Another unhappy Professor

[PK]

For being so intelligent, they just don't seem to get it. A letter in todays Dallas Observer from a history professor explaining why Orsini is not the great person everyone is saying he is. (I'm paraphrasing here.) Basically once again it is all about all the money "we" are spending on athletics. Turner has raised hundreds of millions for the University, but of course most of it is geared to facilities, i.e., buildings, etc., but they never acknowledge that. What they don't seem to understand is that if they need/want more money for their Department, their Department Head needs to get out there and raise it just like Orsini did. The SMU "we" didn't spend $13 million on the basketball practice facility...dedicated alumni did that.

So much for the intelligence of our faculty.

[jkflamebo]

like the history dept needs funding, [deleted] please

[expony18]

my english teacher was a coke head who shot her boyfriend... i'm just glad she liked football players

[The Spaz]

What they don't seem to understand is that if they need/want more money for their Department, their Department Head needs to get out there and raise it just like Orsini did.

This is an extremely good point, I hadn't thought of it that way
(The preceding was serious, the following is joking...)

[/list]

[smu diamond m]

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups... i.e. faculty

[PonyKai]

To the Editor:

Excuse me Mr. Johnson, but I think you are looking at things incorrectly here. Mr. Orsini is the head of the Athletic Department. Every department at SMU has one, just like history, foreign languages, etc. Mr. Orsini went out and raised that money for his own department, to be used by his department. If our curriculum departments are so "starved" for funding like you say they are, perhaps the department heads ought to do some fund raising themselves. It baffles me how individuals can make such a complicated matter out of how Mr. Orsini is raising money for athletics. The specific department went out and raised it to be used by that department. So what you're suggesting is that the thirteen million dollars raised by Mr. Orsini and the Mustang Club for the Athletic Department, to be used at the department and university's discretion, should be reallocated to oh, let's just say the history department. That's not logic, and it's not the way a university should be run.

If you really take exception with the way fund raising is being handled for the academia side of the University, than look to your own departments, do not try and once again label athletics as the black sheep of the SMU family.

[smu diamond m]

Nice, stl

[The XtC]

[quote="PK"] What they don't seem to understand is that if they need/want more money for their Department, their Department Head needs to get out there and raise it just like Orsini did. [/quote]

By that logic, then, the athletic department needs to raise an additional 8 million dollars each year to cover the annual deficit its operational budget runs, that comes out of the schools General Fund. That's the real reason the faculty is hacked off, the athletic department has been running a huge deficit for years, and now they raise some money and does any of it go to payback or even reduce the annual deficit? Nope. deficit got bigger this year. And, there is the threat of it getting larger, the Crum center hasnt been fully funded yet, and the money to pay June Jones contract is "pledged" but not collected yet. The contract has to be paid regardless of what happens, so if any of the pledges dont come through, the school is still on the hook for the money.

Make the athletic department something close to self sufficient, and you'll never hear another word from the faculty. But when the operational deficit is still growing, and they see the AD spending large sums of money, the people who see their own budgets cut to offset the AD's spending are going to squawk.

[Bergermeister]

when the operational deficit is still growing, and they see the AD spending large sums of money, the people who see their own budgets cut to offset the AD's spending are going to squawk.

It's the American way! Don't worry, be happy. (or go teach at a state school)

[NavyCrimson]

Thx for the update - PK

"For being so intelligent, they just don't seem to get it..."

It's called "wisdom". It's very different from intelligence.

[EastStang]

We tried it their way. And we were so uncompetitive we got booted out of what surely would have been a BCS conference which if it were still in existence and would provide us probably $20 Million a year for athletics. So, we've had to rebuild from our own resources over 12 years now, because attendance is bad. No home games against the likes of UT or A&M anymore. There are two sides to every story. If we can get back to being competitive on the field and on the Court the deficits will disappear.

[PK]

What they don't seem to understand is that if they need/want more money for their Department, their Department Head needs to get out there and raise it just like Orsini did.

By that logic, then, the athletic department needs to raise an additional 8 million dollars each year to cover the annual deficit its operational budget runs, that comes out of the schools General Fund. That's the real reason the faculty is hacked off, the athletic department has been running a huge deficit for years, and now they raise some money and does any of it go to payback or even reduce the annual deficit? Nope. deficit got bigger this year. And, there is the threat of it getting larger, the Crum center hasnt been fully funded yet, and the money to pay June Jones contract is "pledged" but not collected yet. The contract has to be paid regardless of what happens, so if any of the pledges dont come through, the school is still on the hook for the money.

Make the athletic department something close to self sufficient, and you'll never hear another word from the faculty. But when the operational deficit is still growing, and they see the AD spending large sums of money, the people who see their own budgets cut to offset the AD's spending are going to squawk.

The letter writer specifically mentioned the $13 million, and not the annual budget deficit. Last I heard the Crum center funding had been completed, but since I didn't hear that from Mr. Orsini I will assume you have better knowledge of all things related to the athletic department than do I.

The old adage is you have to spend money to make money...but you also have to spend it wisely to make that money and what the University has been doing for the last 20 years in regards to athletics has not been spending it wisely.

I could be wrong here, but some if not all of that budget short fall includes the "value" of the scholarships which unlike paying vendors is not a direct cost.

[expony18]

That's the real reason the [citizens are] hacked off, the [US] has been running a huge deficit for years, and now they raise some money and does any of it go to payback or even reduce the annual deficit? Nope. deficit got bigger this year. And, there is the threat of it getting larger

[RGV Pony]

Form letter that should go out:

Dear disenfranchised SMU faculty member:

The concerns you have recently voiced have been forwarded to the appropriate persons for consideration and review. As you may be aware, SMU is committed to being Top 25 in everything it does. Fortunately for you, data gleaned from our survey of Top 25 institutions shows that in fact a majority of such institutions similarly have a handful of disenfranchised faculty members. It is for this reason that we here at the athletic department thank you for your contribution. Without a point, there cannot be a counterpoint.

We look forward to continued random editorials and thinly veiled criticisms and protests. Keep up the good work over there in the [area of inconsequence] department, and we'll be in touch. As a gesture of our appreciation, enclosed you will find two complimentary end zone tickets to the game against whomever we are playing Thanksgiving weekend, as well as a 10% off coupon from Pluckers.

Pony Up!

-The Athletic Dept

[SMU 86]

Good ones stl and rgv.