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Anything that can put UConn at a better position is a good thing. It would be nuts to accept the AAC fate as the status quo.
As a B1G alum and unofficial representative, I encourage UConn not to accept the status quo and Aim B1G. Despite what may be appearances to the contrary, I think that is the goal of your leadership.
Jim Delany has provided the blueprint: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...f/2013-14/misc_non_event/DelanyTranscript.pdf
I'd like to talk just a little bit about expansion. Rutgers and Maryland will join us on July 1, 2014. They'll join 12 other members. And it's sort of interesting. We were so fortunate that two AAU flagship institutions in contiguous states were able to join us.
Now look at the UConn academic plan and the peer institutions being used for purposes of quality comparison:http://provost.uconn.edu/academic-plan/
The University of Connecticut is already one of the top-ranked public research and teaching universities in the country.
Our goal is to continue to improve our performance in teaching, research, and service; and our aspiration is to emerge as one of the top-20 public universities in the nation. The Academic Plan guides our progress in these directions, as does our dedication to a set of shared values and standards.
Peer institutions for purposes of quality comparison are:
· Iowa State
· Ohio State √
· Purdue University √
· Rutgers – State Univ. of New Jersey √
· Univ. of Georgia
· Univ. of Iowa √
· Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities √
· Univ. of Missouri-Columbia
Now look at the UConn academic vision and the universities whose current academic and strategic plans were reviewed: http://provost.uconn.edu/academic-vision/
Since that time, the committee has identified Core Values for UConn and Guidelines for the College and School Academic Vision Committees to identify their strengths and opportunities in research, education, collaboration and outreach. The UAVC reviewed current academic and strategic plans from Illinois √, Ohio State √, North Carolina, Indiana √, and the APA.
UConn ... a flagship university ... in a soon to be contiguous state to the B1G ... with a plan and vision comparable to B1G universities ... striving for AAU membership the key to the B1G.
The B1G and ACC are in direct competition for supremacy in the Eastern United States with NYC at the center and population footprint an important metric to each conference.
Jim Delany: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...f/2013-14/misc_non_event/DelanyTranscript.pdf
Interestingly, New Jersey and Maryland combined are only half the size of our smallest state, Indiana, but at the same time have provided us an incredible increase in ability to recruit students, student-athletes, have relationships with a lot of Big Ten people who already reside in that corridor, but we've had a 30 percent increase in the conference's population footprint. So three percent in geographic territory, 30 percent in population in an area that I would argue is one of the most important areas, not only in America, but in the world.
John Swofford: http://raycomsports.com/sports_labs_docs/m-footbl/13Kickoff-Forum-Transcript.pdf
Within our footprint, the ACC will now have the most television households and the highest population of any conference footprint from a national standpoint. It is also projected that by 2030, 55 percent of the United States population will lie within the ACC footprint.
UConn with proximity to NYC and one of the most population dense states in the nation.
http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/usadensityh.htm
http://www.census.gov/popest/data/maps/2012/popdens-2012.html
UConn ... a flagship university ... in a soon to be contiguous state to the B1G ... with a plan and vision comparable to B1G universities ... striving for AAU membership the key to the B1G ... the proximity to NYC and population density desired by the B1G and ACC ... yet shunned by the ACC.
Aim B1G UConn ... fulfill your academic plan and vision ... gain AAU membership ... leverage your proximity to NYC and population density ... the B1G will have to take notice of you and accept you as a member of the conference.
It may seem like it is but conference realignment is not over yet. Keep hope alive and Aim B1G!