Mark Kennedy new, but soon to be old CU President - Official CU president Thread

[Creebuzz]

Some random thoughts:

1. The most illuminating part of the article is in the bottom third. I hope the tl;dr crowd takes the time on this one.
2. Dr. Kirch is an awesome alum. Glad he spoke out.
3. Leaking the list was a critical part of the investigative journalism in this case. It allowed the Independent to interview candidates and obtain information about the process. To suggest otherwise is being obtuse.
4. I still favor appointing regents over electing them. I think you get more talented people, and, somewhat paradoxically, it makes the process less partisan even though the sitting governor would have total control over who to appoint.
5. Search firm seemed very poor.
6. I fear the leaking of the names will have a negative effect on the candidate pool the next time around. But you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.
7. I think the democrats will take over the BoR in 2020, first time in almost 40 years. Kennedy should consider renting.
8. Out of state alums are under represented. I happen to be one.

 

[manhattanbuff]

The issue with Kennedy is his qualifications. The other stuff on top of the qualifications makes him a seriously bad hire. Learning that the University of Colorado system had republicans and democrats with better qualifications than Kennedy and a sincere interest in the position is a GD boondoggle. This is brutal.

 

[Not Sure]

So, aside from my skepticism regarding the motives of the leaker, there are a few things in that article that stick out to me:

1) I can’t for the life of me figure out how we ended up with Kennedy.
2) the system for selecting university leadership is broken (we already knew this, but the article basically confirms what we’ve been saying here all along).
3) it’s one thing for me - just a guy - to question the motives of the leaker. I’m cynical and these kinds of things tend to pop into my head. It’s another thing entirely for the Republicans on the board to brush aside the findings and go after the leaker. You can’t say in one breath that the process was non political and then claim the leak was politically motivated. It doesn’t work that way. I’m convinced that the decision/process WAS politically motivated, as was the leak.

 

[Mb2658]

8. Out of state alums are under represented. I happen to be one.

Under represented in what manner?

 

[Not Sure]

Under represented in what manner?

They get no vote for Regent.

 

[Mb2658]

They get no vote for Regent.

Nor should they.

 

[skibum]

Nor should they.

Arguably, the composition of the current board of regents has a much larger impact on their lives than it does the CSU alum working the fry station at the McDonald's in Fruita.

 

[Not Sure]

The system was put in place over 100 years ago at a time when the whole purpose of the school was to educate Colorado kids to help Colorado grow and prosper. The purpose of the school has evolved over the years, but the way the leadership is chosen hasn’t.

 

[4DemBuffs]

Arguably, the composition of the current board of regents has a much larger impact on their lives than it does the CSU alum working the fry station at the McDonald's in Fruita.

Ummmm.... fries in Fruita.....

 

[Mb2658]

Arguably, the composition of the current board of regents has a much larger impact on their lives than it does the CSU alum working the fry station at the McDonald's in Fruita.

How does the current BoR have any significant impact on the life of any current alum? That CSU alum is paying taxes to the State of Colorado. If you want to be able to vote for the CU BoR, move back to Colorado.

 

[DBT]

So, how is Kennedy performing so far? Any reports? Unbiased reports?

 

[skibum]

How does the current BoR have any significant impact on the life of any current alum?

Can you honestly not think of any impact?

That CSU alum is paying taxes to the State of Colorado.

I don't think you understand what powers the board of regents has and does not have.

The board of regents has virtually zero power to set and raise taxes.

Again, decisions made by the BOR have an arguably larger impact on out of state alumni than they do on many in-state residents. (There is an argument here, but you are not finding it.)

 

[Buffalo Brad]

Well, he has not pissed off any big diners yet that I have heard of. He has not disbanded football or the AD. Kind of pluses.

Have not heard of any big new donations coming in because of his vast network or skills with large donors. Has not fire DiStefano. All negatives.

should have been big donors! Lol

 

[skibum]

Well, he has not pissed off any big diners yet that I have heard of. He has not disbanded football or the AD. Kind of pluses.

Have not heard of any big new donations coming in because of his vast network or skills with large donors. Has not fire DiStefano. All negatives.

I don't know, his hiring process probably ruined at least a snack or two for some diners.

 

[The Ogre]

I haven’t kept up here, but I do have to wonder why and when things went south with CU academically. I recently looked up rankings from multiple sources and in many CU schools - they have been way down, predating the new guy.

Lots of schools many here make fun of are ranked about as high or higher than CU, mostly because the university has dropped. What’s the reason? Anyone?

Please try to avoid tired, political, knee-jerk excuses that apply to most universities, I’m actually curious what’s going on.

 

[dio]

Kennedy really hasn't done anything all yet. He did hire that admin assistant who got him in trouble at UND.

Benson set the foundation for another $1BB capital campaign... It was his final fundraising vision before he left. Hopefully Kennedy carries that through.

Kennedy has expressed interest in online classes and degrees, so the campuses are gearing up for that. I'm torn on that initiative. I think it is something that sounds better as an idea, but doesn't work as well in practice.

He is also pushing is technological leap forward ideas, but nothing concrete has occurred there.

But honestly, he has been pretty much invisible thus far. No grand vision or leadership that I've seen, but he also hasn't made any bonehead decisions or ruffled any feathers (outside of hiring that admin assistant to a created position of Chief of Staff)

 

[DBT]

I haven’t kept up here, but I do have to wonder why and when things went south with CU academically. I recently looked up rankings from multiple sources and in many CU schools - they have been way down, predating the new guy.

Lots of schools many here make fun of are ranked about as high or higher than CU, mostly because the university has dropped. What’s the reason? Anyone?

Please try to avoid tired, political, knee-jerk excuses that apply to most universities, I’m actually curious what’s going on.

Hopefully that means we are regaining our status as No. 1 Party School.

 

[dio]

I haven’t kept up here, but I do have to wonder why and when things went south with CU academically. I recently looked up rankings from multiple sources and in many CU schools - they have been way down, predating the new guy.

Lots of schools many here make fun of are ranked about as high or higher than CU, mostly because the university has dropped. What’s the reason? Anyone?

Please try to avoid tired, political, knee-jerk excuses that apply to most universities, I’m actually curious what’s going on.

Admission standards are pretty loose these days, especially for out of state. CU is beholden to out of state students due in part to the brutal state funding it receives

That is my theory at least

 

[BuffsNYC]

Well, he has not pissed off any big diners yet that I have heard of.

Yes, I’ve also heard Plati is fine with him.

 

[Highlander]

Kennedy really hasn't done anything all yet. He did hire that admin assistant who got him in trouble at UND.

Benson set the foundation for another $1BB capital campaign... It was his final fundraising vision before he left. Hopefully Kennedy carries that through.

Kennedy has expressed interest in online classes and degrees, so the campuses are gearing up for that. I'm torn on that initiative. I think it is something that sounds better as an idea, but doesn't work as well in practice.

He is also pushing is technological leap forward ideas, but nothing concrete has occurred there.

But honestly, he has been pretty much invisible thus far. No grand vision or leadership that I've seen, but he also hasn't made any bonehead decisions or ruffled any feathers (outside of hiring that admin assistant to a created position of Chief of Staff)

Given that he isn't getting fired anytime soon, at this point, I'm watching his actions.

I'm mildly concerned he hasn't announced an intention to file a grand new vision after X period. This actually makes me wonder if the Regents rejected the documented higher qualified candidates because they didn't want anyone to come in and change anything. Maybe they just hired a yes man?

 

[Creebuzz]

How does the current BoR have any significant impact on the life of any current alum? That CSU alum is paying taxes to the State of Colorado. If you want to be able to vote for the CU BoR, move back to Colorado.

Others answered it, but I will elaborate. All citizens of the State of Colorado are stakeholders in CU. It educates a lot of the population, provides an invaluable public resource, and is an economic engine. All alumni, regardless of where they permanently reside, are also stakeholders. They hold a degree from CU, which is an intangible asset. The value of that asset can fluctuate over time based on the reputation of the university and the quality of the education, both real and perceived. If the Board of Regents mismanage the CU system, all stakeholders suffer. I would argue, I think reasonably, that alumni would suffer the most.

As far as the financial contribution, out of state students pay a significantly higher rate to attend CU (currently $11,500 versus $35,000). So that’s $100,000 more over four years to attend. Let’s do some loose back of the envelope math. If the a average Colorado taxpayer is making $100,000 AGI and pays a 5% state income tax, then over a 40 year work life, she would pay $200,000 in state income tax total. Of that, let’s say 1% of the Colorado budget is allocated to CU Boulder (probably too high), then that works out to $2,000 in total individual taxpayer contribution over a lifetime of work. I realize this is very loose math, but the fact is out of state alumni contribute more financially in tuition than the taxpayers do. Colorado is usually last or next to last each year in state public funding for higher education.

And out of state alums are a huge block of the students, normally in the range of 40% of the enrollment. I wish I could support this with a link, but I have been told (from a member of the CU fundraising staff) that out of state alumni tend to be higher contributors back to CU.

In any case, it’s frustrating that other flagship state universities are grabbing high powered national players for their board and I get Jack Kroll, a low level moron in admissions that I can’t vote out.

 

[dio]

Given that he isn't getting fired anytime soon, at this point, I'm watching his actions.

I'm mildly concerned he hasn't announced an intention to file a grand new vision after X period. This actually makes me wonder if the Regents rejected the documented higher qualified candidates because they didn't want anyone to come in and change anything. Maybe they just hired a yes man?

I don't think so.... The regents claim they wanted Kennedy because he could articulate a 4 campus strategic plan, which Benson couldn't or didn't do.

I just don't think Kennedy is much of a leader. He lacks vision and floats by on interpersonal skills.

I don't think he will mess things up and rock the boat... But he isn't going to lead CU anywhere

 

[Highlander]

I don't think so.... The regents claim they wanted Kennedy because he could articulate a 4 campus strategic plan, which Benson couldn't or didn't do.

I just don't think Kennedy is much of a leader. He lacks vision and floats by on interpersonal skills.

I don't think he will mess things up and rock the boat... But he isn't going to lead CU anywhere

I can appreciate your sentiment, but the timeline is too short to make a final decision in my opinion.

You are free to have yours as well.

 

[Mb2658]

Can you honestly not think of any impact?


I don't think you understand what powers the board of regents has and does not have.

The board of regents has virtually zero power to set and raise taxes.

I never said that they did.

Again, decisions made by the BOR have an arguably larger impact on out of state alumni than they do on many in-state residents. (There is an argument here, but you are not finding it.)

What exactly is the argument? You have yet to state it. I’m honestly not trying to troll. I just have a very difficult time seeing how the current BoR has any tangible impact on the daily life of someone who graduated in 1955, 1995, or 2015 for that matter. You might be able to convince me that they have some impact over recent grads if there were to do something ridiculous that significantly damaged the reputation of CU as an insitution

I graduated in 2003 and I can guarantee that there isn’t anything that a current member of the BoR can do that would impact me in any meaningful way in my current job or profession. I fail to see how that changes based upon whether or not you currently live in the State of Colorado (I don’t.)

It’s a degree from a state-run University, not a share of stock or a membership in a secret society. CU could cease to exist tomorrow and I wouldn’t suddenly not have a degree.

Do I want CU to be the best and be at the forefront of academics, athletics and research? Of course I do, but to pretend like the BoR or President has the ability to drastically change my lot in life is ridiculous.

 

[Mb2658]

Others answered it, but I will elaborate. All citizens of the State of Colorado are stakeholders in CU. It educates a lot of the population, provides an invaluable public resource, and is an economic engine. All alumni, regardless of where they permanently reside, are also stakeholders. They hold a degree from CU, which is an intangible asset. The value of that asset can fluctuate over time based on the reputation of the university and the quality of the education, both real and perceived. If the Board of Regents mismanage the CU system, all stakeholders suffer. I would argue, I think reasonably, that alumni would suffer the most.

As far as the financial contribution, out of state students pay a significantly higher rate to attend CU (currently $11,500 versus $35,000). So that’s $100,000 more over four years to attend. Let’s do some loose back of the envelope math. If the a average Colorado taxpayer is making $100,000 AGI and pays a 5% state income tax, then over a 40 year work life, she would pay $200,000 in state income tax total. Of that, let’s say 1% of the Colorado budget is allocated to CU Boulder (probably too high), then that works out to $2,000 in total individual taxpayer contribution over a lifetime of work. I realize this is very loose math, but the fact is out of state alumni contribute more financially in tuition than the taxpayers do. Colorado is usually last or next to last each year in state public funding for higher education.

And out of state alums are a huge block of the students, normally in the range of 40% of the enrollment. I wish I could support this with a link, but I have been told (from a member of the CU fundraising staff) that out of state alumni tend to be higher contributors back to CU.

In any case, it’s frustrating that other flagship state universities are grabbing high powered national players for their board and I get Jack Kroll, a low level moron in admissions that I can’t vote out.

Im not arguing that out of state students/alumni don’t contribute to the University. They very obviously do. I just don’t buy the premise that through the sole act earning a degree from CU, you are somehow entitled to vote in elections for the Regents when you aren’t a resident of the state of Colorado. I challenge you to name a state-run University that allows non-resident alums to vote for its governing members.

 

[Creebuzz]

Im not arguing that out of state students/alumni don’t contribute to the University. They very obviously do. I just don’t buy the premise that through the sole act earning a degree from CU, you are somehow entitled to vote in elections for the Regents when you aren’t a resident of the state of Colorado. I challenge you to name a state-run University that allows non-resident alums to vote for its governing members.

My response was to your statement “How does the current BoR have any significant on the life of any current alum?”. I’ve tried to frame my rebuttal to show that non-resident alumni are stakeholders of an intangible asset. In the response to ski bum above, you seem to believe the university could shut down and that would not have any affect at all. I disagree, but you are entitled to your opinion.

However, you’ve really shifted the goalposts in the above response by asking me to cite other state run university systems that allow out of state alums to vote on their regents. I’ll answer that. There are none. Of course, only 4 states even have elected boards. Nearly all are appointed. Yet, nowhere did I make the argument that out of state alumni should get a vote (although it could be considered, see next paragraph). In fact, I stated the opposite. I stated that I didn’t think anyone should vote on the regents. I support appointing boards through the governor, as nearly all states do it. I feel appointed boards attract a more robust, diverse, and skilled pool of regents. I can go into the reasoning for that opinion if you wish.

I did say that out of state alumni are under represented. Given that out of state enrollment is now 49% at CU Boulder, and they have zero say in the governance of the university (assuming many returned to their home state or elsewhere other than CO), I’d say that is a factual statement. While I haven’t fully thought it out, one could argue that the selection process for university governance is outdated altogether, and harkens back to a time when state universities were fully funded by state funds and served mostly state residents. That’s clearly over. Perhaps the selection process should shift as well.

 

[Mb2658]

I stated that I didn’t think anyone should vote on the regents. I support appointing boards through the governor, as nearly all states do it. I feel appointed boards attract a more robust, diverse, and skilled pool of regents.

I agree that Colorado’s process of partisan political elections for certain non-political positions is outdated (See sheriff, coroner, assessor, etc). At some point, you need to have a body of knowledge to even begin to do the job. You could argue that Regent should be included in this group.

I did say that out of state alumni are under represented. Given that out of state enrollment is now 49% at CU Boulder, and they have zero say in the governance of the university (assuming many returned to their home state or elsewhere other than CO), I’d say that is a factual statement. While I haven’t fully thought it out, one could argue that the selection process for university governance is outdated altogether, and harkens back to a time when state universities were fully funded by state funds and served mostly state residents. That’s clearly over. Perhaps the selection process should shift as well.

I’m not so sure that a BoR that is appointed by the governor gets you anything more here. I guess the devil is in the details of what an appointment would look like. I could see the partisan chicanery continuing here as it seems to be permeating every facet of life.

To me, the makeup of the enrollment doesn’t change anything. I get that you, as an alum who paid out of state tuition and is living out of state, feel that you should have a say in the governance of the University system. I respectfully disagree.

As alumni, we engaged in a business transaction with the University. We paid our tuition, completed a degree program to a base level of scholastic achievement, and received a diploma. The University may even ask us for donations from time to time and we may chose to be generous and give them money. We were never promised a say in how the University is run in the years and decades after we graduated.

 

[Not Sure]

I don’t see how anybody could argue that a devaluation of ones degree doesn’t have an impact on them. It can make it harder to find employment, it can have an impact on his/her ability to get a graduate degree at the institution of his/her choice.

 

[CPVbuff]

I find this to be a very informative thread and a very civil discourse by allbuff standards.

The single most shocking part of the article is the assertion that it’s a qualified list of candidates.

The list to me is embarrassingly poor. Mostly failed business people, mid level political hacks. (Both right and left) and very bad healthcare executives

 

[Creebuzz]

I agree that Colorado’s process of partisan political elections for certain non-political positions is outdated (See sheriff, coroner, assessor, etc). At some point, you need to have a body of knowledge to even begin to do the job. You could argue that Regent should be included in this group.



I’m not so sure that a BoR that is appointed by the governor gets you anything more here. I guess the devil is in the details of what an appointment would look like. I could see the partisan chicanery continuing here as it seems to be permeating every facet of life.

To me, the makeup of the enrollment doesn’t change anything. I get that you, as an alum who paid out of state tuition and is living out of state, feel that you should have a say in the governance of the University system. I respectfully disagree.

As alumni, we engaged in a business transaction with the University. We paid our tuition, completed a degree program to a base level of scholastic achievement, and received a diploma. The University may even ask us for donations from time to time and we may chose to be generous and give them money. We were never promised a say in how the University is run in the years and decades after we graduated.

That’s a fair take. I do think it’s a bit more complicated than a simple business transaction. But a fair take nonetheless.

Having spent some time with CU fundraisers, I think they would not endorse that message.