change or disappear.

What changes may we see? I expect to see the end of general education requirements, also known as gen-ed. These requirements started in the early part of the 19^th century to give the student a well-rounded education. With the tremendous changes to the secondary education system in the USA in the second half of the 20^th century, gen-ed requirements repeat the classes are taught in every high school. Eliminating the gen-ed requirements will reduce the time to get a bachelor's degree by a year.

We can expect to see universities flattening their current hierarchical organizations. Industry went through this flattening of the organization decades ago. It is past time for higher education to follow suit. At the same time, we should expect to see a reduction in duplicated service across the university. For example, every college has its own human resources department, facilities management department, and accounting department. When all of the colleges are on a single campus, the duplication results in unnecessary costs. At the same time, there are a number of departments whose existence is not justified. At many universities, mine included, we have an honors college. Why? I work closely with many employers, and none of them place any value on an honors degree. Every college has a graduate school with personnel that are responsible for its administration. Then the university has a graduate school. Again, duplication and waste. At my university, we have a university college. It has its own staff, including advisors. I have no idea why it exists?

It is time for the university to reduce costs and waste. It is time to stop building monuments, grand buildings, and taking debt. It is time to get back to the true mission of educating students.

The stress of grocery shopping.

We went to the grocery store yesterday morning. We had our masks ready and hand sanitizer. When we got there a little after 7 am, the parking lot was surprisingly empty, as was the store. We were zipping along getting the necessities; yes, extra-bittersweet chocolate is a necessity. More and more people came into the store. Most, but not all, were wearing masks. Social distancing gradually became more and more difficult. Many people did not seem to understand the concept of social distancing, especially old people who are the most risk from Covid-19. Many aisles were blocked. It would really help if the aisles were one way. The employees pulling groceries for pickup did not help the situation. We did get the necessities that have been in short supply, such as TP, flour, paper towels, Community Coffe, and mascarpone. We checked out without a wait. Some checkout stations had three people in line, and the next one had no one. You can guess which line we did not stand in to wait for checking out. We were so happy to get out of the store and home. We used disinfecting wipes to wipe everything down before putting the groceries away. We were completely wiped out after the experience. Who knew that a trip to the grocery store could be so stressful?

Keeping busy in the new reality of social distancing

My current efforts are on two fronts. The first is to complete the semester with all 600 of my students taking the class online. The second is starting a new business website for my academic editing efforts.

My students are doing very well with the change to online. The number of emails I receive daily is down to under ten per day. Some of the students have completed all of the semester’s assignments. The second exam opened yesterday, and they have until next Thursday to take the exam. If all of my students take the exam and do well, it will be a successful semester despite the challenge of moving online.

I have been creating content for my website. The website will promote my academic editing practice. I created a free article for people to download from the website; the free report gives the basics of academic writing, the common errors people make, and the solution to those errors. I have determined the basic structure of the website. I am now creating content to go into that structure. I created a form for people to fill out when requesting a quote for editing. I also have several former clients writing testimonials. The goal is to have the website live in early May. This is my fall back position if I leave teaching. More on that in May or June.

A third effort for later in the month is to create a website to highlight and sell Candi Glancy Artist’s paintings.

How are you keeping busy and safe?

Living together and working from home.

Most of us are finding a new normal, working from home. We are spending more time with our loved ones than we have maybe ever. We spent time together on weekends, but that is only two days out of seven days every week. Now we are together all seven days and into the start of our fourth week. Sometimes, the little things that the others in our home begin to bug us. The other day, my wife said, ”you have been here for almost three weeks, and you haven’t unpacked. Are you staying ready for a quick escape?” I did not know that my living out of a suitcase was bothering her. I quickly unpacked. It is not a one-way street. I went outside and came back to find myself locked out. I had forgotten her habit of locking all doors when she was inside. I used to carry my keys with me any time I went out of the house. I now remember to always keep a house key with me. When we are getting ready to go somewhere or do a task that requires both of us, she almost always says, “I will be ready in a minute.” It can be hours later when she finally shows up. She saw something that diverted her to a different project, that led to another project. Eventually, she forgot what the original project was. I now remember this and plan for it to happen. I don’t begin to get ready until she comes and says, “what’s keeping you?”

I won’t even go into the little things, like squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle, or the no contact from 8 am until 5 pm rule, which she violates several times an hour if the office door is open. Love is taking a deep breath and leaving so much unsaid that I know would not be received well. Love, Peace, stay well, and safe.

How can we connect with students online?

Moving all students to online education has created a great learning opportunity. Not just for the students, but also for the teachers. The opportunity is to answer the question, how do we maintain personal contact with the students online and asynchronously? One way I do this is to weekly post a video where I review with the students the week’s assignment. I also check email at least twice every day. A quick response to any questions helps the students feel connected with me and the course. Today I sent an email to all of my former Face-to-Face students that asked them to take the attached pop quiz. When they opened the “quiz”, it said, “Happy April Fool’s Day.” Within minutes I started getting emails. The prank was appreciated.

A busy two weeks

So many things happened these past two weeks.

A friend started a Facebook group called “Pandemic Positivity.” Only positive comments allowed.

Zoom social distancing evening with friends.

Students have moved online, with only a few minor glitches and only a few panic attacks. I received fewer emails than anticipated.

More videos made for student assignments.

I am adjusting to living with my wife, in the same state, and in the same house. Thank goodness her home is large.

Driving Washington County backroads to look at bluebonnets and paintbrush.

Working on putting the ohana back together after it was remodeled in January.

Purchased two domain names. Candiglancyartist.com as a site to sell her paintings. Fglancyediting.com to sell my editing services aimed primarily at academic researchers. (Thank you, Dr. Angela Eaton.)

The only thing in the news is the coronavirus and the White House idiot making misstatements. That is what the news media calls his lies.

Now to write down a list of all that I need to accomplish for my class this next week. I was going to make mental notes, but they seem to be written with invisible ink.

Small world

If anyone did not realize what a small and interconnected world it is, they should now. It has taken less than three months for Covid-19 to spread across the world. The supply chain is global. We get medicines from many countries. For example, surgical masks are supplied from many countries including France and China.

In the USA, we eat grapes from Portugal, chocolate from Africa, bananas from central America, drink coffee from south and central America, wine from Chile, and Australia, tea from India and China. I am sure you can think of more examples.

Tourism is international. Last summer in Costa Rica, we met people from the Netherlands, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Canada, and England. At the university, I have students from Denmark, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, and even Texas. Go to Disneyland when it reopens if you don’t believe travel is global.

No man is an island, entire of itself (John Donne, 1624). No country is an island either.

Doldrums

Do you ever have a day that is just blah, like being stuck in the doldrums? That is the way my day is. I just can’t get going on anything, which is too bad. Today is a teaching day. My office hours are from 9 am to noon. I had three students stop by for assistance, which was a slight diversion. I can only read so much news, and then I really am depressed. My university has not prepared any contingency plan. They have scheduled a meeting tomorrow for the administrators to think about contingency plans. They are as well prepared for a pandemic as the Trump administration was, which is to say not at all. It is days like this that I think about ending my teaching career. Tomorrow will be better, and I have next week (Spring Break) to recover. As Yogi Berra, the great American zen philosopher, said, “It ain’t over until it's over,” and “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

Economic effects of the coronavirus.

Think of all of the businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus. Most of the factories in China have been shut down for weeks. Any product or part that comes from China either is or will be in short supply. Some of these include toys, automobiles, soy sauce, video-game consoles, almost everything in your local Hobby Lobby and Michaels, umbrellas, baby carriages, and strollers. Even sales of Corona beer are off.

With people not traveling, any business that depends on tourism is suffering. These include airlines, hotels, restaurants, theaters, Broadway shows, taxi companies, taxi drivers, and even going to the top of the Empire State Building. Costa Rica and Italy are just two of the many countries whose economy is dependant on tourism. The economy of Hawaii and New York City depends on tourism. Tourism is a significant component of the economy of many cities and states. We had a company coming to speak at the university that canceled. The company put a freeze on all travel.

Also, with reduced or almost no shipments from China, the shipping companies are affected, not only ocean freight but companies like the USPS, UPS, and FedEx. The only parts of the economy that has not been harmed are the face mask and hand sanitizer manufacturers. Is it any surprise that the stock markets have fallen almost 20%? Are we headed to a recession? Or are we already there?

Fake News

I keep reading about fake news, misinformation, and hoaxes on the Internet created by fake people. I wondered how easy it is to create fake news on social media. So I first opened the Tor browser, which prevents people from tracing your IP address. I looked at Twitter and found that I needed an email address to create a Twitter account. So I went to Hotmail.com and created an email account using a fake name. I then went to Twitter and created an account. I can now Tweet to the White House Tweeter with no one able to identify me. I thought about creating a Facebook account or Instagram account in my new fake persona, but lost interest in the exercise. This took about five minutes. Of course, I already had the Tor browser from a previous look at the dark web. It would take a few minutes more if you needed to download the Tor browser. https://www.torproject.org/download/  You would be shocked at what you can find on the dark web.

Coronavirus

The coronavirus has been occupying the news every day. The head of the World Health Organization is reporting daily on the global spread of the disease. The US President held a conference with “experts” and pharmaceutical companies. My university canceled Spring break trips to Italy and is requiring anyone returning to the university from another country is screened for the coronavirus.

From a non-medical perspective, this appears to be similar to the flu; and yes, people still die from the flu. Those at most risk appear to be those with compromised immune systems, mostly the elderly. Since the CDC just got test kits to hospitals, I don’t think there is any way to know the extent of the problem. I suspect that it is already in the US and likely in my university. I have observed that the number of cases of the flu has dramatically increased in the last few weeks. I expect that we will all catch the coronavirus in the next months. The reason for this conclusion is that the virus can be spread before any symptoms appear and the incubation time is somewhere between two and four weeks. The experts do not know the incubation time. Stay healthy and keep your immune system secure appears to be the best advice.

Privacy and Security.

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has gone into effect. The law has been compared to the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is the gold standard for privacy protection. The CCPA allows California residents to find out what information companies have collected on them and have the information deleted and not sell it. However, it is only enforced by the state attorney general. Individuals cannot sue a company for not following the law. It does not also go as far as the GDPR in requiring opt-in. Under opt-in, no company can collect data without you giving your permission. However, the CCPA is a significant improvement in consumer privacy in the US. Should you be concerned about your data? The answer is an emphatic yes. With your data, companies and individuals can target you. Consider what Cambridge Analytica did with the SCL Group to commit psychological warfare during the 2016 election in support of the Trump campaign.

On another security area, the TikTok app has come under criticism. The CEO of Reddit, Steve Huffman, called the app “fundamentally parasitic.” The app is always listening and tracking the user. Also, all of the information it collects goes to China. If you value your privacy and data, don’t use the app, don’t put it on any device, and don’t let your children use the app.

Helicopter Parents!

It has been an interesting week. I received a complaint that was sent from a state representative to the university provost, who sent it to the college dean, who sent it to my department chair, who sent it to me asking for information. I had given an exam. My classes have 100 to 200 hundred students. I require the students to show a picture ID and sign out after they complete the exam. The exam is on the learning management system and is available at class time. It is possible to take the exam and not be in class. It is also possible to have someone other than the student to take the exam and not be in class. This is the reason for the sign-out sheet and picture ID. After the exam, I review the sign-out sheet. Anyone taking the exam without signing the sheet has their grade changed to 0. I had a student that did not sign the sheet and took the exam. I changed the grade to 0. This happens every semester. Most of the time, they complain and then admit they were not in class and we go on. This semester, one of those students that did not sign the sheet contacted her state representative, who contacted the provost. There were multiple emails requesting information and explanations. The student came into my office hours yesterday. She was very upset and said that she forgot to sign out. I recognized her and knew that she took the exam in class. She was extremely embarrassed that her mother had escalated the issue to the state representative instead of letting her talk to me. It took several minutes for me to get her calmed down and stop crying. She left knowing that professors are not horrible and want students to succeed. I let my department chair know that the issue wad resolved that the real problem was a helicopter parent. Don’t be a helicopter parent!

Slip and fall.

A couple of weeks ago, it was raining when I went to campus. As I was coming in, I met my colleague Dave and his huge umbrella. When we got to our building, we were cautious about getting the water off of us and our shoes. The building has a very high gloss floor that, when wet, is extremely slippery. We got on the elevator and went to our floor, the fourth floor. We were walking down the hall toward our offices and BAM!! Before I knew anything, I was on my back on the floor. Evidently, I stepped on a wet spot. After lying there for a minute or two, I took an inventory. Nothing was broken, but likely a few sore muscles and strained ligaments, especially since my left lower leg was bent almost 180 degrees. It doesn’t normally bend that far. I managed to get up and walk to my office. I let my boss know about the fall. Then, I heard from HR. They needed an accident report. So, I went to HR and filled out the accident report. Several days later, I got an email from the person that investigates accidents. He made an appointment and came to my office and needed to see where it happened and took my statement and pictures. I thought this was over until the next Monday morning I got an email from him. He asked if I had the university’s slip and fall training. My response, “No. I already know how to slip and fall.”

It's broken and needs to be fixed.

I watched the Nevada Democratic presidential debate. I really don’t know why they call it a debate; it was more like a free-for-all with accusations flying in every direction. It is evident that no one candidate is remotely acceptable to all who would like to vote against Trump, which is a shame. The Democrats are giving us choices of old people with four in their 70s, a middle-aged female Senator that had no name recognition outside of her home state, and a gay mayor. Is there no one that we can unite behind? It looks like four more years of the orange bully.

Many issues need to be addressed and that are not being addressed in Washington. We have an immigration crisis. Many from Central America are fleeing gangs and personal danger. We need more workers in this country, especially those willing to do manual labor in farms and factories. We have a medical care industry that is falling apart with higher and higher costs. We have people that must make a decision to purchase medicine or food every week. We have too many people profiting from health care, too many intermediaries. Pharmacy Benefit Managers, drug wholesalers, and pharmacies have a higher return on capital than any other sector. And what benefit do they provide? Likely they offer no tangible benefit to the patient or the physician. Why do we allow them to exist?

Slowing Economy Or Disruptors?

Yesterday was the career fair. I was surprised by the number of companies that were not there and the number of companies that had booth space but did not show up. We continue to hear about layoffs. HSBC announced that 35,000 of its employees would be laid off this year. We hear from alumni that other companies are laying off employees. We also read about store closures from companies like Macy’s and Pier 1, who also filed for bankruptcy. The retail industry is reeling from store closures and bankruptcies. Is this a portend of a pulling back of the economy? Or is this just a result of the disruptors from the online marketplace? According to Forbes, disruptors create businesses, products, and better services. They are better by being less expensive, more creative, useful, impactful and are scaleable. I guess we will have to wait and see whether it is the economy slowing or disruptors. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2013/03/27/you-say-innovator-i-say-disruptor-whats-the-difference/#6b3ad6696f43)

What is happening in the economy?

Today was the career fair at OSU. There were fewer employers than normal. There were several cancellations. This observation was based on tables labeled for employers, but no one present. Also, several of the employers that hire many of our graduates were not present. This is not unusual because the hiring cycle is for most of the internships and full-time jobs to be filled in the fall of the year. The employers canceling is quite disconcerting, especially when they are a major vertically integrated oil company. The economic indicators have pointed in the direction of a recession for several months. It makes me wonder if this is not another indicator of a possible pullback in the economy (i.e., recession.) I have weathered several recessions in my lifetime. I will not weather another. I have moved all of my investments to recession-proof areas. I would not have done that if I were younger; and in fact, I did not do that either through ignorance or optimism when I was younger. What is going to happen to the global economy? I wish I knew. I only know that there are many disrupters affecting the economy today. Do your best to maintain and, hopefully, improve your position today.

Unplugged Experiment Results

I did unplug for the weekend. I only used my smartphone for phone calls (except to text my wife for permission to call.) I did not count how many times I would find myself reaching for the device. During a commercial, or when I was bored, or just out of habit. I started getting up and moving or exercising instead of reaching for the smartphone. I realized it had become my primary source of news, and no one needs as much news/opinion as is out there. It is possible to overdose on the news. And we don’t need Twitter and the ridiculous things tweeted. Thank you, chief bully, in Washington!

As I got used to the idea of not using my smartphone, I found my self reading more. I started writing new ideas using a pen and paper! I even found time to meditate. It makes me wonder if our youth would be better off if they put away their smartphones and started engaging face-to-face with each other. Since I have 600+ students this semester, I am wondering how I could start an experiment with them? Can you give up your device for two days?

Device Addiction

Are you addicted to your smartphone? Can you put it down and not look at it for an hour? Two hours? 24 hours? Yes, I did not think you could do that. It means that you have become dependent on that smartphone. I am sorry to tell you that you are either an addict or on your way to becoming one. What would you miss if you did not look at it when the smartphone dinged with a notification? Would you have missed a tweet? Was it even directed to you or just something that was tweeted by someone you are following? We don’t email, but rather text. We expect an immediate answer to that text, while we are expecting a slower response to an email. We seem to have entered a world of instant gratification. I want it now!

I have a challenge for you. Unplug. Put away all your communication devices for 24 hours. I mean no phones, no tablets, no laptops, no computers. Can you do it? Try talking face-to-face with those around you. It might be a new or unremembered experience. What if you live by yourself? Can you keep yourself amused and busy for 24 hours? I wish you luck. I am unplugging until Monday. Today is Friday. Talk to you on Monday.

Become a Social Media Troll!

Should we believe anything is social media? I keep hearing about social media trolls that post comments that are false and misleading. I wondered how easy it is to create a fake persona and use it to post on social media? I did some research to see how easy it is to become an online person. All it takes is an email account. There are several free email providers and some that will not share your email information and encrypt your email. All it takes to obtain an email account is your name and date of birth. Use a fake name and a false date of birth and you now have an email account. To access social media like Twitter, all that is needed is an email account. Create an account in your fake name and give them the new persona’s email account. They send you an email with a code to verify that you have that email account. Put the code into Twitter, and you now have a Twitter account in your new persona’s name. You are now free to Tweet to your heart’s content about anything you want and it cannot be traced back to you. This is especially true if you did all of this from a public network, like Starbucks, or Walmart, or McDonald’s. Enjoy your life as a social media troll!

Do early primaries make sense?

After binge-watching the news over the last week, where we had the drama of the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, I have to ask what does it matter. The first two states are small, have a majority of white voters, have little diversity, and do not not reflect the diversity of the country. It begs the question, why are these two states the first? The second question is, who cares? Yet we have candidates dropping out of the race after two states. Perhaps that is a good thing. Is it reasonable to have over twenty candidates running for the Democratic ticket? It should be obvious that the country needs a change in the White House. We have a president who is out of control. He has the Attorney General doing his bidding like a personal attorney and interfering in the judicial process by changing sentencing recommendations.

We need to change the nominating process. Bloomberg is ignoring the first four small state primaries. I am thinking that this makes sense. Go for super Tuesday and then the Democratic nomination should be transparent and the country can understand who can replace the reality TV star in the White House. Yes, I said reality TV star. I have never watched a reality TV show. I am sure that I am in a small minority in this country. I admit that I don’t understand the attraction to reality TV. In the last year, I have researched reality TV. I am no closer to understanding the appeal, but it is clear that this country is being run like a reality TV show. The only difference seems to be that a reality TV show has a script, the country is without a script and directed by an egomaniac. He seems to be back in his reality TV show, firing people that will not bow down to him. What has happened to the Republicans in congress? Are they really so spineless that they are willing to allow the violations to the Constitution that they gave the oath to uphold?

The beginning steps of higher education reform!

Thinking more about what classes are relevant to our alumni, we are working to create a survey that will give us an indication of the skills the university needs to be teaching. We will be asking, what do you use in the job that you learned during your university education. We will not be asking about what courses should be taught. If we know the skills and knowledge that people use, we can understand what classes are relevant. We will also be asking about the skills that a person uses that they wished they learned in college, but learned in the real world and maybe the hard way. The overarching question is, how can we make a college education relevant, valuable, and a lower cost?

When the survey is developed, we will be sending it to alumni, sharing with others in academia to send to their alumni, and sharing on social media. The more people we can get into the conversation the better, and the better chance of making a meaningful change. Is this tilting at windmills? I don’t think so.

Are universities really educating their students?

This is an interesting question that can be answered in several ways depending on how you define education. When I look up the meaning for higher education, the definitions are skewed based on the desired end product. If you are looking for a well-rounded individual, you look for a general education that covers many areas of knowledge, ranging from science to arts to philosophy. If you define education as giving students the skills to get a job, you look at the courses that employers want. If you refer back to the 2/6/2020 post, you will see what pragmatic education might look like. I want my students to get the knowledge that they need to get good jobs. I don’t want them to pay for a class that will offer them no advantage in the “real” world.

I don’t see universities adopting this idea unless they are forced to do it. Think of all of the humanities departments that would have to lay off people if students were not required to take diversity classes or humanities classes. These university-wide requirements support entire departments, if not entire schools, within the university. What would we lose if these departments were required to downsize and become relevant? I suspect not much. If we made education appropriate to the real world, we could reduce the time to get a degree by 25% and reduce the cost of “higher education” by the same amount. Maybe it is time to get real and relevant to higher education. Maybe it is time to get the employers and those paying for a college education involved in the conversation.

What are you going to do this summer?

Are you planning on traveling on vacation? We are. Last summer we went to Costa Rica for three weeks. My ulterior motive was to see if we could live there. I really should say if I could live there. I don’t think my spouse will ever agree to live anywhere other than Texas. Since I chose Costa Rica, it was her turn to select this coming summer’s destination. We are going to Ireland for three weeks this coming summer. We had considered going for a ride on the Cumbres and Toltec railroad in Colorado in May. I just found out that I will not be teaching summer school this year.

I can teach this summer if I chose to. However, the Dean’s office changed our pay for summer school classes to such a low rate that no one is going to teach summer school. I don’t know if the administration’s intention was to do away with summer school entirely, but they have effectively done that. I wish I could say that the administration made a conscious decision, but I suspect that the Theory of Unintended Consequences is alive and well. They are also making changes in the pay for faculty to teach online classes. The changes are published but are extremely nebulous and ill-defined. This has lead to another consequence. Many faculty have canceled their online classes for future semesters. They did not wait for further definition.

My question is, what am I going to do this summer? My spouse has already said that if I am home, I can see her for breakfast and evening supper. I am to leave her alone for the remainder of the day. It should be an interesting summer.

Tuition Free College Education

NYU medical school has gone tuition-free for all medical students. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2018/08/16/nyu-makes-medical-school-tuition-free/#111b3567a9d8

Five countries have tuition-free university degrees. It can be accomplished. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/080616/6-countries-virtually-free-college-tuition.asp

What would it take for a USA university to do away with tuition for business students? A large endowment would help. NYU Medical School’s endowment is $600 million to offset the former $55,000 per year tuition. There are approximately 700 students in the NYU Medical School. Instate tuition at Oklahoma State University is $9,018 per year. With approximately 4,000 students, OSU would need an endowment of approximately $575 million to give the 4,000 students free tuition. There are ways to lower the size of the required funding.

One obvious way is to lower costs. When the university has more than three times the number of administrators and staff as teaching faculty, there is obviously room to reduce the overhead.

Another way to reduce the required endowment is to revise the curriculum and reduce the hours needed to get a degree. Do business school students need 24 credit hours of general education that includes six hours of history and government, six hours of humanities, six hours of natural sciences, three hours of social and behavioral sciences, and three hours of diversity classes. Eliminating these would reduce the number of required endowment by 20% or $115 Million. Would the business students be as prepared to work in the USA business world? I think so.

Healthcare cost

Do you wonder why the cost of medical care continues to rise at alarming rates? Why we hear about exorbitant bills for simple services? Why an EpiPen that costs about $400 for two, when the manufactured cost is less than two dollars? Why insulin costs five times more in the USA than in Canada? Have you ever heard of the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 (HMOA)?

Prior to 1973, medical agencies, which include insurance companies, hospitals, doctors, and clinics, were service organizations and could not function as a for-profit business. The HMOA changed that and now, medical care is a for-profit business. It has led to continuing increasing costs and new intermediaries. These intermediaries include insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, prescription management companies, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Multiple for-profit companies in healthcare increase our cost of healthcare. How can we correct this? It will be difficult. Repeal the HMOA? That will probably happen when pigs fly based on the lobbying power of these companies. Medicare for all? Will that really change anything? Medicare does not negotiate prices so they have little effect, much less than Medicaid. Move to another country? Maybe. The only thing that will change the current system from the damage caused by HMOA is a public outcry, term limits for politicians, removal of entrenched politicians. I am only one, but with help, we can change the world.

False posts & Facebook.

I spent the last several days with my bride celebrating our 50^th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed breakfasts, dinners, winery, and just being with each other. This took priority over my time and mind. Missing blog posts was not a priority. Driving back was an easy seven-hour drive. I spent most of the time listening to NPR. Even on NPR, the talk was centered around what is going on in Washington and Iowa. The deep divisions in the country sadden me.

Today I read that Steven King has left Facebook because of their continuing to accept targeted ads that are false. I agree with him, but leaving makes little difference with Facebook’s billions of subscribers. I came to the conclusion that it is better to stay and call out the falsehoods. I also expect to see several deepfakes this election season. Deepfakes are ads that have been digitally modified to make the person say something that they would never say. Google deepfakes, and you will learn more. Researchers are working to be able to identify deepfakes. Facebook has not agreed to delete the identified deepfakes. The youngest generation is not on Facebook. Perhaps we should all leave. What do you suppose its value would be with no subscribers. Wake up Facebook! Be honest and ethical!

Reflection

This week has been a time of reflection. We have ill elderly relatives. Candi’s not mine. I am the elderly relative in my family. Candi lost her only remaining Uncle this week. Her aunt, his wife, is in intensive care in the hospital, but she is improving. Candi’s mother left the hospital two weeks ago and is still rehabilitating, but she is showing signs of improvement. These relatives are in their mid-nineties. We reflect back on their lives and how they were intertwined with ours. Her aunt and uncle were like grandparents to our children as they were the only relatives living close to us in Texas. In addition to relatives, I was reflecting on the fact they entered my family 50 years ago today when I married into theirs. The last 50 years have brought many changes, job changes, career changes, location changes, children, and grandchildren. I am thankful to have survived and often prospered through it all. We still have tomorrow to look forward to and the day after and after. Most of all, I am thankful for that wonderful girl who said, “I do.”

Where did the day go?

Did you ever stop in the evening and think, “I was really busy today, but what did I do?” I was really busy today. I made a list of everything I could remember doing today and then labeled them as activities or accomplishments. I got up and took a shower (activity). I helped make breakfast (accomplishment). Ate breakfast (activity). I put shoes on (activity). I put my jacket and hat on (activity). We drove to Home Depot (activity). Paid a bill (accomplishment). Purchased wall switches (activity and accomplishment). Drove to Dollar Tree and Candi purchased cards (activity for me accomplishment for her). We went to Lowes to look for an outlet and looked at planters (activity). We drove to Ace Hardware to look for an electrical outlet and metal tape (activity and accomplishment). We stopped for lunch at Shogun (activity and accomplishing a full stomach). I won’t go on. The remainder of the day was a continuation. It was filled with minor activities and a few achievements. Most of our days are like this unless we have a goal or objective. 

My days are lost in minutia unless I make a plan and stick to it. What do we want to accomplish? Do we have any grand and compelling goals? Have we written them down and created a plan to accomplish these goals? Have we analyzed what we are doing and eliminated (or at least reduced) the things that are preventing us from reaching our potential?

Yesterday there was no post. I drove eight hours to see my bride for our 50th wedding anniversary.

Mess with our pay!

The business school at OSU has decided to change the way they pay faculty for online classes and summer Face-to-Face (FtF) classes. The changes were presented as a fait accompli. No discussion, no recourse, we are in charge and you are serfs. It does not appear that the administration thought this through and considered the potential consequences. The first is that any reduction in pay for classes is not going to be well met. The faculty most affected are the lowest paid, instructors and clinical faculty. They also do not seem to have considered the increase in the number of administrators and staff over the last couple of years. It appears to the instructors that they are having money taken away so that the administrators can do less work. The increases in administrators and staff is seen as the reason the cost of college is uncontrollably increasing. Faculty have calculated the cost of teaching online and summer classes with this change. Many faculty will not be teaching online in the future. Many of us will not be teaching summer FtF classes. The change reduced my pay by approximately $8000 (it may be a contract violation). I now have no incentive to teach in the summer. The most important consequence is that the university is not the highest paying employer in the region or state. People do not like to change jobs and move but will do so if there is enough animosity. This change creates a lot of hostility. The good thing is that I will have the entire summer off. My spouse has already said that if I am going to be around that long in the summer, we need to have boundaries. Love her!

Loud Americans

Why do Americans speak so loudly? Several years ago, we visited Munich, Germany. The popular Hofbrauhaus was so noisy that you could not hear the person sitting next to you. Most of the people there were Americans. We went to Schneider Brauhaus, which is only a couple of blocks away. It was packed and most of the people were Germans. Even with the Brauhaus completely full, you could talk in a normal conversational tone. The beer and food were outstanding. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Munich. The thing that started this line of thought was was that one of my colleagues was down the hall and down a flight of stairs. He talks so loudly that I can hear him like he was sitting in my office, even though I closed the door. Not all Americans talk as loud as he does, but many do. When two or three get together, it is like a shouting match. I think part of the problem is that they don’t listen, only talk and talk as if it is a competition. Loudness persuades others of their viewpoint. It is hard to convince anyone when you don’t listen, think, and try to understand their position. This sounds very much like politics in the USA today.

Social Media

The social media platforms are changing. It was Facebook and still is for those over 50 years old. Obviously, those who think they are important and have important things to say use twitter. Twitter users seem to be either politicians or those commenting on politicians. It is realty difficult to understand how someone could think that firing a person through a tweet is acceptable, and yet he occupies the White House. This week I asked my students what social media platforms they used. The answers were Instagram, twitter, or TikTok. The latter was new to me. I Googled it. TikTok is a Chinese social media platform. I asked my 13-year-old grandson what social media platform he and his peers used. I was told Instagram and TikTok. I am not familiar with TikTok so I will have to join and understand how it works. It was interesting that teenagers do not use Facebook or Twitter. I am concerned that they use a social media platform that is controlled by China. Are you?

Getting old is not for wimps!

We have several close relatives that have health issues. They are all in their 90s. They are in hospitals and care facilities. We do everything we can to make them more comfortable. We go to visit. We replace their beds with ones that adjust so they can sleep more comfortably. We see them and think and wonder if this is our future?

You know that getting old is not for wimps. We do not feel that we are approaching old age. However, normal aches and pains are the way we know we are alive. Joints do not work as well or as smoothly as they once did. Our bodies do not respond the way they once did to stress and to overwork. A good night’s sleep often eludes us. Waking often in the middle of the night is more and more common. Why does it happen? We have no idea. We are not going to give up. We still value each day. Actually, we value each day more and more as we accumulate more days and as we lose old friends. Getting old is not for wimps!

Research and the world.

I have listened to several Ph.D. students present their research ideas over the last week. I find myself thinking, is that a good research topic? Can they develop that and get a line of research published (necessary for getting academic tenure.) Then I stop and think WGRA. WGRA was a term one of my English professors used. And yes, my supporting area for my Ph.D. was English. WGRA stands for Who Gives a Rat’s A** about that? When we write or do research, are we doing anything important? What impact will this make? What new way of thinking can we foster? What impact will our work have on the world? Having a longer world view than most of the students, I can say that I hope they complete their dissertations and get their Ph.Ds and find good jobs. I don’t think you will ever hear of them. I don’t think they will make an impact on this world. I think they will get married, raise children, and live good lives. Is there anything more important than that? Love and Peace.

Ethics

When we think about ethics, religion often starts the conversation. What do your religious beliefs tell you is right or wrong? It occurred to me that often religion tells people what not to do. The ten commandments tell people what not to do. I call them the thou shalt nots. There is a whole lot less guidance on what to do, and they tend to platitudes. Things like ‘do good’ or ‘love one another.’ The latter is the one most fundamental Christians forget. They tend only to love those who are just like themselves and believe as they do. Is it right to impose your beliefs on others? We have a problem in this country with many people imposing their beliefs on others, especially concerning abortion and LGBTQ. I heard on the news this morning that the state of Oklahoma has banned state-funded travel to the state of California. This is because California has a travel ban on Oklahoma due to Oklahoma’s restrictions on adoption by same-sex couples. San Francisco extended the prohibition for Oklahoma’s restrictive abortion laws. I want you to have the right and ability to believe as you choose. I want the same right. I don’t believe in legislating morality or ethics. Do you?

Light

Did you ever think about how light affects our lives? We have a rainbow room. The sun shines in through the windows in the afternoon. There are a number of crystals in the windows that cast rainbows on all of the walls and pictures in the room. The rainbows on the paintings give Candi ideas on how to use light in her paintings. Many of the Impressionists were interested in light and how it could change their paintings (e.g., Monet).

How does light look when filtered through the leaves of the tree? Or through the early morning fog? Or in the harsh unfiltered summer light on the road? Or on the grasses waving in the winter snowscape? How does light make you feel? Does it make you feel lighter or heavier? Happier or melancholy? How do you react to light on wildflowers along the road? How do you respond to the early morning light coming through the bedroom curtains? Do you let light into your soul? Do you feel the power of the universe coming into you through the light in your life?

What is a media producer?

I have a student/friend that is looking to move from a Batchelor’s in Management Information Systems to a Masters in Film Producing. That seems like a huge change. My first question was what does a producer do? It turns out that they handle everything on the business end of a film, or TV program, or theatrical production. They get the financing, hire the director, casting director, and everyone else involved in the production. They also get the thankless job of firing anyone that does not work out or contribute positively to the production. It is a job that I can relate to being a serial CEO. A producer is a person that brings the production to the final end or distribution, whether it be in the theater, movie theater, or the television. If you watch the credits at the end of a news program, you will see an executive producer and then many producers, one producer for each segment. My student with an undergraduate degree in business will be an excellent producer. I have written several letters of recommendation for her and can only hope that she is able to get the education that will enable her to enter the field. I expect to see her accepting an Oscar or Emmy or Tony in the future.