Well, it's nice to know everyone's awake out there, and that we all agree
that "deadline creep" is a problem! I never intended to set up a false
dichotomy between service and fiduciary responsibility. I was simply
suggesting that one does whatever it takes to do both, as impossible as that
is.

There is one comment that I just can't let get by, though, and that concerns
the observation that the "business" analogy is not a useful one for
sponsored programs. I think it's an absolutely useful analogy. The last time
I looked, in higher education over 2000 institutions were competing for
about $15 billion in federal science support alone. I think that qualifies
as a busness. Jay Morely of NACUBO observed recently that "those
institutions that do not learn to stay ahead of the curve and transform
rapidly are in danger of being swallowed up through consolidation or
competition by the private sector." He was referring to change in higher
education in general, and the same forces are affecting sponsored programs
administration.

Bill Kirby
xxxxxx@worldnet.att.net