Oh my. I have just received the following announcement from Our Chancellor. "I am delighted," she says, "to share with you that Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom will offer a public talk on March 10 at 1:30 p.m. in room 1005 of the Beckman Institute, entitled 'Through a Glass Darkly: What the Future of Higher Education Might Be.' Vice-Chancellor Eastwood’s talk will focus on how higher education is changing to address society’s changing needs. As we envision our campus 20 to 50 years into the future, we are exploring how to best position the university for continued relevance and impact. Vice-Chancellor Eastwood’s service on numerous national bodies and committees contributing to recent, often dramatic discussions and policy changes in UK higher education and research provide a unique perspective on this critical topic." Presumably Our Chancellor's delight reflects her basic agreement with Vice-Chancellor Eastwood's approach to academic administration. So let's take a look at that approach, shall we? A recent article in The Guardian newspaper gives us some background. It reports that not only is Eastwood among the very highest paid administrators in Britain, he is also among the most heavy handed. Not even a gesture at "shared governance" from Birmingham's Vice-Chancellor. On the contrary, he reserves the right to remove those who disagree with him from university committees. A report from Times Higher Education describes how Eastwood was forced to reinstate a scientist summarily dismissed without due process, while the Huffington Post tells how he spent 30,000 pounds on a legal injunction against student protestors. I welcome David Eastwood to UIUC. It is always interesting to hear any informed person's views on the future of higher education. But I have to say that Our Chancellor's obvious admiration for Eastwood does give me pause.