Posted by Stuart Benjamin:
If This Isn't Sabotage, Then What Is?
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_09-2007_09_15.shtml#1189804241
I noted two days ago that one possible explanation for the actions of
at least some of those who apparently pressured* Michael Drake to
rescind the offer to Erwin Chemerinsky was a [1]desire to derail the
new law school. As the [2]LA Times article quoted below notes (Hat tip
to [3]Brian Leiter), a delay in the opening of the law school is now a
very real possibility. I can't get inside the heads of those who made
the decision, but if they wanted to do maximum damage to their law
school, they couldn't have done a much better job. From the [4]LA
Times article:
Officials said the turnaround on Chemerinsky could delay the
opening of the law school -- scheduled for 2009 -- and so tarnish
the institution that it would be difficult to assemble the scholars
and staff needed to establish the school as one of the nation's
best -- UCI's long-cherished goal....
[O]fficials leading the launch of the law school said the decision
makes it likely the school will not be ready to accept its first
class as scheduled in 2009.
In order to meet the target, plans called for a dean to be in place
this fall and for six to eight senior faculty members to then be
hired this academic year. The search for Chemerinsky took nine
months before a formal agreement was reached, and search committee
members said they would now probably start again from scratch.
"We had three other finalists, and one of them would have
definitely done it a week ago," said psychology professor Elizabeth
F. Loftus, a member of the committee. "If you asked them today, I
don't know. I don't think the law school will be derailed, but who
knows what's going to happen next?"
*On the subject of external pressure, the same article in the LA Times
says:
[Elizabeth Loftus, a member of the search committee] said Thursday
that the chancellor told the committee during an emergency meeting
Wednesday night that he was forced to make the decision by outside
forces whom he did not name. A second member of the committee
confirmed Loftus' account to The Times but asked to remain
anonymous.
"I asked whether it was one or two voices or an avalanche, and the
answer is that it was an avalanche."
References
1. http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_09-2007_09_15.shtml#1189649612
2.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-uci14sep14,0,1332459.story?page=1&coll=la-home-center
3. http://leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2007/09/the-irvine-la-1.html
4.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-uci14sep14,0,1332459.story?page=1&coll=la-home-center
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