http://dailytroll.com/2008/08/14/welcome-to-1998/ Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:30:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://dailytroll.com/2008/08/14/welcome-to-1998/comment-page-1/#comment-58072 dustbury.com » In the forefront of technological advance Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:56:09 +0000 http://dailytroll.com/?p=1880#comment-58072 [...] might have thought that this condition was peculiar to schools in this state. And I would have been wrong: The University of Idaho takes online payments. But it wants an additional $44.87 to receive the [...] [...] might have thought that this condition was peculiar to schools in this state. And I would have been wrong: The University of Idaho takes online payments. But it wants an additional $44.87 to receive the [...]

]]> http://dailytroll.com/2008/08/14/welcome-to-1998/comment-page-1/#comment-53376 Penny Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:50:12 +0000 http://dailytroll.com/?p=1880#comment-53376 In 1988, the University of Wisconsin still herded students into the dirt-floored Cow Pavilion to register for classes, and still required campus library patrons to fill out borrowing slips by hand, in triplicate. I'm pretty sure they've managed to make both things a little more modern in the last 20 years, but... with universities, you've always got to consider where they're starting from. The "we've always done it like this" mentality is powerful. In 1988, the University of Wisconsin still herded students into the dirt-floored Cow Pavilion to register for classes, and still required campus library patrons to fill out borrowing slips by hand, in triplicate. I’m pretty sure they’ve managed to make both things a little more modern in the last 20 years, but… with universities, you’ve always got to consider where they’re starting from. The “we’ve always done it like this” mentality is powerful.

]]> http://dailytroll.com/2008/08/14/welcome-to-1998/comment-page-1/#comment-53299 Ahistoricality Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:28:06 +0000 http://dailytroll.com/?p=1880#comment-53299 You figure out pretty quickly who the decent and useful ones are, and try not to overwork them. As much as possible, you work around the other ones, but don't let them know you're doing it. They have long memories and long careers.... You figure out pretty quickly who the decent and useful ones are, and try not to overwork them. As much as possible, you work around the other ones, but don’t let them know you’re doing it. They have long memories and long careers….

]]> http://dailytroll.com/2008/08/14/welcome-to-1998/comment-page-1/#comment-53273 Terry Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:40:40 +0000 http://dailytroll.com/?p=1880#comment-53273 That's fascinating, A. I didn't know that civil service applied to state school administration, though it makes perfect sense. How do you manage to deal with them? That’s fascinating, A. I didn’t know that civil service applied to state school administration, though it makes perfect sense. How do you manage to deal with them?

]]> http://dailytroll.com/2008/08/14/welcome-to-1998/comment-page-1/#comment-53250 Ahistoricality Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:04:12 +0000 http://dailytroll.com/?p=1880#comment-53250 Universities are the last bastion of medievalism -- this is what I say about our academic structure, which is feudal -- and rarely are our administrative staff the most creative or technologically savvy. In state institutions, the civil service tenure system has a way of preserving the "best practices" of previous generations, and the normal state-organized bidding process ensures that purchasing of organizational (fiscal and academic) software and systems is done by the lowest bidder.... Universities are the last bastion of medievalism — this is what I say about our academic structure, which is feudal — and rarely are our administrative staff the most creative or technologically savvy. In state institutions, the civil service tenure system has a way of preserving the “best practices” of previous generations, and the normal state-organized bidding process ensures that purchasing of organizational (fiscal and academic) software and systems is done by the lowest bidder….

]]>