General Academic Thread

169,123 Views | 944 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by SFAJack_76
TheRevSFA
How long do you want to ignore this user?
UT Pan Am changed their name because they merged with another school and a medical school. Jesus Christ.
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
nacluth said:

Flores says he won't vote for UT because he believes UT will change our name.
I will be glad to have a board of regents without him.
SFA88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Do you remember the movie 50 first dates? I often refer to my board meetings as 50 first board meetings. I spend a large amount of time going over things we have already discussed because the board member either wasn't listening or forgot. Usually, they forget. They leave that meeting and go back to their regular jobs with all the stress and big decisions and spend their time worrying about their normal job and thus, forget. My board meets monthly. I can't imagine meeting quarterly.
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
SFA88 said:

Do you remember the movie 50 first dates? I often refer to my board meetings as 50 first board meetings. I spend a large amount of time going over things we have already discussed because the board member either wasn't listening or forgot. Usually, they forget. They leave that meeting and go back to their regular jobs with all the stress and big decisions and spend their time worrying about their normal job and thus, forget. My board meets monthly. I can't imagine meeting quarterly.
That seems exactly right from my experience with boards too. That's a great way to describe it.
AxeEm99
How long do you want to ignore this user?
As a SFA "Detractor" per 4460 and a couple of others, I have watched the entire board meeting so far. While any of the systems would be good for SFA, being affiliated with the UT System and having access to PUF funds hopefully will finally rocket us past Sam Houston in the near future. I am excited to see how the system benefits we receive from UT will benefit our Athletic programs, mainly Football, downstream.
Hopefully we will be able to pay our coaches more, and retain quality coaches going forward! While I am NOT in favor of going FBS. I can see that on the horizon sooner than later because of UT.
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Flores isn't operating in reality.
SFA88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
nacluth said:

Flores says he won't vote for UT because he believes UT will change our name.
Yeah I have some of those too. I also have a couple that just like to get their names in the minutes so it looks like they are important. Things usually still get decided by reasonable people.
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It's official! They voted. UT here we come!
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Well it still has to pass the TX Lege hurdle, but we've done all we need to do at this point.
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
This is just such a huge day for SFA.

Men and Women's basketball put us on the map. Affiliating with UT puts us on the map in bold letters. Fantastic for the university we all love.
BigJack85
How long do you want to ignore this user?
TallTexan said:

Flores isn't operating in reality.


The word "cherry picking" comes to mind. Flores statistics ignore that 80% of the growth at the A&M system campuses , has happened at A&M College Station.

I've been to a number of those A&M campuses. Kingsville is a dump. Corpus nice but limited. Commerce is so so. Haven't been to Tarleton so no comment there. PVAM - TAMU has put some effort into it but still a dump.
Axe 'Em Jacks - Class of 85'
BigJack85
How long do you want to ignore this user?
TallTexan said:

This is just such a huge day for SFA.

Men and Women's basketball put us on the map. Affiliating with UT puts us on the map in bold letters. Fantastic for the university we all love.


Agree 100%.
Axe 'Em Jacks - Class of 85'
SFA Jack Fanatic
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It's a great day to be a Lumberjack! This will help the university in sooo many ways!
SFAXE93
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Very good!

Watch us grow!



TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Quick question, the Regents mentioned money held in reserve that was in excess of what we would need to hold in a reserve in a system. And advocated potentially freeing that up to immediately start investing in SFA.

Any idea how much money we're talking there?
NacMan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
This is good news. UT was the clear best offer on the table.

I understand that Flores was representing those in the area whose first priority was to the keep the name, but I'm more worried about the university thriving than about what the name will be in 25 years.

I've had some of my Facebook friends say that we should have chosen Tech, but I don't think they realize that Tech basically offered us nothing at all financially.
SFA88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I'm familiar with corporate RFPs but not with how these university affiliations work.

SFA essentially issued an RFP and 4 systems respond. Once the selection is made, I assume the proposal get written into a contract. The university making the decision to join, needs protection. One can't let a system promise the moon and the stars and then not fulfill those promises. Is this how it works?

I'm asking because of the idle chatter on social media claiming UT will just change the name later. Most of them don't even know there is legislation that wold need to be changed for SFA to change its name, but I digress.

I can't see it working any other way than by contract. One sees this even in M&As. Does anyone have first hand knowledge?
BigJack85
How long do you want to ignore this user?
SFA88 said:

I'm familiar with corporate RFPs but not with how these university affiliations work.

SFA essentially issued an RFP and 4 systems respond. Once the selection is made, I assume the proposal get written into a contract. The university making the decision to join, needs protection. One can't let a system promise the moon and the stars and then not fulfill those promises. Is this how it works?

I'm asking because of the idle chatter on social media claiming UT will just change the name later. Most of them don't even know there is legislation that wold need to be changed for SFA to change its name, but I digress.

I can't see it working any other way than by contract. One sees this even in M&As. Does anyone have first hand knowledge?


I believe all of the items you are asking about will be addressed in the memorandum of understanding. It has been discussed that all of these factors/proposals items need to occur.
Axe 'Em Jacks - Class of 85'
SFA88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
An MOU is a broad understanding and not legally binding. It is expected that an MOU will be replaced with a detailed contract.
CertifiedAxeman98
How long do you want to ignore this user?
There was too big of a divide financially between Texas and the rest of the systems, so you had no choice but to choose UT. Money talks and I don't see how you could justify walking away from the UT system's offer. If TAMU was closer, then you could have made some arguments, but they were $90M short. Texas Tech and Texas State looked like they were sitting at the kids table at Thanksgiving. You had to rank priorities and money was clearly at the top because Texas's offer made it the top priority with their large offer.

I still don't understand why in the meeting they kept saying that keeping the name was so important in their decision? Money was more important than the name otherwise you would have chosen Texas State. We will be added to the list below and one day we will probably be UT - Something (Nac or East Texas or something else). The decision was made based on financial resources the system was going to provide and Texas said I have a big fat check book burning a hole in my pocket and I am going to throw some of it toward Nac.

Institutions | University of Texas System (utsystem.edu)
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I'm not so tied to the name that I'd turn down a king's ransom over it. UT said we view you as very valuable and put their money where there mouth is.

However, I will say none of the changed names in the UT & A&M system had a statewide constiuency. If they so much as mentioned changing the name of SFA(or Sam for that matter), you'd have hundreds of folks who can't spell Nacogdoches marching on campus and chaining themselves to Surfing Steve. Politically they can't change that name in the next two decades & by that point it'll be the Tarleton of the system.

But man is it nice to know someone values SFA as much as we do. UT stepped up big for us.
SFAXE93
How long do you want to ignore this user?
SFA is special and will be the AG and Forestry wing of the UT system, so we need to stand out as such with our own name and identity.
CertifiedAxeman98
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Surprised by Texas Tech's proposal. I figure Texas and AM would be larger but Texas State being a better offer than Texes Tech is a bit of a shock.
nacluth
How long do you want to ignore this user?
But did you see the video?

They knew that they couldn't compete in the financial department so they pulled it all out in the marketing department. They tugged the heartstrings and leaned into rural fit and the chancellor alumni. They played the hand they had. Thankfully we got a better draw.
Pilotgirl
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I guess they banked too much on sharing same values & their prez being a Lumberjack...
NacMan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
This Texas Tribune article has some nice quotes from our rejected suitors.

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/29/stephen-f-austin-state-university-system-vote/
Quote:


In a statement, Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp congratulated the SFA Board of Regents on "securing a huge amount of money from the University of Texas System."
"We committed what we thought was responsible, as well as fair, to our other System components and universities, but the UT System committed almost four times as much money," Sharp said. "I congratulate the UT System and SFA. Well played, Lumberjacks!"

Texas State University System Chancellor Brian McCall said the system was "honored to have been asked to participate in Stephen F. Austin State University's system affiliation process."
"The University of Texas System is a world-class system, and we look forward to working together to advance the mission of higher education in Texas," he said in a statement.

Texas Tech University System Chancellor Tedd Mitchell echoed those sentiments.
"It is always exciting when the possibility arises to grow your family and I want to thank our Board of Regents, system administration and university leaders for their time, commitment and efforts as we pursued a partnership with SFA," Mitchell wrote in a statement. "I wish my alma mater and all the great folks in Nacogdoches the best moving forward."

wahlwesle
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Perhaps I shouldn't be, but I am a bit surprised by all of the comments on social media regarding this topic. It seems that very few people know any of the details about the current state of the University or the proposals from each system, and why we selected UT. I'm sure there will be some things we don't like, but any other decision would have been malpractice.

It will also be interesting to see where the staff sentiment is in five years. In my experience, increased pay is a short-lived morale booster. If people are generally unhappy in a workplace, they tend to stay that way. I hope I'm wrong.
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
wahlwesle said:

Perhaps I shouldn't be, but I am a bit surprised by all of the comments on social media regarding this topic. It seems that very few people know any of the details about the current state of the University or the proposals from each system, and why we selected UT. I'm sure there will be some things we don't like, but any other decision would have been malpractice.

It will also be interesting to see where the staff sentiment is in five years. In my experience, increased pay is a short-lived morale booster. If people are generally unhappy in a workplace, they tend to stay that way. I hope I'm wrong.


I know a couple profs and the big things on their list are pay, support, and a clear strategic direction.

Think UT is going to make significant strides in each of those areas.
SFAXE93
How long do you want to ignore this user?
TallTexan said:




pay, support, and a clear strategic direction.

That's basically the entire public education system at every level.
TallTexan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
SFAXE93 said:

TallTexan said:




pay, support, and a clear strategic direction.

That's basically the entire public education system at every level.


Places we've struggled greatly at. Even being average at all of those things would be a step up.
Pilotgirl
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Sure wish all these complainers had done something like, I don't know, 20 years ago & we might not be in the situation we are now in. Good grief!!
CertifiedAxeman98
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Sharp's response is pure gold.
djsfw57
How long do you want to ignore this user?
My sister ('71) is foaming at the mouth because she is convinced that within 5 years our name will change to UT something, burnt orange will become part of our school colors, and we will see a Lumberjack mascot leading a steer onto the field. I'm hoping she is 100% wrong. Don't mess with our name or colors. Ever. I know lots of people think it's silly, but I don't ever want to see the name change.
TheRevSFA
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I wish the alumni who are so upset about this actually came back to Nacogdoches every now and then, and maybe donated their support to the alumni association. Maybe if they did that as vociferously as they complained about this, that would be swell.
SFA Jack Fanatic
How long do you want to ignore this user?
djsfw57 said:

My sister ('71) is foaming at the mouth because she is convinced that within 5 years our name will change to UT something, burnt orange will become part of our school colors, and we will see a Lumberjack mascot leading a steer onto the field. I'm hoping she is 100% wrong. Don't mess with our name or colors. Ever. I know lots of people think it's silly, but I don't ever want to see the name change.


She needs to relax. It's in the Texas Constitution that SFASU and SHSU's names cannot be changed without passage of a new Constitutional Amendment, and that's never going to happen. The institutions named for the two most iconic Texans in our state's history will never be erased.
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.