WTE weighs in Mead's proposal for UW athletics

[WestWYOPoke]

Oh...well there you have it gents. Two current undergraduate students are his source, is there any higher and more reliable source than two 18-24 year olds with probably zero connection to the athletic department? Guess the rest of us should just hang it up...

 

[Expat_Poke]

That's ironic because I'm thinking the same thing, who is this moron . Seems like I touched a nerve here but several years ago I would say you are correct but from what I hear from 2 students that I currently am paying to go to school there it must not be what it used to be . And with commits like this I'm questioning why I'm paying them . BTW I'm from the southern part of wyoming .

I have to question whether you are well informed. I am not that far removed being an undergrad and grad student in the College of Engineering. I never felt that we were shortchanged at the expense of athletics while there. The college was able to support my Graduate research, though I did help by applying and getting grants, but why not help when I can. Further as an undergrad, academic student activities were supported and I saw first hand the investment the University made into the program and our education. Also, the investment UW has made into academic and arts the past decade and a half are fully evident. New business building, new science buildings, new pre-pharmacy, new fine arts just as starters. I have to ask what college those two kids are in because in my experience, my college of engineering alumni magazine, a host of other news, and my own sources, I don't see what you are seeing.

Wyoming as a football and basketball Div I school are big selling points. UW needs as many selling points as it can get because it is a competitive world out there. You do not grow the University by removing positive selling points. Athletics properly funded as part of an integrated plan including academics, arts, research are vital to having a good land grant university.

Also from my experience down in Colorado, UW is a very attractive choice for those who realize the importance of affordability. That jives with my own experience where there were more students in my classes from Colorado than Wyoming. UW has some challenges to face. Having said that, let's not blow everything up because don't kid yourself CU and CSU have plenty of their own.

 

[Hampshire]

Oh...well there you have it gents. Two current undergraduate students are his source, is there any higher and more reliable source than two 18-24 year olds with probably zero connection to the athletic department? Guess the rest of us should just hang it up...

I'll bet I know alot more then you do about the program , but I really don't care. The financial part of it really could care less about but like I said common sense really does not play a big part of it so I wouldn't know anyways. And btw I do have 4 in college I'm paying for 2 and Humm let's see 1 might be in the program, and the other is somewhere else so do not attempt to act like you know everything. I'll leave it at that ......I'm pretty proud I don't know anything about the financial part because it's just a juggling act anyways .

 

[Yabadabadoo]

After reading through this thread, I have no question that this Hampshire character is either WTE Editor D. Reed Eckhardt, or WTE uber-liberal columnist, Roger McDaniel.

 

[wyokoke]

Oh...well there you have it gents. Two current undergraduate students are his source, is there any higher and more reliable source than two 18-24 year olds with probably zero connection to the athletic department? Guess the rest of us should just hang it up...

Yeah, FOUR undergrad students are definitely higher and more reliable than two. There's no way anyone can beat knowing four whole kids. That's just ungodly amounts of knowledge that very few can begin to comprehend

 

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

Have you ever seen the facilities outside of the athletic program? The new business building? The new library? The new gym? Th classroom building? The new science building? They're all new and absolutely state of the art. There is a ton of money flowing through academics.

And seriously? Your two "sources" feel short changed academically? Sounds like typical 18-24 year olds in this generation, you could give them free everything and they'd still bitch about being slighted. Gimme a friggin break. As a current student, on my second stint at the university, I can tell you from my experience that the state of the business department has gotten significantly better than my time there in 2006.

:twocents:

 

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

Have you ever seen the facilities outside of the athletic program? The new business building? The new library? The new gym? Th classroom building? The new science building? They're all new and absolutely state of the art. There is a ton of money flowing through academics.

And seriously? Your two "sources" feel short changed academically? Sounds like typical 18-24 year olds in this generation, you could give them free everything and they'd still bitch about being slighted. Gimme a friggin break. As a current student, on my second stint at the university, I can tell you from my experience that the state of the business department has gotten significantly better than my time there in 2006.


:twocents:

Edit: let's not forget about the recent Union renovation. It's also beautiful and was not cheap. That was a large chunk of money that was allocated to he university that wasn't aimed at athletics. But what the hell do we know

 

[billings]

Wyoming takes care of it facilities to be sure. Major investment across the board and not just athletics.

However I do question their commitment to competitive pay to university staff and retaining top professors. at times I wonder if Cheyenne thinks wyo is not in a national market for top academic talent.


"Cost pressure on UW professors
For University of Wyoming professors who compete on the academic job market, stagnant pay is perhaps a larger motivator to seek greener pastures. In the years since the last pay increase in 2009, the university has seen 90 professors leave, many of them standouts in their fields. That contrasts with an earlier period when the university’s relatively flush fiscal position created an inflow of faculty.

“Back in 2008-2009, Wyoming hadn’t fully realized the impact of recession, and the university was in a great place to poach top notch talent from around the country,” said Bill Mai, the university’s Vice President for Administration.

“Then you follow that up with five years of no ability to do anything salary-wise for people, and they are going to move on to the next spot,” Mai said. “If the implication is there is no hope for future raises, (professors) are going to start looking, and you’ll lose your best and brightest right away. … Five years (without raises) sets a pretty big track record in those people’s minds.”"

http://www.wyofile.com/blog/lawmakers-propose-wyoming-state-employee-pay-raises-amid-costly-turnover/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

Wyoming takes care of it facilities to be sure. Major investment across the board and not just athletics.

However I do question their commitment to competitive pay to university staff and retaining top professors. at times I wonder if Cheyenne thinks wyo is not in a national market for top academic talent.


"Cost pressure on UW professors
For University of Wyoming professors who compete on the academic job market, stagnant pay is perhaps a larger motivator to seek greener pastures. In the years since the last pay increase in 2009, the university has seen 90 professors leave, many of them standouts in their fields. That contrasts with an earlier period when the university’s relatively flush fiscal position created an inflow of faculty.

“Back in 2008-2009, Wyoming hadn’t fully realized the impact of recession, and the university was in a great place to poach top notch talent from around the country,” said Bill Mai, the university’s Vice President for Administration.

“Then you follow that up with five years of no ability to do anything salary-wise for people, and they are going to move on to the next spot,” Mai said. “If the implication is there is no hope for future raises, (professors) are going to start looking, and you’ll lose your best and brightest right away. … Five years (without raises) sets a pretty big track record in those people’s minds.”"

http://www.wyofile.com/blog/lawmakers-propose-wyoming-state-employee-pay-raises-amid-costly-turnover/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That is interesting indeed. That certainly isn't an Athletics vs. Academics issue. We have beaten this horse to death and we all know where we stand in terms of competitive pay for our coaches.

 

[wyokoke]

Wyoming takes care of it facilities to be sure. Major investment across the board and not just athletics.

However I do question their commitment to competitive pay to university staff and retaining top professors. at times I wonder if Cheyenne thinks wyo is not in a national market for top academic talent.


"Cost pressure on UW professors
For University of Wyoming professors who compete on the academic job market, stagnant pay is perhaps a larger motivator to seek greener pastures. In the years since the last pay increase in 2009, the university has seen 90 professors leave, many of them standouts in their fields. That contrasts with an earlier period when the university’s relatively flush fiscal position created an inflow of faculty.

“Back in 2008-2009, Wyoming hadn’t fully realized the impact of recession, and the university was in a great place to poach top notch talent from around the country,” said Bill Mai, the university’s Vice President for Administration.

“Then you follow that up with five years of no ability to do anything salary-wise for people, and they are going to move on to the next spot,” Mai said. “If the implication is there is no hope for future raises, (professors) are going to start looking, and you’ll lose your best and brightest right away. … Five years (without raises) sets a pretty big track record in those people’s minds.”"

http://www.wyofile.com/blog/lawmakers-propose-wyoming-state-employee-pay-raises-amid-costly-turnover/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think part that could be slightly deceiving. I can't speak much for other departments but I know the Geology department has a handful of top of the line, national or internationally renowned guys. But part of that is the fact that Wyoming is a pretty good location for different geology things, whether that's with the energy industry or stuff like Yellowstone. I'd imagine some of the other Wyoming specific stuff is the same way. :twocents: :twocents:

 

[Wyovanian]

If this budget gets approved Bohl better get ready to win big and win next year. If you think people are going to sit around and tolerate two win seasons with that kind of money being poured into the program you're out of your ever-loving mind. Talk about instant pressure to win now.

http://www.wyonation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13770" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Your thinking that another $3M in MATCHING funds is big money belies the limits of your thinking and experience. In the world of FBS Football and D1 Athletics, Wyoming's budget is in the bottom 20%.

 

[Hampshire]

Oh...well there you have it gents. Two current undergraduate students are his source, is there any higher and more reliable source than two 18-24 year olds with probably zero connection to the athletic department? Guess the rest of us should just hang it up...

Yeah, FOUR undergrad students are definitely higher and more reliable than two. There's no way anyone can beat knowing four whole kids. That's just ungodly amounts of knowledge that very few can begin to comprehend

I would just say that yes first hand knowledge unless you are directly shuffling papers in the office? Is a pretty good place to start but of course yaall know everything lol.

 

[Wyovanian]

Oh...well there you have it gents. Two current undergraduate students are his source, is there any higher and more reliable source than two 18-24 year olds with probably zero connection to the athletic department? Guess the rest of us should just hang it up...

Yeah, FOUR undergrad students are definitely higher and more reliable than two. There's no way anyone can beat knowing four whole kids. That's just ungodly amounts of knowledge that very few can begin to comprehend

I would just say that yes first hand knowledge unless you are directly shuffling papers in the office? Is a pretty good place to start but of course yaall know everything lol.

You don't exactly make a case for your knowledge or info sources when you wade in with little understanding of FBS CFB, the FCS study that was made, or your general ignorance of recent and current capital investment on the academic side.

Staff salaries and retention are an issue and need to be addressed but so does the somewhat impractical scope of degree programs offered by a school with an enrollment of 13k. Just a cursory look and comparison exposes a lot of fat and poor ROI on the academic side of things.

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/news/local_news/article_0fbdc02c-ab63-11e5-a0bc-b397f5e87fd9.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a pretty easy argument to make that UW should trim some fat and redirect these dollars to programs that would build UW's image in select fields. UW should focus on the obvious- Earth and atmospheric sciences, engineering, business and finance, agriculture, pharmacy and nursing (we should probably consider a full dentistry program that could pave the way for a medical school), law, and English and Poli Sci (to support law and graduate retention. Keep them focused and avoid over-specialized intra-disciplines. The money's probably already there, just misallocated and poorly invested.

 

[wyokoke]

Oh...well there you have it gents. Two current undergraduate students are his source, is there any higher and more reliable source than two 18-24 year olds with probably zero connection to the athletic department? Guess the rest of us should just hang it up...

Yeah, FOUR undergrad students are definitely higher and more reliable than two. There's no way anyone can beat knowing four whole kids. That's just ungodly amounts of knowledge that very few can begin to comprehend

I would just say that yes first hand knowledge unless you are directly shuffling papers in the office? Is a pretty good place to start but of course yaall know everything lol.

You don't exactly make a case for your knowledge or info sources when you wade in with little understanding of FBS CFB, the FCS study that was made, or your general ignorance of recent and current capital investment on the academic side.

Staff salaries and retention are an issue and need to be addressed but so does the somewhat impractical scope of degree programs offered by a school with an enrollment of 13k. Just a cursory look and comparison exposes a lot of fat and poor ROI on the academic side of things.

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/news/local_news/article_0fbdc02c-ab63-11e5-a0bc-b397f5e87fd9.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a pretty easy argument to make that UW should trim some fat and redirect these dollars to programs that would build UW's image in select fields. UW should focus on the obvious- Earth and atmospheric sciences, engineering, business and finance, agriculture, pharmacy and nursing (we should probably consider a full dentistry program that could pave the way for a medical school), law, and English and Poli Sci (to support law and graduate retention. Keep them focused and avoid over-specialized intra-disciplines. The money's probably already there, just misallocated and poorly invested.

Agreed. It's spread too thin with too many degrees.

 

[johnywyo]

WyoTrib Eagle; what a disaster this rag of a media outlet is. Personally, I think it should be renamed WTE Buzzard. 3 para professionals trained in fraudulent journalism, and a bike shop owner offering their opinions on academia, Athletics, high finance & gov't. I won't comment on the dorm dweller and his 3 buddies opinions, Vanman diced his argument with a machete. College Sports is paramount to a quality University. Losers need not apply, you have plenty of other options.

 

[Wyovanian]

It seems the, ahem, "Editorial Staff" (aka Reed Eckhardt) may have missed the part about the $8M committed being funds matching private contributions, at least he appears to admit that in our back and forth in the comments section (I post there as Green Dragon Regular).

"My mistake on the match."

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2015/12/13/opinion/staff_editorials/29editorial_12-13-15.txt#.VoH_EI-cHIU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It will be interesting to see if they have the integrity to at least print a correction.

 

[WestWYOPoke]

It seems the, ahem, "Editorial Staff" (aka Reed Eckhardt) may have missed the part about the $8M committed being funds matching private contributions, at least he appears to admit that in our back and forth in the comments section (I post there as Green Dragon Regular).

"My mistake on the match."

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2015/12/13/opinion/staff_editorials/29editorial_12-13-15.txt#.VoH_EI-cHIU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It will be interesting to see if they have the integrity to at least print a correction.

Wow. Hadn't read that for about 2 weeks. I'm glad I didn't notice it then or I would have been drawn in to an argument with those dipshits. You made some great points, only to be countered with "if you don't like the way we do things, you can leave." This is the mindset we have to deal with, such idiots.

I also find it amusing that some people in Wyo, when faced with a concept they don't understand or agree with, default to a cry of "liberal brainwashing" instead of even attempting to educate themselves...sigh, I weep for the future.

 

[WyoBrandX]

In all honesty, the way they structured this is smart. If I donate $1 to the Cowboy Joe Club, and I'm the only person that does it, they now have $2. A huge return on their money.

If 1,000 of us donate 8 million in total, it is the same return. The donors have had their voice heard on how to distribute money. The state gets a great return.

It is better than the state giving athletics 16 million dollars as it gives individuals a voice to be heard. It encourages engagement.

We have invested in bigger and modern buildings on campus. We need to invest into athletics and get the name out there. We have built it - its time to market it.

Laramie needs to step up a bit IMHO. That town needs to develop a solid plan on how to grow to 50k people. They always seem to be behind in planning and infrastructure. The sooner they get it together - the better UW as an institution will be. (just look at the grand avenue fiasco - the state almost took them to court to get that road rebuilt)

 

[LanderPoke]

In all honesty, the way they structured this is smart. If I donate $1 to the Cowboy Joe Club, and I'm the only person that does it, they now have $2. A huge return on their money.

If 1,000 of us donate 8 million in total, it is the same return. The donors have had their voice heard on how to distribute money. The state gets a great return.

It is better than the state giving athletics 16 million dollars as it gives individuals a voice to be heard. It encourages engagement.

We have invested in bigger and modern buildings on campus. We need to invest into athletics and get the name out there. We have built it - its time to market it.

Laramie needs to step up a bit IMHO. That town needs to develop a solid plan on how to grow to 50k people. They always seem to be behind in planning and infrastructure. The sooner they get it together - the better UW as an institution will be. (just look at the grand avenue fiasco - the state almost took them to court to get that road rebuilt)

I agree, but it's super tough when the largest employer by far pays no tax. Laramie is the brokest city and Albany County is the brokest county. The state really needs to help with some infrastructure and beautification projects. 3rd St. is the ugliest busy st in Wyoming.

 

[wyokoke]

The CST had an article I saw last night about trimming the fat, like we were talking about.

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/uw-ponders-whether-it-offers-too-many-degrees/article_fab5306a-d59a-50e4-a6ec-c9ef504e9032.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;