UA has its very own Dr. Pangloss

When University of Akron President Scott Scarborough announced his plan in July to  trim the school's debt while  cutting 213 jobs, he wanted the cast-aside people that he was not a mean-spirited man.  He said the cuts were "painful"  but he did want to   thank   the severed victims while promising them counseling "to show them the respect and courtesy they deserve." Cool.

He also explained the mid-summer move to the Beacon Journal by saying that he wanted to put the "painful"   upheaval  behind the school before the fall semester. Cool, again.

As shown  in other wobbly steps taken by Scarborough, it revealed his knack for miscalculation in the  moves that have so troubled the campus ever since. Like burning post-shingles itch, they're not going away. (Trust me on this one!)

Nothing that occurred in July and later was "put behind".

 Two scheduled campus protests are on the calendar - the first at the UA Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, from 9 to noon, in the Student Union.  The Akron Chapter of the American Association of University Professors reported  that a "coalition of groups representing students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community"  will be face to face with the dormant trustees who have  been conspicuously silent  (except on occasion by the chairman) throughout the nightmare.  Isn't it fair to ask whether UA really needs a board?

The second protest, courtesy of the Akron AAUP,  will attend Scarborough's State of the University address  on Oct 20 in, of all places, E.J. Thomas Hall, the site of  Team Scarborough's wrecking crew. (Time: 1:30)

For this one, I can only imagine that Scarborough's recitation of the goodness of his administration will be inspired by Voltaire's Dr. Pangloss, who found good in everything, no matter what.