The big debate, or joke, now on going is about how the Purdue Board of Trustees has finally made its point by Purdue Northwest no longer being allowed to give out Purdue University Diplomas. It was a promise made over the past fifty years to incoming students. But hey the major student/faculty complaint is only that they did not "ask" for student/faculty input when they made their decision. What is so funny is that the students and faculty still think their input matters in any way. As though it will somehow be input into the decision -- for real. I really cannot stop laughing at this belief.
It is not because Purdue is money hungry, although it is, it is because the students' and faculty's views do not matter any more. Chancellor Keon, himself, is the biggest make believe in this area. He was kept on as Chancellor of Northwest because he can speak to students and faculy as though he cares when actually he never has. It was never to make Northwest Great Again. He never ever tried to do that or achieve that goal. Only make money for Hammond's mayor. Chancellor Keon as far as students and faculty are concerned has always been a fraud. Not just to his wives -- although that is a different story.
Remember he was found by a jury of his peers guilty of harassment of an individual on the basis of that person's national origin when he was dean at Southern Illinois University. He does not care in any shape or form except about himself. If you doubt what I say, then look at his hires and what he has not accomplished at Northwest. Keon has only done what Mitch Daniels asks and Hammond's Mayor wants. Since the merger Northwest has lost over 5,000 students. Northwest officially, according to its own news release, has 10,750 students on the two campuses during the fall 2018. Northwest in Hammond, by itself, had that many students in its days before Keon. But he will tell the students and faculty, and anyone else who would listen, that he cares only about the Purdue Northwest students and faculty. He never has and never will.
Rather than blogging about him, let us try blogging about the new none Purdue diploma. What Keon and Purdue West Lafayette is telling Northwest is that you are not as good as we are. It is also telling that to Purdue Fort Wayne. From now on their diplomas will say it is from Purdue Fort Wayne; not Purdue University. It is a fact that finally after all these years they actually get to say. If you are attending a small mirror of the main campus then you are not attending nor are you getting the education deserving of a Purdue University diploma.
That is the most important thing one must understand. They do not think that the education at Purdue Northwest is up to the quality of the one you would get at Purdue University in West Lafayette. In fact you do not. Having been at both, I know that it is not true that PNW is the same as Purdue University West Lafayette. Never has been. Therefore they are finally fixing the misconception. You are just not getting the same education (whatever Keon says this week.)
It does make a difference, i.e. not just the school you go to but the diploma itself. You are not longer graduating from Purdue. You are graduating from the second rate school. As all of the faculty and administrators know. By the way to get students, i.e. numbers, was accomplished by lying to students and telling them it is really the same degree because your diploma will say Purdue University. The joke is on the students and faculty. The administrators got their wish -- early Christmas.
