FIGURE AND GROUND. The latest from the SCSU Scholars suggests a very differing view of university administrators from the view upon which I base this post and my preceding posts linked therein. Evidently there is more of the evolution of the normal schools to research universities than meets the eye. A dean with no home department? That's a new one to me ... Northern Illinois University deans have home departments, and external hires come with presumptive tenure in those departments. A "professional administrator" with no collegiate experience? Involved with curriculum? Rare around here. Sounds like there would be fewer administrators at St. Cloud to send back to the classroom in lieu of hiring more adjuncts from Minnetonka or to efficiently term-limit them.