Iraq and an academic fiasco

Only my high respect for the decision making process in high ranking academic hires causes me to believe every word of this story: the America University of Iraq hired its chancellor without even checking out his past employment record:

The university’s lofty aspirations, as espoused on its Web site, make the selection of its first chancellor all the more puzzling. Owen Cargol, who took the helm at AU-Iraq in 2007 and resigned in late April of this year, had a checkered past that could have been revealed to university organizers with a simple Google search. The sexual harassment scandal that brought down Cargol at Northern Arizona University in 2001 was well publicized, in all of its explicit detail, but apparently never came to the attention of the U.S. officials who trusted Cargol to help reshape the Middle East.

Well, he did last a whole four months at that Arizona job (which, btw, paid $180k per annum).

I won't go into the nature of the scandal, since you can read them here. As for the mind numbing stupidity of the original hire as chancellor at Northern Arizona U, check this out.

I'll content myself with Cargol's own assessment of himself:

"I have overcome most, if not all, of my inhibitions and self-doubts. For sure, I am a rub-your-belly, grab-your-balls, give-you-a-hug, slap-your-back, pull-your-dick, squeeze-your-han, cheek-your-face, and pat-your-thigh kind of guy. I am optimistic, outgoing, physical, affectionate ... and sensual kind of guy.

I have said it over and over: anyone, and I mean any.one., who comes within the baleful shadow of the Bush administration ends up looking like a fool if not actively malevolent.


Well, there is an opening for a university administrator in Kurdistan if anyone is interested. I'd apply myself except that I don't think I can talk Carmen into living in an Islamic country in the middle of a civil war. And, I might not be what they are looking for anyway.