Our leader speaks

Rebecca Blank's part starts at about 24:00.

I am not generally one to wax enthusiastic about academic administrators. I have participated in discussions with faculty colleagues in which we attempted to come up with a precise estimate of the number of IQ points lost by moving in the chair's office, or the dean's office. Towards the end of my time (and his time, as it turned out) at Michigan, I ended up dining at the downtown Knight's in Ann Arbor on my own at the same time that LS&A dean Andrew Martin was there dining in a party of four - presumably donors but who knows. I actually seriously contemplated buying an extra glass of wine to "share" with him (i.e. with his smiling face and fancy shirt and bow tie) on my way out, though in the end I wisely thought better of it.

In contrast, I am very glad indeed that Becky Blank is our chancellor during this odd time.