Meeting Her Pt. 07: The Convention

The state initiatives were interesting because they proposed a reallocation for funding. The post WW2 funding priorities had been "get folks into college" and the state funded colleges based on students regardless of majors. But the new proposals allocated funds based on enrollment targets, with the state "discounting" some majors (liberal arts and some K-12 teaching like art and music) while giving full credit to other areas that were more expensive to staff, like business, engineering, K-12 science teachers etc. The premium for grad students was also increased. The bi-partisan political agreement, which was pushed by the business lobby, had been worked out in secret and was signed today. The press was there but no questions were allowed. The speech took 15 minutes, shorter than a earthquake but more significant with more press.

In the fine print there was a catch, to qualify the business programs had to have accreditation. If not the students would be discounted for funding. (Translation: non-accredited schools would die quicker, students would only pick accredited schools.) Isabel sent a text to Curtis and the Provost as soon as she had the important details, about 10 minutes before dinner. The deal made my job much more critical. Curtis texted to me that he was glad I had heard the announcement, that he had bet on me, and that Nancy was the proof that he was "all in" on the critical unwritten parts of our deal.

If it were not for the fact that accreditation was a gimmick created with smoke and mirrors, it would be a good idea. Ideally accreditation would look at student scores on standard exams, or 5-year earnings of graduates (in other words, the RESULTS of teaching). Instead the accreditation board was really a way for the Deans to get power over their bosses and the faculty who could not be fired. Accreditation visitors just focused on faculty publications, because then Deans only had to do simple math (counting pubs), instead of digging up and working the real results of the job their were doing.

Well, it had to be said that Deans got their jobs based on making friends with the higher ups, not by having better ideas. Also, evaluating teaching was hard, especially since every faculty member in the school knew their subject better than the Dean did.

This new deal was both good news and bad news for Nancy. With her promotion she was more valuable to the school, but only if she got that "terminal degree" before her time was up.

The dinner itself would have been anti-climatic except that this resort was famous for their northern pike, they had a special source and the fish was prepared wonderfully. They really did a great job with this rare menu item.

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Chapter 10. Buy You A Drink?

After the dinner Rick Jenson found me and asked if he could buy me a drink. I knew what this was about. He knew a lot about me (he knows everybody, and they tell him everything) and now he wanted my download on Nancy. Well, I was glad to be one of the folks he knew.

"So when did you first meet Nancy?" Rick asked.

"At the Trenton conference last year. Do you know...?" It was a special thing held for at-risk schools, by invitation only. It was 100% recruiting and under the radar, there were no dealers or presentations and no time for socializing. Like a meat market where I was a prime beef.

"I do. Schools with accreditation troubles, and a limited list of graduating PhDs who could help them. Roughly 15 schools and 20 candidates are invited. A Friday-Saturday-Sunday thing. I had you listed as my top draft choice due to of your prior work. I expected a California school or that place in Atlanta would pay you more."

"I appreciate that, they offered. But for me it was about the power to get results, not a few dollars more that will get swallowed by cost-of-living. Friday afternoon I sat down with Nancy, Dryden and their Chair, who plainly did not want to be there. Nancy was sent as eye-candy. We knew the Provost was listening live on Dryden's cell, to keep things honest. It was more me interviewing the school than the usual, we all knew how bad each school was hurting. They were told I was highly recommended. It was clear that the higher-ups were prepared to to make an extraordinary offer to the right person, but I can't say the delegation made an attractive first impression. They had a serious problem."

"Dryden is pretty good..."

"Dryden is great, he was the only reason I stayed past the introductions. Now we have some things in the pipeline. The Chair, on the other hand, clearly did not believe. He figured the association would never throw us out, or if they did he could get his cronies in the state to fix it. 'We aren't broke, there is nothing to fix' he said several times. He thought he was relevant but really, next time he won't be along. I only had one real question, would I have the power to change things? The Chair said "we already have a Dean" and just wanted to talk pay, because he figured the Provost could not meet the competition so he would be done with me. I wasn't going to win him over so instead I acted pissed off and did a 5-minute monologue cataloged all his failures, I even tore apart a 10 year old try he made at a study he shopped around publishers. I did it just because I could, and to let them know I was the real deal. I pissed him off enough so after breaking some china and stemware he had to excuse himself."

"So you talked, then what?"

"Dryden wanted to continue over dinner, but the Chair made it clear Dryden would not be alone with me, so I ate supper with somebody else, the Ohio school. That was when the Provost had a private word with the chair.

After dinner I had a private word with Dryden, where I told him that if the Chair had any power they were off my list. If he was irrelevant - which was one of my requirements - we could talk again. He put me on with the Provost, who said one word: irrelevant. So they were still in the running."

"That is a very clever plan. To bad I am a nice guy who could never do it."

"You are important enough you would never have to do it. I am just getting started. Anyway, after that we broke up, the Chair insisted on a review to look at tomorrow's candidates. Dryden could not argue, and the Provost really needed a plan 'B' anyways. But Dryden got the word out and I got a longer private call back from the Provost, telling me that my first requirement and my unstated salary demands would be met, we would work around the 'chair problem.' It was pretty clear the Chair was not inclined to hire anyone except more staff. His idea was a department with just enough faculty to teach upper levels and then staff for basic and intermediate courses."

Rick nodded. "I have heard that before. They can make a strong economic argument, then kill it by demanding excessive pay for faculty. That model might work on another planet, but here the big schools call the tune, they control the new PhDs and the pubs. Of course, sometimes they can't agree on the tune."

As soon as he said that I knew he was holding something back. I was pretty sure I knew what. It seemed that I was not the only guy in the room who wanted to do something revolutionary, to change the system.

"I agree. Anyway, now comes Nancy's part. An hour later I ran into her in the bar, she was looking for me and wanted to talk about something personal. I think she was looking for liquid courage to come to my room, since I was her first 'special assignment' for the school. She said she wanted to talk so we did. Right off she says that this is not about sex. I ask 'so is that good news or bad news?' and she gives a little laugh, we both know the attraction is there, but that is not the point. We talked for 2 hours, it was pretty clear that the Provost sent her to sell me on the 'smaller community' idea which I had mentioned once during our meeting. When we were done she went off-script and asked to use one of my beds for the night. She had a room next to the Chair's, and the slimy asshole happened to mention that he could open the door between them. That made her nervous, she was year-to-year, loaned from another department, so she had no power in the situation. She claimed not to know why she was even along, but I had an idea."

"I heard she was hired to teach Production. She belongs in Accounting, and not in Cost."

"I hear you, but she likes cost and recruits majors for us, so... that was politics, as a shared asset she was subject to the whims of two assholes. But I fixed that."

"I noticed she was listed as 'Accounting faculty.' Your doing? Some of the power you mentioned?"

"Yes, a big score in public. The President kept his promise to back one big move a year, it helped us both. But it was possible only because she made the great effort and has the goods thanks to he past education." It was a compliment, he acknowledged it. Then I continued sharing some details I would normally keep to myself, but Rick was a guy I had been balls-to-balls with so I went with the facts. "So anyway, in my room Nancy and I talk for a time, a good talk about the school and the town. It gets late. At her suggestion I shower first, change into my sleepwear in the bathroom, and get into bed. She is relieved I don't come at her naked, she wasn't sure. She goes in, showers, and after the usual amount of time she comes out. She does not have PJs along, all she is wearing is tiny panties she had in her purse, her hands are covering her tits. 'Topless beach jokes, get them off your chest now,' she says, exposing and posing the girls. I make a lame compliment about big'uns being overrated. Then she sits on the other bed and makes a little speech about it not being about sex, but she would like to share my bed. We are adults. 'I like a warm cuddle' she says. 'Sex is off the table, but would you be interested in some company?' she asks. I warn her I will get hard. She says it is not an issue, she says what I do with it is. But she trusts me on that, and honestly isn't sure about her own feelings yet. So I invite her in. You would too."

"Young man, I am married 15 years with two daughters. But... you are right, she would be welcome to cuddle... with all my travels my wife and I have an arrangement, as you know. But you had to know this was a setup, right?"

"Damn strange one - declining sex. I learned later it was more a 50/50 thing. Well, I was her first target. I could not see any leverage coming from it. Plus there was a real mutual attraction. So we cuddled. She took my top off, she liked it better that way. But that was all, we slept. It seems I give good pillow."

"I like to think I would do the same," Rick said. "She has an attraction."

"I'm not married but maybe my past makes it easier. Anyway, we woke up well before the alarm. I was hard as expected but 'surprise,' I also seemed to be naked. Her panties had run off with my bottoms, I could see both obscenely intertwined on the other bed. She was holding something hard of mine and was smiling. Then she asked if she could help herself to a very nice hot healthy breakfast. 'It is not sex... I know some president said that.' I don't argue with President Clinton."

"Damn, that is a good Penthouse story. Is she as skinny as she looks?" he asked.

"Yes, the poor girl clearly starved herself, I could see her ribs. Also everything else... she posed, showing me everything. I just had to feed her. When she was started I asked if I could return the favor but she declined. 'Distracts me' she said. 'Also, I get embarrassed at how I look.' I could not argue. She did a great job and had no trouble dealing when her creamy breakfast order arrived. I was coming out of the daze when she was dressed. She said thanks, then was gone."

"Did you see her again at the conference?"

"Yes... she played it as 'our secret' the few times we bumped into each other. She was busy but friendly. I had another private hour - a lunchtime - with Nancy in my room. Same deal but reversed, a quick BJ then a long cuddle. We both had a good time. There was another meeting where I gave the group some salary targets. Provost blew the Chair's mind when he said the salary was not a problem. The Chair listened and didn't say a word - order from above. He almost objected to my numbers, then almost lost it when the Provost said, on speakerphone, that it it was doable. When Dryden asked so I gave him some good tips on other candidates, we both agreed Stephens was good and Bishop would flop and drag the school down. Weber and Summers will publish, but had to be courted to collaborate. I left that evening after talking to three other schools."

"You picked Nancy's school." Rick said. "That is not a coincidence."

It was a fair point. "They met my salary and trumped everybody on my power moves. It's a 4-year contract instead of 3, starting pay higher that the chair or any other faculty on campus, including the endowed chairs. Max raises if I hit goals. I said it would do no good without some power, so we really negotiated that on my visit. The higher-ups were all in. In secret I got what I needed: power over one chair a year, power over the incentive system, other demo moves like Nancy's promotion to show I am the leader, it's not just talk. There are stiff requirements on my end, but if I hit them I get monster raises - top % plus - large enough that they can't afford to keep me longer. I admit to being a bit mercenary."

"A lot mercenary. But if you earn those raises you will save the school, that is worth hundreds of millions to the state. They will owe you a statue, except mercenaries don't get those."

"I can live with that, statues are not why I play my game."

"Yeah, about that... I heard your story. But what did not make sense is that you left a job paying much more in industry. This does not look like a mercenary move."

"The thing is, I am set for life now. But staying at that job longer had serious costs attached, I was headed for a burnout but I pulled out in time. It is easy to think you are okay until you smack into something serious and then find it is too late. I know too many folks in jail or the loony bin because they just wanted a little more money they could never enjoy, and a little more of a rush for the sake of a rush. I left too early - before I got that first rush from crossing the line - instead of too late. I had enough money. Plus I wanted real challenges with real power and real 'do good' rewards. That sounded mercenary, but call it Che Guevara or Marquis Lafayette types or mercenary. This particular job appealed because the President was willing to work for me, basically to misbehave to save his name. I will have real power to change things without the burnout. It fits me."

"Back to Nancy..."

"Yeah, can we stipulate a few things instead of doing 20 questions? We share a room here with 2 beds. I like her. But we are not exclusive and she knows from day one that I am not the 'settle down and make babies' type she thinks she wants. She had a boyfriend, the last of a string on worthless townies. He gave her a ring, then made the choices so he wound up shot in the back about a month ago. He had tried to rob her when the hole he dug got too deep. That bullet cleared her schedule, and she still needed a guy, so... She made a legitimate contribution to the paper - Box Jenkins was all her doing - and we are working on others, she has also has some things in the hopper with Dryden. You and I agree that she is PhD material. But she has a problem with leaving town so the usual steeplechase route to a PhD is not her thing. She can clear obstacles, and run distances, but can't go the distance at a big school with the usual course. That sticks her on a non-career time clock. Are we agreed so far?"

"Good summation. Yes, her presence here was a nice surprise, her status a much nicer one except for the cliff at the end. I will try to get her back to school but I must say I am doubtful. Why do you think that is?"

"It's clear she is hogtied to her community and has low self-esteem so she won't free herself. That means she has to have a boyfriend in public, we are treading that line now but we know I am not that guy. She would never choose a faculty member, because she is not worthy. I chose her and got her on the faculty, it was the best I could do. More evidence of the self-esteem issue is the fact that she was paid for that first encounter with me. She was manipulated by a desperate higher-up into prostituting herself at Trenton, a deplorable moral choice, but two wrongs can, it seems, sometimes make it right. Well, I suppose I can understand desperate times, desperate measures. Plus, it is her nature. At my old job 'desperate times' was every hour of every day."

"All true... still I have to try to get her on a PhD path. I will tell her that my greatest accomplishment will be to see her published in a 'top 3 journal.' Your paper... I talked to Kent so I know the path that project took... it just might be a big first step. You have to keep working on her. Maybe there is a way."

I spoke the raw truth as I saw it. "I'll tell you what we need... If there was just some way for her to get a PhD, building on what she has so far, without changing her current lifestyle too long. Her job is now good, good for her and getting better. She loves teaching undergrads. She is never going to be like you, or me. The good news is that she knows she can be more. But she belongs in the classroom, with sophomores where she can do the most real good improving masses of students. I have seen her students, she changes lives. I am serious, maybe 30 lives a year take a step or three up just because of her. Your path does not put her there."

"Neither does your plan... you may have made her happier, but you put her on a 5-year clock and after that it all goes away and she is older. This is not criticism, but it is the life, one of the rules."

"Yes, that had occurred to me. That is why I said 'get a PhD without changing her current lifestyle too much.' I am keeping my eyes open."

That idea surprised him. I could see him mentally double-clutch and switch gears fast. Something I had said led him someplace else for a moment. "I think there is an idea in those words... a revolutionary idea... that just might work. It is not in place today... but I know some things that are coming... you might have the answer. You are a good man Dr. Braxton, if I can help feel free to call on me."

It was good to know.

I had to ask, "While we are here, are you... your arrangement... interested?"

"Nancy falls into the 'unfulfilled dream' category for me. My wife is at home but I have my daughter Brianna with me. Also, with some luck Nancy's 'student' days are not done and that is a problem for me. So I must say 'no' with sincere regrets."

"I understand, maybe in the future. I think she might be interested."

He smiled at that. "Good to know."

"Hmmm... your daughter you say? I saw somebody that looked too young at the presentation."

"Green outfit?"

"Yes. Tall and lovely."

"That was her, I told her that she had to sit in the back if she was going to text. Teens need to connect. She is a good age to see what her Dad does for a living. Nancy impressed the heck out of her, a real-life superheroine. Then when Nancy called on me... Bri said it was like those commercials where everybody stops talking and listens to what the guy says. She had no concept..."

It was a good conversation at the time, but with the 20-20 vision that comes after the fact, the whole conversation was silly. I mean talking about Nancy's career, not the sex. We were men who had reached a career-level of success before we were 30, and here we were plotting a path for this amazing young woman and her future, using our own standards to determine what would make a success. We really had no idea what she valued, mainly because she had spent her life trapped in a behavior model - the high-school dating mindset - that simply could not bring her happiness. She did not yet know what would make her happy, so what chance did we have at it?