The 'Visiting Fellow' Story

UPDATE:  Well....at 3AM on the east coast....Harvard put out a statement to say the 'visiting fellow' invitation to Chelsea Manning was a mistake.  End of story.

Original essay:

University operations often run with a gimmick.  Sometimes, it's NCAA football.  Sometimes, it's some science department with professors standing in the shadow of Einstein.  Sometimes, it's about some radical program with no grades and no tests....just pass/fail (Evergreen College).

I noticed this morning that Harvard University came out yesterday and announced that Chelsea Manning (former Army....convicted felon....commuted sentence from President Obama) will now be a 'visiting fellow' with Harvard (for one academic year).

What is a 'visiting fellow'?

The general meaning is that a university operation will desire to have a educated guy....usually a professor, a noted scholar, a well-known political figure....to visit the university and either lecture (meaning one single night or a series of nights) or do research at the university in connection with some program they are running.

While not always the case....you might find some deep pockets individual who comes up occasionally and donates to the college's program.....will have some individual that they want covered under the college's 'umbrella' for a year, and only because of that request....you get 'visiting fellow' status.

Pay during this academic year?  Yes and no.  If you are a professor just on 'loan', then you have pay still coming in from the original job and you don't get any additional pay.  Most colleges will provide accommodations....like a on-site apartment or a cottage deal.  If you have no incoming pay, there probably will be some pay-scale set up for a person of your caliber.

In the case of Manning? I'm guessing that some donor came up and made the case that it would be nice to have Manning around for a year, and some pay-deal (probably in the $40k a year range) was set up, with on-campus accommodation.

As for what Manning will do?  Unknown for the most part.  Harvard hasn't said much.  There is some talk by the University that Manning  will speak on "technological, social and economic ramifications of A-I".  Maybe there will be a lecture or  two.

Negativity on this decision?  More than a few have commented on this.  Most will note that Manning is a convicted individual......never pardoned by President Obama, just commuted.

Manning's expert status on "technological, social and economic ramifications of A-I?  This is an individual who spent three brief years of enlisted duty with the Army....in military intelligence, with daily interaction with databases.  Presently, I'd say there are probably over two million individuals from the Army, Navy and Air Force with the same background, same minimum years at the job, and same education level.  If you went looking for the same individuals with a university degree....probably over 200,000 exist.

Some expert status with bringing Manning to Harvard?  No.  This was simply a gimmick.  They don't have a NCAA program that draws folks.  They usually produce lawyers.  It's something to draw attention and get some front-page news.  PR-work mostly.

The idea that some Harvard student might challenge Manning in some lecture or public forum?  Well....it's best not to bring that up.  My guess is that a quarter of the student population will be amused by the 'fellow' action and even more amused that the college gave status to Manning as some 'expert'.

Who knows....maybe one day....even I will get invited over to Harvard to be a 'Visiting Fellow' for a year.  As long as they provide accommodations....a free breakfast each day (coffee, waffles, and bacon) and free cable TV....I'm up to give a lecture or two on social, technological, and economic ramifications of A-I.