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Friday, June 10, 2016

History is so . . .Strategic?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"One of a leader’s most powerful tools is the creation of a proximate objective—one that is close enough at hand to be feasible. A proximate objective names an accomplishment that organization can reasonably be expected to achieve. [Ch. 7, Proximate Objectives”]" ~ Richard Rumelt, book's author.

Anonymous said...

Scarborough is Scarboroughcus

Anonymous said...

Also a good example of how perceptions can be totally opposite: many at UT (let's say especially faculty) would not only regard Scarborough's tenure as provost as a failure, but as a disaster. And yet, he somehow managed to find enough "accomplishments" at UT to land a job as president at Akron. By any measure, he moved "up," at least briefly. It's worth reflecting on how he accomplished this, given that he can't have simply left UT off of his resume. Also note that even though he was clearly "fired," in the peculiar way that senior administrators are fired, he landed softly, despite the fact that his failed policies at two institutions will haunt them financially for years.

Anonymous said...

Yes, 12:15. We should think of the peculiar CVs of some of our deans who have been self aggrandizing for years, and have made careers on but little substance.

Anonymous said...

In addition to his incompetence, let's not forget the BOTs of both institutions who also bear responsibility for these catastrophes.

Anonymous said...


Contrary to what organizations like the Higher Learning Commission think, national searches for senior administrators, college deans and faculty members are much like the Cleveland Indians at the start of spring training--highly overrated.

How much money, time and energy did UT spend on two failed national searches for its top financial officer?

Anonymous said...


Isn’t it rather instructive to compare the starkly different approaches the two most current UT administrations have taken to budget deficits?

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, when UT faced budget issues, dozens of loyal, hard-working employees were thrown overboard, losing jobs that frankly were always at risk because of the 2006 merger.

Now facing another budget deficit, brought on largely by UT’s hapless undergraduate and graduate enrollment strategies, the current board of trustees and the administration decide to take $5 million from its $150 million reserve fund to balance the budget and save jobs.

I have an idea. Let’s re-establish the financial firewall that briefly existed after the merger—keeping debt contagion on Main and Health Science campuses and financial performances on separate balance sheets—and see which campus can stand on its own feet. The answer will come very quickly.

Anonymous said...

On failed searches:

I would gladly pay the cost of a couple of failed searches than be crippled by a bad hire. A search on the executive level probably costs upward $100,000 to $200,000. That's less than a year's salary for the position, and far less than the severance package will cost to remove a poor choice.

The current CFO seems like he's a sensible, experienced professional. I think the University acted wisely.

One said...

One wonders why he left the University of Akron?