The Campus Trilogy by Anonymous Read Free Book Online

had misbehaved and Fine talked to her afterwards. Apparently they had a most disagreeable conversation about her attitude. She is not what I would describe as an industrious student. But then – and this is why I called you – she accused him of trying to seduce her. Of course, there were no grounds for this accusation. Rabbi Fine is a most moral and upright chap. He’s married with three children. But when Lisa complained, I had to listen. The president of the congregation, who is a close business associate of the Golds, intervened, and Rabbi Fine was dismissed. Mercifully, I managed to get him a job in Florida where he has rather a good congregation. Even though I am sure he was innocent, the president insisted he had to go.”
    “But surely there are employment laws?” I said.
    “Yes. But if he had stayed, we would have lost the Golds, and in any case rumours get around. No smoke without fire. That sort of thing. Fine would never have got another job in the British Jewish community. The Golds are big donors – though I have to say they tend to promise more than they deliver. At that stage they had pledged a sizeable contribution to the building fund. The president had to take action, otherwise we would have lost the money. We’re in the middle of a big building programme, and we are dependent on the goodwill of individual donors. It isn’t always easy and, alas, sometimes principles go out of the window.”
    “Thank goodness universities aren’t like that.”
    “Oh,” he said. “I thought they were going the same way. Well, I felt you might want to know. Lisa’s no doubt got you into trouble.”
    “Well, frankly she has. But I think it’s all right. I’ve been told that it was my word against hers, and I do have tenure. But, it’s terrible about your assistant. How has he taken it?”
    “He’s done very well. They’re lucky to have him. But he did have to start again in the States. I hear from him occasionally. I understand he’s now doing his own radio programme, and is taking a course in psychological counselling. But the point is, I didn’t want you to feel bad about your difficulties with Lisa. I thought knowing about Rabbi Fine might help.”
    “Wally … Can I ask a favour? You wouldn’t be willing to testify to all this, in case there are problems?”
    There was a long pause. “Can’t really,” he replied. “The Golds would be furious if they knew I was telling you this, and my job would be on the line if I put it in writing. I hope you’ll understand.”
    The call ended with mutual expressions of esteem. Later in the afternoon, I went to the library. On the way in I ran into the Registrar, Dr Robert Sloth, and his wife. After finishing a PhD on John Galsworthy at Goldsmiths’ College, London, he joined the Registry at the University of Southampton, where he met and married his wife, Jenny, who was working in the library. Dr Sloth had a large office next door to the Vice-Chancellor and reputedly spent every afternoon asleep on a sofa. He always snored at university meetings except when he was in the chair. He was clutching a stack of books. I waved. He smiled. I glanced at the titles as he passed. One of the books had a photograph of a university on the cover: it was entitled Risk Management in Higher Education .
    It was my turn to take chapel services for the week. Since Barraclough had ruled that the university could no longer afford a full-time chaplain, the chapel services were conducted by a rota of part-timers. Magnus and I met up for a drink before Evensong. I told him about my encounter with the Registrar.
    “Risk management is the new buzz word,” Magnus announced. “I read about it in the Times Higher last week.” I had a vague recollection of the article, but I had skipped over it to look at the reviews, just in case someone had written about my last book.
    “‘Universities can’t be too careful,” Magnus said. “But you can be sure Sloth will never understand it.