LeeBron has a JD instead of a PhD.

(05-26-2021 08:31 PM)Barney Wrote:  

(05-26-2021 05:41 PM)bigowlsfan Wrote:  Serious question...why is a PhD a qualification at all? It evidences a fanatical tie to academic pursuits long into adulthood. I admire someone with that commitment, but I do not know how the skills necessary to get a PhD correlate with what one needs from a college president. PhD candidates make up what percentage of the students on campus in any given year? One tenth of one percent?

Very good point

And we could get good Asian American students (which Harvard is accused of discriminating against) instead of the Red Chinese nationals. Better to get someone who will help the United States instead of Red China.

The history of the Texas Rangers has not always been nice because there was extreme discrimination against Mexican Americans and Indians.

(05-26-2021 04:27 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(05-26-2021 02:43 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Ding, dong ....

Now, among other things, we can do the right thing and stop the flow of "students" from Communist China.

With respect to athletics, should Rice (as is likely) get someone from the Ivy League, absolutely nothing will change. Nothing good, that is.

Amen, WRC. Allowing the Communists, whether from Communist China, or any other Marxist nation to take up space in our universities, is not only obtuse, it's a slap in the face of all the good folks who are American Citizens of Chinese descent, who also do not want us to have anything to do with the Communists. Also hurts the good folks who are our friends and allies from friendly places like the Nation of Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, not to mention the freedom-loving citizens of Hong Kong, etc...who are not so fond of the inhuman communist threat in their own backyard.

We need someone who understands what a Texas Ranger was and stood for, not another Ivy league Pa#$y. I'd even take an out-of-the-box fellow like Glenn Youngkin, should he not win in Virginia. At least he understands business, loves sports, and won't pander to enemy states for a few dollars more.

(05-26-2021 08:57 PM)75src Wrote:  And we could get good Asian American students (which Harvard is accused of discriminating against) instead of the Red Chinese nationals. Better to get someone who will help the United States instead of Red China.

The history of the Texas Rangers has not always been nice because there was extreme discrimination against Mexican Americans and Indians.

(05-26-2021 04:27 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  

(05-26-2021 02:43 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  Ding, dong ....

Now, among other things, we can do the right thing and stop the flow of "students" from Communist China.

With respect to athletics, should Rice (as is likely) get someone from the Ivy League, absolutely nothing will change. Nothing good, that is.

Amen, WRC. Allowing the Communists, whether from Communist China, or any other Marxist nation to take up space in our universities, is not only obtuse, it's a slap in the face of all the good folks who are American Citizens of Chinese descent, who also do not want us to have anything to do with the Communists. Also hurts the good folks who are our friends and allies from friendly places like the Nation of Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, not to mention the freedom-loving citizens of Hong Kong, etc...who are not so fond of the inhuman communist threat in their own backyard.

We need someone who understands what a Texas Ranger was and stood for, not another Ivy league Pa#$y. I'd even take an out-of-the-box fellow like Glenn Youngkin, should he not win in Virginia. At least he understands business, loves sports, and won't pander to enemy states for a few dollars more.

But what the heck does the Texas Rangers chasing Indians at the behest of Andrew Jackson have to do with Rice today? Focusing on more Texas kids (Rangers kids or not -- and in my opinion not allowing any qualified minorities to go elsewhere by giving extreme financial incentives) is just as valid a strategy as what we've been doing if not way more valid. I don't particularly care if they did the exact same China strategy as every college in America but it was totally unoriginal and in my opinion let down the community that is RIGHT THERE around us at Rice.

I am ECSTATIC that Leebron is on his way out. Bring in someone who can inject some energy into the University and can develop a true connection with students and alumni.

In today's era, I think a President staying 18 years at one school is way too long. Things naturally get stale.

(05-26-2021 09:19 PM)Volente Beach Owl Wrote:  I am ECSTATIC that Leebron is on his way out. Bring in someone who can inject some energy into the University and can develop a true connection with students and alumni.

In today's era, I think a President staying 18 years at one school is way too long. Things naturally get stale.

Agree it's time to transition, but with the exception of many on this message board and those who have had axe to grind since the sale of KTRU, Leebron does indeed have a "true connection with students and alumni". I have found him to be incredibly accessible, and he truly listens (and remembers past conversations).

(05-26-2021 09:45 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-26-2021 09:19 PM)Volente Beach Owl Wrote:  I am ECSTATIC that Leebron is on his way out. Bring in someone who can inject some energy into the University and can develop a true connection with students and alumni.

In today's era, I think a President staying 18 years at one school is way too long. Things naturally get stale.

Agree it's time to transition, but with the exception of many on this message board and those who have had axe to grind since the sale of KTRU, Leebron does indeed have a "true connection with students and alumni". I have found him to be incredibly accessible, and he truly listens (and remembers past conversations).

sounds like a good politician!

In fairness to Leebron, I don't think he is nearly as anti-athletics as people here seem to think.

I am personally aware of things that he did, behind the scenes, to help athletics that neither Gillis nor Hackerman, despite their public cheerleading for athletics, would ever have done. He did acquiesce to having a decidedly anti-athletics prof on the selection committee that hired Ranger Rick, and that was probably his most anti-athletics move. I have also been much less favorably impressed with Leebron post-Baylor Med fiasco than before.

His problem is that whatever he wants for athletics, he doesn't know how to go about getting it. That's not his skill set. And the underlings that he has to count on to guide him--Ranger Rick and Karlgaard--have been singularly inept at providing any sort of viable guiding vision.

(05-26-2021 01:04 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  So who/what group selects the new President? That should tell us a lot about what is being sought in a replacement.

The President reports to the Trustees, and they have apparently already started forming a search committee: http://news.rice.edu/2021/05/26/letter-f...t-leebron/

The last search committee included trustees, alumni, faculty, students, etc.

Eighteen years ago, there was a national fad of choosing law school deans as university presidents. Law schools are generally their own kingdoms on campuses, and the thinking was that running that sort of operation would give a law dean the appropriate experience to be a president. That ignores that law schools don't do much of what a university does. Beyond athletics, most law school deans (and faculty) would not have taught undergraduates, not advised PhD students, etc. Additionally, many universities, including Rice, don't have law schools.

Individually, the members of the last search committee were quite impressive. I remember thinking, though, that collectively they seemed like a group that was likely to be impressed by a law school dean. We'll see what the committee looks like this time.

(05-26-2021 08:45 PM)75src Wrote:  I think Rice is doing less to reach alumni and those living in Houston and the rest of Texas. In the past athletics kept Rice noticed. Until the 1960s Rice had the premier football team in Houston and the community followed it. The proportion of students coming from Houston and the rest of Texas has been reduced. When I went to Rice it was one third Houston one-third rest of Texas and one third the rest of the state.

What I noticed from LeeBron's message was that it encouraged demographic diversity but there was no mention of having diversity of thought. I have not heard much about conservative voices at Rice now.

Now is the time to consider what we want Rice to be in the future with the choice of a new President.

From experience, conservative voices are absolutely stifled. I can tell you stories of students NOT expressing their viewpoints in an open class debate for fear of grade repercussions. The overwhelming comments I've heard is "its not worth the risk".
hen the voices being heard are the "remove Willy statue" (see today's Houston Chronicle) and the opponents to this are openly mocked on campus by students and, in some cases faculty, that is a problem.

As with scores of other topics, Winston Churchill had a trenchant observation about military committees and boards that applies at least as well in the civilian context:

"You may take the most gallant sailor, the most intrepid airman, or the most audacious soldier, put them at a table together—what do you get? The sum of their fears."

Today's Chronicle article mentions "...the ongoing protest of the Willy Rice statue on campus. Students have called for the removal of the statue of Rice’s founder Willy Rice,..."

Without getting into the debate itself, I wonder: has anyone ever heard either the founder or the statue referred to as "Willy Rice"?

I have not. In 37 years of association with Rice, I have only heard "William Marsh Rice" or "Willy", never a blend of the two.

(05-27-2021 09:28 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  Today's Chronicle article mentions "...the ongoing protest of the Willy Rice statue on campus. Students have called for the removal of the statue of Rice’s founder Willy Rice,..."

Without getting into the debate itself, I wonder: has anyone ever heard either the founder or the statue referred to as "Willy Rice"?

I have not. In 37 years of association with Rice, I have only heard "William Marsh Rice" or "Willy", never a blend of the two.

the chronicle, when it comes to matters Rice, is completely idiotic

(05-27-2021 09:45 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  

(05-27-2021 09:28 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  Today's Chronicle article mentions "...the ongoing protest of the Willy Rice statue on campus. Students have called for the removal of the statue of Rice’s founder Willy Rice,..."

Without getting into the debate itself, I wonder: has anyone ever heard either the founder or the statue referred to as "Willy Rice"?

I have not. In 37 years of association with Rice, I have only heard "William Marsh Rice" or "Willy", never a blend of the two.

the chronicle, when it comes to matters Rice, is completely idiotic

It’s not limited to Rice.

Just read the email from the President of the BOT thanking Leebron and enumerating the changes at Rice during Leebron’s tenure. My quick read found only one sentence referencing anything related to Athletics.

“Other new and refurbished athletics facilities, including Tudor Field House, the Patterson Sports Performance Center, George R. Brown Tennis Center and enhanced facilities for soccer and track and field, helped bring support and excitement to our athletics programs.”

16 paragraphs and that’s it. Says a lot IMO.

(05-27-2021 04:39 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  Just read the email from the President of the BOT thanking Leebron and enumerating the changes at Rice during Leebron’s tenure. My quick read found only one sentence referencing anything related to Athletics.

“Other new and refurbished athletics facilities, including Tudor Field House, the Patterson Sports Performance Center, George R. Brown Tennis Center and enhanced facilities for soccer and track and field, helped bring support and excitement to our athletics programs.”

16 paragraphs and that’s it. Says a lot IMO.

??? What did you want them to include? The President is not responsible for the on-field or on-court performance of the individual sports programs.

(05-27-2021 04:55 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-27-2021 04:39 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  Just read the email from the President of the BOT thanking Leebron and enumerating the changes at Rice during Leebron’s tenure. My quick read found only one sentence referencing anything related to Athletics.

“Other new and refurbished athletics facilities, including Tudor Field House, the Patterson Sports Performance Center, George R. Brown Tennis Center and enhanced facilities for soccer and track and field, helped bring support and excitement to our athletics programs.”

16 paragraphs and that’s it. Says a lot IMO.

??? What did you want them to include? The President is not responsible for the on-field or on-court performance of the individual sports programs.

I’d guess when Khator leaves UH her letter will have a lot more about athletics...

They have a lot more room for improvement overall in comparison to Rice but a quick look at their athletics, campus, and master plan shows more vision than anything going on at south main.

(05-27-2021 04:55 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-27-2021 04:39 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  Just read the email from the President of the BOT thanking Leebron and enumerating the changes at Rice during Leebron’s tenure. My quick read found only one sentence referencing anything related to Athletics.

“Other new and refurbished athletics facilities, including Tudor Field House, the Patterson Sports Performance Center, George R. Brown Tennis Center and enhanced facilities for soccer and track and field, helped bring support and excitement to our athletics programs.”

16 paragraphs and that’s it. Says a lot IMO.

??? What did you want them to include? The President is not responsible for the on-field or on-court performance of the individual sports programs.

Well thankfully they didn’t make up a bunch a fluff about Leebron’s vision of Athletics as an outreach to the community and alumni.

My point was he couldn’t include anything more because there wasn’t anything else to include and to me that’s what speaks volumes.

And I’m sorry. The buck stops with the President. While he is not directly responsible, the people who are report to him.

(05-27-2021 04:55 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(05-27-2021 04:39 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  Just read the email from the President of the BOT thanking Leebron and enumerating the changes at Rice during Leebron’s tenure. My quick read found only one sentence referencing anything related to Athletics.

“Other new and refurbished athletics facilities, including Tudor Field House, the Patterson Sports Performance Center, George R. Brown Tennis Center and enhanced facilities for soccer and track and field, helped bring support and excitement to our athletics programs.”

16 paragraphs and that’s it. Says a lot IMO.

??? What did you want them to include? The President is not responsible for the on-field or on-court performance of the individual sports programs.

On the counterpoint, if Rice had had significant athletic success in his tenure, dollar to donuts that paragraph would be far, far beefier.

As a non-Rice graduate but long time Rice fan this entire thread is so disappointing. President Leebron has done a pretty amazing job at Rice in so many ways. Rob Ladd’s most recent comments do a great job summarizing the incredible changes that Rice has gone thru over the past 18 years. It is really impressive. As a long time business executive, I can tell you that Rice became a force in Houston during the Gillis and Leebron stewardship’s.

Over the past several years, Rice woman’s athletics have become a significant national powerhouse and have met Dr. Karlgaards objective of being nationally competitive in their respective sports programs. Further, despite all the noise about Football and Basketball, During David Leebron’s tenure, Rice went to and won more bowl games than the University had done during the previous decade(s). Coach Pera has slowly developed a program that can compete in CUSA and hopefully will continue to do so. Dr. K. also pulled the trigger on Coach Bragga’s contract after learning from his experience in Football (I believe he waited one year too long).

I seriously disagree with many of the earlier comments about David Leebron and Dr. Karlgaard. I am sure that is par for the course in the same types of conversations. Rice is better for his 18 years as the institution’s leader. That being said, I look forward to new leadership and the opportunities that will open

(05-27-2021 06:15 PM)Kayjay Wrote:  As a non-Rice graduate but long time Rice fan this entire thread is so disappointing. President Leebron has done a pretty amazing job at Rice in so many ways. Rob Ladd’s most recent comments do a great job summarizing the incredible changes that Rice has gone thru over the past 18 years. It is really impressive. As a long time business executive, I can tell you that Rice became a force in Houston during the Gillis and Leebron stewardship’s.

Over the past several years, Rice woman’s athletics have become a significant national powerhouse and have met Dr. Karlgaards objective of being nationally competitive in their respective sports programs. Further, despite all the noise about Football and Basketball, During David Leebron’s tenure, Rice went to and won more bowl games than the University had done during the previous decade(s). Coach Pera has slowly developed a program that can compete in CUSA and hopefully will continue to do so. Dr. K. also pulled the trigger on Coach Bragga’s contract after learning from his experience in Football (I believe he waited one year too long).

I seriously disagree with many of the earlier comments about David Leebron and Dr. Karlgaard. I am sure that is par for the course in the same types of conversations. Rice is better for his 18 years as the institution’s leader. That being said, I look forward to new leadership and the opportunities that will open

Giving Karlgaard credit for terminating Bragga and Bailiff's contracts is interesting given he was the one who gave them those contracts.