Taylor Loses Mind, Attacks Faculty

Dr. Charles A. Taylor, president of Thomas Nelson Community College, apparently lost his mind recently and attacked the faculty.

Flagstiffed has learned from various sources on campus and from an article in the March 28, 2008 Daily Press, that Taylor had attempted to pick a fight with faculty on the one thing that faculty most cherish: Their authority and responsibility for curriculum.

[You can read the Daily Press article entitled “TNCC votes to keep entry level class Board shoots down a proposal” by Cathy Grimes at http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/hampton/dp-local_tncc_0328mar28,0,5306394.story ]

On Tuesday March 11 faculty leaders learned that Taylor had sent his surrogates to the Biology faculty with a proposal to virtually eliminate an important course prerequisite.

Using surrogates instead of being man enough to bring the business himself is reported (by TNCC and CCS faculty) to be a classic Taylor tactic. As one faculty member told Flagstiffed, “He keeps his fingerprints off controversial issues but his nasty DNA is all over the place.” The Biology faculty voted unanimously against Taylor’s proposal.

That should have ended the discussion but Taylor had instructed his surrogates to bring the proposal to the College Curriculum Committee on Monday March 17.

In the meantime the faculty senate convened an extraordinary session of all fulltime faculty called the “Faculty Forum” for Tuesday March 18.

When Taylor’s surrogates presented his proposal to the College Curriclum Committee on March 17, it was unanimously voted down.

That should have ended the discussion but Taylor had instructed his surrogates to bring the proposal to the College Board on March 26.

In the meantime the faculty forum met with Taylor explaining his proposal. One faculty member present described Taylor as “Bojangles on a unicycle, the only man who can tap dance while he backpedals”. His presentation was reported to be full of evasions and misrepresentations not to mention the fact that it had no credible evidence to support it.

“Bojangles” Taylor then had his surrogates present a new proposal to the Biology faculty on Monday March 24. This also was rejected unanimously.

And that should have been the end of it. But the determined Taylor had his surrogates present it to the College Board; first to the Board’s Curriculum Committee (which voted unanimously against it) and then to the Board itself (which voted unanimously against it).

What turned the tide with the Board it appears is that faculty showed up at the Board’s Curriculum Committee meeting and at the Board meeting to speak in support of the faculty position. They presented reasoned arguments based on evidence. Bojangles Taylor had neither evidence or reason. At the Board meeting faculty and students spoke in favor of the current course prerequisite.

It was apparent that faculty felt that they spoke against the presidents’ proposal at great risk and peril. It has been reported to Flagstiffed that one faculty member said as much but was reprimanded by the Board’s chair who said that neither the Board or Bojangles would tolerate retaliation. (The Board needs to examine Flagstiffed’s reports of Bojangles Taylor’s previous record and his more recent record of driving out or firing good people.)

Faculty report that Taylor was agitated and visibly angry that he had been so publically embarrassed. It has been reported that he even tried to bring the matter up again later in the meeting.

Faculty also report being completely puzzled by Taylor’s behavior. The Biology faculty had created the course prerequisite in response to accreditation concerns based on statistical data. Taylor claimed that school superintendants were opposed to the prerequisite (though he would provide any names) and claimed that many businesses would not work with the college because of the prerequisite (but he wouldn't name the businesses). Making bogus claims is also another classic Bojangles tactic: The Taylor Sideshuffle.

One speculation is that Riverside Medical, where Taylor’s wife used to work before they made her job disappear so that she would too and where Taylor’s frat bro and former College Board chair Mckinley Price is said to be on the Riverside Medial Board, had some problems with the prerequisite. But Biology faculty are reported to have proposed an innovative solution to Riverside’s complaints.

In Bojangles Taylor’s world data and facts don’t mean much; everything’s a faith based initiative and apparently God told Taylor to get rid of the prerequisite. He was just doing the Lord’s work.

[Readers have begun to post comments on this story on a new discussion board provided by the Daily Press

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/hampton-roads-daily-press/T2OTF7I6246R5G5VL ]

Old Dawg, Old Tricks

Just like you can’t change a leopard’s spots or teach an old dawg new tricks, you can’t expect TNCC President Charles A. Taylor to change his ways. No matter how many times he sheds his professional skin (Spokane Chancellor, Oakland Vice Chancellor), he’s still a snake.

Now he’s up to his old tricks at TNCC where he is about to railroad a curriculum change over the objection of faculty experts and over the Faculty Senate and its curriculum committee, according to reports that Flagstiffed has received from faculty over the past week.

Faculty learned two weeks ago that Taylor had used surrogate administrators (his usual method of keeping his fingerprints off things that might blow up though his DNA is all over the stuff) to strong arm Biology faculty to change a course prerequisite. They turned him down. The serpentine Taylor then got his surrogates to go to the faculty’s curriculum committee. They weren’t buying it either. Now he’s going to go directly to his college board over the objection of the faculty.

This repeats Taylor’s history at previous institutions where the Serpent King has tried the same things. However the TNCC faculty have a long track record of standing up to bullies. At a packed house faculty meeting last week Taylor is reported to have tried explaining his proposal. But faculty had already learned of Taylor’s threats if he didn’t get his way, so they gave as good as they got. One faculty member described Taylor as “Bojangles on a unicycle—the only man who can tap dance while he backpedals”.

Things will get very interesting at the monthly meeting of the college’s governing board on Wednesday, March 26, where faculty and students are reportedly planning to show up in numbers. Taylor can’t stand public dissent or anything that makes him look bad. Heads will probably roll but the King Charles’ eventually will be one of them.

If you see fireworks over Hampton Virginia it may be the shot heard round the world. The beginning of the end of the Taylor presidency.

All of this is an old script in what is laughingly called Taylor’s “career” but is really the movie “Independence Day” where aliens move from planet to planet, plundering one planet to get what they want before moving on to the next and plundering it.

It sounds like the Americans (the TNCC faculty) have found their courage and are getting ready to strike back.

Daily Mess Discussion Board

See our posting (below) about Charles "Chucky Cheezie" Taylor's interview in the Daily Mess recently. You can now view responses to the interview from Daily Mess readers at

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/hampton-roads-daily-press/TQ8N401P9SEJAUT3G

You'll even find a posting by The Almighty (who Taylor said sent him to TNCC)!!!!

As of Sunday March 23 there are 161 messages posted by people. Flagstiffed will archive thse in case the Daily Mess shuts the board down. We will republish them here if so.

Taylor Called By God, Interview in Daily Mess

It's been a busy month at Tommy Tech High School according to Flagstiffed's sources.

A new climate and morale survey was sent out to all employees. (One of Flagstiffed's sources asks "Will Charles Taylor spend the next two years telling us how invalid this new survey is like he has for the past two years with the last survey?" That's a good question.)

The college's board has sent out its annual survey evaluating the Fearless Leader. A couple of employees have told Flagstiffed about that and wondering what the point is if nothing ever changes.

Flagstiffed has also learned this evening that Charles Taylor suddenly backed out of a local radio appearance recently because another guest on the radio program (something about colleges and universities) is a former employee who had successfully sued him.

But the big news is that Charles Taylor has been called by God to be at your college and the Fearless Leader loves all of you.

A fluff piece pretending to be journalism by a rookie softball tosser named David Squires (the boy's got a future in executive ass kissing) gave Fearless Leader a forum to explain how bad things were at your college before he arrived, how much better things are now, and how God wants him to be there.

If you can stomach it, you can read it at http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/hampton/dp-local_10questions_0310mar10,0,3213831.story

Some highlights . . .

Taylor claims that increased enrollments during his regime are the result of his leadership (never mind that enrollments are up at almost every college nationally according to published reports) all those Baby Boomer Babies coming of age.

Taylor reports: "We have brown-bag opportunities for students to ask questions. I take the time to walk around and have sessions in the cafeteria so students can have an opportunity to ask questions" (That's funny, employees say they never see him. What campus is he doing this on?)

Among his accomplishments for students: "That's why now we have a homecoming, we have a championship basketball program that a year ago won the state championship among community colleges. We now have a cheerleading squad. We now have a dance team. We now have a choir." (Wow. Excellence in all he does.)

What about employees? "In the first year, there was an issue of morale. I have regular town hall meetings that bring together faculty, staff and administrators to keep them involved of what's happening. " (Uh, hello, morale was bad two years into your regime, and according to the sources reporting to Flagstiffed they aint any better. Employees reported to Flagstiffed that almost no faculty attended the last "town hall meeting" because they knew it was another bullshit fest.)

Flagstiffed will leave you with the inspiring words of the Fearless Leader Who Boldly Goes (or should just go): "I'm a very religious individual, and when I make a major decision, or even a minor decision, I take the time to pray. God placed me here to do what he wants me to do. And I don't think my work is complete here. ... I believe it's God's will wherever I'm to be. I love the Hampton Roads area. I love the faculty and staff I'm working with. I love the community."

Feel the love, baby, feel the love. It's all good.