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1. I understand your frustration re: the inability to acquire Valpo Law (believe me, I do)- but University leadership is not the reason it didn't happen. MT folks from the top down worked hard to make it a reality.
2. Tom Boyd is a good man and a good addition to the BOT.
1. I understand your frustration re: the inability to acquire Valpo Law (believe me, I do)- but University leadership is not the reason it didn't happen. MT folks from the top down worked hard to make it a reality.
2. Tom Boyd is a good man and a good addition to the BOT.
I consider the Board part of the leadership of the university.
And good for Mr. Boyd that he's a good man, but the Board has been a dud. I don't know of a single positive measure of impact they've had that wouldn't have also been done by the TBR.
One off the top of my head would be the addition of a B.S. in Tourism and Hospitality, a really nice program that Memphis already has and wouldn’t have happened under TBR. There are others. Things still aren’t happening as quickly as we would like, and I get that, but dealing in hyperbole doesn’t improve our situation.
the Board has been a dud. I don't know of a single positive measure of impact they've had that wouldn't have also been done by the TBR.
These are things that we all want. But it’s not as easy as snapping your fingers and making it a reality. I’m not sure some of you have a realistic idea of everything that goes into these aspirations and how long it can take (if it ever even comes to fruition).
We need 1. Money and 2. Political clout to accomplish these goals. We don’t have either. It is fair to have a discussion about whether the University itself is responsible for that, but I would argue that in many cases, we are a victim of circumstance.
These are things that we all want. But it’s not as easy as snapping your fingers and making it a reality. I’m not sure some of you have a realistic idea of everything that goes into these aspirations and how long it can take (if it ever even comes to fruition).
We need 1. Money and 2. Political clout to accomplish these goals. We don’t have either. It is fair to have a discussion about whether the University itself is responsible for that, but I would argue that in many cases, we are a victim of circumstance.
This x's 1000. Nailed it.Let me give you a 1 and 2.
1. McPhee never should have received an extension to his contract from the new BOD. Ridiculous. He has been here long enough and hasn't done much more that just about anyone on this message board could have done. Not only did they extend him they did so for five additional freaking years, a raise that is more than most people on this board make annually with a six figure bonus potential. And my question is all that for what? It makes Stockstill's deal look pedestrian. During his tenure, there are virtually no significant increases in research funding, no professional degree programs added, and no elevation in the university's stature/rankings. And giving is abysmal. While we were raising a mere $80 million over three years in celebration of our centennial year, UAB was raising $1 billion and FIU raised nearly $500 million in less time on their way to a $750M goal - just as a couple of examples.
2. And you can point to lack of professional degree programs that limit big donors. Well, we had a chance to add a professional degree program with no overhead costs. All we had to do was fund it going forward. My understanding is the university on the operational side had everything lined up and ready, but the board votes it down? Why. Because there are board members who UT has their pockets in that didn't want the state to have another public law school.
You can play the oh you guys are just too naive and don't know how the real world works, but do me a favor with that one. Casey. Look in the mirror. As alumni me, you and everyone else are getting fleeced or taken advantage of. No kid of mine will go to college in Tenn much less MT. It's disheartening.
Damn. You guys are rocking today.Casey, I would add a 3: Institutional Leadership that knows how to execute plans expediently. I understand we cannot go about “snapping your fingers” and making reality. But, leadership needs to have much higher aspirations than being a regional university, which we have been for most years since 1965. Doctor James E. Walker understood the big picture in his tenure and he helped build the foundation for Doctor Sidney A. McPhee to get what he has accomplished along with the credit for those projects. Mostly, Doctor McPhee has been a caretaker by enacting on things imagined by Doctor Walker.
Sure, we’ve become sister universities across the globe, mainly in China. That’s all fine and good for cultural development, but how many alumni and community leaders can tell you about the engagements or the academics programs these partnerships have yielded? I can’t even by reading our semi-annual MT Magazine. Where’s our 60 second spot during halftime of football and basketball games showing these engagements? How many high level masters and Doctorate programs we have launched? What’s our championship records in all sports? Right now, we aren’t doing all that great in maintaining a median along Middle Tennessee Boulevard to have it beautiful for the first day of fall classes; perhaps it will come. Media coverage on radio, caravans, anything to be more prominent and relevant to the entire Murfreesboro community and hopefully all of Middle Tennessee. Our lists of accomplishments are rather thin for the size of university and longevity we are (108 years). Don’t get me started about our endowment: all I will say it’s an embarrassment how it has grown and being leveraged. And what we have has been the sum total of work since 1961.
The law school fiasco was a huge disappointment and it will take more than a decade to remedy for our academic reputation and our public image as a major university. And, our BOT has yet to do anything to bolster our credibility across the state so that we can get the #1 and #2 for the goals.
Gotta to give FR credit as well. This guy knows more than you think.It’s hard to believe that 15 years has passed since all of this. I was in my 2nd semester of grad school at MT when all this broke loose. I was new to the campus and didn’t really know all the folks involved. I had a friend from HS who completely distanced herself from the school after serving as President of the National Alumni Association and I don’t think she’s ever been back since.
https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/article/13009889/the-sidney-mcphee-problem
You guys are aware that the last interim President, current President and recently retired VP of Business and Finance all moved over here through the TBOR pipeline from Memphis, right?
Well, I'm sure you've heard that people in a government bureaucracy (THEC, TBoR, state government) tend to be Promoted to their level of incompetence. It's called the Peter Principle. #TurdsThatFloattotheTop
MT01, you raise some important questions. One point of clarification- it was not our BOT that voted down the Valpo acquisition; it was THEC. Huge difference.
I’m crying from LMAO!!Well, I'm sure you've heard that people in a government bureaucracy (THEC, TBoR, state government) tend to be Promoted to their level of incompetence. It's called the Peter Principle. #TurdsThatFloattotheTop
MT01, you raise some important questions. One point of clarification- it was not our BOT that voted down the Valpo acquisition; it was THEC. Huge difference.
All i know is: the THEC had better crush Memphis' interest in starting a medical school at the Lambuth campus. As we all know, there are already established Medical schools in Tennessee, both public and private and, for the good of tennessee, Memphis should not even be able to start this evaluation.
All i know is: the THEC had better crush Memphis' interest in starting a medical school at the Lambuth campus. As we all know, there are already established Medical schools in Tennessee, both public and private and, for the good of tennessee, Memphis should not even be able to start this evaluation.
How a student can vote to deny a major degree program at another and non related school is beyond me but in case anyone wondered how the thec voted for the law school.
Also. We should have tied this whole thing up in court but 7 wood (McPhee) doesn’t have balls and they will not get one dime out of me.
Votes to deny transfer:
- Mintha Roach of Knoxville
- Vernon Stafford, Jr. of Memphis
- Former Shelby County mayor AC Wharton, Jr. of Memphis
- Pam Koban of Nashville
- Frank L. Watson, Jr. of Memphis
- Secretary of State Tre Hargett
- State Comptroller Justin P. Wilson
- Cara Sulyok, a student board member enrolled at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Votes to approve transfer:
- Evan Cope of Murfreesboro
- Dr. Nancy Gishner of Johnson City
- Dakasha Winton of Chattanooga
- Jimmy Johnson of Gallatin
- State Treasurer David H. Lilliard, Jr.