Chapter 23
Monday 17th June
I lost the only treasure that means anything to me
What now, what next, where to?
It was the first email he opened on Monday morning; he looked up across his imaginary African Plain and saw a look of foreboding on the faces of many of his colleagues. They had probably got the same message. Something was going down; he could even imagine the vultures high overhead swooping in ever decreasing circles looking for victims. They wouldn't be dissimilar to the turkey vultures that always flew above the freeway. Candy had warned him and now they were all being called in one at a time to a meeting of the entire Board. His appointment was at 10:15.
He went to lean over Ruby's desk; she was his baobab tree offering him shelter in the middle of the dry and barren landscape.
"Do you know what they're about?" he had asked her.
"I'll try and find out, I thought your contract review was set for tomorrow?"
"It is; this must be extra."
Ruby began tapping away at the keyboard and then headed over to the water cooler. Harry had nothing else to do until his later seminar so sat on the edge of Ruby's desk, waiting for her to return.
"So what's new at the water hole?" he asked with a smile.
Ruby did not return his smile, "Word is," she said knowledgeably, "That it's about some grade level fixing, but you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
"Nah…" lied Harry with a sinking feeling in his heart. "I'll let you know how it goes."
He went back to his desk and went back through his emails. His desk might be tidy but he rarely got round to deleting emails and it didn't take him long to find the one from Scott Volosin detailing the marking strategy. It was the one that described how much of a percentage point he could alter the student's GPA by each time. He'd remembered thinking it strange at the time and moaning about it to Nikki, but never for an instant did he think that it wasn't an actual NYU policy, just a stage managed strategy to make Volosin and his section of the department look successful.
Professor Volosin was his boss; he had given him the instructions. Harry for once had done what he was told. Should he have questioned the decision further? He was new. He had a lot on his plate. He took the time to go through his student's papers individually so even if the grade did say B- he had always made it clear in his review session where the student could have improved and it didn't take them long to do just that. Harry's end of year results had been excellent.
At that moment Ruby sent him a message.
"It was Professor Boxleitner that blew the whistle and started the grade fixing investigation," it said.
Harry stood and thanked her over the partition and made sure to delete the email. He wasn't letting her get into any trouble over this debacle. Randy Boxleitner, Harry thought. A year's worth of disciplinary actions and the constant observations of him had obviously only just changed his behaviour from screwing as many people in the department in one sense to screwing as many people in the department as he could in a different sense.
Harry entered his meeting clutching a copy of the email Volosin had sent him. It was dated September, how was he supposed to have known any differently back then?
"You have something to show us Professor Cunningham?" the vice chancellor asked him.
"I'd like you to take the time to consider carefully whether what is on that paper is going to make your situation better or worse," Candy said pointedly.
Harry looked down at the paper in his hands. It would implicate Volosin, there would be no room for him to manoeuver with the hard copy in the hands of the board. Is that what he wanted? Other than obviously lying about the marking policy, Volosin had always been good to him. They'd had lunch together on occasions; he was a pleasant enough. He had four kids and worked hard for his Hungarian Community Group. The Board could well have enough evidence against him already; there was no point in Harry sticking the knife in.
"This?" Harry said when he had taken time to think. "No this is just a first draft of a letter I'm thinking of writing, asking that my contract is not renewed at tomorrow's meeting."
He wasn't quite anticipating what he was going to say until the words were already out. He looked to Candy to gauge her reaction, but her face wore its mask of professionalism.
"Professor Cunningham, this is not the place to discuss this, we are here to discuss the fact that it seems in many areas of the medical sciences department there has been an agreed grade fixing going on. We want to know if you know anything about it?
"My students all got good grades in the end of year exams."
"Yes they did," agreed the Vice Chancellor. "We have been pleased with your input here at NYU, your contribution has been welcomed. But were you ever told that you had to limit the marking of their papers to within a percentage point of their GPA?"
"I was told a lot of things when I first arrived. I don't recall many of them. I have always worked in my own style to get the best from my students."
"Is that all you have to say?" Candy asked.
"Is there something else you want to hear?" Harry asked.
"That will be all Professor Cunningham. Can I on behalf of the board ask you to consider carefully your letter regarding the renewal of your contract with us? You would be missed here at NYU." Candy said.
"Thank you," Harry had replied and had made a quick exit.
Ruby had had to take another trip to Starbucks to revive him with a proper cup of tea after his interview.
"How did it go?" she had asked.
"I think I resigned," Harry had admitted.
"You what?... Why?"
"Why?" Harry had mused.
"Did you fix your grades?" Ruby had asked.
"Only because I had been told to, I always told the students what I actually thought their papers were worth, just kept to the mark scheme in the paper work."
"But they couldn't discipline you for that; you could say you were just doing as you were told. You only have one mark on your disciplinary record…
"I don't Ruby, I left early on Saturday, I met an elderly neighbour of mine, I left early to take her home, she was taken ill."
"They can't penalise you for being kind surely?"
"Don't you believe it, the mood Candy was in when I left she would have fired me on the spot if she could have done. I also gave my personal mobile details to Chantelle so she could call me when the cab arrived, I wouldn't put it past Candy to add giving student's my personal telephone number to my list of misdemeanours.
"But you don't need to take the fall for this. Why did you do it Harry? Why? You could have told them who it really was. "
"I could, but I didn't. I'm not taking the fall for the grading debacle. I just can't be here any longer. I need to be in England."
"But I thought you liked your job here."
"I do…but…"
"You're going back?"
"No, I'm not going back. I'm going to make a change. I'm going to do something new and I'm going to do it in England," said Harry decisively, a plan forming in his brain and a sense of rightness filling his soul. This time his decision to make a change didn't make his stomach churn as it had when he had decided to leave the Lyell. This time it felt right. Just as helping Mrs Finkelstein had felt right. He would have to leave Jorge and Beto, that would be hard but he knew they would be able to understand.
He'd formulated the letter that night and had given it to Candy in their review meeting the next day. Volosin was there too, looking shocked and relieved. He'd made sure to look Harry in the eye as they shook hands at the beginning of the meeting. Both men knew exactly why. Harry knew Candy was watching them both, but even she was powerless to make something out of a handshake.
"There's nothing I can say that would change your mind?" Candy had asked. "More money? Your own office? Not having to do the publicity seminars?"
"I've made my decision. I have enjoyed my work here at NYU but this will never become my home. I have a lot of business to attend to in England. I need to be there." Harry had stated.
"You'll be missed," Candy had replied, the professional face slipping for an instant.
"You'll be fine without me."
"Of course I will," she had said coldly.
"I don't suppose many people will even notice I've gone."
"I will," Scott Volosin said. "You have been a superb teacher, you really feel you have to go?"
"I do," Harry replied.
"I'm glad Boxleitner and his wife got back together." Candy began, her mind already solving the next problem. "Maybe she'll want her old job back," she said ruthlessly.
"Maybe she will. Goodbye." Harry said.
"Thank you for your contribution to NYU. Close the door on your way out," Candy called after him.
What Now, What Next, Where to? Robertson Blair (Elvis)
Lots of references to Part 2 here, so if you're confused try Chapters 6 and 19
