Gerald Turner on CSpan

[RednBlue11]

As Orsini has said time and time again: If a college is a house, the athletics program is the front porch. A nice looking front porch attracts a lot more potential buyers than something that looks terrible.

+1

[HB Pony Dad]

After viewing the interview it is obvious that Dr. Turner is still not comfortable with the power of athletics and the revenue producing (cost reducing actually) effects of the JJ hiring.

Athletics are a distant third behind Academics and Funding as Dr. Turner commented on how proud he is to stand on the "broad shoulders" of my friend Kenneth Pye!

I hope JJ and Orsini realize where GT truly stands.

[RednBlue11]

blind leading the blind

i would expect funding to be #1 as we are in the middle of a capital campaign

[StallionsModelT]

I tell people all the time that the SMU I attended from 02-06 is not the SMU of 2011 and certainly not the SMU we will see in 2015-2020. I fully expect us to pass UT and settle somewhere in the 30's nationally in these academic rankings. Also the amount of money coming in for the current fundraising campaign is just crazy. SMU is going to continue to rise and grow exponentially.

[NavyCrimson]

It'll grow even faster if our athletic teams continue to improve.

[leopold]

After viewing the interview it is obvious that Dr. Turner is still not comfortable with the power of athletics and the revenue producing (cost reducing actually) effects of the JJ hiring.

Turner isn't alone.

These are major points of contention as you see not only salaries go up, but boosters and alumni who weld enormous power (Lowder) and who have vastly different priorities than the administration and want to see sports put first, you see consistant deficits out of athletic departments, Title IX issues, and even riots over things like coaches (Tennessee over Kiffin and Indiana over Knight), not to mention anything like a Cam Newton or when an athlete is accused of committing a crime, like at Duke (whether or not they are found guilty).

Many people believe the single biggest reason why there isn't a national championship playoff (a decision that is in the hands of the presidents) is because of the BILLIONS of dollars it would generate, and that the sheer size of that amount could overwhelm some presidents - it's actually TOO much money. But that's just a theory.

[friarwolf]

Applications up by 40% this past year - the SAT will jump a bunch I would guess - might get pretty close to 1300 avg. That is a big move in a year.

we passed A&M and are just outside the top 50 nationally - very close. UT and Rice above us - but UT by not much. Other Tx privates not in same teer.

No way we get close to 1300 this year - a 10 -15 point jump is more realistic but a 1250 -1260 average still looks pretty nice........If we can keep increasing the number of Presidential and Hunt Scholars, the average should keep moving to the 1300 level............

[gostangs]

i would take the over on 1260 from what I am hearing.....agree we probably dont get all the way to 1300 this step but a 40% increase in applications gets you a ton more discretion. There will be some disappointed folks when Johnny's grades are better then last years admitted freshman average and he still doesnt get in.

[RednBlue11]

statistically speaking this current freshman class has the lowest cum GPA in their 1st semester than any other in over 10 years.

SAT doesn't mean sheit ultimately.

currently we accept about 50% of those who apply, and 4 yr matriculation doesn't touch the institutions that we constantly mention in the same breath as ours...

we have social and policy issues that need resolution on this campus that have roots so deep that often the careers and/or ID's of the people who are tied to them cannot be separated...and when in survival mode rarely is the rational thing done with the medium or longterm good of the university taken into careful consideration.

an increase in apps only gives your discretion if those extra applicants, unless those extra actually give you a stratified selection of excellent, good, and bad candidates.

many people get caught up w/ percentages, they need much more of the picture/the context...in comparison to the universities that REALLY get to choose because of overwhelming popularity our application rate is insignificant.

[72mustang]

Your really right.University of San Diego had at one time 50% admission factor but the result was not any better than SMU 70% admission , what important is your yield on the higher qualified candidate.If your the backup school you get some but not many.

[PonyKai]

Our four year grad rate is really laughable...especially considering the bench-mark schools we "measure" ourselves against.

[Samurai Stang]

Our four year grad rate is really laughable...especially considering the bench-mark schools we "measure" ourselves against.

TCU
4-Year Graduation Rate: 50%

Texas
4-Year Graduation Rate: 51%

Texas A&M
4-Year Graduation Rate: 45%

Tulane
4-Year Graduation Rate: 59%

SMU
4-Year Graduation Rate: 59%

The actual figures disagree with your claim.

An additional three examples are included below for the purpose of providing amusement:

Houston
4-Year Graduation Rate: 12%

NTSTC
4-Year Graduation Rate: 18%

UTEP
4-Year Graduation Rate: 4%

[NavyCrimson]

Go get'em Samurai!!!

BANZAI!!!

[NickSMU17]

Our benchmark schools are vandy, northwestern, Emory, duke.

Just so you know

[ponyscott]

Our benchmark schools are vandy, northwestern, Emory, duke.

Just so you know

Somehow I knew that Nick you would make sure that Northwestern is added...