[NHCOLL-L:367] RE: Response to e-mail re: Fred Utech and Sue Thompson

[Karl Hutterer]

Colleagues,

this is a response to the e-mail sent to the nhcoll list by Allison Cusick
about recent personnel actions taken at the Carnegie Museum of Natural
History in Pittsburgh.

I was a member of an external review committee that visited the CMNH last
year, although I was not part of a specific review of the herbarium
there. Because of my earlier involvement, I was disturbed by the tenor of
the e-mail, since it did not conform with what I had learned about
strategic directions as well as personnel policies that I had observed
there. I communicated with some members of the leadership at the CMNH to
learn more about what has happened. I am satisfied about three things: (a)
that the e-mail by Cusick contains serious misinformation and distortions,
and (b) that the personnel actions taken at the CMNH were proceeded by due
process, and (c) that the leadership of the CMNH fully intends not only to
safeguard the herbarium and botanical research at their institutions but
also to improve it.

Ellsworth Brown, President of the Carnegie Museums and Library, has given
me permission to forward to you the e-mail below. You will find it below
my signature line.

Let me close by saying that the wide circulation of inaccurate information
in this matter does not serve well either the CMNH and its efforts to
foster strong research programs nor the two individuals who were
dismissed.

Sincerely,

Karl Hutterer

***************************************************************************
Karl L. Hutterer, Director
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
University of Washington, Box 353010
Seattle, WA 98195-3010
(206) 543-2784 phone
(206) 616-7583 fax
**************************************************************************


On Thu, 2 Dec 1999, Brown, Ellsworth wrote:

> Your announcement of personnel actions at Carnegie Museum of Natural
History
> is inaccurate in several respects, and I thought that you would appreciate
> knowing that you have encouraged responses to it by using mistaken
> assumptions.
> 
> First, we do not comment on personnel actions as a matter of policy.  I am
> sure that you would want this policy to pertain for you and your
colleagues.
> This means that your only source of information about the action is from
> employees who were involved.  Thus, while no specific reasons are provided
> to others, they were provided to the employees.  We did not use "secret
> inquisitors," but we do seek respected outside advice-we have, in fact, a
> new tradition of creating visiting committees including one for our Nature
> Reserve that convened about a month ago.
> 
> Loans acquisitions are corporate matters that are not dependent upon
> individuals, and acquisitions and loans are therefore not in limbo.
> 
> As for the remainder of you e-mail memorandum, as you say, you do
speculate,
> but inaccurately and inappropriately.  Your speculation is uninformed and
> quite inaccurate, and I would suggest that speculation is an inappropriate
> reason for anyone-especially a scientist whose standards should be
higher-to
> salt the kind of innuendo you have written.  
> 
> The Museum's mission is being rewritten by a group of trustees, CMNH
staff,
> and me; the second meeting occurred this week, in fact, and the current
> mission is not now functionally applicable.
> 
> As to the suggestion that the dismissals were "arbitrary," let me say that
> my role as President of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and Carnegie
Library
> of Pittsburgh is to protect these corporations, not to advance or permit
> individual agendas with the human resources arena.  The corporations are
> protected if our employees are treated fairly and if our employees treat
the
> organizations fairly.  Therefore our staff does not have leave to take
> unilateral, unchecked personnel actions.  I assure you that neither
hirings
> nor dismissals here are arbitrary, or anything but thoughtful and fair.
> 
> You may certainly encourage protest.  We respect your right to do so.  But
> we hope that you will right the incorrect information you have distributed
> and express instead your personal support of the individuals and, at the
> same time, your concern for our institution and the fine collection it
holds
> in trust.  We share this concern.  To encourage protest on inaccurate
> grounds will have the effect, especially among our lay leadership, of
> diminishing respect for the professionals in the field, while responses
> framed within accurate information will be respected.
> 
> Finally, the business and the address for Frank Brooks Robinson are in
> error.
>