Professor retires, cites administration, lack of intellectual diversity
Liz Wrobel
Issue date: 9/16/05 Section: News
"The university clearly lacks a diverse array of views and, as one of the few conservatives on campus, I am concerned that the ideological groupthink will continue to dominate the university," Genest said. "Unfortunately, the administration views diversity solely in terms of genitalia and pigmentation and refuses to add intellectual diversity into the equation."
"The Multicultural Center," Genest said, "was a colossal waste of money because instead of hiring new faculty like women, minorities and conservatives, the administration constructs a building, calls it multicultural and assumes they have done something significant. This is a perfect example of form over substance."
Genest also added, "Think of how many new faculty they could have hired and instead they constructed a building that represented multiculturalism and nothing more." Genest's views of multiculturalism revolve around the significance of the people and mentality involved, rather than material objects.
"Multiculturalism is about people, not buildings and you've wasted your money on edifices rather than substance. They [the administration] just don't get it," Genest said.
In a statement regarding education, Genest refers to President Robert L. Carothers.
"Carother's famous quip that they don't have a physics page in the local newspaper is an intellectually vacuous statement that completely misses the point regarding the proper role of higher education in American society."
Despite its faults, Genest said he was content while teaching at URI.
"The real reason I left was because it was an exceptional opportunity and when that comes along you have to take it," Genest said. "I was not unhappy at URI; in fact, I was very happy."
Genest talked about his fondness of college students, also adding that at the War College, the average age of his students is around 30 years old.
"I have to be mature which is really difficult for me," Genest joked.
"The Multicultural Center," Genest said, "was a colossal waste of money because instead of hiring new faculty like women, minorities and conservatives, the administration constructs a building, calls it multicultural and assumes they have done something significant. This is a perfect example of form over substance."
Genest also added, "Think of how many new faculty they could have hired and instead they constructed a building that represented multiculturalism and nothing more." Genest's views of multiculturalism revolve around the significance of the people and mentality involved, rather than material objects.
"Multiculturalism is about people, not buildings and you've wasted your money on edifices rather than substance. They [the administration] just don't get it," Genest said.
In a statement regarding education, Genest refers to President Robert L. Carothers.
"Carother's famous quip that they don't have a physics page in the local newspaper is an intellectually vacuous statement that completely misses the point regarding the proper role of higher education in American society."
Despite its faults, Genest said he was content while teaching at URI.
"The real reason I left was because it was an exceptional opportunity and when that comes along you have to take it," Genest said. "I was not unhappy at URI; in fact, I was very happy."
Genest talked about his fondness of college students, also adding that at the War College, the average age of his students is around 30 years old.
"I have to be mature which is really difficult for me," Genest joked.
