Our faculty needs to get it

[DiamondM75]

And some of the faculty does not want the library.

National recognition is the best marketing any university can have to attract the best students and faculty. Whether it is national promenence in athletics or having a presidential library on campus. Maybe the current faculty is afraid any national recognition could attract better and better educators and therefore, would be hazardous to their current employment.

[George S. Patton]

Maybe all of the faculty should have their tenure stripped from them so they can stop eating donuts and actually teach for a living.

So are you embarrassed of the degree you earned from SMU .... which includes the faculty you seem to enjoy trashing here?

Stripping tenure from proven professors is inane, at best. Teachers are up there with police officers and firefighters and EMTs as the most underpaid people out there. If anything, most teachers who are good enough to get hired at an institution like SMU deserve more compensation, not fewer benefits.

This is nothing but a power play on their part. They've wielded the big stick for the last 20 years.

I have no problem trashing the faculty when their agenda/big picture takes precendence over the University's agenda/big picture.

In fact, if you didn't ever debate/question your faculty in school, then that was your problem.

And if they don't like the library coming or if the athletic department may grow, then leave. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

The faculty has to remember that the students are the university not them.

[jtstang]

I have no problem trashing the faculty when their agenda/big picture takes precendence over the University's agenda/big picture.

Maybe I am having trouble seeing either side's agenda/big picture. Can you explain them?

[Stallion]

I've always thought that the "true cost" of College Football should be analyzed based on the understanding that athletics is essentially a commercial for your university. What differentiates SMU from Trinity, Sewanee or Austin College. Most experts would agree all are fine universities. Which one has a greater national recognition especially when athletics is going strong. Here's the point. SMU is on National/Regional Television something like 8 times this year. How much would it cost the university to purchase National/Regional Television coverage for 30 hours of a commercial spotlighting SMU? We aren't even going to bring up pages and pages of newspaper articles and TV Sports News segments. This is name brand publicity for the university. I truly believe Big Time Athletics is a cost effect method of publicizing a universities brand much as Coca-Cola and McDonalds do.

[Water Pony]

I've always thought that the "true cost" of College Football should be analyzed based on the understanding that athletics is essentially a commercial for your university. What differentiates SMU from Trinity, Sewanee or Austin College. Most experts would agree all are fine universities. Which one has a greater national recognition especially when athletics is going strong. Here's the point. SMU is on National/Regional Television something like 8 times this year. How much would it cost the university to purchase National/Regional Television coverage for 30 hours of a commercial spotlighting SMU? We aren't even going to bring up pages and pages of newspaper articles and TV Sports News segments. This is name brand publicity for the university. I truly believe Big Time Athletics is a cost effect method of publicizing a universities brand much as Coca-Cola and McDonalds do.

Eigth Ivy League Schools?
Emory?
Georgetown?
Cal Tech?
MIT?
U. of Chicago?
Wash U. - St. Louis?
Johns Hopkins?
Carnegie Mellon?

[Arkpony]

OhmiGod! For once I find myself 100% in agreement with Stallion! I need to lie down.

[SMUFan]

And some of the faculty does not want the library.

The key word there is "some." By the same token, some of the students and some of the staff and some of the alumni do not want the library, either. That doesn't mean any of those segments of the SMU community should be blasted as GSP is teeing off on the faculty here. In its most basic form, of course, a university - especially SMU - is intended to educate the students before anything else. I got a good degree at SMU and it has served me well, and for that I will be forever thankful to the faculty.

Given the loosy-goosy nature of non-profit accounting, that hole in the budget doesn't affect them.

Rest assured, OCM, when Steve Orsini is involved, there is nothing "loosy-goosy" about anything in the accounting.

[westexSMU]

[quote="DiamondM75"]To wit you reply. As soon as the acadamians let the athletic department function as it should, the athletic department can start making money and better the University.[/quote]............Amen, our self imposed recruiting restrictions have killed our program much more than the DP....However, we spent what 58 million+ on our new stadium etc. If our football woes continue, now is the time to Step Up/ Pony Up and "spend the money" on Coaching Salaries to assure a Quality program in the Future. It would be a small price to pay considering the benefits to the whole University in donations, enrollment etc.The acadamians will need to back off with their negative feelings.... Thruth is, with our great new Stadium etc. on campus, it is rediculous, embarassing, and unfair to our student athletes and fans that our SMU program is not more successful.

[OC Mustang]

To wit you reply. As soon as the acadamians let the athletic department function as it should, the athletic department can start making money and better the University.

............Amen, our self imposed recruiting restrictions have killed our program much more than the DP....However, we spent what 58 million+ on our new stadium etc. If our football woes continue, now is the time to Step Up/ Pony Up and "spend the money" on Coaching Salaries to assure a Quality program in the Future. It would be a small price to pay considering the benefits to the whole University in donations, enrollment etc.The acadamians will need to back off with their negative feelings.... Thruth is, with our great new Stadium etc. on campus, it is rediculous, embarassing, and unfair to our student athletes and fans that our SMU program is not more successful.

And President Turner has had twice as long to do something about this as Pye spent buttressing the recruiting restrictions...what does that tell you? If you believe one of Stallion's missives awhile back, he argued that SMU football was better circa Rossley, which was Pye's watch, than Cavan or especially Bennett, during Turner's watch. Gee, that's an eye opener. What's the difference? The SWC vs. WAC/CUSA. I think Turner has let this go for the most part in favor of what he is good at...fundraising. The heat is being turned up, but I again question the momentum vis-a-vis the Board in moving toward a model for revenue athletics, particularly football, that is going to move this program forward.

I wish it would turn up and improve our football lot. But I'm not holding my breath.