UConn President Thomas Katsouleas will leave post, sources say

[Rocktheworld]

Okay so not actual “research”, and at best a loose connection with the scientific method of hypothesis formation and testing. Doesn’t shock me that that is her view on “researchers” being bad teachers. Me coming from a world of actual (behavioral) science, I would prefer to be taught by someone who is in the lab to some degree. At the very least, being so necessitates that they are thoroughly involved in the current literature and broader developments within said literature.

She seems to split time between poli sci, sociology, philosophy departments.

 

[BigTenFan]

I see some problems along this line.
1. Connecticut doesn't have a Michigan State, Kansas State, Iowa State, U Cincinnati, etc. level public behind UConn. The drop off from UConn to Central or Southern is massive. The smart move would be to rebrand one of those and put money into it. Differentiate it, make it really good at a couple of things, perhaps better than UConn.

2. The other problem is the USNews ranking gaming that is so critical to these schools now. Kansas gets clobbered in USNews, because it is required by the state to accept any KS HS grad with certain GPA and AP score. Then, lots of those kids flunk out as freshmen. Both of those things hurt your ranking. If you increase the % of in state kids, you likely drop your ranking.

3. Local perception and employer recognition. While UConn itself has improved in this area, it is still well behind many private schools. That's not really true in Michigan. Michigan State grads don't struggle to find jobs because the employers in state prefer private school kids. UMass has this problem, probably to an even greater extent.

Big Ten Universities tend to be more outcome driven. They have strong regional ties- UConn grads typically stay in CT.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Northeast is not dominated by state U but rather in the Ivies and the wealth in the number of very fine smaller liberal arts colleges and universities.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Big Ten Universities tend to be more outcome driven. They have strong regional ties- UConn grads typically stay in CT.

Oh we do, huh? lol not too sure about that.

 

[CL82]

Underfunded. From the 1980s. We knew this was coming, and no one did anything about it until 2010.

Agree, but how does that impact current wage cost? I don't see it.

 

[Guapo]

UConn’s sales pitch should be pretty obvious; it’s the closest approximation to a big time school experience with sports culture/school pride etc. as you’re going to find in New England and, maybe, the Northeast (as I think UConn has “that” more than Rutgers does)

 

[CL82]

Agreed. My sister is a researcher and professor for UGA (at Savannah River Site) and when she was at Colby in Maine won top teacher at the school from students two years in a row. If you've got passion for the field, you can be great teacher and researcher. But it helps if those "classes" are lab based, experience based learning. Hands on, rather than textbook based. She also had great experiences studying evolutionary biology at UConn. I think Ted Taigen was her faculty advisor.

That said, to @husky429 's point, some researchers consider their classroom obligations to be a nuisance, a bother that they must engage in. I think some great teachers probably feel that way about the expectation to publish and obtain grants, it interferes with teaching. They really do require different skill sets.

I always got a chuckle of when people say that Professor is so brilliant that is why his class is so hard to follow, when the answer is likely that he or she is just a bad communicator.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Northeast is not dominated by state U but rather in the Ivies and the wealth in the number of very fine smaller liberal arts colleges and universities.

It’s telling when the state university of an area who has had residents since the 1600s is younger than that of states who didn’t become American territories until 150+ years later (using Michigan as an example). Northeast always had universities before “state universities” were a thing and everyone went to ivies and other privates.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Additionally how about we reward CT tax payers by decreasing out of state and foreign admissions and increasing the number of in state people admitted to the Storrs campus. We' certainly have better school/state spirit, and probably higher retention in terms of keeping our talented grads in Stamford and Hartford instead of dipping to Boston or NYC.

Minor consideration, how much do UConn's 25% or so out-of-state/US students' higher fees subsidize or lower costs for in-state students? Which % of recent in-state graduates (pre-SARS-2) stayed in CT versus moving to perceived more enticing and/or faster growing locations?

As normal-er work and living conditions gradually return, will most new UConn graduates still stay in CT? Just my unsubstantiated perspective, but my sense is many youngish movers and shakers will continue moving to fast(er) growing and/or mover and shaker locations versus staying in slow growth Hartford, New London, Waterbury, Torrington, etc.

 

[CL82]

I see some problems along this line.
1. Connecticut doesn't have a Michigan State, Kansas State, Iowa State, U Cincinnati, etc. level public behind UConn. The drop off from UConn to Central or Southern is massive. The smart move would be to rebrand one of those and put money into it. Differentiate it, make it really good at a couple of things, perhaps better than UConn.

2. The other problem is the USNews ranking gaming that is so critical to these schools now. Kansas gets clobbered in USNews, because it is required by the state to accept any KS HS grad with certain GPA and AP score. Then, lots of those kids flunk out as freshmen. Both of those things hurt your ranking. If you increase the % of in state kids, you likely drop your ranking.

3. Local perception and employer recognition. While UConn itself has improved in this area, it is still well behind many private schools. That's not really true in Michigan. Michigan State grads don't struggle to find jobs because the employers in state prefer private school kids. UMass has this problem, probably to an even greater extent.

Agree regarding your first point. Build up the other state sponsored entities and differentiate so they become part of a single integrated system rather than compete against each other.

Where UConn is getting killed in UNWR rankings is the state funding component. As the state lowers its funding, our ranking drops.

As to your 3rd point, UConn could do much, much better. Penn State is a good school to emulate here. They do a lot of work to maintain and enhance the schools brand.

 

[Guapo]

Nah man I’m pretty sure RU was ahead of us in what Kay has been frustrated over since before they moved to B1G; remember their AAU status and how important that was. Pretty sure it’s the biggest reason (besides it being their doorway to the NY/Philly market) they got in over us.

By “sales pitch” I mean to perspective students

 

[Dove]

NEXT!!!!!!

 

[Rocktheworld]

I always got a chuckle of when people say that Professor is so brilliant that is why his class is so hard to follow, when the answer is likely that he or she is just a bad communicator.

My neuro professor told us a story when he was at Berkeley studying physics that one of his professors would write with his right hand and as he would move along the board he would erase with his left. Keep up or maybe try chemistry lol.

Actually that professor of mine is a great example of why research-involved professors are great. He was doing neuro cognitive type stuff involving visual/semantic priming that I won’t get into here but I helped out in. It was so obvious in normal lecture though that his being so up to date on literature allowed him to bring up brand new developments and what we are on the cusp of figuring out; this made the field and its future possibilities so interesting to me. He is a major reason why I am where I am today.

As opposed to some psych/soc professor trying to convince themselves they are woke and important thanks to their obsessing over gender pronouns.

 

[Rocktheworld]

By “sales pitch” I mean to perspective students

Damn you’re quick

Also didn’t really compute that you were talking about athletics rather than research/academics until I hit post

 

[HuskyHawk]

It’s telling when the state university of an area who has had residents since the 1600s is younger than that of states who didn’t become American territories until 150+ years later (using Michigan as an example). Northeast always had universities before “state universities” were a thing and everyone went to ivies and other privates.

Sure, but there is some lack of foresight involved in that. Virginia brought William & Mary in as a state institution in 1906. Second oldest school in the country to Harvard.

Trinity dates to 1823. That sure would have been a sweet school and campus to bring in to the state and build out from. What is now UConn could have stayed the Ag focused school (like K State, Iowa State and Texas A&M all are or were) and become Connecticut State U, and an expanded Trinity could have become UConn. Hartford would be a vastly different and better place had that happened.

Ancient history for sure, but the New England states kind of blew it here by relying so totally on private higher ed. Pennsylvania brought both Temple and Pitt in as "state related".

 

[Guapo]

Damn you’re quick

Also didn’t really compute that you were talking about athletics rather than research/academics until I hit post

It’s a combo of all 3 tbh

 

[Guapo]

Sure, but there is some lack of foresight involved in that. Virginia brought William & Mary in as a state institution in 1906. Second oldest school in the country to Harvard.

Trinity dates to 1823. That sure would have been a sweet school and campus to bring in to the state and build out from. What is now UConn could have stayed the Ag focused school (like K State, Iowa State and Texas A&M all are or were) and become Connecticut State U, and an expanded Trinity could have become UConn. Hartford would be a vastly different and better place had that happened.

Ancient history for sure, but the New England states kind of blew it here by relying so totally on private higher ed. Pennsylvania brought both Temple and Pitt in as "state related".

The public/private school thing is a feature of the region’s culture, not a bug.

I do agree that it’s a feature that has generally negative impacts

 

[Slick]

Says in the article "it wasn't a good fit" and also talks about some labor cost issues that seemed to frustrate him on getting research grants. On top of all of that, probably was a really tough year and a half dealing with COVID and wants something cushier than the title of President.

I'm sure we will hear more down the road and will be interesting to see where he goes next since it sounds like he isn't leaving for another post and also who they replace him with.

He is staying on as a professor fully tenured at 330,000 dollars a year??? Who are the dopes that make these kinds of deals? He is leaving after less then 2 years and should get NO TENURE and No $330,000 thousand dollar job. Does anyone realize this is why Ct is so broke?

 

[Guapo]

The public/private school thing is a feature of the region’s culture, not a bug.

I do agree that it’s a feature that has generally negative impacts

 

[CL82]

Well this was unusually candid:

 

[mustafa]

UConn has a real identity problem. Many on campus want it to be Michigan academically. Legislators and the voters want it to be half Michigan, half Michigan State.

The Goal should be to be MICHIGAN.
Trying to be Michigan State is pointless and stupid.
UCONN should be top tier. That needs to be the aim and overarching goal.
The more everyman qualities of a Michigan State can be filled by the Connecticut State University System (CCSU, ECSU, SCSU, WCSU) with continued investment in these universities.

 

[Guapo]

The Goal should be to be MICHIGAN.
Trying to be Michigan State is pointless and stupid.
UCONN should be top tier. That needs to be the aim and overarching goal.
The more everyman qualities of a Michigan State can be filled by the Connecticut State University System (CCSU, ECSU, SCSU, WCSU) with continued investment in these universities.

Combine the directionals into one “Connecticut State University.” Give them the “other” D1 sports program

make Eastern the main campus.

Now wouldn’t that be a fun lil rivalry?

 

[mustafa]

I like this. There is a growing rift. There are some people who want UConn to be an elite public university.

Then, there are others who are really really upset when so many state students get rejected out of UConn. I think it bothers a lot of people that good, smart students can't get into UConn. Especially with the money they are poring in there. Not a ridiculous view. I want my kids to go to school there, but they are good students and as they go forward are not top of class.

Add that to the fact CSU schools are underfunded and might not offer all the majors, it becomes difficult to find a reasonable solution in state

I can see both sides of the coin.

The solution, while not easy or costly, should be UCONN become Elite and invest in CSU to build that up more and more and provide the majors needed.
Connecticut, should have an ELITE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY that can compete with the ELITE PRIVATE SCHOOLS and be a beacon for top tier students and economy growing research. CSU should be more cost effective yet good quality for the majority of students. Community College have their 3rd tier role as well.

 

[mustafa]

Combine the directionals into one “Connecticut State University.” Give them the “other” D1 sports program

make Eastern the main campus.

Now wouldn’t that be a fun lil rivalry?

not a bad idea but make the main campus in New Britain (CCSU). Middle of the state, bigger name, easily accessible and close to state capital / leadership.
Cutting out a lot of the redundancy in CSU (due to 4 campuses) can also save a lot of money.

 

[Guapo]

not a bad idea but make the main campus in New Britain (CCSU). Middle of the state, bigger name, easily accessible and close to state capital / leadership.
Cutting out a lot of the redundancy in CSU (due to 4 campuses) can also save a lot of money.

Ugh I know CCSU makes more sense for a number of reasons...but it’s such a friggin’ ugly campus