On paper, J would make a great scholar: he has excellent research record. School seems lucky to have him on board. Only one problem: as a stammer, he cannot even manage a full sentence in minutes. He cannot teach.
That would be the end of the story in other normal schools, but not here where politics triumphs common sense. Despite students’ complaints year after year, J is still standing in the classroom, squarely. This is the school politics at its worst: it is a crime to sabotage students’ education and waste taxpayers’ money only for the political purpose.
J’s secret is simple: suck up to the boss. Do whatever the boss asks, even over the bottom line. In return, the boss covers him up. Besides inability to teaching, the boss also protected him from the investigation of his fraud in promotion: J claimed a top publication, which turns out to be merely a proceeding paper. He completely sold his soul, if there is one.
This year the drama reaches new high. The boss appointed J to chair the hiring committee of the area outside J’s expertise. Usually the committee must meet to discuss the hiring process and qualification. Yet, despite two requests, J refuses to hold any meeting: he does not want to expose his stammer problem to the campus (there are three outside members).
Instead, he plays dirty: he emailed the committee the hiring plan without any specifications on Friday afternoon, and demanded approval by Monday. This surely infuriates the committee. The drama can only intensify…
A MAN OF ACTION 