Sunday, August 21, 2005
Guardsmen with college problems
New York guardsman John Byrnes describes his experience dealing with the mindless bureacrats in the higher education system in New York, as he was going through a series of mobilizations.
I've had similar problems with my employer, who asks for written orders for everything, and can't understand that much of what we do happens on verbal orders and a sign-in sheet.
Read the whole thing.
I should say that while I hadn't heard of too many problems for our Iraq mobilization with colleges, the supportiveness of Florida colleges for our students who were mobilized for the series of tropical storms and hurricanes that struck Florida in the summer of 2004 were in many cases, less than understanding.
His fix:
Via Betsy Newmark, guesting on Michelle Malkin.
Splash, out
Jason
The administrator, a minor functionary, who needed to sign off on my withdrawal refused to do so, until I presented my official orders mobilizing me. She claimed it was a policy that no one could change. I recalled to her the president’s email, but she was obstinate about her stance. This is where we have a clash of cultures, one that needs to be resolved in favor of citizen soldiers everywhere. Although the military doesn’t do anything without an official written order, these often occur ex post fact, after a verbal order has set things in motion. And a soldier might be nowhere near a fax machine, copier or a post office when the formal order reaches him. In this case while I was mobilized on 1 October, I didn’t receive my official written orders until late November.
I've had similar problems with my employer, who asks for written orders for everything, and can't understand that much of what we do happens on verbal orders and a sign-in sheet.
Read the whole thing.
I should say that while I hadn't heard of too many problems for our Iraq mobilization with colleges, the supportiveness of Florida colleges for our students who were mobilized for the series of tropical storms and hurricanes that struck Florida in the summer of 2004 were in many cases, less than understanding.
His fix:
I am calling on the President of Hunter College to appoint a Dean for Veterans and Reservist affairs. In fact I am calling on the CUNY Chancellor to make it requirement at all the CUNY schools. This official should be an advocate and a watchdog. Not only a point person and a resource for soldiers to cope with the inane bureaucracies that have thrived in the CUNY system, but someone who can advocate policy changes to the colleges and the University. People have adjusted to the new realities of the post 9-11 world. It’s time that institutions like CUNY did so too.
Via Betsy Newmark, guesting on Michelle Malkin.
Splash, out
Jason
Comments:
Hi Jason,
This is actually an idea that we student-veterans at Columbia U. have been talking about as well. If you have any suggestions or tips of how to do this, I (we) think it's a reform that's overdue in all American colleges, not just Hunter College and Columbia University in NYC.
Eric
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This is actually an idea that we student-veterans at Columbia U. have been talking about as well. If you have any suggestions or tips of how to do this, I (we) think it's a reform that's overdue in all American colleges, not just Hunter College and Columbia University in NYC.
Eric
