UConn Adopts Bold Academic Vision

[Skiblets]

One interesting point in all of this is that there appears to be some support about holding faculty, including tenured faculty, more accountable for results and that the road to tenure will be more flexible to accommodate other significant contributions. This to me says that with the dollars being invested there will be expectations for results. http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-uconn-academic-plan-0425-20140423,0,6302855.story

 

[CTMike]

Or I could get your insight on...well, you never provide any insight. I also have yet to hear from you how UConn's athletic department will grow revenue a nickel.

It's funny how few people understand that a university can't just start paying coaches, and in this case professors, more money without some expectation of receiving more revenue from their investment.

Some classic Muntz right there. Don't you change, Nelson! Don't you change!

 

[upstater]

One interesting point in all of this is that there appears to be some support about holding faculty, including tenured faculty, more accountable for results and that the road to tenure will be more flexible to accommodate other significant contributions. This to me says that with the dollars being invested there will be expectations for results. http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-uconn-academic-plan-0425-20140423,0,6302855.story

We have post-tenure review all the time, and it's not about accountability. I dare say if there was anything tied to employment prospects with post-tenure review, then UConn's academic reputation would plunge. The reviews are conducted by other faculty, and they are wrapped up in accreditation efforts (in other words, we have to account for our production all the time for accreditation, so a post-tenure review is relatively easy to do since we'll be using the same systems to conduct the review). This will not have ramifications on people's jobs. The only thing I saw there that made me raise my eyebrows is the idea of a teaching faculty taking on additional courses. That would strike me as something UConn should not want to do because it is something only teaching institutions do, and it degrades the reputation of UConn's departments. Certainly isn't anything that a B1G school would have, since faculty in each and every department are expected to conduct research of one kind or another. No research university I know has any contingency plan for such things. Usually, people who have no interest in research end up in administration anyway.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Herbst is well aware of the correlation between athletics and academics and what both mean to the long-term sustainability for any univerity. This effort suggests just that. UConn most likely wont be able to improve one without the other. More importantly, I have a hard time believing that this type of commitment is made on blind faith. hmmmm.....lets invest billions of dollars so our football team can potentially play Ohio State. I doubt that. UConn was provided a road map and this is the school's response.

I think you have the cause and effect backwards. The commitment is being made with the intention of being one of the top universities in the world. It has nothing to do with playing football with Ohio State.

 

[djct1999]

I think you have the cause and effect backwards. The commitment is being made with the intention of being one of the top universities in the world. It has nothing to do with playing football with Ohio State.

So then what is the issue? Don't you want that or would you find glory in the schools demise?

 

[CTMike]

I'm 100% certain that Herbst and others are VERY well aware that athletics are a powerful vehicle to help fund the larger academic efforts. Engaged alumni donate.

 

[itgoeslike]

The administration appears to be attacking on all fronts.

• Academics—The metrics continue to improve, look for a continued rise in the rankings in September.
• Investment in Research and STEM—The goal is to turn UConn into a Research Triangle of sorts, which has the potential generate revenue for the state and university, while reversing population trends. Of course, it also helps position UConn for an AAU invite as well.
• Growing the Student Body—This will have a long term impact on revenue, endowment, fan attendance, etc.
• Growing the Faculty–UConn has been one of the few universities growing its depth, prestige and expertise in a multitude of academic areas.
• Raising Tuition—Although somewhat unpopular, it will generate additional needed funds.
• Athletics Excellence—Need I say more? Ok, Football needs to recover from the past couple of years, but things are looking good.
• Growing Endowment—We have proven talent that is yielding results. Having dual NC should help his efforts.
• Global Prestige—No matter what your politics, having Hillary Clinton (last night) and other notables engage the university is a positive.
• Marketing and Public Relations—After a slow start, the department is starting to get out in front of things and leverage accomplishments.
• Supportive Fans—After suffering a bit, our fans showed their worth and potential versus Michigan and at MSG.
• Facilities Upgrade—The new basketball center, plans for hockey arena, etc.
• Great Coaches—Even with all the CR headwinds, UConn has assembled an exception array of coaches and staff.
• Master Plan—This will help shape the University into the next century.

If Ms. Herbst pulls it off, she'll be considered one of the most effective presidents UConn has ever had.

 

[thatguyed]

"The University has adopted a wide-ranging new academic vision to shape its next decade of progress."
http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2014/04/uconn-adopts-bold-academic-vision/

I congratulate your university for the adoption of your new academic vision. Although athletics, economics, geography, population, etc. are critical factors in B1G expansion, it is of vital importance to the Presidents and Chancellors of the B1G that any candidate university be an academic and cultural fit for the conference.

A few selections from your new academic vision that speak to your university as being an academic and cultural fit for the B1G.
http://academicvision.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/643/2014/04/academic-plan-single.pdf
"As our state’s flagship public University, and as a land and sea grant institution, we promote the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond."

"A top flagship university provides access to a rich campus experience and offers lifelong learning opportunities to traditional and nontraditional students alike. It is a center of excellence for graduate and professional education, research, and scholarship—creating knowledge and innovation that fundamentally improves learning and the way people live. An internationally renowned university excels in the arts and sciences, dynamically enhancing the way our graduates understand and experience their world. Finally, a top public state university serves its citizens in a multiplicity of useful ways."

"The initiatives noted in our plan should and will play a major role in moving the University toward its vision of joining the ranks of the greatest public research universities in the world."

Although you can better speak to the vision of the leadership of your university as it relates to conference realignment, from my vantage point this new academic vision aligns exceptionally well with the other universities of the B1G if it is the intention of your leadership to seek membership for UConn in the conference.

Thank you Mr. Delaney for participating in our discussion.

 

[Seaa Blue]

I think you have the cause and effect backwards. The commitment is being made with the intention of being one of the top universities in the world. It has nothing to do with playing football with Ohio State.

Right. It's all about playing football with... Michigan.

Go Blue.

 

[BlueMAB]

The document itself is mostly platitudes, but the reality is that Herbst is trying to drive UConn to the next level. I don't think it is much of a secret that this is Herbst's plan on conference realignment. Per the other thread, WhartonHusky was getting a similar message, and I have heard second hand from people that have met with senior administration members in recent months that this is the plan. Herbst believes she can drive the academic (edited from earlier post) profile high enough that, together with the strong basketball and adequate football, it will be hard to ignore us. Her first responsibility is to the academics anyway.

I think you have the cause and effect backwards. The commitment is being made with the intention of being one of the top universities in the world. It has nothing to do with playing football with Ohio State.

More classic Muntz.

"The priority is academics, but they are also hoping it helps to improve our standing for conference realignment."

"This has nothing to do with conference realignment."

But Nelson, those two statements contradict eachother.

"You're stupid"


I agree that her plan is to boost academics for the sake of improving the university. That should be her goal as president, but athletics plays a key role in that by providing visibility, revenue, and desirability (ironically). The manner in which they are improving on academics, the focus of the investments, and the fact they keep telling everybody about it, shows they realize this is an important piece to a B1G invitation. And like you said, they'll need the money, so a B1G invitation is an important goal. Playing football with Ohio State is an important part of this. You keep lecturing us about UConn needing more revenue. Gaining admission into the B1G gets us more revenue.

I'm certain Herbst has an idea of what we need to do to get an invite. I doubt Delaney said "do x, y, and z and you're in". But it's reasonable to assume she was told, by someone or some group involved, "The presidents have concerns about x, y, and z. If those can be addressed, then UConn will be more attractive." Obviously I don't know if that happened. But it's reasonable to believe that conversations between Ward/Herbst and Delaney and/or his representatives led to something more than:

"Hey can we get an invite to the party?"

"Nah bro."

Louisville doesn't have the academics we do. They didn't need to. They are located in the south, have a larger football stadium with a longer history, more credibility, and a fanbase that travels better. Combined with other sports, including basketball, that are excellent, they didn't need to push the academics. They also weren't getting into the Big no matter what. UConn is in the conversation for the B1G.

 

[Seaa Blue]

Thank you Mr. Delaney for participating in our discussion.

Um, it's "DelanY".

 

[nelsonmuntz]

We have post-tenure review all the time, and it's not about accountability. I dare say if there was anything tied to employment prospects with post-tenure review, then UConn's academic reputation would plunge. The reviews are conducted by other faculty, and they are wrapped up in accreditation efforts (in other words, we have to account for our production all the time for accreditation, so a post-tenure review is relatively easy to do since we'll be using the same systems to conduct the review). This will not have ramifications on people's jobs. The only thing I saw there that made me raise my eyebrows is the idea of a teaching faculty taking on additional courses. That would strike me as something UConn should not want to do because it is something only teaching institutions do, and it degrades the reputation of UConn's departments. Certainly isn't anything that a B1G school would have, since faculty in each and every department are expected to conduct research of one kind or another. No research university I know has any contingency plan for such things. Usually, people who have no interest in research end up in administration anyway.

Upstater,

I think all universities are going to be moving away from a business model where faculty work 30 hours a week and have lifetime employment. Or one where the professors that are working full time are mostly moonlighting in corporate or publishing. It is simply not sustainable any more.

 

[itgoeslike]

Right. It's all about playing football with... Michigan.

Go Blue.

After betting who would go farther in tourney, a buddy of mine who is Michigan grad recently treated me to nice lunch to satisfy our wager.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

More classic Muntz.

"The priority is academics, but they are also hoping it helps to improve our standing for conference realignment."

"This has nothing to do with conference realignment."

But Nelson, those two statements contradict eachother.
"You're stupid"


I agree that her plan is to boost academics for the sake of improving the university. That should be her goal as president, but athletics plays a key role in that by providing visibility, revenue, and desirability (ironically). The manner in which they are improving on academics, the focus of the investments, and the fact they keep telling everybody about it, shows they realize this is an important piece to a B1G invitation. And like you said, they'll need the money, so a B1G invitation is an important goal. Playing football with Ohio State is an important part of this. You keep lecturing us about UConn needing more revenue. Gaining admission into the B1G gets us more revenue.

I'm certain Herbst has an idea of what we need to do to get an invite. I doubt Delaney said "do x, y, and z and you're in". But it's reasonable to assume she was told, by someone or some group involved, "The presidents have concerns about x, y, and z. If those can be addressed, then UConn will be more attractive." Obviously I don't know if that happened. But it's reasonable to believe that conversations between Ward/Herbst and Delaney and/or his representatives led to something more than:

"Hey can we get an invite to the party?"

"Nah bro."

Louisville doesn't have the academics we do. They didn't need to. They are located in the south, have a larger football stadium with a longer history, more credibility, and a fanbase that travels better. Combined with other sports, including basketball, that are excellent, they didn't need to push the academics. They also weren't getting into the Big no matter what. UConn is in the conversation for the B1G.

You are right. Herbst is doing all this to get us into the Big 10.

 

[itgoeslike]

Um, it's "DelanY".

No, it's just Delany, you don't need to capitalize the Y.

 

[BlueMAB]

You are right. Herbst is doing all this to get us into the Big 10.

I agree that her plan is to boost academics for the sake of improving the university. That should be her goal as president...

More classic Muntz, the king of d-baggery.

 

[itgoeslike]

Often, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think the ongoing efforts are tied to getting into an optimum conference. Aside from TV revenue, there are many academic and research synergies. But at the end of the day, UConn will be a better university for it. Lastly, I don't want to imply that SH deserves all the credit, because many people have worked hard over the past 20+ years to get UConn where it is in terms of academics and national stature.

 

[Adios]

If you get the invite to the Big Ten I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple Big Ten presidents standing with Delany at the welcome ceremony. The energy that UConn possesses right now, both in academics and athletics, would be a good shot in the arm for the Big Ten. I think the old-guard in the Big Ten have noticed and will look beyond the AAU issue.

Right on. Don't forget, we'd bring all of New England with us.

 

[FASTEDDY]

I know most posters on this board thing that everything revolves around athletics, but I am sorry to disappoint you when I point out that Herbst and the Trustees are not doing this "in the hopes of getting a Big 10 bid". A Big 10 invitation is tertiary to what Herbst is doing. The Foundation is telling people that Herbst's plan for the university will have the ancillary benefit of making UConn more attractive for conference realignment. I don't know if I agree with that, since the last time UConn lost in realignment it was to a glorified community college, but it is a plan and something UConn is doing anyway.

Herbst's plan is a really big deal, basically unprecedented. Schools rarely move up the prestige academic rankings. Also, almost every state is cutting support for their universities while Malloy is committing over a billion when our state finances aren't in the best shape. All of this is pretty cool if it works, and unlike 90% of this board, I would rather have UConn considered in the same breath as Texas and Michigan academically than for football, if I had to choose one. But there are risks.

I agree and LOVE the focus and the job that President Herbst is doing. This is what the University should have been doing 30 years ago.

Academics is the focus and raising UCONN to the level of UVA, UNC, Michigan, Texas is where we belong and need to get to.

If we do the right things in this respect and can also improve fottball, then we will succeed in Conf. Re-Alignment.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

To be honest, I already have my degree and am in a career already. truly only care about this to the degree it helps conference realignment.


Bring on the AAU and B1G!

 

[Jerry27]

Often, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think the ongoing efforts are tied to getting into an optimum conference. Aside from TV revenue, there are many academic and research synergies. But at the end of the day, UConn will be a better university for it. Lastly, I don't want to imply that SH deserves all the credit, because many people have worked hard over the past 20+ years to get UConn where it is in terms of academics and national stature.

Agreed, she shouldn't get all the credit, the school made tremendous progress before she got here, but much like how we talk about a coach being "right for the team", or coming on board to "put us over the hump", I believe that she has seemingly the right plan, drive, and staff in place to be and do just that.

I like to think that the academic and athletic departments have a symbiotic relationship, in the early years of the athletics taking off the academic department benefited greatly, people noticed, and the state invested. The state is still investing, although some people forget $1.6 billion in new public funding, and now the academics are being pushed further than ever and I choose to believe that relationship will bring the athletics to new places.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I agree and LOVE the focus and the job that President Herbst is doing. This is what the University should have been doing 30 years ago.

Academics is the focus and raising UCONN to the level of UVA, UNC, Michigan, Texas is where we belong and need to get to.

If we do the right things in this respect and can also improve fottball, then we will succeed in Conf. Re-Alignment.

25 years ago UConn was on the verge of being gutted by Weicker. The job UConn has done to first keep Weicker from destroying the school, and then to dramatically improve the school's academics has been impressive. Herbst would have no hope of executing a plan like hers with the UConn of 1989. But the UConn of 2014 provides a great starting point for her.

 

[upstater]

Upstater,

I think all universities are going to be moving away from a business model where faculty work 30 hours a week and have lifetime employment. Or one where the professors that are working full time are mostly moonlighting in corporate or publishing. It is simply not sustainable any more.

I work 6 hours a week. 30 is way too taxing for the important work we do. But I'll say this: it's all a joke anyway. What you posted above is a total joke and you wouldn't know the first thing about Higher Education.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I work 6 hours a week. 30 is way too taxing for the important work we do. But I'll say this: it's all a joke anyway. What you posted above is a total joke and you wouldn't know the first thing about Higher Education.

The elbow-pad wall of silence rears its ugly head. The part I don't get about academics is why so many of you blindly defend colleagues who are so transparently mailing it in. If I was to walk down the hall at Monteith right now, what percent of tenured professors would be in their office, teaching a class, or at some definable location performing original research? Half? Two thirds?

The business faculty generally work a lot harder, for themselves in most cases. There are plenty of millionaires among the faculty at top business schools who use their affiliation with a top program to reap in the cash on consulting engagements.

 

[upstater]

The elbow-pad wall of silence rears its ugly head. The part I don't get about academics is why so many of you blindly defend colleagues who are so transparently mailing it in. If I was to walk down the hall at Monteith right now, what percent of tenured professors would be in their office, teaching a class, or at some definable location performing original research? Half? Two thirds?

The business faculty generally work a lot harder, for themselves in most cases. There are plenty of millionaires among the faculty at top business schools who use their affiliation with a top program to reap in the cash on consulting engagements.

I'll say it again. You know next to nothing abut what is going on. The worst possible thing that happened to universities is the business model. All we do now is hire administrators to oversee bogus metrics for bogus assessments. We have such ridiculous discussions all the time and we now know how to go along with it accordingly. Create bogus assessments, pretend we've met them, send them up the ladder where some functionary wasting his time looks at them. Meanwhile fewer faculty are hired, there's less emphasis than ever before on teaching and fewer classes offered, and we do what they do in the business world. Create reasons to justify our largely useless existence. That's the business world for you, that's academia too. The business model.

Parents should have a look at their child's syllabi these days just to see how these largely useless metrics are spelled out, as though in some legal contract. Ridiculous.