10 years ago: April 1997

Opinion

Empty rhetoric: Buzzwords lose their meaning with improper use

The UW community has developed a new set of buzzwords over the past few years. Today's college discourse is filled with terms like accountability, appropriateness, responsibility, ethics, conflict of interest, professionalism and policy. Many people use words such as these in an attempt to promote quality in the academic environment. Unfortunately, as people toss these words around, the meanings are often lost.

Accountability is one of my favorites. Depending on the issue and the position, the term can be a UW official's best friend or worst nightmare.