Bet that got your attention. Point is, how many adult learners are going to opt for the free, online, laid out in its entirety, Harvard-MIT Electronics 101 carrying a “Certificate of Mastery,” expecially when the alternative is paying a thousand or two or more in tuition to commute over fifteen weeks to a similarly-titled course at “Local U.” which, even if it lives up to its one-paragraph catalog description, will likely be taught by a part-time adjunct instead of an Ivy League star. Read about this future at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/education/harvard-and-mit-team-up-to-offer-free-online-courses.html
Category Archives: Non-Profit Ward
Non-Profit on the Ropes
Conflicts of interest, CEO moving around in high style, stakeholder webs with dangling politicians–textbook! http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/nyregion/at-ailing-brooklyn-hospital-insider-deals-and-lavish-perks.html
Profitable Non-Profits
More and more politicians are ending up closely involved, sometimes as a founder, with local non-profit organizations that receive major government grants. The potential for abuse is evident and, as is alleged here, may come to pass. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/nyregion/trial-begins-for-pedro-espada-accused-of-looting-health-care-network.html
Million Dollar Church Lady
It seems no great challenge to embezzle from religious organizations, regardless of denomination. Where internal controls are weak, and being a pious, hard-working team player provides further insulation from scrutiny, there’s lots of latitude to concoct rip-offs, as this accounting clerk allegedly did in the offices of the Archdiocese of New York. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/nyregion/new-york-archdiocese-bookkeeper-charged-with-stealing-1-million.html?ref=romancatholicchurch Just a few days later, on February 3, the Archbishop of Philadelphia apologized for the million or so a senior staff member had stolen. New Jersey next?
Indiana Jones, Indeed!
Rabbi Youlus took to calling himself the “Jewish Indiana Jones” for uncovering and restoring Torahs from Holocaust-related sites. Many happily contributed to Rabbi Indiana’s noble work. Turns out the Rabbi’sTorah rescues were no less a fantasy than Raiders of the Lost Ark–only the fraud was real. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/nyregion/rabbi-menachem-youlus-says-he-lied-about-saving-torahs.html
Paterno–Boss of Bosses
Powerful individuals can invert organizational hierarchy. They boss their bosses or win immunity from supervision. Joe Paterno’s “fuggedaboudit” to 2004 retirement urgings by Penn State’s President and Athletic Director was characteristic. Or, as he made clear twenty years earlier to an old friend who was then General Manager of the Cleveland Browns feeling Joe out about becoming head coach, ‘If I take that job, you’re working for me. I’m not working for you.’ Philly Inquirer, 1/30/12.