Dr. Savoie Retiring

[JMV JustMyView]

Do you think he gets the nod for president?

I know Jaime personally and yes he would be great for athletics. I guess it really depends on if he wants the job permanently. If he does I believe he will be the guy.

[Turbine]

You don't remain R1 by failing to account for all those pennies.

'Accounting' in this instance would be an open book "how to" for other State Universities which would have diluted Louisiana's achievements before reaching R1.

[ZoomZoom]

We got lucky with T-Joe. I remember him being on the capitol steps in 1984 and KNEW he’d come home one day. Just seems the last few years, especially after gaining R1, the energy died on multiple fronts. Hardest part of knowing a retirement date is bringing 100% every day.

Need to hire someone that knows UL inside and out but not a bubba.

IMO, a concern is our “local governor” hires a TSAB pick and dismantles what is done. Between leaving the whole freaking
UL system in the dust research wise and TSAB resting on their state protection and MeToU’s kissing the ring, it has a 1984 feel in the air.

I’ve followed the failings of UNO and have seen a few suggestive negative remarks directed at UL. How and why, no clue. But if one looks at the enrollment growth at SLU and UNO’s decline, doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.

Fun, I actually appreciate your passion. My beef with MH, as related to RP, is what seems to be a total abandonment of the once highly touted “front porch” of the University of Louisiana.

[Professor]

Zoom i totally agree
TSAB has been holding us down for 40 plus years. The sec has been begging to add us but TSAB pulled strings and made sure the sec office didn't extend the invite

If it wasn't for TSAB, we'd have won it all at least 5 times in football and 10-12 in baseball

Im sure you agree

[CajunRed]

Zoomy,

Dang, I thought you just found me annoying.



Here is the thing: the president's #1 job is politics; #2 is public relations & fundraising; #3 is students and academics.

We whine about LSU, and I used to think they were evil incarnate. Then, over the years, as I read about various universities, I realized that LSU is just... 'normal.'

We are exceptional. I've told you folks before that at Tulane Med, my classmates from the 'best' universities-- Yale, Brown, Princeton, Northwestern, Berkeley, Duke, etc.-- were stunned when I talked about how much USL incorporated students in the U's decision making.

My point is, most universities see replacing a president as they might select a beauty queen. Checklist of qualities, and if they have enough flashy items, they hire them.

But most people don't think, they don't learn very quickly. University after university selects presidents as if they were interchangeable parts, and sometimes they get someone who boosts their rankings...

... meanwhile, no one ever realizes the rankings are bogus. They miss what education is really about.

Higher education is not about producing clerks for the factory, nor even entrepreneurs for the marketplace.

To my mind, it is about producing citizens, and leaders for the democracy.

We produce, IMHO, a type of student that other universities do not, one who is engaged, and who believes in leadership of service. I do not have time to defend that, sorry, but over and over I see that our kids want to make a difference. Not a fortune, not fame and power... but a difference.

I will truncate. UL is not the school it was when Savoie was hired. We are a rising star. There will be some high-powered candidates to replace him, those who have track records for fundraising, boosting their schools' rankings, and yes, athletics.

But as near as I can tell, we really are unique. I have never found another U that shares our priorities.

So we need to stop looking at what the "big boys" do. We need to ask, "What is that we do?" We are rockin' and rollin', on a fraction of the resources that other schools have. How do we do that, over and over? What is different about us?

Our culture is our greatest asset. And clearly, very few understand, or buy into, our priorities.

So, if we want to build on our traditions, I think are options are few. I suspect we need to do what is a no-no everywhere in academia.

We need to hire one of our own.

If not, we will lose the metrics that no one else observes.

Good read. Thanks for posting.

[Turbine]

Zoom i totally agree
TSAB has been holding us down for 40 plus years. The sec has been begging to add us but TSAB pulled strings and made sure the sec office didn't extend the invite

If it wasn't for TSAB, we'd have won it all at least 5 times in football and 10-12 in baseball

Im sure you agree

Their entire history from the Coke tax on, has been we want what you got, even if what we got is as good as, your got. Get it? Not only that but if your got is better than our got, you gotta get rid of it, even if we have to make it look ill-gotten.

[LouisianaB]

Their entire history from the Coke tax on, has been we want what you got, even if what we got is as good as, your got. Get it? Not only that but if your got is better than our got, you gotta get rid of it, even if we have to make it look ill-gotten.

Explain coke tax

[CAJUNSby90]

Explain coke tax

His dealer was taxing him on the ____ he snorts before he posts on here.

[Turbine]

Explain coke tax

Coca Cola tax

LSU was the only school to receive it.

[Turbine]

His dealer was taxing him on the ____ he snorts before he posts on here.

Be nice...r