Case, after the levee broke

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 03/04/2006 - 15:17.

With the demand by Case Professor Krauss for a no-confidence vote against the Case president and provost, the levee broke flooding Case with the community sewage brimming its highest offices since hurricane Lewis smacked NEO several years ago, demanding the complete reorganization of Case. The rains since from Lewis' further public contempt for Case overflowed all the protection the president and board could retain, and now the Case community is in ruins.

Of course, this story also describes what happened to Tulane University as a result of Hurrican Katrina, but the response of the two schools to their respective disasters has been very different, and today Tulane is on track and there is great uncertainty about all aspects of Case's future.

I'm a Tulane alumnus so I understand their situation well - and I live in NEO and work with Case so I know them too. I have come to the conclusion Case and Tulane should form a strategic alliance or merge. We need something this innovative to fully leverage each University's potentials, which I want to see happen. 

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the Case community is ruins?

A bit of hyperbole, eh, Norm? Or do you really believe that?

I'm reading Lewis, PD, and talking to 100s... ruins

This has been going on for over a decade now, with the problems between the Hospital and Medical School and University, and the harm that cased the region - that one I heard most about from doctors I know, and the PD. Then Lewis detonated his A-bomb, and the region has suffered and continues to suffer, and the board didn't seem to do enough, and Hundert as good as he is isn't getting the right results, and the mess at the buiness school and REI... I hadn't been in the business schol in over a year, until last week... community engagement way down - now Krauss, who I know is sharp, starts no confidence and 3/4 of A&S faculty votes no confidence - which could be included in wikipedia as a definition of "ruins" - and now  anyone in town affiliated with Case - student, staff, faculty, alumni... all schools are blown away - and the most frequent comment is at least its out in the open... so we ain't seen aything yet. Tulane stands stronger, after or because of surviving an external disaster... and it seems Case now faces external disasters... can't get out of this alone, or in a vacuum... take the opportunity to open up, engage with the region, and change. The region is in ways in ruins too and we need to work through this together - that is the core economic development theme of the day - as long as Case thinks it is an island - UCI an island - the region is suboptimal.

Case of lost identity imported globalism gone wrong. Regionalize

I may have my facts wrong, but I seem to recall CWRU hiring a MN firm to repackage the University for the new millenium, etc. I remember thinking with all the marketing and PR talent we have here, that knows NEO, why would they hire out of MN. I mean, Nottingham and Spirk and Nesnadsky and Schwartz do that kind of stuff all the time.

 

What we got was the voiding of the CWRU community. I don't at all understand why they felt compelled to eliminate beloved brands, and I don't think any local firm would have recommended what has happened here. 

 

I feel Case chose to pursue a loftier global presence than able, in neglect of opportunities to grow stronger here in town. I believe many mistakes like the rebranding need to be undone... pride need to be reestablished - alumni need a stronger involvement in institutional strategy - CWRU needs to re-commit to a downtown presence - re-create something like REI (in addition to BAWB) - supercharge the Universities Collaborative...

 

Is that enough? It would be, if it all happened, with more, but will it - did anything change?

Funds For Cruel Schools Dry Up

While I don't see much in cyberspace in support of Case, I found this posting raising more disturbing images -  from the very interesting IndyMedia site (note, click on the boxes on the top right corner to change the theme... cool feature)... http://cleveland.indymedia.org/news/2006/03/19018.php?theme=9

No Confidence Vote In President of Vivisecting School
Funds For Cruel Schools Dry Up
Case Western One of the Dinosaurs

As the Arts faculty today
voted 75% in a noconfidence
vote re Case Western Reserve's
president, the university
remains one of the few
dinosaur medical schools
left in the country which
is still having medical
students research on
live animals.