Four Rulers, One Empire - University of Alberta Edition

Over the last few weeks there's been a lot of press in the higher education world on a story out of the University of Alberta. Fed up with soaring administration costs, a group of four faculty applied to share the chancellor position (with a salary of $400,000 Canadian, they're happy to just split it). Then other groups of faculty did likewise, inspired by this act of small rebellion. For coverage see here, here, and more recently, here.

To these intrepid, wonderful, professors, I offer one image of caution.

Probably not actually the Tetrarchy

What's going to happen when the Augustus of the eastern empire wants to retire and the Augustus in the West doesn't? Or if one of the Caesars converts to Catholicism and the other is Aryan or Pagan? Then there will be trouble. 

You know what would be a good idea? Three. We could call it a Triumvirate. Nothing could go wrong with a triumvirate.

P.S. It's all fun and games until universities start offering 4 PhDs the right to share one adjunct job. 

P.P.S. I have nothing serious to add, but it's a good story and it has made a statement. Now the University will hire whoever they want to hire and I doubt anything will change, but turning this hire into a farce is good. One step towards eroding this kind of pay gap at a time.