Team UConn

[Jimmy Serrano]

I thought only people from the South were willing to compromise academics for athletic success... I guess not.

You should feel embarrassed to even say such a thing.

UConn is first and foremost an academic institution and it's most valuable asset is the quality of education it provides to it's students. It's not about academic rankings per se, its about the quality (faculty, students, physical plant, etc). Athletics is just a form of entertainment and should never be prioritized ahead of academics.

Susan has been great for the University of Connecticut, that's why she is still there and will probably remain as the prez for a while longer.

Just shut up Stony Brook boy.

 

[Muddler]

The academic reputation of the school is critical. First of all it’s a huge economic driver for the state an second my kids may be graduating from UCONN in the 6-7 years so ranking and academic excellence mean a hell of a lot.

Agreed, but it now subsidizes a struggling athletic department instead of paying for research, faculty, etc. It didn't have to be this way.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

You take messages on this board and yourself way too seriously.

Did you really change handles multiple times? That’s an indicator that you take your messages on this board way too seriously.

 

[kemba]

UConn is first and foremost an academic institution and it's most valuable asset is the quality of education it provides to it's students. It's not about academic rankings per se, its about the quality (faculty, students, physical plant, etc).

And it was a quality school before Herbst came in. The success of the basketball teams was a big reason it reached that level.

I'm fine with Herbst, not criticizing her. But if we're giving her all this credit for improving academics than you are talking rankings. The biggest real imrovements in the quality of education happened before her.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Did you really change handles multiple times? That’s an indicator that you take your messages on this board way too seriously.

No. It's an indicator that I allow this board to suck too much time out of my life. I change the password so I can't log on, then I take a break. Longest break was about 6 months, IIRC. Harder habit to break than nicotine, and that was very tough.

 

[MadDogRevival]

And it was a quality school before Herbst came in. The success of the basketball teams was a big reason it reached that level.

I'd love to see some sort of data supporting this assertion. Don't believe it to be true, but would like it to be true. Can you support?

 

[intlzncster]

Honestly, Warde was simply an ok hire. But the instincts were correct. She went and got a well reguarded guy with a football background. We can say he wasn’t great here, but Michigan hired him. So he obviously wasn’t a catastrophe. Ollie was forced on him by Calhoun, and Diaco was an unlucky hire. He looked the part until we saw him up close. I refuse to believe that Warde could have altered the ACC Louisville decision.

Credit the ol' Parker search firm.

 

[whaler11]

The academic reputation of the school is critical. First of all it’s a huge economic driver for the state an second my kids may be graduating from UCONN in the 6-7 years so ranking and academic excellence mean a hell of a lot.

The economic impact of the university is impacted by being ranked 20th instead of 35th.........?

If you wanted the school to maximize it’s academic prowess you’d want the school
to stop running an athletic department that has a 40 million dollar deficit...

I’ll take these posts seriously when people who claim to care so much call for a drop to D-III.

 

[whaler11]

You go up the rankings by spending more money.

UConn spent a lotta money.

Therefore UConn went up the rankings.

It’s not a magic president - it’s feeding a monster that can’t stop spending.

They are going to slide right back down over the next 20 years cuz their ain’t no money to spend.

 

[intlzncster]

And it was a quality school before Herbst came in. The success of the basketball teams was a big reason it reached that level.

I'm fine with Herbst, not criticizing her. But if we're giving her all this credit for improving academics than you are talking rankings. The biggest real imrovements in the quality of education happened before her.

Yeah, most of that came on the back of 'UConn 2000' (started in 1995) and '21st Century UConn' investments.

Jim's success had a not insignificant effect on UCONN 2000, which started the ball rolling. And 21st Century UCONN piggy backed.

Now there's 'Next Generation Connecticut' to continue the roll.

 

[intlzncster]

Yes, the economic impact of the university is impacted by being ranked 20th instead of 35th.

If you wanted the school to maximize it’s academic prowess you’d want the school
to stop running an athletic department that has a 40 million dollar deficit...

I’ll take these posts seriously when people who claim to care so much call for a drop to D-III.

The only way it might switch is if they get a P5 invite, on the back of football success. That would bring both product (on the field/fanbase) revenue and conference revenue. And then with a pairing down of some nonessential sports (which won't happen).

Running an AD is really an expensive marketing and political tool.

 

[freescooter]

If the APR mess had not occurred Warde Manuel would never have gotten within 100 miles of the UConn AD job. It was his high marks and an award from the NCAA for “fixing” Buffalo’s APR mess that brought him to UConn. There was even a belief/hope that his hiring would lead the NCAA to rescind the ban. That they didn’t wasbthe first of many failures.

 

[Danzz]

I'd love to see some sort of data supporting this assertion. Don't believe it to be true, but would like it to be true. Can you support?

Do your own research for a change.

 

[pj]

I was excited for Diaco. Broyles award winner, came from Norte Dame with Iowa background. Seemed a good hire. Lots of high energy, which was great after P, who seemed like a living corpse.

I was not excited about Ollie. I was pissed that a school that was where UConn was at the time would hire a guy with zero head coaching experience and only 3 years as an assistant, all behind Calhoun. Somebody like that belonged at a school more like Central. You don’t learn the ropes at UConn. We can’t afford emotional, sentimental hires.

Diaco was goofy from the beginning, it didn't take long to figure out he was a mistaken hire. In football a lack of head coaching experience is very risky, these are much bigger programs to run than basketball (7-fold more players and 2-fold more coaches). So Diaco was high risk from the beginning and it only took a matter of weeks to months to realize that he was a mistake. One year in, it was clear he was a disaster. It was crazy that they let him coach as long as they did.

KO on the other hand, while also inexperienced and a risky hire, had a very high ceiling. 13 year NBA pro who did it not on talent but on character, hard work, and mastering all the fundamentals -- you could see how he could tell a story that would really resonate with recruits. If he could be one of the few high level black coaches, that would also resonate with some recruits. Plus he had JC's endorsement and JC knows a lot about basketball. Then he won a national championship. It could have been so much better than it was. It was a disappointing but we had to give him at least the time he had to see if he could learn on the job.

 

[whaler11]

The only way it might switch is if they get a P5 invite, on the back of football success. That would bring both product (on the field/fanbase) revenue and conference revenue. And then with a pairing down of some nonessential sports (which won't happen).

Running an AD is really an expensive marketing and political tool.

The whole higher ed complex is a giant bubble.

The cost/value ratio is competely out of whack.

Few schools and majors actually prepare people for careers.

With AR and VR technology coming quickly. you don’t have to spend 40k a year to live on some campus to have an arrogant egghead tell you about art history.

Think about half the garbage they make students take. Sit here with 100 kids with a TA who makes $6 an hour to memorize some crap for a test you can safely forget 20 minutes later.

The space, the admins, the bloated salaries, the crashing state subsidies.... you are going to be able to learn more, faster at a fraction of the cost.

I don’t know how fast it’s going to happen, but schools that are investing huge dollars in physical buildings and spending at three times the rate of inflation are headed for a very painful fall off the cliff.

That’s why they already are so dependant on international students. When that doesn’t sate their need to spend going forward good luck finding the next customers to bleed dry.

It’s going to be a spectacular crash in places like Connecticut. Upside down demos combined with a death spiral state budget that is going to force the wealthy to vote with their feet.

If Herbst was doing something for the state and school she’d be solving for how to make it an institution that can sustain not just begging for the maximum amount of money to feed to useless administrators.

 

[Pudge]

And Pesident Herbst, who was in charge for the ACC mess, hiring Warde, signing off on Diaco, Diaco's extension, and KO's buyout, etc. is still in charge.

Such courage? To what? Courage to cost the university millions to fix your mistakes and bring in people actually competent of doing a good job?

Haha

You’re clueless

 

[Pudge]

The whole higher ed complex is a giant bubble.

The cost/value ratio is competely out of whack.

Few schools and majors actually prepare people for careers.

With AR and VR technology coming quickly. you don’t have to spend 40k a year to live on some campus to have an arrogant egghead tell you about art history.

Think about half the garbage they make students take. Sit here with 100 kids with a TA who makes $6 an hour to memorize some crap for a test you can safely forget 20 minutes later.

The space, the admins, the bloated salaries, the crashing state subsidies.... you are going to be able to learn more, faster at a fraction of the cost.

I don’t know how fast it’s going to happen, but schools that are investing huge dollars in physical buildings and spending at three times the rate of inflation are headed for a very painful fall off the cliff.

That’s why they already are so dependant on international students. When that doesn’t sate their need to spend going forward good luck finding the next customers to bleed dry.

It’s going to be a spectacular crash in places like Connecticut. Upside down demos combined with a death spiral state budget that is going to force the wealthy to vote with their feet.

If Herbst was doing something for the state and school she’d be solving for how to make it an institution that can sustain not just begging for the maximum amount of money to feed to useless administrators.

In real time ... you can see the effect of a seat of the pants “business”plan. I, frankly, cannot fathom what you’re evaluating or what your vision might be. There’s a complex masterpiece of educational advancements going on at UCONN. With constrained resources.

Education? It’s not just vocational.

Yes. My Dad was a College President (etc etc). The number one rated institution in Salaries five years past graduation - you can see it in Forbes; he never believed in Organic Chemistry all day every day. I trust you have walked the campus in Storrs, Connecticut ... and might have seen it in 1990? My view Of UConn is vastly different. Carry on with your rants.

 

[whaler11]

In real time ... you can see the effect of a seat of the pants “business”plan. I, frankly, cannot fathom what you’re evaluating or what your vision might be. There’s a complex masterpiece of educational advancements going on at UCONN. With constrained resources.

Education? It’s not just vocational.

Yes. My Dad was a College President (etc etc). The number one rated institution in Salaries five years past graduation - you can see it in Forbes; he never believed in Organic Chemistry all day every day. I trust you have walked the campus in Storrs, Connecticut ... and might have seen it in 1990? My view Of UConn is vastly different. Carry on with your rants.

Yes that was super ranty.

It’s nice that academic types think there is value in the non-vocational pieces of university studies.

The market is starting to rationally reject $200k English degrees.

Schools aren’t going to be competiting with just other traditional colleges in the future.

Sorry that you are too biased to be willing to understand what’s coming - but the masses are wising up to the scam that cripples their future for decades because they have a 6 figure debt load and a 55k salary with no upside.

As for the business plan if it’s implemented by the same leadership who runs the business of the athletic department I already know it’s a complete failure. Maybe I’m old fashioned but I’m not in love with selling our financial future to China and then doing them the favor of educating their kids.

 

[whaler11]

As for if I’ve been on campus LOL.

That’s the beauty of these threads.

I’m one of a handful of people who actually lives here. I live close enough that I go to the dairy bar on Sundays if I’m bored.

I know how many high salaried people are talking about leaving. I see how the employers don’t think they can recruit here.

I live in a neighborhood full of beautiful houses with for sale signs in front of them that they can’t give away.

I just did a refi and got an appraisal that was 95k less than it was in 2009 and that was only because the appraiser did me a solid and brought in a sale from miles away because there were so few closed deals nearby.

I know how bad we are going to get hammered when the SALT deductions go away next spring.

I understand the budget and where it is headed and that there is literally no solution.

So if you think continuing to throw money at UConn so it can be 17th instead of 28th in a magazine ranking is a great idea - the only conclusion I can come to is that you don’t live here. It’s unsustainable and short-sighted and this will become blatently obvious when the entire state budget is spent on retired state workers.

 

[intlzncster]

The whole higher ed complex is a giant bubble.

The cost/value ratio is competely out of whack.

Few schools and majors actually prepare people for careers.

With AR and VR technology coming quickly. you don’t have to spend 40k a year to live on some campus to have an arrogant egghead tell you about art history.

Think about half the garbage they make students take. Sit here with 100 kids with a TA who makes $6 an hour to memorize some crap for a test you can safely forget 20 minutes later.

The space, the admins, the bloated salaries, the crashing state subsidies.... you are going to be able to learn more, faster at a fraction of the cost.

I don’t know how fast it’s going to happen, but schools that are investing huge dollars in physical buildings and spending at three times the rate of inflation are headed for a very painful fall off the cliff.

That’s why they already are so dependant on international students. When that doesn’t sate their need to spend going forward good luck finding the next customers to bleed dry.

It’s going to be a spectacular crash in places like Connecticut. Upside down demos combined with a death spiral state budget that is going to force the wealthy to vote with their feet.

If Herbst was doing something for the state and school she’d be solving for how to make it an institution that can sustain not just begging for the maximum amount of money to feed to useless administrators.

I'm with you 100% on that. In fact, I'm considering an advanced degree, but plan on doing it overseas. Cost/benefit. Costs $500-1000 per semester for the equivalent, with professors only.

Right now, the online ed thing is still not accepted in the job market, so you've got to get a brick and mortar thing on your resume.

When that changes, the gig is up for US colleges.

 

[intlzncster]

Yes that was super ranty.

It’s nice that academic types think there is value in the non-vocational pieces of university studies.

The market is starting to rationally reject $200k English degrees.

Schools aren’t going to be competiting with just other traditional colleges in the future.

Sorry that you are too biased to be willing to understand what’s coming - but the masses are wising up to the scam that cripples their future for decades because they have a 6 figure debt load and a 55k salary with no upside.

As for the business plan if it’s implemented by the same leadership who runs the business of the athletic department I already know it’s a complete failure. Maybe I’m old fashioned but I’m not in love with selling our financial future to China and then doing them the favor of educating their kids.

There's tremendous value in a well rounded college education. At a fraction of the cost. There's so many better ways it could be organized at a fraction of the cost. Getting rid of the 'resort living' model. Going local for interactions with students. Supplimented AR/VR. Access to professors only. Getting rid of the current 'career path' in academia which is such a silly waste of resources--the publish to publish model et al. Having profs with actual experience in the real world, who aren't just living in theory-land etc. I don't have the patience to type it all out coherently.

As you say, the C/B is waaay out of wack.

 

[whaler11]

I'm with you 100% on that. In fact, I'm considering an advanced degree, but plan on doing it overseas. Cost/benefit. Costs $500-1000 per semester for the equivalent, with professors only.

Right now, the online ed thing is still not accepted in the job market, so you've got to get a brick and mortar thing on your resume.

When that changes, the gig is up for US colleges.

The biggest farce is the MBA programs.

The schools want the revenue and and the only way to get the revenue is to hand out grades so people can get their company’s tuition reimbursement.

Group projects where one person does all the work delivered to bored moonlighters making a quick buck. Everyone gets their grade and signs up for another $3k in classes once the reimbursement resets.

 

[Danzz]

The whole higher ed complex is a giant bubble.

The cost/value ratio is competely out of whack.

Few schools and majors actually prepare people for careers.

With AR and VR technology coming quickly. you don’t have to spend 40k a year to live on some campus to have an arrogant egghead tell you about art history.

Think about half the garbage they make students take. Sit here with 100 kids with a TA who makes $6 an hour to memorize some crap for a test you can safely forget 20 minutes later.

The space, the admins, the bloated salaries, the crashing state subsidies.... you are going to be able to learn more, faster at a fraction of the cost.

I don’t know how fast it’s going to happen, but schools that are investing huge dollars in physical buildings and spending at three times the rate of inflation are headed for a very painful fall off the cliff.

That’s why they already are so dependant on international students. When that doesn’t sate their need to spend going forward good luck finding the next customers to bleed dry.

It’s going to be a spectacular crash in places like Connecticut. Upside down demos combined with a death spiral state budget that is going to force the wealthy to vote with their feet.

If Herbst was doing something for the state and school she’d be solving for how to make it an institution that can sustain not just begging for the maximum amount of money to feed to useless administrators.

Those required courses we all hated to take are designed to expose you to areas you would avoid if left to your own choices. The objective is to be enriching and round you out intellectually.
If you went to a Catholic college as I did they steal your easy electives and fill them with philosophy and theology courses which are generally difficult.
I see their point but I don't remember a damn thing about my metaphysics course.

 

[intlzncster]

I live in a neighborhood full of beautiful houses with for sales signs in front of them that they can’t give away.
I just did a refi and got an appraisal that was 95k less than it was in 2009 and that was only because the appraiser did me a solid and brought in a sale from miles away because there were so few closed deals nearby.

That's what you get for going columns bro. Never go columns.

 

[MadDogRevival]

The whole higher ed complex is a giant bubble.

The cost/value ratio is competely out of whack.

Few schools and majors actually prepare people for careers.

With AR and VR technology coming quickly. you don’t have to spend 40k a year to live on some campus to have an arrogant egghead tell you about art history.

Think about half the garbage they make students take. Sit here with 100 kids with a TA who makes $6 an hour to memorize some crap for a test you can safely forget 20 minutes later.

The space, the admins, the bloated salaries, the crashing state subsidies.... you are going to be able to learn more, faster at a fraction of the cost.

I don’t know how fast it’s going to happen, but schools that are investing huge dollars in physical buildings and spending at three times the rate of inflation are headed for a very painful fall off the cliff.

That’s why they already are so dependant on international students. When that doesn’t sate their need to spend going forward good luck finding the next customers to bleed dry.

It’s going to be a spectacular crash in places like Connecticut. Upside down demos combined with a death spiral state budget that is going to force the wealthy to vote with their feet.

If Herbst was doing something for the state and school she’d be solving for how to make it an institution that can sustain not just begging for the maximum amount of money to feed to useless administrators.

I agree with this post 100%. Spot on.
I know a young fella just got hired programming making 90k - 1.5 semesters in college. The place that hired him doesn't care too much about paper credentials. They make sure you can program, then they hire you as a contractor for 6 months to a year for 30 an hour. If you do the job and fit in, you get hired on for 90. They are doing quite well with that model.