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If not Messina, I'm a big fan of Dr. Lucas or Andy Marsh.

Guys, we need someone with political heft who has a big name and who can grab positive headlines whenever they want. We need someone with experience in hostile politics. Rice would restore football, get a stadium, raise huge amounts of money, give us the national spotlight and rally the university and the city ... and kick everyone's butt who got in her way.

As much as I dislike Condi politically, she would be a good hire for president. We would have football back and we would get an OCS.

Maybe she could stay awake during graduation. Ray Ray slept through part of the second ceremony. Stood up and didn't notice his sash was about to fall off and stood there looking like a transient until the dean next to him fixed it. The faculty nearby were mortified.

Ms. Rice is the front-runner for the presidency...at the University of Texas.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/12...cart_river

There is absolutely no way that the BOT would choose Rice to be president of UAB. I have a better chance of getting selected than she does.

(12-13-2014 06:29 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  There is absolutely no way that the BOT would choose Rice to be president of UAB. I have a better chance of getting selected than she does.

If Rice pushed for it, then the BOT would be powerless to stop her. End of story. Anyone got her number?

I'm not sure.

The practices for recruiting presidents has changed for the worse. The search is way more restricted to small number of people, and, even still, it's a real secretive process. With the way the board operates, anyone with any real clot would be nixed so early on that they wouldn't even be on the long list. If, for example, Rice was tapped as a potential president for the school, the board would be circumvent regardless by nature of it being a process that excludes the public. If she made headlines by saying she was denied an opportunity, the board would say she something along the lines of her never being considered, that they already have the person they want, that it was just an unsubstatiated rumor, that the search is internal, etc. Afterwards, they'd just suppress the people that tried to bring her here via NDAs, veilded threats, and what not.

It'd probably be close to the situation we're in now. The truth is there, it's just obscured by all the lies. Our best bet is getting someone that the board thinks is committed to their cause only to find out that the person is instead someone with true integrity and dedication to UAB. People like Rice and the FAR would be big, but the board will never let someone with good intentions slip by unless they are fooled.

(12-13-2014 06:50 PM)Hopeful Wrote:  I'm not sure.

The practices for recruiting presidents has changed for the worse. The search is way more restricted to small number of people, and, even still, it's a real secretive process. With the way the board operates, anyone with any real clot would be nixed so early on that they wouldn't even be on the long list. If, for example, Rice was tapped as a potential president for the school, the board would be circumvent regardless by nature of it being a process that excludes the public. If she made headlines by saying she was denied an opportunity, the board would say she something along the lines of her never being considered, that they already have the person they want, that it was just an unsubstatiated rumor, that the search is internal, etc. Afterwards, they'd just suppress the people that tried to bring her here via NDAs, veilded threats, and what not.

It'd probably be close to the situation we're in now. The truth is there, it's just obscured by all the lies. Our best bet is getting someone that the board thinks is committed to their cause only to find out that the person is instead someone with true integrity and dedication to UAB. People like Rice and the FAR would be big, but the board will never let someone with good intentions slip by unless they are fooled.

So step #1 has become : Change the Presidential Selection process ?

Moving Fire Ray Watts now to step #2 ? I like it. Watts has more in common with #2 anyway.

I wouldn't get too fired up until I heard her position on the value of a traditional campus experience in Birmingham and how football fits into that experience. In a hypothetical situation where she were appointed president and thought UAB's best contribution to the world is as a graduate research institution, she would be untouchable, and that shift in vision would become unassailable and permanent.

Be careful what you wish for if you don't know for sure what you are wishing for.

I'm not convinced we can get her for a number of reasons. Let's start with the fact that no one has a clue if she'd even be interested. She's up for UT, and that's a huge, rich, and powerful school. UAB is in her home town, but she hasn't lived here in decades.

Next, the BoT wouldn't hire Pat Sullivan because he was an Auburn man. Rice, last time I looked is a black woman, and the BoT is not the most forward looking group of individuals I can think of. Even if they get past that, and they might, given that she's something of a Republican icon, they don't want someone powerful and influential in the job. They want someone they can influence and bully. I don't think that's Rice. She's run a big university before and she knows how things work. It's not like there wasn't some sort of recent reminder of how screwed up the UA System is to clue her in that the UAB job comes with all sorts of problems.

UaB doesn't get to pick, as long as the bot keeps status quo.

Dr. Rice & Dr. Messina are out of consideration until that changes.

Although it looks like Watts' resignation is imminent. Let's not get ahead of ourselves because he is still President.

(12-13-2014 09:31 PM)nicknitro19 Wrote:  Although it looks like Watts' resignation is imminent. Let's not get ahead of ourselves because he is still President.

That is exactly why we must push quickly for a change in choosing a university under the current system. If watts quits before a change is made, the BOT will have another crimson stooge in place faster than you can say JJ Nelson All American. And we will have no ammo on the new stooge.

I could be hopeful about that, but are you sure she wouldn't do what was "expedient" for the powers that be, just like Ray Watts?

If Dr. Rice came to UAB it would be to cement her legacy as one of this country's greatest modern-day educators. It would be to kick the memory of George Wallace in the teeth. It wouldn't be to bow down to the BOT.

(12-13-2014 08:46 PM)legalblazer Wrote:  I wouldn't get too fired up until I heard her position on the value of a traditional campus experience in Birmingham and how football fits into that experience. In a hypothetical situation where she were appointed president and thought UAB's best contribution to the world is as a graduate research institution, she would be untouchable, and that shift in vision would become unassailable and permanent.

Be careful what you wish for if you don't know for sure what you are wishing for.

I have admit this is sage advice. Still, I think she would be about more than that.

(12-13-2014 09:52 PM)Agent Orange Sauce Wrote:  If Dr. Rice came to UAB it would be to cement her legacy as one of this country's greatest modern-day educators. It would be to kick the memory of George Wallace in the teeth. It wouldn't be to bow down to the BOT.

Which is pretty much why I don't think she's got a chance of getting tapped for the job, all other factors aside.

(12-13-2014 10:07 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(12-13-2014 09:52 PM)Agent Orange Sauce Wrote:  If Dr. Rice came to UAB it would be to cement her legacy as one of this country's greatest modern-day educators. It would be to kick the memory of George Wallace in the teeth. It wouldn't be to bow down to the BOT.

Which is pretty much why I don't think she's got a chance of getting tapped for the job, all other factors aside.

I understand. I'm still going to push for it. Anyone else who shares my vision can also send her a letter.

Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Hoover Institution
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6010

(12-13-2014 09:31 PM)nicknitro19 Wrote:  Although it looks like Watts' resignation is imminent. Let's not get ahead of ourselves because he is still President.

I would feel better if you had this from a super reliable source...I want that guy gone so badly. He is a travesty to the concept of education.