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

Any update on a motion to vote for the removal of Wes Smith as NAS President?

I joined.

The statement the NAS came out with regarding no confidence in Watts was ridiculous and an embarrassment to humanity. Unlike the faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students, the leadership of the NAS BLEW IT!

(01-22-2015 08:01 AM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Just opened up the associated email that was sent to me.

Not sure the verify email address part works because no hyperlinks appear to exist in that part of the email.

Same here.

(01-22-2015 02:27 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  I joined.

The statement the NAS came out with regarding no confidence in Watts was ridiculous and an embarrassment to humanity. Unlike the faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students, the leadership of the NAS BLEW IT!

Had an interesting little chat with someone who was on the NAS board.

Apparently the NAS board went to Watts on Jan 7 asking him to create this committee.

Watts agreed to it and announced it on the 9th

After the NAS meeting was over & they were back discussing it, they came up with the Up until Jan 9 we didn't have confidence verdict.

It seems quite ridiculous to me & I'm not sure Watts or the BOT will ever give into anything. Even so, I don't really want Watts around at that time to make the decision.

We will see how this plays out. I'm trying to be patient.

I joined. I am a lifetime member of the NAS, but the current board is an embarrassment. They should be ashamed for not releasing the statement we voted on.

If it all happened like the guy said I would wonder why they wouldn't mention it openly at the meeting.

I love how everyone assumes that Wes Smith came up with the Jan. 9th language and stuffed it down the throat of the other 12 or 15, whatever number there were voting. I have yet to hear anyone say definitively that it came from him. I'm watching him, certainly not sure of him, but I think that talking about starting a recall campaign in the middle of what is going on is very premature and potentially damaging.

I was sitting at the table beside Marla Townsend's tonight at the NAS. Toward the end of things Wes Smith and Frank Messina came and sat down and talked to her. She certainly did not show any reluctance about that, was grinning and chatting with them. Read into that what you will, but I've known her a long time. I got no sense that she was in any way not genuine in how she was behaving.

I'm in wait and see mode. I'm also encouraged by what was said at the meeting this afternoon.

(01-22-2015 11:22 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  If it all happened like the guy said I would wonder why they wouldn't mention it openly at the meeting.

The NAS listened to what everyone on the list had to say, then had closed door deliberations that went on for another two hours plus. When they came out it was "Read the statement. That's what we're saying." and they were headed to the car. There wasn't any meeting to mention it at by that point in things.

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index....opefu.html

Quote:The NAS is and will continue to be the voice which is listened to by the Board of Trustees, the City of Birmingham, and the Faculty. It will continue to be an important fund raising arm for the University. Without the support of you, and everyone else, any influence the NAS has will be significantly diluted.

Or it will be shifted to a group that DOES say what the membership says. You may not like it, but the membership said "We have no confidence in Watts." The NAS put a stipulation on that.

Quote:The truth is that the NAS does speak for the alumni. Everyone wants to lynch Wes Smith because he did not put forth a resolution which would have done nothing but shown zero cooperation as part of a process that the NAS in taking a significant leadership role in. Everyone needs to understand that it will ultimately be a BOT decision (like it or not) as to whether football, rifle, and bowling is reinstated. That's a fact. In order to have a reasoned discussion and input into the process, there must be mutual respect and dialogue. A statement of "we hate Ray Watts" in no manner was going to create an atmosphere for that dialogue. If you don't believe that, count the minutes it took the BOT to issue a statement in support following the Senate Vote.

Some of us don't want to deal with Watts. The NAS decided to deal with him. Maybe the NAS is smart. Maybe not. But again, it alienated its members, so trying to pump sunshine about it won't win people back. You have to admit the NAS leadership at least partially ignored its membership's voice. Also, the decision may not be the BOT's. It may be decided in Montgomery. That's where we should focus effort.

Quote:If you don't like the leadership of the NAS, get active, vote, make your voice heard. The NAS is screaming for passionate, committed people who love UAB. It is a place you, and others, can really make a difference. As a community, we have been wholly unsupportive for years of our NAS. You hate Tuscaloosa? Consider this. One in 1,100 living alumni of UAB are members of the NAS. One in 212 living alumni of U of A are members. Does it make a difference in how our voice is heard with the BOT, and the representation on it? Yes, it does.

When people got active recently, the NAS leadership ignored their demands. That's not the way to add members.

Quote:Again, I appreciate very much your commitment and passion for UAB. I am deeply concerned though that what you and others are focused on will be divisive at a time when UAB needs everyone to be together. I would encourage you to direct that energy and talent in a direction where you can have a voice and make a difference for all our alumni, not just a few who feel disenfranchised.

Focus on Montgomery.

I agree. If the NAS Board had plans on its own to do something & did not include anyone else in the decision making process is this not exactly what Watts has done?

(01-22-2015 11:50 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I love how everyone assumes that Wes Smith came up with the Jan. 9th language and stuffed it down the throat of the other 12 or 15, whatever number there were voting. I have yet to hear anyone say definitively that it came from him. I'm watching him, certainly not sure of him, but I think that talking about starting a recall campaign in the middle of what is going on is very premature and potentially damaging.

I was sitting at the table beside Marla Townsend's tonight at the NAS. Toward the end of things Wes Smith and Frank Messina came and sat down and talked to her. She certainly did not show any reluctance about that, was grinning and chatting with them. Read into that what you will, but I've known her a long time. I got no sense that she was in any way not genuine in how she was behaving.

I'm in wait and see mode. I'm also encouraged by what was said at the meeting this afternoon.

(01-22-2015 11:22 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  If it all happened like the guy said I would wonder why they wouldn't mention it openly at the meeting.

The NAS listened to what everyone on the list had to say, then had closed door deliberations that went on for another two hours plus. When they came out it was "Read the statement. That's what we're saying." and they were headed to the car. There wasn't any meeting to mention it at by that point in things.

I don't know a thing about smith. I've never met him, and likely never will. My question is always why is the president of our alumni association a known fan of Alabama football? That is a hot button topic for many UAB graduates, and it seems like a slap in the face. It doesn't mean he can't support both schools, but my question is always going to be if it came down to screwing UAB or Alabama, which would he choose if he had a vote in the decision? If we even have to consider that, is that person right for the job?

What it all comes down to is a difference of opinion of how to deal with Watts. My personal opinion is that he cannot be trusted and the only way to deal with him from a position of strength - unconditional no confidence votes all around. Then when he understand he has no friends in the university except his toadies, you offer him a face saving way out while all the while doing every possible to insure that he doesn't survive.

The NAS board has had cozy relationship with the UAB administration years and thinks that they can still work with Watts. Okay, we'll see. I am willing to give the committee a chance.

But understand this, even if Watts brings back the banished sports, he has done great damage to the university and he must go.

While the committee is doing its work, we must turn our attention to Montgomery. We have made it clear that we intend to shoot the king; we cannot miss.

We cannot let dealing with the NAS board be a distraction. There will be plenty of time to handle that situation in whatever manner is appropriate after we take care of the business at hand.

I'm also in wait in and see mode.

Any attempt to discredit the man right now could and possibly would be counterproductive. As far as fan allegiance goes, being an Alabama fan and having clear integrity and sound character aren't mutually exclusive. He could show up to the meetings with crimson face paint and a scarlet A tattoo and it's all good as long as he acts in the best interest of the people he represents and truly does his job to the best of his ability. Also, I could understand not coming down on Dr. Watts as hard if it's to demand and maintain an open channel between the administration and at least one functioning body on campus. I still suspect that Dr. Watts is going to find some way to put the fix in to spare himself the humiliation, but, at least for now, I feel a little better because the meeting yesterday made this seem like a sincere effort.

All that aside, I think having another site is a net plus. It's wholly dedicated to the alumni and their efforts, and it is free of the same internal politics and what not at the university. In light of recent events, I believe it could be tremendously successful, but I could also see a dynamic where people don't bother with the NAS anymore and instead invest in this.

(01-23-2015 09:42 AM)the Dragon Wrote:  

Quote:The NAS is and will continue to be the voice which is listened to by the Board of Trustees, the City of Birmingham, and the Faculty. It will continue to be an important fund raising arm for the University. Without the support of you, and everyone else, any influence the NAS has will be significantly diluted.

Or it will be shifted to a group that DOES say what the membership says. You may not like it, but the membership said "We have no confidence in Watts." The NAS put a stipulation on that.

Quote:The truth is that the NAS does speak for the alumni. Everyone wants to lynch Wes Smith because he did not put forth a resolution which would have done nothing but shown zero cooperation as part of a process that the NAS in taking a significant leadership role in. Everyone needs to understand that it will ultimately be a BOT decision (like it or not) as to whether football, rifle, and bowling is reinstated. That's a fact. In order to have a reasoned discussion and input into the process, there must be mutual respect and dialogue. A statement of "we hate Ray Watts" in no manner was going to create an atmosphere for that dialogue. If you don't believe that, count the minutes it took the BOT to issue a statement in support following the Senate Vote.

Some of us don't want to deal with Watts. The NAS decided to deal with him. Maybe the NAS is smart. Maybe not. But again, it alienated its members, so trying to pump sunshine about it won't win people back. You have to admit the NAS leadership at least partially ignored its membership's voice. Also, the decision may not be the BOT's. It may be decided in Montgomery. That's where we should focus effort.

Quote:If you don't like the leadership of the NAS, get active, vote, make your voice heard. The NAS is screaming for passionate, committed people who love UAB. It is a place you, and others, can really make a difference. As a community, we have been wholly unsupportive for years of our NAS. You hate Tuscaloosa? Consider this. One in 1,100 living alumni of UAB are members of the NAS. One in 212 living alumni of U of A are members. Does it make a difference in how our voice is heard with the BOT, and the representation on it? Yes, it does.

When people got active recently, the NAS leadership ignored their demands. That's not the way to add members.

Quote:Again, I appreciate very much your commitment and passion for UAB. I am deeply concerned though that what you and others are focused on will be divisive at a time when UAB needs everyone to be together. I would encourage you to direct that energy and talent in a direction where you can have a voice and make a difference for all our alumni, not just a few who feel disenfranchised.

Focus on Montgomery.

The NAS put a stipulation on that because:

One of the items on the agenda was an independent review of the actions leading up to the termination. This was asked for by the alumni in attendance and the NAS was able to get it. Question the motives all you want, but Watts agreed to it at the urging of the NAS leaders (after other groups had also asked for it). It would make no sense to say "Thanks for the committee, no confidence anyway". If that happens, there is no committee, there's no reason to have it because there is ZERO confidence that anything will change. This provides one more avenue to try to get the programs reinstated, along with the efforts of Jack Williams.