As an administrator, former Provost Biddy Martin was devoted to improving the lives of students, faculty and staff. As President David Skortonâ??s first deputy officer, she pioneered initiatives to increase financial aid, appoint new deans and increase communication and cohesion across our large and disparate University. Itâ??s because of her stellar academic and administrative record at Cornell that weâ??re disappointed to learn of the controversy surrounding her appointment as the new chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Two weeks ago, a blog post on the National Review Online criticized Martin as a â??self-indulged, theory-laden, post-modern scholar.â? And after Wisconsin State Rep. Steve Nass circulated a link to the blog within the State House, state representatives have made public a debate over Martinâ??s administrative qualifications.