The biggest concern is buyouts of tenured professors?? Really?? Paying them to retire?? I am becoming thoroughly embarrassed by the vocal minority at my alma mater. When times got tough and my former company had to make cuts they laid off an entire department of about 60 people. No buyouts, just a box. And guess what, no mass protests or investigations, either. This is the way the real world works and I think too many have been too sheltered for too long to realize this. If you really insist on diverting your energies away from jobs right now (teaching your students who have paid to be in your classes), at least have the intelligence and wherewithal to go the root of the problem and quit throwing mud at the messenger. President Allen and UNI aren't your enemies. If you want to complain about the current state of affairs, talk to the legislature which can't come to an agreement on funding for education in our state. The legislature that thinks that diverting money from education will somehow not have negative future repercussions. Trust me, President Allen didn't wake up one day and decide to "punk" all the faculty at UNI. He was basically given an ultimatum...make some tough decisions or we (BoR) will make them for you. As I said, what you are doing is embarrassing to all of us who hold UNI near and dear. Please stop. The only outcome of your continued protests will be a much weaker and less respected UNI.

Rather than thinking, "I'm frustrated and angry because those people have things I don't have, so therefore they shouldn't have it!" (like benefits, union protection, job security, etc.) why don't you think, "What can I do to make it so my situation is more like that?" Why do people insist on thinking that way?

Union protection and job security? Union protection against what? The illegal sweat shops being run in the basement of Schindler? The forced labor of 10 year old professors? The dangerous teaching conditions of dry ink pens? There is a time and a place for unions. Protecting someones job when there is no useful need for it any longer is not one of them. Should UNI still be teaching courses on horse and buggy driving? Job security shouldn't come from someone legislating it. It should come from need for that job. I am saddened by the de-funding of UNI, but a world full of unions is not the answer. I am not jealous of their situation. I am sorry that it has created a false sense of security in them to the point where they feel anyone who makes tough decisions that affect them is really just out to get them.

And let me be clear, however. I am not saying that everyone who is losing their job "should" lose their job...or that their field of study is now obsolete. What I am saying is that this is all a result of a current legislature who feels that education is not worth the investment. I think that going after UNI and Ben Allen is misplaced anger and will only serve to tear down what some feel they are trying to protect. If you want to truly make a positive difference, then go to the source...the legislature and tell them why investing in education truly is a wise and positive investment. We need a strong UNI and I think it is worth every penny.