Now that the Post Standard has published their story

[orangefog]

I worked for a company where the administrative assistant of the CEO would read all the email and meeting requests he got, print out the “important” ones (yes, print…) for him to read and set his calendar. He was so isolated that the company was essentially being run by a middle aged woman with an associates degree. Unshockingly, the level of dysfunction in the entire organization was enormous; working there felt like being trapped unwillingly in a Benny Hill skit.

Every once in a while I feel like I get more insight into why Syracuse University appears so dysfunctional…this is one of those times.

Was she hot?

 

[im4cuse]

Anything my name is associated with, I am responsible for. I hold anyone else to that standard. If he didn't see my posts, plural. and a handler of his did and decided to ignore it, he should have hired better people to represent him. No matter what happens in my life going forward, I would never meet with him or have anything to do with him. You on the other hand, I would meet any time.

I have rich people fatigue. I met Georgetown Kent at his prior gig. Good friend was on the faculty there and raved about him. Another friend was on BoT at the time and said the same. I could not be more disappointed for my school but he is what he is. When my son was a student more than 10 years ago my wife and I would visit and see Kent and his wife at Sunday Mass. I would always reintroduce myself and our prior connection. Nothing. No reaction. The limpest handshake. SMH. How can this guy b the face of a major university? I truly hope the board does better next time.

 

[Cusefan0307]

SU's response - or lack thereof - to Dasher is higher ed in a nutshell. They are the next NCAA - a train is barreling towards them and they are oblivious. People are moving on from getting a quarter of a million dollars in debt from schools that have no clue how the real world operates.

Not unique to higher ed. I regularly sat in on meetings to discuss requests my company receives on media inquiries. 75% die with us. Maybe 25% go above. No offense to dasher, but it's clear that they didn't view this as an important enough issue to get a response. They likely just want to move on. Someone brought this up earlier in the thread, but I do think the bad blood has something to do with the naming rights deal of the dome.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I have rich people fatigue. I met Georgetown Kent at his prior gig. Good friend was on the faculty there and raved about him. Another friend was on BoT at the time and said the same. I could not be more disappointed for my school but he is what he is. When my son was a student more than 10 years ago my wife and I would visit and see Kent and his wife at Sunday Mass. I would always reintroduce myself and our prior connection. Nothing. No reaction. The limpest handshake. SMH. How can this guy b the face of a major university? I truly hope the board does better next time.

Limp handshake you say? Why am I not surprised. SU has so many great things going for it, but a new and strong administration is needed to reinvigorate it's profile. Everyone can learn from what a Fran Brown can do.

 

[Newhouser]

I worked for a company where the administrative assistant of the CEO would read all the email and meeting requests he got, print out the “important” ones (yes, print…) for him to read and set his calendar. He was so isolated that the company was essentially being run by a middle aged woman with an associates degree. Unshockingly, the level of dysfunction in the entire organization was enormous; working there felt like being trapped unwillingly in a Benny Hill skit.

Every once in a while I feel like I get more insight into why Syracuse University appears so dysfunctional…this is one of those times.

I've heard a certain coach at SU once operated in a similar fashion.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

The culture is trash on the Hill. A mix of arrogance and ineptitude.

People in higher positions in academia tend to be arrogant without cause or merit.

 

[FloridaCuse]

I worked for a company where the administrative assistant of the CEO would read all the email and meeting requests he got, print out the “important” ones (yes, print…) for him to read and set his calendar. He was so isolated that the company was essentially being run by a middle aged woman with an associates degree. Unshockingly, the level of dysfunction in the entire organization was enormous; working there felt like being trapped unwillingly in a Benny Hill skit.

Every once in a while I feel like I get more insight into why Syracuse University appears so dysfunctional…this is one of those times.

When I went to work about 20 year ago at a mid to upper level "executive" position leading a division of 135 people in an important Federal government agency, the first thing I did was take responsibility for my calendar away from the secretary assigned to my position. I decided who I'd meet with and what meetings I'd attend, not my secretary. It's up to the principal how they operate.

 

[orangefog]

When I went to work about 20 year ago at a mid to upper level "executive" position leading a division of 135 people in an important Federal government agency, the first thing I did was take responsibility for my calendar away from the secretary assigned to my position. I decided who I'd meet with and what meetings I'd attend, not my secretary. It's up to the principal how they operate.

???

 

[FloridaCuse]

???

???

 

[orangefog]

???

The secretary...?

 

[FloridaCuse]

The secretary...?

I still don't get your point. I inherited the secretary assigned to the position. When I took the job she became my secretary. In government it isn't easy to change a secretary like it is in the private sector. She was a fine person and did a good job. I just didn't believe she should be making these decisions for me. I had been advised about doing this by someone I knew who was had formerly been the 2nd in command of the agency.

 

[orangefog]

I still don't get your point.

She hot?

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

People in higher positions in academia tend to be arrogant without cause or merit.

It's because they are utterly insulated from consequences. In many cases, getting fired, if that even happens, comes with a golden parachute. Then they just move on to the next six-figure, empty-suit position elsewhere.

It's pretty rare that anything actually sticks to these people once they're "in".

 

[FloridaCuse]

She hot?

no

 

[RF2044]

The one downside of this story being printed [and this has nothing to do with Dasher, or his attempt to bridge the gap] is that it gave AW more attention.

He seems to thrive on ANY attention, even negative. I do think the story helped contextualize why SU has washed their hands of him, although it felt 75/25 in terms of AW's side of the story [again].

Hope it goes away now, sick of hearing about it at this point. AW can shiz or get off the pot -- it is his money, and his choice.

 

[orangecuse]

Good lord, he’s in charge of a middling private university. That level,of isolation is ridiculous.

Tru dat! Not to mention the price tag of such mediocrity to boot.

Meanwhile, the all inclusive Rutgers thread continues to bleed irony as its ranking currently sits at #41 in the 2025 national rankings of top universities and colleges.

 

[baggerbob]

I feel it is time for me to share my experience with this story. Loving Syracuse the way
I do, the way we all do, I thought I was in a unique position to maybe broker a peace
deal between the parties. I have known one of the Trustees well for over 30 years.
Plus, I had access to a couple of others. It was my intention to have them introduce me
to the Chancellor and for me to get the Chancellor and Adaw W together for a lunch.
Let's see if we can come up with a solution that both sides could live with. At this
point, I had never spoken with either the Chancellor or Adam W.
The first thing I did was call Adam W. After a couple of misses, we finally spoke.
I found Adam to be charming and more than willing to this potential meeting.
He said he just needed a bit of notice. For me, I thought one half of my plan had
been accomplished. Next, I contacted a BOT member that have known extremely well
for 32 years. The response couldn't have been colder. The message was that she would
pass my request through official channels to the Chancellors office. Keep in mind,
this is a person I had done a very big favor for with the University just a few years ago.
I explained that I needed more than that. I needed a phone call to the Chancellor. The
request was refused. I contacted two other BOT members and got even less of a
response. One saying that Kent will never meet with Adam. Well, I have had to fight
for everything I have ever got in my life so I wasn't going to just take a couple
of no's and quit. So I wrote the nicest letter to the Chancellor. Very complimentary
and respectful. I explained who I was and all I wanted was a lunch meeting. My treat.
The Chancellor never responded. I waited a few days and sent another message.
I provided the Post Standard with these messages. Once again, the Chancellor
never responded. No, thanks but no thanks. No go to hell. I guess he left his
manners back in D.C.. As i told the Post Standard, the message was clear.

Unfortunately you probably have to go all the way back to before Shaw and Jake to feel that SU and the BOT gave a d**m about the fans and the area they are located in. That's why Shaw could say "Get a life".

 

[CA Monk]

She hot?

You're a bad man, but I admire your consistency

 

[orangefog]

You're a bad man, but I admire your consistency

I love the way this one played out.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

If I put myself in Dasher's shoes, I can understand him being peeved. I have always said that I have Irish Alzheimer's...I forget everything except the grudges. I consider it my finest attribute. Also, my least attractive attribute, but still...

So I get where Dash is coming from.

However, as a retired executive, if I put myself in the Chancellor's shoes, I can very much understand his side as well. This whole thing has likely been litigated to death behind the scenes. It likely has involved any number of other donors, SU Legal, perhaps the Board, and a bunch of other issues we neither know about nor need to know about. I have zero doubt that others have willingly stepped up to address any shortfall based upon what AW might have donated. From Kent's standpoint, a decision was made, he is happy with it, others internally and external donors are likely happy, AW is free to donate through the collectives, and Kent has moved on to all the other things on his plate. I would bet a considerable sum that my assessment on that is correct.

So, out of the blue, he gets correspondence from someone he doesn't know, asking him to have lunch with someone that he has 0.0000000 desire to have lunch with, to discuss something that has already been debated to death, decided, and moved on from.

He's probably thinking "Who is this guy? I'll bet his name isn't really even Dasher!!" It is very likely not even the first time that someone has tried to mediate an issue that SU feels has been decided, and decided in a way they are happy with.

So for a variety of reasons, I can see silence coming from SU. "We have told AW he can donate to a collective, we have other sources who have stepped up, and there is nothing further to discuss." That is not an unreasonable stand to take. I get the "no formal response" objection but as I said earlier, it is likely (for legal and other reasons) their default action in this case.

Perhaps it may have helped some had Dash's acquaintance (who I am glad is NOT Joyce) intervened. Or perhaps not. SU may very well have put this whole thing in their rearview mirror, and perhaps justifiably so. Like Dasher, I would be peeved at the acquaintance (for my reasons, see paragraph #1).

Now, I'm hoping to do a better job of avoiding any thread with the letters "AW" in it.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I love the way this one played out.

It was amazing.

Just perfectly executed at every turn.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Thanks for trying, Dasher. This whole thing is so stupid and just childish.

It reeks of jealousy more than anything. Jealousy is the root of all evil.

 

[RedtheGOB]

SU's response - or lack thereof - to Dasher is higher ed in a nutshell. They are the next NCAA - a train is barreling towards them and they are oblivious. People are moving on from getting a quarter of a million dollars in debt from schools that have no clue how the real world operates.

Well said. I always thought people that were given tenure and board seats for basically life was a stuffshow waiting to happen. Career academic types that were just going to cruise. You said it perfectly but I'd say it's more a freight train barreling towards them. Sadly they'll all take their golden parachutes and leave the younger generation with the mess.

 

[RedtheGOB]

If I put myself in Dasher's shoes, I can understand him being peeved. I have always said that I have Irish Alzheimer's...I forget everything except the grudges. I consider it my finest attribute. Also, my least attractive attribute, but still...

So I get where Dash is coming from.

However, as a retired executive, if I put myself in the Chancellor's shoes, I can very much understand his side as well. This whole thing has likely been litigated to death behind the scenes. It likely has involved any number of other donors, SU Legal, perhaps the Board, and a bunch of other issues we neither know about nor need to know about. I have zero doubt that others have willingly stepped up to address any shortfall based upon what AW might have donated. From Kent's standpoint, a decision was made, he is happy with it, others internally and external donors are likely happy, AW is free to donate through the collectives, and Kent has moved on to all the other things on his plate. I would bet a considerable sum that my assessment on that is correct.

So, out of the blue, he gets correspondence from someone he doesn't know, asking him to have lunch with someone that he has 0.0000000 desire to have lunch with, to discuss something that has already been debated to death, decided, and moved on from.

He's probably thinking "Who is this guy? I'll bet his name isn't really even Dasher!!" It is very likely not even the first time that someone has tried to mediate an issue that SU feels has been decided, and decided in a way they are happy with.

So for a variety of reasons, I can see silence coming from SU. "We have told AW he can donate to a collective, we have other sources who have stepped up, and there is nothing further to discuss." That is not an unreasonable stand to take. I get the "no formal response" objection but as I said earlier, it is likely (for legal and other reasons) their default action in this case.

Perhaps it may have helped some had Dash's acquaintance (who I am glad is NOT Joyce) intervened. Or perhaps not. SU may very well have put this whole thing in their rearview mirror, and perhaps justifiably so. Like Dasher, I would be peeved at the acquaintance (for my reasons, see paragraph #1).

Now, I'm hoping to do a better job of avoiding any thread with the letters "AW" in it.

Kent and the Board and AW and the Lally's may come off as aloof idiots acting like kids fighting on a playground but when it comes to their bank and their businesses they are most def not.

Mainly because they have their legal counsels having a field day with this. Personally I'd like to see the $'s that their lawyers are racking up right now with all this back and forth. As with alot of things like this it's the lawyers that will be the only one's that come out ahead.

 

[IthacaMatt]

No It is not Joyce. . I didn't ask her. And I feel badly that anyone here might have thought I was referring to her for one second.

Thank you for clearing that up.