By The Arkadelphian
We’d like to accord Chuck Ambrose some well-deserved approbation for being so brusque Thursday morning in conveying Henderson’s future at the state Capitol. Sentimental alumni and prospective pupils are elated to learn that leadership will be leveraging technology to pivot Henderson’s success in the future. We are also exhilarated that workforce development opportunities will be expanded to include our Clark County campus.
What we deduced from Thursday morning’s press conference — which included Ambrose, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Johnny Key, secretary of the state’s Department of Education — is that Henderson is on the pathway to being all-encompassingly all right. Though Ambrose’s lexicon is quite mellifluous, it too often leaves even the educated downright obfuscated. Hints, allegations and things left unsaid leave us to ponder whether perfunctory equivocation is the resolve of our higher education leaders.
Terms such as adaptability and modernization are meaningless without context. Other phrases Ambrose used in the press conference were to “mobilize learning communities that build seamless pathways from school to work” … “accelerate credentials” … “social mobility” … “silos of public education” … “educational ecosystem” … “mitigate four value statements of challenge.” We sympathize with the poor lad whose job it was to use sign language to convey this speech to the deaf, and empathize with anyone else who exited the conference perplexed.
Hyperbolic vocabulary and the unbridled use of jargon is assuredly a means to convey one’s command of his field. When dozens have been discharged from decades of their edifications and hundreds of potential students are pondering their future alma mater, however, we need unembellished truth. In lieu of argot-filled riposte when commoners ask to streamline your purport, we prefer straightforward vernacular.
Please and thank you.
“I don’t like words that conceal reality. I don’t like euphemisms, or euphemistic language.” — George Carlin (Warning: explicit language)
“All I want is the truth! Just gimme some truth!” — John Lennon
Categories: Voices
Multum loquitur, sed parum dicit.
The presser was an excellent example of taking up 30 minutes to say absolutely nothing. I wish I had my lingo bingo card handy.
My thoughts exactly. Didn’t make me want to sign up.
It’s what you do when you have no idea what you’re doing.
One concrete example of how a student would follow that pathway through coursework to a job might have clarified what on earth DR. Ambrose was talking about. What is in those silos, anyway?
What was that again?
Lots of big words, need more simple and less tiring translation. Everyone is not nor has been an academic. Keep it simple.
Yes. You absolutely nailed what the entire press conference sounded like. The chancellor, the head of the ADE, and the governor were positively incoherent. I’ve challenged all of them and the ASU system to tell me in 100 words or less the answer this question: If I’m a 2022 high school senior, what’s my motivation to attend Henderson this fall? So far, crickets.
I’m just glad that I’m a graduate of the University of Arkansas. I did two semesters at Henderson and had no clue about their operation. Tuition was cheap at Henderson in the 60’s and now I think justifiably so. I hope things improve.
It just shows how little he understands his target population and the home folks of Arkadelphia. My heart-pain grows deeper every time he comes out of his cave and interacts.
Perplexed? Yes!