It’s a simple story with a happy ending.
Ten days ago, Maker’s Mark Distillery announced plans to reduce the alcohol content in its popular bourbon. Intent was to stretch the supply by about 6% to meet surging demand. They would do it by watering down the whiskey.
This decision to place quantity ahead a quality is one that surprised some people and shocked others. Continue reading
My recent post, “Grading the Online Master’s at Kent State,” generated some interest. Together, we wrote nearly 20,000 words and posted 89 comments. OK, 28 of those comments were mine, but it’s my blog, so I’m allowed to jump in anytime. 
Continue reading
After 21 years of grading other people’s work, I thought it might be fun to turn the tables.
Bob Batchelor
In this post, I grade my own work and that of my teammates in the Kent State Online Master’s in Public Relations. Those teammates, Bob Batchelor and Gene Sasso, developed the curriculum, the architecture and the vision over a 3-year span. I consulted on curriculum and created two of the courses in my supporting role. Continue reading
They say bloggers fall into two categories: linkers and thinkers. I’m a thinker. Or at least I think I am. Therefore, I am.
But today I don’t feel like thinking. I just want to share a couple of fun stories that might make you laugh, groan and/or roll your eyes. It’s today’s edition of “30 days, 30 thoughts.” Continue reading
You’ve all heard the warnings about charity telemarketers. And you probably know that these paid solicitors keep a disproportionate amount the monies they raise for charity.
But these companies do provide jobs, and in our rustbelt town of Akron, Ohio, one telemarketer provides even more. Infocision Management is the name sponsor of the new $61-milliion football stadium at Akron U and a frequent supporter of local charities and institutions.
My wife and I are enjoying a romantic weekend in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (which includes two nights at the lovely Inn at Brandywine Falls), taking long hikes and even longer bike rides.
You didn’t know Ohio had a national park? Most folks don’t. Yet CVNP ranks among the 10 most visited parks in the NPS system. Continue reading
Ask students who’ve suffered through my PR classes, and they’ll tell you I’m a tough SOB. I expect high performance, and I offer candid feedback when I don’t see it.
But this isn’t a post about my teaching or grading philosophy. It’s about listening to the voices of criticism when they come your way. Continue reading
I’m glad to be on the “back nine” of my career, as I’ll likely be collecting my pension before the trainwreck comes to higher education. The best days of state-supported universities are behind us, and I’m not the only one saying so. Continue reading
Thousands of people climb the face of Beehive Mountain every year. How hard could it be? So off we went, this 59-year-old slightly overweight blogger with his trim and slightly younger companion.
Sharon and I don’t go in for “relaxing” vacations with beach chairs and umbrella drinks. We like trips that test us physically. And we found many such tests at Acadia National Park, a place we first visited in 2008. Continue reading
Sometime last year, this blog took a back seat to my responsibilities at Kent State. The slide began in January 2011, when our PR Online Master’s team launched a new degree program and watched the enrollment explode. (And yes, we know the website still looks like a stock-photo mishmash, but the 3rd-party marketing folks won’t fix it, and it ain’t worth the fight!) Continue reading