Varga Claim Decried

This is in reply to the Nov. 14 Times article titled “UCSD Dean Alleges Ouster Plot.� Now a retired UC San Diego staff member, I was in the ‘70s one of those consulted for a recommendation when Beverly Varga was being considered for promotion from assistant dean to dean of students for Third College, and I have since followed her somewhat-rocky career.

No matter what her lawyer claims, Varga knows that there have been previous occasions when she was in hot water with administrators, as well as with some Third College students. In the present and in the past situations, time-consuming efforts were made, using known techniques for conflict resolution as well as some recommended in the book “Coping With Difficult People.� But problems continued.

It would appear that if Varga were still interested in Third College rather than in her own self-inflicted present situation, she would not be following down the path of the young girl in Lillian Hellman’s famous tragedy (“The Children’s Hour�), in which the student’s accusations (similar to those now being made by Varga) ruined not only the reputations of two teachers, but that of their school as well. Those of us who know Provost Faustina Solis will not be moved by the publicity sought by Varga, but it clearly is not in the best interest of Third College.

I have always thought of Varga as one who really cares about the fate of minorities and women. Thus I was quite unprepared for her public attacks on Solis, a fine Hispanic woman who is a locally and nationally known professional in the field of public health.

The whole bizarre episode boggles the mind.

HAZEL ALKSNIS

San Diego