Susan Herbst Leading Charge on Athletics Programs Oversight

[husky99]

http://borgesblognhr.blogspot.com/2012/10/susan-herbst-leading-charge-on.html?m=1

 

[upstater]

And yet, oddly enough, the problems at Penn State and North Carolina extend to the highest reaches. Presidents are involved, they kicked the responsibility up to the politicos. Board members are political appointees as well. At Texas A&M the board fired a President for not putting football first.

 

[Waquoit]

Doesn't she have enough on her plate? Let someone else "lead the charge". This doesn't help UConn.

 

[arnie3]

I think it shows the public that the University of Connecticut wants to maintain transparency when dealing with all realm of the institution including sports. The fact that the leaders of this "charge" are a present and former president of our university bodes well. Dovetailing to what Upstater said above, those institutions of learning have hidden their problems to the point where it will take years before PSU regains its credibility in the public eye. I applaud her initiative.

 

[EricLA]

Doesn't she have enough on her plate? Let someone else "lead the charge". This doesn't help UConn.

Possibly, but how many times can she call the Presidents of the other conferences asking them to invite UCONN? And I'm sure she has a staff that does whatever she instructs them to do. I honestly have no idea what she spends her time doing - maybe you are right, maybe not. But in theory it's good for UCONN to show that the president is involved in those types of important aspects....

 

[freescooter]

as I posted on the football site, for the past few decades college presidents and boards of trustees have been trying to set athletic departments apart form the overall university. Some have even explored setting up separate corporations, but almost every D1 A school has tried to squeeze every penny out of every program and run them like separate businesses. Then they act shocked because they act that way...

 

[upstater]

I think it shows the public that the University of Connecticut wants to maintain transparency when dealing with all realm of the institution including sports. The fact that the leaders of this "charge" are a present and former president of our university bodes well. Dovetailing to what Upstater said above, those institutions of learning have hidden their problems to the point where it will take years before PSU regains its credibility in the public eye. I applaud her initiative.

I was trying to point out the opposite. The initiative encourages BOT's to take more active governance of the athletic department, but the problem schools mentioned had perhaps some of the most intrusive and active BOTs imagined.

In a non-athletic context, look at what happened in Virginia. They had a real estate agent and car dealer (nothing against this kind of work) sideline a university President so that they could install their own academic programs. And the irony was, they wanted UVa to join the digital age in online classrooms--apparently. yet everyone recognizes UVa as the worldwide leader in digital education (but with high standards). This is the sort of interference I can imagine coming from political appointees.

It's the very reason that the UNC President washed his hands of the scandal and sent it up the line to the state's politicians and law firms, as though they might have some competency in a matter that very clearly should stop at a level below the President's (Dean or Provost). So why was it elevated? Because the BOT and the politicians have a stake in UNC sports.

 

[upstater]

as I posted on the football site, for the past few decades college presidents and boards of trustees have been trying to set athletic departments apart form the overall university. Some have even explored setting up separate corporations, but almost every D1 A school has tried to squeeze every penny out of every program and run them like separate businesses. Then they act shocked because they act that way...

Squeeze every penny?

Really?

It's the reverse situation.

 

[freescooter]

There's a difference between oversight and meddling. What some boards of trustees, some individual trustees and some politicians do is meddle. That's not what is being called for.

As far as squeezing every penny, I'm referring to how the schools treat donors, fans, etc.Essentially threatening long time fans with losing their seats unless they pony up more cash... And conference mates...I suspect that most would change conferences and leave longtime rivals if they thought they could make an extra twenty-five cents.

 

[upstater]

There's a difference between oversight and meddling. What some boards of trustees, some individual trustees and some politicians do is meddle. That's not what is being called for.

As far as squeezing every penny, I'm referring to how the schools treat donors, fans, etc.Essentially threatening long time fans with losing their seats unless they pony up more cash... And conference mates...I suspect that most would change conferences and leave longtime rivals if they thought they could make an extra twenty-five cents.

They do this because they don't want to lose any more money; they are trying to stop the bleeding. I would leave a conference too for more money. It's the only responsible thing to do. I find the sports reporters have the situation arse backwards. Many say, "Have the Presidents no sense of decency? What sort of message are they sending the kids?" It's the reporters who have lost sense of perspective. The decent thing to do is to inure the academic side from the athletic side at this point. One could argue that this is only because sports have become so big, but how do you shrink sports? Move to D2?

Oversight but no meddling? Interesting concept.

 

[freescooter]

They do this because they don't want to lose any more money; they are trying to stop the bleeding. I would leave a conference too for more money. It's the only responsible thing to do. I find the sports reporters have the situation arse backwards. Many say, "Have the Presidents no sense of decency? What sort of message are they sending the kids?" It's the reporters who have lost sense of perspective. The decent thing to do is to inure the academic side from the athletic side at this point. One could argue that this is only because sports have become so big, but how do you shrink sports? Move to D2?

Oversight but no meddling? Interesting concept.

Amazing that you have so little respect for the members of Boards of Trustees. Like everything else, some are good, some bad, some indifferent. But in my experience, most are trying to do the best they can for their universities. I know in your perfect academic world, we wouldn't have presidents or boards of trustees or deans or anything. Professors could just do whatever they wanted and funding would float down from the sky...

 

[upstater]

Amazing that you have so little respect for the members of Boards of Trustees. Like everything else, some are good, some bad, some indifferent. But in my experience, most are trying to do the best they can for their universities. I know in your perfect academic world, we wouldn't have presidents or boards of trustees or deans or anything. Professors could just do whatever they wanted and funding would float down from the sky...

Are you off your meds or something?

BOT + Athletics = Trouble. We see it everywhere. Your post about deans and presidents etc., is well, just crazy.

 

[freescooter]

I think you are the one off your meds, uppy. The role of the board of Trustees is to oversee all aspects of the University, and that includes the athletic department. As a major introduction to the University for many folks, it is completely appropriate that they understand what is going on there and ask the hard questions, and make sure that the atletic department doesn't stay too far off the reservation so to speak.

 

[upstater]

I think you are the one off your meds, uppy. The role of the board of Trustees is to oversee all aspects of the University, and that includes the athletic department. As a major introduction to the University for many folks, it is completely appropriate that they understand what is going on there and ask the hard questions, and make sure that the atletic department doesn't stay too far off the reservation so to speak.

You're wrong about the BOT's role.

 

[freescooter]

You're wrong about the BOT's role.

the sky is blue...
(Now waiting for upstater to post "No it is green")

 

[upstater]

Nonsense posts do not make you right on this. BOTs have very strict competences, and it's all laid out and easy for anyone to read.

the sky is blue...
(Now waiting for upstater to post "No it is green")