The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

My brothers, my sisters,

As we continue our struggle for a Free UAB, we need to expand the fight and seek allies wherever possible. And there’s another institution equally at risk from the brazen, arrogant mismanagement practiced by the Board of Trustees: the University of Alabama’s Tuscaloosa campus.

Currently, they are in the early stages of selecting a replacement for President Judy Bonner, who was selected in a non-transparent manner following the abrupt and non-transparent removal of Guy Bailey after he challenged the racist policies of the Machine organizations (or suddenly decided to resign and care for his sick wife, and then apply for other presidencies, depending on the version one chooses to believe). In reading the responses of the UA faculty asked for feedback on search parameters, one gets the distinct impression that they, also, are deeply concerned about the lack of shared governance and transparency evidenced by the Chancellor and Board of Trustees.

These are our natural allies in the fight to reform the Board of Trustees. The Trustees need to feel heat from this direction, and anyone concerned about UA as an institution (rather than just a football program) should be horrified at what the same board has done in Birmingham. So we need to tell them about this. They probably know at least something, but it won’t hurt to provide them with more detail.

It’s the same Board and the same Chancellor, so it’s in everyone’s interest that they press Witt and the Board for a commitment to shared governance and transparency. I think it wholly appropriate that we write to them as well – particularly those of us who can claim alumni status from Tuscaloosa as well as Birmingham – and share with them the report of Chad Epps to the Board today, the report of Anjali Wagle, and the statements of Robert Witt and Karen Brooks in total support of Ray Watts. The Epps report in particular is a big deal.

The Epps Report: http://www.uab.edu/forward/images/BOT20150206-Epps.pdf

The Wagle Report: http://www.uab.edu/forward/images/Angali_final_BOT.pdf

Witt/Brooks Statements: http://wiat.com/2015/01/15/uab-faculty-s...ray-watts/

The UA Faculty Senate next meets on February 17th. I am sure that shared governance, in light of the UAB situation, will be discussed at this meeting.

The State of Alabama deserves a great system of higher education, one founded on the principles of democratic governance, accountability, and transparency. The Board of Trustees and Robert Witt have shamelessly violated all of these principles. UAB, UA and UAH deserve better, as do the people of Alabama. Please write to these Senators, in a respectful and concerned tone, and share your thoughts. Don’t bother with football – they don’t care, and it’s not their university’s football program that was sacrificed. They do care about joint governance and national reputation.

Here’s a list of their e-mail addresses:

nbilwakesh@ua.edu
sblack@psych.as.ua.edu
blackstock@ua.edu
jblitz@tenhoor.as.ua.edu
sbunker@ua.edu
sburch@as.ua.edu
acevasco@ua.edu
rdonahoe@geo.ua.edu
mevans@as.ua.edu
rcfording@as.ua.edu
dmeester@as.ua.edu
omolina@as.ua.edu
pparmelee@ua.edu
andreas@ua.edu
ksalekin@ua.edu
rschad@bama.ua.edu
pschulte@as.ua.edu
ssecor@biology.as.ua.edu
sshineman@as.ua.edu
merinda.simmons@ua.edu
estephen@ua.edu
hstowell@geo.ua.edu
ttrost@as.ua.edu
jvincent@ua.edu
jwang@as.ua.edu
fwhiting@ua.edu
ewittman@ua.edu
dainsworth@as.ua.edu
salley@as.ua.edu
ccassady@as.ua.edu
adayton@as.ua.edu
david.h.deutsch@ua.edu
cduffy3@as.ua.edu
pharris@ua.edu
willie.c.martin@ua.edu
russell.mccutcheon@ua.edu
spanitch@as.ua.edu
jpurvis@ua.edu
jshoaff@as.ua.edu
ion.stancu@ua.edu
jptangeman@as.ua.edu
cadams@cba.ua.edu
tdezoort@cba.ua.edu
cgreer@cba.ua.edu
jhale@cba.ua.edu
rhall@cba.ua.edu
hnolan@cba.ua.edu
wrobbins@cba.ua.edu
cearmstrong@bama.ua.edu
jpbrown@cba.ua.edu
jessica.crew@ua.edu
jdavis@cba.ua.edu
pjindapo@cba.ua.edu
bpetty@cba.ua.edu
hschlesi@cba.ua.edu
john.t.mcdonald@ua.edu
ppayne-foster@cchs.ua.edu
nwilliam@cchs.ua.edu
dea@ua.edu
mbagley@ua.edu
ki@apr.ua.edu
steve@ ua.edu
lbonnici@slis.ua.edu
jbutler@ua.edu
jcm@slis.ua.edu
dwallace@slis.ua.edu
jburnham@bamaed.ua.edu
cdonovan@bamaed.ua.edu
kspector@bamaed.ua.edu
dwsunal@bamaed.ua.edu
jvincent@bamaed.ua.edu
kholley@bamaed.ua.edu
mleggett@bamaed.ua.edu
kmutua@bamaed.ua.edu
jpetrovi@bamaed.ua.edu
crobinso@bamaed.ua.edu
eback@eng.ua.edu
cmidkiff@eng.ua.edu
ppuzinauskas@eng.ua.edu
gatootle@eng.ua.edu
hturner@eng.ua.edu
jwvanzee@eng.ua.edu
tzeiler@eng.ua.edu
ybao@eng.ua.edu
Tklein@eng.ua.edu
skotru@eng.ua.edu
alane@eng.ua.edu
sroy@eng.ua.edu
dwilliamson@eng.ua.edu
wbhenderson@eli.ua.edu
amy.p.taylor@ua.edu
kandrus@eli.ua.edu
bdtuggle@aalan.ua.edu
rcook@ches.ua.edu
bgordon@ches.ua.edu
ksevert@ches.ua.edu
twitte@ches.ua.edu
kboyle@ches.ua.edu
cfulmer@ches.ua.edu
marcy.koontz@ua.edu
kwright@ches.ua.edu
phorwitz@law.ua.edu
glee@law.ua.edu
helliott@law.ua.edu
slyons@law.ua.edu
jlderidder@ua.edu
mkrishna@ua.edu
lcshedd@ua.edu
msicilia@bruno.cba.ua.edu
mhandley@ua.edu
omay@ua.edu
joliver@ua.edu
ford039@ua.edu
jasmine.l.hoggle@ua.edu
cbherrin@sw.ua.edu
pamela.a.melton@ua.edu
jpryce@sw.ua.edu
atraylor@sw.ua.edu

And if nothing else works, perhaps UAB and UAH should file a federal suit based upon a demand for equal representation like we saw in Baker v Carr and Reynolds v Simms when the respective state legislatures refused to reapportion themselves for over 60 years in violation of the 14th Amendment.

The UA System BOT has similarly refused to reapportion itself to guarantee the representation of the other two schools on an equal basis. That led to their willful termination of athletic programs at both schools without them having the right to be represented by their own chosen President.

Getting the UAT faculty involved in this would really turn the weasel loose in the henhouse.

I love it, and will write.

Having Alabama in agreement would be huge.

After today's meeting, I've thought that having a protest of the board led by UA students would be particularly powerful. I think it's a great idea.

Let us know what you hear back. I doubt it will be very encouraging.

(02-07-2015 02:09 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Let us know what you hear back. I doubt it will be very encouraging.

I plan to say, in the most diplomatic terms possible, these are the same nitwits that will be picking your next president.

(02-07-2015 02:09 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Let us know what you hear back. I doubt it will be very encouraging.

After reading that Mountain Brook would not do a proclamation because they think it is a Birmingham and Jefferson county problem then do you really think the ua students will be any different. And Mnt Brook is made up of ua and au students.

It may be worth a shot. Certainly not that difficult to hit the send button. I would think you could get more of a response with students at UA. Even if only a fraction of students at UA took a stand then it would be news worthy and get some attention. There was a group called UAforUAB or something back when the football decision was announced. Not sure many in the media are aware of it but would be nice indeed to show that even people at UA feel that this is wrong.

The students at UA are less likely to be pricks than their parents were.

Some in Mountain Brook rub elbows with Watts & Mackin.

If you thought the good old boy network at Alabama was quite involved, Mountain Brook has their own network.

(02-07-2015 10:47 AM)rook360 Wrote:  

(02-07-2015 02:09 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Let us know what you hear back. I doubt it will be very encouraging.

After reading that Mountain Brook would not do a proclamation because they think it is a Birmingham and Jefferson county problem then do you really think the ua students will be any different. And Mnt Brook is made up of ua and au students.

This is the Faculty Senate - the representatives of the professors who teach and research at UA. The people who have hooked their careers to an institution run by the same Board that's wrecking ours.

The Board wants to keep this issue one of football and rooting interest. It doesn't matter who's a fan of what team, who roots for the green or the red or the blue laundry. This is a broad issue of criminal behavior and malfeasance, of the sodomization of democracy and the rule of law.

Ray Watts violated the basic principles on which a university is founded. The Board and the Chancellor gave him their full-throated approval. Anyone whose livelihood, whose career, is overseen by that same Board and Chancellor needs to be not only deeply concerned, but outraged.

The UA Faculty Senate is already unhappy over the removal of Guy Bailey, the girls-will-be-girls response to sorority racism, and the appointments-by-fiat of the Bonner siblings. And they have good reason to be. The same reasons we are outraged: a non-elected Board unaccountable to anyone is making childish, foolish decisions based on ... well, no one seems to know what they're based on since they never discuss them in view of the public.

UAB needs its own Board accountable to all of its constitutents. So does UA.

(02-07-2015 10:47 AM)rook360 Wrote:  

(02-07-2015 02:09 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Let us know what you hear back. I doubt it will be very encouraging.

After reading that Mountain Brook would not do a proclamation because they think it is a Birmingham and Jefferson county problem then do you really think the ua students will be any different. And Mnt Brook is made up of ua and au students.

The Brookie are not interested about the problem of birmingham , jefferson county even the state of alabama ,,but they were real concert when a show name jersey bell (a jersey girl leaving in MB and making fun of all those super rich people)
(No JOKE they ARE real concern about it ) (MAYBe WE may need to reach that girl)


The system use to get a vote for UAB may work in bhm ,hoover, trussville
You cannot approch mb people like every body else.They are special :)

.....and homewood ,,,that city that they think they are special for some kind a reason maybe because like mountain brook they dont want and they cannot grow :)

Only IN alabama
see you in Montgomery

(02-07-2015 11:17 AM)UABFRENCHY Wrote:  

(02-07-2015 10:47 AM)rook360 Wrote:  

(02-07-2015 02:09 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  Let us know what you hear back. I doubt it will be very encouraging.

After reading that Mountain Brook would not do a proclamation because they think it is a Birmingham and Jefferson county problem then do you really think the ua students will be any different. And Mnt Brook is made up of ua and au students.

The Brookie are not interested about the problem of birmingham , jefferson county even the state of alabama ,,but they were real concert when a show name jersey bell (a jersey girl leaving in MB and making fun of all those super rich people)
(No JOKE they ARE real concern about it ) (MAYBe WE may need to reach that girl)


The system use to get a vote for UAB may work in bhm ,hoover, trussville
You cannot approch mb people like every body else.They are special :)

.....and homewood ,,,that city that they think they are special for some kind a reason maybe because like mountain brook they dont want and they cannot grow :)

Only IN alabama
see you in Montgomery

I live in Homewood… I don't think I'm "special" and neither do my neighbors and friends that live here. Any I have many in Homewood. Sure, there are snobs here. But they are everywhere… for some kind of reason.

I get so damn tired of clumping people and insulting them. We've been having a lot of that lately. We can't afford to alienate anyone that will help – or at least stay neutral. That's just my 2¢.

I hope that you will ask your friends to contact the Homewood City Council. No snark here... I think that the more of these that Jack has in his pocket when he goes to Montgomery with his bills the better our chances are.

The list of UA faculty concerns that was linked here and disappeared prompted my thinking. Many of them are already worried about Board interference. And they should be. We can and should point out that Ray Watts is what the Board considers a model of university leadership.

How much of the money that UA athletics makes goes to the school?

On Facebook I'm hearing that Homewood's schools and police are supported heavily by Bryant Bank. That might be all she wrote.

(02-07-2015 12:00 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I hope that you will ask your friends to contact the Homewood City Council. No snark here... I think that the more of these that Jack has in his pocket when he goes to Montgomery with his bills the better our chances are.

Well, I will give that some thought. I probably should do that. But I wonder if Homewood's backing would even be appreciate by some. Seems to be a lot of hard feelings toward the OTM folks. It just gets old hearing it...

(02-07-2015 12:57 PM)BlazerFire Wrote:  

(02-07-2015 12:00 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I hope that you will ask your friends to contact the Homewood City Council. No snark here... I think that the more of these that Jack has in his pocket when he goes to Montgomery with his bills the better our chances are.

Well, I will give that some thought. I probably should do that. But I wonder if Homewood's backing would even be appreciate by some. Seems to be a lot of hard feelings toward the OTM folks. It just gets old hearing it...

Why would it not be? Every bit of support helps. Ask the representatives why it's so hard to support UAB, then tell us what answer you get. Personally, I think it would be big if we could get Homewood, Vestavia, and Mountain Brook to support us by signing a resolution. But apparrently, UAB is a Birmingham issue, until it affects some people there.

(02-07-2015 12:08 PM)58-56 Wrote:  The list of UA faculty concerns that was linked here and disappeared prompted my thinking. Many of them are already worried about Board interference. And they should be. We can and should point out that Ray Watts is what the Board considers a model of university leadership.

http://facultysenate.ua.edu/news/ua-facu...al-search/