‘It’s still my University’: Veteran UND employee shocked at sudden dismissal
June 3, 2011 at 3:34 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Alice Hoffert, an associate vice president at UND and a longtime member of the university staff, arrived for a scheduled meeting with new Vice President Lori Reesor on May 18 and was handed a letter. A quick scan brought Hoffert to the action line: “Effective immediately, you have been released from your current duties and responsibilities.” Continue Reading
As UND becomes more like a corporation in order to fit into the military industrial complex it will behave this way.
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Seems the UND administration has more loyalty to its nickname than to its employees.
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Tacky. Good, loyal employees deserve better than this. How about something a little more creative – like offer early retirement. Makes you wonder what kind of people run our University.
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you mean to tell me that with a Ph.D and 37 years of service they couldn’t have used her skill sets in other places on the campus??? I understand re-organization but then utilize this person’s resources and skill sets in another position on campus.
Mrs. Kansas better learn fast that we don’t treat North Dakotan’s this way. Especially ones who have lived here their entire lives and have given so much. Sounds like the new VP needs to go back home.
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Not a unique event at UND. A new person comes in from the outside and old heads roll. Anyone notice what happened to Phil Harmeson after Kelley arrived?
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I always got impression that the people who were brought in from other states for upper tier positions (deans and above) were more interested in pushing their own agenda at expense of hard working staff. Their resume is more important than the employees that have been at UND for years and have lived in this state forever.
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Not sure there was any reason to like Harmeson. His official title should have been “Kupchella’s Lapdog.” He got into trouble when he shot his mouth off at an Alerus meeting saying UND was going to upgrade the old stadium for football. The head honchos at UND didn’t want that info disseminated.
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It’s understandable that people get fired from their jobs, it also understandable to restructure. However this is making UND sound like a corporation yes, and if there was an apparent need to do this restructuring, then internally handle it. By no means is firing someone with that much experience, and talent, a good idea. Maybe this new staff at UND should take some time to learn the community and how we do things here before calling shots and bringing in more outsiders. I’ve been terribly unimpressed with the newer upper management at UND for a long time now for a few obvious reasons. I’ve heard how nice they are and how amazing their visions are, but I still cannot get over some of their visions. You can compare the feeling I get to a few local companies here in Grand Forks… Big bad corporation vs. hometown boys..
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This kind of thing really perks up morale in any institution, doesn’t it. Maybe restructuring needs to take place, maybe not, but this Reesor person apparently earns a D- in public and personnel relations. Does Kelly still have any other resumes around from the last search? He may want to rethink this one.
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Assuming the story is at least somewhat accurate, the thing that looks strange is that the discussion of the restructuring of several programs evidently did not include discussions with the Vice President in charge of those programs.
That’s what makes it look more like a head hunt than a true program modification motivated move. It appears like the decision to terminate was made even before the new Vice President showed up.
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First, to Dr. Hoffert, I am very sorry this has happened to you. You are right – this is not moral or ethical treatment you received. And you are right again, there is no legal recourse. This was a ‘systemic’ action taken by a cowardly system [composed of PEOPLE] that is allowed to treat people this way. Even IF the policies didn’t allow it, it’s very likely any legal recourse would be a challenging path to follow. Lawyers don’t get rich fighting for employees’ rights and most individuals don’t have deep enough pockets to employ one to fight against ‘the system.’
So what is really going on here that someone with 37 years of service, service for which she has been recognized, would be handed such a letter by a VP of three months? It would be great if Mr. Haga would do some investigatory reporting. [But he has to deal with politics too.]
Dr. Hoffert likely touched a nerve in someone (or somebodies) that made them scared for their own ‘images.’ The aggression that resulted culminated in Dr. Hoffert’s termination. It’s very likely Reesor is just acting as a puppet. No new administrator – remember, she’s ONLY three months old in her position – is going to fire someone unless she’s put up to it. And she’s not going to take any risks with her career by not complying with those who put her up to it. There were a number of other options she could have considered. She didn’t and most likely couldn’t.
But, bottom line, unless there is an extensive investigation, we’ll never know the ‘real’ story behind all of this. And, yes, this stuff does happen in ND. In fact, it would not surprise me that ND would ‘rank right up there’ with the worst if there ever was a study done regarding how employees are treated. The politics of the ND good old boy system [that includes complying men and women] is out of control in a state with a low population as ours. There is dirty stuff going on in ND all of the time. Anyone exposing the dirt will be driven down or out. It would be interesting, too, too see how often this happens to women (vs. men).
There is no doubt the label ‘coward’ could be applied to many connected with Dr. Hoffert’s termination. In some ways, many of these cowards can’t be blamed as most of us work in an authoritative, hierarchical system that begets ‘legitimized’ employee abuse. When ‘required,’ if you aren’t complicit with the abuse, it could mean ‘you’ will be ‘next.’ It’s ugly, but most people don’t care and don’t understand – until it happens to them of course. Again, VP Reesor could not have acted alone on this. However, when Dr. Reesor says they did the best they could do to treat Dr. Hoffert with dignity and respect, that is such a pathetic statement, I hope it haunts her for years to come. It will.
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Nice analysis. And I have to a gree that a brand new bureaucrat probably would not be presumptuous enough to act unilaterally to fire someone with that much experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if this can’t be traced up the ladder to Kelley. The structure of universities date back to medieval European feudalism, and Kelley is “lord of the manor.” Why dump her? That will never be known. University administrators are never forthcoming about anything. But as I said above, this is not the first time a head has rolled at UND.
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Thank you.
Totally agree when you write: “. . . brand new bureaucrat probably not be presumptuous enough to act unilaterally to fire someone with that much experience.”
It’s impossible to imagine that Dr. Reesor would be that naive as to risk alienating alliances of Dr. Hoffert’s when she, herself, is so new to the system and, at best, has limited knowledge of the power of those alliances. Dr. Reesor was, is and will be protected throughout this venture by those who used her to achieve their own agenda(s).
Prior to the actual termination itself, I would imagine the actual internal ‘formal’ process of terminating Dr. Hoffert started several weeks prior. Several ‘key’ people were in on it, including the system’s attorneys. No doubt Dr. Reesor was carefully coached on what to say and what not to say. This was no random act, but one well orchestrated internally.
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An analogous situation occured back in in the early 1990s. A new provost came in and was instructed by the then-president to eliminate whole programs, because he did not believe their enrollment justified their existence. Problem was, UND was the only school in the state that offered them. Well, she became the villain who got hung out to dry, and he smelled like a rose. Eventually, nothing came of it; the programs still exist. But it was an insight into university procedures and politics.
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Yup, like it or not, Dr. Reesor will have fall-out. She’ll smile and hand-shake through this, but there will be fall-out. If nothing else, some research indicates those who fire/terminate others from their jobs are negatively impacted health-wise. She’ll not forget these moments of her career, no matter how many times she recites the standard ‘this is never easy…” line.
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Well, it may have been orchestrated for weeks, but well-orchestrated it was not.
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From their perspective it was. They had their ducks in a row. There were meetings. Perhaps several. Just imagine what this was like for Dr. Hoffert – after giving 37 years of her life to UND. The people that Dr. Hoffert has known for years, worked with for years, come to know as colleagues for years, some knew about her termination before she did. For some, this must have been very stressful as well. Not like for Dr. Hoffert, but ‘bystander’ stress is real.
They knew what was going to happen. While the article said it was a shock to Dr. Hoffert, it would be interesting, in a face-to-face discussion with her, to ask her if she didn’t see/feel some ‘signs’ that something was up.
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I hope that this story is googled each and every time that Dr. Reesor applies for another job. It is absolutely mind-boggling to me that she handed a letter for an employee to read and considered this as a dignified way to treat someone. In my humble opinion, sitting an employee down, looking them in the eye, and telling them to their face that they are being let go might have been more respectful and dignified. North Dakota deserves better than Dr. Reesor and President Kelly, and if you have met some of the other people at the top, we could do without them too.
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Dr. Reesor did as Dr. Reesor was told by UND’s attorney or by the North Dakota University System’s attorney or both. Even if she would have wanted to do it differently, it was most likely out of her hands.
It is important to remember that what happened here is SYSTEMIC and not just Dr. Reesor’s doing – or even President Kelly’s doing. THEY could NOT do this without the ABILITY (policy) to do it.
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I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.
Abraham Lincoln
Isn’t it a duty of those in power [Dr. Reesor or Kelley] to consider what they are doing and say, “There must be another [legal] way to handle this because this is ___________. ” Insert unethical, bad for morale, wrong, hurtful, lacking integrity, etc.
Your actions often define who you are. If you are a VP and you have some of the power and even you say nothing, who is running the system?
This whole thing is dirty business.
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yeah, yeah… blay blah blah…. we get it, you are anti-military. get over it already. Keep in mind that the same “Military Industrial Complex” you love to bash are responsible for your ability to speak your stupidity on newspaper blogs. UND has the “right” to do as they please, this doesnt make it correct its just a fact. And it has zero to do with the military or anyone else. This is a UND decision made by their own leadership. period.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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So Eisenhower was wrong?
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I have known Alice Hoffert since 1979 when I started at UND, and have
encountered her in her various roles through the years as I studied and taught at UND. Her abilitiy to perform whatever job she was given was phenomenal, and her people skills were topnotch. She coud remember someone’s first and last name even though not having seen them for some years. She has always done her job excellently and with empathy and kindness for students and colleagues alike. It is horrendous to find out that she was terminated in such a cavalier manner. Yes, Ihave to agree that UND is acting like, or worse than, a corporation, heartless and cruel to longtime, loyal, and exemplary employees. My bet is that the person who fired her may have made the decision on her own, having promised the job to someone who gave her a good recommendation for her new job. Too bad, Alice, my sympathies are with you. Gives me one more reason to dislike UND. Yes thay have become a corporation, ever since they switched their focus from education to money. It’s all about money, now.
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I’m not a follower of UND politics but something I have noticed in the past few years is the increasing focus on youth. Granted the good Dr. has 37 years of experience and presumably a steller work history. What she does bring to the table is youth.
Our nation is fixated on youth. And let’s not forget to mention beauty. Look beyond North Dakota and you will find that those 40+, and especially 50+, who are unemployed having a difficult time finding their way back into the workplace. Words like vibrant, energetic, and fast paced in job classifieds equate youth. Also, some women, particularaly those in positions of power, can exhibit cut-throat behavior towards other women in the workplace. But that’s an entirely different topic.
When your doctor, your insurance agent, your banker, and your boss are all younger it sends a strong message. It’s just an ugly truth of this day and age. My guess is her replacement will be a nice looking, younger woman. Probably younger than 45.
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Wow! Do you mean to tell me Due Process does not apply in ND? I thought everybody was entitled to DP in the US Constitution. david I am asking myself why Kelly is still in ND. Possibly Ms Reesor has a friend in Kansas that needs a job.
Ms Hoffert went through all the training to make herself proficient in her position and received commendations for her performance and yet was handed a letter telling her to leave immediately…totally unacceptable.
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Quote from the UND newletter:
“From the beginning of the search process I was impressed with the quality of individuals at UND. After spending time on campus I knew UND was truly a special place. I am excited about joining the UND family and making a difference for students,” said Reesor.
“quality of individuals?”…I guess… except for Ms. Hoffert.
“excited about joining the UND family?….and thinning out the dead weight..I suppose this is the “difference for the students” you were talking about…..eh?..Ms. Reesor.
It appears that Reesor has been taking lessons from Kelley on being able to say one thing to the public and doing another behind the scenes….
I don’t know…maybe it was time for Ms.Hoffert to go…but the clumsy way it was handled does not speak well for Reesor or Kelley….I am not surprised.
Has Kelley left yet?
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Kelley can’t leave until he remodels his office at least three more times.
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They clearly wanted her out for some (as of yet unknown) reason. Fine. Maybe that reason is valid. Maybe it isn’t. Those in charge have the authority to make those changes. But after 37 years of service, you owe an employee the chance to retire if she chooses and the chance to apply for a different position if she chooses.
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It is an unfortunate story. However, given how top-heavy UND is with their administration compared to other universities, I would suspect this move is just the tip of the iceberg.
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So true. Think of the money to be saved by eliminating long term employee salaries and benefits, josteling a few positions here and there, creating new titles for old positions then selling them to the lowest bidder.
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And we all want that to be in our futures, right? Oh, I guess you make too much money, time to go. Restructure the patscale then and keep your people.
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Shame on the people who made this decision. It is a legal but thoughtless, cruel and unethical action. I am ashamed of my alma mater and regret the hiring of Kelley. What a way to reward someone who has given her life to UND and has nothing but positives comments in her personnel file.
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I worked for Alice many years ago and I have a profound respect for her. She treated everyone fairly and honestly. If you were trying to get away with something she would call you on it no matter who or what you were and she would also give credit where credit was due. Maybe that honesty is what was not liked by UND admin.
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UND is a public institution. As such, it’s my understanding the public has access to Dr. Hoffert’s file – with exceptions for any protected information (e.g., any medical records). Her evaluations, salary, etc. are public information. (If this is incorrect, I hope someone will cite why.) Yet, the ‘system’ can terminate someone with a good record, 37 years of service and NOT have to explain ‘why.’
It goes back to the SBHE policy that allows this “blanket†kind of dismissal for employees in positions such as Dr. Hoffert. What was behind the making of this kind of policy in the first place? Has the policy been abused – i.e., used for purposes other than that for which it was intended in the first place? What would motivate the SBHE to even care?
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This is a “right to work” state, but what that really means is that your employer can fire you for whatever they want. It is a state policy, not only a SBHE policy, right?
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ND is an ‘at will’ state.
However, it is my understanding that in those jobs/workplaces where there are policies (typically published in employee manuals) pertaining to hiring, firing and employee performance, if the pertinent policies are not followed when someone is terminated, the employee may have some recourse available to him or her. [And I think what that 'recourse' really means, insofar as a 'benefit' for an employee, that is a whole 'nuther issue.]
The particular policy that pertained to Dr. Hoffert’s position is not the same policy that pertains to the majority of non-academic positions at UND. How what was done to Dr. Hoffert could not be done to most people at UND.
At the ND Department of Labor site, they say the following about “at will” employment. You will read that they reference ‘specified term.’ I am wondering if this can mean ‘contract’ which would include firing policies. I am not an HR specialist or employment attorney, so I am just thinking out loud here. I really don’t know:
Employment at Will
Question: Can my employer fire me without a reason?
Answer: Generally, yes. In North Dakota, any employment relationship without a specified term exists at the will of both parties (employer and employee) and can be terminated by either party at any time, with or without cause. However, an employer may not terminate an employee because of the employee’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, status with regard to public assistance, or participation in lawful activity off the employer’s premises during non-working hours which is not in direct conflict with the essential business related functions of the employer. Other state and federal laws may also prohibit an employer from terminating an employee. For instance, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects persons who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard or other “uniformed services” from discrimination because of their military service, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides unpaid, but job protected, leave in applicable situations.
Question: Does my employer have to give notice to fire me? Must I give advanced notice to quit?
Answer: Based on the employment-at-will doctrine,there is a presumption that either an employer or employee may terminate an employment relationship upon notice to the other. No specific length of notice is require
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Just out of curiosity, the firing occurred on May 18th, Haga’s story on June 4th. I wonder if this is yet another attempt on the part of the Herald to bury a story as long as it could to lessen the negative PR for one of its favorite instutions ( another being the Alerus…no news yet on the financial loss of the latest concert).
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I’m courisouly interested to know why the article, in a matter of a few hours, has suddenly vanished from the main page of the Herald online. With the except in the area voices section (it’s at the top of that list) theres no sight of it. I looked several places around the website (news, local news, higher ed) but have yet to locate it again.
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Abracadabra. It’s back on the home page of the Herald online.
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Honesty, integrity and loyalty to students and staff seem not to be rewarded at the university. Unfortunately the reason for Dr. Hoffert’s termination is probably very much personal by a few who she has stood up to for mishandling their own programs that crossed over into her areas. There appears to be a “clique” that you better not go against or they will wait for an opportune time to attack your integrity, loyalty and principles, due to their lack of those same qualities.
The lack of the top administrators (VP’s, Pres. and other administrators) in mishandling this is a travesty to a fine institution. Is their personnel office indifferent in this or just plain ignored?
Several people seem to be asleep at the helm. There should be an analysis as to whether this is systemic, arbitrary and personal decision-making being allowed by the P(p)resident. Where is his intestinal fortitude?
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Don’t understand this procedure. When working at UND we tried to dismiss someone for a valid reason but was informed by HR that this person had gone beyond probation period and therefore they needed to be informed of reasons of poor performance and given a chance to remedy their performance. We needed to leave paper trail as to why we would want to dismiss this employee.
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Dee,
The policy that pertains to the particular position Dr. Hoffert held is likely different than the policy or policies that pertained to the position held by the person you attempted to dismiss.
The article provides a link to the policy pertaining to Dr. Hoffert. Look at item #1 in the policy. In short Dr. Hoffert was NOT part of the ‘broadbanding system’ (the system that probably pertained to your employee’s position), she did not have an academic appointment and there was ‘no cause’ for her termination.
In other words, if Dr. Hoffert’s position would have been part of the broadbanding classification system (of which most non-academic UND positions are a part) or if Dr. Hoffert’s position would have been an academic appointment, they could not have done what they did and in the manner they did it.
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First let me say I am terribly sorry this happened to Alice. She is a kind person and was great to work with. She does not deserve to be treated this way. From what it looks like, they knew for sometime that she was on her way out. I am assuming that Alice provided the policy information to the Herald for this article. Did anyone notice that the policy was printed out on May 4th? I have not been happy with the way things have been going at UND for sometime. They seem to be losing their focus of educating students. I for one plan to hang up and close my wallet next time the Alumni Foundation calls me in regards to their “Spirit” campaign.
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Folks, if this upsets you to the point of taking action, one thing you can do is write or email members of the Board of Higher Education and ask them about this. Ask them about a policy that allows people to be treated in this manner. Ask them about doing some research to closely examine how this policy has been applied and to whom. Ask THEM to be accountable for the policies they create. Be assured, IF you hear anything back from them, it will be a cursory ‘thank you for your thoughts’ response. Don’t expect anything else. Most of the board members are in cushy situations and this doesn’t affect THEM so the majority probably will sit by watching. BUT one, one or a few might ask some questions. Maybe.
This is dirty work on the part of UND administration and the State Board of Higher Ed. They need to be reminded that people see the dirt. They need to be reminded that we won’t forget the dirt. Until they are affected in some way, they will continue to get by with their dirty work. If we are silent, they certainly will.
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Sadly, I think that North Dakota (midwest) values are diminishing with every new hire at the University, starting with our esteemed president and continuing with a woman who could not even bring herself to tell an employee to her face that she was being let go. Seriously, is there a more cowardly way to let someone who is 59 years old go after a 37 year career than to write a letter AND watch her read it? There HAD to be a more human way to handle this situation. In fact, talking to Dr. Hoffert may have saved the University a lot of money if she would have retired to save her dignity, as indicated in the story.
Surely Mr. Haga will consider looking into whether or not a lot of older employees are being let go at the University and watch the additional “restructuring” in Student Services and other university departments. I also hope that he will watch who is hired and note if a “new,” very similar position is hired. (Those things MAY be illegal as agism IS against the law.) It seems to me that most universities have a recruitment and enrollment position; it will be interesting to see how they combine that job, especially with the magnificence in which it was accomplished in the past. North Dakota is full of people nearing retirement who fear this sort of thing happening to them. I don’t care what anyone says, it is never cheaper to hire a less compitent person, they cost more than they earn.
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It may not be cheaper to hire a less compitent person but more inexperienced the underlings the easier it is to mold them into one’s own image.This does take time but during that time it creates more power and authority for those who are doing the molding.
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I am wondering if ND’s open records law would apply here, in which case Alice or someone else could make an open records request for all documents, written, emailed, memos, minutes, etc., etc., referring to her dismissal. That would make interesting reading.
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It would. But I doubt there is much in the way of written correspondence, memos, etc. The actions of the group of people behind this was very carefully orchestrated with input from attorneys.
Sadly, the bottom line is this: they were able to do what they did because the policy allowed it. Keep in mind, too, that every day there are people – many of whom won’t get a dime of severance pay – who are terminated ‘just because.’ Thirty -seven years or one year, to be terminated from a job for no ‘just cause’ is wrong. Just plain wrong. For an employee to have no REAL recourse to fight such practices is wrong as well.
There is no doubt in my mind that Dr. Hoffert was discriminated against, but just not of the category that is protected by any current law. The effects of the discrimination are pretty much the same. But the laws pertain to the ’cause.’
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Agreed. They would not have proceeded without legel council. They wouldn’t want to get caught up on a nasty lawsuit. I also believe Dr Hoffert was discriminated against. Even if it was a category of discrimination that is protected by current law, such as age discrimination, it is very difficult to prove certain types of discrimination in a court of law. It will be interesting to see what the administration comes up with to cover their tracks.
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It really is amazing how clumsy university administrators can be. This is but one of many examples. A provost at Bridgeport State try to secretly funnel $2 million from the general budget to athletics. Another provost unilaterally declared that 50% of all final grades must be based on “effort.” Miles Brandt kept Bobby Knight on at Indiana as long as he could, despite much evidence of his abuse of his players. So, if you wonder why they all suffer financial woes, and never have enough money, these are the people running the places.
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I tried to post earleir asking if Due Process did not apply to people in ND but I guess my post did not pass the scrunity test.
Does not DP sppear in the US Constitution?
Why is Kelly still the president of UND? He should have recieved a letter terminating his employment many months ago.
What is Ms Reesor’s probation period?
It sickens me to see the university has to hire someone from out of the state when I am sure there are many Nodaks that received their education in ND that could handle the position (Ms Hoffert for one).
I think an investigation should be carried out in this matter.
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I always found it significant that Kelley was hired at the same age as Kupchella when he retired: 64. This meant to me he wasn’t going to be around a long time and that his mission was to be a hitman, making unpopular decisions since he wouldn’t be at UND long enough to make friends. Although I never thought getting rid of Alice was part of that plan. Thus far he has:
1. Eliminated the Communication department
2. Eliminated Phil Harmeson
3. Poured money from academics into D I athletics
4. Worked to get rid of the nickname (that’s still up in the air)
At age 67, I give him 1 or 2 more years before he leaves.
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Gene what you say makes sense to me…someone hired him (Kelly) as a hitman to get there agenda pushed through.
Hard to believe this article took so long to be published and it is ironic after reading Robert Boyd’s feelings of UND……sounded like he was waiting for another plum to come his way in the nickname drama.
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Thomas Clifford was president of UND when I graduated the first two times. I briefly wondered whether someone would have been treated like this when he was president. I really doubt it. Until now I have always been very proud of UND. The manner in which Hoffert was treated was shameful at best.
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That was a whole different time, Glenn. Under Clifford, just about every administrator was an internal hire. The only exception I can think of is Bernard O’Kelly. Acutally, Alice is about the last of that generation.
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Definitely a bygone era. A career today very rarely entails staying with one employer throughout your entire work history. With 37 years in, I’d say Dr. Hoffert was around 20 when she started working for the University. The thought of staying with an employer for this amount of time is practically unheard of these days. The average time spent with any given employer now days is around 3-5 years and that figure was from a 2008 DOL report. It’s a very different world than it was even 10 years ago. Dr Hoffert is part of that rare breed who commit their entire work history to one employer, which should be all the more rewarded and celebrated. That’s not the case though and I can’t say I’m suprised by this devaluation of a positive thing. Just another sign of the times.
http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/key_workplace/540/
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UND has long been a revolving door of faculty and administrators. Notice the grad school dean has just left. Great place to get experience and then move on to an institute that appreciates you.
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the difference is no one will miss Joey Benoit and people will truly miss Alice Hoffert.
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That was my point, Gene. I know it is a whole different time now and I really don’t like what I see. I don’t think Clifford would have measured up to the current criteria used to hire administrators. He’d have likely been passed over. I never thought I’d be one of the guys saying, “We need to get back to the good ol’ days.”
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Clifford jumped from dean to president. With the professional class of administrators today, that would never happen again. Schools hire consulting firms who show up with a briefcase full of candidates they recruited. Outsiders generally don’t have a chance.
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As Kerry Anderson said, “Mrs. Kansas better learn fast that we don’t treat North Dakotan’s this way. Especially ones who have lived here their entire lives and have given so much. Sounds like the new VP needs to go back home.†Agreed! And when she leaves she can take Kelley and Faison with her!!!
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I was greatly saddened when I read about Dr. Hoffert’s firing on the Herald’s website this evening. Alice was on of my greatest mentors and promoters during my time as a student and later as an employee of UND. The firing of such a great assest as Alice is not what I expect from my deeply loved alma mater. Her departure will leave a great void in UND’s administration. I am unsure how her firing fits in Pres. Kelley’s plan to make UND “exceptional.” To me, Alice was one of the many parts that already made UND “exceptional.” You can’t be great without great people.
Alice, you will be terribly missed by many at UND, and I will miss our chats in your office the next time I visit Grand Forks.
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Here’s my take, based on being a relatively high level UND bureacrat myself for more than 30 years before I retired.
It isn’t a matter of whether Alice was doing a good job or not (I personally believe she was doing a great job). Rather, it’s a matter of the new bureacrat thinking like this: “I want MY own team so I get full credit for all the great things that are going to happen on my watch. And then, by golly, in two or three years, I can get the job I really want at a bigger and better school, or perhaps even in private enterprise. Who cares how many bodies I leave behind?”
My guess is a friend of the new vice president is waiting in the wings to get in an application as soon as the position opens. There will be a search committee, affirmative action considerations will be given lip service, but in the end, the buddy will be hired.
Another thing: UND had to pay Alice a year’s salary to fire her. At her level, that’s gotta be well in excess of $100,000 including benefits. One would think the President should have questioned the judgment of a new administrator on that basis alone.
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My guess , Dave, is that you’re right.
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I don’t buy it. Kelley can’t be that stupid; Reesor either. Maybe I give them both more credit than they deserve, but one thing I’m 99.99% positive about is that Reesor was not flying solo on this. No way.
It is concerning, though, that a 30 yr bureaucrat would even think that Kelley COULD have been a “bystander.” Anybody who has been a bureaucrat, and even those who haven’t, KNOW that a stunt like this isn’t done without the full awareness and approval of the person at the top. I can’t imagine how a bureaucrat could suggest otherwise; or insinuate otherwise.
Now I am wondering if Dr. Hoffert pursued the VP position and, not getting it, was perceived as a threat to Dr. Reesor and Kelley.
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I think Dave is right concerning his description of employment actions that have taken place on more than one occasion at the university (esp. athletics). That may or may not be the case this time. If so, the “gang of four” ( or more if you involve, the personnel director and affirmative action officer) who were involved in the decision were certainly a “gang of fools” being manipulated by Dr. Kansas. It’s sad to think they are that naive.
This certainly is more ripe on a gang decision, one of clear personal design to remove a valued public servant, as indicated by the interest in this post.
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But face it, they screwed up royally on this. A central priority of university administrators is positive PR. When Kelley puts on his dog and pony show in front of high school seniors and their parents, he doesn’t say “And another advantage of coming to UND is that we treat our people like excrement.” The absolute brain lock exemplified here is unbelieveable. They could have kept her on, hired another VP, and gradually eliminated her responsibilities until she saw the writing on the wall and retired. As it stands now, it seems like they are willing to put up with a tsunami of protest and hope it all goes away and is forgotten.
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They did screw up, but it really isn’t going to matter in the long run. When there is no mechanism to make someone accountable for their actions, they will, in essence, ‘get away with it.’ They know that. They weighed the risks with the gains (for them) on this one. Dr. Hoffert – for whatever reason – must have presented some real threat to them. To the insecure, strength in others is threatening. Sometimes very, as we’ve seen.
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I grew up with Alice’s son and always knew her as such a nice person. When I read the article, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. For someone working at ANY company/workplace for 37 years is amazing to me and only one word sums up that and it’s dedication. In my opinion, they let go the wrong person who could have continued helping UND’s future as she’s done in the past.
Alice, if you read this, I wish you nothing but the best of luck in your new job search. You deserve better than this and I deeply believe any right minded employer in this city will hire you in a heart beat.
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I see the SBHE is brought into this mess by some posters….Is it any surprise that the “gang that couldn’t shoot straight” managed to foul up another situation?
Many here have said it is sad, terrible, cowardly etc. how Reesor handled the termination of Hoffert. I believe they are all fine adjectives..just need one more…..criminal.
Ms Hoffert needs to make an effort to find out just why she was terminated. Not for her own selfish reasons, but for the next victim of the cowardly Kelley and Reesor.
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The problem that I mentioned in the 1st post in this amazing show of support for Dr. Hoffert is that universities have been trying to become like the corporate sector for years now. The “military industrial complex” is a blend of the public and private. The private sector pollutes the public sector with its dehumanizing approach to dealing with the world. University admins. dream of having the status and power of their private sector counterparts. The danger is they aren’t going to get it in salary but they can try & be like corporate CEOs with their bottom line $ decisions.
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You’ve hit on many topics that are certainly important to an analysis of what is going on ‘behind the scenes,’ so to speak, spearman. Power. Organizational Structure. Psychological Dynamics. Money. Competition. Etc.
Most of us have been conditioned to be good ‘worker bees,’ and we aren’t taught – in public school or college – that being a good ‘worker bee’ may not mean a thing in the work world. Perhaps the younger generation has a better ‘heads up’ about this than I did when I entered the work force and became aware of how dysfunctional work places can be.
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Universities are light years away from the academy dedicated to learning envisioned by Plato. They have become corporatized. Presidents are now CEOs, with salaries to match. At some places that is their official title. All value is based on quantification; put a number on everything: enrollment, credit hours, revenue, even teaching. Students are customers, or unofficially, dollar signs. And then, of course, there is athletics, which vacuums up huge amounts of money, and has nothing to do with any mission of education.
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I feel sorry for you Steve. Obviously you are totally unaware of the differences between “public service” and working for “the man”. There are light years of reasons a person “serves”versus is “employed”. You are in “public service” and are “employed” at a job. If a person in public service expected a heartless manner in a decision on their service they would certainly choose to “run with the bulls”.
You also do not know Alice’s personal situation.
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I understand what Steve is saying. And I’ve been in public service all of my life.
Mr. Haga could write many columns about people in the private sector being ‘let go’ right before retirement, being replaced by family/friends of the boss, being targets of vicious treatment by supervisors, etc. These folks may not have the public exposure and contact those in the public sector have via the nature of their work. Nor may they have the public rally to their support when they’ve been treated immorally or unethically, but they have the same bills to pay, families to support, they work just as hard, and hurt just the same.
It would be a mistake to turn the discussion into one of public vs. private sector. Please do not make this mistake. It takes the focus away from the real issue and that is treatment of employees – wherever they work. The focus should be on why it is still OK to treat employees as nothing more than widgets, a commodity to be used, and as we see, abused.
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Thank you prairie, I don’t want to lose track of the issue here either, I apologize if it sounded that way .
I also have been in public service all my working life. I didn’t want this type of treatment to be brushed off as, “oh, well just another employee story”. The mis- treatment of Dr. Hoffert is the issue and why has the President and Board allowed this to occur. I feel as public servants themselves, they owe an explanation; or change their policy that allows this. It smacks of a lack of accountability and certainly no transparency they purport.
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