Dean Tuttle's Trinitoninan Columns

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Nov. 16, 2007

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Take on me

Question

Dean Tuttle, I assume you’re a Packers fan since you’ve got that Brett Favre bobblehead in your window. My question is, how far do you see the Packers going this year? I’m a Chiefs fan and the Pack sure looked good against us last week. Sure, they don’t have a run game and their quarterback is like 50 years old, but I think they might be the best team in the NFC. Any chance they beat the Cowboys and make it to the Super bowl?

Answer

I grew up in Wisconsin and am a die-hard Packer fan. For awhile I was uneasy about the nature of our wins this season, but they are getting stronger across the board. I think Dallas has a more complete and explosive team. The Packers are suspect in the interior of their secondary. The running game is getting better, but not there yet. It is quite possible the November 29 showdown in Dallas will determine home field advantage in the playoffs, which is huge. My nightmare is that we make it to the Super Bowl and get humiliated by the Patriots. A worst nightmare, as you know, is any loss to Dallas. Their fans (mostly TU [Vice President for Information Resources and Administrative Affairs] Chuck White) were insufferable during the Cowboys’ domination of the Pack in the 1990s. Brett has another three years in him!

Question

What is the point of having a Student Conduct Board when you can override their decisions and even add additional consequences? Do you think this is too much power for one person to have?

Answer

I remember hearing that I once stood up in Conduct Board and announced that they weren’t to leave the room until they found a particular student guilty: Never happened. Sometimes I don’t agree with the decisions of the Conduct Board, but they don’t care. Mostly I am there to watch the process, advise them after cases and challenge them to serve the University and the accused students fairly. By our structure, I have no input on decisions and am even required to leave with everyone else during their discussions and decision-making. If we are going to have a Board, they need to have full authority. (It is actually rare for a Dean to have as little power as the Dean at Trinity. I don’t decide any cases at any level.) As Director of Residential Life, I wear the landlord hat and can evict students if I feel their offenses are egregious to the community. I have done that for vandalism and drugs, but for lots of reasons, that often is more trouble than it is worth, so I pretty much leave it to the Board.

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