RE: The Failure of Ray Watts: No Confidence
My email to all senate members:
Esteemed UAB Faculty Senate members,
I won't bore you with a long diatribe on the importance of UAB football or athletics. I'm writing you, because it ALL matters to me.
I'm a 2 time graduate from UAB: undergraduate and doctoral. I'm a longtime member of the NAS. I am a member/donor of/to the Blazer Boosters. ALL UAB athletics & academics matter to me.
I'm an active duty member of the USAF. I've always been stationed away from Alabama, so athletics are a way I can stay connected to my alma mater, and specifically football and men's basketball. If Dr. Watts and/or the UA BoT decide to "kill" UAB football (which will undoubtedly spill over into other athletics/marching band, etc.), you can certainly count on me no longer donating to the above causes anymore. Dr. Watts and every member of the BoT will have chosen a short-sighted and malignantly harmful path for UAB. They have a responsibility to equitably uphold this university, her academic programs, and her athletics. Some things cannot be measured by dollars in the black, as this argument has been painted. Were that true, why has so much money been funneled to UAT's campus improvements in non-reveue generating ways, i.e. baseball upgrades, frat houses, waterfalls in locker rooms, etc.? Some things are important to a university, her student body, and alumni, whether they turn a profit or not.
I ask that you all seriously consider a vote of "No Confidence" pertaining to Dr. Watts' role in any action that leads to either dismantling or downgrading UAB football and subsequent other athletics, band, etc. that will assuredly occur resultant to such actions. Should this happen, you can COUNT on my money going elsewhere, to my other alma mater's: the University of Florida and Indiana University. They both maintain athletics and medical academics not under threat from a puppet president and an inequitably represented Board of Trustees.
With integrity and sincerity,
--
Maj R. Kyle Hodgen, DNP, CRNA, ACNP, NC, USAF
Assistant Professor
Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, Nurse Anesthesia Program
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Rm. E-1050
4301 Jones Bridge Rd.
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CALL TO ACTION: The Failure of Ray Watts: No Confidence
