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The wild Web world of academia
Steve Marcus
Sherry Rosenthal, a professor at the College of South-ern Nevada, displays her blog, the CSN Richard Carpenter Watch, named for a former school chief.
Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (2 a.m.)
Beyond the Sun
English professor Sherry Rosenthal runs a public blog devoted in part to exposing her bosses’ alleged incompetence.
Take this curt but choice two-line entry she posted July 15 about Michael Richards, her college president, and his supporters:
“If the Merry Mikesters were birds what kind would they be?
“Answer: The Dodo!”
Striking again July 30, Rosenthal called another of her superiors “Crybaby Howie.”
Ah, the world of academia.
At some jobs, Rosenthal might have been fired after sharing such thoughts. But Rosenthal, who has been at the College of Southern Nevada for more than 10 years, has earned tenure, which grants faculty members broad protections against dismissal.
At the school’s convocation this week, the outspoken Rosenthal was among employees recognized for lengthy service to the school.
Rosenthal has been writing the blog since December, having taken it over from two people who had operated it anonymously for several months.
One of the former blogmasters had asked Rosenthal via e-mail whether she wanted to take over, and she said yes, thinking it would be good for people to have a place to express their opinions freely.
“I love CSN and I would like the blog to be a place where everyone can feel welcome to say what they would like to say, whatever it is, in a polite, civil and thoughtful manner,” said Rosenthal, who said she would have taken over the blog even if she did not have tenure.
Besides poking fun at administrators, she tries to inspire serious discussion about higher education in Nevada by linking to news articles about state colleges from publications including the Sun, the Review-Journal and CityLife.
She updates the blog more than twice a day on average, keeping visitors apprised of campus happenings through a medley of postings that in the past have included reports on the search committee that selected Richards in the spring, and faculty leaders’ e-mail on issues such as budget cuts.
But the blog, named “CSN Richard Carpenter Watch” after the former college president, is also home to what math professor Stan VerNooy calls “wild conspiracy theories.”
It seems, VerNooy said, that many of Rosenthal’s readers “see a conspiracy behind every appointment, every hire, every decision that’s made” at the college. The blog’s comment sections are packed with vitriol accusing CSN leaders of all sorts of malfeasances, sometimes bizarre, often with little evidence to back up the claims.
Lately, for example, anonymous contributors have been accusing a college vice president of authoring anonymous messages calling Rosenthal “Schleppy Rosenpants.” A CSN spokeswoman said the official does not read the blog and declined to comment on it.
Rosenthal, for her part, has posted entries accusing administrators of giving her bad ratings on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com.
Officials blocked access to the blog on campus computers in October, saying it encouraged violence against one or more administrators. The blog’s former operators reopened it at a new site before handing it over to Rosenthal.
The community college district where Carpenter took a new job also prevented access, but restored it after the district was sued for violating free speech rights.
Judy Stewart, past chairwoman of CSN’s faculty senate, calls the Web site unproductive.
“Action is much more productive than words,” she said. “It’s very easy to complain or cast stones. It takes a lot more work to get out and make a difference.”
In April, during a break in a question-and-answer session with CSN presidential candidates including Richards, Stewart asked Rosenthal whether she wanted to share her concerns with the faculty senate.
Rosenthal declined. Neither she nor VerNooy, the math professor, sees the senate as an effective voice for the faculty. Though senate leaders are elected, both Rosenthal and VerNooy think many are eager to become administrators and are therefore reluctant to criticize higher-ups.
So, to get his voice heard, VerNooy turns to the blog, which Rosenthal said gets about 200 hits a day.
VerNooy said CSN used to allow employees to vent and debate with co-workers via a group e-mail address that delivered messages to many in-boxes. However, since Carpenter eliminated that capability for the rank and file, Rosenthal’s blog “is the best we’ve got,” said VerNooy, who also received a 10-year service award this week.
“Statements and opinions would come out on her blog that would never see the light of day on the official e-mail system,” he added. “So that I think is an absolutely vital service.”
“As much as I think the blog is nonsense,” Stewart said, “I value the fact that tenure protects a faculty member’s ability to do that.”
Stewart and Rosenthal can agree on one thing — neither is interested in the personal attacks that dominate much of the conversation on the online forum.
Rosenthal said that although she cracks jokes about administrators, her intent is not to be mean-spirited but “to encourage a bit less venom and a bit more lightheartedness.”
“I don’t like gossip ... I wish that were not part of the blog,” Rosenthal said. “But on the other hand, do you not publish it if that’s on someone’s mind? And I don’t feel I have the right to do that. I just wish people would get off of that and engage in some more serious discussion.”
On whether that would happen, she said, “I have high hopes but low expectations.”
Discussion: 57 comments so far…
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Universities would be run much better if they were run as a business not a democracy. Most academics have really stupid ideas...not to mention when it is run as a democracy the University becomes more about serving the professors than the students.
CCSN (now CSN, what a waste of money on a name change) started the downward slide into mediocrity when Richard Carpenter and his out of state cronies came in. I would encourage you to read all of the original 2006-2007 blog posts on the CSN Richard Carpenter Watch and decide for yourself.
I know Rosenthal. Let me clue the SUN about a few things.
1. Rosenthal’s blog does not make fun of anything. It is replete with death threats, allegations of sexual misconduct, accusations of stealing public resources, defamation of character, hatred, and personal vendettas. The SUN needs to get a real dictionary if it calls Rosenthal’s blog “poking fun.” I have recorded multiple examples of every condition listed. Anyone who has read the blog has seen it.
2. Some of the hate posts and death threats have driven CSN employees to attorneys and to seek special protection for their families. That is not what happens from “poking fun.” Who knows what crazies are reading Rosenthal’s blog and would take her comments seriously and do something to harm any of Rosenthal’s victims.
3. Rosenthal’s last statement in the article that “I don’t like gossip …I wish it were not part of the blog …” is a load of crap. She not only encourages gossip, she posts it herself. Her blog is seeing fewer and fewer comments lately so she is not only posting the main threads, she goes into the comment section of her blog and adds numerous comments to bolster the damage she is trying to do to the CSN administration and agitate others to join the hate campaign. It was a hoot that she states she doesn’t have the “right” to “not publish” gossip if it is on someone’s mind. It is a fact she suppresses over a hundred comments a day (by the evidence on her blog) that are exactly someone’s comments, gossip, and submissions of fact that counter her hate comments. She sounds good until one looks at facts (see next paragraph).
4. Rosenthal’s statement that her blog gets 200 hundred hits a day is directly contradicted by her own blog. Go to the blog and you will not find 200 hits on any day since her blog started in January 2008. She lied and forgot her own blog will show she lied.
5. Rosenthal pulls down a 6-figure salary, she lives in a house, drives a nice car, has health insurance, works from home whenever she wants to, and has a very nice future. She has what about 95 plus percent of the population of the United States does not have and yet she is whining and bawling because things are not perfect in her little world.
6. “Professor” Rosenthal is probably the worst example of someone who is trying to help. Instead of meeting with CSN administrators, discussing, and offering suggestions, she posts and encourages posting from what is largely an anonymous hate blog. If she wanted to help, she would be at meetings, and asking for meetings, and suggesting. Ambushing and casting hate from an anonymous blog is not helping anyone. It is, however, consistent with her stated mission found recently on her blog of “taking down the CSN administration.” So much for “poking fun.”
Professor Sherry Rosenthal is absolutely everyone's hero at CSN. I have not met one person that's not raving about her for her courage and insight. I have no doubt of her truthfulness that she said she would do it with or without tenure. This has nothing to do with her earned status of being a tenured professor, and everything to do with her integrity. I have been awed by her insight and courage. To me and everyone I know at CSN, Professor Rosenthal speaks OUR mind and has completely earned our respect.
Richard Carpenter and his sycophants slashed and burned CSN for 3 years almost to a point of no return. Valuable employees were fired for Carpenter's financial gains. Yet Carpenter stood by Bob Gilbert with the Nevada AG's first raid of any NSHE institution. Why such differential treatments between the employees that have devoted their lives to our beloved college, and the unscrupulous construction chief that got Carpenter a $50k raise?
SUN has documented Richard Carpenter's wrongdoing very well. Were those reports Christina Littlefield's imaginations? Don't think so. The University of Cambridge admitted Christina Littlefield for her excellence in journalism, not imagination, I would venture to guess not.
For Professor Rosenthal to stand up to the CSN's cheating, lying, and stealing administration, and tell like it is, she has done the job for ALL OF US at CSN. For those administrator wannabes at the Faculty Senate, they have sold out faculty over the years, and not to be trusted. For someone like "hanzucker", who viciously attack Professor Rosenthal and her good education, income, and social status, there is no other conclusion but must be a CSN administrator who wants to silence Professor Rosenthal and her blog. Why? Too close for comfort?
Thank you sgold7211, your opinion is shared by everyone I know at CSN. We have all lived through the annihilation caused by Richard Carpenter, and his leftover cronies. This administration's days are numbered with their wrongdoing. I don't care if a SUN journalist tries to help promote this administration, against a jouralist's conscience.
Dear Charlotte,
I believe there are serious topics for you to pursue at CSN. The sudden and urgent departure of Richard Carpenter, the questinable or non-existent credentials of Mike Richards, the inexplicable return of Bob Gilbert, the undeserved faculty killer, I mean, leader, husband, and wife sabbaticals that cost taxpayer over $100k, the closing of satellite centers that each only needed $50k to stay alive, and the unfair hiring practices.
I couldn't help notice that you didn't cast positive light on Professor Sherry Rosenthal who deserves a standing ovation. Speaking of which, because the blog commentors have suggested to give Professor Rosenthal a standing ovation, CSN administration decided, for the first time, for as far as I could remember, to call the award receipents' names, and have them stand where they were, instead of having them come up to the stage. It is not coincident. It is our narrow-minded administration that lies about not reading the blog, yet glues to the blog, and takes preventive actions to stop people showing admiration toward Professor Rosenthal.
Professor Rosenthal has every right to delete any and all comments coming her way. It is her blog. If the administrators don't understand how a blog works by now, may be they should stay away from the blog. She lets an amazing amount of Schleppy Rosenpants comments go through, why should she? We are disgusted by those administrators' comments and wish she wouldn't let anyone through.
If the administration has so much problem with Professor Rosenthal's moderation of her own blog, then go ahead return CSN's previous everyone@csn.edu to us. Hello? Anyone home? Suddenly all CSN administration gets quiet. I wonder why?
How Farah (above) reached the conclusion that “Sherry Rosenthal is absolutely everyone’s hero at CSN” is a mystery to me. No one surveyed my department or they would have arrived at a different result. The professors in our department have openly discussed their dismay at the blog exaggerations that hurt people and the negative publicity this blog brings to all of higher education in Nevada. We would rather work quietly with the administration, especially in these hard times, to understand how to best meet the needs of students. It just isn’t true that everyone supports Rosenthal or this blog. In my opinion, the number of bloggers who are creating this mess is very small and mostly old timers who want to go back 3 or 6 or 10 years and punish someone for what happened back then. Can’t we focus on students for a change?
Rosenthal is not my hero and I am on a tenured faculty in higher ed in Nevada. She has done more harm in a year than any single person ever has in my 20 years of employment here.
Does anyone understand how much energy it takes to blog for more than a year, write hundreds of thousands of words, spend hours a day (and night) monitoring a blog, concentrate on overthrowing a college administration, focus on undermining elections of college senators -- You get my thrust?. If CSN professors have this much time on their hands, why aren't they teaching more classes. Why do we pay someone 6 figures to be disruptive. Has anyone looked at Rosenthal to see if she is fully employed?
As a parent and tax payer facing the responsibilities that obviously come with rising two boys and providing for the ever increasing-cost of postsecundary education, I must ask these six-figure earning tenured professor of English to stop waisting her time. YES, waisting time on gossip, innuendo, harmful threats, and promoting hate in an enviroment that should be prepared for learning. I want my children to be critical thinkers, I have risen them to be socially responsible citizens and I do not mind paying higher taxes to make sure our educational instituions and those that labor in them are capable of thinking critically. Yet laboring intensely to make those institutions honest and trutful environments does not include in my estimation falsehood and defamation of peoples integrity. What I read this morning in this blog so proudly embraced by Ms Rosenthal makes me sick to my stomach. It is full of, yes, gossip, malfeasen, trechery, and defamation of character. Jocking about someones integrity without facts and evidence is not becoming to the character of a six-figure earning tenured professor, and is neither uplifting or truth promoting. She is a co-authored to every ill comment posted in her blog by ill informed and unscrupolous individuals. She should be legaly challenged and held accountable by the individuals whose reputations have been damaged by her irresponsible and ill informed confrontation of an andministration she happens to disagree with. We are indeed seeing the decline of higher education in our country.
Part 1
I have been asked by several CSN employees to collect information from or about this blog that can be used to ask the Nevada Board of Regents to hear an appeal that administrator(s) and author(s) of “richard-carpenter-watch.blogspot.com” have made and supported false and dangerous statements on the blog that have damaged CSN and higher education in Nevada. Information shows that as of June 2008, only one person has the rights to the blog to allow content to appear or prevent content from appearing on the blog. In effect, that person is the sole contributor to the blog. That person appears to be a CSN professor. That same professor assisted others and posted under his/her name previous to June 2008 to the same effect as will be presented in this appeal.
Specifically, the blog contains accusations that are intentionally false and/or made with reckless disregard for the truth against other members of the system community. The intent of the blog content will be shown to have the objective of enticing someone to file a complaint or charges and invite participation by the AG and officials of the NSHE Code System. Blog content has damaged CSN, NSHE, and several NSHE employees.
CSN is a publicly owned asset of the state of Nevada. The administration of CSN is an integral part of CSN. Attempted destruction of the administration would lead to destruction of the property of the citizens of the state of Nevada.
Additionally, the appeal will attempt to show that blog author(s) have committed willful incitement of persons to commit acts prohibited under the NSHE code and Nevada Revised Statutes.
The appeal will also present evidence that the blog author(s) invited use of threats of violence against targeted employees or employees’ families.
Continued in Part 2 below.
Part 2:
I have provided an email address below and ask that any CSN employee or citizen of the state of Nevada who has been threatened or harmed by the “richard-carpenter-watch.blogspot.com” contact us to establish a record of the circumstances of your situation. Be advised that your information will be protected as well as your identity unless there is a circumstance as you specifically and, in writing, authorize release of information.
Also be advised that the information you supply will be very closely researched against known facts surrounding the blog and verified as factual before it is discussed further with you.
You may use the email address to ask questions about your circumstances prior to submitting any issues for consideration.
This message contains no guarantees or assurances, explicit or implied, that your information will be accepted or used in this appeal. This message is not a solicitation of any kind.
If your information is accepted, you will be provided another email address for a specific person in our firm to develop information further.
Because individuals from multiple NSHE institutions have been impacted, the Board of Regents is considered the first appeal authority.
donnadvise@gmail.com
I've been a tenured professor since CSN was CCCC.
I would like to respond to hanzuker's comments, point by point.
Part 1:
1. Neither Rosenthal's blog nor the older Richard Carpenter Watch blog has or had any death threats in it. The one comment that was blown completely out of proportion and "branded" as a death threat was simply a joke, albeit a sarcastic joke, but a joke nonetheless. CSN administration ruthlessly trumped up this one comment and used it in order to harass a faculty member whom the VP of Finance does not like.
Allegations of sexual misconduct is a valid concern for all employees of the college, the students, and the community at large. When sexual misconduct occurs, let's say, as in the Clinton Administration or in Senator Edwards administration, or in any number of other community public leaders administrations, it should be investigated. The integrity of these people is important, and if their integrity is less than desirable, they need not be in positions of authority.
When one has personal knowledge of sexual misconduct in the workplace, it's not so easy to come out and talk about it or request meetings - not unless you plan on being fired. Sometimes the only way to pull this information to the fore front of public awareness is to do so anonymously. By the way, is "hanzucker" your real name?
Allegations of stealing public resources are more than just mere allegations. If this were not so, there would have been no reason for armed Marshalls from the AG's office to have raided the computers and offices of Patty Charlton and Bob Gilbert - and Bob Gilbert's home. The AG does not conduct investigations based on half baked allegations alone. I find it interesting how you managed to leave this important fact out of your diatribe.
Since the AG's investigation is still ongoing, we must wait to see just how much misconduct has gone on via the Office of Finance.
Personal vendettas are common amongst CSN administrators. If you get on the wrong side of one of them, you will surely be pushed out of your job. The "personal vendettas" that you, hanzucker, accuse the blog of pale dramatically in the face of the personal vendettas carried out by school officials on a daily basis.
I've been a tenured professor since CSN was CCCC.
I would like to respond to hanzuker's comments, point by point.
Part 2:
2. Any CSN employee that was "driven" to an attorney to seek special protection for their families was a pure out-and-out propaganda move. They did not like comments being made about them. This does not mean the comments weren't true. The truth hurts. Seeking an attorney was a melodramatic action on behalf of melodramatic persons to shift the focus away from them.
More harm has come to the employees of CSN and the Las Vegas community by way of administrative misconduct than the blog.
3. What proof of anything you said in #3 do you have? Are you administrating the blog? No. You are not.
4. The 200 hits a day Rosenthal claims are true. Unfortunately, she must weed through them and delete the long, rambling, nonsensical posts being posted by those trying to deflect the importance of the other posts. To quote YOU, hanzucker, "Anyone who has read the blog has seen it."
If, as in other comments here where people are concerned that professors have too much time on their hands to run a blog, then you should consider these multiple, long, obnoxious posts being made by administration. If instructors have too much time on their hands to run a blog, then what does that say about the administrators and the time they have on their hands?!?
I've been a tenured professor since CSN was CCCC.
I would like to respond to hanzuker's comments, point by point.
Part 3:
5. What relevance Rosenthal's salary is, is beyond me. But let's run with that, hanzucker. In the same vein of thought, administrators have well into 6-figure salaries, live in nice homes, drive nice cars, have health insurance, work from home whenever they want to, and have very nice futures, too. Not to mention all the perks they receive that faculty members do not. They have what 99.99+% of the population of the United States does not have, yet they still steal from public taxpayer funds. Your point, hanzucker?
6. Professor Sherry Rosenthal is probably the BEST example of someone who is trying to "out" the wrongs being committed at the college. By compelling these people to be held accountable for their actions, she IS helping the college.
Your statement
"Instead of meeting with CSN administrators, discussing, and offering suggestions... If she wanted to help, she would be at meetings, and asking for meetings, and suggesting."
leads me to believe you are unbelievably naive, or just flat out stupid.
Sherry HAS gone to meetings. She did a nice job grilling Mike Richards when he was lobbying for the president's position (illegally, I might add, since he had signed an agreement saying he would not pursue the permanent position). When asked why he wanted the permanent president's position, Mike Richard's replied, "Well...I have a deep mortgage." I'm paraphrasing a bit here, but that is almost exactly what he said. Does that sound like a good reason to become a permanent president of a college?
She does not ambush, and she does not caste hate. She DOES try to bring the truth to light. If that makes you feel ambushed, then my guess is you've been milking the system for a long time and you don't like it that someone is now calling you on the carpet about it.
Without people like Professor Sherry Rosenthal, the wide-spread misconduct of those in power at CSN would go unchecked for an eternity. When the truth comes out from the AG's investigation, Professor Sherry Rosenthal will be crowned the Angle of the People.
You wait, watch, and see, Pal.
Sorry, missed a typo!! Sherry will be crowned the ANGEL of the People!
I beg to signficantly differ with the old duffer just above. We must have been to two different "job grillings" but I doubt it. What I saw was a person who verbally accused Mike Richards, antagonized him, interruped his answers, and insulted him. When she finally relinguished the floor, and another person asked a decent question, people rewarded the new person and the new question with applause. The person you speak so fondly of was an embarrassment to all of higher ed in Nevada.
For those of you who have read the litany above this comment, you begin to see the kind of comments that Rosenthal has blocked. When a person offers a blog to the general public and attacks the CSN administration, then allows only those comments favorable to the attack, the effect is to violate the rights of the public under the First Amendment to defend the administration.
I have often wondered why my comments that objected to the baseless accusations on the Carpenter blog never saw the light of day. Rosenthal or someone didn't like my objections to careless accusations, almost all of which I knew to be untrue, and blocked them. My first amendment rights were violated at least 20 times that I can remember. Shame on the Rosenthal bloggers.
What do you call it, then, when the college blocks an entire blog (the first Richard Carpenter Watch blog) from all access at the college?
They have never blocked another site from access at the college. Ebay is fair game, any other site in the world is accessible except for that one blog.
Is that not violating the rights of the whole dam world under the First Amendment???
Can you say "HYPOCRITE"?!?
Part I
Old_Timer, I was going to dispute hanzucker's arguments, point by point, but you beat me to it, and did a fantastic job, better than I could ever do. Thank you!
Maziege,
Farah never claimed that she surveyed any departments. She clearly stated, "everyone I know at CSN". It's good enough for me that she based her jugdement by people she knew, than people she imagined. On the other hand, you claimed your department wanted to quietly work, then how come they "openly discussed their dismay at the blog"? The blog is very clear about the dissatisfaction toward the CSN's administration's corruption, the lying, cheating, stealing, and sexual misconduts. Your department condones all that? They couldn't stand a blog, but wanted to quietly sweep the wrongdoing under the carpet? How contradictory?
I have friendship with a good many people in different departments and have never heard of such conflicts of personalities, that they want to quietly work, yet "openly" express their dismay toward a blog? Next time you make something up, would you consider getting the logic right? What department is this? CSN administration?
You asserted, "It just isn’t true that everyone supports Rosenthal or this blog". Of course not. Not those administrators whose wrongdoing was so overwhelming that caused the first raid from Nevada AG in any NSHE institutions, colleges or universities. But gosh, we are not counting the criminals, when Farah said Professor Rosenthal is our hero. Farah also clearly said everyone she knows supports Professor Rosenthal. Apparently Farah is like the rest of us, who stay with friends who have integrity. She didn't befriend the corrupt administrators. Is that her fault? I say she is one smart girl!
Further, you said, "the number of bloggers who are creating this mess is very small". These sounds extremely familiar. It's already being pointed out by the shrewd observers that the administration had claimed 6, a dozen, or "3 or 4", people that were working on this blog. So you wish. So you couldn't believe it receives 200 hits and call it a lie. What's your evidence it's a lie?
You said the blog commentors are "mostly old timers who want to go back 3 or 6 or 10 years and punish someone for what happened back then. Can’t we focus on students for a change?" You need to read the mission statement. The focus is Richard Carpenter's wrongdoing, and his leftover cronies' wrongdoing, and the lingering illegal practices. Carpenter arrived 4 years ago, the CSN problems started then. No need to divert people's attention to 3 or 6 or 10 years ago, like your imagined blogger number of 6, a dozen, and 3 or 4.
(to be continued)
Part II
Focusing on students for a change? What exactly this blog has been saying to the Mike Richards administration. Don't close the remote learning centers for a measly $50k, don't spend money on Las Vegas Hilton convocation that costs $50k for no good reason, don't give the faculty leader and his wife sabbaticals to waste over $100k for taxpayers, and how many comments suggest that they would give up 4%, merit increase, and $200, to save other colleagues' job? Those comments in the blog are truly regarding students our first priority.
Mike Richards' going back on his words of not pursuing the CSN's president's position, fighting the objection, accepting an undeserved $50k 2 weeks after he was hired, and closing those satellite centers that already ran on shoestring budgets...tell me which one demonstrates "Student First". Oh, maybe messing up with Professor Rosenthal's "ratemyprofessors.com" approval rating is out of the concern of our students? How so? Misleading students by smearing a well-respected professor is a serious offense of code of ethics, not "student first".
Of course the CSN administration will never understand why they are so hated by the CSN employees and the general public. The only time they are sorry is when they are caught. They are sorry for being caught, not what they did. That's why they are hardened criminals and must be put away. We are patiently waiting for AG's investigation. We firmly believe justice will be served.
There have been several threats posted on the blog. I have seen some of them with my own eyes. Contrary to what some of Rosenthal's bloggers like to represent, there was a death threat on the blog severe enough for immediate blockage. The death treat was given to the police and confirmed. The search warrant was issued against the source - the house of a CSN professor. Search warrants don't come from the CSN administration. The come from the legal system. Does someone have to post the threat for you to see in order to satisfy you - and in the process endanger the victim's life all over again? The whole world's rights were not blocked. Anyone, anywhere, except on campus could still see the blog. Many of us confirmed that from off campus.
By the way, the CSN administration does not read the blog, just like the AG did not raid the CSN campus, and the CSN administration did not take away everyone@csn.edu to silence an open forum, and the CSN administrators are not criminals. Sure. Sure.
(Removed by the site staff)
To Care4facts at 10:11pm above. You made the statement that "Of course the CSN administration will never understand why they are so hated by the CSN employees and the general public." You must be one of Rosenthal's bloggers. This is a typical tactic. Make a glib statement that you can't possibly prove and then go forward from that point saying it over and over again. Somewhere in the repetition Rosenthal's bloggers start treating it like it's fact. This tactic makes up much of the Rosenthal blog. OK, Care4facts, prove the CSN employees and the general public hate the CSN administration. Tag, you're it!
(Removed by the site staff)
As a taxpayer I am beginning to understand the complaints against the Rosenthal blog. The comment by care4facts at 10:35pm, and the comment by CSNspeaks at 11:17 are self-incriminating because the commenters obviously don't have even a basic understanding of how the search warrant process works, and the sentence that claims Richards commented on this article would invalidate the SUN's statement the signup process to this article gives all commentors. That is just the beginning of why these two comments are outrightly fictitious. It is very clear how these damage CSN administrators. I went to the Rosenthal blog and found more, much of the same -- many comments that could not possibly be true, yet are stated as fact and used to damage people in administrator positions. I can also see how these two commenters damaged CSN if they were believed by the uninformed reader. I think my tax dollars are well spent investing in Higher Ed but I am going to write my legislator and demand a formal investigation of Rosenthal's efforts because they are damaging taxpayer investments.
What is wrong with Rosenthal? Honey, come work in the casino kitchen where I work for an 8-hour shift from 10:00pm until 6:30am which helps us get by and gives us only decent health insurance for our kids. Want a real lesson in life, join my hubby for a shift at the City Center and work in 110 degree heat all day long. The part that makes me spittin' mad is that together we don't earn 6 figures like this blogger does. And I am bustin my butt to pay taxes that help this awful person moan about how terrible her life is? Give me a xxxxin break. If I said anything about my boss like this woman does on her blog, I would be on the street the next day - first amendment? forget it.
Not on my taxmoney Rosentha, find another job - now.
toushold, you said those pro-Rosenthal comments are self incriminating because "the commenters obviously don't have even a basic understanding of how the search warrant process works". Please explain self-incriminating. When the laws are broken, the AG raided the campus, based on the incriminating evidence they had gathered BEFORE the raid. So how did the commenter supposed ignorance incriminate them? Help educate us, I read what he wrote before it was deleted, which part was he incorrect? Why don't you educate us?
Mike Richards wrote it because there many nuances that coincide with things he does. It's doubtful anyone else could have done exactly what he always does. Dream on that people don't know what you are doing. Dream on AG will let this big raid of CSN campus go by your threateninig the public.
"CSNspeaks" at 12:31pm. You have no other foundation to accuse a college president than "nuances"? You would "take down" a college administration on "nuances"? This is exactly the kind of accusations and allegations and personal defaming found on the Rosenthal blog. It is a smear and hate campaign through and through. If anyone is reading this, do they realize that a college professor uses these methods to attack a public institution? My question is to ask whether these kinds of "college employees" are teaching my kids.
Maybe "csnspeaks" has a PhD in "nuances." Strange things seem to be going on at CSN with a few "professors" and their blog, you never know.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this whole Rosenthal mess.
As a taxpayer and parent and an elementary school teacher, I can confidently say that thanks God, the corruption at CSN will never get away at any of our school district schools, and thanks God there is Sherry Rosenthal to stand up to the authority at CSN. Such administration would never have lasted in our schools.
Since AG already raided the CSN campuses and some VP's home, I don't think the public is quite as "uninformed" as some of the postings alleged. It also seems to be obvious that there are some people who are deathly afraid of Sherry Rosenthal's blog being read and being known.
Attacking Sherry Rosenthal is not going to make their troubles go away. Those postings do not seem to have any understanding of that. I also haven't seen any explanation on the CSN presidential selection, the closing of their centers, the raid of the AG's office, and the elimination of their open forum. So, yes, this member of the "uninformed public" has an educated opinion, and it is not in favor of the CSN administration. Go! Sherry!
Who wants the best for CSN? I can tell you it's not the CSN administration. Read this blog posting from more than one year ago, from Professor Rosenthal,
The Wisdom of Voltaire's Candide: Why we must "Cultivate our Garden"
Quoted from the article, "CSN is our garden; we the now hopefully wiser Candide."
To see the entire article,
http://richard-carpenter-watch.blogspot....
Heart warming, encouraging, and definitely demonstration of leadership that you will never find from the CSN administration.
Who said the blog had not informed the college faculty and staff whose lives are impacted profoundly by Richard Carpenter's frivilous decisions? Check out the comments from Texas, some was as late as 07/03/08 that Richard Carpenter, after he openly promised not to outsource IT at LSCS, because the previous colleges had different situations, has started his outsourcing plot:
http://richard-carpenter-watch.blogspot....
I looked for facts to support the statement that the “… AG already raided the CSN campuses and some VP's home …” -- see Teach_n_Learn at 8/23/08 at 5:10pm. I confirmed the AG served a search warrant for specific records at one CSN campus many months ago. I could not confirm that a raid by the AG was conducted at “some VP home.”
I searched for information that Richard Carpenter "promised not to outsource IT at LSCS" as submitted by "JustWant2Teach" 8/23/08 at 9:08pm above. No information was found to support the statement.
Rosenthal and cronies! If you put as much energy into a recall of our current bonehead "governor" (cough, cough) as you have put into a lame blog, you would have helped all education (and a large group of citizens and businesses) in Nevada.
I like what Jon Ralston said today in the SUN.
1. The corruption of the CSN administration is well document throughout the local newspapers. Check all these NEW posters in this thread, CSN high pay administrators, who argued the AG raid of the CSN campus was simply a search warrant (that's RAID!), and Bob Gilbert's home was not raid (how do you call AG's searching his house for 36 hours?). The general public should know how pathetic the CSN administration is, and why we are all for CLEAN HOUSE.
2. The CSN administration shut down the everyone@csn.edu, the open forum that none of the previous administration had problem with. In other words, none of the previous administration had problem with employees' First Amendment Rights.
3. Richard Carpenter had Mike Richards call Tom Meyers, department chair of Media Technology at CSN, and told Tom Meyers that Tom had to step down, because Tom talked with Christina Littlefield at the SUN. The 2 letters Tom sent to his department were shown in the blog in their entirety. ACLU stepped in due to the CSN's violation of Tom's First Amendment Rights, and Tom was reinstated.
4. KC Howard from the Review Journal reported the financial mismanagement of Paul Pate at the Automotive department and the abrupt outsourcing of the IT department. What did CSN respond? Promoting Paul Pate, and hiring KC Howard as the CSN's public relation.
This CSN administration is widely deemed as unfit working for any institution in the higher education.
All this gum flapping about a second rate community college that would qualify as a mediocre high school in other states? Get over yourself.
This message is for factverifier and lawscrick. Do either of you have a complete copy (as much as possible) of the Rickard Carpenter blog to which Rosenthal contributed for the period June 1, 2007 through November 1, 2007? We are receiving excellent information from victims of the Rosenthal blog and need to verify blog contents against a copy independent from our own. We should be contacting the Board of Regents within a few weeks.
donnadvise@gmail.com
All these bogus NEW posters that came out of the woodwork could be 1 CSN administrator, and pretending to ask other alter egos questions.
It is bewildering anyone has to ask what Professor Rosenthal has posted. All articles are right there in the blog. She has never hidden her name or identity. Her First Amendment Rights, like everyone else's, are protected under the US Constitution, something the CSN administration knows nothing about.
I posted the Regents' contact information before. I will post it again here. Why wait for "a few weeks" since you already received "excellent information"? Contact them now! Have them decide if fat should be trimmed from this CSN TOP HEAVY administration during Nevada's budget crisis. We are sick and tired of the CSN administration's public threats and intimidation, toward the CSN faculty, staff and the Nevada general public. Contact the Board of Regents by the end of tomorrow, 5 pm on August 25 with your "excellent information". We are all right here waiting to hear from you!
Steve Sisolak, Chair
Mark Alden
Stavros Anthony
Cedric Crear
Ron Knecht
James Dean Leavitt
*****
Steve Sisolak
District 7 - Clark County
29 Burning Tree Ct.
Las Vegas, NV 89113
Phone: (702) 871-6497
Fax: (702) 369-4655
E-mail: sisolak@aol.com
*****
Mark Alden
District 4 - Clark County
3503 Kensbrook
Las Vegas, Nevada 89121
Phone: (702) 454-4999
Fax: (702) 735-0285
E-mail: malden@nevada.edu
*****
Stavros S. Anthony, Ph.D.
District 12 - Clark County
9104 Terrace Ridge Court
Las Vegas, NV 89129
Phone: (702) 254-2035
Fax: (702) 254-2035
E-mail: Stavros_Anthony@nshe.nevada.edu
*****
Cedric Crear
District 1 - Clark County
720 South 4th Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 731-0546
Fax: (702) 731-0271
E-mail: Cedric_Crear@nshe.nevada.edu
*****
Ron Knecht
District 9 – Carson City, Douglas, Lyon Storey and Washoe Counties
1009 Spencer Street
Carson City, NV 89703
Phone: (775) 882-2935
Fax: (775) 882-6348
E-mail: RonKnecht@aol.com
*****
James Dean Leavitt
District 13 - Clark County
200 Hoover Ave., Suite 150
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 384-0909
Fax: (702) 598-0510
E-mail: regentjamesdean@aol.com
*****
"waisting time, yes waisting time" (notice, not once but twice).....oh I see - you mean WASTING time....... pitiful, but all too accurate a depiction of how some (too many actually) can't even spell a word correctly according to its' context. There's nothing sadder than seeing people reach adulthood and still can't choose the proper spelling of a word that has different spellings according to their different meanings.
"LasVegan" at 4:59pm agree on one thing with his phrase "Her First Amendment Rights, like everyone else's, are protected under the US Constitution, ...". I have a big problem with Rosenthal. I posted several comments late last week that were never allowed on the Rosenthal blog. Rosenthal is the only blog controller. Rosenthal admitted violating my first amendment rights when she put up the post entitled "75 new postings about "Tath Rosenpants"! I am letting the funniest ones through." My rights were violated. I for one, do not jump at the first infraction, but I ask Rosenthal to let my postings through or face the remedies allowed under the constitution. She offered the blog for public comment now she must act accordingly by quit blocking comments from the general public.
Let me see if I have this straight -- Rosenthal is guilt of violating the public's right to free speech under the first amendment by blocking public comments on her blog. Isn't that the very same charge she levels against Richard Carpenter and Mike Richards. --- --- ---- I just checked, it is there on the first page of her blog. How sad is that?
I think it's remarkable that she admitted she did it on her blog. She was probably bragging about how she blocked readers comments because they were "inane" to use her words and she didn't realize the impact of her blocks.
Is someone going to sue to open the blog like the guy did in Texas? Seems like what is good for the gander is good for the goose. Sheeesh!
Vahana wrote in the blog:
Part I:
Let's not waste scant taxpayer resources launching a formal investigation of Rosenthal's blog. Contrary to donnadvise's reading of the situation, there is nothing in either the old or new "Carpenter Watch" blogs that rises to the level of unprotected, and therefore actionable, speech. Point by point, donnadvise's claims fall apart, as follows:
[D]onnadvise wrote: "The intent of the blog content will be shown to have the objective of enticing someone to file a complaint or charges and invite participation by the AG and officials of the NSHE Code System....Additionally, the appeal will attempt to show that blog author(s) have committed willful incitement of persons to commit acts prohibited under the NSHE code and Nevada Revised Statutes." In reality, Nevada law and NSHE Code still give state and university employees whistleblower protections, and the AG is quite capable of sifting any unfounded malicious allegations from true and verifiable complaints of malfeasance by CSN administrators. General statements in the blog, as in "someone ought to do something," do not constitute verifiable incitement under First Amendment law.
[D]onnadvise wrote: "Blog content has damaged CSN, NSHE, and several NSHE employees." This statement, given without supporting evidence, is an unfounded allegation offered with the apparent intent to smear the administrator(s) and author(s) of the CSN Richard Carpenter Watch blog. To claim without evidence is logical fallacy, and thoughtful readers do not allow themselves to be swayed by such tactics.
Vahana wrote in the blog:
Part II
[D]onnadvise wrote: "CSN is a publicly owned asset of the state of Nevada. The administration of CSN is an integral part of CSN. Attempted destruction of the administration would lead to destruction of the property of the citizens of the state of Nevada." The syllogism comprised by these three sentences demonstrates faulty logic since the first two do not prove how "destruction of the administration would lead to destruction of [CSN] property." Administrators come, administrators go, and this college sails on. The only destruction of CSN property I've seen has been caused by CSN administrators, such as Bob Gilbert allegedly siphoning off CSN labor and materials for his personal use (so, I guess as Nevada taxpayers, we would have time-share rights to his Kyle Canyon ranch if this allegation were proved in court). Of course, the real destruction to NV taxpayer property being held in trust by CSN is now being perpetrated by Governor Gibbons and his rigid, pinheaded clinging to his "no new taxes" pledge. Adhering to principle, he will sink the ship of higher education, and then not even CSN administrators will have jobs and "donnadvise" will not have this ambulance to chase.
[By the way, dear RJ forum moderator, doesn't your comments policy prohibit using this space to solicit business? Since "donnadvise" isn't advertising his/her services as pro bono, one is entitled to assume that his/her two postings constitute free advertisements leading to personal gain. Should they not then be removed per your policy?]
Finally, donnadvise wrote: "The appeal will also present evidence that the blog author(s) invited use of threats of violence against targeted employees or employees’ families." Again, this point shows ignorance of established First Amendment precedent. Neither blog "invited" so-called "threats" and any so-called "threats" that appeared were not "credible" in terms defined by such precedent.
Of course, it's far easier for taxpayers to get exercised by this blog than by the budget cuts for which we all bear responsibility if we do not see that state government's current revenue stream is insufficient to meet OUR needs. One frustrated academic's blog is only a red herring that seems to be diverting us from discussing this far more vital and pressing issue.
cluless posted this in the blog:
The perception of college teachers as finicky and peculiar seems to come across here all too well. Ms. Hsu missed the whole point about the blog being a place to vent and vet on the management style of the former president and the leadership provided by the Chancellor and his finicky political board.
Much of what the Carp did was reprehensible and unprofessional within the academic community but well tolerated by the business sector and public-at-large. We are in two different worlds it seems and they are drifting farther apart because one simply does not understand the other.
Colleges have had historical traditions in selecting presidents, deans, faculty, etc. and the report seems to take it all as poppycock lite. The press simply does not know and does not care. That is a major change in the field of current journalism which has transitioned from a profession to a job with little need for skills related to inquiry, ethics or truth. That's one of many reasons that newspapers are heading toward extinction while other venues such as this one provide alternative approaches to understanding some of the nuances that are permitted to happen in collegiate environs.
Of course, the growing amount of jocularity, poetry and vapid imnuendo do not help to sustain or develop a more polished view and professional perdspective as one might expect from collegiate-type personnel. After all, colleges are not tech schools.
I suppose printed newspapers and multipurpose colleges are both heading toward extinction for reasons quite obvious to the untrained eye. It's all happening here as a live case study.
I would just like to inform the general public that not only in this thread of comments, but also in Taz's blog, the CSN administrators have been repeatedly educated that a blog belongs to the Blogger, in this case it's Taz, who has the absolute right to decide which comment shows up in her blog, and which one doesn't.
The CSN administration has been called incompetent for the past 4 years. Does it really need to demonstrate how stupid they really are by not being able to understand that concept?
Since the CSN administration is so SUE-HAPPY (evidence from their more than 200 comments in the previous blog to threaten their bogus lawsuit, "CSN vs. the bloggers", while claiming "inexhaustable legal funds"), please go ahead and sue GOOGLE. GOOGLE set up its blogs with the comment moderation feature, to prevent spam commentors like the CSN administration. Taz didn't turn on the commente moderation, until the repeated hate-filled, same wording, big spaced messages flooded the blog, and claimed "We have destroyed this blog!"
Since this blog is where we vent against the CSN administration's wrongdoing, those systematic flooding of messages, to block viewers from comfortably reading other messages, are not from someone working in a casino kitchen.
Google's comment moderation feature has been rightfully activated by Taz, and she was thanked by all of us.
CSN administrators, you have problem with that feature, go ahead and sue Google, make yourself INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN. You obviously had not learned the right lesson from your blocking the blog last year. You are the best demonstrators of our firm belief that you are INCOMPETENT!
Thanks Farah for your wonderful postings.
Why does the CSN administration think that they have the right to ask the autority to restrain an individual's freedom of speech? Have they read the NFA's "The Alliance" Newspaper in Nov. 2007 about NFA would have prevailed if the blocking of the blog was challenged in court? The excerpt is also in the blog. Why is that the CSN administration has problem understanding some simple concepts?
So let's see. Jim Rogers paid NFA $250,000, but doesn't care about NFA's mission, doesn't read their newspapers, and the administration thinks the freedom of speech is a crime... I guess if the blog is nonsense, like the CSN faculty sentate chair accused, then the CSN administration shouldn't worry about the blog.
It appears to me, the CSN administration is deathly afraid of this blog. Could it be too many people know too many things, and the blog allows them to speak their minds, while the CSN's everyone@csn.edu is shut down?
CSN administration, why accuse Taz of doing things with her own PERSONAL blog? Taz is not in the administration. The CSN administration has a job to do: Open the everyone@csn.edu, to show that the CSN administration supports the First Amendment Rights that they accuse others of not supporting.
donnadvise -- just who the heck are you?
Are you an attorney? Why are your posts anonymous?
Why would anyone talk to you without even knowing who you are?
When you say you've been "asked" to collect information...does that mean you've been RETAINED as a lawyer?
Or are you just a COMPLETE FRAUD trying to manipulate people into not posting?
Taz, I've been meaning to tell you how beautiful you look in the picture for this article. I kept getting sidetracked by some really asinine posts, but every time I come back here to read posts, I'm repeatedly struck by your beauty. At least the Sun got one thing right!!!
Sherry, I would like to extend my gratitude and complete admiration of your incredible courage. You are providing accountability and transparency regarding the corruption and failed policies at CSN, something the local impotent media investigators in print and broadcast refuse to do. Were it not for the Richard Carpenter Blog, CSN would still be lead by the despot and his degenerate possessed protégés. Sherry you are a champion!
We will not monitor this SUN blog after August 29, 2008. If you are a victim of the Rosenthal blog, please submit information to the email address below.
donnadvise@gmail.com
Dear Donnavise,
I am a victim. Thanks for your offer of help dealing with all the rabid comments about me on the blog! I'll be in touch soon.
Taz
(Removed by the site staff)