Whatever happened to thank-you cards? Former UH President Glenn Goerke should have gotten one that reads: "Dear Glenn, Thanks for all your hard work serving as the University of Houston interim president. You've done a great job and now that we've found your replacement, we wish you luck in your new job pursuit. Sincerely, UH Administration."
It might not even be too much to purchase an expensive card - you know, the kind from Hallmark instead of Kroger. But it is going a bit overboard to offer the man $191,000 to take a year off work. Administrators said the paid leave was written into Goerke's contract in 1995. They must have been expecting the past two years to be tough ones for Glenn. But maybe it is a little harsh to criticize him.
After all, students get three months between the Spring and Fall semesters to relax. Maybe he's getting himself hyped up for his big transition from UH president to the co-director of the Institute for the Future of Higher Education.
Whatever happened to downsizing? The new chancellor/president position was created as part of plan to trim down the size and ranks of the administration. But if we give every person from Goerke's reign a job somewhere else within the UH System, the size of the administration will effectively double. Keep in mind the fact that Chancellor/President Arthur Smith brought some company from Utah to make him feel at home.
Administrators have said that Goerke's salary for his new position is still being worked out. He sure must have a lot of trust in his fellow colleagues to accept a position and sign a contract to stay in the position for three years without knowing what he will be paid. However, he has had plenty of time to be saving the $382,000 he's received over the last two years.