Death of the Ayn Rand Scholar by Gray Cavender (classic literature list txt) 📕

wants…sometimes he tones things down. Anyway, when Jonathan’s done, I send the minutes to the faculty. So, because of our process, I do have a sense of what happens at faculty meetings.

“OK. So, can you give me any examples of run-ins between them…Professors Gilroy and Siemens?”

She thought for several seconds, then said, “Well, the easiest is the most recent…I’m thinking of a something at last month’s faculty meeting.” She was quiet again, then said, “There was a discussion about hiring a new associate professor—we had an opening for a senior line, which is rare, so everyone was vested in the decision, and the discussion became very heated. Campus interviews were over and the discussion centered on which candidate to recommend.”

Jillian nodded that she understood, and Grace continued. “Billy chaired the hiring committee and was making the committee’s pitch for their preferred candidate, a woman who’d gotten her PhD from The University of North Carolina…that’s Billy’s alma mater.”

“And Professor Siemens preferred a different candidate?”

Grace nodded, and continued, “Which is fine…except…I’m trying to remember exactly how Nelda put it when she referred to Billy’s candidate. She said something like, ‘Well, she’s been an associate professor for a while, but I’ve never heard of her…which could say something about me…or maybe it says something about her.’ Nelda’s tone was so arrogant—even just reading it—that I remember what she said.”

Jillian grimaced and said, “Not good.”

Grace said, “Not good at all, no. Nelda supported a candidate whose doctorate was from Yale, and he’s at Cornell University. She said something else demeaning about Billy’s candidate…something like ‘do we really want someone who specializes in southern fiction?’ When Billy argued that his candidate, who was at Wake Forest University, by the way…”

Jillian interjected, “Also in North Carolina…”

“Exactly…anyway, when Billy responded that his candidate had several areas of specialization and none were southern fiction, Nelda said something even more dismissive like ‘Oh, I thought because of her North Carolina connections…oh well, my bad.’ Anyway, not a good interchange.”

“That is harsh.”

“That’s Nelda.” She sipped her drink quietly, then said, “And, there’s also something demeaning about how she pronounces ‘Billy.’ She over-emphasizes it…as if she’s trying to call attention to his name…something…I can’t put my finger on it.

“So, what happened…with the hiring?”

“A kind of compromise. Another member of the hiring committee said that they’d had a close second choice…someone different from either Billy’s candidate or Nelda’s. There was a short discussion and a quick vote, which went overwhelmingly for the third candidate. I understand that Billy left the meeting in a snit. “

“Do you think he held a grudge against her?“

Grace thought for only a second, then said, “I don’t think so. The faculty applauded the committee for its work, and Jonathan wrote a nice thank you memo that singled-out Billy for heading-up such an effective recruitment.”

Jillian nodded, then said, “By the way, I did interview Andrew Paxton, the student who filed the grievance against Professor Siemens…thank you for the tip on him.”

“Of course. I understand that maybe you can’t reveal too much, but was it helpful?”

“I think so, yes. Have there been any more…situations…involving him…if you know?”

“As far as I know, he’s kept a low profile. Life does go on.” Then she sighed and said, “Unfortunately, I think there’ll be another de-stabilizing event in the next couple of days.”

“Really, what?”

“Well, the talk is that Jonathan Keefer is being promoted to an Associate Dean’s position in the College.”

Jillian leaned forward. “Really? Where’d you hear this?”

“From Jonathan himself. He’d hinted at this—well, it was more like he was crowing about it—last week.”

Jillian sipped her tea and thought that Grace was right about life ‘going on,’ but even so…”

“Is this important, Detective Sergeant Warne? If it is, I apologize for not saying something about it when you interviewed me. I knew about the promotion then…I just thought it was an English Department thing…and I was distracted by…by Nelda.”

“Of course, you were, and no worries. But, let me ask this…actually, let me ask several questions. So, what was the relationship between Professor Keefer and Professor Siemens?”

“Jonathan is first and foremost a careerist. As chair, it was his job to ensure that Rand Studies was successful…that there wasn’t too much kerfuffle once Nelda was here. What deans want is tranquility…for them, the best news is no news. So, Jonathan wanted to normalize her position in the department. That’s why he was upset when Billy told you and your partner that things were not fine over hiring Nelda.“

“OK, got it. But, what about interpersonally?”

“Oh, I think they got on. Nelda was high maintenance, but Jonathan catered to her whims. And, as I told you before, she was a very different person when it came to people who could help her. Jonathan is the chair of the English Department, so he fit that category. Anyway, he’s a careerist, which oft times means a ‘leg-hanger, and he is that. It was his job to smooth the waters with Nelda’s hiring, but I think he also knew ‘which side his bread is buttered on,’ if you’ve ever heard that expression. While I don’t know this personally, I assume that Nelda’s contacts helped Jonathan in terms of the promotion. It was in both their interests to get along…so, they did.”

“Do you think they could have been in competition for that dean’s job?”

“No, Rand Studies…that was Nelda’s baby…she was laser-focused on that. Later, maybe down the road, who knows?

They were quiet for several seconds, sipping their drinks. The waiting line to order had grown again, four students deep, now. Jillian assumed a class period had ended.

Grace said, “Well, I have a question for you…but, it’s a little bit of a topic change…”

“Go for it.”

“Did you always want to be a police detective? I ask, well, because the other day you shared with me how hard it is to deal with the sort of situations that you have to confront.”

Jillian laughed. “No, nothing could have been further from my mind. Because of my Honors Thesis and then my MS project, I