Kafkaesque Scenario
Exposé on Academic Corruption and Denial of Human Rights
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY and University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Compromised principles for personal gain and academic advantage without merit.
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Big Mama with her |
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Shirley Ann Jackson, President and Whoever knows that a subordinate has committed an offense and remains silent to hinder or prevent prosecution or punishment ranks as an About Jackson's RPI: "Creating and applying knowledge, and interdisciplinary inquiry, with a rigorous approach to solving problems, Rensselaer men and Rensselaer women are fulfilling the university’s role as a place where people find innovative solutions to [evade] complex technical challenges". |
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Philip Rubens, East Carolina University formerly Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, filed two versions of a recommendation with Merrill D. Whitburn, Chair H&SS/LL&C, so that the author could complete his PhD. Rubens commented (upon examining a series of 2- and 4-inch binders containing research done during the preceding three years) that no other LL&C doctoral student had done so much research toward his degree. [Rubens]
Rubens then became his doctoral advisor and agreed that the author could complete his dissertation and defend it before the graduation deadline. However, it became abundantly clear that Whitburn neither intended to conciliate nor to allow completion of the PhD. To that end, he choreographed a second malicious expulsion and an unlawful police arrest.
Roland W. Schmidt, President; Gary Judd, Dean of the Graduate School; and Thomas Phelan, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences acquiesced to Whitburn’s machination and refused to respond to requests for interviews or to grant due process required by university regulations.
The author travelled from the West Coast to visit Troy by appointment in an attempt to make arrangements for degree completion and immediately became subject to RPI Department of Public Safety (DPS) surveillance and arrest. DPS restricted his movements on campus to DPS office under surveillance by police officers. Police action resulted from false and misleading reports filed by Whitburn and Judd which contained statements that he had a history of violence and threatened the safety of faculty members and administrators.
While under DPS restraint, the author filed complaints which included a request to the Captain of Detectives for a full investigation of criminal actions by Judd, Phelan, and Whitburn including the malicious filing that occupied DPS for four days. William J. Canavally, the arresting officer, investigated the complaints by contacting associates and a former wife but could find no hint or history of violence.
Sharon Kunkel, Registrar, informed the author while under restraint and in the presence of DPS investigators that expulsion predicated upon a letter purportedly written and signed by Philip Rubens entirely inconsistent with two recommendations that he had previously written (see below). Kunkel claimed that Rubens made statements of unsatisfactory progress to support the Graduate Committee, H&SS/LL&C and the Graduate School which she used to prevent completion of a doctoral degree. She refused to produce copies of documents or statements by Rubens on grounds that they constituted "official internal documents".
While in custody, the author insisted upon a meeting in the DPS office with James D. Meindl, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost. He arrived accompanied by Miriam M. Netter, RPI Attorney who behaved in an outrageous, accusatory and unprofessional manner witnessed by Canavally and other senior DPS officers who registered surprise and disapproval.
Netter did all the talking and claimed that after receiving a copy of a letter from Kunkel she telephoned Rubens. She said that Rubens denied having any part in writing positive recommendations despite existence of signed and dated original copies. She advised Meindl to disregard them as forgeries and a falsification of Ruben’s negative position regarding academic progress. Later, Ruben's did not respond to requests for verification of Netter's statements.
A reasonable person would find it totally inconsistent with Ruben's five years supportive role that he would write two salutary letters then completely reverse himself without coercion or providing a reason. Moreover, university regulations require that an accused person have access to all relevant documents and an opportunity to respond to them.
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It appears in retrospect that H&SS/LL&C held a kangaroo court when they knew of the appointment to discuss the issues and could not face exposure of five years criminal activity. Accordingly, they filed false and misleading reports with DPS to effect the arrest and denied the constitutional right to face one's accuser and to appeal - precisely the modus operandus that the same people choreographed a year later with University of Washington. In effect, they established a pattern or practice of criminal behavior. Kunkel knowingly and fraudulently altered transcripts and conspired with others in blackballing and stonewalling to cover up previous unlawful activity by her supervisor Gary Judd.
Canavally and other DPS personnel comprised the only people on campus that treated the author with any respect. Canavally, now Executive Protection Coordinator, Rensselaer Special Services occupies an adjacent office to Shirley Ann Jackson and reportedly acts as her personal bodyguard. Interviewed at length during the four days in custody, Canavally revealed his background which Contra Cabal previously reported and now becomes part of this record. [Rensselaer Academic Mafia]
Canavally and his captain asked the author while in their custody to divulge any knowledge of criminal activity within LL&C, and, accordingly, the author reported those matters of which he had direct knowledge. He also divulged information about LL&C given to him by both faculty members and students that related to attempted suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism, student abuse, and forgery, racial discrimination also other activities that could construe as criminal. While at Rensselaer, a variety of students took advantage of the author's student counseling experience during which they confided student abuse which the author also reported to DPS. It appears that DPS took no action to investigate any further.
Rensselaer officials, in consort with University of Washington, have blackballed the author to deny him reappointment to a full professorship with tenure. They prevented him from completing his doctorate at Rensselaer and two other universities. They consorted with others to deny him a prestigious directorship in a professional organization which he had earned. They blackballed the author to deny him professorial appointments at four universities.
This has resulted in unemployment for 22 years at a cost of about $4 million. The debt for tuition, interest, and penalties now exceeds $500,000. This does not include tens of thousands of dollars already paid in cash or loss of earnings (not including interest) estimated at $3.3 million yet Jackson, Emmert and their minions still neglect to address the issues.
The following references relate with particularity to the circumstances at both Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and University of Washington. They form part of a file that contains 28 similar references, spanning 40 years, furnished by senior executives and CEOs of prestigious universities and corporations worldwide. The editor has withheld the names of the recipients to protect them from abuse and coercion; however, qualified individuals can obtain that information and copies of original documents upon request to the editor. [Educational Qualifications]
Philip Rubens, East Carolina University formerly Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Department of Language, Literature, and Curriculum
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180-3590
I am writing to recommend Paul Trummel. Mr. Trummel was a student in several of my graduate courses, including independent studies, in the mid-1980s. For part of that time I also served as his advisor. I anticipate that I will direct his dissertation on implicit language encoding. During our association I have been impressed by his active intellect, his dedication to purpose, and his engaging personality.
While I could point to many incidents during his academic career that demonstrate the fertile nature of his intellect, I believe that a project he participated in during a coarse entitled Planting and Specifying Documentation best typifies his work. In a university that values interdisciplinary activities, Paul successfully merged an interest in graphics, language, and computing in an effort to demonstrate the ways in which information can move successfully from paper to purely electronic media. This was no small undertaking, especially since it required the cooperation of a number of students with varying levels of expertise.
It is signally important to understand that this work offered ground-breaking information for the technical communication community. That a paper by a group of graduate students was accepted for publication by the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication is important in itself; that the editor saw particular value in Paul's work and asked him to serve on the editorial board is highly unusual. I have every expectation that his work will continue to be recognized for its excellence. Although I cannot, at this moment, comment on the review process for dissertation committees, I anticipate that Mr. Trummel will soon begin work on his dissertation. I expect this piece to be a major contribution to the theory and practice underlying the creation of online information.
A second major aspect of Paul's background that deserves comment is his dedication to purpose. I have been able to observe him at work as an adjunct faculty member in this department. In every instance, I have been impressed by the emotional and professional energy he brings to all of his tasks. As a teacher, he has won the respect and confidence of his students, perhaps, in the main, because he listens, offers excellent advice, and genuinely wants to impart what he knows to them. His professionalism, his energy, and his command of subject matter have consistently brought praise from the students in these courses.
Finally, I want to discuss Mr. Trummel's engaging personality. I realize that one is at risk in discussing personality; however, I feel that personality is a large part of Paul's success. He is a gentleman in the extreme. This attribute literally forces him to devote unusual time an effort to all of his tasks. I believe this is a sufficiently unusual circumstance to warrant notice.
While I write many letters for students, this one is a particular pleasure because it allows me to introduce someone with excellent academic and professional credentials, someone who cares about teaching, someone devoted to his subject, and someone who will be an outstanding colleague. I recommend him to you highly. [Preliminary Injuction]
Philip Rubens, East Carolina University formerly Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Department of Language, Literature, and Curriculum
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180-3590
I am writing to recommend Paul Trummel. Mr. Trummel was a student in several of my graduate courses, including independent studies, in the mid-1980s. For part of that time I served as his advisor. I also had the opportunity to interact with and observe Paul's business abilities.
While I could point to many incidents during our association that demonstrate his business abilities, I believe that a project he completed for the 35th Technical Writers' Institute best typifies his work. In a few short months Paul completed a substantial and compelling redesign of the Institute brochure. While it would be difficult to assess the impact of this brochure on the Institute's success, I can say that many participants - and non-participants - commented on the quality of this brochure.
Another indication of the quality of his professional work can be seen in his invited position on the editorial board of the IEEE Transactions Professional Communication. This represents an important recognition of Paul's professional credentials on the part of the professional community. I have every expectation that his work will continue to be recognized for its excellence.
I also want to point out that Paul's extensive career in typographic design, graphic reproduction, printing, public relations, and journalism provides him access to a wide range of professional communities, all of which recognize his unique capabilities. In fact, professors from several foreign countries and other major American universities all have asked to serve on his doctoral committee. That is, indeed, an unusual and remarkable circumstance. Similar recognition has come from. professionals in a variety of fields.
Finally, I want to discuss the impact Paul's professional credentials have had on both his teaching and his own academic work. While observing him at work as an adjunct faculty member in this department, I have been impressed by the emotional and professional energy he brings to all of his tasks. As a teacher, he has won the respect and confidence of his students, perhaps, in the main, because he listens, offers excellent advice, and genuinely wants to impart what he knows to them. His professionalism, his energy and his command of subject matter have consistently brought praise from the students in his courses.
While I write many letters of recommendation, this one is a particular pleasure because it allows me to introduce someone with excellent academic and professional credentials, someone who cares about the quality of professional work, someone devoted to his subject, and someone who will be an outstanding colleague. I recommend him to you highly. [Preliminary Injuction]
William D. Winn, University of Washington
University of Washington
College of Education
I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Paul Trummel who is applying for your Visiting Professor position. I have known Paul since his arrival two years ago. He has attended and made presentations in a number of my courses. We have had numerous discussions of his work and have exchanged comments on each other's papers.
Paul's greatest assets are his extensive professional and academic experience. He has spent the greater part of his life working in the field of mass communication, first in printing, then in the graphic arts and computing. He is well known internationally in these fields and is frequently asked to speak and consult in areas of his expertise around the world. His academic experience is less extensive, though still impressive.
He has held faculty positions in Massachusetts and California. His scholarship is exemplary, leading to his appointment as Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions of Professional Communication. His research in rhetorical aspects of visual communication is thorough and creative, leading the field in some very interesting directions. By all accounts, he is also an excellent teacher. His presentations to my courses have always been of the highest quality.
You will find Paul to be a most pleasant person to work with. He is highly intelligent and has a good sense of humor. In short, I believe that Paul Trummel is an excellent candidate for your position. I recommend him without hesitation. [Preliminary Injuction]
William D. Winn, University of Washington
University of Washington
College of Education
I wish to request that you grant Mr. Trummel his appeal of your decision not to grant him financial aid. My reasons for this request are:
1. The decision to judge his progress as “unsatisfactory” was made on the basis of inaccurate information in the university database about his classification and standing.
2. He has made excellent progress in his research agenda that he is pursuing under my direction.
3. He has succeeded in this in spite of the fact that the university has removed his access to its computers, as well as to data files in his account that are central to his research.
4. The matters of his status, his progress and access to computing resources are currently under appeal and therefore should not prejudge his eligibility for financial aid. [Preliminary Injuction]
William D. Winn, University of Washington
University of Washington
College of Education
I have just returned to Seattle after several weeks overseas. Your letter, requesting my assessment of Mr. Paul Trummel's capabilities in relation to his application for support from your scholarship programme, was waiting for me. I hope the lateness of my reply will not compromise his application.
Mr. Trummel has been working at the University of Washington as a graduate student for a number of years. During this time he has developed some innovative and intriguing insights into what might best be called the rhetoric of the new media of telecommunication. His numerous papers have been well received and demonstrate an incisiveness and originality of thought that mark him as a serious and productive scholar.
The project on the Socratic Method is drawing together several strands of this work is intended to lead to a significant publication.
Mr. Trummel is an experienced and mature researcher. He is highly motivated by his project and I can assure you that he will bring it to a successful conclusion. He will easily fit into your community and you can be sure he will make his fair share of contributions to its intellectual and social activities.
If you have further questions about Mr. Trummel and his work, please get in touch. [Preliminary Injuction]
William D. Winn, University of Washington
University of Washington
College of Education and Department of Technical Communication
I am pleased to write in support of Paul Trummel's application to pursue a Doctoral degree at Eindhoven University. Mr. Trummel has been studying at the University of Washington since September 1989, during which time I have served as his advisor, directing his course work and his research. He has worked steadily in graduate courses, independent study and research projects that have enabled him to develop an extensive research program. This program draws together the areas of graphic design, rhetoric, visible language and verbal language in innovative ways. From it have emerged many articles and papers, and sufficient material from which to embark on a doctoral dissertation.
The innovativeness of Mr. Trummel's research arises in large part from his extensive and successful career in business that preceded it. For example, his study of verbal and visible language, within traditional and innovative rhetorical frameworks, arises from his observation that many recent developments in desktop publishing are seriously misguided by the criteria traditionally established by the printing industry. His graduate study has led him to find solid evidence, from perceptual and cognitive research, as well as from his extensive reading in rhetoric, graphic art and art history, in support of his position. His formulation of a new form of rhetoric, which he calls "kinetography", provides an extremely useful framework within which scholars and practitioners can formulate and reflect on the problems that modern technology brings to the field of communication. His dissertation will be the first extensive treatment of this concept.
The quality of Mr. Trummel`s academic work has always been excellent. Whether in regular courses or in independent study, he has demonstrated most convincingly that he is an extremely insightful and thoughtful scholar. He persistently challenges faculty and students to think deeply and practically about any issue that is under discussion. His written work is presented clearly and logically and inevitably provides new insights into problems in intellectually stimulating, often provocative, ways.
You, like me, are aware that Mr. Trummel's stature in the professional and academic communities is considerable. He has been a Fellow of the Institute of Printing for many years, and was recently awarded their prestigious Silver Medal. The citation accompanying the award stated, "The article was most impressive both in subject matter and in the way that it was presented.” His tenure as Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, his prominence in the Professional Communication Society, and his production of the proceedings of the Society's latest conference attest to the respect with which his colleagues hold his academic and professional skill.
I recommend Mr. Trummel to you and your colleagues without reservation. I am certain that he will produce a rigorous and significant piece of research for his dissertation, and that his work will continue to be influential. If you need further information about Mr. Trummel`s application, please get in touch. [Preliminary Injuction]
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Kafkaesque Comparison Franz Kafka (1883-1924) summarized troubled individuals in the nightmarishly impersonal world in which he lived which have recurred in this writer’s personal experiences in Troy and Seattle. Kafka wrote:
"There can be no doubt." said K., quite softly, for he was elated by the breathless attention of the meeting; in that stillness a subdued hum was audible which was more exciting than the wildest applause "there can be no doubt that behind all the actions of this court of justice, that is to say in my case, behind my arrest and to-day’s interrogation, there is a great organization at work. An organization which not only employs corrupt warders, oafish inspectors, and examining magistrates of whom the best that can be said is that they recognize their own limitations, but also has at its disposal a judicial hierarchy of high, indeed of the highest rank, with an indispensable and numerous retinue of servants, clerks, police, and other assistants, perhaps even hangmen, I do not shrink from that word. And the significance of this great organization, gentlemen? It consists in this, that innocent persons are accused of guilt, and senseless proceedings are put in motion against them, mostly without effect, it is true, as in my own case. But considering the senselessness of the whole, how is it possible for the higher ranks to prevent gross corruption in their agents? It is impossible. Even the highest judge in this organization cannot resist it." . . . As he looked round, he saw the top floor of the building next to the quarry. He saw how a light flickered on and the two halves of a window opened out, somebody, made weak and thin by the height and the distance, leant suddenly far out from it and stretched his arms out even further. Who was that? A friend? A good person? Somebody who was taking part? Somebody who wanted to help? Was he alone? Was it everyone? Would anyone help? Were there objections that had been forgotten? There must have been some. The logic cannot be refuted, but someone who wants to live will not resist it. Where was the judge he'd never seen? Where was the high court he had never reached? He raised both hands and spread out all his fingers. But the hands of one of the gentleman were laid on K.'s throat, while the other pushed the knife deep into his heart and twisted it there, twice. As his eyesight failed, K. saw the two gentlemen cheek by cheek, close in front of his face, watching the result. "Like a dog!" he said, it was as if the shame of it should outlive him. The Trial (1925).
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© Copyright 1988 by Paul Trummel |
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