http://thepost.ohiou.edu/main.asp?Sectio...leID=31801

As shocking as it may seem to fans of a University that just spent $60 million on a football stadium to play in the MAC, there are constituents of every University that actually believe that its institutional mission is to provide higher education in service of societal contribution and quality of life for all. I know of some faculty members at Akron who share the same questions raised in the article.

(05-18-2010 02:52 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  As shocking as it may seem to fans of a University that just spent $60 million on a football stadium to play in the MAC, there are constituents of every University that actually believe that its institutional mission is to provide higher education in service of societal contribution and quality of life for all. I know of some faculty members at Akron who share the same questions raised in the article.

It is simply a resolution passed by the faculty senate. In other words, it probably will not go anywhere. Sounds like someone found a report that concludes faculty should have a larger role in governance so s/he ran with it.

(05-18-2010 02:52 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  As shocking as it may seem to fans of a University that just spent $60 million on a football stadium to play in the MAC, there are constituents of every University that actually believe that its institutional mission is to provide higher education in service of societal contribution and quality of life for all. I know of some faculty members at Akron who share the same questions raised in the article.

Ahh yes the old no place for univ. athletics arguement! Clearly sports offer othing to the athletes, student body or promote the institution as a whole. I mean just look at how it has held back the academia of b10 schools while one just 10mi from said investment surged over the last 30 some odd years (when the state was rumored to be actually considering closure due to poor performance) to become the Cambridge on the Cuyahoga

(05-18-2010 02:24 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  http://thepost.ohiou.edu/main.asp?Sectio...leID=31801

hehehehehe Titsworth Boiiioooooiiiioooooiiiiinggggg!

(05-18-2010 03:36 PM)WallyB Wrote:  

(05-18-2010 02:52 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  As shocking as it may seem to fans of a University that just spent $60 million on a football stadium to play in the MAC, there are constituents of every University that actually believe that its institutional mission is to provide higher education in service of societal contribution and quality of life for all. I know of some faculty members at Akron who share the same questions raised in the article.

Ahh yes the old no place for univ. athletics arguement! Clearly sports offer othing to the athletes, student body or promote the institution as a whole. I mean just look at how it has held back the academia of b10 schools while one just 10mi from said investment surged over the last 30 some odd years (when the state was rumored to be actually considering closure due to poor performance) to become the Cambridge on the Cuyahoga

Here we go with the "either"/"or" position. If sports offered nothing, no institution would offer them. Sports aren't "nothing", they offer much. But in higher education, they aren't "everything" either, even at Ohio State.

As for "rumors" as sources, is there now a new major at Akron? A B.S. maybe? Or a Ph DOMA? Pulled Directly Out of My A--?

(05-18-2010 04:40 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  

(05-18-2010 03:36 PM)WallyB Wrote:  

(05-18-2010 02:52 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  As shocking as it may seem to fans of a University that just spent $60 million on a football stadium to play in the MAC, there are constituents of every University that actually believe that its institutional mission is to provide higher education in service of societal contribution and quality of life for all. I know of some faculty members at Akron who share the same questions raised in the article.

Ahh yes the old no place for univ. athletics arguement! Clearly sports offer othing to the athletes, student body or promote the institution as a whole. I mean just look at how it has held back the academia of b10 schools while one just 10mi from said investment surged over the last 30 some odd years (when the state was rumored to be actually considering closure due to poor performance) to become the Cambridge on the Cuyahoga

Here we go with the "either"/"or" position. If sports offered nothing, no institution would offer them. Sports aren't "nothing", they offer much. But in higher education, they aren't "everything" either, even at Ohio State.

As for "rumors" as sources, is there now a new major at Akron? A B.S. maybe? Or a Ph DOMA? Pulled Directly Out of My A--?

funny you should say that, my sources are several colleagues w/ BS and/or PHD's (piled higher and deeper) from Ohio State! They were commenting on the fact that they couldn't stay in the NEOhio area for a bio degree at that time due to the accademic reputation of said institution, at that time, and reported then rumors of KSU's potential demise/re-appropriation at the hand of Govenor Rhodes! Myth? Speculation? Rumor? Hyperbole? Cant say

Having grown up down the street from your campus at the time, i was aware of Kent's "old" reputation, But it's difficult to google "KSU closure 1970's" for obvious reasons...... I will note all of this in my official thesis on the subject

A little touchy for someone attempting to start a flame war dontcha think???

War? I'm from Kent. Peace.

(05-18-2010 03:05 PM)CMUprof Wrote:  

(05-18-2010 02:52 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  As shocking as it may seem to fans of a University that just spent $60 million on a football stadium to play in the MAC, there are constituents of every University that actually believe that its institutional mission is to provide higher education in service of societal contribution and quality of life for all. I know of some faculty members at Akron who share the same questions raised in the article.

It is simply a resolution passed by the faculty senate. In other words, it probably will not go anywhere. Sounds like someone found a report that concludes faculty should have a larger role in governance so s/he ran with it.

It can be signed by the provost and it becomes actual policy. And this is part of a protracted ongoing fight between the faculty, the administration, and the athletic department. This is not new or the result of some random person coming up with a strange idea.

Student applications at Butler are up 66%! Wonder why?

(05-18-2010 09:32 PM)OZoner Wrote:  

(05-18-2010 03:05 PM)CMUprof Wrote:  

(05-18-2010 02:52 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  As shocking as it may seem to fans of a University that just spent $60 million on a football stadium to play in the MAC, there are constituents of every University that actually believe that its institutional mission is to provide higher education in service of societal contribution and quality of life for all. I know of some faculty members at Akron who share the same questions raised in the article.

It is simply a resolution passed by the faculty senate. In other words, it probably will not go anywhere. Sounds like someone found a report that concludes faculty should have a larger role in governance so s/he ran with it.

It can be signed by the provost and it becomes actual policy. And this is part of a protracted ongoing fight between the faculty, the administration, and the athletic department. This is not new or the result of some random person coming up with a strange idea.

These things happen in academic senate meetings all the time. Here is a quote from a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Ed:

"An athletic director at a midsize research university told me about his constant struggle over this issue with the faculty senate on his campus. "Every few months or so, one or more senators would attempt to pass a resolution stating that the senate recommends dumping our football team," he said. "It's true that our team has not been competitive for some years, but what is very frustrating is that these senators have no idea of how much even a mediocre team brings to an institution." (no truth to the rumor that this is about Akron)

Even if the resolution at Ohio were to pass and faculty had a majority (8 of 15 votes), there is no reason to expect that all of the faculty on such a committee would be anti-athletics. You generally will find that people that volunteer to serve on such a committee will have an interest in athletics.

OT: on the same page is a quote about a vote they are taking on the Honor Code:

Quote:The code encourages students to uphold integrity in academic
work, and, if passed, there would be no judicial consequences
for violating it.

Seriously? WTF?

People may blow off the OU faculty senate's resolutions, but the faculty at OU have more control over the institution than any other I've seen. Bobcat fans are not taking this lightly.

And the honor code thing certainly is weird. What's the point if there are no consequences for breaking it?

(05-19-2010 12:54 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  And the honor code thing certainly is weird. What's the point if there are no consequences for breaking it?

It's the same type of mysterian thinking that allows for not keeping score at soccer games, allows for everyone to get a trophy at a swim meet, and gives out degrees in ethic and victim studies.

CMUProf Wrote:Even if the resolution at Ohio were to pass and faculty had a majority (8 of 15 votes), there is no reason to expect that all of the faculty on such a committee would be anti-athletics. You generally will find that people that volunteer to serve on such a committee will have an interest in athletics.

Yes, there is. You don't know the situation in Athens. There is a strong and growing anti-athletic faction in the OU faculty. Even faculty ticket holders are in this faction.

axeme Wrote:Seriously? WTF?

I don't think the students have power to actually enact any rules that result in judicial consequences. The Honor Code is a ham-fisted reaction to the plagiarism scandal the engineering school got hit with a couple years ago. Really, the Code of Conduct already covers this and actually comes with penalties for breaking it. This code is just a way for people to act like they've done something.

(05-19-2010 03:24 PM)OZoner Wrote:  

axeme Wrote:Seriously? WTF?

I don't think the students have power to actually enact any rules that result in judicial consequences. The Honor Code is a ham-fisted reaction to the plagiarism scandal the engineering school got hit with a couple years ago. Really, the Code of Conduct already covers this and actually comes with penalties for breaking it. This code is just a way for people to act like they've done something.

OK. That makes more sense. I didn't realize that OU has both an "Honor Code" and a "Code of Conduct".

OU doesn't currently have an honor code. This would add one.

(05-18-2010 07:25 PM)FlashFan Wrote:  War? I'm from Kent. Peace.

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4863083

A warning: this article is heavily populated by the opinion of one of the OU professors who wants to drop sports spending back to 1960 levels. You remember that problem they had with the professors fighting the athletic department.

However, the OU prof gets smacked down pretty hard when presented with actual facts, like how the MAC doesn't actually use academic funding to pay for sports (we use certain student fees that exist specifically for that purpose). And how the MAC has many of the most efficient athletic departments. And how we spend far less than the BCS schools (but their level of spending is OK with the professor).

Ok, raise your hand if you're surprised Vetter holds a PhD from 1965 from Big Ten school Illinois...