Each harbors information and protects turf. For example, the academic departments in Weed University strive to gain more faculty positions. More positions promise less teaching, more grant applications and greater visibility. Weed U. faculty work under a piecework system that rewards the number of articles they publish, whatever the quality. Weed profs struggle with the jealousy produced by a reward system that guarantees half must fail no matter how productive.
Professors substitute pay and perks for lack of pride in work.
For at Weed U. quality takes too much time away from grabbing. At Weed U. students are consumers in an academic mall. If they can pay, they can attend and, in turn, get certified for sitting through motley courses blowing chunks of textbooks. Weedroid universities do cost-plus budgeting. Administrators then add up the costs and subtract federal and state funds, which leaves a remainder financed by tuition.