More drama you could only find in Easton

Lafalum · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 843

We hire a new provost , we give him a tenured faculty position , a year later he says he doesn't like his job and he quits the povost job, but since he is tenured were are stuck with him.....while he is provost he hires a new enrollnent VP ( head of admissions and financial aid replacing Barry McCartney). Thursday a notice goes out to the faculty that the enrollment Vp has now been fired ( everyone hates him anyway). A national search is underway.
Can we please get organized......where is the BOT oversight???
Even the faculty is starting to rumble. Who's in charge. Who's in charge of those in charge??
We have an illiquid, far too exposed endowment, run by a friend of the previous BOT chair who doesn't seem to be reporting to anyone and collects 500k per year. Where is the BOT??
We hired 18 new faculty and are cutting the budget and raising tuition..where is the BOT??? We hire a diversity dean give her a house, pay her nearly 200k, and employ her husband. At the same time we freeze faculty salaries cut the athletic budget by 9 pct over three years to the point some sports don't have the money to hire officials. What is the BOT doing??? I would hope they are typing their resignations....fat chance!!
We learn from Moody's today that "high priced exclusive private colleges" are going to have a rough time ( see the article in today's chronicle of higher education with quotes from Mark Zandi economist) as opposed to the elite well branded names and the public institutions. This week-end we heard how everything is in our favor and is looking up because we hired a new PR guy. Am I on the same planet???
The first thing you do to solve problems, is to realize you have a problem.
Apparently, not in the rarified air up on the hill.

I have always wondered why our fine school has not reached its potential in the last 20 years. I ask you what is the constant in those 20 years. Its not our fine faculty, we also have turned over administrations...you don't have to look far for the same people who have been in charge those 20 years!!! Time to go people. I mean the whole rotten leadership that has been there the whole time. Please I beg you enough!!!!

carney2 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 1174

Lafalum · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 843

The Chronicle is reporting that total gifts to charities declined about 6 pct in calender 08 adjusted for inflattion and that this year looks even worse. On an inflation adjustd basis this is the worst decline since they have been keeping stats. Hamilton College reports a 30 pct decline in annual giving. Its hard to believe we are immune.
We can't afford to alienate ANY donor!! We should be watchng expenses like a hawk, since the draw from the endowment is a rolling average, next year will be even tougher.

"the first step in solving a problem is to admit you have a problem"