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Thread: Schrödinger's Coach

  1. #1

    Alumni Schrödinger's Coach

    Years ago an administrator told me that when accreditation and other review teams visited U(S)L, they often started their final report with some comment to the effect, "We owe you an apology. We arrived here quite certain that a school with your budget, other resources, and your regional designation, could not be a very strong institution.

    "We were wrong."

    Over the years I have also been aware that some of our faculty are better than we have a right to expect based on our budget and national presence.* I've thought about that a lot, and I have a theory, with at least some data to back it up. Because at least some of those outstanding faculty personally told me that they initially intended to use UL as a stepping stone, but decided to stay on because they fell in love with the school and the region. As one of them, an internationally-renowned researcher, told me, "When I came here, I decided I would stay unless one of the 5 schools on my list called me.

    He then gave me a side-long glance and said, "They've all called."

    Another hot-shot researcher here, someone a lot of you know, was leaving a much better-known, and better-funded, university to come here. When he told friends that they were moving here, the wife started crying. He was puzzled; they weren't that close. But he reassured her and said, "Hey, we'll come back to visit."

    She replied, "It's not that. We've been trying to get back to Lafayette for 8 years now."

    Something similar happened with the oil patch. While the boom was on, a lot of oil folks moved in, and said they just loved the area and the people. But when the bust hit, they packed their bags and skedaddled. (And for a some of them, it was good riddance.)

    But a few stayed, here. Some even took a pay cut, or started their own businesses. They decided they preferred the culture and the lifestyle we have here.

    So when rumors were flying that Billy might leave, I decided it was a bit like Schrödinger's cat. Is he one of us? Was he meant to be here? Does he think, as so many of us do, that we would rather live here than any other place we know of?

    As with all of the talented people who come here, we can't know until he/she gets a great job offer.

    I'm not knocking anyone else's priorities, mind you. I'm just saying we play to a difference snap cadence here.

    Best of everything to Billy and his family. We were fortunate to have you with us. Make us proud at UF.

    • • •

    *Many years ago, before the rich schools started pouring money into their computer science programs, UL came out 8th in ranking for a big grants program. The top 6 -- big name schools like Ohio State & Carnegie Mellon -- got $1M grants, and that's back when that was still a lot of money.

    One of our people called someone on the review board to ask about weaknesses in our proposal. The other guy said, "Actually, you had just about the best proposal we read."

    Confused, the UL administrator asked why we didn't get a grant. "Well," the guy said sheepishly, "for a lot of reasons. But mainly, we couldn't see giving $1M to a place named 'Southwestern Louisiana.'"

    On a related note, about two decades back there was a move afoot to strip us of our PhD in English. The expert brought in was from (if I remember) U Michigan. He hammered us. There were too many English PhD programs in the country, turning out too many PhDs. There just weren't enough job openings to justify our program.

    At the public hearing before the Regents, VP Gary Marotta got up and asked him, "What percentage of Michigan English PhDs get jobs?" The guy said he didn't know the number, but it wasn't good.

    "What percentage of UL English PhDs get jobs?" he then asked. The guy didn't know.

    "100%" Marotta replied. The guy turned red-faced. Turned out he had called someone at State, who fed him a lot of horse fertilizer.

    He ended up apologizing, and we kept our PhD program.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Schödinger's Coach

    Everybody needs to read this.

    We need it today.


  3. #3

    Default Re: Schödinger's Coach

    I have had the great pleasure of working with one of the depts in Engineering. 5 of the profs have been recognized as Distinguished Profs by UL. 4 are internationally known researchers. 1 is revered in Academia for the teaching of the fundamentals of Engr and Engr mechanics. All that to say: None are from here. All could pick there place. The four international profs love it here. They and their families feel safe. Their children’s’ roots are here.
    We have something special at UL and in the region. I am always surprised how little Lafayette recognizes both realities. Cajun fun is right.
    I still can’t believe I had Dr. Oliver on my Masters committee. He was famous as our bball announcer. I think he had something to do with computer science. But that was just a sideline to his main gig at Blackham.


  4. #4

    Default Re: Schödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by 60swerethebest View Post
    I have had the great pleasure of working with one of the depts in Engineering. 5 of the profs have been recognized as Distinguished Profs by UL. 4 are internationally known researchers. 1 is revered in Academia for the teaching of the fundamentals of Engr and Engr mechanics. All that to say: None are from here. All could pick there place. The four international profs love it here. They and their families feel safe. Their children’s’ roots are here.
    We have something special at UL and in the region. I am always surprised how little Lafayette recognizes both realities. Cajun fun is right.
    I still can’t believe I had Dr. Oliver on my Masters committee. He was famous as our bball announcer. I think he had something to do with computer science. But that was just a sideline to his main gig at Blackham.
    I had the honor of knowing Dr. Oliver, and even more honored that he knew me, even though I was about as far as you can get from computer science. He epitomized the term "gentleman and scholar." He knew his own value and worth, and, therefore, did not feel the need to toot his own horn. Others gladly tooted it for him.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Schödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by covcaj View Post
    I had the honor of knowing Dr. Oliver, and even more honored that he knew me, even though I was about as far as you can get from computer science. He epitomized the term "gentleman and scholar." He knew his own value and worth, and, therefore, did not feel the need to toot his own horn. Others gladly tooted it for him.
    If I remember, it was between him & Authement for U(S)L president.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Schödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by CajunFun View Post
    If I remember, it was between him & Authement for U(S)L president.
    I was not in on the decision, but, as I recall, Authement was de facto president for at least a year before he was officially appointed. I'm trying to remember if Dr. Oliver was even yet a dean.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Marotta was a visionary and one hell of a likeable guy. His Italian style and NY way was refreshing. Too bad Blanco s click Didn't care for him.


  8. Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Didn’t he get run off sexual harassment’v


  9. #9

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by CajunEXPRESS View Post
    Didn’t he get run off sexual harassment’v
    So said.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by CajunEXPRESS View Post
    Didn’t he get run off sexual harassment’v
    It was the era when usl did everything to help Kathleen's political carrer

  11. #11

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by CajunEXPRESS View Post
    Didn’t he get run off sexual harassment’v
    I knew him pretty well, we had a few inebriated dinners together. (Didn't start off inebriated, but we kicked off with martinis, then moved on to wine with the meal. I remember turning green once during the after-dinner cigars... )

    He made a joke at a Dean's meeting, one of the Deans raised hell. He apologized.

    He was tired of administration. He left to go back to New York, and back to the classroom.

  12. #12

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by CajunFun View Post
    I knew him pretty well, we had a few inebriated dinners together. (Didn't start off inebriated, but we kicked off with martinis, then moved on to wine with the meal. I remember turning green once during the after-dinner cigars... )

    He made a joke at a Dean's meeting, one of the Deans raised hell. He apologized.

    He was tired of administration. He left to go back to New York, and back to the classroom.
    Great guy... funny as hell

  13. #13

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by angeleast View Post
    It was the era when usl did everything to help Kathleen's political carrer
    Kathleen was pretty evil, she restored all of the universities to full funding. Then Saint Bobby created a shortfall so that, as he reportedly said, "...only upper-middle class kids will be able to afford to go to college."

    When I was at UL it was something like $300-400 a semester. Now our enrollment is not growing, despite our many successes, because families can't afford us.

  14. #14

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by CajunFun View Post
    Kathleen was pretty evil, she restored all of the universities to full funding. Then Saint Bobby created a shortfall so that, as he reportedly said, "...only upper-middle class kids will be able to afford to go to college."

    When I was at UL it was something like $300-400 a semester. Now our enrollment is not growing, despite our many successes, because families can't afford us.
    It was her husband.. I liked her personally.

  15. #15

    Default Re: Schrödinger's Coach

    Quote Originally Posted by angeleast View Post
    It was her husband.. I liked her personally.
    Kathleen had two shortcomings: she was a Democrat; and she was one of the weaker public speakers I have seen.

    And I really liked her. She spoke at the banquet for our NPO when she was Lt Gov. I was surprised, I expected that any politician at that level would speak easily, off the cuff.

    And so when Katrina hit, and she spoke on national TV, she didn't come off well. Which is a shame, because she worked her backside off for this state.

    And BTW, she dropped out of the race for a second term when she was leading in the polls. She did it for Raymond, all the attacks on her were going to kill him from stress.

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