This is not just a matter of a few bad apples, and a few unwise decisions: the whole system is riven with injustice and incompetence. Promotion and recognition depends on who you know, where you are from, and how much you are willing to flatter those who hold the purse strings, rather than on the quality of your research, teaching, and general contribution to the life of the insitute in which you work.
No-one is claiming that administration is unimportant, but administrators are not scholars, and should not be rewarded with posts intended for scholarly endeavour.
I will, as I get time, add some case histories and general discussions to this page. However, research must come first.
On committees, he is even worse. If his proposals are rejected, he will fly into a rage, accusing the other members of conspiracy, and of selling out to Incorporate or GEO interests, rather than defending academic freedom. He doesn't recognise the possibility of an honest difference of opinion, believing that anyone who thinks about a subject must reach the conclusions he does.
For all this, he is not malicious. He doesn't want to annoy people, he just wants to point out the problems in their work so that they can improve. Similarly, he really thinks that anyone who disagrees with any of his schemes for the Department must be corrupt in some way. He is sincere, but sincerely infuriating.
He started his career on Earth, moving from University to University as places got sick of him and encouraged him to move on. Throughout this time, however, he was producing brilliant work, with the result that, at first, other places were eager to hire him. Eventually, however, his reputation spread through teh grapevine, and people became less willing to take him on. Soon, he decided that there was a conspiracy against him on Earth, determined to deny him a place to work. Of course, he wasn't far from the truth: everyone knew about him, and no-one wanted to work with him.
He applied to HIST, calculating that the conspiracy would not have spread to Poseidon. He was right: there is very little informal contact between academics on the two planets. The HPS Department was thrilled to receive his application: he was, and still is, widely recognised as one of the most brilliant historians of science alive today. He was quickly accepted, and flew out to the frontier world.
It didn't take him long to antagonise everyone. While they wouldn't fire him, because he did increase the intellectual lustre of the Department and, besides, there was nowhere else for him to go, they certainly did not want to promote him. As far as possible, he was edged off committees, denied any promotions, and cut off from the social life of the Department.
He is now convinced that there is a conspiracy of people on Poseidon, prejudiced against him because he has the wrong background. This has made him sensitive to other forms of prejudice on the planet, including the treatment of the natives and genlifted cetaceans. He has contacts with a number of groups, although not with radical fringe organisations. Those groups have discovered his character flaws, and so try to keep him at arm's length: nevertheless, the support of a faculty member at the Institute is useful, especially for those groups concerned with equal access to education.
He has supervised some graduate students, and most of them either changed supervisors, or came to hate him by the end of their degree. There are a couple, however, both rapidly making reputations for themselves, who will defend him: if you can ignore the rancorous tone, and assume that anything he doesn't attack is actually very good, he will drive you to produce excellent work. Even these people have sought jobs elsewhere, being unwilling to continue working with him.
Jeremiah is 65 years old, but has managed to purchase some longevity treatments, so that he appears to be in his late fifties. He is balding, and his remaining hair is grey, but he is still vigorous, and at six feet tall he can be quite intimidating. He is passionate about everything, and unfortunately this is usually channeled into denunciations of his colleagues.
Species: Human (Chimp)
Profile:
Origin -- Earth (Urban)
Background -- Byzantine
Education -- University (Graduate)
Goal -- Justice
Motivation -- Discontent
Attitude -- Arrogant
Profession: Scholar
Mental Attributes: Awareness 50, Charisma 20, Education 100, Experience 65, Initiative 50, Intellect 90, Will 60
Physical Attributes: Agility 40, Appearance 40, Constitution 50, Dexterity 40, Endurance 40, Speed 50, Strength 40
Skill Groups: Communications 60 (Writing 100), Culture 20 (Colonial 50, Earth 50), Fine Arts 20 (Music 40), Human Sciences 40 (Anthropology 80, History 100, Political Science 60), Life Sciences 20, Physical Sciences 20, Scientific Method 20
Skills: Bureaucracy 80, Computer Operation 50, Driving 30, Psychology 20
Copyright David Chart 1995-1998