The Occasional Observer

So the word has come down. The Board of Governors, after years of deliberation, two consultant reports, and one shoddy piece of propaganda by Prof. Falvey (leaked to the public against the will of the BoG by someone who had access to Prof. Falvey's report--could've been anyone), has decided to move the school to Florida. There it will join with Ave Maria University in the brand-spanking new facilities that are being built at Ave Maria Town near Naples, FL.

As has been well chronicled at this blog and elsewhere, a small cadre of professors has engaged in a scorched-earth campaign meant to blackmail the BoG into staying put in Ann Arbor. Their implicit threat: stop with the move or we'll ruin the reputation of the school.

Clearly, these professors felt more strongly about their preference to live in MI, than they did the mission of the school. Now that the BoG has decided to move, and the time for deliberation and debate are over, do you think that the pro-MI profs will simply go back to doing their job? Hardly.

Check out the letter released by Prof. Falvey here. I particularly liked this line:

"In an effort to promote the best interests of this community—most importantly the interests of the students and alumni who provide the true reason for the Law School’s existence—we are continuing our efforts to explore all possible avenues of maintaining our program of legal education in Ann Arbor."

Funny, but after all due consideration, the people who actually get to decide what's in the interest of the community chose Florida. Let me translate Prof. Falvey's letter for the uninititated:

"In an effort to prevent me and my bow-tied bud from having to pay a 6% realtor fee--nobody's interests are more important than my own--I will continue to agitate against the expressed will of the Governors and seek to openly present myself as an 'alternative administration,' complete with fund raising apparatus. If you have two nickels to rub together, give me a call."

You probably think I'm overstating the case. That Prof. Falvey doesn't really want open civil war at the school. That they actually want AMSOL to succeed, but honestly believe it's in the students' best interest to remain in Michigan. They're good people who will keep plugging away for the success of the school and her mission while trying, in reasonable but firm tones, to convince the community that moving is not a good thing. To those of you who think that way, I would offer this tidbit from the comments section at Fumare:

you should have transferred when you had the chance! Now you're all going to have to expain why there is no AMSL in Michigan in your interviews, good luck with that! Wow, am I glad I took Falvey's advice to transfer!!!
too little, too late 02.22.07 - 11:40 pm #

I won't even address the silliness being offered by "too little, too late." What's important is that Falvey is actually counseling current students to walk away from AMSOL. Does a Colonel tell his soldiers to go AWOL when he doesn't like the General's battle plans? In this case, yes.

These guys offer the language of stewardship, but the actions of traitors, scoundrels, and mutineers. Time for them to go.