University of Cincinnati Hires Enquirer Editor Tom Callinan: Newspaper Boss To Become Journalism Prof By Winter Qtr.




Enquirer's Editor Headed To Academia

 

[UPDATED: Gannett Blog founder Jim Hopkins names three candidates who are possibly in line for the top editor job at the Enquirer.  None are based in Cincinnati. The University posts Callinan's bio and title and tells prospective students, "Since 2002, Callinan was Editor of (sic) Vice President/Content of Enquirer Media . . . ]

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- There hasn't yet been an official announcement or a press release.  Wags say that's why there's been nothing in the newspaper Tom Callinan edits -- without handouts the Enquirer is lost.  But University of Cincinnati insiders tell The Daily Bellwether that Tom Callinan has already accepted a job in the school's Journalism Department and will start teaching winter quarter.  Callinan will have the title McMicken professor of journalism.  The insiders said Callinan will give up the editorship to become a full-time academic.  According to a senior U.C. official:  "He starts winter quarter.  There's going to be an announcement.  It's a done deal.  He's going to have one class at the start, and we'll see what kind of teacher he is.  The feeling here is that somebody who has been the editor of a major newspaper is qualified to teach one class."

It is not quite clear how wide a search process U.C. conducted it for the new professorship.  There are sure to be public records requests filed seeking access to resumes, applications and whatever other hiring material went into the selection process.  Were their other candidates considered and rejected?  Apparently, the university believes that it has landed a big name because Callinan ran the newsroom for SW Ohio's largest daily newspaper and its companion dot.com web portal.  The University of Cincinnati has been trying to build a journalism program, and awarded its first bachelor's degrees in journalism in 2005 from the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences.  The program has been headed by Jon Hughes, who has been a booster for upgrading the program and getting the journalism BA established.  There could be some push-back against Callinan who is jumping from a slumping newspaper to academia at age 62.  The Enquirer does not have a good reputation in newspaper industry circles -- it is considered staid, stolid, understaffed and uninspiring.  One U.C. faculty member said one of Callinan's selling points is that he served on the panel that awards Pulitzer Prizes.  However, others have pointed out that the Enquirer's only Pulitzer in recent memory involved editorial cartooning by Jim Borgman.  And Borgman left the Cincinnati Enquirer under the Callinan regime.  The newspaper no longer publishes locally drawn editorial cartoons.

Said one faculty member:  "U.C. has an editor who will teach journalism.  Mostly this editor has cut and cut.  Maybe he wants to inspire people.  Here's the chance.   I don't know what to think about this, especially since the guy (Callinan) tried to get hired by Miami University a few years ago.  I read that he didn't get the Miami job at the time."

The Enquirer's publisher, Margaret Buchanan, serves on the University of Cincinnati's board of trustees.  She was appointed by former GOP Gov. Bob Taft.  Buchanan listed her political affiliation as Republican.  College officials said that Buchanan played no role in Callinan's hiring by the university.

[UPDATE: 12:48 pm -- Jim said...
The Daily Bellwether story does not say anything about who would succeed Callinan.
Speculation on this blog has focused on three people: Palm Springs Executive Editor Rick Green; Reno Gazette-Journal EE Beryl Love, and Des Moines Register EE Carolyn Washburn.]

[UPDATE 2: 1:24 pm -- Callinan e-mails The Bellwether with some details about the UC post.  It doesn't look full-time.  Bill: Your post seems to infer that my UC class is a full-time position.  It's just a 3-credit adjunct job one night a week. Thanks.]

[UPDATE 3: 2:52 pm -- The Bellwether sent Tom Callinan an e-mail in response to the above message that included an inquiry about the title McMicken professor of journalism.  The Bellwether wondered what a public records request at UC would turn up.  Here's Tom Callinan's reply:

"I don't know what you would find in a public records request but I can tell you what I know.  I have had a very good relationship with the UC Journalism program.  I have been a big supporter as it has grown from 0-200+ in a few years.  They are good kids and I have helped many with internships, etc.


"Jon and Elissa have asked me to teach a class on and off over the years...but I have been too busy.  Infer what you want from that but I expect to have time after the first of the year.  That's all I can say today.  Not trying to be evasive just honest and respectful my employer and staff.


"As we talked, Jon told me he wanted to try for a 'title and affiliation' that would give me supposed status.  The Dean approved it.  (Buchanan had no hand in it...in fact learned of it from me). I plan to remain active in journalism and industry organizations.  Perhaps that title works to heighten UC J's exposure. I'm a bit humbled.


"While I concur my years at The Enquirer have had ups and downs in these changing times...the title recognizes my work over 35 years as an editor and previous teaching experience at the University of South Dakota, Arizona State and Michigan State. I also have a M.S. from the Rochester Institute of Technology. That would be on a resume on file with UC. All the best Bill ... It would be an honor to have you to speak to a class down the line."]

[UPDATE 4: 4:12 pm -- Here's what's up on the UC website:  

Tom Callinan
McMicken Professor of Journalism
English - Adjunct Faculty
22 McMicken Hall
513-556-5924
thomas.callinan@uc.edu

Professional Summary

Tom Callinan joins the University of Cincinnati in the Winter Quarter 2011 as McMicken Professor of Journalism.

Since 2002, Callinan was Editor of Vice President/Content of Enquirer Media, which includes the daily Enquirer, 27 community weeklies and Cincinnati.com and its more than 230 web sites and social media initiatives.

A Minnesota native, Callinan worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Michigan, Florida, New York, and USA Today in Washington, D.C. Before coming to Cincinnati he was Editor of The Arizona Republic in Phoenix, where he worked with partner Gannett TV station KPNX-12 on one of the nation's first and largest convergence initiatives with Azcentral.com. His journalism awards include two Willam Allen White awards for editorial writing and a Society of News Design medal. He has twice been a Pulitzer prize judge at Columbia University.
Callinan holds an M.S. degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where his master's thesis focused on management and new media.

His previous teaching experience has been as an adjunct instructor at Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism, Michigan State University, the University of South Dakota and the University of California at Berkeley's Summer Program for Minority Journalists.

Asian Indian University of Cincinnati Prof With 29 Patents Feuds With School: Says Reputation, Research Efforts 'Sabotaged'

Prof. Dharma Agrawal

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Computer science professor Dharma Agrawal was recruited from North Carolina in the late 1990s and was given tenure and the title Ohio Board of Regents distinguished professor. He was considered a world class researcher. Agrawal -- a naturalized U.S. citizen who emigrated from India in 1976 -- now is claiming his research funds have been taken away because he's not American born.  His lawsuit claims violations of academic freedom, due processs and discrimination against him because of race and skin color. The lawsuit was originally filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court last month, but has been moved to U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati lawyers said the suit raises federal civil rights issues. The move to federal court suggest the school plans a vigorous defense.

Agrawal contends that Carlo Montemagno, dean of the college of engineering and applied science, and John g. Bryan, interim vice provost for academic personnel, have harassed him and disrupted his research efforts since 2006. He said the school has wrongly accused him of exploiting students and leveled unproven accusations that he forced foreign students with F-1 visas to work on proposals for his private company. For a time, he said he was suspended and banned from appearing at the college. Agrawal's lawsuit said he was the victim of a sham investigation:

"Dean Montemamgno claimed to have conducted an investigation that substantiated the allegations; but in fact no report of such investigation has been found and apparently none was actually conducted and the Dean had no legitimate reason to have brought such allegations and proposed discipline. Rather, Dean Montemagno had deliberately brought the charges to destroy the reputation of the plaintiff, and to induce him to leave the University." 

Agrawal is an expert in the field of wireless systems. He claims there is a campaign under way to disrupt his research. Agrawal originally was brought to Ohio -- along with several others recruited to the state's 13 campuses -- in a bid to stimulate the state's economy by boosting research efforts across the state university system. Regents professors were funded by the state because they had earned national recognition for their work and excelled as scholars. But Agrawal said it went off the tracks at the University of Cincinnati:

" . . . Plaintiff was intentionally discriminated against by defendants because of his non-white race and color and because of his Indian national origin and Indian ancestry. Had Professor Agrawal been treated equally with white professors or American-born professors at the University of Cincinnati, there would have been no attempt to discipline him as was attempted, nor would his graduate faculty rights have been suspended."

Agrawal wants $500,000 in punitive damages, attorney fees, an injunction and reinstatement of nearly $400,000 in Ohio Board of Regents research funds that were stripped from his control.

University of Cincinnati Opens Research Center in Singapore: State School Will Help Asian Nation Generate New Jobs

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio is mired with a drowsy industrial economy and high unemployment.  But that hasn't stopped the University of Cincinnati -- a tax-supported state school in Ohio -- from teaming up with government economic development officials in Singapore to generate new jobs in the Asian city state.  Singapore says it is looking for a competive edge.  The question:  Will the Cincinnati school's overseas venture end up threatening the U.S. workforce?  UC is boosting an offshore economy by opening  a research center in Asia at a time when the U.S. is struggling to compete in the global marketplace and the state jobless rate is around 9.5%.    Cincinnati itself is ranked as among America's most poverty wracked cities by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Thien Kwee Eng, an official with Singapore's Economic Development Board, makes it clear that the Cincinnati school's presence will help that nation produce products for Asian consumers.  It's about jobs, job, jobs for Singapore.  In fact, that's the duty of the Economic Development Board, which says in its mission statement:  "EDB is the lead government agency responsible for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre and grow the Singapore economy. We dream, design and deliver solutions that create value for investors and companies in Singapore.  In so doing, we generate economic opportunities and jobs for the people of Singapore; and help shape Singapore's economic future."

The Daily Bellwether has the complete text of Eng's speech welcoming the project, which is available at the link below.  But here are a couple of pertinent paragraphs from the Singapore official's speech:

"We recognise that Design is exceedingly growing in importance to companies as a competitive edge to creat products and services that enhances the quality of life of people and also makes business sense.  To come up with a successful product requires more than the ability to sketch and build things.  Instead, a deep understanding of consumer needs and deriving consumer insights, coupled with the ability to translate those insights into a useful product is the key.  To address this EDB [Singapore's Economic Development Board] plans to build up capabilities to establish Singapore as a leading base to gather and analyse consumer insights, as well as to develop products for Asian consumers.  This was the result of a recommendation from the Economic Strategies Committee earlier this year, and would enable companies to anchor consumer-centric innovation activities out of Singapore."

Here's the link mentioned earlier: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-pgmFMQp6BMJ:www.cepo.sg/etc/medialib/downloads/pdf_documents_for.Par.72533.File.tmp/Speech%2520by%2520Ms%2520Thien%2520Kwee%2520Eng,%2520Director,%2520Lifestyle%2520Programme%2520Office,%2520Singapore%2520Economic%2520Development%2520Board.pdf+thien+kwee+eng&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

University of Cincinnati Fans Lose Faith In Mick Cronin: Straw Poll Results Are Awful

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Bearcats basketball fans look to be turning against Coach Mick Cronin. A straw poll run by the University of Cincinnati student newspaper shows nearly 59% of the voters think Cronin can't handle the head coaching job in the Big East Conference. Here are the numbers:

"Is Cronin the right man for the job?
Yes 18%(104)
No 59%(348)
Can't say yet -- give him more time to prove himself.
23 %(136)"

The straw poll in the campus daily The News-Record isn't scientific. Nor is the sample huge at the moment. But it does draw from a sample of people who are involved with U.C., or have a stake in campus life. It's a clear signal that patience with Cronin -- whose team lost a conference game to the University of South Florida (65-57) last night -- has worn thin. UC is 15-10 overall this season, but 6-7 in the Big East. Its chances of getting into the NCAA tournament are fading. Cronin took over after the Bob Huggins era. He has not been able to coach U.C. to the heights Huggins' teams had. The Cronin era is mediocre at best. On the other hand, Cronin's teams don't have the reputation for thuggery that plagued the Huggins era. He has cleaned things up. But this straw poll is not good news for Cronin, whose job could be on the line after the season. It looks like the fans have turned against him. How long before they start asking for his head?

Christian Mag Slams Football Coach Brian Kelly: 'History of Association With Left-Leaning Politicians'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- People in Cincinnati are still mad that Brian Kelly jumped from head coach of the University of Cincinnati's football Bearcats to Notre Dame. But nobody questioned his politics, nor did they presume to judge his morality because he associated with Democrats. But World Magazine, a Christian publication that claims to stand for "factual accuracy and biblical objectivity" has tackled Kelly with a story implying wealthy Notre Dame alumni are disgusted he's at the school. The magazine reported that Notre Dame punted on its moral standards for the sake of athletic success. One of Kelly's big sins: He worked on a Gary Hart campaign. Curiously, not one alum is quoted in the piece.

"The recent hire of Brian Kelly to succeed Charlie Weis as head football coach at Notre Dame raised more than a few eyebrows among devout Catholic alumni, many of whom have helped build the school's $6 billion endowment. Kelly has a history of association with left-leaning politicians, including working for Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart in 1984. Such ties have prompted some Fighting Irish faithful to wonder aloud if Kelly supports legalized abortion."

Is World Mag honest about its perspective? "We stand for factual accuracy and biblical objectivity, trying to see the world as best we can the way the Bible depicts it. Journalistic humility for us means trying to give God's perspective. We distinguish between issues on which the Bible is clear and those on which it isn't. We also distinguish between journalism and propaganda: We're not willing to lie because someone thinks it will help God's cause."

University of Cincinnati's Top News Stories Surprise: Carbon Nanotubes Beat Sugar Bowl Bearcats

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A whole lot of people seem interested to know that Cincinnati holds the world record for the world's longest carbon nanotubes. School officials have been counting clicks at Ohio's second largest university. And they're reporting that its scientists got more interest on the university's online portal than its football team, which finished 8th in the national gridiron polls. The Bearcats' trip to the Sugar Bowl this month ranked fourth on the click list. That was topped by interest in the school's design programs in architecture,industrial and interior design. And then there was this item, No. 2: "UC Researchers Shatter World Records with Length of Carbon Nanotube Arrays." It's great to have someone in Ohio breaking world records.

New Prof Arriving At University of Cincinnati: $295,000 A Year To Teach 'Real Estate'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The $295,000 that the public university reportedly has agreed to pay John Glascock annually to head its real estate department in the College of Business seems to be a really fat paycheck for a professor. It more than doubles the average salary -- $109,569 -- for full professors at public doctoral universities in the USA. Indeed, the average salary for a professor at Ohio State University is $121,552. Pay scale data for academics was compiled earlier this year by the American Association of University Professors and is available here
and here.

Glascock is coming from Cambridge University in England. Cliff Peale, who covers higher education for the Cincinnati Enquirer, was first to report that Glascock will get a $100,000 summer supplement along with the $295,000 annually. Glascock is an expert in real estate finance.

The University of Cincinnati is Ohio's second largest school after Ohio State and apparently plans to offer a major in real estate. That might be straying from Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland's push to refocus the state university system on programs that will drive Ohio's economy in the future. Real estate is neither cutting edge nor a growth industry. Developers already know all to well how to finance everything from condos to shopping malls.

Higher Education Chancellor Eric Fingerhut has been traveling across Ohio spreading Strickland's message that the public campuses need to begin "drawing on our strengths to reclaim our premier role in the global economy." Perhaps the University of Cincinnati intends to make Ohio the world's premier spot for real estate agents. Maybe it can figure out how to sell the glut of foreclosed homes that have wrecked the housing market in Cleveland and other cities across the state. Maybe the $295,000-a-year real estate professor can figure out how to bring jobs back into Ohio so people can afford to buy homes. Somehow, though, the school's move seems totally out of tune -- dare one say ivory towerish --- with the economic gameplan currently embraced by the state's elected leaders in Columbus. On paper, that effort has been to emphasize the role of higher education in the overall economic success of the state. Does a $295,000 a year academic who specializes in real estate really meet that goal?

University of Cincinnati's Student Newspaper: A Big Media Takeover Target?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- An e-mailer passed along a link to a business story in today's New York Times about media giant Gannett Co. Inc.'s interest in acquiring college newspapers. Gannett owns the Cincinnati Enquirer, and its president and publisher, Margaret Buchanan, is a member of the University of Cincinnati board of trustees. That has led to speculation there may be some behind-the-scenes maneuvering under way by Gannett to purchase control of the News-Record, the campus paper owned by the University of Cincinnati.

U.C. is a state school, and its newspaper is already printed at a Gannett plant in Richmond, Ind. So there is a pre-existing relationship. The e-mailer wrote, "Gannett is moving in on college newspapers. It raises troubling issues of corporate editorial control, using free student labor, and their attempt to gain access to a demographic that spends a lot of money."

The Daily Bellwether phoned Len Penix, a lawyer and former Cincinnati Post reporter who now serves as faculty advisor at the News-Record. Penix says the campus paper circulates about 7,350 copies each of the three days a week it is printed. He said he has heard nothing about a potential sale to Gannett. He said the university owns the newspaper's name and gives it space to operate on campus. He said the paper self-funds through advertising revenue -- about $250,000 for the 90 issues that appear yearly. He said it has a board of overseers that includes a dean, the provost, students and faculty members. Penix predicted any move by the state school to sell the newspaper would trigger a backlash of campus opposition.

"I think the reaction would really be negative. The faculty wouldn't stand for it. The students wouldn't stand for it -- they'd probably all quit. We do have a relationship with Gannett, but it's not the Enquirer. All they do is print us. We self-fund, we pay for salaries and distributors. We're editorially independent of the school, they passed a rule several years ago that the News-Record will be editorially independent. I have been here for 18 months, and I haven't heard anything about the paper being sold."

University of Cincinnati Prez Nancy Zimpher: Favors Football Playoffs Over BCS

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- U.C. President Nancy Zimpher is the Big East Conference rep on the NCAA Division-I board, and she intends push at its meeting next week for dumping the BCS system. Zimpher -- who is despised by many U.C. fans because she forced out basketball coach Bob Huggins -- favors a football playoff to select the national champion. She says the nine-year-old Bowl Championship Series (BCS) creates too much controversy. LSU won the NCAA championship by crushing Ohio State, but critics contend those two teams many not have been the best in the land.

"I am in favor of the championship being decided on the field. I would be very receptive to a series of scenarios to see how we could break through this juggernaut, because it's not making anybody particularly happy right now."

Zimpher made her comments during an interview with David Harding, a staffer on the News-Record student newspaper. His scoop doesn't seem to have been noticed yet by MSM sportswriters. Zimpher said she's going to bring up her concerns at the NCAA board meeting.

"Determining champions of the field, in the aquatics center is really how it ought to go, but there are a lot of politics to this. Now a relatively new member of the NCAA board, Division-I, this is where the decision will come to rest and I will do my best to review options and listen to arguments and vote my conscience."

Cincinnati's Shuttered Emery Theater: Jim Tarbell Is Working On A Revival

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The 95-year-old Emery Theater that is said to have some of the best concert hall acoustics in North America could be in store for a revival. It once was a jewel in the Queen City's crown. It seats up to 2,200, but has been abandoned and mouldering like an Egyptian tomb since the late 1990s. Former Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell -- a one-time rock concert promoter -- was spotted inside the shambled Emery, inspecting the site near downtown, and said he is working on a plan to bring it back to life. Clearly, something is up.

Tarbell invited The Bellwether through the lobby and into the auditorium, which was drab and dusty and gloomy under the dim houselights. Still, Tarbell gushed enthusiasm -- fresh paint and restoration could give the marble-columned Emery the gilt-edged glow it had when Gershwin appeared in the Jazz Age, or Nijinsky danced with a Russian ballet troupe.

Tarbell left City Hall last fall. He said he's been thinking about the Emery for years. "Imagine Dylan here, or Led Zeppelin. It would be perfect. How about A Prairie Home Companion?" The Emery would seem to be a nice fit for a touring Garrison Keeler radio show. Tarbell is imagining events like that. He didn't offer any details about financial plans, or who would put up the money to restore the theater at Walnut and Central Parkway. Tarbell did say he thought the Cincinnati Ballet, the Chamber Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera would all use the site.

In Cinema Treasures, the Emery Theater is described as a prize awaiting rediscovery.

"Prior to its film years, the Emery was home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1912 until they moved to the Music Hall in 1936. On the Emery's stage over the years appeared Russian ballet dancer Nijinsky, actresses Bette Davis and Katherine Cornell and composer George Gershwin, who played his famous 'Rhapsody in Blue' with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra shortly after he had premiered it at Carnegie Hall in New York. The theater, which is now closed, is owned by the University of Cincinnati."

Cincinnati Bell Chairman Phillip Cox: Is His College Degree A Total Fabrication?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A spokesman for Xavier University says the private Jesuit school in Cincinnati has no record of awarding a diploma to Phillip R. Cox, a prominent Ohio business leader who claims to be a graduate with a bachelor of science degree. Cox is a trustee on the University of Cincinnati board. He is also chairman of the board of Cincinnati Bell Inc., an Internet and telephone company with about 3,000 employees in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. There's more on Cincinnati Bell at Yahoo Business. He also serves on the boards of Timken, Duke Energy and Diebold, and was on the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank's board until 2006 when his term ended.

Cox was appointed to the University of Cincinnati board of trustees by former GOP Gov. Bob Taft in 1999. Cox's term expires in 2008. A brief official biography of Cox appears on the state university's Web site and notes he is a "1968 graduate of Xavier University."

However, Xavier University spokesperson Deb Del Valle told The Daily Bellwether this week that Xavier officials have been unable to find any records showing that Cox received a diploma awarding a degree. She said Xavier has fielded inquiries about Cox's history at Xavier in the past. She said he attended the school, but is not a graduate.

"We cannot say that he has a degree from Xavier. The registrar has searched and there is no record that he is a graduate. This has came up before,'' Del Valle said.

Last May, Cox was questioned in a court deposition (Warren County Common Pleas Court, Case No. 06 CV 66932) and testified he had a degree from Xavier University. Here is an excerpt:

Q, And you went to college in the Cincinnati area as well?

A. Xavier University.

Q. And what year did you graduate from Xavier University, with what degree?

A. 1969. [Editor's Note: The University of Cincinnati bio linked above said Cox graduate from XU in 1968.]

Q. With what degree?

A. Political science, BS.

Q. Was that a bachelor's degree?

A. BS.

Q. A bachelor of science. And did you go on to a graduate level program?

A. No, I did not.

During the deposition, Cox was asked if he had ever made claims about his past that were misleading. He said material was circulating that purported to show he was a fabricator.

Q. It is accusing you of making a practice of lying about your credentials. Do you see that in paragraph 2?

A. Yeah, I see it. Yeah.

Q. You deny that allegation.

A. I deny it, yes.

Q. You would say that you've never been in the Secret Service?

A. Same answer I gave you before, right.

Q. But you would disagree that you ever claimed that you did, correct?

A. Never claimed it.

A. You ever claimed to have a master's degree in psychology?

A. No. I said I had a degree in psychology -- psychology and political science.

Q. And did you ever claim to have a law degree from the University of Michigan?

A. No. I have a degree from the University of Michigan for a course taken there; plaque's on my wall.

Q. What course was that?

A. It was an industry course for financial planning.

The deposition's cover sheet shows it was taken May 31, 2007 at Five Seasons County Club.

Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank: Board Member's Bio In Doubt

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Some keen-eyed numbers crunchers have noticed that the official biography of a prominent Ohio Republican doesn't seem to add up. Cincinnatian Phillip R. Cox serves on several corporate boards of directors, along with the governing bodies of the University of Cincinnati and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Both Diebold Corp., the voting machine manufacturer from Canton, and the
University of Cincinnati say that Cox is a college graduate. He is reported to have picked up a diploma in 1968. Some of the bios say he was awarded a B.S. degree is political science and psychology from Xavier University.

That appears to be inaccurate. Has a case of resume padding been uncovered? Cox went to Xavier -- where he played football -- but is considered a non-degreed alum. Apparently, he was supposed to finish in 1968 but may have changed majors, dropped out, or earned credit hours in classes that didn't lead to a diploma. It is unclear why Xavier does not consider him a graduate.

Now here's where things gets really interesting. Former Republican Gov. Bob Taft appointed Cox to the University of Cincinnati board of trustees in 1999, soon after Taft took office in his first term. The state school considers Cox a graduate of Xavier, its crosstown rival. This is what U.C. says on its Web site about its GOP-appointed trustee:

"Mr. Cox is a frequent speaker for companies, universities and civic organizations throughout the country, and has been the keynote speaker for scores of national and local organizations. He is well known for his dynamic and motivational speaking style. A native of Cincinnati and a graduate of Xavier University, Mr. Cox worked briefly for General Mills before founding the firm he now heads. He is chairman of the Cincinnati Business Committee (CBC) and serves on a variety of boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank, Cinergy, Cincinnati Bell, Touchstone Mutual Funds, Bethesda Hospital and the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History. In addition, he recently accepted a position on the board of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation, an organization charged with the promotion and oversight of business development in the City of Cincinnati."

Has Cox embellished his resume? There is evidence he did not. The Bellwether checked with the governor's office and learned that Cox's November 1998 bio on file when he was vetted for the Bob Taft appointment to the University of Cincinnati board of trustees says Cox "attended" Xavier University. In other words, he did not claim to be a grad.

But somewhere along the way he picked up a degree, a B.S. in political science and psychology. Perhaps U.C. decided to pump up his academic credentials. After all, how would it look for a major state university to have a trustee --indeed, a former chairman of its board of trustees -- who didn't have a sheepskin?

Ohio Law Professor: GOP Prosecutor Wrongly Gave Break To Baked Kid's Mom

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- University of Cincinnati law professor Christo Lassiter has joined the chorus of those who say Clermont County's Republican prosecutor seriously screwed up the case of a mom whose two-year-old baked to death in a Mercedes on Aug. 23, the hottest afternoon so far this year. Lassiter is calling on federal authorities to investigate the case and says forgetfulness is no excuse for a parent who leaves a child inside a vehicle with the windows rolled up on a blazing hot summer day.

Lassiter, a former Marine Corps lawyer who handled criminal prosecutions in the military, unleashed his criticism in a guest column for today's Cincinnati Enquirer. The law school professor stopped short of calling Clermont Prosecutor Don White an idiot. Instead, Lassiter described White's explanation for not taking action against the mother of Cecilia Slaby as something akin to legal bunkum.

"White argues that because Nesselroad-Slaby says she forgot she put the baby in the car, she therefore did not disregard a known risk. White's assertion finds no support in recorded cases. A Westlaw search of convictions under R.C. 2919.22 where the child endangering consisted of leaving a child unattended yielded 31 cases sustained on appeal. There is not a single case that I have been able to find in Ohio where the defense of forgetfulness rebutted a finding of recklessness. Nesselroad-Slaby formed a habit of leaving Cecilia unattended, making it a habit to forget about her altogether, and therein lies her recklessness."

Lassiter's faculty biography and list of interests at the University of Cincinnati are available here.

OH-02 Schmidt's Plagiarism: A House Code Of Conduct Violation?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Bellwether has already discovered Republican U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt appears to have filched much of the material for her Sept. 4 newsletter topic from an Ohio Highway Patrol superintendent's column written in 2005. Her claim of authorship raises an interesting question about ethics and conduct. Should a congresswoman receive a pass for the lack of integrity that would get an Ohio college kid punished, or flunked, or maybe even kicked out of school? Or should the House Ethics Committee move to take action that could result in censure or worse?

On campuses and schools -- after all, her column was about school buses -- plagiarism is taken seriously. Schmidt is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, whose Code of Academic Integrity makes clear that plagiarism is a breach of conduct and an offense. The school's code defines plagiarism as:

"Submitting another's published or unpublished work, in whole, in part or in paraphrase, as one's own without fully and properly crediting the author with footnotes, citations or bibliographical references."

It also rules out using ghostwriters and says it is wrong to pass off another persons work as original. Several other Ohio colleges and universities have similar rules designed to stop plagiarism. Ohio University has been investigating engineering students and faculty members over alleged copycat theses which led to advanced degrees. Plagiarism is under attack in academia.

Schmidt's copycat work was posted on an official House Website, and should be a target of a House Ethics Committee examination. The official Code of Conduct for the House does not mention plagiarism. But it does demand that members behave well as members of that body. Indeed, Rule 1 states as follows:

"A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."

The complete text of the rules are here.

Bottom line: Schmidt's plagiarism would be considered a breach of academic integrity on college campuses in Ohio. A student would face sanctions. It is time for the House to weigh in on plagiarism. The Ethics Committee needs to open an investigation.

Cincinnati Boots Prof In Derriere: Ohio Court Can Cans Claims She Was Too French And Anti-War

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A federal appeals court says the University of Cincinnati was within its rights to fire a fashion design professor from France. There was evidence some school officials warned her she was "too French." There were also concerns that Nathalie Doucet, like many of her countrymen, had expressed opinions opposing the U.S.-led War in Iraq.

The school contends her national original and political views had nothing to do with the dismissal. Instead, it says her contract in the UC School of Fashion Design Program was not renewed because of inadequate performance as a teacher. A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals sided with the university as the ruling here makes clear (16 pages PDF). The court said this week it won't step in to undo the decision.

However, there was evidence of anti-French sentiment being discussed during 2002 and 2003, when the U.S. was preparing for the invasion of Iraq and Doucet was having trouble hanging on to her job. France and several other European allies of the United States opposed toppling Saddam Hussein on grounds he might possess weapons of mass destruction. Instead, those countries argued for UN weapons inspections. Anti-French sentiment was widespread, and Congress scrubbed the name french fries from menus in a lunchroom at the Capitol. The appeals court noted:

"Doucet submits that during UC's spring 2002 term, (a school director) told her that her School of Design colleagues perceived her as 'too French.' She further submits that in the fall 2003 term, ... told her that her plans to an international fashion competition were 'not the way Americans do it.' Doucet alleges that a guest referee at a student fashion presentation told her that she was 'not speaking English.' Finally, Doucet suggests that UC administrators were influenced by a March 2003 e-mail from a student's parent that accused Doucet of being "very French and very anti-American' and arguing that Doucet should keep any anti-war sentiment to herself 'while being paid with American dollars.' In general, Doucet has intimated that she was out of the loop within the School of Design and that her colleagues at the School of Design resented her for reasons including her national origin."

Forget U.S. News College Rankings: This Scholarly Rating Puts Ohio State U Atop Harvard And MIT

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Washington Monthly magazine is out with its own ranking of U.S. colleges, a list that is meant to offer a serious challenge to the credibility of the almighty U.S. News and World Report college rankings. Both compilations try to measure the quality and academic performance of a campus. But Washington Monthly's is intended to smack down the newsweekly whose annual campus ratings are the bible but are growing increasingly controversial with some 60 schools refusing to participate.

This time around, Ohio State University comes out No. 12 in the nation overall (PDF). That spot places it one-notch ahead of MIT and betters academic bastions like Harvard, Penn, Johns Hopkins, Duke and the University of Chicago. Case Western Reserves holds 42d place, just behind Columbia. On the U.S. News list, OSU is No. 57 and Case 41, the highest rated campus in the state. That list has reinforced the concept the Ivy's are tops.

The monthly magazine's list is not quite as prominent as its newsweekly competitor's. It has only been around since 2004, but is growing in influence. The magazine looked at 242 national universities. Unfortunately, the University of Cincinnati is way down the list at 168. Cleveland State University fares even worse at No. 218, dead last among all the all the Ohio schools.

Liberal arts colleges are ranked separately, and Oberlin fills the 13 slot. Antioch was in 192nd place, the worst in the state and nearly the worst of its 201 peers across the nation. Antioch has financial troubles and plans to suspend operations next year. With such a poor ranking, its failings seemed fatal.

The editors at Washington Monthly explain they came up with their alternative to U.S. News in order to determine how well universities are delivering on their primary, public interest missions.

" . . . Rankings are meant to provide a guide not just to what colleges can do for you, but what colleges are doing for their country. For the third year in a row, we've sifted through reams of publicly available data to come up with what we think is a fair assessment of which colleges are living up to their public interest missions, and which aren't.

"We us three criteria that we believe best measure the impact schools have on the country. The first is social mobility: does the school do a good job recruiting and graduating poorer students? The second is research: is the school supporting the scientific and humanistic study that is key to our national strength by producing PhDs and winning research grants? And the third is service: how effectively does the school foster an ethic of giving back to the country, either through military or civilian service."

Ohio Scientists Report Secondhand Smoke Worse For Blacks

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Researchers studying the harmful health effects of tobacco report that black children exposed to secondhand smoke "have significantly higher toxin levels when compared to their Caucasian counterparts." The study of 220 children with asthma found that the African- American youngsters had higher levels of cotinine, a product of nicotine metabolism in the human body. The presence cotinine means a human was exposed to tobacco smoke, which is the only known source of the chemical marker. All of the youngsters, between ages 5 and 12, lived in homes with smokers who lit up at least 5 times a day.

There were 121 black kids in the study.

Steven Wilson, a physician at the University of Cincinnati who led the project, said black children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke have a tended to become more ill. He said the reasons are still murky.

"African-American children suffer from higher rates of tobacco-related disorders such as asthma, sudden-infant death syndrome, and low birth weight, and we need to know why. So our goal is to understand how certain populations -- particularly those groups who are most susceptible -- respond to ETS [secondhand smoke] behavior."

The research is published in the current issue of CHEST , the American College of Chest Physicians' medical journal. The researchers reported the white children in the study lived in homes where there was more smoking, which they measured with nicotine dosimeters over a six-month period. A summary of the study released by the American College of Chest Physicians said:

"Results indicated that while African-American children spent less time exposed to ETS (secondhand smoke) they showed significantly higher levels of cotinine compared to Caucasian children. On average, serum cotinine levels in the African-American participants were 32% higher than in the Caucasian participants, and hair cotinine levels were 4 times that of the Caucasian participants."

Wilson said there appears to be some unexplained process in the body that allows whites to 'handle' smoke differently than blacks. He said there could be racial differences in how other tobacco toxicants are processed as well. Mark J. Rosen, the president of the 16,600-member American College of Chest Physicians said smoking is hazardous period. He said secondhand smoke must be eliminated from all settings.

"Exposure to tobacco smoke is dangerous for everyone, regardless of age or race. These findings underline the importance of eliminating environmental tobacco smoke in every setting, especially those where children are present."


A CDC factsheet about secondhand smoke is HERE.

Draft Bob Taft: For University of Cincinnati CEO

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former Gov. Bob Taft, despite his low poll numbers and problems with the conservative wing of his own Republican party, was an officeholder who cared passionately about the quality of education in Ohio. He has been out of work for nearly a month. Somebody ought to think abut giving him a new job -- CEO at the University of Cincinnati, an urban state school where 25,000 full-time students seem to be getting slammed by runaway costs.

Taft -- if he stepped in -- would have the clout, political background and administrative ability to dig in and hold the line. Because of reporting by The Cincinnati Enquirer's Lori Kurtzman, who dug the data out of the Ohio Board of Regents, we know that U.C.'s tuition is $9,375 a year. That's more than Ohio State University ($8,433), Ohio University ($8,7272) and most of the other state schools ($8,553).

On January 23, the U.C. trustees raised room and board to $8,286. That compares to $7,640 for a comparable r&b plan at the University of Akron, Kurtzman reported.

There is a link to the University of Cincinnati's FEE SCHEDULE available on the school's Web site, and more about the campus HERE.

Gov. Ted Strickland, who comes from southern Ohio, knows the importance of U.C. to the region. It was a low-cost state school that drew in people from across SW Ohio and the Appalachian counties east of Cincinnati. That was the idea behind the move to bring it into the state university system in the 1970s -- a move crafted in part by Appalachian Ohio's Democratic power brokers Vern Riffe and Myrl Shoemaker, both dead today. Somehow, the school has turned down a road that leads to becoming a high-priced behemoth. It is simply beyond belief that U.C. costs more than Ohio State -- its counterpart as a comprehensive state university. Strickland, a Democrat, might want reach across party lines to push for Taft's appointment -- which would signal his interest in curbing college costs.

Taft, who has a law degree from the school, could return to his hometown and restore some sheen to his family name. He could score points on an issue of importance to average Ohioans -- spiraling college costs. He could make the school appear more responsive to individual consumers, whose tax dollars go into the education of every student. There is clearly a disconnect between the academics and educrats who run the campus and average Ohioans who pay the bills. Bob Taft might be able to accomplish a great good -- giving people something they want at a price they like.

Draft Taft.

Top SW Ohio Scientist/Dean Headed To Florida?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The comings, goings and wooings of Big Time college basketball and football coaches always make headlines. Not so when top-level scientists and deans are looking to pack their bags and move out of Ohio.

But the news of the latest brain drain is that Robert A. Frank, a brilliant University of Cincinnati researcher and interim dean of its graduate school, has tried to land a job in Florida. He was interviewed last week by officials at the University of Florida for the post of graduate school dean at the 50,000-student state school in Gainesville. So far, no word if he's been hired.

Frank, a psychology professor at U.C., is a major figure in the research world. He has chaired numerous review panels for the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. He has served on the Ohio Board of Regents Advisory Committee on Graduate Education. Here is his bio from the University of Cincinnati's Web site.

He shows up here on this list of five finalists for the Florida post. Frank was in Gainesville January 9, 10 and 11, and on the campus being dined, meeting with officials and selling himself. His Florida itinerary is here.

Frank holds a doctorate in experimental psychology from the University of Cincinnati. In other words, he is an Ohio-grown researcher. If he's good enough for Florida to take a look at, maybe somebody ought to think about keeping him here in the Buckeye State? After all, isn't it time to stop losing to the Gators?