UCLA | Privatizing the Public's University of California

Privatizing the Public University of California
(and how to prevent it)

I'm providing below the one element that is absolutely essential to successfully fully privatizing this public university. Without this single element, no amount of corporate money could ever take the University of California out of public hands and securely lock it away from public awareness and scrutiny behind corporate-mandated private doors.

To understand why this one brief email from this UCLA professor is this essential element, we merely consider the breakdown and its consequences in this scenario: We're living and working within a publicly created institution (be it even a public park) where we've charged stewards with ensuring that this public space is cared for in ways the public has determined will build and protect its integrity. One fine day, a few of these stewards act to expel Joe Public from this space. Joe Public then gathers facts (and conclusions on these facts from other stewards there) to show that he was wrongly expelled from this public space. He then returns to ask yet another steward to examine these facts. This particular steward replies that she is "quite certain" that she was not involved in Joe Public's expulsion and, to show that she does not care about these facts (or her colleagues' conclusions), tells Joe Public to "please refrain" from bringing this matter to her attention ever again.

This UCLA professor's reply to my request for her help tells private corporations that they're now dealing with a "fully privatized" mindset at this public university, the only type of mindset that allows them to then buy into this institution and direct their "bought priesthood" to run it as a fully privatized enterprise. Indeed, this UCLA professor's brief reply tells private corporations in the clearest, most succinct terms that they can depend on this person to do only what she's told to do, to "mind her own business," and should the public (either within or outside the university) come to her with facts (and faculty statements) showing that this corporate-run university is operating unethically, the university's owners can count on her to tell the public to get lost.

It is only with this type of "fully privatized" faculty member that private corporations can ever hope to fully privatize this still public university. By the same token, it is then up to the public to seek out and identify this type of "privatized" faculty member if the public is to keep this university public.

From: "Wendrich, Willeke" <wendrich@humnet.ucla.edu>
Date: March 23, 2011 10:53:32 PM PDT
To: Tom Wilde <email address deleted>
Subject: RE: UCLA

Dear Mr. Wilde,
I am quite certain that I was not involved in your termination from UCLA. Please refrain from sending me further emails about this subject.
Professor Wendrich

The above email from UCLA professor Willeke Wendrich is her reply to my email message below. (My email, including the forwarded message below it, was sent to 1,552 other UCLA faculty members at about the same time in 2011. The forwarded email was sent to the same 1,553 UCLA faculty members at about the time in 2010.)

From: Tom Wilde [email address deleted]
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 6:04 PM
To: Wendrich, Willeke
Subject: UCLA

Dear Willeke Wendrich,

About a year ago I sent you an email concerning my termination from UCLA (see forwarded message below).

Since that time, I've added documents to the website mentioned there, and I think these documents should interest you.

Specifically, I've posted my email exchanges with three eminent scholars from the University of California: UC Berkeley's Ben Bagdikian, UC Irvine's Erwin Chemerinsky, and UCLA's Carlos P. Otero. A quick Google search with their names followed by "email" will take you to these documents, or you can quickly find the webpage with: "The University of California and The Secular Priesthood"

I've also posted my email exchange with the University of California Office of Ethics, Compliance & Audit Services, which operates under the University of California Office of the President (UCOP). Another quick Google search with "UCOP email" will take you to the document; or you can find the webpage with: "The University of California Office of the President as The Wizard of Oz"

And nationally recognized education historian Diane Ravitch sent me a few lines, which I've also posted along with my response. A search with "Diane Ravitch email" will quickly bring it up.

To find these documents, you can also go straight to the website: ucla-weeding101.info

Through the case of my termination from UCLA, I hope you'll be able to better understand how this vital public university system is operating—in your name—and that how the University of California terminates its students is of central importance to us all.

Sincerely,
Tom Wilde

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tom Wilde <email address deleted>
Date: February 9, 2010 11:18:09 PM PST
To: wendrich@humnet.ucla.edu
Subject: UCLA

Dear Willeke Wendrich,

I am sending you and other colleagues in your department an open letter I recently sent to UCLA Vice Chancellor & Dean Claudia Mitchell-Kernan. The contents of the letter will hopefully allow you to understand why I think sending you this letter is necessary, but I'll make a few remarks here that I think are pertinent to all UCLA faculty members.

I believe the facts of my termination from UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies indicate that UCLA faculty members are not aware of how UCLA is operating in one of its central functions—in their names. I believe these facts also show that faculty members who are aware of how the university is functioning when terminating a student either cannot or will not participate in the governance of their university in this case, though their right to engage in this governance is set forth in UCLA's Faculty Code of Conduct.

More importantly, this case now appears to raise an especially serious issue of academic freedom at UCLA. That is, when a few faculty members conclude from the facts in this case that I was wrongly terminated from the university and I nonetheless remain terminated, the freedom of all UCLA faculty members to pursue facts and adhere to academic principles is called into serious question.

I urge you to read my letter to the UCLA Vice Chancellor and Dean. I also urge you to examine the pages and documents on the website mentioned in this letter: ucla-weeding101.info. I created this site (with some pages still under construction) to offer the case of my termination to UCLA faculty members as well as to the public supporting this university. And of course I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about this case.

Sincerely,
Tom Wilde

Note: the attachment is a pdf.; if you cannot open it, the letter can be read on the website.

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