The thick plottens in Schmidly hiring

The Journal has an article this morning about the caliber of the
candidates that the UNM President's son "bested" in the hunt
for a brand new $94K a year job at UNM. link sub req

Brian Schmidly had some serious competition for the opening
for Associate Director of Sustainability at the UNM.

According to the Journal, Schmidly was hired by Physical Plant Director Mary Vosevich. Vosevich said that Brian Schmidly was the most qualified and that his family ties had no effect on her decision. President Schmidly said he had nothing to do with his son's hiring.

He obviously had nothing to do with his son not being hired, either.

The older Schmidly had a responsibility to the UNM that, at best, he ignored. Co-incidentally, or not, it worked out just great for his son.

Among the qualifications for the job; seven years of direct experience. The UNM President's son is getting credit, apparently, for being a student and a member of a family of educators.

"He's been around higher education all of his life, certainly, as a student. His family has been in the educational field for years"

On the damage done by the "apparent conflict of interest",
Staff Council President Loyola Chastain said;

"This is another demoralization issue for the staff at UNM"

There is damage done by the appearance of a conflict of interest.

It is not potential damage, it is not possible damage, it is actual damage. It is actual damage done by UNM hiring practices which either do not prohibit creating the appearance of a conflict of interest, or which were not followed in the hiring practices that create the appearance of a conflict of interest.

In either case, stakeholders lose, UNM employees lose, the credibility of the leadership of the UNM loses.

People will bitch for awhile, and then Brian Schmidly will assume his new job, anybody who created any real static will be dealt with, and the good ol' boys will have won again.

So much for government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It has been given short shrift again in favor of government of the good ol' boys, by the good ol' boys, and for the good ol' boys.

... and their offspring.