[Vision2020] UI Waste & Arrogance

[bear at moscow.com]

Darrell,

I agree!  What I am advocating is really opening up the doors and letting
folks IN!  Now, the academic process will sort out the wheat from the
chaff, but at least we'd benefit  from a years worth of tuition/fees/ what
ever you want to call them.

What I advocate from both an financial but also an academic point is: "If
you want to go to college, come to U of I, THE only barrier you have in
your way is YOU."

We might be surprised by how many of the kids that don't meet some
arbitrary admission standards, but would get admitted, would do well and
stay! What would be wrong with a freshman class of 3,000? EVEN if the
attrition rate was 50%, we'd have 1500 sophomores next year, and another
3000 freshmen.



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> Bear:
> Every business I've been in had a simple equation:  More business=More
> money=Good thing.
> More business in this case would also allow admissions to be pickier,
> solving that academic deficiency issue you mention.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> On Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 12:07 PM,  <bear at moscow.com> wrote:
>> Darrell,
>>
>> I also thank you for clearing up the ad issue. But  to what end is the
>> money being spent?
>> With the reductions in staff, it reduces services, so if the goal is to
>> open the tap and bring in more students ( and more income), that can be
>> accomplished by the admissions office. Last semester, half of the
>> freshman class was on probation for academic deficiencies.
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Darrell,
>>> Thanks for the background -- while we subscribe to the Spokesman, I've
>>> not
>>> seen the previous ads you mention.  LOL -- I actually didn't see this
>>> ad,
>>> either, until brought it was brought to my attention.  I hope those
>>> advertising dollars are working better in other households & venues!
>>> Since I've completely missed this ad campaign, were the previous ads
>>> the
>>> same size, full color, placement, etc. as this one?
>>> Nonetheless, I still think the choice of wording was poor -- how can
>>> someone
>>> BE the UI who isn't even here yet and who's hiring is viewed by more
>>> than a
>>> few as suspect and evidence of preferential treatment achieved by a
>>> special interest group?
>>>
>>> While I sincerely appreciate you straightening me out <g> about the
>>> advertising background, I can only pass on the thoughts that have been
>>> shared with me -- members of the UI community found it distasteful, and
>>> I
>>> can't say as I blame them.  It would seem that there's something
>>> different
>>> about this ad than the previous ones in the series since my phone
>>> wasn't
>>> ringing off the hook about them . . .
>>>
>>>
>>> Saundra Lund
>>> Moscow, ID
>>>
>>> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to
>>> do
>>> nothing.
>>> ~ Edmund Burke
>>>
>>> ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2009 through life
>>> plus
>>> 70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce
>>> outside
>>> the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
>>> author.*****
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: keim152 at gmail.com [mailto:keim152 at gmail.com] On Behalf Of Darrell
>>> Keim
>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 11:25 AM
>>> To: Saundra Lund
>>> Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] UI Waste & Arrogance
>>>
>>> Saundra:
>>>
>>> THe phrasing of the add was in keeping with a recent series of adds
>>> they have done, featuring individual students, faculty etc.  Each add
>>> described an individual, then ended with that phrasing.
>>>
>>> As to your other issue-that of the cost of advertising.  There is a
>>> school of thought-of which I am a subscriber-that believes advertising
>>> helps sell your product.  I think we can agree that more students
>>> would be a boon to the community...
>>>
>>> On Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 11:19 AM, Saundra Lund
>>> <sslund_2007 at verizon.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>> Visionaries:
>>>>
>>>> I'm wondering what folks thought of the 3/4 page full color ad the UI
>>>> ran
>>> on
>>>> page B2 in the Sunday Spokesman Review?
>>>>
>>>> My first thought was that it seemed incredibly thoughtless to spend
>>>> the
>>>> money to run such an ad given the financial condition at the UI where
>>> people
>>>> are scared to death about their jobs and pay cuts that will make life
>>>> very
>>>> difficult for more than a few loyal UI employees.  Good grief -- get
>>>> news
>>>> coverage (the UI hiring a new president is definitely news, although
>>>> it's
>>>> something we've become accustomed to hearing over the years)!
>>>>
>>>> Second thought was that the text of the ad was just plain offensive.
>>>>  In
>>>> bold all caps:  "I AM DR. DUANE NELLIS. I AM THE UNIVERSITY OF
>>>> IDAHO"?!?!
>>>> The only reason he even came to the UI is because he got a special
>>>> deal
>>> due
>>>> to pressure by a special interest group . . . he certainly wasn't
>>>> willing
>>> to
>>>> BE the UI without it.  Frankly, the whole special deal smacks of the
>>>> offensive Wall Street practices that generated so much animosity.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, it seems that the ad was a real morale-buster for those facing
>>>> pay
>>>> cuts and lost jobs, which makes me wonder about the wisdom of those
>>> calling
>>>> the shots at the upper levels of the UI.  Quite a few people I've
>>>> chatted
>>>> with were surprised to learn that a newcomer -- rather than those who
>>>> have
>>>> spent their careers serving the mission of the university -- IS THE
>>>> UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO.
>>>>
>>>> It was a great picture, though, and I sure hope Dr. Nellis will be the
>>> kind
>>>> of magician that warrants the special hiring treatment he received.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Saundra Lund
>>>> Moscow, ID
>>>>
>>>> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to
>>>> do
>>>> nothing.
>>>> ~ Edmund Burke
>>>>
>>>> ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2009 through
>>>> life
>>> plus
>>>> 70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce
>>> outside
>>>> the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
>>>> author.*****
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>