Embattled U. of Missouri names black interim president

[jpak]

Last edited Thu Nov 12, 2015, 05:14 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: USA Today

The governing board of the University of Missouri named a black law professor and deputy chancellor emeritus to serve as interim president of the university system.

Michael Middleton retired in August after 30 years at the school, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported. His selection comes three days after Tim Wolfe resigned amid a firestorm over his handling of a series of racially charged events on the sprawling campus in Columbia. A formal announcement was expected later Thursday.

"We are excited for the new leadership under Interim President Middleton!" tweeted Concerned Student 1950, an advocacy group named for the year the school admitted its first black student.

Controversy has swirled on the embattled campus in recent weeks as students held protests demanding Wolfe be fired. The issue blasted onto the national scene Saturday, when more than 30 of the school's football players announced a boycott of football-related activities. The deans of several academic departments also had called for Wolfe to go.

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Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/11/12/controversial-u-missouri-professor-may-keep-job/75642556/

[Buzz Clik]

1. Very pragmatic solution that should calm tensions.

The knuckledraggers won't be pleased, but they are the problem at this point...

[romanic]

2. And if he doesn't "satisfy" the student protesters

they'll turn on him too.

[yeoman6987]

3. Yep!

It's time to get back to the classroom. It is over. Seems the school has done what was asked.

[ellenrr]

4. Not really a solution. If you have listened to the African-American students who

spoke during and after the turmoil at Mzzou, they are too politically astute to be fooled by identity politics.
They condemned people who "look like them" and who sell them out.
Only an ignorant person would think that because this person's skin color is Black that he is in line with the aspirations of the student protesters.

Maybe he is, maybe he isn't.

But don't make an assumption based on skin color.

[Darb]

5. When are these "politically astute" students

going to offer some sort of way forward, some solutions to the problems?

I am waiting to be informed of "what's next".

What's next?

[LanternWaste]

6. What specifically (besides assumptions) leads you to believe this individual is not a solution

What specifically (besides assumptions) leads you to believe this individual is not a solution?

[ellenrr]

7. I don't have any assumptions.. I said,

I don't know if this is a good person or not.
I said one should not assume he is a "solution" because he is a Person of Color.

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. I think he is also really qualified

For the job. The KC Star thought he was a great choice.