Linda Katehi/Talk

This page is for discussing the contents of Linda Katehi.

I keep trying to change wording to be more "wiki" i.e. not flagrantly on one side or the other, but folks keep changing the language and tone to attack mode. Yes, the situation is beyond crazy and awful things are happening, but is DavisWiki meant to be a message board of our current feelings toward someone or a place where facts get laid out? The comment section is there for comments, the body should be there for things you could cite and not just personal opinion. If my understanding of the DavisWiki is wrong, then carry on. -David

Your understanding of Davis Wiki is wrong. We are not wikipedia, which is what your idea of "more 'wiki'" seems to be. We don't hold to any notion of neutral point of view. Since we can, let's call a spade a spade. If you disagree with what is here, feel free to add your own voice. But don't relegate it to some comment ghetto. Put it in the body where it belongs. —WilliamLewis


There are, of course, some of us who feel that opinions belong in comments, that comments aren't a ghetto, and that it is confusing to have opinion integrated into factual entries. —DonShor


• You say ghetto like it's a bad thing. The Davis community could learn a lot from the ghetto. A lot about living and a little about love, to quote MC A. Jackson. Furthermore, confusion and chaos are underrated. They frequently lead to a beautiful rebirth of the soul. -SM
  

here at the wiki it's fast and loose, we try and integrate comments into the wiki, but that doesn't mean we can make it vitriolic. Also most of the comments in the comment section here are oldish Daubert

Some relevant links that go into further detail about what WL and Daubert are saying: NPOV and Cut that comment bar out. —CovertProfessor

Got it, thanks. Had been an early user of this site, but not for some time. Thanks for the NPOV link, CP. I guess I came looking to read, not react, or read others' reactions. I didn't want to be seen as someone condoning the recent events and response from administration - far from it - but I'm just more of a measured guy. —DavidBenjamin

I agree with you David, I tend to try and be very neutral, I guess it is good to know I can come on here and rant a bit. Lately I feel like doing a lot of ranting, but at this point most of what I say is redundant—DagonJones


I understand. I was surprised by it too, at first, but I quickly came to appreciate the richness added by the diversity of opinions. You can really get the flavor of Davis that way, or at least a slice of it. —CovertProfessor


Maybe David is also saying though that if everyone in the page is attacking Katehi, thats also not diverse. We need to have biased opinions in the page, but we should try harder to represent more diverse biases (like some way of giving Katehi benefit of doubt). -NickSchmalenberger


• This was part of my sentiment as well.
  

• So, then add other perspectives. WL said as much at the top of this page: "If you disagree with what is here, feel free to add your own voice." But deleting voices does not get us to diverse perspectives. —cp
  

• Like the time we deleted my ban proposal of a board member? —JT
  

• What I disagree with is all the drama of it. Occupy Daviswiki and take down the drama llama kyriarchy! =P
  

• Agreed. I wasn't trying to delete the opinion, just wanted to make it more inclusive/representative. —JT
  

For the record, I would completely redo the Linda Katehi page, to put the editorial comments in the comments section. —DonShor

Proposing the following edit:

She has demonstrated that her leadership is more dangerous to the campus community than the alleged health and safety issues that motivated the assault she ordered. She only changed her tune and started suspending those directly responsible for the violence when videos of the incident went viral and the opinion of the world was loud and clear that there was no excuse for the actions of her subordinates which she had previously defended.

be reverted back to:

Many protest supporters feel that her leadership is more dangerous to the campus community than the alleged health and safety issues that motivated the assault she ordered. She changed her stance and started suspending those directly responsible for the violence when videos of the incident went viral and a large opinion became clear that there was no excuse for the actions of her subordinates which she had previously defended.

I like this. -DavidBenjamin

I know many of us are very upset about the pepper spraying, but some people (i.e. wiki donors like myself) may have some reservations about including emotionally charged language. Not trying to shoot down William, (I think the message is retained), just trying to put it in more level headed terms.

• One problem with the proposed change is that it was not a protest, but rather an occupation, which is not the same thing. A second problem is that some don't support the occupation of the quad and yet still find the Chancellor's leadership to have been dangerous. Indeed, given the international outcry (the petition calling for her resignation is up to 72,715) , I suspect that far more people find the Chancellor's actions to be dangerous than would support the occupation of the quad. —cp
  

• I contend that the dangerousness of her leadership is a fact and should be presented as such. To pull a similar example out of thin air, it would be like saying "Some people say Silvio Berlusconi is corrupt and has used his political position to grow his media empire as well as escape criminal prosecution in many matters." Some people may not like the truth (especially certain partisans in Italy), but it remains the truth and should not be qualified as a mere belief of some people. In fact, I am not a supporter of the protests yet I hold strong opinions on the university's treatment of them. I also think the "only" that was removed is important. Why the change in tone from Friday's message to Saturday's message to her tearful speech today? She's reacting to the response of the world. If there weren't cameras there and the world wasn't breathing down her neck, we would still be seeing the same attitude she displayed on Friday. Finally "large opinion" does no justice to the near-universal condemnation these actions have received. —WilliamLewis
  

• Dude, why are you bringing up the fact that you are a wiki donor? Is that relevant to the topic at hand in your mind? Because that sounds really bad. This is not Washington DC. —SM
  

• Just telling' it like it is brother. ;) —JT
  

• You totally need to resign now. —wl
  

• LOL - SM
  

• I propose a ban on that guy jefftolentino —JT
  

• Heh. That's one I'll second. ;) -jw
  

• Banning is too harsh. We should just put him on temporary hiatus. Harhar! -SM
  

The latest revisions are actually pretty nice. —JT

Regarding comments not in the comment section, I think an attempt should be made to put them in perspective. Don't make one's minority opinion appear to be the majority opinion for example. Of course they shouldn't be in 1st person as they might be in the comments section. —BruceHansen

Something that's puzzling me is the notion that Katehi is beholden to an elitist Regents agenda. That may become clearer with the potential revolution in challenging the current Regents, especially if she still has her job, which is obvious she wants to retain. I'm not well informed on what makes her tick. I suspect she means well. But she made those questionable decisions and statements around this brouhaha. I don't know. -bh

This article has some details. How reliable is this? Should we integrate? —PhilipNeustrom

• Going to the primary document on which the rest are based, the document seems reliable (it's on a government server, looks like an educational part of the Greek government), and she's listed as a member of the international comittee... but I can't find anything whatsoever related to what they are claiming in the committee's findings here. I may have missed something very critical, as I've only had time to skim it, but as this is a coauthored work with many authors, translated from Greek to English by an online translator, I would highly caution against reading in between the lines, or seeing things in the specific wording. -jw

JW - incidentally, here's the bio (translated by Google, thus the she/he error):

Linda Katehi

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering and Dean of the University of California, Davis

The Linda Katehi became the sixth dean of the University of California - Davis on August 17, 2009. In this capacity, he oversees all activities related to the educational, research and social mission of the university. He also holds academic positions in electrical engineering and computer engineering and studies on women and gender. Member of the National Academy of Engineering, chaired the Presidential Commission on the National Medal of Science and is Chairman of the Department of Commerce for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Is a partner and board member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, member of the Board of Higher Education for National Security, a member of the Professional Council of Higher Education and member of many other national boards and committees in the past the Dean Katehi served as vice and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as holder of the Chair of Engineering John A. Edwardson and Professor in electrical engineering and computer engineering at the University of Purdue, and finally as associate dean for academic affairs and graduate education at the College of Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan. From the first years as a member of the faculty, Professor Katehi focused on expanding the opportunities for research for undergraduates and improve education and work experience graduate, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups.


He has supervised over 70 postdoctoral researchers, PhD students and graduate students in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering. 21 of 42 PhD researchers who completed their studies under its supervision have obtained academic positions at universities with a research orientation in the U.S. and elsewhere. Her work in designing electrical circuits brought many national and international awards as being the technology leader and to that of teacher, 17 U.S. patents, plus six applications for U.S. patents .. He has written or co-authored 10 book chapters and about 650 publications in refereed journals and proceedings of scientific symposia.


He received his first degree in electrical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece in 1977 and master's and doctorate in electrical engineering from UCLA in 1981 and 1984, respectively.