***** Vol.3 Chap.37 The world collapses *****

Frank sat there dazed. The words academic dishonesty and sexual harassment were swimming around his head. What was all this about?

Throughout his teaching career, academic honesty was the one thing that he stressed repeatedly with all his students and workers. Did they not know that?

Why were they accusing me of academic dishonesty? Any honorable scientist would know that academic dishonesty was a career suicide. I would never consciously even want to think about it, much less actually cheat. No honorable scientist would even think about academic dishonesty.

JB was the one who handled the data. She was the one who wrote the program and ran the data. I have never told her to delete any of the points. Of course, I asked her for a research progress report every week, but I was not pressuring her for results. And I certainly did not ask her to delete data points to get excellent results. As far as I was concerned, there were no unethical actions done in the present research…unless she was the one deleting the data points!

Frank sat motionless, unbelieving, and confused. And what about sexual harassment? That was the farthest thing from his mind.

How could a pat on the back be considered as sexual harassment? I thought she appreciated the compliment at the time. I’d only patted her just that once? Well, let me see. Okay, twice. That was not sexual harassment? This was strange, very strange.

I really needed to talk to JB about all this. Sexual harassment! I could not believe this. Check with Mary at the office. Check with Diane, the administrative secretary. Have I ever said anything or done anything that can even be remotely attributed to sexual harassment? This was ridiculous.

He shook his head, stood up, and walked around the room in utter bewilderment. He walked over to the window and looked out. The campus was calm and peaceful. Classes must be in session at this time. It was also getting late in the afternoon. A light breeze blew up a few leaves on the sidewalk. A lonely student was hurrying into the library trying to find that book to do the assigned homework.

He turned and surveyed the room. There was the beautiful oak table in the middle surrounded by a set of twelve exquisitely carved oak chairs. They sure looked nice, but they were terribly uncomfortable. There was nothing comfortable about this place.

He remembered some years back he was sitting in this very room talking to John boasting about the wonderful research work happening in this elite institution as the honored guest when John was announcing the award of his NIH grant. He distinctly remembered that for that brief announcement, he felt he was sitting on pins and needles and could not wait to get out of the room and back to his office.

Why were the administrative offices always so cold and impersonal? It almost seemed that the higher up one ascended, the colder the offices got. An urge rose within him to leave the room, though he resisted the urge.

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Pacing around the table, he could not really think about anything. He felt so confused and numb. The confusion totally incapacitated his mind. All that he had worked for in his whole life had crumbled down to nothing in just fifteen minutes of smooth talk by the provost.

Did all that hard work amount to nothing? No, it could not be. He shook his head and could not think clearly anymore. He was too shocked about the news, too confused about the allegations, too befuddled about the speed of the attack, and too tired to carry on the fight. While He had no problem standing up in big meetings or small gatherings to argue his research results and his viewpoints, he really had no stomach for these political maneuvers within the institution.

Why couldn’t people leave him alone to do his work?

Mindlessly, He walked over to the door and was about to open the door when the door opened itself.

“Frank, I have a bit of good news for you.” John was smiling. It was the kind of smile that meant nothing, the kind of administrator’s smile masking and hiding the uncaring, unconcerned attitude of the person behind.

He merely raised his head to look at John and made no attempt to even acknowledge his entrance.

“Frank, I just checked your personnel records. You are eligible for early retirement in exactly one year. I have talked to the President, and we both agreed that we could put you on administrative leave until then when you will retire officially. In the meantime, you are officially a faculty fellow in the Provost Office and your duty is to manage several academic programs that we are starting this year. This way, you can keep your retirement plan. What do you say? I think this is really a very generous offer.”

“I really like to talk to JB about this first.”

“Well, I don’t think this is an option right now. We are very sensitive to her wellbeing for her sake.”

What about ‘for my sake’ and ‘for my wellbeing?’ He thought to himself.

“I really like to find out from JB what exactly happened.”

“JB already told us everything, and I have told you everything that we have learned from him. Come on, Frank. You really don’t want this thing to get ugly for yourself, your career, and the institution.”

I am glad he mentioned the last word ‘institution.’ He said to himself.

“The media office will send a brief message to the local newspaper saying that you were made the Scientist of the Year and had decided to serve the university in the Provost Office. Personally, I really envy you. I think we have a good package for you, given the present situation here.”

“Well…” Frank started to say something.

“Then you agree, right? Good. I really think this is the best thing for your circumstance and for the institution.”

He just stared at John, speechless, the statue of the man shrinking by the minute along with his reputation. He never really liked the man in the first place and much less by now. Somehow, administrators always had a way to smile and speak so elegantly and positively, even when they stuck a knife at your back at the same time.

Frank looked at John, who was beaming and grinning. He was so proud of himself, and of what he had done. To him, he had averted a major crisis that would infinitely hurt the institution. Through his ingenuity, he had savaged the situation. There was no consideration of the persons involved, no contemplation on people, just what was best for his position and his institution.

Frank saw no point in arguing and delaying the inevitable. John’s mind was made up and so had the institution. It was just sad that the one institution that he had given his life to, the one place that had made him what he was; the same place was now undoing everything for his career, his life, and his everything. This was totally ironic. He was not bitter, just numbed as he headed for the door.

“Ok to send the news release then, Frank?”

“Whatever.” He mumbled, waving his hand as he walked out in confusion and disappointment.