Try as I might, university humor is often in short supply. When I do find attempts at university humor, it is typically “Dibertesque” in nature – poking fun at the ineptness of higher education. Occasionally, I do find academics who are able to provide insight into the true inner workings of higher education administration. One such humorous statement comes from Clark Kerr, the first chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley and twelfth president of the University of California.
After the election in fall 1966 which brought Ronald Reagan to California’s governorship, membership on the Board of Regents shifted to the right, and on January 20, 1967, Kerr was abruptly dismissed. At the time he stated, ”I left the presidency just as I had entered it — fired with enthusiasm.”
Another witty observation from Kerr came as he reflected on the appropriate way to describe “the university”. Kerr referred to Robert Hutchins (University of Chicago) and then provided a California perspective. “Hutchins once described the modern university as a series of separate schools and departments held together by a central heating system. In an area where heating is less important and the automobile more (California), I have sometimes thought of it as a series of individual faculty entrepreneurs held together by a common grievance over parking.” (Source: Kerr, Clark, The Uses of the University, 5th edition. 1963; Harvard University Press, 2001)
Bravo, Dr. Kerr!
The Academic Anchor 