Team UConn

[Jimmy Serrano]

Please see Whalers post to me if you want to see how name calling starts. And my original answer to you got a bunch of likes. You just don’t like my politics, so you think I’m a tool. The dumb thing is, we both want UConn sports to succeed. But I want them all to succeed and you clearly don’t care about the sports that don’t float your boat. You really do more than not like women’s hoops, you put it down. And are missing out on some of the greatest women players in history right in Storrs. And I think it’s not great to overemphasize sports on the responsibility of a university president.

Great. Still don’t know why you’re supportive of Herbst.

 

[cohenzone]

Great. Still don’t know why you’re supportive of Herbst.

because I notice how the university is thriving under her and I think when it comes to hiring athletic staff she has to rely on a lot of advice. And I was totally against how KO was hired, and not so much that KO was hired. If he was the guy after a national search, fine. But there was no search. I blame not standing up to Calhoun on her. Diaco no waydo I blame on her. And I still say nobody here has the slightest idea what Manuel was doing with his time. And we have no way of knowing that our situation would have changed if he’d camped out in the ACC or Big-0 commissioners offices.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The New Canaan factoid is in here

Connecticut on the Brink

The games Malloy played with the towns in the school funding this year were amazing. If they push more money to the cities in future budgets it’s going to be war.

If you polled the suburbs on letting Hartford declare bankruptcy versus cutting teachers at their schools... 85/15...


The single scariest fact is 54% of the budget is tied up in fixed costs. It allows zero flexibility.

Thank you for providing the link to an interesting and disquieting read.
I'd still prefer that you'd walk more softly (read: talk more invitingly and with greater courtesy) when you have a big stick (read: stubborn facts that can provide a platform for quiet confidence).

It's the basic, "Say what you mean, mean what you say, don't say it mean" thing, but that may just be a mark of the prejudices in my rearing and my efforts as parent, partner, grandparent, friend, colleague, service provider, community member, citizen, etc.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

because I notice how the university is thriving under her and I think when it comes to hiring athletic staff she has to rely on a lot of advice. And I was totally against how KO was hired, and not so much that KO was hired. If he was the guy after a national search, fine. But there was no search. I blame not standing up to Calhoun on her. Diaco no waydo I blame on her. And I still say nobody here has the slightest idea what Manuel was doing with his time. And we have no way of knowing that our situation would have changed if he’d camped out in the ACC or Big-0 commissioners offices.

For future reference, don’t come at me and challenge me to state specifics when you come in hot with “I notice how the university is thriving”.

She hired Warde who hired Diaco. Warde was paid a handsome salary to figure out what I knew about Diaco 5 minutes into his press conference.

I get along fine with others who’s politics I don’t like. It’s your condescending know it all blustering that’s off putting.

 

[Pudge]

For future reference, don’t come at me and challenge me to state specifics when you come in hot with “I notice how the university is thriving”.

She hired Warde who hired Diaco. Warde was paid a handsome salary to figure out what I knew about Diaco 5 minutes into his press conference.

I get along fine with others who’s politics I don’t like. It’s your condescending know it all blustering that’s off putting.

Things more important at the UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT than Jimmy Serrano's hyperfocused myopia on the Athletic Director mistakes:

If you read the Job Description of President on or about when Herbst was hired:

Fundraising - Giftgiving - Grants

Raising the Profile and Ratings of key Academic Programs (particularly STEM and including Pharmacy, Engineering, Business, Nanoscience, Jackson Lab, UConn Health Center)

Hiring KEY Leadership and Professors with stature

Capital Campaign and Building the MasterPlan

Storrs Center

Life Safety and Residential Life

Integration of the Branch System into a Contemporary Multi-locational UConn

State Re-connectivity with the University at the Executive/Legislative level

Connectivity to major High Profile Productive Alumni.

And as I recall, it was Jimmy Serrano that stated that the Athletic Department was at the very lowest point ever. Since I go back to travels to Storrs with my Dad in 1967, I beg to differ: WE ARE UCONN and we are the finest mid-level State Athletic Department in the Country. The Best, by far in the Northeast (including all the New England states). National Championships and excellence in many sports. Rising Programs in Northeast Baseball, Hockey East Mens Hockey.

One mess of Kevin Ollie doesn't bring it all down.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Things more important at the UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT than Jimmy Serrano's hyperfocused myopia on the Athletic Director mistakes:

If you read the Job Description of President on or about when Herbst was hired:

Fundraising - Giftgiving - Grants

Raising the Profile and Ratings of key Academic Programs (particularly STEM and including Pharmacy, Engineering, Business, Nanoscience, Jackson Lab, UConn Health Center)

Hiring KEY Leadership and Professors with stature

Capital Campaign and Building the MasterPlan

Storrs Center

Life Safety and Residential Life

Integration of the Branch System into a Contemporary Multi-locational UConn

State Re-connectivity with the University at the Executive/Legislative level

Connectivity to major High Profile Productive Alumni.

And as I recall, it was Jimmy Serrano that stated that the Athletic Department was at the very lowest point ever. Since I go back to travels to Storrs with my Dad in 1967, I beg to differ: WE ARE UCONN and we are the finest mid-level State Athletic Department in the Country. The Best, by far in the Northeast (including all the New England states). National Championships and excellence in many sports. Rising Programs in Northeast Baseball, Hockey East Mens Hockey.

One mess of Kevin Ollie doesn't bring it all down.

I’ve listed my non athletic department views of Herbst.

But keep on preaching.

 

[mrl2016]

If you really care if the school is ranked 35th or 20th in some dopey system that is easily gamed you’ve got way too much of your self-esteem tied up in what the faculty to student ratio is long after you’ve graduated.

faculty to student ratio makes up 1% of the ranking. If you read https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/ranking-criteria-and-weights it becomes pretty clear that the factors that go into the ranking are indeed good indicators of quality of education & in practically all cases aren't something that can be "gamed" (graduation rates, first year retention, HS counselor surveys, SAT scores, faculty compensation etc.)

While these rankings may not matter to you they do matter to HS seniors applying to colleges and thus are important to the University's overall reputation. Herbst has done a good job "gaming" UConn up these rankings and it has been effecting the quality of the average UConn applicant. 1065 SAT in 1995 up to a 1220 in 2010, 1234 in 2014, 1294 in 2017. It'd be naive to think Herbst has had no hand in that.

 

[Nostical]

Reading these back and forth diatribes on Herbst reminds me of the lunacy of arguing against minds made up. So let's have fun and speculate on which conference UConn would be in had she been hired in 2007 instead of Hogan. She would likely have fired Hathaway (on grounds of the clear incompetence she saw immediately --as she did with our Provost) way before the academic issues surfaced. She then wouldn't have had to to placate the NCAA and hire WM to salve our APR wounds. Bring in Herbst and Benedict in 2007 and I submit we would be in a P-5 now. Edsall likely would have stayed, Calhoun's replacement hire would have been better managed. We squandered loads of athletic capital built over the years.

Now, as you ponder that exercise chew again, this time slower, on this tidbit from the article Whaler posted:
"Tiny New Canaan (population 20,000) throws off more income-tax revenues than New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford combined." Since high taxes heading even higher will cause those who pay them to reconsider their address, we see where the problems really lie, and it ain't with SH.

 

[intlzncster]

faculty to student ratio makes up 1% of the ranking. If you read https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/ranking-criteria-and-weights it becomes pretty clear that the factors that go into the ranking are indeed good indicators of quality of education & in practically all cases aren't something that can be "gamed" (graduation rates, first year retention, HS counselor surveys, SAT scores, faculty compensation etc.)

While these rankings may not matter to you they do matter to HS seniors applying to colleges and thus are important to the University's overall reputation. Herbst has done a good job "gaming" UConn up these rankings and it has been effecting the quality of the average UConn applicant. 1065 SAT in 1995 up to a 1220 in 2010, 1234 in 2014, 1294 in 2017. It'd be naive to think Herbst has had no hand in that.

Gaming the system is pretty common actually. You can look up tons of articles on how colleges do it. Schools do things like manipulate or even providing flat out false data, and build infrastructure that might not help educationally, but raises the rank anway etc.

This is big business. Big businesses will lie, cheat, and steal their way to the top as a rule. Anything to give them an edge. Some articles if you're interested:

• Gaming the College Rankings
• Oh what a tangled web schools weave: The college rankings game
• How to Game the College Rankings – Boston Magazine

It largely comes down to money anyway. Look at the list of endowments and you see a rough approximation of the USNWR rankings.

How U.S. News College Rankings Rig the Game for Private Schools

 

[polycom]

Gaming the system is pretty common actually. You can look up tons of articles on how colleges do it. Schools do things like manipulate or even providing flat out false data, and build infrastructure that might not help educationally, but raises the rank anway. Some articles if you're interested:

• Gaming the College Rankings
• Oh what a tangled web schools weave: The college rankings game
• How to Game the College Rankings – Boston Magazine

It largely comes down to money anyway. Look at the list of endowments and you see a rough approximation of the USNWR rankings.

How U.S. News College Rankings Rig the Game for Private Schools

Or you can visit Northeastern for a live example

 

[intlzncster]

Or you can visit Northeastern for a live example

Haha yep. The 3rd article I included was all about Northeastern.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

While these rankings may not matter to you they do matter to HS seniors applying to colleges and thus are important to the University's overall reputation. Herbst has done a good job "gaming" UConn up these rankings and it has been effecting the quality of the average UConn applicant. 1065 SAT in 1995 up to a 1220 in 2010, 1234 in 2014, 1294 in 2017. It'd be naive to think Herbst has had no hand in that.

Due to potential "gaming" of US News & World Report's college rankings, their rankings are not highly respected by many informed people. Students, parents, guidance counselors, etc., always informed or sometimes easily manipulated?

In addition to UConn 2000, 21st Century UConn, etc fundraising initiatives, despite some opinions voiced here and elsewhere Herbst probably deserves some credit for UConn's projected improved academic ranking. Based on purported significant SAT scoring inflation the last decade+ or dummying <sic> down SAT tests, what's the likelihood it's had some affect on UConn's average incoming students' SAT scores?

@upstater , What's your take on rumored SAT scoring inflation? In general and at UConn: BS vs valid consideration?

 

[cohenzone]

For future reference, don’t come at me and challenge me to state specifics when you come in hot with “I notice how the university is thriving”.

She hired Warde who hired Diaco. Warde was paid a handsome salary to figure out what I knew about Diaco 5 minutes into his press conference.

I get along fine with others who’s politics I don’t like. It’s your condescending know it all blustering that’s off putting.

For future reference, I get along with just about everyone who I differ with. If you take a

For future reference, don’t come at me and challenge me to state specifics when you come in hot with “I notice how the university is thriving”.

She hired Warde who hired Diaco. Warde was paid a handsome salary to figure out what I knew about Diaco 5 minutes into his press conference.

I get along fine with others who’s politics I don’t like. It’s your condescending know it all blustering that’s off putting.

Jimmy, I get along fine with conservatives on the Cesspool. If you take a challenge so personally, I won’t reply unless I agree with you. Your post invited a challenge. Firing a college President over sports failure is pretty drastic. And I still think my view of the role of a university is such that I could ever agree with firing a president over sports losing games except under really extreme circumstances. . If UConn is involved in a sports scandal, then I might agreed depending on what I think could have been done. Do you agree or not that acollege president typically depends on a lot of other people in picking coaches or ADs?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

For future reference, I get along with just about everyone who I differ with. If you take a


Jimmy, I get along fine with conservatives on the Cesspool. If you take a challenge so personally, I won’t reply unless I agree with you. Your post invited a challenge. Firing a college President over sports failure is pretty drastic. And I still think my view of the role of a university is such that I could ever agree with firing a president over sports losing games except under really extreme circumstances. . If UConn is involved in a sports scandal, then I might agreed depending on what I think could have been done. Do you agree or not that acollege president typically depends on a lot of other people in picking coaches or ADs?

You’re still stuck on the strawman that you created. I never said Herbst should be fired for sports teams losing games. Her bungling of the athletic department aside, I’ve stated my issues with her.

She’s done some good. It’s not all bad. Not sure why you can’t put a coherent thought together highlighting her successes.

 

[mrl2016]

Gaming the system is pretty common actually. You can look up tons of articles on how colleges do it. Schools do things like manipulate or even providing flat out false data, and build infrastructure that might not help educationally, but raises the rank anway etc.

This is big business. Big businesses will lie, cheat, and steal their way to the top as a rule. Anything to give them an edge. Some articles if you're interested:

• Gaming the College Rankings
• Oh what a tangled web schools weave: The college rankings game
• How to Game the College Rankings – Boston Magazine

It largely comes down to money anyway. Look at the list of endowments and you see a rough approximation of the USNWR rankings.

How U.S. News College Rankings Rig the Game for Private Schools

I stand corrected on the gaming of rankings, although I would maintain that UConn definitely doesn't participate in a few of the practices mentioned in the article (asking accepted students to retake) and hopefully (keyword) doesn't participate in reporting fraudulent numbers...

FWIW even with the very real gaming possibility people I know, both students I graduated with & kids currently applying to schools general give these rankings some stock. A few bad apples don't make the rankings meaningless imo, but I admit a lot of my evidence is anecdotal over small populations so maybe it's skewing my judgement.

 

[mrl2016]

Due to potential "gaming" of US News & World Report's college rankings, their rankings are not highly respected by many informed people. Students, parents, guidance counselors, etc., always informed or sometimes easily manipulated?

In addition to UConn 2000, 21st Century UConn, etc fundraising initiatives, despite some opinions voiced here and elsewhere Herbst probably deserves some credit for UConn's projected improved academic ranking. Based on purported significant SAT scoring inflation the last decade+ or dummying <sic> down SAT tests, what's the likelihood it's had some affect on UConn's average incoming students' SAT scores?

@upstater , What's your take on rumored SAT scoring inflation? In general and at UConn: BS vs valid consideration?

While it's possible students, parents, guidance counselors are uninformed about "gaming" of rankings at some point perception (even if "uninformed") becomes reality. Students, parents, guidance counselors are in large people who will drive up applications to the university and allow the school to be more selective.

You'd need to provide extremely strong evidence for me to believe the SATs have been dummied down. Average SAT Scores Over Time: 1972 - 2017

In 1995 the average SAT score was 1006 in 2016 (before the changes to the exam) the average was a 1002. In that same time period (1995-2016) UConn's average went up by over 200 points. While nowhere near responsible for all of that she deserves credit where credit is due. When she came in in 2010 it was a 1220, now it's a 1290. A lot of UConn's academic transformation happened prior to her arrival, but she has certainly done a good job building on it.

 

[cohenzone]

You’re still stuck on the strawman that you created. I never said Herbst should be fired for sports teams losing games. Her bungling of the athletic department aside, I’ve stated my issues with her.

She’s done some good. It’s not all bad. Not sure why you can’t put a coherent thought together highlighting her successes.

You have your own rut. Put your original post in the context of this thread and it looks like you were saying Herbst should be fired because of issues with football and basketball having winning and losing misery. You said Herbst should be fired. If you explain yourself, (the way you wound up doing because you were annoyed with me) with your other issues with her that don’t relate to sports, then it doesn’t seem quite so out there. And that’s even though I really don’t agree with where you conclude she fits in. And obviously lots of people agreed with me because my reply had by far the most likes on any post I’ve ever done. So while appreciate your friendly advice about how I post, you might do the same.

And I just finished lunch and a great afternoon with very good friends transplanted from CT to SC who are gun carrying conservatives. I travel often with a couple where the woman loves Trump. I think it’s too bad that you don’t get when people are messing with each other on the Cesspool. I put exactly one guy on there o. Ignore and it’s because he took to starting every reply with a similar name calling that Whaler11 decided to use on me. If you’d like to look carefully, I might retort after I’ve been name called or when I’ve been messing with someone like Rich1122 who gets fooling around.

 

[huskyinfl]

I can picture you: Sweat dripping on the keyboard. Nose 6 inches from the monitor.

Took 20 long hard minutes but you got those words written.

It’s like when we watch the dancing pig: We don’t judge the dancing, we applaud him.

Looks like I hit a bullseye. BTW monitor, it's 2018 get out of the cellar and use a phone.

I see you... Hovering.. refreshing waiting for likes or quotes hoping for an argument. Clicking enter with great pleasure not even being self aware that each post or retort exposes more about a person's pathetic existance.

Come to a game in Florida I'd gladly pick up the tab and be happy to introduce myself.

 

[8893]

The job of a university president is solely athletics.

 

[80shusky]

 

[Muddler]

Things more important at the UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT than Jimmy Serrano's hyperfocused myopia on the Athletic Director mistakes:

If you read the Job Description of President on or about when Herbst was hired:

Fundraising - Giftgiving - Grants

Raising the Profile and Ratings of key Academic Programs (particularly STEM and including Pharmacy, Engineering, Business, Nanoscience, Jackson Lab, UConn Health Center)

Hiring KEY Leadership and Professors with stature

Capital Campaign and Building the MasterPlan

Storrs Center

Life Safety and Residential Life

Integration of the Branch System into a Contemporary Multi-locational UConn

State Re-connectivity with the University at the Executive/Legislative level

Connectivity to major High Profile Productive Alumni.

And as I recall, it was Jimmy Serrano that stated that the Athletic Department was at the very lowest point ever. Since I go back to travels to Storrs with my Dad in 1967, I beg to differ: WE ARE UCONN and we are the finest mid-level State Athletic Department in the Country. The Best, by far in the Northeast (including all the New England states). National Championships and excellence in many sports. Rising Programs in Northeast Baseball, Hockey East Mens Hockey.

One mess of Kevin Ollie doesn't bring it all down.

Fundraising - Giftgiving - Grants

Can you give an update how the additional 20-30 million per year required in fundraising is coming along since missing out on the ACC? Maybe we can keep sending to UConn athletes to the CT Legislature to beg for more taxpayers money?

 

[whaler11]

You’re right. It wasn’t yours. And I know why yours stuck in my mind looking back at what you wrote. It was what I’ve said it was. You said fire Herbst and left it at that. The whole thread before it was about issues with sports. I have no clue how anyone would think that you were thinking about anything but firing her for. sports. The post I quoted and they people seemed to agree with was more wordy than yours and downplayed academics.

The only time you fleshed it out was when I pushed you. And I replied, agreeing with you on one point and telling you why I disagreed with the others. It is in no way the straw man you and Whaler11 say it is because if a discussion about the role of a college president as a whole isn’t part of the discussion in dumping her for sports failures, it’s a pointless discussion. I don’t know whether or not you think losing sports (when sports overall are doing well at the school) should actually be the reason for firing. But I have to say that what a few posters said in minimizing the academic worth of a college relative to sports was scary. It has zero to do with being ranked 25 or 52 in US Newx and everything to do with perception and successes of departments and programs.

Have a nice night. .

Will you stop with sports are doing well overall?

Those people all pre-date her. That’s what is so stark about the athletic failures in everything she has touched.

Nobody has said she should be fired just because the basketball and football team are bad. Jimmy spelled out his non-sports reasons.

The school improved academically for 30 years because we spent billions. Pudge asked me to look at the campus - did some administrators congure up the build out or did we simple pay for it? That money train is about to go bone dry.

Next Generation Connecticut is just more expenditures that can’t be sustained. More state employees, more health care costs, more buildings that won’t have funding to be maintained.

At the same time the population of CT high school seniors is falling. Hope she is as good as y’all say. Winter is coming.

 

[8893]

Herbst should be fired just because the basketball and football team are bad.

 

[Huskybass]

The job of a university president is solely athletics.

Duh.

 

[Edward Sargent]

View attachment 30041

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.

I think you will see these curves if you examine spending at any major university in the US. UCONNs spending started in 2000 which coincided with Y2K and our first NC. Boston College's started earlier called BC/AD BC after Doug. I agree I don't know where it is going to stop, but schools are pretty inefficient money managers. State schools are often required to take the lowest bid and end up putting up facilities that are tear downs in 10 years thus creating architectural messes requiring significant maintenance. Then you have the cost of professors. Don't get me started there. Lizzy Warren is good example there, wants us to foot the bill for free college education while she drew $400K for teaching one course at Harvard. I worked in industry all my life and have taught as an Adjunct at night for free in different schools also all my life. I like teaching. I used to get teased by my academic colleagues about me taking the money while they had academic freedom. Come to find out many of them made more than me. Okay, I just realize how high my soap box is!