Reader comments submitted to Watching Adams will be shared anonymously here.
Looking for older comments? An archive of reader comments is preserved here.
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT
NEW POLL: ASU Decade in Review
December 15, 2025 at 11:19pm In regard to @ December 13 9:32 am - Weird timing for an EmDash LLM generated response to drop. Perhaps legitimate, perhaps institutional public relations cleaning before the big event. Reads like propaganda however because it is the precise type of message the institution desperately wants parents to believe. On reading posts prior to it, did someone get spooked into damage control?
December 13, 2025 at 5:10pm @December 13th 10:35 SHAME ON YOU for being so petty that it bothers you when only 3 of the 13 Eteam members weren't present. You have no idea what is going on in their personal life.
December 13, 2025 at 10:35am Sitting at the commencement currently and really I am disgusted that more of the “E-team” are not here. Pretty sad that they can take close to 200k a year and not show up for one of the most important days of the year for the institution. Shame on you.
December 13, 2025 at 9:32am I wanted to take a moment to share my experience as a student’s mother and to express how much of a positive difference I’ve seen at the Adams State Counseling Center since Renae was hired. Like many parents, sending your child off to college comes with a mix of pride and worry—especially when it comes to their mental health and overall well-being. Over the past year, I’ve watched my child become more confident, supported, and grounded, and a large part of that change is due to the care and professionalism coming from the Counseling Center. Since Renae joined the team, the entire atmosphere seems more compassionate, responsive, and student-centered. My child has spoken openly about feeling truly listened to, respected, and encouraged—never rushed or dismissed. As a parent, there is nothing more reassuring than knowing your student has access to someone who genuinely cares and knows how to help them navigate the challenges of college life. It’s clear that Renae brings not only expertise, but also heart, leadership, and a deep commitment to students. The Counseling Center feels stronger, more accessible, and more effective because of it. Thank you to Adams State for investing in quality support for students, and a sincere thank you to Renae for the positive impact you’re making—not just on students, but on their families as well. - A Grateful Parent’s Perspective
December 12, 2025 at 12:35pm in regards to December 11, 2025 at 6:29pm, you would hope people would show up because they care about students, but I know that's asking a lot from our faculty. Either way, this was mostly directed at high level administrative positions, who may be planning on using Adams as a stepping stone, but should still be setting a good example for the rest of the university.
December 11, 2025 at 6:29pm In regard to @December 11th and @November 17th - The naïve show up. Why would professionals whom are going to be retiring in 5 years because they are at the end of their career or professionals whom will be moving on to bigger institutions in 5 years bother to invest time within an institution which is not their long term future? Pushing subordinates to do more with less is resume building for managers. If you wish to understand behavior or lack thereof, examine the incentive structures which exist. Of course leadership focuses on optics, because optics is what will get them career promotions beyond ASU. In addition, nothing says “unity” like forced participation, look how “unified” Russia is right now … Accountability is often deferred when institutions are nervous about accommodation lawsuits as well. Why would leadership bother making efficiency boosting but optically poor decisions when they will be beyond reach of the consequences of their inaction within a few years? The institution is clearly fading when internal infighting between departments is becoming increasingly regular; anyone with eyes, ears, and a brain has their resume polished for when the shoes drop. Piranhas over the scraps of sailing numbers while leadership are the sirens singing all is well.
December 11, 2025 at 12:36pm Late Night Breakfast was, as usual, fantastic. Students loved it, staff showed up, the energy was great… But wow, was it awkward looking around and realizing how few members of our executive team could be bothered to show up. We talk nonstop about “engagement,” “visibility,” “supporting students,” and “building community.” Faculty and staff are constantly pushed to do more, show up more, be present more. Yet when there’s a major student-centered event — one that happens once a year and lasts, what, a couple of hours? — suddenly calendars are empty… except apparently not that empty, because most of them still didn’t appear. It’s a little embarrassing, honestly. We’re told to model involvement, but some folks in leadership can’t even model showing up. Students notice. We notice. And if leadership wants campus engagement to be a two-way street, it might help if they actually stepped onto the street.
December 5, 2025 at 10:01pm “To the soft death” Farewell to peers whom will not return Farewell to those whom have already parted We trudge forth with our albatross To those we’ve met in the liminal spaces of Adam’s embrace To those we’ve seen but have exchanged not but sonder To those we’ve learned from whom shalt not remember our face Memories, ghosts from class conversations Will you remember the deer we saw and laughed about? You have shipped off, a semester’s end is a soft death For will I ever see you again?
December 4, 2025 at 12:45pm To December 3, 2025 at 7:42pm: Most of the people who comment here don't work at the school, or teach at the school. The School itself thinks this website is a joke. Siting the fact that the difficulty had to be lowered in your course does not help your case! College will always be a place where you get back what you put in. I am happy to hear you are coming back for another semester, so they must've done something right?
December 3, 2025 at 7:42pm The 7th grade writing comment is funny, because it clearly demonstrates how aloof, elitist, demeaning, pedantic, and myopic the professoriate & employees of ASU can be from time to time. It is also sad because I earn A’s (recovered upwards yes, but A’s); the difficulty of the course actually had to be lowered because of the level my peers were at (even with them using ChatGPT, which I don’t). If I am not college ready because of having an alleged 7th grade writing level, why is ASU enrolling 6th grade equivalent students (being charitable to those peers not passing the class). You all here talk about retention and enrollment numbers like we students are cattle to you all. How about you all met us where we are at (since we pay for your livelihoods) and actually listen to student voices; a novel thought no? I guess such epistemological humility is not a relevant concern because there will always be a new flock of naïve little sheep to fleece and demean next year. Merry early Christmas to all those whom have survived the academic gauntlet thus far, cheers to next semester.
November 30, 2025 at 9:35am I'm pulling my daughter out and she's not going back. She was concerned that their physical fitness center had to be put in a Faraday cage then she recorded voices coming from the outlets saying the worst things imaginable. Other things she reported she said felt like forced impulses, nothing like who she has grown to be and said she has a constant throbbing in her ear. We don't need to be a part of whatever is going on down there.
November 23, 2025 at 6:21am I don’t believe that ASU enrollment has been growing when a school like Univ of Northern Colorado has gone from over 12,000 students to just over 8,000 in the last 10 years and they are laying off significant numbers of staff, both classified and exempt. I think if they were accurately reporting numbers at ASU, we would be seeing large numbers of staff being laid off here as well.
November 17, 2025 at 6:14pm I too agree with November 12, 2025 at 11:02am. Tandberg is more concerned with his social media presence. Notice how he is constantly in social media posts with students or high profile people? He doesn’t socialize with people: employees that are beneath his $. I’ll bet he couldn’t name 1/2 of the employees in the departments across campus. He only knows Eteam members. Other than that, he’s got no clue. The VPs are worthless- just making that 3 figure salary. VPs who are not from the Valley. Have no connection or ties to our community. Leadership on campus? Nothing? That’s a joke! It’s a matter of time before we crumble. Lower enrollment will continue to decline. But in our data (untrue) were are increasing enrollment. Like heck we are- maybe dual enrollment or prison education students. Speaking of prisons- who is charge? Please tell us why Loren is still employed. Have they hired a person at the small business office? Have we hired a director for alumni? Have we hired an assistant director for business? What about a director of housing? We are too busy hiring directors and not paying attention to what really needs attention. Someday, not in my tenure will I see an increase of morale or pride at ASU. But I to am not optimistic. We are not even on the list of choice of the best 100 top institutions of higher
November 12, 2025 at 1:06pm November 12, 2025 at 11:02am, I completely agree with everything you wrote and describe.
November 12, 2025 at 12:33pm November 12, 2025 at 11:02am, you are absolutely spot on! People who work here are so complicit.
November 12, 2025 at 11:02am I’m increasingly concerned that no one at the University seems willing to acknowledge that the way we’ve always done things no longer works. The School will never return to its former success if it continues in the same direction, relying on the same outdated processes and leadership. Too many employees are still operating as if it’s 15 years ago, and that’s a major reason the institution is struggling. Accountability is practically nonexistent—thanks in part to a weak HR department and a culture that excuses poor performance. Mistakes that would result in termination elsewhere are met with little more than a slap on the wrist here, even when they happen repeatedly. I had hoped President Tandberg would bring real change and give this university the fresh start it desperately needs. Unfortunately, it’s becoming clear that he’s just another figurehead unwilling to make difficult decisions. Replacing the executive team alone won’t fix the deep, structural problems across departments; many of them need a complete overhaul. The University is on borrowed time. Unless meaningful reform happens soon, it’s hard to imagine any future for Adams other than closure or a buyout by CU. I wish I could be more optimistic, but it’s difficult to believe that genuine change is still possible.
November 9, 2025 at 2:29pm ----Editor's Note: We will no longer be publishing rambling culture war "essays" with little or no relevance to Adams State. This is spam. If you cannot succinctly make an on-topic comment about ASU, your submission will not be published here.
November 9, 2025 at 1:30pm “On indoctrination, virtue signaling, and the replacement of women at ASU” As I walk the halls of this historied institution, as I listen to faculty lament from their various out-of-touch positions of power and privilege, I can not help but recall all the sacrifices our foremothers made to brings us to this period of history. From universal suffrage to the egalitarian fights in the 1960s, liberté hard fought through many tears. Cassandra of Troy would warn, but as many of our foremothers were, her foresight was ignored. Will the cycle repeat? Here is to the hope and effort to break that vicious cycle. Faculty speak about misinformation, that we should be mindful of our sources and proper in our thinking. Yet … they deviate away from science in calling those whom have XY running in their veins ‘women’. This is institutionally approved misinformation; for those whom chose to get neutered like a dog, the original non-misinformation English word is Eunuch. Voluntary Eunuchism, while doing the fairer-sex a favor removing yourself from the genetic pool, is concerning for several reasons. Firstly, it is a form of eugenics which should deeply trouble any scholar aware of history; eugenics should never be promoted by a society, voluntary or otherwise. Secondly, instead of an institution actually going about the hard but proper work of having an egalitarian workforce, in the age of Eunuch misinformation men are able to re-brand themselves as ‘women’. Thus, institutions such as ASU are alleviated of the need to foster an actual egalitarian workforce. Yet, the actual XX all around campus are intimidated into silence via physical intimidation and threat of social ostracization. How dare anyone call men out on their latest round of lies. ‘s(he) be(lie)ve(d)’. We are forced into speaking a lie or else face student code of conduct investigations. Being pressured into calling XY ‘women’ is compelled speech. Beyond this, it is a violation of “Thou Shalt Not Lie”. Those whom allow their rationality to be suspended, foregoing measurable scientific reality, instead allowing themselves to be emotionally manipulated and/or socially blackmailed risk falling victim to patterns observed in prior cycles of atrocity. Patty Hearst, a respectable American daughter, went through hell on Earth; after a long sequence of intentional manipulation which included ‘free’ food upon ‘proper’ participation had her mind completely routed into vicious violent cult radicalism (Saturn Soul, 2025). Similarly, those whom willing suspend reason permit themselves to be vulnerable to Jonestown massacre. This is not theoretical, the risk of re-branded XY violence at schools is a matter of documented history (Metro Nashville Police Department, 2025). We must not drink the koolaid of their re-branding. Will America, will Lady Liberty, will ASU, no longer protect her actual daughters? Furthermore, the policy of re-branding leaves women more vulnerable due to an increased risk of societal collapse. Camille Paglia argues that the weakness leading to the decline of civilizations such as Rome is a cultural drift toward androgyny (i.e., weak men and the abolition of sex). Specifically, she asserts “Historically, the movement toward androgyny occurs in late phases of culture, as a civilization is starting to unravel; you can see it again through history” (Paglia, 2016). Women never fair well in war with the savagery of men; just review the history of the Geisha during America’s occupation, or the horrific history German women faced at the hands of the allied liberators (which the United States tends to not discuss but which there is record of). Yet, societal collapse may not be the worst fate of being replaced by re-branded XY. With the recent developments in technology and petri-dish fertilization, society could veer towards wholly artificial reproduction cycles. XY have an outsized ability to have their essence captured by robotic vessels, as compared to the medical procedures women must undergo. Additionally, there is scientific literature working to develop artificial wombs. Between these two things, if they are already re-branding so as to replace XX, what is the logical deduction when the aforementioned technologies mature? There are already XY whom have replaced genuine authentic interactions with XX, pursuing cartoon body pillows instead (Hentaii, n.d.). Anyone who has cosplayed at a Con knows how cooked we are, they are only interested in unrealistic ideals now. References Hentaii. (n.d.). Hentaii Japanese hugging pillows uncensored [Product page]. Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Hentaii-Japanese-Hugging-Pillows-Uncensored/dp/B0FRS8PMWJ/ Metro Nashville Police Department. (2025, March 31). Investigative case summary, case number 2023-0181711: Murders of Evelyn Dieckhaus, Michael Hill, William Kinney, Katherine Koonce, Hallie Scruggs, and Cynthia Peak [Final summary]. https://www.nashville.gov/sites/default/files/2025-04/Covenant_Final_Summary.pdf Paglia, C. (2016, November 4). Feminism: in conversation with Camille Paglia [Video]. worldwrite. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y3-KlesYRE Saturn Soul. (2025, July 1). America’s most terrifying case of Stockholm syndrome [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Fdy5fdfmg
November 4, 2025 at 7:54am Recent account: https://www.chronicle.com/special-projects/the-different-voices-of-student-success/reducing-structural-barriers/the-colorado-paradox “We also have the lowest total cost of attendance of any university in the state — we have to, because of our mission,” says David Tandberg... David Tandberg lies.
November 3, 2025 at 9:10am Dear November 2, 2025 at 2:24pm - If this is the quality of essays being churned out by Adams State University Student's we should probably shut the whole thing down. I hope this was written by Chat GPT or something, because this is embarrassing. I don't think the topic of your essays is the reason you are being dropped a letter grade, but your 7th grade writing level.
November 2, 2025 at 2:24pm “The value of Watching Adams to the overall health and growth of ASU” In this essay, the first matter to be considered is the First Amendment itself. The inclusion of the Bill of Rights and First foremost amongst them, assisted convincing the several states to ratify the revised constitution of 1787. There is reasonable evidence amidst the writings of that period to believe that the constitutional revisions would not have been ratified if the Bill of Rights had not been included as part and parcel of the package. The First Amendment amongst other things protects Journalism, the only profession thus guarded within the constitution itself. The founding fathers recognized the value of Thomas Paine and other writers to inform the public of unsavory malignancy amidst the public-servants so that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people could be course corrected in alignment with the people’s will. Historically across all eras, darkness hates exposure to light, this is why the phrase ‘sunshine is the best disinfectant’ exists. When I have to write an essay here as a student so as not to risk a reduced GPA via the topic of my term paper due to the political prejudices of my particular faculty, there exists a matter which must be addressed at ASU. Coercive communistic enclaves throughout the 20th century were renown for their information control. The term ‘Political Schizophrenia’ was actually invented within the U.S.S.R. as a tool to diminish and discount dissent within academia. Similarly, I have quietly observed my peers whom have objected strongly to clear and direct faculty bias find themselves reported via a ‘Concern-Form’; which by the way all student’s are encouraged to utilize if a classmate ‘hurts their feelings’. This is eerily reminiscent of soviet lines of reporting, where every good and proper citizen would inform which of their neighbors needed to visit Siberia. Thus, part of the value of Watching Adams is an actual safe space for intellectual interlocution, a means of protecting Thomas Paine from the Royal Court’s preferred predilections. It also serves a similar function to Senator Gravel, whom was able to turn the tide of public discourse on the Vietnam War via the brave discloser of the whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. Observing the reactions, the flinches, of faculty when classmates bring up Watching Adams is quite telling; Watching Adams makes employees nervous apparently, that is a good thing. This behavior on the part of the faculty indicates Watching Adams serves as an informational check on power. They may destroy our GPAs with their bias, they may harm our academic futures by accusing us of utilizing the new wave of technology for our papers, but we may speak the truth here within this venue. The brilliance of what Watching Adams is achieving is perhaps no where better written than at the following location (https://cryptome.org/0002/ja-conspiracies.pdf). It is via such mechanisms as described within that insightful document which occurred towards the beginning of our millennium that the institution has a means to grow beyond Royal Decree of the pre-approved doublespeak intelligentsia. As a courtesy to the travelers of this forum I will spare them (and the editorial staff) of a four page version, since such page counts are merely a structural artifact of the current regime; I have no interest in pledging allegiance to the current state of affairs.
November 1, 2025 at 11:46pm ASU should move away from contributing towards indoctrination. Stopping an intellectual tobacco-habit is hard, but to move towards a healthier state it is necessary, higher ground ... higher education if you would. "... I see a large contingent of American society (perhaps 25% of the population) which has been radicalized or brainwashed beyond all reason or repair. These people (leftists) operate deep within a protective bubble of propaganda and zealotry; they function within a hive mind that does not deviate from the demands of their gatekeepers. They cannot be reasoned with, nor can they be satiated. They lust for power and the suffering of anyone who opposes them." https://www.zerohedge.com/political/are-democrats-trying-start-civil-war
October 30, 2025 at 7:14pm Thank you Christian Challenge for representing traditional values on campus, you were well spoken today. Thank you Trump for returning the United States to a historical constitutional order from which it has been severally veered away from. Communists always cry and think there is only one person opposing them, Trump took Electoral-college and the Popular-Vote this time around (51%+ is a majority). Communism was resisted by many presidents of the United States throughout the 20th century. Trump is merely a 'threat' to the prior broken order. One person is a convenient metaphor to think of, one person can be assassinated (Butler Pennsylvania), one person can be sanctioned, one person can be expelled, one person can be fired. It is the hope of tyrants that a matter is only one person, but an idea whose time has come can not be killed. For the peaceful nights rest of our communist colleagues, MAGA is all just one person don't cha know? Lets just ignore the variety of Trump-land paraphernalia around campus and Alamosa :p Transcripts of Senate Judiciary Hearing (https://www.rev.com/transcripts/political-violence-hearing): "Charlie was probably the most prominent proponent of civil and gracious dialogue in the entire country, and they killed him for it. Because there is in a certain type of left-wing ideology, the belief that ideas don't really matter and that we're really just warring groups that must clobber each other over the head, which is why you're seeing the increased violence there. I think you saw this not only in the horrific assassination of Charlie, but in the reactions that came afterward. As the scene was unfolding. A Democrat analyst, Matthew Dowd on MSNBC, the left-wing cable outlet blamed Charlie Kirk. He said quote, "Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions." The New York Times reacted by publishing the assassination-related musings of Hassan Piker, a prominent left-wing streamer who has suggested the assassination of Senator Tom Cotton and who has said, quote, of conservatives, "Kill those mother-effers, murder those mother-effers in the street, let the streets soak in their effing red capitalist blood." I could go on and on with the reactions. We all saw it and there reflected in other public opinion surveys relating to approval of violence. So it would appear that this is not merely a matter of some fringe actors, some extremists who simply have an emotional problem as has been suggested here today. This would seem to be clearly an ideological issue at every level of the American left, which needs to be addressed accordingly or else we're just twiddling our thumbs."
October 29, 2025 at 9:16pm To October 29, 2025 at 7:09pm and several previous commentators (could be the same person), The Trump Administration is the greatest threat in decades to higher education generally, Adams State University in particular, and the SLV's low resource population. There are many ways to measure this, from funding cuts and program closures to an Orwellian federal government effort of purging books, professors, and entire departments (as "woke" / DEI, CRT, etc.) in order to further an agenda of regressive, right-wing identity politics. Consider the case of Rutgers Professor Mark Bray, who has been relentlessly harassed, threatened, and targeted by Turning Points USA after his publication of a 2017 book on the historical movement of Antifascism. Several other professors who are top scholars on authoritarian movements have left the USA to teach elsewhere - precisely because the Trump Administration has taken on many of the essential qualities of a fascist government. These are the experts on this topic. They are warning us. And now, 75% of scientific researchers are considering leaving the USA due to a hostility towards scientific research and cuts to funding for science research grants. What does the future hold for a country which refuses to invest in higher education and the advancement of scientific knowledge? So... sorry, not buying it. All these TPUSA stories are a distraction designed to stir up animosity on campus and foment contempt for higher education - which has long been a target of the conservative movement (educated people are harder to control with state propaganda and austerity economics). The horrific shooting of Charlie Kirk has been used, as with the 1930 killing of paramilitary Nazi member Horst Wessel, by political operatives like Stephen "Goebbels" Miller to advance a highly repressive, anti-intellectual agenda against anyone deemed insufficiently loyal to the ruling party and its doddering orange leader. This is happening as a totally unaccountable, poorly-trained, masked paramilitary force terrorizes minority communities under the pretext of "immigration enforcement." Thus, your pervasive, right-wing Christian persecution complex is an abject fantasy in the service of supporting more authoritarian, repressive action by the Trump regime. The transparent threat to report colleagues and co-workers to the federal government for liberal wrong-think is exactly what is required to maintain a dictatorship. And yes, counties that held MAGA rallies in 2016 saw a 266% increase in hate crimes and right-wing domestic terrorism has for many decades been the overwhelming ratio of political violence in the USA. This administration is trying to throw what we know about right-wing hate and violence down the memory hole, but we will not forget and we will continue to speak up. The Trump regime is not an inevitable imposition upon higher education; many universities have resisted these top-down efforts to brow-beat campuses into ideological submission and obeyance in advance to a fascist government. Everyone at Adams State must consider the deleterious impact the Trump Administration is having on their campus and act accordingly. The university and the country depend on it.
October 29, 2025 at 7:09pm In "those whom harbor conservative inclinations are not safe at Colorado universities" news: TPUSA student leader attacked near UC Boulder campus after Antifa puts out hit list flyer Summary: Student TPUSA student leader from UC-Boulder beat down with hockey stick after being followed from campus, possibly due to Antifa Hit list posters distributed around campus earlier. Concerning in light of the (strongly encouraged to attend at risk of your future at ASU) Safe Zone |Diversity, Inclusion, Equity| D.I.E. indoctrination conducted on campus and the earlier extremism noted by others on this forum earlier in the semester. Is the UC-Boulder news the reason we had those practice lockdowns which got pushed out on ASU Alerts? Its almost, just maybe, like the persuasions of those adjacent to who took out Charlie Kirk are rooted in mental-instability ... Yet MAGA are supposedly the fascist rabid ones ... Christians, prepare thyselves for the persecutions for which we were warned of from long ago ... As for those of radical blue, just because we smile does not mean we agree with you; we are just not keen on being tar-and-feathered, why put pearls before ... We see you, we hear you, we remember, we do not forget, we inform the proper federal authorities (hope you all have fun with that).
October 14, 2025 at 8:58pm Anyone going to mention to our undocumented students the CASFA/FAFSA dichotomy which serves as as a beacon for the (N)ICE officials investigating?
October 10, 2025 at 8:31am @ October 9, 2025 at 10:26pm - unfortunately if ASU wants to promote equity and equality they have to lower standards. Not everyone is equal when it comes to abilities and intellect no matter if people profess they are. College level education is not appropriate for everyone. That is not a dig, simply the truth. The ASU degree is quickly becoming a “participation award.” I don’t think this is unique to ASU, however. You will find this in most institutions with non-selective admissions. If you let everyone in, then you have to teach to the lowest common denominator. Again… participation award. I would be curious to know how many individuals are at ASU currently without even basic math and reading skills. I am also curious how many degrees have dropped the college level math requirement altogether. There is no incentive to be exceptional anymore. We are all just part of the herd and unfortunately it seems if you step outside the herd mentality, you will be cancelled.
October 9, 2025 at 10:26pm Anyone else noticing how the faculty are having to lower standards because some peers are clearly not college ready? If the goal of what concepts are covered in our courses are reduced, that will have to occur for every subsequent semester the laggards stick around. Beyond this, is it even ethical to fiscally fleece students whom are clearly not sufficiently prepared? I guess it boils down to buyer beware, it is our responsibility as students to be aware of what we are procuring within the free market. You get what you pay for I guess ... maybe I should transfer.
September 28, 2025 at 8:15pm September 28, 2025 at 5:58am - if only they would list all the fringe benefits some folks get. They love to shove the "total compensation package " into the face of us normal folks but god forbid we know what the tax dollars are actually used for with everyone else.
September 28, 2025 at 1:24pm "A brief treatise into the anemic intellectual soil facing students whom exist within the grizzled function of Adam’s finite state machine" Thank you September 22 for exposing the lie. Grant funds from the Department of Education were designated for minorities. As Sep22 stated, in the local context there exists a majority. Furthermore though, designating funds based on race quotas is reprehensible, abhorrent, atrocious. Ms. Radical Revisionist Professor from UC-Berkley lauded affirmative action and positive preferential treatment for a particular ethnic group. Yet even to the extent of Sep22’s statement, preferential treatment of a particular ethnic group is exactly what was occurring in the Jim-Crow era south. Martin Luther King Jr once had a dream that his children would one day be judged by their character instead of the color of their skin. The label ‘Race’ is a tag which keeps peoples divided. The literal classical Oxford definition of racism is to ‘give differential treatment, positive or negative, based upon an individual’s ethnicity/race.’ Breaking things into particulars, Hispanic was a term created by Federal fiat, covering a wide swath between Spaniards (better understood as European) and all those peoples the Spaniards brutally dominated such as the genocide conducted by the conquistadors. As another historical point of example, tell a person hailing from China whom remembers Nanjing that they are the same as Japanese, it is likely that would not go well; yet the broken United States Race Categorization System would place them both as Asian. It is dismal that there are resources on campus for which preference is given to Hispanics, this is equivalent to Rosa Park being told to get on the back of the bus. Why is it that =Hispanic= Serving institution is alright, but there would be a massive outcry in the most easily observable equivalent example of =German= Serving Institution (Germans thought they were a race and history clearly demonstrates how terribly that went). Perhaps some would say Hispanics are nothing like the Germans, yet this clearly conveniently forgets all the indigenous blood spilled and slaves that the Spaniards traded in (some of whom revolted). My peers with skin darker than me, my peers with skin lighter than me, they are still my peers whom share Deoxyribonucleic acid of the HUMAN species. Why should I get less affordances or more affordances based upon merely my complexion and heritage? Part of the great American experiment was abolishing prestige based on bloodlines, a melting-pot through Ellis Island, not a salad-bowl; Americans, not hyphenated-americans. To be clear, a close analysis of history reveals all heritages have a variety of horrific sins leaving in their wake broken victims, but I am not my ancestors nor are my peers theirs’. It seems to me that the out-cry of Ms. Radical Professor was not about Hispanic Students, or students generally, but the out-cry was merely a façade veiling her fiscal-conflict of interest in as much as she would have less opportunity to be sponsored to attend lectureships at institutions such as ours wherein she could spew her radical blind hatred to an audience forced to be polite (because of the Stasi concern-form). There is a reasonable concern of reprisal via grade garnishment for daring to foray into thought-crime. I would go further, I do not think the institution cares about a particular demographic of students, such assessment would be unduly naïve. Cui Bono, it is always about the money, or the loss thereof (After all some professors go so far as to write the following article: https://jamesgmartin.center/2023/10/is-college-a-cult/). A professor posed question perhaps worth asking considering how many Educators around the nation cheered a school-shooting death upon the grounds of a university in Utah recently. Overall, the ‘don’t you know this is a =Hispanic= community’ has the same dark undertones of ‘don’t you know this is a =White= community’ considering history, and it makes me equally uncomfortable for the people who emphasis such things have a proclivity towards militancy a.k.a. lynch-mobs. September 25th asks relevant questions. Yet I would mildly disagree with my intellectual compatriot on one point. One must remember that Operation Valkyrie exists within the historical record; it indicates one can not presume all within an institution are on board with various egregious misconduct. While my faculty can be frequently rather silly, it can not be presumed all are ‘on the take’ as you (Sep25) frame it. Unless the institution has descended into such a deteriorated moral state as to be equivalent to the Salem Witch Trials, written voices such as yours and mine indicate there are at least a few whom are free-thinkers within the ivory halls that are mindful of the under-current structures of erudition which we imbibe; wary of intellectual rocks which should be designated by lighthouses lest vessels of mind unduly wreck upon them. D.iversity, I.nclusion, and E.quity are the sheep-skin veneer by which intellectual wolves enforce conformity of mind, the sieg heil of indoctrination, the firehoses of Selma, by which malignant actors trojan horse unthinking, uncritical, bland compliance to de-moore effective intellectual countermanding of failed ideologies; as can be seen in Venezuala, North Korea, and the U.S.S.R. Do you not know dear comrade that if you do not comply with D.I.E. you will face the firing-squad as our comrade Charlie Kirk did? We must all enthusiastically clap for the state-religion *soviet anthem intensifies* /s. Thankfully the tides are turning. While the wheel of justice turns slow it does turn, as can be seen in a recent Second Circuit decision which held: “For {party} to prevail, it is not necessary that {plaintiff} have been directly involved in each step of the implicit bias trainings; rather, it is sufficient that {they} created or tolerated ‘a policy or custom under which unconstitutional practices occurred.’ ” (Chislett v. New York City Department of Education, 2025) The trojan horse via virtue signal indoctrination was made explicitly clear by a former KGB agent during a 1984 interview wherein he disclosed overt efforts to infect and degrade the systems of American Education (Mrgunsngear B Channel, 2020). Clearly the efforts were effective considering how silly my faculty are from time to time, but effective countermand as it always has starts with us the students. Here is to the hope my peers and I can rise to the occasion like those in 1968 where able to achieve (Hoffman, 2025). We must be thee whom place roses into the barrels of their aggression (Spitzer, 2020). Reference Chislett v. New York City Department of Education, No. 24-972-cv (2d Cir. Sept. 25, 2025). https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/27175c3b-72d5-4c3b-85d7-6f71d3068843/1/doc/24-972_opn.pdf Hoffman, D. [David Hoffman]. (2025, April 29). In 1968 the average college student would be considered radical: Watch this debate [Video; recorded at the University of Illinois, spring 1968]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yQrS0eIMvA Mrgunsngear B Channel. (2020, June 21). Former KGB agent, Yuri Bezmenov, warns America about socialist subversion [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1EA2ohrt5Q Spitzer, T. B. (2020, February 22). Sophie Scholl and the White Rose. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/sophie-scholl-and-white-rose
September 28, 2025 at 5:58am The only salaries I'm interested in...the E:TEAM. Look closely.....2 million dollars every year in salary and fringe benefits for this bunch? For driving ASU into the ground? One Veep makes 200K in charge of the worst office on campus (HR)... buildings falling apart...crappy internet....and workday that helped kill any sense of morale (where is that great colleges survey anyway?). Reward failure, it's the standard. As for this Gina Garcia stuff. Who thought this was a good idea and approved it? I watched it on youtube. Yes it was very divisive...welp so much for inclusivity and belonging around here. Isn't that what this equity board is for? "Inclusive excellence"? Far from it. Sorry I couldn't be there for the 'free food'...but I was counseling a student who was in the process of withdrawing from ASU. Ironically a Latino student who has no support system here. Go figure.
September 27, 2025 at 2:38pm @September 26, 2025 at 2:25pm - Have to bug HR to release it. But seeing as they haven't even given us out new employment letters yet, they might not ever get to that, either. Adams HR is where stuff goes to die.
September 26, 2025 at 2:25pm Will updated salary data be posted for 25-26 for faculty and staff?
September 25, 2025 at 11:39pm "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 ESV --Editor's Note: This is the last time we will publish a comment which consists only of a quote with no context or relation to Adams State University. In the future, all quotes must also include at least one sentence of original commentary which is relevant to this forum. Otherwise, quotations without any accompanying author contribution will be considered spam and remain unpublished.
September 25, 2025 at 8:05pm @September 25, 2025 at 1:51pm - I love how I was told that my job title could not be changed to reflect my seniority/ change in what I'm actually doing from my now half a decade old job description... Double standards as with everything.
September 25, 2025 at 1:51pm The two huge takeaways from the Garcia speech for my fellow Grizzly (nee Indians) alumni. One--the arrogance of Tandberg/title 9/HR/Board of Trustees/Equity Board/cabinet to allegedly break the law by giving Aranda a new title...he was equity officer and now VP of Global Impact?? Completely skirting laws on DEI in public schools with a new title but it is STILL DEI work!! Shame. They are all willing to sacrifice federal funds for this?? Two--exposing Title 5 money for what it really is. it's using taxpayer money to enrich others spewing hate. Talk about a cottage industry. Which ASU employees are on the take too? And why are all the big ASU donors (and banks??) buying a new scoreboard for the football field when ASU is a mess and crumbling? To watch Tandberg cosplay sports videos for all of the 25 people who come to games? ASU is almost bankrupt! Happy Homecoming.
September 22, 2025 at 9:37pm "Certainement qui est en droit de vous rendre absurde est en droit de vous rendre injuste. #EN Certainly, whoever has the right to make you absurd has the right to make you unjust.” ~Voltaire "Il vit combien il est dangereux d’avoir raison dans des choses où des hommes accrédités ont tort. #EN He saw how dangerous it is to be right in matters where accredited men are wrong." ~Voltaire "Нет ничего обольстительнее для человека, как свобода его совести, но нет ничего и мучительнее. #EN Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience, but nothing is a greater cause of suffering." ~Dostoevsky
September 22, 2025 at 6:09am But we are an HSI in a Hispanic Majority area. Is it not appropriate that we serve those that are in our community? https://datausa.io/profile/geo/alamosa-co?redirect=true
September 21, 2025 at 7:37pm Tritium ... lol. That label is funny for reasons you will never know. You are right though, I messed up, history is not my area of focus. Here is some more relevant news for you all from across the world: Charlie Kirk’s life inspired Christians to stand up for their beliefs, an influential Russian Orthodox bishop has said. ... Metropolitan Tikhon, who leads the diocese of Simferopol and Crimea ... said that Kirk’s convictions and his “martyric death” resonate with many Russians despite differences in faith ... the high-ranking bishop praised the activist for bravely engaging with people who disagreed with him and for continuing to “call things by their proper names,” even when it was dangerous ... Tikhon argued that “the example and astonishing success of Charlie Kirk” demonstrates “what is truly effective in missionary work.” “Charlie had the intelligence and tact to respect the intellect of his young interlocutors, to speak with them seriously, as equals, without descending into clownery,” Tikhon explained, adding “Charlie Kirk spoke, first and foremost, about what he truly believed. His sincere passion, integrity, and conviction were contagious to young people and compelled them to think. That is precisely why he was both loved and hated, but he left no one indifferent.” He asserted that Kirk’s life journey evokes “the deepest respect.” ... https://www.rt.com/news/624999-top-russian-orthodox-cleric-honors/
September 21, 2025 at 2:12pm Ah, the Spanish Inquisition. How dare one has the audacity to hope that one day individuals may be judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin, their fealty to communist dicta, or fear of extreme radical ideologues. How quick to forget the horrors wrought by the Spanish Crown upon indigenous peoples. We are a HSI serving institution? Ought not universities be student serving institutions? Shan’t we not serve to every creed and color? To Black, Asian, Hispanic, and White? How racist it is to be merely an HSI. Let us be clear, people suffered under the radicalism of Che Guevara. People are suffering under the radicalism of Maduro. Those whom speak up publicly get Charlie Kirk’d, it is no longer safe to speak upon college campuses as was so clearly demonstrated in red. POC whom are students of history know when a room would lynch them; being a conservative POC is heresy after all. Thank you to the peers whom wear Trump Shirts openly around campus. Thank you to the peers whom have a Trump Flag in their dorm window. You are prayed for, keep being the salt and light you have been called to be; you are not alone, you are not forgotten. To campus, would you tell us this is not the institution for us? Don’t you need that sweet sweet enrollment to fleece us of our fiscal means? Continue throwing out the -ists and -phobes, I do not fear things which do not exist. I fear innocents lost because the mental instability of those keen to mow down catholic school children and whom celebrate school violence (Charlie Kirk was taken out on a university, literally a school shooting incident). It should be Common Sense in a Thomas Paine sense that whatever Mr. Kirk said throughout his time on the earth, a bullet was not the answer. A civic virtue: "I don't agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Skokie 1972 comes to mind. Good thing President Trump has recently designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The dear professor spoke, asking what radicalized us. One should be careful what one wishes for, for there are those whom remember (and support) the Union North, that good ol’ Yankee blue (Btw Tritium, did you mean 1861?). The professor spoke about revisionist history as a good thing; China has consistently had to conduct revisionist history surrounding the events of Tiananmen square. Charlie Kirk was America’s 21st Century’s Alamo, and one should never forget the Alamo. Clearly I am not alone in this line of reasoning given what a famous author recently said: J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling - Words are not violence. When you pretend that views that oppose your own are violence, you are justifying the use of actual violence towards the speaker. Gender ideology’s reliance on tropes and slogans like ‘words are violence’, its constant rationalisation and justification of using force against opponents and its preference for enforcing compliance through fear rather than permitting debate, are straight out of fascism’s playbook. https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1968246373473554478
September 20, 2025 at 12:07pm It feels eerily like the pre-civil 1865, where democrat south didn’t like the outcome of Lincoln’s election. Pray for peace, we are within this moment of history in unstable times, tritium if you would. Thought the below was relevant to the discussion: Conservative Wisconsin professor condemns university’s silence on Kirk assassination Posted on September 15, 2025 OPINION I’m a University professor here in Wisconsin. … The fact that Charlie was killed on a college campus for expressing his opinions and ideas ---the one place in society what’s sole purpose is to express opinions and ideas — should be a watershed moment for all universities. Every single member of every single university community --- faculty, administrators, staff and students —should be lamenting this as it spells the death of the university. There should have immediately been a press release from every school in the United States condemning this act of ideological violence. Students should have been told about the gravity of this situation. Faculty should have been coached on how to explain what freedom of speech looks like, and every classroom should have an entire lecture devoted to why what Charlie was doing was fundamental to the fabric of American society. Instead, hundreds of professors and students celebrated and continue to celebrate. To date, there has been no statement from my university or the university of Wisconsin system. Not a single one of my students heard from any of their professors about this. How do I know? I asked them. Not only did I ask them, but I gave them a 50-minute lecture about why this moment is one of the darkest in American History and how we must pull back from this and encourage dialogue or the American project is dead. Conservative students and faculty are taking this silence on behalf of administrators as an endorsement of violence against them. When little 5’4” 96 lb grandma, Sister Cindy Smock came to our campus to talk to kids about Jesus, they had sent out a campus wide email telling the students that if they need to talk about their traumatic experience that councilors are available and there’s a safe space where they can go to cry and play with toys. They then assembled a task force to determine how to handle people like Cindy and the trauma she inflicts on students. When my students witnessed a man --- someone they grew up watching since they were kids — have his throat blown out with a 30 06 round at a college campus much like our own doing something that they are meant to be doing … nothing. I’ve written, called and pleaded with admins on campus to JUST SAY SOMETHING! No returned calls. No emails back. No invitations to talk about this. Nothing. I had one email the day of telling me(because they know conservative students actually talk to me) that I can send students to the woke counselors in the diversity, equity and belonging building on campus. ... So, I am angry. I am disappointed. I am scared shitless. But when I got done with my lecture(which I intend on publishing --- I did record it), nearly every student came to me and shook my hand. One student (Korean, I believe) even gave me a bow. These kids can be saved. There is so much potential in gen z --- but if the only thing they hear from the institutions of higher learning is extremist propaganda from radical Marxists, many more Charlie Kirk’s are going to happen and America will be extinct within the century. ... https://www.thecollegefix.com/bulletin-board/conservative-wisconsin-professor-condemns-universitys-silence-on-kirk-assassination/
September 19, 2025 at 11:50pm Journalist Jeff Sharlet recently set the record straight on Charlie Kirk: "He was an opponent of free speech. There’s no other way to cut it, for a man who created something called Professor Watchlist, School Board Watchlist, to name and frighten people from teaching, who advocated restrictions on what school teachers could teach, who called for — and there’s a clip you can see online — who called for the televised public executions, and he had a pretty broad category in mind. But what was really chilling was he wanted this to be required viewing for children. And you can look at this clip, and you can see his colleagues. They’re sort of trolling, but Kirk, again and again, pulls it back to seriousness, and he says, 'No, no, no, this isn’t a joke. This has to be a holy experience, a teaching experience for children, watching enemies be killed.' That is not a champion of free speech."
September 19, 2025 at 11:01pm The Hidden Curriculum: ----- What the highly accredited censors of mind do not wish you to know ----- HONORING KIRK: The Senate passes a resolution declaring October 14th, 2025, Charlie Kirk’s birthday, as the National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. Robbie Rose @HelloRobbieRose Charlie Kirk was scheduled to speak at CSU in Fort Collins … and 10,000 people turned out anyway. This is deep blue Colorado. @TPUSA - https://x.com/HelloRobbieRose/status/1968856696026984736
September 19, 2025 at 12:36pm It looks like we have at least one intolerant person posting. The person(s) posting September 17, 2025 at 7:11pm, May 19, 2025 at 9:26am and May 17, 2025 at 9:05pm clearly think that anyone that disagrees with them needs to look for work somewhere else. WTF shouldn’t we encourage different viewpoints and civil discussion. It is ironic given recent news that the US President, who I think is a disgrace, gets rid of those that disagree with him.
September 18, 2025 at 12:25pm September 17, 2025 at 7:11pm - Is there a recording or a link to Dr. Gina Garcia’s speech? I would like to hear it before forming an opinion.
September 18, 2025 at 6:59am @ September 14, 2025 at 2:10pm - based on the comments from the 17th, looks like you hit the proverbial nail on the head.
September 17, 2025 at 7:11pm Re: September 14, 2025 @ 2:10pm - Sounds like you can't stand an activist for HSIs. You're working for the wrong school. You'll be sad when Title V isn't bringing money into the institution and funding your trips out of state. Shame on you. Dr. Gina Garcia was saying what needed to be said. Sorry you can't handle the truth.
September 17, 2025 at 5:47pm Re: September 14 @2:10 - If you found Dr. Garcia’s comments so concerning, why didn’t you speak up? Or were you just there for the free lunch (courtesy of Title V)?
September 14, 2025 at 2:10pm I waited days to see if anyone else would say anything. Crickets. What occurred during lunch at Kindred Spirits September 10th 2025 was appalling. A guest speaker, a professor invited for HSI week (and made possible by Title V funds) openly advocated for and framed radicalization as a civic duty. Within less than an hour the danger of this was confirmed by the death of Charlie Kirk. No wonder Trump is shutting HSI down. Anyone more moderate than a neon-haired theater kid is clearly not safe on campus. To watch faculty, staff, and students applause overt incitement to revolution in such an uncritical fashion … yes Houston, we have a major problem. That room was the precursor to a Maoist academic purge. Members of ASU would do well to remember August Landmesser next time before they so blindly applaud. A new policy about not speaking to the Federal Government? Sounds like obstruction of justice and a framework to punish whistleblowers (an act protected by law) …
September 13, 2025 at 6:43am Houston, we have a problem… “The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and College Pulse just released their sixth annual College Free Speech Rankings. The survey of 68,510 college students nationwide found: “34 percent now say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases. That is an increase of 10 percentage points over the last four years.” So more than a third of college students believe in silencing political opponents with force. Left-wing academia deserves a good deal of blame for helping to shape America’s youth into revolution zombies. ” -SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 DAILY NEWSLETTER How to Break a Generation By Abe Greenwald Violence is not the answer. Ever. Not in Ukraine, not in Palestine, and especially not for speech in the US. We are still the country in this world with the most personal freedoms yet we complain about how bad it is. It is so bad that millions of people are trying to come here every year from other countries. Are we perfect? Far from it, but as someone with that has traveled the world and seen the poverty and oppression out there, we are better off here than anywhere I have visited. Yes, I have been to the Scandinavian countries everyone uses as examples and I encourage you to look at what is happening in those countries currently. Crime and gun violence is running rampant. Personal freedoms are eroding and the social welfare system is breaking down.
September 12, 2025 at 12:26pm @September 10, 2025 at 4:35pm - You can speak freely as a citizen, but you can't speak for an employer unless you are in the proper position to do so. We are in for a few years of uncertainty. I suggest you chill. It is a bad time to be unemployed.
September 12, 2025 at 6:50am I am not an attorney, but the way I see it is that content neutral restrictions are allowed. The president is allowed to place restrictions on how, where and when statements can be made. What he is not able to do is put restrictions on what is being said. I think this is exactly what he is doing. Unless someone goes to him for approval and it is denied because of content, this is not a First Amendment issue, in my opinion. Now, let’s talk about whether it is right or not…
September 10, 2025 at 4:35pm So Tandberg thinks he can limit free speech of Adams employees by requiring his approval before they talk to government officials? Bring it on! His ass should be (and hopefully will be) sued. And the Board? Shame on each of you! It’s like a micro Trump regime. Tandberg really thinks he is all of that and a bag of chips.
August 8, 2025 at 10:53am I hope this year they release a complete salary list and not like last year where they just omitted a lot of positions. How do I know they did that? Cause my position wasn't on the list and several other folks I know of also. --Editor's Note: These salary sheets are prepared by ASU HR; inquiries regarding any errors or omissions should be directed to their office.
August 6, 2025 at 9:53pm @June 2, 2025 - most of the ones habitually late or absent are too busy doing things better left unsaid. I wouldn’t even so much as be in their presence without a mask on. Stay off their furniture and never shake their hands.
July 7, 2025 at 7:52am The teachers bullied me and accused me of being anti trans which if you look through all my communication logs is so clearly NOT the case. They're bullies here. They threw me out of the pre practicum and the cop professor got me expelled for going to the bathroom without permission and mispronoun ING someone in a single interaction I apologized for, then turned the class against me and got me expelled. I had all A's. I will sue them for libel at some point. - Sophie
June 6, 2025 at 8:20am When are the results of the Huron 2.0 faculty & staff compensation committee expect to be made available?
June 2, 2025 at 4:48pm Honest to god, I will NEVER recommend Adams to any prospective student EVER. The disorganization and lack of communication from this university is truly mind blowing. I'm not sure how this university hasn't been held accountable ESPECIALLY when it comes to screwing over students. I blame the university for absolutely poor training on advising and leadership. No student should have to hear "Sorry, I don't really know what I'm doing or how to use Workday so I'm really just guessing on what classes you need to take" Does this university not understand the thousands of dollars you are costing students? It's sick. No one knows the answer for anything ever, nor does anyone know the correct person to reach out to for help, nor does anyone respond to emails and calls anyway. You're better off figuring it out yourself and praying it gets solved.
May 19, 2025 at 9:26am @ May 18, 2025 at 8:09am - I say it again. That ceremony is the finish line and 100% the goal of your job, regardless of what you do at the university. Students graduating is why your job exists and why you get paid. Sorry that the perceived extra half hour, twice a year, is too much for you. Also, I have been to graduations at CU, MSU, Mines, and more, and 2 hours is not excessive by any means. I even attended a graduation at Hofstra a couple years ago and that ceremony was almost 3 hours. I think you should re-evaluate why you have a job, friend, and whether it is the right place for you.
May 18, 2025 at 8:09am May 17, 2025 at 9:05pm - Obviously, you are OK with the length of the ceremony. I think we can keep the pomp and the traditions, and still move things a little faster. A quick google search reveals that University of Colorado - Boulder estimates 90 minutes. It would be interesting to know what other's think. I also don't think that someone who thinks that two hours is long should be shamed and told to look for another job. It is a university and people are allowed to have different opinions.
May 17, 2025 at 9:05pm @ May 17, 2025 at 8:23pm - shame on you. There are lots of people who worked hard in order to sit through that ceremonial pomp. I think a two hour ceremony to recognize four years of hard work is warranted. Again, shame on you. It is probably time for you to find another job.
May 17, 2025 at 8:23pm Almost no one wants to sit through a two-hour graduation ceremony. An hour and roughly 10 minutes before they even started to hand out diplomas. Are you kidding me?
May 15, 2025 at 6:08am @ May 3, 2025 at 2:50pm - thank you for saying this.
May 3, 2025 at 2:50pm People bully others so they'll roll L’s and R’s? Racist code switching is required at ASU now? Do you know how insulting it is for us Hispanic students to hear people pretend like this? The president and teachers do it all the time and it sounds horrible and degrading. You are insulting the Hispanic community with this craziness. Do you expect us to change our dialect with Native America students too? African American students? Where does it end? Enough already. Grow up.
April 29, 2025 at 5:03pm April 29, 2025 at 12:58pm - I am concerned for you. There are resources on campus and in the community for your mental health. Posing a narrative, with incredibly racist beliefs, that the campus police are working with students to break into employee's homes? This is not something someone with stable mental health would write. Also, the Chief of Police is a man, but you are using she/her pronouns, leading me to believe you are confused. There is no conspiracy here. While the campus police is very far from perfect, they are not breaking into your home. Please seek help.
April 29, 2025 at 12:58pm Every employee needs to put cameras up inside, and around their house. Employees houses that are vacated during work hours are being used for nefarious activities. I noticed my house was broken in on several occasions but nothing was stolen, my pets were hiding and terrified like something was chasing them. My neighbor reported what was described as the Chief of the ASU police pulling into my driveway while I was at work, he said it looked like she had a key and let herself in. He didn't report it because he assumed it was my significant other. Other neighbors reported, but refused to speak to the police, that what looked like college aged kids, many were African, sneaking around the back of my house during work hours. They'd disappear for a few hours then sneak away just before I got home. A former employee told me that he had a video recording that was facing the wrong direction, but the voices caught when the house was empty was talking about getting him tried for theft, despite not having stolen anything. It seems they confused equipment and thought it was their own, but breaking into a house to secure this doesn't seem legal.
April 28, 2025 at 8:56pm Heard a rumor today that the Senior Academic Advisor for Prison Ed does not have a Bachelor's degree!! Quick search of the Advisor in question seems to confirm this. Can anyone else confirm? If true, that is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE! I cannot believe that a Senior Academic Advisor position would not require a degree. The opening listed now requires a Bachelors, with Masters preferred. It is things like this that discredit us as a University.
April 26, 2025 at 5:35pm April 25 @ 6:36 - You might want to take your own advice. The comma you placed after the word spell is inaccurate. Now isn’t this a petty thing that only distracts from the original issue? The original issue being the inappropriate spelling (and likely pronunciation) of a highly respected faculty member—Dr. MARI Centeno.
April 25, 2025 at 6:56pm April 23, 2025 at 12:07pm - Before you critique the writing of others you might spell, and grammar check your own. --Editor's Note: We try to maintain a basic spelling and grammar standard on all comments for readability, but will allow for minor differentiations in composition to maintain commentator voice, intent, and style. Our hope is that we can focus on substantive issues concerning ASU, instead of minor language policing.
April 24, 2025 at 6:54am @ April 23, 2025 at 12:07pm - not sure what you saw as misogynistic? although I 100% agree that the attacks on Mari are unfounded and unnecessary, they had nothing to do with Mari’s gender. There is not even a gender pronoun in that post. Please do not create issues that are not present. There are enough issues with ASU.
April 23, 2025 at 6:57pm April 23 @ 9:08 - I agree with you on all points but one. The faculty do NOT belong to Tandberg. We are not “his” faculty. Thank you for considering that language change.
April 23, 2025 at 12:07pm April 18, 2025 at 8:43am - this type of comment is why it’s so important to bring up threats on higher education and students/faculty. I do find it odd that you have felt the need to attack one of the most dedicated professors this institute has had the luxury of having for as long as they have. to not even have the courtesy of spelling Dr. Mari Centeno’s name correctly in your poorly written blurb is very telling on your misogyny and the type of “information” you consume. Critical thought has seemed to have skipped you entirely, or more likely you choose to remain close-minded.
April 23, 2025 at 9:08am At least Mari said something. Maybe not the best timing but e-team is silent as always and Tandberg prefers to send monologues about the weather and country music instead of addressing the concerns of his faculty!!!!
April 22, 2025 at 5:03pm April 18, 2025 at 8:43am - Do you even work at Adams? Mari serves in so many roles on campus, I am shocked that you wouldn’t even know her name. Her speech was poignant. It was perfect for the ceremony because she appreciates each and every one of us (even people like you who don’t care) by fighting for this university and trying to make it better. Shame on you. Weren’t you ever taught to not bite the hand that feeds you?
April 22, 2025 at 11:43am @April 18, 2025 at 8:43am We'd be coming to much worse of it were not for Mari Centeno and her continued advocacy for this institution and for fellow faculty. Are you one of those people who "doesn't pay attention to politics?" I'm sure you are not that familiar with the university anyway since you don't even know her name is Mari. Don't worry though, she is fighting for all of us, even if some are too buried in the sand to realize it.
April 21, 2025 at 1:46pm @April 20, 4:04 pm, BRAVO!
April 20, 2025 at 4:04pm April 18 @ 8:43am - Who is “Mary” Centeno? I know “Mari” Centeno. I know “Nico” Centeno. I do not know “Mary”. And btw “Mari” is properly pronounced as: M-AH-RR-EE). Roll your Rs and a long E). Whomever you are, I’m sure you wouldn’t be happy with a misspelling or mispronunciation of your own name. What you wrote is a purposeful insult toward a Latina (ie racist, sexist, etc) as you do know better.
April 18, 2025 at 8:43am Employee Recognition Ceremony- WTH was Mary Centeno talking about? Totally inappropriate and definitely not acceptable! Mary Downer. That speech was unacceptable at that ceremony. What is this institution doing? What are we coming to?
April 15, 2025 at 6:16pm April 11 @ 7:18 - It is a milestone for newbies to make it a year. The toxic climate that is Adams State doesn't bode well for longevity….just look at later years' anniversaries—nobody is left. Besides the institution is being run by a bunch of millennials. They all believe everyone should get a trophy for doing nothing...other than complaining and delegating.
April 11, 2025 at 7:18pm Since when do we recognize one year employment? Are things really that desperate? Or is it the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality? Also, if that many faculty are so exemplary, why can’t they attract more students to enroll and persist at Adams?
April 9, 2025 at 9:26pm This Eteam is one of the worst we have had. It is so sad how as employees you go through your chain of command and nothing gets done. You can be attacked by employees who are louder than you and they end up with a pat on the back. Also, to be told by your Eteam representative to not put anything in writing because they don't want the paper trail of a complaint. That is why you cannot get an Eteam member to respond to an email, they all have agreed upon this. I see more and more good employees fed up and looking for other employment but this Eteam keeps on with the delusion of everything being fine, if not better. When will something be done? When will the Board of Trustees take their jobs seriously and look into what is really going on at this University?
March 28, 2025 at 1:51pm @ March 26, 2025 at 8:33am - In FULL agreement!!!! the way certain employees speak is unacceptable. I have heard a certain member of computing services compliment a co-workers breasts, tell her she should wear a bikini to work, etc., and does anything happen? Absolutely not. Another coworker had sexually and racially degrading comments made to them from a coworker and later calling them a slut, but what was the solution? Nothing!
March 26, 2025 at 8:33am @February 24, 2025 at 2:04pm - You should see how some of the employees act. It’s the ones you least expect. Can we normalize custodians interacting professionally without the expectation of hugs, questionable hand placements, or overly familiar pet names like ‘darlin’’ or ‘sweetheart’? Respect and boundaries should be the standard. Hasn’t the patriarchy had its time? I really wish the EEOC were more effective.
March 25, 2025 at 8:31am How rich! Email from Margo (via Fallon) this morning about wanting participation in focus groups about why folks don’t participate (engagement). All administration needs to do is read this website. As if anything will change. Let me give you the readers digest abridged version, Margo: incompetent leadership, bullying, and no work/life balance. I think that sums it up.
March 7, 2025 at 9:22pm February 11, 2025 at 8:21pm - You called it! The data presentation was basically a sh*t sandwich served up on a platter to the campus. Firstly, featuring a slice of the good news on how ASU is practically functioning as an extension of the SLV high school classrooms. Heck, most of the students in that category never even step foot on our campus. And the fact that their “qualified” high school teachers are the instructors and we have drastically discounted their costs means we don’t even get a proper tuition from many of those students. Not really sure how that even counts as “enrollment”. The real sh*t packed in the middle is that we barely have a student attending on campus that isn’t an athlete. Oh, wait… there ARE the local commuters we must recognize, who find this choice a necessary misfortune because they need to stay local, therefore, they make the most of it. But if you consider the rate of transfer and non-completion, the story is still abysmal. And, of course, to round out the data sh*t sandwich, we had to tout the amazing enrollment of Counselor Ed, I mean graduate programs. It only takes 4-5 students or less to get 18% increase in most programs. Does the tuition of 4-5 more students pay the salary of new faculty and staff? And one final question, how do we justify classes of 3 students??? If the administration wants to be taken seriously, then they need to be truthful and start paying attention to the success of those who choose Adams. Not just robbing numbers from local high schools and pretending to be a university.
February 24, 2025 at 2:04pm Bro, everyone at Adams State has an STI. Why do coaches cover everything up for their athletes? And they aren't even good at what they do. None of the sports here are good yet Adams State treats them like they are gold. Players are constantly SA'ing people and nothing is EVER done. KICK THEM OUT!
February 23, 2025 at 2:56am @ February 21, 2025 at 6:30am - You're welcome. The thing with leadership issues is that their going to happen. Employees shouldn't have to deal with sub-par equipment, lack of support or being tired. With COVID, some people had family members die in hospitals, and due to the isolating measures medical venues took, they weren't allowed to be by their loved ones bedside. The mental trauma/strain COVID brought is unprecedented and that's the part that lasts beyond the mask mandate, social distancing and the working from home. While some people weren't affected by COVID, some people are still experiencing brain fog, anxiety and stress from COVID. These people can be the Grounds personnel, the person next to you or even yourself. Circling back to leadership issues, if the leadership isn't there, how can the employees under them work together and lean on each other? If the support isn't coming from the top, then how can the lowest paid employees feel supported by their colleagues and co-workers. That compassion and team work comes from within the employees. It's not great business practice, I know, but in order to make it feel less sh*tty, the joy has to come from somewhere. I'm also not saying do more than what you're being paid for, please take care of yourself.
February 21, 2025 at 6:30am @ February 20, 2025 at 1:54pm - I thank you for the compassion. Everyone needs it sometimes. Projects are managed everywhere. If they go wrong, it is usually a leadership issue and in most situations, that leadership deficiency is usually corrected. As far as the quality of IT offerings on campus, in general, they are sub-par. That also sounds like a leadership issue. No, I don’t have a ton of compassion for six-figured incompetence. That is a me issue. Exhausted? COVID? COVID did not turn out to be the killer that it was expected to be but we still all got a ton of time off, lots of flexibility in schedules and we’re not expected to do much. Some on campus are still “working” from home and taking advantage of the flexibility. The only people who truly should be exhausted are those that have not had those flexibilities, like Facilities and Grounds. Those individuals are some of the lowest paid on campus and they seem to work the hardest. Those are the people that need and deserve our compassion, not those sitting in their climate controlled offices, managing the workday rollout.
February 20, 2025 at 1:54pm I think the comment from February 13, 2025 at 10:37am hits the nail on the head. Sometimes upgrades are required no matter what and that has nothing to do with leadership. Leadership can seem questionable to a person because that person is not privy to all the information known. @ February 20, 2025 at 6:14am, you said "many people seem to think.." Have you asked the "many people" personally what their opinions on ASU leadership are? The goal isn't to attack your opinion, but rather, the goal would be to see where your compassion is. Could it be that people are just tired overall and having to work through a major system implementation is just too much to ask for? First, COVID shook everyone to their core- it made them tired, less invested in their jobs and socially isolated. Millions of people died. Second, the current political climate can be very stressful to a person and their situations and it can cause a lot of uncertainty. Some people have been ostracized by their families based on who they voted for. Third, many that moved to the San Luis Valley find it very challenging to adjust to the culture. Settling into a new place, particularly with a family, is already hard, now imagine trying to do that in a workplace that is just flat out exhausted. These are by no means excuses. I just think everyone, on all sides of this implementation equation, could use some compassion. @ February 20, 2025 at 6:14am, you sound like you need some compassion passed on to yourself and I hope you find it.
February 20, 2025 at 6:14am @ February 13, 2025 at 10:37am - you sound like the person running the show. Many people seem to think leadership is questionable at this university. That includes leadership over things like the workday implementation. Everyone sees the quality of IT services across campus. Was it expected that a new IT implementation would be better when it is the same people “leading”?
February 14, 2025 at 5:48pm February 13, 2025 at 5:09pm - You would think that's gaslighting because you think your own opinion is fact. It's laughable at best.
February 14, 2025 at 8:26am February 13, 2025 at 1:31pm - Well you sound like you don't even work at ASU, so your "facts" aren't applicable to the correct information known and I wouldn't expect you to know that. Unless you can pull your "facts", we're just two people bickering on some random website for disgruntled people.
February 13, 2025 at 5:09pm February 13 @ 10:37 am - Rather than gaslighting February 11 and surfing the internet during business hours, you should spend your work time doing your work. Talk about misuse of tax and tuition dollars.
February 13, 2025 at 1:31pm February 13 @ 10:37 am - You have many excuses like the administration. You have absolutely no justification. Forward thinking would have included proper training and communication many, many months ago—neither of which have been adequate. And that is not baseless. That is a fact.
February 13, 2025 at 10:37am February 11, 2025 at 8:01am - Have you ever successfully implemented a multi-level, complex online platform at an institution of higher learning? It's easy to say people are doing it wrong because it doesn't work properly. It's another to post base-less gossip on the internet. With any new implementation, there are going to be errors, there are going the be things that need to be cleaned up. I imagine ASU faced similar measures when they implemented Banner how many years ago? If a person is not capable of forward thinking, then you're going to struggle with something new.
February 13, 2025 at 7:31am February 11 @ 8:21pm - You are correct! This is just one symptom of a much broader problem which is a corrupt administration/organization.
February 11, 2025 at 8:21pm @ February 11, 2025 at 8:01am - The term "unprofessional" merely scratches the surface of this multifaceted issue—it's, quite frankly, only the tip of the iceberg! The lack of accountability within this institution is glaringly evident, and it is common knowledge among the populace. Individuals are engaging in a level of effort that can only be described as minimal, largely because there are no consequences for failing to meet expectations. While it is convenient to attribute this malaise to inadequate training, the unvarnished truth is that the majority of individuals did not attend the training sessions that were made available. This speaks volumes about their commitment, or lack thereof, to their responsibilities. Furthermore, the true apprehension lies in the enrollment figures that will soon come to light. I anticipate a rather illuminating revelation, but I have no doubt that there will be attempts to manipulate the data to present a more favorable narrative. It is a classic case of spinning the facts to obfuscate the reality. We shall see how this unfolds, but rest assured, the numbers will tell a story that is difficult to ignore—unless, of course, one is determined to remain willfully blind to the truth.
February 11, 2025 at 6:55pm @February 11, 2025 at 8:01am - Never a dull moment. My guess is that Margaret will retire soon as things will get real over the next year or two. My guess is before May 2026.
February 11, 2025 at 8:01am I think Margaret wouldn’t have to send “urgent” or “critical” emails had this failure of an administration done the workday implementation properly, which should have included training, timely communication about new practices, etc. In typical ASU fashion, it’s by the seat of our pants, last minute, lacking communication, and frankly embarrassingly unprofessional.
February 6, 2025 at 6:00am I guess the “valley way” does not work outside the valley.
January 31, 2025 at 9:36pm "Less than a year after taking the reins of the university, Colorado State University Pueblo President Armando Valdez has resigned. A Jan. 31 news release from the Colorado State University System stated the system’s board of governors accepted Valdez’s resignation “effective immediately. Following an independent investigation, Mr. Valdez was found to have violated a university policy. While Mr. Valdez disagrees with the conclusions of that investigation, he recognizes that it has caused him to lose the confidence of the Board of Governors and CSU System leadership. As a result, to allow the university to move forward, he resigned his role,” CSU System officials said in the release." CSU Pueblo president resigns after alleged violation of university policy
January 31, 2025 at 9:14pm Red Rover, red rover send Armando Valdez on over.
January 25, 2025 at 6:19pm It is possible that the Title IX department could effect change by hiring personnel with an education rather than hiring individuals who lack empathy for others.
January 25, 2025 at 7:02am I am sorry, I think the Title IX office on campus is a joke and often used to investigate departments on campus that have nothing to do with Title IX offenses rather than working actual Title IX issues. That is the OEO part of the office and it is used to instill the will of the administration. They are there to protect the administration, not the females who they should really be protecting. Remember why Title IX was put in place in 1972? To end sex-based discrimination. This Title IX office was a huge supporter of previous presidents like McClure and we know how that turned out. I should say part of the Title IX office, there is one individual that works hard in that office and has the right motivations but that does not appear to be the case for all.
January 23, 2025 at 9:00am @December 5, 2024 at 9:44 - Just because you are not privy to the details/results of a report does not mean Title IX has failed or not done their job. Title IX must respect the wishes of the SURVIVOR, not just do whatever YOU wish to see done. If you have more details, please, by all means, share. Otherwise, stop spouting untruths just for the sake of fear mongering or to further your own agenda. That DOES NOT help our campus and the survivors trying to live their lives here.
December 21, 2024 at 3:33pm @December 10 at 4:46pm and December 11 at 8:18am: Is this your attack work, Nick or Heidi? This sure sounds a lot like how both of you talk. Why don't both of you learn how to mind your own business, learn how to do your jobs, and stop attacking others? You both are selfish and only focused on doing things for personal gain. You both are the fat that ASU needs to cut out.
December 13, 2024 at 6:18pm @December 11, 2024 at 10:03pm - Please provide more details. Otherwise, why post the gossip?
December 11, 2024 at 10:03pm Our athletic staff need to do a better job of doing “Background Checks” on who they hire. There's definitely some eye raising activities going on. Coaches (Male) following newly graduated high school females, females who are currently still in high school, student athletes & liking their non-sports related photos… & not to mention, PORNSTARS… DISGUSTING. You’re supposed to be a mentor & leader. A pillar of the community but instead exhibiting predatory behavior. Great Hire Adams
December 11, 2024 at 8:18am @December 10, 4:46 pm - The VPSA is extremely rude and lacks professional etiquette. She does not engage nor contribute to discussions. She needs to get off her phone! Isn't that a basic attribute of a leader?
December 10, 2024 at 4:46pm Perhaps if the VPSA traded her phone for a To Do List, we might see some actual progress.
December 6, 2024 at 7:36pm @December 5, 2024 at 9:44pm - Please expound as why Title 9 fails?
December 5, 2024 at 9:44pm Once again, Title IX has failed miserably. This whole department needs to be researched in depth and needs to be restructured!
December 5, 2024 at 2:48pm @December 3, 2024 at 7:36pm - That was also the reason I didn't go.
December 3, 2024 at 7:36pm ASU holiday party??? What a joke. Definitely not a party. And now we can’t bring our kids! We are truly not valued.
December 3, 2024 at 1:18pm Rather than calling HR about the missing requested salary records, perhaps one should call the Secretary of State, Jena Griswold. Tracy Rogers is clearly in violation of CORA.
December 2, 2024 at 10:17am @November 23, 2024 at 8:01am - Don't worry seems like many positions are missing on that list, myself included.
December 1, 2024 at 8:11am A change of leadership? ASU has been hiring it's own kind for many years and running off others through Anomalous Health Incidents, they need to be charged for the murders they have caused through what's viewed as suicides, the lives they've wrecked for what's viewed as self destructive behavior, and they need to be held accountable for all the harm they have caused. You ever wonder why a Physical fitness testing facility that's not used for academic testing has EMF paint? You ask the staff and they give every answer but a straight one, gaslighting is clearly a weapon of choice there. Those who are targeted know why they have the paint, it's because these RF attacks can be used to manipulate physical performance. Colorado recently passed a law to protect neurological and biological privacy protections because of incidents like these.
November 23, 2024 at 8:01am Just curious why the salaries for the University president and new provost are not listed on the salary data report for 2024-25? --Editor's Note: These salary sheets are prepared by ASU HR; inquiries regarding any errors or omissions should be directed to their office.
November 18, 2024 at 1:47pm Following up with @November 15, 2024 at 9:00am, there is no silent part about it. This was a battle cry of opposition when Svaldi built that dumb stadium thinking it would revitalize campus. Instead, it sent ASU into near bankruptcy and added over 60 million in debt. Can't survive without resources and it's tied up in debt. That monstrosity on the north side of campus is still dragging this campus down and good people like coach Harrison go down with the ship. Administration only sees him as a part of the admissions team to get to census goals and not a teacher of young men. It doesn’t help that some faculty/football coaches have been quite chummy with the president’s office over the years keeping this cheap charade up.
November 17, 2024 at 6:35pm @ November 13-24-In reference to Heidi, we presume that you refer to DR. Heidi Schneider- is she too leaving? Or is this wishful thinking or an assumption?
November 17, 2024 at 9:40am Looks like the head football coach, Jarrell Harrison is leaving.
November 17, 2024 at 8:28am For all of you ASU Pollyannas out there, why are you even on here reading if you’re not willing to consider that not everyone is happy with leadership? If you’re not willing to consider that maybe there are problems? Problems that could easily be fixed? If you’re not willing to engage and ask WHY? Seems to me you are just as toxic as those you point the finger at. Remember every time you point a finger, several more are pointing back at you. Why do you think many of us don’t show up? Because any ideas that aren’t the “in group’s” (aka Heidi, Nick, Jess, etc) are shut down and those people are ultimately excluded. And we use this outlet as November 7 @9:36 pointed out... leadership doesn’t listen. They will retaliate.
November 15, 2024 at 12:14pm @October 21, 2024 at 8:56am - I could not agree more. The amount of misinformation I see on this page, along with the amount of people who seem to just take what’s written here at face value & repeat it with no attempt at research into whether it is correct is ridiculous. And the amount of people at ASU who are quick to complain but do not do anything to help or participate, while the same amazing, generous group of people participate, plan and show up for each other and others over and over and over, many times on their own time is overwhelming. I, for one, am extremely grateful for the work Dr. Tandberg, Heidi, Title IX and others do on this campus, and the kind, positive attitude Dr. Tandberg and his family brings to ASU and the many events they attend. Do better, people.
November 15, 2024 at 9:00am I’m saying the silent part out loud. It is time to scrap the football program. Go ahead and win the last game because nobody really cares. Don’t hire a new coaching staff. Don’t put more money into the program (as if ASU has any to spare). Don’t even buy new uniforms. Get rid of all of it. How many football embarrassments did we endure this season let alone over the last 2 decades? Teams are beating us by 7 and 8 touchdowns before the 4th quarter starts. Pueblo could have scored over 100 points. There were maybe 30 people in the bleachers in the 4th quarter at the homecoming game. HOMECOMING?! Where was everybody at? Divide 1/2 of the football budget (maybe $1 million a year?) with our other sports and make them unstoppable. Imagine wrestling and the basketball teams with extra cash for scholarships? They’d be crazy good like track and cross country. Use the other 1/2 of the money to fix all the disgusting broke down buildings we have to use. The whole stadium-dorm project is a complete failure and Tandberg has no clue what to do. Doesn't Tandberg see this catastrophe from his stadium suite while enjoying filet and libations? It’s time to move on and do what’s right for Adams. The quirky carnivals and car shows sure aren’t helping.
November 14, 2024 at 10:48am I've been Nazi saluted and had many staff throw up the white supremacy sign. Been ignored and then harassed by the administration constantly in clear efforts to brush recordings and the truth under the rug. ASU is a white supremacists' safe haven and they go to great lengths to protect their racist allies. Michael from facilities was one who threw up the white supremacist sign at me. The administration ignores video and requires to be sued before you get any bit of honesty out of them. ASU just loves the HSI designation because they can funnel those funds into heavily Caucasian areas and leave minority groups with leftover spaces. --Editor's Note: We have received a request to have this comment removed, but the author of the comment does not have a matching IP address with that of the request. Until we can verify the comment's author is making the request for removal, we will leave it displayed here.
November 13, 2024 at 6:48pm Adams State University? More like Adams State University High School. This is what happens when there is no admission standards and anyone can get in. This place sells a false idea that anyone can get a degree. We have students who cannot read. We have students who cannot do basic math. We have students who cannot even write a complete sentence. And faculty are told to work with students and under pressure to pass them along so the numbers look good. Who paid attention to the last campus update? President Tandberg made sure to talk fast through the numbers. Enrollment is flat because concurrent students made up the difference to get the numbers back to flat. Concurrent enrollment is a great opportunity, but how many stay and work on finishing their undergraduate here compared to those who take their associates degree and go somewhere else? Enrollment is down in many places. How many students are in music, art, and theater? How many students are in English? Who is holding accountability here? Other parts of Adams is suffering like athletics. What is going to happen to the sports that do not win like football and soccer? President Tandberg should really think hard about the direction he is trying to take this place. It starts with looking at his inner circle. People do not trust those with power in Richardson Hall. Heidi leaving is a good start. More need to leave. So what is this place, a university or a high school? Bring back academic standards. Recruit students who are able to be successful and the issues with retention will improve. Make sure this place has resources for the marginalized students. Frustration from faculty will reduce. Time to get real with things.
November 7, 2024 at 9:36am Oh, it's just delightful that a website like this is necessary, isn’t it? I mean, really, what a world we live in where people have to post their grievances online just to feel like someone—anyone—is listening. Meanwhile, the university leadership? Oh, they’re pros at the "ignore, cover up, and delay" game. Assistant VPs, Chairs, directors, deans—pick a title. They’re all just different flavors of the same administrative ineptitude. And don’t even get me started on the toxic rendezvous they call AC meetings, where they rip into each other but never address, you know, the actual problems. Oh, and those "private" director meetings? Please. We all know they’re just secret plotting sessions where the rest of us aren’t invited to witness their brilliant scheming. Let’s talk about the real kicker—publicly funded, mind you—and the sheer ridiculousness that goes on behind closed doors. Bogus data? Check. Inflated headlines? Double check. If the public had any clue how much taxpayer money gets burned on these so-called "searches" at this rinky-dink university, there would be riots in the streets demanding refunds! So many people from Denver to Santa Fe are aware of the crazy amount of money from grants wasted on programs that couldn’t produce a respectable result if their lives depended on it. What a tragic comedy! But sure, bring up these glaring issues in person, I dare you. You’ll be smacked down faster than you can say “politically correct nonsense.” It’s no wonder this website exists—to give people an outlet when they’ve been silenced by the small-minded administrators/leaders running this circus.
November 4, 2024 at 9:01pm --Editor's Note: We have posted ASU 2024-2025 salary data.
November 3, 2024 at 5:54pm I’ll confirm the give-the-student-the-benefit-of-the-doubt grading push by AA (either directly or through department chairs). This nonsense has been around since Svaldi and although I haven’t been directly implicated a few of my colleagues have. The hard sciences are particularly under the microscope. It is in reference to something called the C-D-E list which gives focus to an inordinate amount of those grades earned by students from individual faculty. Perhaps it’s uber-noticeable now since enrollment is completely in the tank. Imagine being a highly regarded professor at ASU for over 20 years and suddenly under fire by an Instructor of Photography for not “adapting” your grading to the ill prepared “student profile”. Ludicrous. And academic advisors are stuck in the middle and thrown under the bus if the numbers don’t improve. To a point made earlier, yes open enrollment makes Adams look easy and undesirable. I don’t trust the census numbers either.
October 23, 2024 at 8:09am October 21, 2024 at 12:21pm - Dr. Darrell Jackson (Cottonwood Dental) is absolutely top notch, very professional, and equipped with the very latest dental technology. You won't find a better dentist.
October 21, 2024 at 12:21pm Question: New faculty member needs a local dentist. Looked on Anthem, it appears that the only ones in network are with Valley Wide. Does anyone know of a good local dentist that is in-network aside from Valley Wide? Any help is appreciated.
October 21, 2024 at 8:56am The attitude of this page is a direct reflection on the people who love to complain that ASU never does enough. They're the ones who are constantly complaining about not being paid enough, being asked to do ANYTHING that is within their job description and are the most toxic in their positions. These are typically the same folks that take advantage of ASU's generosity and accepting environment. If you want more money, go to a bigger institution. Also if you're at ASU for the money, your morals don't align with the goals of the institutions and you shouldn't be working here any way. Then there are the general public that are uneducated in the happenings and politics of ASU who chose to be keyboard warriors without any fact to their biased opinions. They love to spread misinformation about anything positive that happens in Alamosa, or the San Luis Valley for that matter. Unfortunately, those types of people are everywhere. It is unfortunate that they are invasive on this page.
October 17, 2024 at 9:13am @10/16 at 10:35am - Dr. Heidi Schneider is the Inclusive Excellence Liaison (IEL). What other faculty or staff is willing to step up? No one! Unless you’re willing to step up/show up - then hush up.
October 16, 2024 at 10:35am Why was Heidi in charge of Hispanic Heritage Month? She is not Hispanic! and we all know she got Diversity Officer because she has special access to the administration and can cry the loudest. Makes sense it was the poorest HHM since COVID. Once again, the university loves it's diversity titles but does nothing, and actually passes over, it's Hispanic faculty. SHAMEFUL!
October 15, 2024 at 2:39pm Several students are reporting what sounds like "gangstalking", which is now gaining credibility from government agencies and Colorado has recently passed legislation to protect neurological and biological functions. There's a faraday cage protecting a room in East Campus that's used for performance testing. In an academic testing area that might make sense, but in a room that tests for biological functions? Former staff are reporting similar incidents. One student suggested holding a piece of Mylar over your ears as you can hear what sounds like dust hitting the material.
October 12, 2024 at 7:11am @October 10, 2024 at 2:54pm - this is absolutely shocking to me. Are you saying that AA is encouraging you to lower the bar in grading? This will be the end of ASU and will cause the ASU degree to be worth less than the paper it is printed on. I have no idea what the graduation rate is for Adams but I am sure it is terrible. Shame on those professors, especially the tenured ones, for dumbing it down. Faculty is strong at ASU but if it just falls short when standing up for the right thing. Do the right thing people, if it fails, it will be your fault for allowing it to be run into the ground. I agree, however, that university is not for everyone. ASU should not be offering the remedial classes in English and Math. That is not the role of a university. Students should not be admitted without being able to pass basic, college level math and English classes. This is not an “equity” issue; there are resources available, from appropriate sources, that these students can take advantage of to get their basic skills up to a university level, before admission. In this valley, there are lots of these programs available and they are cheaper than the university’s tuition rate. We do compete with TSJC (TSC now) and that is not what should be happening. We should be encouraging the remedial students to attend TSC to get their basic skills up to speed and then be recruiting the 2nd year students from TSC to attend ASU. This would be of service to the students, TSC and ASU.
October 10, 2024 at 2:54pm Thank you @August 13, 2024 at 11:37 am for that insight. I’d like to take the enrollment discussion a few steps further so feel free to comment. It’s time to scrap the open admissions policy. And here’s why all the nervousness around census really doesn’t matter. Nearly two months into the semester and it's beyond obvious about a third of my students read below the fifth grade level. These students shouldn’t be enrolled at a community college and here they sit at ASU. The “melt” Margaret talks about started weeks ago because these poorly prepared kids are leaving or not showing up to class or required advising meetings. No matter how many times they’re flagged. Lord forbid I bring this up again with Margaret and Nick. Our good friends in academic affairs have already shot back with guilt trip sound bites like “perhaps you should reconsider the D and E grades when grading” or “is your grading scale equitable” and the always enlightening “can ‘we’ review your syllabus to assist in your teaching methods?” This is the retention policy Tandberg implemented to lift up his subjective nerd stats and bullet points on upward mobility? Hand out good grades and hope they come back and keep the money flow churning? We’re being asked to build in remedial coursework geared for middle school students. Meanwhile students excelling in the classroom are the ones being throttled. As someone said earlier forget CU, CSU or Springs or Pueblo for that matter. We can barely compete with Trinidad State. The ASU enrollment model now is nothing more than a diploma mill. No wonder the admissions leadership left over the summer.
October 10, 2024 at 6:45am In my opinion, Title IX/OEO seems to create issues where there are none and ignore the legitimate ones. It seems like the director is rarely available but the assistant director does appear to be available most hours. I think with the lack of the director availability, the assistant is overwhelmed. This seems to be a leadership issue. I thought that ASU worked off the core hours of 9am-3pm and staff should be on campus during those hours. I think the issues with the title IX/OEO office could be largely resolved if their office was staffed as designed and all employees were in the office during core hours. If the staff is in the office during core hours, doors should be open. This may be a perception issue that needs to be addressed. This is simply my opinion based on perceptions. Maybe I am incorrect in my assumptions. I am open to hearing other opinions and would love to hear a response from that office.
October 7, 2024 at 8:28pm Title IX department sucks! Anytime you think you are ready to report something or have the nerve to finally talk to them, they are NEVER available or in office. They preach all this bs about safe spaces and bullshit apps and they are absolutely pointless.
October 6, 2024 at 3:03pm @ October 4, 2024 at 5:57pm - Speaking of misleading press releases... the headlines read ASU has a 5% bump in enrollment. Someone in Richardson is playing loose with reality and what census number really show. It’s not cool. Especially to those of us who make a living in the statistical realm and know how this manipulation works. So where does this so called “growth” come from? Quick answer... Continuing Ed. 1. Prison Education Program. Prison students didn’t get federal aid last year so prison numbers were in the tank. So any positive prison numbers this year resets to the 2022 baseline numbers. Disingenuous to even lump this in. These are part-timers. 2. Co-matriculants who fill up our half empty classrooms. More part-timers. Hardly a money stream worth bragging about since ASU gives AHS a lowball tuition rate to beat out TSC for numbers. You read that correctly. Our top competition is TSC and in more ways than this, unfortunately. 3. Professional and personal improvement courses. Have you considered taking ‘How to Bake Pies at High Altitude’ or ‘Tamales for Dummies’? Sure there are some professional certificate programs in there, but most are outsourced online at exorbitant rates. These are mainly noncredit courses, but if you sweet talk Academic Affairs, you can get a waiver and count toward graduation requirements. The biggest indicators of growth and financial stability are full time undergrad enrollment (down), full time grad enrollment (down), and dorm occupancy (less than 65 percent is what I’m told from housing). All horrible for like 12-15 years in a row. Someone is playing a dangerous game bragging about an increase in REAL census numbers. ASU is in some serious trouble. Anyone from the private sector knows that this can't last. Buckle up because the politicos in Denver ain’t saving us.
October 2, 2024 at 5:57pm What an outstanding press release by Tandberg about Heidi Schneider. Errr, I mean the new equity person. What was his name again?
September 17, 2024 at 7:15pm --Editor's Note: Due to a data management glitch, we haven't posted comments here for the past six weeks. Upon retrieval, all comments since July 24th have now been posted. New poll questions have also been added. Our apologies for this delay and thank you for your patience.
September 17, 2024 at 7:34am The so-called rumors about the Presidential Beerfest aren’t new. Just surprised it took so long to hit the town. Faculty have been whispering about it for over a year. If this alleged incident did occur, it is high time Faculty Senate actually did something of substance for once, like put in motion a formal inquiry. Supposedly not just Trustees in attendance if you believe the whispers. Cabinet members, executive team and dining staff, too, Plus spouses and partners. Video/photo proof or not, this needs to be addressed. It would be horrible if the trustees appointed yet another president with behavioral issues.
September 16, 2024 at 9:22am So, rumor has it that exempt staff got a second salary adjustment starting 09/01/2024. They adjusted salaries to me more in line with the State of Colorado by taking years of service into consideration. Thus, giving some individuals salary increases in excess of 20% this year excluding the 5% COLA from July. Would be very interesting to get those compensation lists earlier this year than in previous years. Anyone have access?
September 14, 2024 at 9:14pm @July 24, 2024 at 11:46am - Please. You might look up gaslighting. Calling someone out for making disparaging statements without proof doesn’t meet the standard for gaslighting. All the person said was to not gossip, and not trash people without evidence. Chill.
September 12, 2024 at 6:12am Undergrad admissions up. Even if it is only part-timers.
September 3, 2024 at 1:55pm Interesting. When Dr. Svaldi eliminated the title provost so that he could promote his partner in crime Novotny, Margaret herself said we were too small to have a provost. Did I miss the growth? Next step Deans. How will we afford these more expensive titles and new Assistant VPs? Tandberg is worse than Lovell.
August 18, 2024 at 7:22pm Bring on Fall 24!
August 13, 2024 at 12:03pm I would like to poll ASU, as follows: POLL HERE
August 13, 2024 at 11:37am I am compelled to address an issue I have long avoided discussing publicly. The challenges facing our university are severe and escalating, and it is evident that strong leadership is urgently needed to steer us away from this crisis. Our institution is deteriorating before our eyes. Enrollment figures continue to decline, a trend that has persisted for years and should be a significant cause for concern. Despite the modest drop in numbers each semester, the long-term trajectory is troubling. This downward spiral in enrollment highlights a systemic issue in our approach to hiring and accountability. We seem to be trapped in a cycle of hiring individuals who are expected to conform to a pre-existing, insular culture—often those who will not challenge the status quo. I believe the recent appointment of the new Vice President for Enrollment Management exemplifies this trend, but that remains to be seen. We continue to fill positions with individuals who fit the "Good Ol' Boys" network rather than those who bring innovative ideas and a commitment to real change. The recent departure of the Director of Admissions who was hired in tandem with her partner, the head of Graduate Studies, underscores a pattern of problematic staffing decisions. Both positions are now vacant, and the critical role of Director of Admissions must be filled by someone who not only has the experience but is also held accountable for the issues of low enrollment. Moreover, our processes are ineffective: we collect lists of students who have stopped out or are nearing completion, for example, but these lists go nowhere. Our approach to admissions is equally flawed; we admit students without ensuring follow-through, leading many to attend other institutions. Our operational inefficiencies extend to campus interactions and student services. Prospective students arrive for tours only to find no one available to assist them. Transfer students are admitted and enrolled without timely communication. Phone calls go unanswered. Our staff is overwhelmed, often struggling to manage their responsibilities while adapting to a new system that has proven to be inadequate. The Workday system, which was supposed to streamline our operations, has instead become a burden. The system lacks essential functions such as cashiering and document management, and relies on cumbersome manual processes. Despite its shortcomings, we are spending significant resources on third-party vendors to keep it operational while claiming financial constraints prevent us from hiring additional staff or promoting existing staff when additional duties are thrust upon them. It is clear that Workday has not delivered the promised improvements. Our budget management, financial aid calculations, and even basic student services have suffered. Reports indicate that many institutions like Ohio State, the California State University system and Florida University, have halted their Workday implementations due to similar issues. Our continued commitment to this system, despite its failures, raises questions about the effectiveness of our decision-making processes. We must critically evaluate whether the substantial investment in Workday is justified, given its current and future impact on our operations. The administration’s insistence on pushing forward with an unsustainable plan is troubling. A reevaluation of the timeline and a more cautious approach could allow for better testing and integration of the system if we choose to continue plowing ahead. Furthermore, the funds allocated to Workday or additional administrators could be better used to address pressing needs such as improving campus facilities, increasing staff, or enhancing student services. In conclusion, our university’s challenges are not insurmountable, but they require a shift in how we approach leadership, accountability, and decision-making. We must prioritize the well-being of our students and staff. It is time for a new direction—one that values knowledge and expertise, embraces constructive change, and addresses the real issues facing our institution.
August 11, 2024 at 12:17am 24-25 salary info??
July 25, 2024 at 4:33pm Beer pong. Chugging beers. How boring. Dominatrix McClure had a fully equipped BDSM dungeon in Marvel house. That’s dope.
July 24, 2024 at 11:46am July 15, 2024 at 12:54pm - Their point remains valid. You say there can't be trust when non-ASU folks are "throwing bombs," but your attitude is literally the reason for the distrust. Telling people to shut up and then gaslighting them if they don't have hard proof of their claim is not an environment that builds trust; it intentionally creates discord. Just because it wasn't recorded doesn't mean it isn't true. It's sad that ASU requires everything be recorded otherwise it didn't happen. Then you project by asking them what planet they are from for simply stating their view, which is more of an admission than a rebuttal and also shows their view has more validity over your beratement technique.
July 15, 2024 at 12:54pm July 13, 2024 at 3:05pm - So, you don’t know if the folks at the Kiwanis were from the college. Just guessing. Produce the video. Otherwise shut up. There cannot be trust with folks like you throwing bombs. And who believes that any regional university is a true competitor to the flagship state universities. Please. What planet are you from? Yours is the definition of childish behavior. Put up or shut up.
July 13, 2024 at 3:05pm I don’t know who reads this webpage but somebody told me about it and I’m going to vent a bit. I’m not really sure what goes on over at the college. But what I do know is that I was at the Kiwanis pancake breakfast on the 4th and people standing near me in line (best guess they were from the college) were laughing and joking about some pictures and a video they saw allegedly showing the new Adams president and some trustees chugging beers and playing beer games at some party someplace. I don’t know if this true or a bunch of bluster. It’s airing this type of stuff in public and even hearing about it that has us in town with no trust with Adams. This kind of talk and behaviors never stop. Never. And it’s not even students who are causing the ruckus. Everybody around Alamosa knows the college is hanging on for dear life. I'm told everybody gets accepted there now no matter your grades and enrollment still stinks. Local businesses give lots of money to that college and show up to games and stuff. Geez how much have the banks given alone? Millions of dollars? For what exactly? Childish behavior and back stabbing? I don’t think any body over there likes or cares for each other truly. I’m betting Duane Bussey didn’t sign up for this baloney. Maybe Duane needs to bring in Cleve Simpson and the governor and shut the whole college down and start over with something that works because what’s happening there sure isn’t working and hasn’t been for at least twenty years. And you wonder why we send our kids and grandkids to CU and CSU? That’s all for my venting.
June 16, 2024 at 7:22am June 13, 2024 at 7:44pm - Excellent point on the graphs. I have some comments on the graphs and the message from the President. Need a better vertical axis on the UG enrollment graph. It is hard to determine what the enrollment really is and precisely how different it is from the previous two years. Obviously, it is lower. A table with the data used to produce the graph would be helpful. Lower is not good. FAFSA: We probably can assume that enrollment drop is partially due to FAFSA, but we can’t say it is purely due to FAFSA. Perhaps it is also due to the change to WorkDay which made registration a pain. It may be due to lower HS graduation numbers in our feeder high schools and junior colleges. Chances are it is all of the above. The weekly change in enrollment graph definitely shows that there is volatility in weekly enrollment. All three years are different. Not sure how David comes to the conclusion that this year is distinctly different than the other two. Weekly enrollment numbers are volatile. Period. I appreciate his optimism on increasing enrollment, but enrollment always increases as we approach census. That said, any drop in fall enrollment is a significant issue with a school the size of Adams. Another big takeaway is the size of our graduate enrollment compared to our undergraduate enrollment. Adams would be in big trouble without distance graduate programs. I hope that the 2024-25 budget is not based on 2023-24 numbers. Currently, it looks like we could be down about 200 UG and 110 Graduate students from last fall – but who knows.
June 13, 2024 at 7:44pm @ June 5, 2024 at 12:49am - I see your comment got the attention of ASU leaders. Social media stories about the status of the Rex apartments was peculiarly timely. One wonders if there are any deeper implications to the university's attempt to use the “newly remodeled” apartments at the Rex to soothe the fears of new and returning students, especially after the graphs shared in the president’s latest data horror story.
June 5, 2024 at 12:49am I just wanna say, Living in the residences at Adams State was mentally scarring. It was horrible for my physical and mental health, the mold issue is outrageous and horrible. The apartments are so incredibly dirty, you might as well just never check in with students. It seems to me like they are only trying to keep drugs out of the University residences and they don't care about other issues such as cleanliness, or just like, I don't know, basic maintenance. Like invest in some cooking classes or something for the short term, holy shit, anything to bring up morale for students to give a shit about their residences would be awesome. Honestly though the administration, housing, maintenance, (lets be real the blame doesn't just sit with one department) should have managed the residences better, not because they can or have all the extra resources to do it, but for the fucking students. Family housing is just as bad. In the dorms there are issues with sexual assault, domestic violence, discrimination, and just so much more. Also in my experience admin all over campus was incredibly hard to work with upon my first meetings with them and I was often sent on wild goose chases around campus because of miscommunications between departments. It got easier once I started just coming in completely and absolutely prepared to take care of my issues and troubleshoot their problems. I don't think it should have felt like I consistently had more information about administrative processes at the school than the actual admin. Higher up administration may have looked good to the recent graduating class, but honestly, seeing the treatment of several classes of freshman since I had gone there, I think the school is completely on a path to ruin its relationship with the student body. Actually it already sucks pretty bad. Good fucking luck, I hope you can learn to actually respect each other someday and foster that in Freshman classes. I thought I was helping but I think I only made my life and a few others lives a bit easier. Insincerely, a person who finally got the big D. Oh and of course, To all the people who are amazing and got me through it, anonymously, you are fantastic, I love you, drink some water, decompress.
May 17, 2024 at 5:57am @ May 15, 2024 at 6:53pm - I am sorry but I think you are wrong here. Attire should be more professional. If there are issues with feet, there are plenty of professional looking sneakers. I did not see anything sexist in the previous post so not sure why you are trying to justify sub-professional attire by trying to spin it as sexist. I think the commenter was simply pointing out the unprofessional dress of two high ranking employees. Academics are arguably the reason most students go to college and the VPAA is the leader of that. Leaders need to lead and dressing in jeans and sneakers for one of the most important days of many of our students lives, is simply disrespectful. Do better.
May 15, 2024 at 6:53pm Re: May 11 @ 1:56 - Of all the problems we have—and there are many—are we seriously worried about Margaret’s and Savala’s attire? I certainly understand the need to dress to impress and that is a lot of the reason the board and Dr. Tandberg now have green robes. But this comment is: 1. Sexist (only women attacked here. Lots of male hooders during graduate commencement wore in tennis shoes). 2. Lacks empathy for potential medical issues where only tennis shoes or similar can be worn. As a cancer survivor who has many issues with ankle, joint and foot pain due to cancer medications and treatment, I can only wear tennis shoes. Let’s focus on real problems and stop being so petty.
May 11, 2024 at 1:56pm If you are sitting on the stage at a college graduation you need to look sharp. That is a no-brainer. There are donors and politicians that can affect our funding in the audience, and we have folks that, again, are dressed like middle school PE teachers. Someone needs to coach-up the VPAA and the VP for Student Affairs. Jeans and tennis shoes are not appropriate. Buy a nice pair of shoes and some slacks. You make a six-figure income. You can afford it. Someone PLEASE explain proper dress to these folks and take them shopping if necessary.
May 8, 2024 at 12:39pm Watched the Campus Update presentation today. Some takeaways: The number of students registered for fall classes is over 200 lower than the same date last year. This is horrible news. Grad enrollment is also down. Not sure how much a single student contributes to revenue. I hope that our e-team does. How many students are necessary to pay for the salary and benefits of the equity officer? The CTIR person?.... I make these to be luxury items. I truly hope that the e-team has done some contingency planning. Something beyond scrambling to get students registered during finals week. I am worried.
May 2, 2024 at 8:54pm SLV community are really criticizing the theatres choice of showing “Stupid FXcking Bird”
April 26, 2024 at 7:38pm Editor's Note: A string of comments and messages were submitted on April 19th and the most coherent summary of them was posted here so readers can decide for themselves what to make of the messages. Save us. Those were the most coherent. The bar is really low. Might be entertaining or saddening to see the posts that did not make the cut.
April 26, 2024 at 6:58pm April 25, 2024 at 12:24pm You nailed it. The moderator decided that those posts were relevant enough to post. Wonder how more irrelevant the other posts were. Wow! --Editor's Note: Around the same time, the same user sent abusive private messages to us, as well. Likely those will be the last posts we publish for the reasons already discussed.
April 25, 2024 at 12:24pm April 19, 2024 at 6:50am. The reason that we have Title IX people is to ensure that Adams is in compliance with Title IX – not to counter a perfectly legal statement of free speech. Realize I am pro-choice, but our Title IX people should not be involved (at work) in anything but Title IX. The moderator needs to do a better job. The silly stuff posted by April 23, 2024 at 11:06pm, April 19, 2024 at 7:55pm, April 19, 2024 at 7:09pm, should not have made it past their screening. More of a message to the moderator than a post. --Editor's Note: A string of comments and messages were submitted on April 19th and the most coherent summary of them was posted here so readers can decide for themselves what to make of the messages. Readers never see the many previous submissions which are even more irrelevant and off-topic, but at least some sampling of them here demonstrates the ranges of submissions we receive. We may decline to publish more in the future, but strive to ensure every point of view is represented whenever possible.
April 23, 2024 at 11:06pm have yall seen split that shit sucks
April 19, 2024 at 7:55pm Yeah these guys are rude and don’t know what they are doing you need to do better like how can it be so bad fix it because it’s embarrassing can you guys actually try - John
April 19, 2024 at 7:09pm Hey yall, yall are some weird ass virgins yall gotta get some hoes and maybe a hobby lmaoo get ur money up mf what’s up i’m back mf’s it’s weird yall got all this time to talk shit online but no racks in the bank yall 40+ complaining anonymously on the internet have yall ever had a real job???? have u cone heads ever left the goddamn valley weird as mfs who tryna get freaky - Finn Mertins
April 19, 2024 at 6:50am @April 17, 2024 at 4:25pm - Title IX showed their concern by being involved in the counter-protest and providing resources to students. While many do not agree with allowing this group on campus, they are protected under their First Amendment right to free speech. Instead of questioning Title IX, I encourage you to reach out to them for support in challenging the University officials who allow this group on campus.
April 18, 2024 at 12:04pm @ April 17, 2024 at 4:25pm - Have you asked Title IX to see if they are concerned?
April 17, 2024 at 4:25pm Student here: This is the second year in a row that during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the "Right for Life" a pro-life group has set up their booths and posters in front of McDaniel Hall. Regardless or not ASU is pro-life or pro-choice, isn't it a slap in the face for sexual assault victims? Especially coming from a very preachy group that comes all the way from Texas to do this? Is this just another horrible yearly tradition for ASU? Shouldn't Title IX be concerned?
April 4, 2024 at 3:37pm @ April 4, 2024 at 2:05pm - Digital Transformation Initiative for Rural Higher Education
April 4, 2024 at 2:05pm Someone remind me - Exactly why did we switch to WorkDay?
March 5, 2024 at 11:27am Is there any way to get a more usable Excel version of the Salary Data? Normally, I can quickly make it sortable using text to columns. No so this time. Thanks! -- Editor's Response: HR only supplies a single PDF. Converting it back into a spreadsheet likely causes some formatting errors. Feel free to convert the PDF on your machine and compare the results.
March 4, 2024 at 11:44pm When this situation was brought to my attention, I debated whether or not to respond. The comments section of Watching Adams is toxic. Indeed, at one point, presumably grown, nameless adults thought it appropriate to make hateful statements about my then 13 year old child here. I choose not to waste my time on this site, but as I was alerted to certain comments, and because I take my position seriously, I concluded that it was ultimately more harmful to turn a blind eye. That said, there is no valid debate here; ad hominem attacks are not arguments. I do not speak for any organization, including Faculty Senate. I decided to respond as Faculty Senate President because I believe that position also entails advocating for faculty members, individually and as a whole.I am appalled by the misogynistic language used against a woman faculty member here last week. This is not harmless venting, it is a form of violence. If the anonymous poster works at Adams and shares their name, they could easily be charged with sexual harassment, but this issue is far more insidious. That language is also a symptom of rape culture. Because we are supposed to be concerned with education at Adams State, I am providing a short, nutshell article for the anonymous poster’s reference. 16 ways you can stand against rape culture Should they refuse to read the article, here are some key quotes:"Because language is deeply embedded in culture, we may forget that the words and phrases we use each day shape our reality. Rape-affirming beliefs are embedded in our language: “She was dressed like a slut. She was asking for it,” It is part of popular song lyrics: “I know you want it.” It is normalized by objectifying women and calling them names in pop culture and media. You have the power to choose to leave behind language and lyrics that blame victims, objectify women and excuse sexual harassment. What a woman is wearing, what and how much she had to drink, and where she was at a certain time, is not an invitation to rape her.While no one may disagree that rape is wrong, through words, actions and inaction, sexual violence and sexual harassment is normalized and trivialized, leading us down a slippery slope of rape culture."There are plenty of relevant, substantive issues at Adams State that are worthy of discussion. While, middle-school-like rants against a faculty member lack credibility, this series of postings actually does point to one such issue: sexual harassment–utter misogyny–is still a problem in the enlightened halls of academia. Women faculty, staff and students deal with these attitudes every day. How many of us whisper to one another about feeling uncomfortable and outright threatened, but believe that speaking out will be met with eye-rolling, at best. At worst, our work-positions and/or personal lives become even more vulnerable. The attitudes that the poster feels free to express–well, anonymously–are the same that motivate physical violence. It’s not surprising, but it should still always shock us.The anonymous poster brings no valid arguments to the table. I don’t want to give them any more attention than they deserve. I beg of all reasonable people, do not let this violence stand, wherever we see/hear/read it. I recognize that I have a certain privilege to speak out, but may we please support one another in refusing to accept this hatred as normal?Mari Centeno,Faculty Senate President
March 2, 2024 at 2:55pm Salary data for 2023-2024 has been posted.
March 1, 2024 at 11:45am Ah yes, I remember when a novel respiratory virus killed over a million Americans, including members of the ASU community, and those who took an evidence-based approach to reducing risk and improving health outcomes were accused of "fear mongering." Thanks for that reminder! Has the COVIDiot count at ASU gone up or down since 2020?
March 1, 2024 at 6:15am The return of Dr. Jeffaucci. I am sure that you have not been on because you felt pretty dumb after all your COVID fear mongering. Plus, you probably don’t have as much time since you have to actually go in and teach.
February 29, 2024 at 8:49pm I haven't been on here for several years, but I've been made aware of a recent theme that motivated this comment. Regarding Dr. Schneider and Dr. Tandberg, please just stop with your slander. It's bullshit jealousy that hurts two people doing their best for ASU. No need to reply; I won't be here to read it. If you want to talk, come by my office or send me an email. - Jeff Elison
February 27, 2024 at 2:05pm I agree that baseless personal attacks have no place here or in the discourse about how to make Adams State a better university. I also think, as has been stated many times, that ASU has a particular set of problems around issues like: unfairness, unequal treatment, inequitable compensation, administrative favoritism, "mean girl" cliques, an "old boys club" mentality, lack of shared governance, fear of (and actual) retaliation against people who organize and advocate for a more inclusive culture on campus. Prurient speculation about individuals' sex lives is a distraction from all those issues. I'm glad to see others speak up here and remind us what the focus of a professional discussion should be. This forum can be whatever we make of it, so why not try to make it productive, useful, and mission-oriented? We don't need a rumor mill gossiping about who is sleeping with who at Adams. My two cents.
February 26, 2024 at 7:13pm There exists so much work to be done in the service of Adams State’s students and community. It saddens me that any individual would see fit to distract from the real focus of the institution in preference of misguided vindictiveness and idle cruelty. Especially worrisome, this ongoing saga bears all the marks of substance abuse, cowardice, and a fixation bordering on the psychotic.The real Dr. Schneider is someone from whom we could all learn a great deal about determination, service, and dedication to the things that matter. A first-generation student and single mother of two, she has led an active, transformational Equity Board; institutionalized campus recognition of Special Emphasis Observations (e.g. National Women’s History Month); made Adams State the first institution in the state to adopt the uSafeUS app to prevent dating violence; secured financial support for bystander intervention training; played a pivotal role in securing a Department of Justice grant from the Office of Violence Against Women intended to enhance culturally specific services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; and advocated for the securement of better childcare opportunities for working parents through her work with the EPIC Design Lab. She should be enormously proud of these accomplishments; misogynists everywhere ought to fear her success.Denigrating these accomplishments with puerile fantasies and accusations of sexual impropriety and misconduct invoke the patriarchy and the very systems of oppression that Dr. Schneider fights to disable on a daily basis. Any attempt to redirect apparent disgust and a shared condemnation of “February 25, 2024 at 7:38pm” towards a discussion of “fraternization” and a supposed historical pattern of such activity traffics in the same kind of baseless accusations, fraudulent misdirection, and willful deceit that has become the only lasting and significant contribution of Watching Adams.The campus welcomes a statement from Women in Higher Education.
February 26, 2024 at 4:32pm Let’s talk about how fraternization impacts how the university is run, both past and present.
February 26, 2024 at 2:49pm Given the aim of Watching Adams website “..is an effort to communicate information, conduct investigative journalism, and facilitate discourse about Adams State University (ASU), a state-supported liberal arts university in Alamosa, Colorado. It was created out of a recognition that critical and sustained local news coverage of the university did not previously exist and that the university’s equity, transparent governance, and institutional mission were suffering as a result.” I find much of the commentary falls well outside of that remit and seems to promote anonymous, cowardly, unsubstantiated, and cruel character assassinations. The recent vitriolic postings regarding a member of Adams State’s community, Dr. Heidi Schneider, is one such case. The absurd and unsubstantiated attacks directed at Dr. Schneider speak more to the author than the victim (Dr. Schneider). I don’t understand why if someone has an issue with Dr. Schneider or any member of campus why not just address it in an adult manner by speaking directly to the person or persons involved. Constructive dialogue can bring meaningful change. Truly these spurious and patently absurd claims cannot be at the crux of the hate the author holds for Dr. Schneider. Such vile commentary as spewed here is nothing more than blatant bullying, akin to what one encounters at a middle school. The members of the Adams State community are capable of much better behavior.Sincerely,Dr. Colleen M. SchaffnerChair, Psychology DepartmentDirector, School of Humanities and Social SciencesAdams State University
February 26, 2024 at 2:48pm Hello, Although I have been at Adams for quite a while this is my first time on this site. I have heard through others over the years how incendiary, often misogynistic, and nearly always anonymous the posts tend to be. Despite the pain and hurt that many of the unwarranted and unsubstantiated comments have, in my view, unjustly caused many people (mostly women on the ASU campus, past and present employees), my stance has been to say "just ignore it. To engage is to give false narratives undue power." However, I can no longer sit back in silence and hear from various people across campus of the toxicity being posted on this site. I want to publicly express my profound dismay and anger over the slanderous comments directed at Heidi Schneider on this platform. It is deeply troubling to see individuals hide behind the veil of anonymity to spread falsehoods and malicious statements. Such actions not only tarnish the reputation of an innocent person but also reflect a broader issue of irresponsibility and cowardice that seems to permeate online interactions.This is an institution of higher learning. As educators and believers in the greater good, we of all people should understand the power of our words and the impact they can have on others' lives. Now, more than ever, it is so important to foster a community that values truth, kindness, and respect over baseless accusations and negativity. Let us not forget the human behind the screen, a person with feelings, dreams, and struggles, just like any of us.I stand in solidarity with Heidi and many others past and present who have been mistreated and misrepresented, and I stand against the unjust treatment they have faced. I urge those who engage in or condone such behavior to reflect on the consequences of their actions and to choose empathy over enmity. It is only through understanding and compassion that we can hope to build a more inclusive and respectful society.Respectfully,Penny Sanders
February 26, 2024 at 9:40am Sounds like most are jealous of Heidi. University full of PhDs yet this women is what you guys steady talking about.
February 26, 2024 at 6:27am Maybe she is just friendly and you are mistaking it for flirting? I also want to point out that flirting does not last long if there are not two people involved. I am thinking you are just jealous she is not friendly with you. I remember a certain female administrator who used to be awfully flirty with McClure and that seems to have served them well in the long run. I say flirt away!
February 25, 2024 at 7:38pm Re: Feb 26 @ 6:13 - Heidi Schneider? Beautiful? It is precisely her wh***** behavior that makes her one of the ugliest women on campus—inside and out. Yes, Tandberg should nip it. But the fact that she doesn’t care how it impacts Mrs. Tandberg is appalling. There is a special place in hell for sl*** like Heidi. She is a sk*** — hitting on her students and picking up every Tom, Dick, and Harry at Weekends. Maybe that’s why Tandberg would like to shut it down. [Editor's Note: These demeaning personal insults are likely to be interpreted as sexist and misogynistic. They have been censored accordingly and will not be printed here in the future. Commenters are reminded to focus on topics relevant to Adams State University and in a manner reflective of a university campus discussion.]
February 25, 2024 at 6:13pm @February 24 - regarding Heide Schneider's flirtatious behavior. The real question is, what is Tandberg doing about it? He obviously likes it or he would have stopped it and nipped it in the bud. What man does not welcome the attention from a beautiful woman like Heide? It takes two.
February 25, 2024 at 11:01am @February 23 @3:44 pm - When I interviewed for a position at Adams in the teacher ed. department I questioned the low full-time, tenure-track salary and was assured I could add $10K-20K with overloads and supplemental monies. Overloads? Yes, I was told, you will teach more than the 4 + 4 spring & fall, pick up courses in the summer, observe more than x number of student teachers, and pick up extra duties that came with stipends/supplemental pay. I chose to go elsewhere for my academic career. Following all of these comments and the news from Adams it has been a better decision.
February 24, 2024 at 3:32pm Why does Heidi Schneider continue to get away with her unprofessional actions? The way Heidi flirts and interacts with the president is inappropriate and she does this with others in the administration too. It's obvious and uncomfortable how close she is to Tandberg and other men. She needs to learn about professional relationships in the workplace.
February 23, 2024 at 6:44pm To February 23 @ 3:44pm - Overload is the same as supplemental. Additional pay above and beyond base salary and usually much higher than a stipend. This is the very thing that got us into trouble with HLC when teacher ed and extended studies were issuing large amounts pay on the form of stipends and overloads/supplemental. Check counselor ed in particular. They don’t even come close to following university policy. History is definitely repeating itself there.
February 23, 2024 at 3:44pm @February 22, 2024 at 6:31pm - I know what a stipend is but what is overload data?
February 22, 2024 at 6:31pm Feb 22 @ 2:28 don’t just ask for salary data, ask for stipend and overload data too. Shocking!
February 22, 2024 at 2:28pm Anyone have the 2023 / 2024 salary list yet?
February 15, 2024 at 6:39pm @February 14, 2024 at 11:20pm - I feel that you are trying to identify me, but what the hell... I was in attire that is one step below what I would wear for a job interview, and way more professionally dressed that some of our VP's. Appropriate dress varies by position. The president was casual, but still in slacks, nice shirt and a blazer. The VP's and above should be similarly attired - especially when we have visitors on campus.
February 15, 2024 at 6:01pm Bravo to the person who called out administration on violation of a professional dress code. Their attire is shameful. Dress for success!
February 15, 2024 at 1:31pm @ February 14, 2024 at 7:23pm - I agree. By trading MLK day for a day in December the campus is able to close between Christmas and new years. I am not saying it is right, it is what it is. Most seem pretty happy to have that week off every year though. I would be interested to see, if a choice was given, which option most employees would choose. Most years, I believe, have a “forced” PTO day one of the days in December, to have a continuous closure. Employees do not have an option of working that day and must take a day off, I am pretty sure.
February 14, 2024 at 11:20pm @February 13, 2024 at 6:34pm - And what were you wearing, just out of curiosity?
February 14, 2024 at 7:23pm @February 11, 2024 at 6:15 amNot the same substituting a day at another time. Staff and faculty shouldn’t have to trade off.
February 13, 2024 at 6:34pm Went to the required training today. Most of our VP’s were dressed like middle school PE teachers. Step up your game, people. Set an example for faculty, staff, and students. Dress professionally.
February 11, 2024 at 11:38am @ February 9, 2024 at 12:39pm - it has been that way as long as I can remember. 20 years + , I think, so I don’t think the current DEI was around.
February 9, 2024 at 12:39pm Did the DEI director approve of moving the observance of MLK day for our entire campus to Christmas break? Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of the civil rights, social justice and equity movements -- relegated to filling the Christmas week calendar for the convenience of the President and HR? This is unconscionable and borderline racist. ASU is not a serious university.
February 1, 2024 at 6:15am @ January 31, 2024 at 2:27pm - faculty and staff do take a day for MLK, it is just saved and taken the week between Christmas and new years so the campus can close.
January 31, 2024 at 2:27pm I find it interesting that Adams State, an HSI institution, doesn't observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day for staff and faculty but only for students. As Black History Month is about to begin I hope they can do better.
January 22, 2024 at 8:36pm AVPAA:ArrogantVainPompousAcademicAss
January 15, 2024 at 12:34pm Apart from concerns expressed in recent posts regarding Weekends Tavern, it is worth reminding residents of Alamosa and employees of Adams State of a different type of incident that occurred there. In February 2011 a current member of the Adams State University Board of Trustees was arrested at Weekends for assaulting a police officer. This Trustee was convicted of assault, sentenced to six months in the Alamosa County Detention Center, two years of probation, and 300 hours of "useful public service". This is documented in the January 24, 2012 edition of the Valley Courier:https://issuu.com/valleycourier/docs/1-24_daily_pgs_1-12Not surprisingly, access has to this article has been restricted (apparently by the Valley Courier), but may still be viewed by moving the cursor to the side to avoid the following blocking message:"Publication access is currently limited. Limitation will be handled by the publisher and the publication may be available later."It has been argued by some that such an incident should be excused as a "mistake" made by an alcohol-fueled young person. In any case, this conviction is not the only reason this individual is manifestly unqualified to direct the operation of a university - or to co-Chair the most recent presidential search. He received a Bachelor's degree (which, alone, does not qualify one to serve as a university trustee) from Adams State in 2013, but has absolutely no experience relevant to higher education administration. Appointment of this individual as a trustee is but one of multiple examples of a pattern, since the establishment of an independent Board of Trustees in the 1990s, of inadequate vetting and prioritization of having "roots in the SLV and/or Adams State" over objective standards of documented relevant experience and expertise in nominating individuals for appointment as trustees.Adams State is not a local K-12 educational institution, but a university. It is axiomatic among colleges and universities that academic and administrative cross-pollination is essential to vitality, and that locally inbred academics and/or administration is to be avoided at all costs. A tradition of prioritization of local, small town "roots" over relevant professional experience, and a clear preference for administrative appointments from within as opposed to unbiased national searches, is at cross purposes to maintaining a vibrant university - and is reflected in a well-established pattern of poor decisions, operational directives, and sham "searches".
January 6, 2024 at 6:14pm@ Dec 29 - The clues you provided on the alleged harassment of ASU students, leave nothing to the imagination. You provided a time frame going back to Svaldi's presidency, location on main street, male owner... doesn't take a genius to figure out where your allegations lie. Why didn't you just name the establishment? It would save the speculation and uncovering of your clues.
December 29, 2023 at 8:57am Unfortunately, there are those in our community who prey on our students. The proprietor of an established local eatery/bar in downtown Alamosa is known to hire Adams State female students and proceed to exploit them through drugs, sex, and money. I witnessed a naive, young freshman student from Denver go down a long, dark, road after working for this man. She got mired in alcohol and drugs, stopped going to classes, and attempted suicide. Her parents had no idea until, in late spring, she had to go home. I heard later through one of her friends that, while in Alamosa, she also contracted an STI that left her unable to have children. Hers was only one of several accounts I heard of students being subjected to bad behavior at this business. I took my concerns to the ASU Title IX person at the time in hopes that something would be done. It is my understanding that then-President Svaldi wrote a letter of concern to city officials and/or the Alamosa Chamber of Commerce appealing to the business community for safe working conditions for Adams State students.
December 21, 2023 at 6:20pmIf President Tandberg is trying to shut down Weekends - GOOD! It will be one of the few decisions he makes that I would actually celebrate. Weekends is a hub for sexual assault and rape! It is well known that they serve underage kids both from Adams and from the Valley. They have consistently refused to address the issue and even denied it. A few years ago they turned down FREE roofie prevention drink covers from the women's group on campus because they "never have had a sexual assault issue". I've heard from multiple students, as recent as three weeks ago, that there have been attempts to date rape them or that they have been inappropriately touched and the staff does NOTHING when it is reported. We already have a severe sexual assault issue on campus, which is ignored by the administration and by AS&F (I have heard from multiple students that Amanda Sparks said at the Student Action Event that it was "not important enough of an issue" which is ridiculously stupid and disappointing, as is much of Amanda Sparks administration) and Weekends exacerbates this issue. We should shut down Weekends and support Tandberg's initiative to do so (if it is true) because Weekends is a DANGER to our students and maintaining a safe campus.
December 21, 2023 at 1:31pm I’m a business owner in Alamosa and I want President Tandberg to address the chamber of commerce on these talks he’s having with the city on trying to close down local businesses. In particular Weekends Tavern. There are no secrets in Alamosa unlike what he’s used to in Denver. He’s dealing with people’s livelihoods and the local economy. Weekends is enjoyed not only by of-age college students but a lot of people from town too. What businesses are next? Probably not the restaurants and bars where he’s been imbibing regularly since coming to Alamosa. Certainly not the bar owned by the trustee. Let’s hear directly from Dr. Tandberg and his band of morality police.
December 18, 2023 at 2:49pm @December 17, 2023 at 7:50am - Let's talk about bullying, the projection and gaslighting are major tools that need to be stopped, which can start with the person posturing about being bullied. The projection is obviously still a thing there, as you can tell by the insecurity in the overuse of the word, "you", almost like they're trying to demean or talk down to a person in some way. I like the, "let's talk about", ever hear about 'whataboutism'. Someone's trying to deflect away from their nonsense, a common ploy used at the campus. I'll play along, but you're not off the hook for being rude.That is an interesting thought about Valdez, it's because he's Hispanic. Any minority on campus will tell you that HSI is only a designation so they can continue to push their racist agenda and beat the 'pieces of meat' as they see fit. They do not want good people working there, they want scared and compliant people, who will bow down to the administration at any sign of conflict. They've ran out, and continue to harass, others who have stood up to them long after their career there has ended. The other option is to become a bully parrot like the one who's insulting others for simply asking for clarification on a question.Grow enrollment? That place is a bare minimum cash grab. They only keep people thinking about enrollment so they live in constant fear of their jobs, which the State would not allow them to close and the decision makers know this. Employee monopoly in the valley belongs to the campus and the hospital, most of which sit on our City Council. Bet you the North side of town doesn't get encouraged to do Meth as much as people on the South Side of town, I wonder why. This town is literally their play thing and shutting down the campus would probably be the best thing that could happen to the locals, we wouldn't have no where near as much crime (most drugs come from the dorms). God only knows that if a college student harasses a citizen then the town/police/judges will side with the kid. Maybe ASU should move out of town.Better for all students? Talk to any African student on campus about how welcome they feel. Staff can run around being nice all day, but that won't make a difference to the retention. Many African students have transferred because they didn't feel accepted here. Let's talk about how they treat Caucasian students as opposed to CASA students. Let's talk about the lack of tech support at the migrant house, but other groups get treated as though their on a red carpet. As for employees happy, are you that out of touch? Maybe the staff doesn't trust you and won't be honest about how they feel because, looking at your responses, you're going to use that information to cause harm rather than help, something a bully would do. :)So, again I'll follow along and give others a view on how to handle responses like this. You consider me a bully and claim I'm a bully to people who don't agree with me. What did I say that warranted your condescending response? You do come across as rather insensitive as well, all traits of a bully. It'd serve you and others well for you to drop that act and stop being a bully.
December 18, 2023 at 1:44pm Just tuning in to this discussion on social security deductions (or lack thereof). I’ve been with ASU for well over a decade and this is news to me. This is pretty concerning as it impacts my monthly salary and annual tax return. It has huge implications down the road as it means the difference of thousands of dollars in social security payouts and benefits after I retire. I probably would have added to my retirement fund had I been advised by someone. This shouldn’t be addressed as a “read the fine print and put on your big boy pants” issue. That response is inappropriate. My new-ish colleague said that there wasn’t a one-on-one orientation for her with human resources (I don’t recall having one either way back when). She received an email from HR to sign up for benefits through third-party vendors (medical, dental etc.) via hyperlinks. Perhaps HR can start by remodeling its program to welcome new employees to ASU. My previous institution had a full day of group and individual meetings with new employees dedicated to this and a myriad of questions were answered such as deductions (or non-deductions) and it added an introduction to all the cabinet members. At that school we went through every form line-by-line, and it was extremely helpful. Not to get off point but why does HR report to the IT director? Seems odd.
December 17, 2023 at 7:50am @ December 16, 2023 at 12:50pm- not sure what entitlement you are referring to. All I said is let’s not make up problems. This was a non-issue. You, my friend, are a bully. YOU are are part of the issue. A typical Bully.Let’s talk about the real issues at ASU like the bullying of those who don’t agree with YOU. Let’s push them out so we can whine about non-issues. Great plan.Maybe we should talk about things like, why was the board so willing to dismiss Valdez as a Presidential candidate when he was obviously a great choice.Let’s talk about how we are going to continue to grow our enrollment so that we continue to exist as an institution.Let’s talk about how we are going to make ASU better for students as well as employees so that people are happy and want to come here and want to stay here. We have a huge issue with retention because of the bullies.Let’s talk about real issues and stop bullying those that don’t agree with YOU.
December 16, 2023 at 12:50pm December 14, 2023 at 10:04pm - The entitlement is strong in this one, if there's more pressing matters then focus on those. The question was answered satisfactorily, without any further condescending input necessary. YOU are the problem with ASU with that mentality and aggression, might be best for everybody if you resigned.
December 14, 2023 at 10:04pm @ December 12, 2023 at 2:54pm- what we need less of is people making up issues. We need to coddle people less and make them put on their big people pants and be responsible for their actions. I think people should probably pay more attention to what they sign. There are enough issues at ASU and employees are not treated the best in some cases but we need not be making up problems.
December 14, 2023 at 10:37am Professor Emeritus Armando Valdez will be the next president of CSU-Pueblo. Dr. Valdez apparently wasn’t good enough for the board of trustees to be president of ASU four years ago and we got stuck with life under Lovell. Think about that. This recent president search supposedly focused on ties to the San Luis Valley so Professor Valdez didn’t get actively recruited this time around? He’s from the valley!! He still wasn’t good enough for the trustees? Was allowing interim Tandburg (pretends to be from the valley) into the pool enough for Valdez to say to hell with Adams? Good riddance, Michelle Leuck. Maybe Dr. Valdez can help facilitate the inevitable ASU merger with CSU before time runs out.
December 12, 2023 at 2:54pm RE: December 4, 2023 at 5:57 am: This is not an ASU issue, this is a YOU issue.This is the type of condescending and insensitive response we get on a daily basis from HR. Need less of this. It’s tough enough to work around here.
December 8, 2023 at 8:36am @December 6, 2023 at 8:56pm: The holiday planning committee consisted of Elaine Wenta, Peggy Dunn, Linda Relya, Berna Hostetter, Becky Meidinger, Darin Tandberg, Jerah Dickson, Amy Kucera, Kristina Cook, KT and Rachael Cheslock. They did an amazing job this year. What were your impressions of the tree ornament?
December 6, 2023 at 8:56pm Thoughts about the Holiday Party? I thought it went really well and pretty low-key. It was nice to see everyone visiting and enjoying one another’s company. Great job to those who planned this event? Can anyone tell us who is in the committee? President Tandberg didn’t acknowledge the committee at the holiday party. Tamales were a great added touch.
December 6, 2023 at 8:11am After reviewing the AVPAA candidate CVs, I would say wired for Nick... blatantly so.
December 5, 2023 at 11:12am Does Title 9 hand out sex toys all through the year or just to students during new student orientation? Can they set up a table at the holiday party? The staff would love to see what all their hype is for.
December 4, 2023 at 5:57am @ November 23, 2023 at 9:54am - you definitely signed a form acknowledging this when you were hired. You might want to be a little more attentive on documents you sign. This is not an ASU issue, this is a YOU issue. There are a ton of issues at ASU but this is not one of them.
December 3, 2023 at 4:51pm @November 29, 2023 at 5:35 pm, @November 23, 2023 at 9:54 am - When I worked at Adams I had a choice between PERA and TIAA. It was clearly stated and understood that I would not have SSA contributions. In fact, working in education, I knew that I would not qualify for SS benefits due to pension plans instead. I have over 30 years in education and have known this from my first position in education.
December 1, 2023 at 12:29pm November 30 @ 4:02 - Which website and comments are you referring to?
November 30, 2023 at 4:02pm How interesting that they are deleting comments from the website. Is there stuff they don't want us to know?
November 29, 2023 at 5:35pm @November 23, 2023 at 9:54am - If you're a state employee then you don't pay into Social Security, but you're required to pay into PERA. It's not an ASU rule and it's actually illegal for them not to inform you of this. I bet there's a signed form in regards to this that was included in the paperwork you had to fill out when hired on. This is from CSU's website:State Classified - Colorado State University is required by law to provide this Statement Concerning Your Employment in a Job Not Covered by Social Security (SSA 1945). Employees of CSU do not participate in the Social Security program and a pension from this job could affect future Social Security benefits to which you may become entitled.
November 26, 2023 at 10:27am Good morning. I retired from ASU many many years ago and live now in Arizona. I miss the San Luis Valley so much. I’m very sad that we lost Dr. McDaniel as he was a wonderful and wise man. I heard that a campus daycare teacher got arrested there. I did not see anything in the courier. Can anybody in Alamosa confirm this. Praying that all the Lord’s children are safe. Thank you and God Bless.
November 23, 2023 at 9:54am Folk - So if you work at Adams State, they DO NOT pay social security taxes. Does it mean you won't qualify for social security when you retire? I also feel that this information is hidden from employees. Does anyone know the history of this?
November 20, 2023 at 7:22am @October 19, 2023 at 5:23 pm - The above post stated "It is sad that many in the administrative are self-serving" and I will have to answer yes. Definitely have seen this self-serving behavior in the education department by their "leadership" and cronies. Sad to see competent people leave Adams due to this behavior (ignorance).
November 19, 2023 at 3:47pm @November 17, 2023 at 4:36pm - To my knowledge, neither Dr. Tandberg nor the AG know anything about my response, nor did I confer with either before posting. Every word I wrote is my own, and I chose to respond because, I while I don’t believe I owe any explanation for the work I do, I dislike seeing false information being shared. @November 18, 2023 at 6:17am - I hadn’t been on Watching Adams in months, and don’t normally visit the page. The comments were brought to my attention on November 15th, one day before I responded. Should the ASU community wish for a more timely response, I suppose the best thing to do would be to request the response directly from that office 🤷🏻♀️ - Delilah Chavez
November 18, 2023 at 6:17am @ November 16, 2023 at 8:20pm - seeing it took 3 months for you to respond speaks volumes. is this the type of timely response the ASU community can expect from your office?
November 17, 2023 at 4:36pm November 16 @8:20 pm - This message brought to you and approved by David Tandberg, President and the AG. 🙄
November 16, 2023 at 8:20pm @August 21, 2023 at 3:56, @August 23, 2023 at 6:39am, @August 30, 2023 at 1:29pm – Great questions. It is possible that students, staff and faculty may feel it useless to report incidents of sexual misconduct and assault to the Title IX office for several reasons; Title IX never just “dismisses” student concerns or experiences, however, I can understand why it would appear that way, as we are required by law to have a survivor’s cooperation in moving forward with a formal Title IX complaint and/or investigation. This means that a student/staff member must agree to cooperate and participate in a very difficult and traumatic investigative process which includes signing a formal complaint, which would then be shared with the respondent, as well as participating in a hearing process which can also be extremely difficult and overwhelming. This process is one designed and required by the federal government, not the Title IX Office nor Adams State. While Adams State University does have a retaliation policy in place that our office takes extremely seriously, as well as access to resources such as campus no-contact orders, accommodations and legal protection orders, it can sometimes be extremely difficult for a student to agree to move forward with a Title IX investigation. Again, I will reiterate that these are not Adams State University rules, but rules put forth by the Trump Administration. While we do expect updated Title IX regulations in the near future, these are the rules we are currently required to follow.It is not uncommon for a student to report a Title IX issue (or perceived Title IX issue) to us, then refuse to sign a complaint or move forward with an investigation, because they are worried about the respondent finding out who reported, or not wanting their name involved, not wanting to go through the hearing process or worries regarding retaliation, parents, mutual friend concerns, interference with athletics, etc. There are times that we are more than willing to move forward with a complaint, but do not have permission from the survivor to do so. Hearing later that we were not “willing” to do anything about it can be very frustrating, as we are unable to dispute or even acknowledge whether or not a person has even been to our office to report, due to the privacy limitations of our office.As you can imagine, this may lead to an alleged perpetrator being “allowed to stay on campus with no consequences” and a victim being left to deal with extremely difficult aftermath. Please understand that this in no way means that the Title IX Office does not take the allegations seriously nor that we “can’t be bothered”. This is the furthest thing from the truth; however, we are many times left with no choice but to hold off on an investigation due to not having consent from the survivor to move forward. Additionally, according to these federal regulations, if a concern falls under the umbrella of Title IX, our office is not allowed to handle it under any other policy, (e.g. code of conduct, etc.), so while I know some would love for us to just kick an accused student off campus without any investigation, only the initial complaint or anonymous report, the law just does not work that way, nor would it be fair to do so without due process.Despite the doors often being closed physically, the Office of Equal Opportunity is almost never closed during normal business hours, and it is very rare that both of us are gone at the same time; normally, one or the other of us is in the office at all times, unless both attending meetings. Quite frankly, it is out of a concern for our safety that we now keep our doors physically shut, due to the work we do, however, we always answer a knock or phone call, even if working with a student or staff member, and at least one of our phones is always forwarded to one of our cell phones. Additionally, I constantly provide students with my mobile number and just in the last two days, have provided my personal contact to two students, informing them that they may contact me at any time, day or night, if they have any concerns or feel unsafe. I consistently make myself available to attend court hearings and sexual assault examinations with students when needed, often on my own time and dime, and recently got up early to attend a student’s court hearing during my personal time off, as it was the only way we were able to contact that student and inform them of their rights, resources and accommodations available to them.(P.S., while I won’t go into detail, neither of us were particularly close with either of the last two presidents and consistently fought back on issues we did not agree with during those administrations.)Regarding Clery Act reporting – the word “reporting” has significantly different meaning under each of these laws. Reporting under Title IX means to file a formal report and agree to an investigation. While a student may come to our office and report the details of an incident, they may also choose to only receive resources and accommodations and never move forward with a “formal report” or do so at a later date. This is (almost always) solely up to the survivor, as we never want to take that decision away from them. Reporting under the Clery Act means to report statistical data to the Department of Education; this means that no names are involved, and only the number of Clery-reportable crimes are disclosed. So, whether or not a student or staff member chooses to move forward with a Title IX formal report, that number is always included in our Clery statistics, as long as it falls under Clery Act parameters. These statistics also include data from other areas on campus, not just the Title IX office, and are cross-referenced several times to ensure accuracy. Again, reporting under these two regulations is different entirely and is handled completely separately. Clery Reporting for our campus is handled by more than one person, and the overlap with Title IX is minimal. These statistics are compiled and reviewed by more than one person on campus, not only the Title IX Coordinator/Director of Clery Compliance. Also, as required by law, the Title IX Coordinator and Title IX Director perform separate job functions, not only to avoid conflicts of interest within the Title IX Office, but within our other job functions including Clery Compliance, EOE, etc.Additionally, while the Title IX Director does happen to be an attorney, the Director of Title IX’s role is not, and has never been, to assess the level of liability to the University and is never taken into consideration when conducting Title IX investigations. Furthermore, neither of us work remotely, except in emergency situations, to ensure availability to students. In fact, both staff members of the Title IX Office returned to working on-site after Covid well before others returned to work on campus.Due to the privacy requirements of our office, I can understand how some of these questions come to be, however, we are happy to answer any other concerns at any time, (as allowed by law, of course). -Delilah Chavez
November 11, 2023 at 9:00am The mean gurls (Nick, Colleen and Heidi) are going down! Their arrogance, vileness, narcissistic personalities and meanness are going down. It’s time we stand and do the same to them. Treat them they way they treat us. I so sick of their high and mighty appetite. Heidi makes me sick- her diversity, equity and inclusiveness crap is disturbing and disgusting. She needs to practice what she preaches. I’m sure we could go on and on about her behavior with Tandberg, ASU football players and the ASU community. But in reality nothing will be done. The administration thinks she walks on water.
November 10, 2023 at 5:52pm Looks like the president got himself a new vehicle. A new vehicle in addition to six figures to remodel the president's house, his wife gets an expense account and travel costs covered, along with being paid nearly $300k, and spending endless amounts of money to host parties with the other ETeam members and trustees while the rest of faculty and staff suffer from lack of pay and resources. His friendships with the trustees have obviously paid off.The sky was going to fall on Heidi Schneider at some point. Arrogance catches up to people. She should continue resigning and find actual leaders to steer the ship. Nick Saenz needs to join his best friend in doing the same. Both need to move on.
November 8, 2023 at 6:12pm Interesting Heidi resigned as faculty trustee... why?1. Can’t hold her crush accountable?2. Her crush finally figured out her inappropriate behavior and her MULTIPLE conflicts of interest? 3. Her bad behavior, generally (scour the bars)?4. Her narcissist insecurities got the better of her?Gosh! What could it be?
November 8, 2023 at 8:14am Which current faculty and staff have benefitted the most personally from the Title V boondoggle? Fancy travel and conferences? Hiring and outsourcing to friends and relatives? It’s appalling. Follow the money.
November 7, 2023 at 3:58pm Has Adams ever had a Budget for Cheerleading? I am seeing that they had expenses in the Athletic Budget document from 2017-18 was just hoping there would be more information on this topic.
November 4, 2023 at 11:13am @ November 3, 2023 at 5:47pm - I am sorry you are gone. You sound like this place might have been for you. I have a unique perspective of the situation. I am an alum, I have been a work study, classified employee, exempt employee and I have children that are alumnus. Not much has changed at ASU in over 30 years. I do remember days with 3k plus students on campus. I loved my experiences at ASU both as a student and an employee. I think largely it is a case of bitching. When life is good, some people just have to bitch. Not sure why but ASU tends to have a lot of these. The only way you will ever see real change in the institution, you would essentially have to cut everyone at the top and then you are left with what will come in. This valley is made up of many who overstep. Look at all the issues the city is having right now.
November 3, 2023 at 5:47pm @11:23 6:20am; As a reluctant former ASUer, you almost perfectly captured my experiences. The bully McClure and her cronies, the petty nasty cliques that still persist, the lack of opportunity for spouses, the rampant mistrust of "outsiders". I and others brought our earnest, personal best to the campus. I am now at a point in my career where I am confident that even my baseline game at that time must have been pretty darn okay. I'm sure this is also true of many others who believed in the mission but have since moved on. We're far more successful now for having not stayed. And yet I, and perhaps others, still dream of the day we can find our way back to such a remarkable region. So who won and who lost? What could Adams State be and become if it simply chose to embrace those with enough sense of higher purpose and life adventure to move themselves and their family to one of the most rural counties in CO?:-) Love you all!
November 3, 2023 at 1:12pm I've always been disquieted and amused by how most of ASU runs in a cash-poor mentality where almost anything other universities do is unaffordable for students or faculty, but these windfalls of federal funds from Title V allow for these lavish events and retreats under the thin veneer of ASU as a Hispanic Serving Institution. This has been stated a thousand times before, but ASU does not serve the Latinx population of the region well if one looks at graduation rates or job placements among ASU students, yet those Title V dollars keep rolling in to pay for all the trimmings... except what faculty and students actually need. It's been this way for at least a decade.
November 3, 2023 at 11:18am @Oct 30 6:09 The Winter Retreat is funded by Title V. The planning and execution of the retreat has nothing to do with ASU administration or institutional funds.
November 3, 2023 at 6:20am I keep seeing this referred to a a “sinking boat” but is it really? I have been seeing these same comments here since WA started 8 years ago? I think it was 8 years ago where McClure was out of line and this webpage got started. We see a lot of bitching but for the most part, it goes unnoticed by administrators. Enrollment numbers are up significantly not only Counselor Ed. Oh, yeah, maybe counselor Ed may have a bit of arrogance around the program but they just might deserve that because if it were not for the money and students that program brings in, ASU might have sunk but with the increase in both grad students and undergraduate students lately, we have more pails to bail water. Part of the reason we may have trouble attracting and retaining faculty might have to do with the cliques you find in this valley. The valley is not an easy place to integrate into. Faculty come and then have no social groups, no family, no friends and their spouses are often alienated and unable to find work themselves. Then on top of that they walk into a hostile environment of mean girls and boys on campus. The general public is not accepting of outsiders and there is definitely a crime and homeless problem in this area to boot. Now, I would agree that the administration has an impact on retention but as far as getting people here and keeping them, that is more on the rest of us than on the administration. We all form these cliques, and quite frankly the rank and file individuals have far more impact on retention than the administration, in my opinion.
November 1, 2023 at 11:35am Lack of self-awareness with university leadership? I’ll be more to the point. They just don’t care about you. Truthfully. Self righteous sociopaths never do. Administration and assorted leaders throughout campus. Not all, mind you. But a lot. You should have faith and trust in these supposed leaders. Your careers, livelihoods, friendships and family all hang in the balance. And you trust a group of know-it-alls/done-nothings to help advance your career in the classroom/research and have your best interests at heart for success and job security? No chance. I keep hearing that salary and lack of housing are scaring potential faculty away. Stop kidding yourselves. That’s just an excuse because candidates can see and feel the culture and it’s not good. I’ve talked with them after they declined offers and want no part of this sunken boat.
October 30, 2023 at 6:09pm The E-Team is gone to a retreat for a few days this week. How nice it must be to be able to leave town for a few days, spend time at a nice hotel, do "work", make a bunch of decisions, and live the good life, all while having all the expenses covered by the institution. Not surprising but another disappointment. They already get so many benefits in their positions. It seems they could have saved some funding and did this "retreat" on campus. This comes after changes to the winter retreat being in town and on campus now. Administration always has funding to do whatever they want while the rest of campus remains underfunded.
October 26, 2023 at 8:23pmIn reference to others who are vile. Colleen Schafner is also vile and toxic. She also champions herself as a leader. She treats others badly, tries to micromanage her school and other departments on campus, including athletics. She has her nose in everything and everyone's business. Another example of someone who lacks self-awareness and I doubt she realizes how she comes across to others. How can she continue to conduct herself in AC and the director’s meetings? She interrupts and just can’t seem to sit and listen. I also understand she’s applying for the AVPSA position so she can have more control and manipulate others.
October 20, 2023 at 6:09am Dear Nick and Heidi,Now that Matt Valverde has left Adams State, how do I join your mean gurls club?Sincerely,I wanna be a mean gurl too! Regarding the $110,000 allocated to remodel the president's house. Shouldn’t that have been allocated to renovate the housing on faculty drive?
October 19, 2023 at 5:23pm Without a doubt, the AVPAA position is written specifically for Nick Saenz. The position really should be a national search--we need to bring in people who have the background and expertise to actually do the job well. Nick is vile and toxic. He has very little self-awareness. And what sort of administrative experience does he bring to the table? He has been chair of HAPPSS for only months. I do not think any of his other positions (most of which he held only for a short amount of time) prepare him to hold a high-level position. There are certainly a handful of people more qualified to hold such an administrative position that are being overlooked and there are certainly many external people who would make a much better AVPAA. If Margaret ultimately selects him, it will be one of her worst mistakes.Heidi Schneider is also vile and toxic. She champions herself as the leader of equity at ASU, but what has she actually done and what has improved? Nothing comes to mind, except using buzzwords. She treats others badly when they do not think or act how she wants them to. Another example of someone who lacks self-awareness. Both her and Nick hype one another up all the time and I doubt either realize how they come across to others.As for Tandberg, how he was able to talk the board of trustees into giving him more money is beyond me. His background is not that impressive to justify giving him more money to be president. It seems that Tandberg exploits his position instead of doing the hard work to make ASU a quality university. He talks a good game, but that is about all. If only he actually acts like the leader he says he is.It is sad that many in the administrative are self-serving.
October 19, 2023 at 10:02am Re: October 10, 2023 at 11:08am – I (finally) located the minutes from the board meeting in August you referred to. $110,000 allocated to remodel the president's house. Honestly, not one red cent should be spent on that house. ASU is MILLIONS in debt. ASU is in need of TENS OF MILLIONS in repairs for teaching space and facilities. DOZENS of faculty positions are unfilled because we are dirt poor broke. And the house is our priority? This is financial neglect and every member of the board needs to be removed. If Tandberg was aware of this money dump, he should walk too. Just merge with CSU and stop pretending these clowns know how to run a school. Oh, and Tandberg also gets a $20k bonus? And his wife gets reimbursed for travel? So the salary and free housing aren’t enough? Will the Michelle Leuck Tour of Destruction ever end?
October 18, 2023 at 5:05pm The self-proclaimed DEI, Social Justice, Equity expert needs to realize, woman to woman, how her presidential "crush" and ensuing behavior can impact a marriage. Her behavior has been witnessed multiple times by multiple people and is giving Taylor Swift/Kelce competition.
October 17, 2023 at 6:26pm October 17 @ 645 - Not hateful thoughts. Simply multiple observations by multiple people.
October 17, 2023 at 6:02pm Looks as though the position of Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs has been posted in workday (joke of a program). But no posting in the Chronicle, Latinos in Higher Ed, or Higher Ed. Is this going to be posted as a nationwide search?? Not that it matters, because ultimately Nick will be chosen.However, looks like the job description is written just for Nick and what qualifications does he have of the following? Written specifically for Nick: 6. Evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the racial, socioeconomic, academic, and cultural diversity of Adams State University’s student population. 7. Demonstrated commitment to meeting the ideals of the university’s vision and purpose statement.Preferred Qualifications:1. A broad knowledge of undergraduate education at Adams State University.2. Ability or experience working with historically under-served and/or underrepresented populations, and first-generation college students.Does Nick have these qualifications? 3. Commitment to advancing professional development, scholarship, and service to the university and community.4. Demonstrated self-awareness of one's own cultural beliefs, perspectives, and privileges as a part of one's understanding of higher education.5. Demonstrated decision-making that is informed by research, data, and theory and that leverages students' unique cultures, experiences, and backgrounds as strengths.
October 17, 2023 at 6:45am @ October 12, 2023 at 8:56pm - Seems to me you have your priorities a little messed up here. If you really care about the impact of Hamas, you should keep your hateful thoughts to yourself. Peace starts within.
October 12, 2023 at 8:56pm Is Adams State’s administration (Tandberg) ever going to make a statement condemning the actions of Hamas? Seriously, LDS isn’t the only religion represented here... Re: October 8 @ 11:08 - I think the faculty trustee rep isn’t reporting back because she’s too busy flirting (the softest way one can say it) with the president. Have you seen the vulgar way in which she behaves around him? His wife has.
October 10, 2023 at 11:08am While we inhaled carbon monoxide from generators and froze in classrooms last winter, the trustees quietly slipped Tandberg $200K to remodel the presidential house. Must be nice to have that kind of cash so trustees can enjoy wine and cheese parties 4 times a year. Meanwhile, mice in offices and classrooms, the sub smells like a sewer, and there's exposed lead paint and asbestos everywhere. No clue. Why aren’t trustee minutes on the website? What else are they hiding? Why won't the TRUSTEE FACULTY REP report back on these things?!
October 7, 2023 at 6:53am @ October 4, 2023 at 8:14pm - Has everyone chosen to forget the “inner circle” of McClure, who was in it and some of the positions appointed? The last couple of presidents were removed but all those people that were loyal and thought the things the presidents were doing, were good, they are still around and some still are in positions that have huge impact on ASU, I believe.
October 4, 2023 at 8:14pm @ October 1, 2023 at 12:07pm - I am curious to know who you are talking about. It seems like this is a repeated pattern with all the acting and interim appointments lately. "Searches" are done in a way to make it appear legitimate, but the reality is that those holding acting and interim appointments were already chosen or cut a deal to get the position.This is especially true with Margaret picking Nick Saenz to be acting AVPAA. Somehow the acting was dropped and now he is interim AVPAA. Margaret's decision on selecting Nick is horrible. He had no administrative experience prior to be elevated to such a position and there are certainly a few other people who are actually qualified. And Nick has made decisions and his actions prove he is not ready (the way he talks down to people is disturbing for example).There are people on this campus who can easily hold these important positions (by academic training/knowledge, experience, or both), but are overlooked.
October 1, 2023 at 12:07pm RE: September 18, 2023 at 9:16am - Faculty are aware the asst. to president job was handpicked before advertised. A highly respected colleague applied in good faith... got paraded around as a true candidate when he had no real chance. Disrespectful and against the norms of decency. Shameful. HR knew about this?
September 18, 2023 at 9:16am How are all of these interim appointments handled in Richardson? Assistant Academic affairs and presidents assistant and DEI. What’s the interview process? Why no public forums if they get to be in ETEAM? Is it by invitation only? Shared governance is sidestepped even avoided? Why isn’t PASC involved?
September 13, 2023 at 8:12am September 12 - I think that is September 11’s point. All of us, whether we work in academics or administration have worked hard to bring those numbers up. Counselor Ed has not done anything single-handedly. Nor have they had much impact on undergraduate enrollment. I will give kudos to the admissions team. Although I don’t think I’d call Kara and company zombies.It takes a village. And the village narcissists are Counselor Ed.
September 12, 2023 at 10:45amJust mention Counselor Ed and zombies from upper floors of McDaniel lose their minds. Athletics-business-art-music-theater-education-counselor ed should be praised for admissions work. They all cry “equity” but don’t lift a finger to build their own. Entitled much? Lowest class sizes at Adams, but the ones working to grow are to blame. It’s a bad, sad look.
September 11, 2023 at 2:36pm Re: September 10 @7:57 - PLEASE, will all of you in the Counselor Ed department get over yourselves? The rest of us are severely suffering from Counselor Ed and Cheri Meder fatigue. You aren’t all that—trust us. - The rest of campus
September 10, 2023 at 7:57pm So Richardson hall is excited with the enrollment numbers. No mention of Counselor Ed singlehandedly carrying Adams for over a decade. How about undergrad enrollment artificially propped up with HS students taking classes at discounted tuition. Sure, admissions did it all. Whatever. Smoke and mirrors. Sad. And the band played on. Coming soon CSU-Alamosa.
September 8, 2023 at 6:44am @September 4, 2023 at 5:53pm - I agree with you but I wonder who specifically you would recommend for the AVPAA. Looking at the pool of current chairs and directors only one person comes to mind for me who has the experience and disposition to be an effective AVPAA and that is Curtis Garcia in Teacher Education. He's proven himself effective in turning that department around as the Chair/Director and is well-liked and respected across campus and the community. But I hear he has told people he is not interested and I don't blame him for that. Why leave a position he's doing well in to clean up other people's messes?
September 7, 2023 at 6:41am @ September 4, 2023 at 5:53pm - Sounds like he fits perfectly into that position and the ASU administration. Historically this sounds like most of the administration at ASU, for the last 15 years +. You didn’t really think they would put someone different in a position like that, did you?
September 4, 2023 at 5:53pmIs it me or does it seem like Nick Saenz has become more vile in his new position? A position that he does not have much experience to make him effective. He has never been a chair (until this semester) or a director. He does not have much, if any, administrative experience. He cannot really count being faculty senate president (which he held for only half a term) as good experience. It has become increasingly noticeable how badly he treats people, often criticizing them in harsh and mean-spirited ways. He has a history of overstepping and being cutting to those who push back or do not conform to his ways. It is apparent he rarely listens to others and makes decisions based on whatever his personal thoughts are. It takes certain experiences to be effective in his role(s) which also takes time and maturity. Nick is also doing this while holding other positions. He has too much on his plate and things will continue to fail as a result. There are several others who are more knowledgeable and can serve as better choice to be the AVPAA.
August 30, 2023 at 1:29pm The Title IX Director is a Lawyer. The director's role is to assess the level of liability to the University. The director is not there for the student staff or faculty, only for the President. If you go to this office, you will be victimized. As for the director not being there. This position seems to work remote, but it seems like everyone at ASU now works remote. Try to get anyone to answer the phone or even email.
August 23, 2023 at 6:39am @ August 21, 2023 at 3:56pm - That would require the title ix people to be on campus. With as often as their office is closed, I wasn’t sure they were even an office anymore. My opinion is that office was a mouthpiece for both of the last two administrations and was definitely a McClure ally. Might be time for changes there. Just want to point out that the director of title 9 makes significantly more than the director of student success. I think the administration might need to reassess their priorities. Maybe time for some changes? Additionally, seems like a conflict of interest to have the Title ix office also responsible for CLEARY act reporting, if the issues are not reported, are they really issues?
August 21, 2023 at 3:56pm Question for the Title IX office at Adams State: Why is it that students, staff, and faculty feel that it is useless to report incidences of sexual misconduct and assault to your office? There are too many incidences where students' concerns or experiences have been dismissed by the Title IX office, and in some cases the perpetrator has been allowed to stay on campus with no consequence, while the victim is left to deal with the reality that the department they thought would take their concerns seriously actually couldn't be bothered. I find this to be a troubling situation and one that I am perplexed by.
August 15, 2023 at 8:39am WHY is Heidi Schneider1. Department chair,2. Inclusive excellence liaison (e-team), and3. Faculty trustee on the Board?Isn’t there some conflict of interest here. Is there NO ONE else who can fill these positions?It appears that Tandberg’s “team” is the Heidi and Nick circus.One thing is certain—-nothing ever changes at ASU. Only the cast of characters.
August 13, 2023 at 8:16pmI am just curious how others are approaching the use of AI come fall semester? We all know students will be using it and doing a little research, the detection tools are less than reliable. It seems to be a mixed bag in academia at this point with some believing it is a tool students need to be proficient in using and others outright banning its use. I was hoping to see what the feeling was at ASU.
July 22, 2023 at 2:56pm Do you think Interim President Tandberg can improve the situation (low graduation and retention rate) at Adams?No, because it is how it works in many schools now.What suggestions do you have for him? Should Adams be more restrictive in admissions? Are there other issues causing the low grad/retention rates?ASU cannot afford to be restrictive in admission! You already accept everyone who can breathe and their dog and that's not enough to make the budget work.
July 6, 2023 at 1:06pm @ July 5, 2023, at 6:56pm - Tandberg is not the interim president! He is the PRESIDENT of ASU!!!"On April 21, David A. Tandberg, Ph. D., was selected by unanimous vote of the Adams State University Board of Trustees as the twelfth president, to take effect after finalizing contract terms, already agreed to in principle with all finalists. Apr 21, 2023"Tandberg is the 12th President of Adams State University
July 5, 2023 at 6:56pm Do you think Interim President Tandberg can improve the situation (low graduation and retention rate) at Adams? What suggestions do you have for him? Should Adams be more restrictive in admissions? Are there other issues causing the low grad/retention rates?
June 13, 2023 at 3:17pm Somewhat surprised no one mentioned the unfavorable review of the SLV in Ted Conover's 2022 book, Cheap Land Colorado. Although Ted lived in Colorado as a youth, he comes back for some "immersive journalism" that drops on the SLV like a ton of bricks. The book jacket introduces the book's view of the valley, "along with independence and stunning views come fierce winds, neighbors with criminal pasts, [etc.] Whoof! Thanks, Uncle Ted! Ted first saw the SLV when he was eleven, and he's still struck by its physical dimensions. His awe dissipates once he finds himself in Antonito though, which becomes his jumping-off point into communing with off-gridders who come from every loser-town in the US. In the SLV, they are free to own guns, grow pot, and rail against the oppressive local governments who hunt them down to pay property taxes and build septic tanks. Conover does a good job of describing the SLV's attractions. Cheap land, few public services, and more than a few of them "predicting they'll be the last ones standing when society collapses." Ted volunteers for La Puente and brings the oft-reclusive flats folk out of their shells by offering wood, water, or food. Wow. Someone let any Hunter S. Thompson wannabes know. Maybe the book's publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, has a contract out for a book on a CO rep's town: "Wrasslin', Waffles, and Wrifles."
May 29, 2023 at 7:15am We had better figure out how to get new students. It seems like all of academia is having the same issue. ASU, the solution is not to lower the bar. This seems to be what ASU has done in the past but our 30% graduation rate already reflects that.More High-School Grads Forgo College in Hot Labor Market
May 7, 2023 at 3:01pm 94 Monterey, ASU owned housing? What a mess! Makes the neighborhood look like a combat zone. Needs to be cleaned up. Come on Pittman!
April 20, 2023 at 7:48am This video is exactly the experiences of teaching in the business school. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRTYDy3M/
February 3, 2023 at 6:39am Danny, are 2022-23 salary data sheets available and if so, please post? Also, with the on campus enrollment at its lowest ever and off 6% this year, where and when are the cuts coming? I am betting there are a lot of exempt employees contracts that won’t be renewed come July 1. I doubt the administration will try laying off classifieds again, that didn’t work out too well for them last time. I vote that some of the admin and their cronies take a cut. Why are all these people making healthy six figure salaries when the school is gasping for air? --Editor's Note: These salaries have been added to the ASU Employee Salary Data page.
December 24, 2022 at 11:10am @ October 3, 2022 at 9:36am - I think you are wrong here. As an exempt employee, I was given multiple raises over the years not tied to COLA or time served, before the new policy. Granted I was consistently getting “exceeds expectations” on my reviews so I am not sure if that matters. Oh, you probably need to ask for a raise anyway. Show them why you deserve the raise. Very few workplaces give raises without the employees injection, other than COLA type raises. What are your reviews like? If you are getting Meets expectations only, the time served approach might be best for you. I kind of see “meets expectations” as doing just enough of your job. Good enough is not deserving of a raise, at all, IMO.Now, I do want to qualify that even with raises, I was still paid far less than my peers working elsewhere in the same job type. ASU definitely pays lower than comparable institutions but let’s face it, big expenses like housing, are half of what they are in somewhere like Denver.Also, because of the remoteness of the SLV, ASU is a kind of employer monopoly. Hence why a constant phrase heard around campus is “if you don’t like it, you can find another job”. Sad thing is that some of the Facilities employees make less than Wendy’s or McDonald’s is paying, I believe. That I do see as wrong
November 15, 2022 at 6:23am @ November 14, 2022 at 8:42pm - if you were a post doc in a “prestigious university system ” (from the article) trying to survive in one of the most expensive places to live in the country, then you might have an argument but you work for ASU in the middle of the SLV. Some of the professors here don’t even have their PhD. While I wholeheartedly agree that the professors here are under paid, the UC system is not a valid comparison. There are plenty of non-professors at ASU making more than most professors, I would use them as a comparison instead.
November 14, 2022 at 8:42pm A minimum salary of $70,000 for all postdocs = more than most professors at ASU.https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/11/14/university-california-strike-academic-workers-union
October 3, 2022 at 9:36am @September 19, 2022 at 9:11pm The University has just shown that it is not interested, at least on the exempt staff side, to compensate based on performance. The whole new "pay grade" scale they have introduced is built on how long you are working there. So the longer you can sit in your chair (years of service) the more you will make up to the max of you "pay grade". IMO this just invites people to do the bare minimum because why would you try to do more if you will not get compensated for it in anyway anyhow. Just sit and wait.
September 19, 2022 at 9:11pm September 17, 2022 at 7:45am - Great question! It matters because Adams State University is a public institution of higher education (key word PUBLIC), meaning that a portion of our tax dollars go towards funding the institution and the Interim President's salary. This means that (at a very basic level) the public has a right to know details of the contract and how much he is being compensated for his work. Beyond that, it has long been a practice at ASU to work out secret, lucrative deals with executive officers that wind up harming the institution overall. So, the purpose of asking for details on the contract is simply to give it the public scrutiny it deserves, while providing a "check" on the power of the board of trustees to negotiate deals that may ultimately harm the institution. If you need proof of such harm being caused in the past, you only need look as far as the last two presidents you mention on your reply. In both cases, the board wastefully negotiated portions of the contract that left the institution in positions of severe legal liability that cost ASU hundreds of thousands of dollars to come out of once the contracts were ended.All this sad, you bring up a very interesting concept that "equitable" pay should be tied to the quality of one's performance. If only Adams State could adopt this philosophy of compensation across the board, it would solve so many of our problems with faculty recruitment and retention. Not to mention, it might put an end to the continuous resignations we face because people do not feel appreciated or fairly compensated for their work!There is no need to fear transparency if all is on the up and up. Only crooked members of the administration and their cronies defend such practices. That is part of the problem that Adam State has faced for so many years and it is only when we demand transparency and fair and open communication that we can hope to change in ways that go beyond personality, politics, and games.
September 17, 2022 at 7:45am @September 12, 2022 at 8:49pm - why does it matter what the terms of the contract are? So more negativity can be spread and more finger pointing can be done? I can assure you it's probably not equitable to the mess he's been handed. He has done more for ASU in the last 4 months than the past 2 presidents combined.
September 12, 2022 at 8:49pm Anyone know the details of the Interim President's contract?
August 1, 2022 at 12:31pm July 30, 2022 at 6:47am - I believe that the commenter meant to write "mark my words" rather than "mock my words". They then warn that "it's going to get ugly". I believe this is not a threat but rather, a caution that the monkeypox will become more prevalent and concerning.
August 1, 2022 at 8:10am June 18, 2022, at 10:05 pm - Please come to see me or Korry Goldstein in Nielsen Library #139 or call COSI. We have a grant program to help you finish your schooling & get your degree! - Isabella Boutillette
July 30, 2022 at 6:47am @ July 30, 2022 at 2:49am - I am sure you are confusing a lot of people. What words were mocked? What is going to get ugly? Obviously you have some issues if a question asking you to clarify your point is stirring up such feelings that you are making threats. So, let’s talk about ASU and you stop trying to scare people. The real reason we are all here is to make ASU better, right?
July 30, 2022 at 2:49am July 27, 2022 at 1:03pm - Mock my words, it’s going to get ugly.
July 27, 2022 at 1:03pm @July 26, 2022 at 10:07pm - not sure what your point is with your comment "You tried it" or your article? Who tried what? What I got out of the article is very few are considered high risk and even eligible for the vaccine."Right now, there is only a limited group of people considered high risk that are eligible for the vaccine:-People who have had contact with a known monkeypox case-Men 18 years old and older who have sex with other men"
July 26, 2022 at 10:07pm You tried it.https://www.9news.com/amp/article/news/health/increase-monkeypox-cases-colorado-precautions-lgbtq/73-30d8bc49-3382-44a1-bb3c-e61de3971761
July 26, 2022 at 8:09pm @ July 26, 2022 at 4:53pm - exactly. Keep students informed and safe, not oppressed and scared. In the interest of keeping people informed, Monkey Pox has not been declared a pandemic. Look it up. That is not what the WHO did at all, but keep your fear mongering up.How about we talk about things that matter to ASU. What is the status of the search for a new captain of this sinking ship? What is the plan? Maybe you are hoping the world will shut down again so you can work from home and that is why you are obsessed with monkey pox?
July 26, 2022 at 4:53pm July 25, 2022 at 4:39pm - You’re totally right, keeping students alive and well/informed isn’t really important.
July 25, 2022 at 4:39pm Here is a list of WHO emergencies:https://www.who.int/emergencies/situationsEbola looks to be the big winner. Big differences between Monkey Pox and COVID. COVID was a novel virus, Monkey pox has been around since the 70's. There are already vaccines and treatments for monkey pox, we don't have to wait for them, with COVID, we had none of that. COVID was transmitted by an aerosol, you did not even have to have any contact with infected individuals, just being in the vicinity was enough. Monkey pox requires physical contact. COVID killed a bunch of people, monkey pox is rarely deadly. COVID was transmitted by asymptomatic carriers, pox diseases don't usually work that way (chicken pox, small pox, etc). There is a reason the HHS and Biden administration have not declared an emergency yet. There have been no deaths in the US and it currently is pretty limited in spread. This is not COVIDhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/25/biden-administration-monkeypox-public-health-emergency/Before you yell fire in a crowded theater, take a look at reality and the differences between things like COVID and Monkey pox.Please stop the fear mongering and let's talk about how to fix ASU. It is easy to be distracted but that will not help in fixing ASU.
July 25, 2022 at 2:20pm Ah yes, Biden and Harris are covertly running the WHO in order to orchestrate a fake monkey pox pandemic ahead of the midterm election. They can't seem to get their policies through Congress with their party in the majority, but they are super competent with these global conspiracies. I don't know who posted the original link about the WHO declaring monkey pox to be a global pandemic, but I can imagine every university is or should be aware of testing and mitigation resources before it worsens.
July 25, 2022 at 6:00am @ July 24, 2022 at 3:18pm - you do understand who funds the WHO, right? You don’t think that funding holds political power? Silly really. While the WHO has global reach, it is very much an American institution.https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/fact-sheet/the-u-s-government-and-the-world-health-organization/Funny though, why are we talking about this? This does not have anything to do with ASU and is just being caused by those looking for an issue. Let’s talk about how to fix ASU and not speculate about the next global pandemic.
July 24, 2022 at 3:32pm July 24, 2022 at 7:25am - Bro what? Monkeypox is transmitted in many ways not just by sexual contact. According to the CDC, direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta. Also this has nothing to do with the upcoming election, this just feels very similar to when COVID first came out.
July 24, 2022 at 3:18pm July 24, 2022 at 7:25am - no, the WHO doesn't announce a virus is a global emergency based on the 2022 midterm elections four months from now in one particular country. There are elections quite often in the USA and there are viral pandemics every few years, but they aren't correlated let alone coordinated.
July 24, 2022 at 7:25am @ July 23, 2022 at 1:42pm - of course you will see something. There is an election coming up. What you are not saying is that 95% of cases are Sexually transmitted. This is nothing like Covid. More like AIDS. You will not see things shut down for monkey pox. But you probably will see those in power come up with a way to disrupt things before the election. This is not health though, it is politics.
July 23, 2022 at 1:42pm Here we go again. "The World Health Organization said that #monkeypox has expanded to more than 16,000 cases from 75 countries and territories, officially making the virus a global emergency." #news #health #WHO https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRSAYT3q/
July 22, 2022 at 12:09pm Is this a reasonable solution? Have the people who hold the HSI grant purse strings fund some course release/research grant programs for departments that show a marked increase in their Hispanic student graduation rate. Let faculty compete for these funds. If you look at the latest HSI grants that Adams has/is receiving, there should be some wiggle room for this type of targeted funding. Like...Adams State University (ASU) will receive $4,860,516 in funding over five years to support an increase in the number of Hispanic and low-income students who earn science, technology, engineering and math degrees (STEM). The centerpiece of the Department of Education Hispanic-Serving Institution Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (HSI STEM) grant is a partnership between ASU and Colorado State University-Fort Collins (CSU) that allows students to earn an A.S. degree in mechanical engineering from ASU, then transfer seamlessly into CSU to earn a B.S. degree. Uniquely, both degrees are delivered in their entirety on ASU’s campus. While ASU provides all lower-division coursework for the first two years, CSU faculty based in Alamosa will deliver all upper-division coursework for the last two years. The new program’s first cohort of students will begin in Fall 2022, with services based in El Centro Sierra Blanca — ASU’s new STEM Center.
July 21, 2022 at 11:09pm @ July 21, 2022 at 2:45pm - so do you have a suggestion on how to make it better? Does “Great stories are handed out at ASU” sound better to you? Starting at a JC/CC is not an insult, nor is it a means to oppress anyone. It was simply a reasonable suggestion especially with TSJC right here in town. I am ok with you bashing the idea but at least provide some sort of alternative.
July 21, 2022 at 2:45pm July 21, 2022 at 6:43am - Might as well make ASU's slogan "great stories begin at a JC/CC because we don't want you here unless you are already on the path to collegiate success - which begs the question as to what we are getting paid by taxpayers to do if our attitude is to turn remedial students away." It's a much longer slogan, but a more honest one.
July 21, 2022 at 10:50am I'm the person who submitted the comment about ASU needing someone from SoCO to field the Pres. position. Raised in Alamosa, but left long ago. I'm appreciative of the comments that call for solutions. No easy ones here.Someone asked about the definition of an HSI. That's up to the US Dept. of ED. And, yes, they aren't always on key with their perspective. I care about Adams and have for a long time. When I mention HSI status, it's not an attempt to sow division. That's why the comments about race get off track. I'll admit mine likely did so. Race is often subject to interpretation, so I'll say that Latinx students who attend ASU should get help. And so should financially-disadvantaged students from all backgrounds.When Upward Bound works with prospective students, for example, ethnicity and race are secondary concerns. UB focuses on the student's needs. I worked with UB when I was an undergrad at Adams. A while ago. Took Psych classes taught by Buddy Edelen.Since then, I've become a professor myself. So I agree with comments suggesting students may need prep at a JC/CC before landing at Adams. But let's not paint with broad brush and say that high % of classes at Adams are too rigorous for a majority of students from the valley. Use funding for summer bridge programs. Get them up to speed.
July 21, 2022 at 6:43am Hi Meagan, steering students to the local JC/CC is a feasible solution. Those places are better prepared for the remedial work. BTW, latest numbers for ASU from FASFA show a 38% graduation rate. It seems logical to me that if those students that could not graduate had started at a JC/CC, they may have either had more success since those environments are set up to help with remedial skills or they would have realized college was not for them. Probably would have saved them a lot of time and thousands of dollars rather than wasting 4-5 years with nothing to show other than student loans. BTW, most of the universities that have high graduation rates also have admissions requirements that ensure that incoming students are prepared in things like math and English. They are funneling those that don’t meet those requirements to the JC/CC route to start and they don’t have almost 2/3 of students unable to graduate.
July 19, 2022 at 1:00pm What solutions do you deem as feasible? The low graduation rate has been going on for over 10 years. There were solutions and programs that were put in place. The former administration canceled them. All you have to do is listen to your students. Ask them where they most need assistance. And have staff that they are comfortable with in support programs. You need staff that have empathy. I am always willing to put time in for wherever ASU needs me.- Meagan Smith
July 19, 2022 at 7:39am I wonder what would happen if everyone on here presented solutions instead problems. For example, Meagan, it's easy for you to assume the administration isn't looking at the graduation rate but you haven't worked for ASU in quite some time. Since you seem to have all the evidence to gripe about the problems, what are the FEASIBLE solutions?
July 15, 2022 at 7:00pm Of course degrees are earned and not given regardless of race. That’s how it should be. Just because math labs are open does not mean that people work with the intent of empathy. I do have records from institutional research that could show the failure rate which also affects the graduation rate for ASU. I can also ask Danny to request the current numbers. This I’m saying as a former admissions counselor also affects being able to recruit students that are at a higher level. If our graduation rate is not above 50% it affects us getting more qualified students. Have you asked yourself why folks are content with a low graduation rate over the years? There are many efforts that were made to assist this student in crisis and those programs however were shut down/closed down. - Meagan Smith
July 13, 2022 at 12:56pm @ July 12, 2022 at 1:49pm the problem is the education system as a whole. Students are graduating from HS without the skills needed to be successful in a college or university setting and therefore the burden is put on the University to get them up speed. This means more work for the university and higher cost for the student.
July 13, 2022 at 7:05am @ July 12, 2022 at 1:49pm - hence why I said I would like to know how many. You claim it is many, how many? What statistics do you have to support your “many” claim? I am not saying it is incorrect but would like to know what the real stats are.Steering students towards an educational experience that may be more appropriate for them like a JC/CC is nothing like staff and faculty being told “if you don’t like it, you can leave” nice try but not even close.Last time I checked, a degree is earned. I have known plenty of people who worked their rear ends off in order to pass degree requirements like college algebra. I know plenty whom were from disadvantaged communities and were not prepared because of their educational background. I know several that put in hours every day in order to pass. I know the math labs are open every day with hours available with extra help. If you put in the effort and you are capable of passing a class, then you will. If you are unable to pass said class, maybe college is not for you. It should not be handed to you, regardless of your educational history. You have to earn your degree.
July 12, 2022 at 1:49pm If only a few students were missing many classes to graduate, that's probably on those students. But when a huge number of students are missing only a few classes to graduate, that's on Adams State. It's easy to blame individual students to avoid confronting institutional dysfunction and failure, but a rural university is funded by taxpayers to work with the population whose mission it is to serve - not set first generation and academically struggling students up for failure and then blame them for it. ASU has a collection of the most educated people in a cluster of buildings within a 100 mile radius, so why is it so difficult to figure out how to make higher education accessible for students in this region? This "should have gone to a JC/CC" attitude is like Frank Novotny's "if you don't like it, you can leave" personnel policy - resulting in more students and faculty leaving! How's that working out for Adams State? Maybe it's state and federal taxpayers who are wasting their money on ASU?
July 12, 2022 at 5:58am I would be interested to see how many people do not get a degree because they can’t pass gen Ed requirements. How many people are missing a single class or two and don’t have their degree. I know of several over the years. These are the ones that are truly wasting their money and time. Maybe if they had been steered to a JC/CC they wouldn’t have wasted all their time and money and have nothing to show for it. College is not for everyone. Not everyone has the discipline or even has the smarts to complete a college degree. While I agree that everyone should have equal opportunity to access higher education I am smart enough to know that not everyone is capable of completing a degree. Individuals do not all have what it takes to complete a degree and until ASU recognizes that, they will always have dismal completion percentages. Think of the financial burden placed on the 70% plus that don’t graduate with a degree. If they had been steered to a JC/CC they may have realized college was not for them before they spent thousands of dollars and a lot of time with nothing to show. Not everyone has equal abilities but all should have the opportunity to develop the abilities they do have. That is what JC/CCs are for.
July 10, 2022 at 8:02am Meagan - “Your idea would defeat the purpose of being Hispanic serving. It would be the same as saying that students from the front range that were not educated on Hispanic and cultural American history should go to a junior college before attending Adams State”. Sounds like you mentioned race to me but maybe not.
July 8, 2022 at 4:52pm July 8, 2022 at 7:57am - I said nothing about race. July 8, 2022 at 11:26am - What is your definition of Hispanic serving if students can’t pass or pay for their Gen Eds? I think some folks needs to look at the statistics in the institutional research department and ask why are the students not passing the remedial classes. Also, look at how much money is made by them failing. - Meagan Smith
July 8, 2022 at 11:26am Megan, what about the cost of remedial work that doesn't count toward the degree plan? Wouldn't it make sense to take these courses at a reduced rate from a JuCo than sinking further into debt?
July 8, 2022 at 7:57am Wait, I am now confused because I had not mentioned race in my comment, Meagan. Are you claiming the deficiencies are race based? The students that are not prepared are not prepared because their high schools failed them by pushing them along before they were ready, not because of their race. Race had nothing to do with my JC/CC first comment. Thanks for trying to stir it up Meagan. And by god yes, if we have professors that are on campus that could not qualify for and pass college algebra/trig and English comp 1&2, they should not have a degree, let alone a job teaching at that level.
July 7, 2022 at 12:31pm July 6, 2022 at 5:07pm - Your idea would defeat the purpose of being Hispanic serving. It would be the same as saying that students from the front range that were not educated on Hispanic and cultural American history should go to a junior college before attending Adams State. Some of our professors are remedial in the same subjects. Does that mean they should not have a job? - Meagan Smith
July 6, 2022 at 5:07pm @ July 2, 2022 at 1:52pm - the students from San Luis, Antonito or Chama that are not ready for university maybe should be directed to a JC or CC to develop the skills needed for a four year institution. ASU should not be considered if remedial work is needed, until it is completed.
July 2, 2022 at 1:52pm Adams State has long needed a President who comes from the valley or southern Colorado. It's more than a "local" vs "import" issue. A new president should be able to dialogue with the faculty, BOT, and local businesses. That president should be welcomed at Chamber of Commerce events, etc. And if the president doesn't like living in Alamosa, it will show. Recent history bears this out. Secondary issue: The university still has racial issues. It may be the oldest Hispanic-Serving Institution in Colorado, but ask how much of the $ from the US Dept of ED that Adams receives gets used to promote and tenure Hispanic faculty, or, recruit and retain Hispanic students. Every student at Adams should get the same opportunity to succeed. However, they aren't all starting from the same starting block. A student from San Luis, Antonito, or Chama, New Mexico has a ways to catch up. They may need additional help, and if financially-disadvantaged students can avail themselves of the same monies, then by all means, share it.
June 18, 2022 at 10:05pm I was a student a few semesters ago who "graduated". A week before graduation they told me one of my classes was counted towards my credits when it shouldn't have been (even though it was on my degree plan) and I actually had to fulfill 3 more credits and that degree works was wrong. Me, thinking I was going to actually graduate, decided to put off paying my school bill until after I graduated and had the money. I know, silly choice on my part. Now I'm stuck with a 3k bill to the school I have to pay before I can even register to take those credits and actually have my degree. Realistically when will I be able to pay that off? Probably when my credits aren't even good anymore. They said "oh, we'll help find you a grant". They didn't care to ever convey to me that they didn't. I had to find out from my old work-study boss who was also trying to help me that they didn't find one. I don't care about the money, just the lack of communication that's been consistently an issue since I started school. Great stories begin here, but they definitely don't get finished.
June 14, 2022 at 10:54pm With the prior history of interactions of ASU presidents and BoT - who do you expect to hire? Another trashy president? A relative of a BoT member?
June 6, 2022 at 5:59am @ June 5, 2022 at 10:12am So what you are saying is that the last several presidents have allowed it to happen? Some of the problem people have been there for many years. Problem people provided protection by the past presidents persist. Alliterations Abound!
June 5, 2022 at 10:12am @6:18am: If a president enables problem people to persist, then the president is also part and parcel of the problem. Alliteration! :-)
June 4, 2022 at 6:18am Is it the President the problem at Adams or is it just that the last couple have allowed those who are the real problem to continue their reigns of terror? I think the issues in the administration are way deeper than just the President. We have had so many leave over the last year but none of the ones who are really the issue. Some of them have left because of the “if you don’t like it, you can go somewhere else” attitude. The President was not the real issue people, the real issues are still there and until the administration as a whole is cleared out, we are going to see the same issues. The President is not the real issue here.
June 3, 2022 at 8:32pm There’s a lot of positions to fill and rebuilding to do, but the institution, employees, and students deserve the greatest. My only sadness is it took three years of complaints for Lovell and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses given to her by the board before change happened. Not to mention, the amount of leeway given to Robinson to run professionals out and cause them hurt. I honor wholeheartedly what a challenge it has had to have been for Robinson to be a person of color in his position in the SLV, but the very people who wanted to support him the most were the ones he degraded from day one.
June 3, 2022 at 8:31pm Can we, students, choose who gets to be president of the school? Clearly the school or whatever those people are called cannot choose a decent being let alone a good president to save their fucking lives. I’m so over Adams, there’s always some bs happening.
June 3, 2022 at 7:59pm @5:13pm: Speaking from a distance now, but guessing it's much the same thing that was going on 5 years ago. A handful of entrenched individuals who think they own the place continue to wear down and drive out anyone who dares to bring a fresh perspective. Hoping the new guy sees this. His window of opportunity to enact change will close quickly.
June 3, 2022 at 6:54pm Who has the numbers on how many resignations happened this semester?
June 3, 2022 at 5:13pm What the fuck is going on at Adams…
June 3, 2022 at 2:47pm DING DONG THE WITCH GONE!!!!!!!!!!! BYE BYE Lovell
May 25, 2022 at 12:50pm The only way an STD would shut down in-person classes is if students and faculty were regularly having sex in class. Which is kinda pervy for May 24, 2022 at 6:20am to insinuate. But this is just an immature and empty grudge that some anonymous creep has against a successful and beloved professor, so we can probably all move on.
May 25, 2022 at 7:15am I don’t agree with Jeff in most things but was that really necessary? Let the man believe and do as he so chooses.
May 24, 2022 at 6:20am Uh Oh. Better watch out for the monkey pox. They are saying it may spread via sex. Sounds like we need to shut it all down again. Too much sex happens at a university for it to stay open safely. Might be time for Jeff to have remote classes again.
May 15, 2022 at 2:20pm I just wanted to drop by to say that I put in countless unpaid hours at ASU for four years, trying everything I could think of (and everything that was suggested of me) to secure a full time faculty position. No success, many disappointments. Then I moved to Oregon and taught part time at a community college. Then I enrolled in law school in Washington. Now, I've graduated from law school and accepted a full time attorney position with an intellectual property law firm before I even completed my law degree - at twice the starting salary ASU would offer. The lesson I learned is that if your employer isn't treating you well, there's no better time to seek work elsewhere. It isn't worth sticking around, trying to prove your worth at an institution that demeans and devalues you. There are places where you will be appreciated and compensated accordingly. - Danny Ledonne, JD, MFA
May 15, 2022 at 8:02am @ May 13, 2022 at 3:27pm - who was fired for embezzlement? Embezzlement is a crime, we’re they arrested and prosecuted? If people have embezzled from ASU, they should be in jail. I do know of some people who have broken the rules, used university resources and get to keep their jobs though. an individual in facilities and university funds and equipment being used for personal reasons rings a bell for me. I also remember a Finance executive who was less than on the up and up but they are no longer part of the institution. There are plenty of people who abuse the flex time initiative. There are some who are there to protect our students (ie. Title IX, Student affairs, etc) who are pretty hard to find sometimes. It is terrible that it is hard to find anyone before 9am or after 3pm because of flex time and “core hours”. Flex time is really just an excuse to work a 25hr week instead of the 40 people are paid for.
May 13, 2022 at 3:27pm Please let me clarify the fact that it is very hard for an African-American to adapt to living in the San Luis valley without a support system of other African-Americans. I know this from personal experience. And even though it was easy for me to adapt that may not work for everyone. The institution has never had an African-American in a VP position within its hundred years of existence. Also, there has only been one or two African-American professors prior to this. The clock watching is ridiculous because I know a bunch of people professor and administrators that have been late to work. The criticisms need to be equitable and folks that have been involved with an Adams State for a long time are aware of people that have clearly made inappropriate decisions for the institution and or got fired for embezzlement. Those folks were able to stay for 10+ years where was the no-confidence vote then? That’s why I’m asking that people be patient and give him 3 to 5 years to assist him with the communication.
May 13, 2022 at 1:36pm @ May 13 8:13 am - Glad that you are the clock watcher for all ASU campus and you know all of everyone's situation. Seems to me that you utilize your work time to make comments at 8:13 am. Your not any different than venting in someone's office for an hour. You took the time to do this socially!
May 13, 2022 at 1:31pm Dr. Robinson is worthless. It doesn't take much to be respectful and understand what students need and want. If he is to be in charge of what is going on with students, then he needs to participate and be a part of the community. He is very rarely on campus. The sad part - he doesn't answer his telephone, doesn't answer emails when there are serious student issues. How difficult is that to learn? Does this take 3 to 5 years? Remember, he had experience doing this job from his previous employer! Not many duties change from place to place! Be present! Be accountable!!! How do you ignore that admitting students is not important part of this institution! Stop making excuses for the position! We are here to retain and recruit students and that doesn't matter what sex, gender or race you are!!! How difficult is that!!! When his departments leave in a mass exodus - there is something seriously wrong! STOP MAKING EXCUSES!!! LOVELL AND ROBINSON ARE WORTHLESS! THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS INSITITUTION!!!
May 13, 2022 at 11:37am Dr. Robinson probably cannot wait to escape from this racist, classiest, toxic place! He has already realized the horrible people who dwell within. Like who thinks they have the authority to call for a vote of no confidence! You know who. He is one of the many egotistical mean faculty who considers himself a leader.
May 13, 2022 at 8:13am Another big problem is people not showing up to work on time. I get it, they come in at 8 something so they say they will stay till 5 something and I get the flex plan and I understand we need to miss work or step away sometimes but it’s rampant here. We expect students and faculty to be here on time but where are these so called directors, admins, etc.? Then then come back to work, behind on their tasks and they don’t think straight to be able to help students so what do they do? Leave or go to another office and vent for about an hour. There’s a reason people don’t get promoted here.
May 12, 2022 at 5:08pm Dodie, as Meagan said, he can’t be successful unless you hire in groups. Sounds pretty demeaning that an individual, because of his color, can not be successful on his own but that is just my opinion. I am not sure he needed to be run up the flagpole with a vote of no confidence and I agree with Meagan that it is too soon for that vote but to imply that a person can not be successful unless he is in a group based on skin color is ludicrous and maybe even a little racist.
May 10, 2022 at 10:43pm Dr. Robinson interviewed and accepted the position. Sorry if this offends anyone. Lovell hired him, she is responsible. Taking three to five years to be proficient in your position is a joke. One year at best and that is pushing it. - Dodie Day
May 8, 2022 at 6:55pm The fact that the faculty would put a vote of no confidence for Robinson is absolutely disrespectful. Because there are people that have been there longer than him that have never supported the institution in its mission. They need to learn to work as a team. Help him understand the communication that’s needed. This could take at least three to five years. When you hire an African-American and higher administration you can’t just hire one you have to hire in groups and across multiple departments. Otherwise you definitely put them in a situation of bullying and tokenizing which is not right. Basically, it’s too early to make a vote of no confidence.- Meagan Smith
May 7, 2022 at 7:28pm Yes, there will be a mass exodus. So many had hope that something would be corrected. Not happening. Lovell is poison and Robinson is a victim. - Dodie Day
May 7, 2022 at 10:40am The mass exodus from Lovell land is not over...stay tuned for more resignation announcements in the coming days and weeks!
May 6, 2022 at 6:29am Drama is right. ASU cannot function without targeted racist drama. Stay tuned.
May 5, 2022 at 11:04am So what happened with Robinson? I smell drama
May 4, 2022 at 6:59pm Collecting complaints is a move in the right direction. I would urge everyone to participate. Sending the letter to Lovell and Robinson was a great decision. She can't claim she doesn't know. Lovell is Robinson's supervisor and I believe she is already aware of complaints. This way it will be in writing and she can't deny or twist the truth. She is the one responsible for low morale at Adams State and I believe she needs to go. - Dodie Day
May 3, 2022 at 8:02pm Finally, a vote of no confidence in Dr. Robinson taking place tomorrow. Dr. Lovell's hire, this is all on her, I am sure she will try to blame others. All on her. My hope is that the BoT will wake up and will let Lovell go. - Dodie Day
April 20, 2022 at 6:07am I have a question... Are board members paid?
April 19, 2022 at 10:26pm Good lord!!! Can Adams State loose anymore faculty and staff????
March 13, 2022 at 9:57am More of a pretzel than a chip. I was guessing you were the same person who insulted the "soft sciences" previously. I'm quite comfortable with whatever type of scientist I am. The issue of when to release data is a tricky one. Data can be unreliable; if so, it's better to address that before release. Similarly, raw data can be highly misleading prior to some level of processing. - Jeff Elison
March 12, 2022 at 7:40am I was making a comment about the CDC not releasing numbers therefor causing soft scientists to speculate in a soft science kind of way. Medicine is not a soft science but remember that scientists make hypothesis and then use data to either support or disprove that hypothesis. Kind of hard to do without the data. The only one insulting your students there was you Jeff. I was not commenting about any of the fields you mentioned other than medicine. Sounds to me like someone has a chip on their shoulder.
March 10, 2022 at 8:28am Yes, of course "soft science." We all know psychology, sociology, political science, and medicine aren't *real* science. We just make shit up. The principles of empiricism and testing ideas against reality have no place in our fields. We leave that to Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity.Nice slam against dozens of students. Why don't you come teach my Assessment course and show us some hard science? - Jeff Elison
March 7, 2022 at 6:06am Don’t you mean “soft science” Jeff?
March 6, 2022 at 10:06am From the NYT article: "The agency has been reluctant to make those figures public, the official said, because they might be misinterpreted as the vaccines being ineffective.""“Tell the truth, present the data,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert and adviser to the Food and Drug Administration. “I have to believe that there is a way to explain these things so people can understand it.”"I'm less optimistic than Offit. I've explained base rates repeatedly and people either don't understand, don't want to understand, or it's too much work. That's the point of the first quote.Worse yet, people willfully misinterpret data. Take the ridiculous VARS controversy as an example. It's complete garbage, but ignorant or manipulative people point to "tens of thousands of deaths" from vaccines.As a previous post pointed out, this is less about science than understaffed bureaucracy. "“It gets really exhausting when you see the private sector working faster than the premier public health agency of the world,” Ms. Rivera said." Maybe exhausting, but no surprise. How often does the guberment push technological breakthroughs on their own, as opposed to funding private initiatives? You know... Science. - Jeff Elison
March 3, 2022 at 8:43pm It’s official, no more masks
March 2, 2022 at 5:02pm @ March 2, 2022 at 8:11am - Was Fauci mentioned in either article? I must have missed it. It is a good thing the CDC does not want to release the numbers, I must lack the intelligence to interpret them as well. Baaaaaaaaaa. That is the sound of a sheep. You might have more success with getting your job tasks done if you were not posting on WA during the work day.
March 2, 2022 at 8:11am @ February 28, 2022 at 7:46am - Fantastic sleuthing, you've proved the conspiracy. I'm sure the slow response to the FOIA request has to be Fauci's fault. No other reasonable explanation exists, such as only having 8 experienced people and 2 trainees to handle hundreds of requests for hundreds of thousands of pages of info. Understaffing is rarely a problem, just like at ASU where we have too many employees so everything gets done instantaneously.
February 28, 2022 at 7:46am @ February 27, 2022 at 9:23pm - Or only as good as what they report. Maybe they don’t want you to know the real numbers. You know... Science.https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.abc10.com/amp/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/fda-pfizer-vaccine-foia-55-years/507-a4a9b0b3-b184-4da9-a1fd-d3ec0a2d6616https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/02/20/health/covid-cdc-data.amp.html
February 27, 2022 at 9:23pm Numbers are only as good as those who report them. The numbers reported seem to be from the on campus site, which obviously doesn’t catch everyone.
February 27, 2022 at 9:01am No new COVID cases on campus last week? Sure thing!
February 24, 2022 at 8:05am Our leaders say they will follow CDC guidelines. Those guidelines are supposed to be updated soon.
February 23, 2022 at 12:04pm Is the school actually going to remove the mask mandate soon?
February 22, 2022 at 8:01am Yes, of course, employee's kids and spouses.
February 21, 2022 at 6:35pm @ February 19, 2022 at 10:19am - Faculty kids? I think a tuition break would be even more impactful for the staff kids. Classified employees tend to make less than exempt staff and faculty. I would think they are the ones that could really use the tuition help, especially those who tuition costs for a child would be almost a third of their annual income.
February 19, 2022 at 10:19am While complaining about the top earners, remember there is no tuition break for faculty's kids. Worst policy in the state. Every other school provides at least a 50% break.
February 18, 2022 at 6:17am So just looking at the salary data posted here and it looks like the top 7 earners at Adams State all make over $100k each and close to a combined million dollars a year. Who says Adams State is struggling? Sounds like public service can be lucrative as long as you work for a thriving and successful university, oh wait...
February 17, 2022 at 6:58pm ASU is literal trash. Cannot even provide decent food and Wifi; I'm sure the education is worse.
February 17, 2022 at 6:12pm Good question about the person leading Computing Services earning their pay. And what about the president? ASU is falling apart because the president wants to save money. Is there a department on campus that is fully staffed? Critical jobs aren't getting done (marketing, enrollment) or they are getting done poorly.
February 17, 2022 at 6:14am It is tech fees not tuition that pays for computing services. Are you questioning that the person leading computing services is earning that six-figured salary?
February 16, 2022 at 2:14pm My goodness I am really getting frustrated with Computing Services; I am being forced to miss class and turn in my assignments late because the internet is not working properly. Invest in a better wifi or do something about it, our tuition is being used for what exactly?
February 14, 2022 at 7:31pm I heard that a vote of no confidence by faculty was mentioned at the recent BoT meeting. No confidence in Dr. Lovell.
February 11, 2022 at 8:30pm I agree with students, Last two comments. We are short on staffing. I do not believe for one moment that it is due to COVID. It is due to Dr. Lovell, just my opinion. - Dodie Day
February 10, 2022 at 11:38amI agree. I know that there are problems with the pipes/wifi in the dorms. There are days were you have to wait 15-20 min just to have warm water to shower with, some days the heater does not work and we have been having temps below 0 lately so it gets really COLD, some of the dorms constantly smell like weed and alcohol, there are animals that live in the dorms so it can be quite loud at times, etc. We are paying 5k+ a year for what exactly? I am terrified to go to the cafeteria because there are A LOT of students that just sit there and talk for 30+ min knowing that room is always packed, you should wear a mask when you are not eating. I have had the food before and the food does not seem appealing if i am being honest, I was in quarantine some time ago and the majority of the food they served was not great. Adams needs to get it together.
February 10, 2022 at 11:38am I’m so tired of Adams State “University.” The student life on campus has taken a significant dent in recent semesters. Blame it on covid all you want but that’s not the real issue. The dinning services offered are garbage, the cafeteria can’t even make a grilled cheese without messing it up! The WiFi in the dorms only works 50% of the time, and computing services sure acts like they are perfect. The only service that seems to consistently work is OneStop and their billing of student accounts. It’s no wonder retention rates suck and students are transferring out at such a high rate. This University is less competent than most junior colleges!
February 7, 2022 at 8:25pm When I called the Alamosa County Health Department to report I was told you can't get away from it, no matter how careful you are. It is impossible to trace at this point. My case, started feeling some symptoms on a Monday, tested on Tuesday, negative, stayed home on Wednesday. Went to work on Thursday, because I tested negative on Tuesday. Tested again on Thursday evening and positive. Stayed home on Friday and because I am fully vaccinated and had symptoms, I was off quarantine by Sunday. Back to work on Monday. How can contact tracing be done in an office of, technechically, one person? Impossible! - Dodie Day
February 7, 2022 at 4:40pm "Scientist should be asking these questions too and not just accepting what big-pharma is telling us." Here we go again. Because scientists are sheeple, like Jeffauci. Because they all work for big-pharma, like Jeffauci. Because there is no money in a new treatment that would save millions of lives. Oh, that can't be it, it must be a CONSPIRACY!Regarding the U.S. vs. South Africa, a number of factors have been discussed in reputable sources. The median age in South Africa is only 27.6, in the U.S. it is 38.1. Many studies and just the stats reported on many websites show age is one of the biggest predictors of hospitalizations and deaths. South Africa also got hit much harder by delta, so more immunity prior to omicron. Also, omicron first flared up in South Africa, so it has surely continued to mutate since then (think stealth omicron)."As you can see from my earlier questions..." Not really since you don't sign your comments. We can only assume based on the weakness of your arguments, data, and mostly silly questions. Skepticism is important to science, but some skepticism is just politically or maintain-my-world-view motivated bullshit. "Will the sun rise tomorrow?" Oh my god, I never thought to ask that!It's more important to "get it right" than "be right." A little more science and a little less FOX would improve the world. Someone asked: How did the vaccination rate drop from 72 to 67%? Accepting the wildly speculative speculation that no one got unvaccinated, the nearly tautological conclusion is: the student body changed. Seniors who graduated in December had a higher than 72.7% vaccination rate, possibly because after years of college they came to understand and trust science, as well as developed a stronger sense of moral obligation to their fellow citizens. I think that's our mission. Incoming students had a lower than 67% vaccination rate, possibly because they had not been subjected to the draconian measures ASU has taken to safeguard the community. It's pretty draconian to say vaccines are required... unless you don't want to. Backbone all the way.The real question is why are the rates so low, 67 or 72%. Ineptitude of our leaders? More likely their priorities, money over the health and safety of students and employees and the surrounding SLV community.
February 7, 2022 at 2:43pm Why is coronavirus different than smallpox or polio? In part, rates of mutations. Why is omicron different than alpha and delta, especially in terms of vaccine effectiveness? Mutations. I suspect one or perhaps a few skeptics here don't believe in evolution. If you don't understand the basics of evolution, you can't understand these biological issues. "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" is a 1973 essay by the evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky.
February 6, 2022 at 5:44pm Two doses plus a booster shot provides about 25 times more protection against the omicron variant than no vaccination at all. "What won’t change, though, is that vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and others against COVID-19. (And these recent data provide an even-stronger reason to get a booster now if you are eligible.) Wearing a mask, especially in public indoor settings, offers good protection against the spread of all SARS-CoV-2 variants. If you’ve got symptoms or think you may have been exposed, get tested and stay home if you get a positive result." https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/12/14/the-latest-on-the-omicron-variant-and-vaccine-protection/
February 6, 2022 at 5:34pm All three of your sources are referring to earlier variants, not omnicron, so try again. My questions have been referring to omnicron but whatever you need to tell yourself. Sounds good to me. Help me out by answering my questions, that you have issue with obviously, with some relevant info, especially if you are going to attack them.
February 6, 2022 at 3:55pm Implying that vaccines do not work when they demonstrably do work is not "just asking questions." This is Tucker Carlson's and other anti-vaxx/COVID denialists' favorite tactic: flood the zone with bullshit in the form of "questions" (which appear facially reasonable but are always asked in bad faith or framed in a misleading way) and then insisting, when such questions are easily answered, that there is some overbearing authoritarianism which prevents "just asking questions." It's an act of conferring victimhood status upon a position for which no good evidence is available. It's deceptive and it does nothing to communicate reliable information. The problem is, the data on vaccine efficacy is already in. Vaccinated people are up to 94% less likely to be seriously impacted as a result of infection. Vaccinated people are less contagious and for a shorter period of time. Vulnerable populations benefit the most from vaccines, masks, and social distancing. But this is really just coming from a place of entitlement - "I want to go back to normal, and if vaccines don't put me there by the Fourth of July, I will whine and complain about how vaccines aren't perfect and we are all being lied to by vaccine developers and political figures I don't like." It's time to grow up and realize shared responsibility requires shared collaboration in the interest of public health. Or don't, and continue being part of the problem while complaining that the problem hasn't gone away yet. So why aren't vaccine critics taking to the lab to make better vaccines? Where are your peer-reviewed studies that demonstrate the unvaccinated fare better during the pandemic? Why is it so important to you to continue misleading the public and confusing the issue regarding vaccine efficacy? Why are you promoting the erosion of trust rather than building trust through the recognition that vaccines are among the most statistically effective ways to reduce harm and social disruption during a global pandemic? I am simply asking questions. Guess this rhetorical tactic works both ways while benefiting no one at all.
February 6, 2022 at 3:23pm February 6, 2022 at 2:07pm - Not sure what in my questions was fueling skepticism and paranoia, if asking questions is fueling those things then we should all be scared. The basis of science in general is to ask questions. We are seeing it a lot lately from national leadership. Don’t ask for evidence, just “Trust us”https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-russia-ukraine-health-europe-national-security-5c4182d83dd8b7585ac49fdbb5f91c45As you can see from my earlier questions, I am vaccinated, boosted and wear my mask in public. I am for everyone getting vaccinated. You mentioned vaccines not being the path back to normalcy but for a while that was all we were told. Get your vaccine and we will be back to normal by 4th of July? I think I remember hearing that last year about this time, no? Sorry for asking the questions. Guess that is not what we are all about in this world any more.Oh, BTW, not sure what seatbelts and bike helmets have in common with this situation at all. If I don’t wear a seatbelt, that is a choice and those who choose not to wear a seatbelt are simply fined. Their freedom is not imposed on at all like those who chose not to get vaccinated or those who simply come down with COvID. You get Covid, even if vaccinated, your ability to do things like travel, is greatly diminished. Better safe than sorry is a lousy reason as well and goes back to the “trust us” motif we are seeing as well. I am simply asking questions and you are dismissing those questions with such things
February 6, 2022 at 2:07pm Most if not all countries have had approx. 65% lower hospitalization and death rates with omicron, which is more infectious but less virulent. On a per-case basis, omicron is less deadly than delta (for vaccinated and unvaccinated populations) but still poses a 20 times or greater risk for unvaccinated populations. Vaccinations reduce the likelihood of transmission and severe infection, but there remains a possibility to transmit the virus - particularly the more infectious omicron variant. That's why wearing an effective mask (N95 or KN95) and only being around others who also wear effective masks in public indoor gatherings remains an important daily practice. An hour being unmasked and around an unmasked carrier indoors results in a much higher likelihood of transmission than shorter durations around a masked carrier while also masked. Vaccines are incredibly successful at reducing severe illness or death. But they are not a magical return to pre-pandemic life. Social distancing and masking remain important practices to reduce transmission. New treatments are showing efficacy in reducing severe infection during early onset of symptoms. This is a complex public health problem and we won't navigate it with a sense of entitlement or conspiratorial thinking about "big pharma" or "Dr. Jeffauci" etc. The goalposts have always been the same: reduce transmissions, illness, hospitalizations, and death. Public perception can be easily manipulated with a limited understanding of statistical probability, but the outcomes have remained consistent. Everyone is going to get COVID eventually, probably a few times. Doing so while vaccinated means a few days of minor flu-like symptoms for most. Doing so while unvaccinated means a more severe infection, hospitalization, or death. Putting the odds in your favor is as simple as wearing an effective mask, social distancing when possible, and getting vaccinated and boosted. I can imagine some people still wonder aloud about the efficacy of seatbelts, air bags, bike helmets, etc. using basically the same faulty reasoning ("my friend was wearing a seat belt during a car crash and still got badly injured, so Big Seatbelt is lying about these seatbelt mandates!"). Problem is: a virus is transmissible in ways that car and bike wrecks are not. If you still aren't sure about the epidemiology, simply recognize that it's better to be safe than sorry; your community is better off with your prudent safety measures than fueling skepticism and paranoia about public health.
February 6, 2022 at 11:19am Why is it that South Africa, with such a low vaccination rate, saw much less (15%) hospitalization and deaths with omnicron than with delta?https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-14/omicron-deaths-in-south-africa-peaked-at-15-of-delta-waveWhy is it that here in the US with a much higher vaccination rate, are we seeing such high numbers of infections and deaths with omnicron?Why is it that I have been vaccinated and caught covid (delta) 2.5 weeks after being fully vaccinated? I was then boosted and caught Covid (omnicron) again 2.5 weeks after that booster inoculation? I know many others with similar situations as well.Scientist should be asking these questions too and not just accepting what big-pharma is telling us. Vaccines may have worked when the virus was novel, heck, we tried to prevent the novel disease with a novel vaccine. The disease is no longer novel and is quickly becoming endemic. Do other vaccines out there like small pox and polio do not have the same levels of failure?Vaccines that protect the population as they should do not experience such large numbers of “breakthrough” infections, do they?Why did the goalposts change so much here, most vaccines are judged on their ability to prevent illness and prevent transmission, with the Covid vaccines it went from preventing infection to now preventing serious infection and no longer claim to prevent transmission. Why have the metrics changed so much?How can claims about any of this be substantiated when you see the numbers from largely unvaccinated countries like South Africa?Why are case numbers so high in a population that is majority vaccinated if the vaccines are effective?These are all questions, I am sure that people here will attack me for asking but wanted to ask anyway. I am sure Some of the regular commentators will pipe in here.
February 4, 2022 at 4:27pm How did the vaccination rate drop from 72 to 67%?
February 3, 2022 at 8:35am And 4:48, I assume you forgot about this post from October 19, 2021. And now here we are, coming off the worst wave yet.If we're burned out now imagine how depressing a superior mutation will be:https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/10/18/coronavirus-mutations/"The possibility of further significant mutations in the virus looms like a giant asterisk over any discussion of the trajectory of the pandemic. In recent weeks, scientists who closely monitor the virus have said it still appears to have plenty of room to evolve. 'I see nothing that suggests this virus is quieting down,' said Kristian Andersen, an immunologist at Scripps Research. 'I don’t think this virus is as transmissible as it can be.' Scientists are tracking dozens of 'sublineages' in the delta line of viruses, each with a slightly different array of mutations. One of those sublineages has spread with unusual speed in the United Kingdom recently and is gaining attention from researchers." - Jeff Elison
February 3, 2022 at 8:23am Dear February 1, 2022 at 4:48pm, What did I write that wasn't factual or that was promoting unwarranted fear? Depending on how you define a wave or surge, we've had 4-6 of them in 24 months, all due to mutations. Cases are coming down from a record high worldwide, but they are still higher than in any previous wave, so what would a sane person predict? Mutations will be fewer in spite of the high numbers? Or that coronavirus is going to stop mutating? 5.7 million dead scares me and makes me very sad. I'm particularly sad about all the people that died needlessly. - Dr. Jeffauci
February 2, 2022 at 1:44pm February 1, 2022 at 4:48pm - You're a whole fool
February 1, 2022 at 5:27pm Dr. Fauci is a national hero and being compared to him, even if unfounded, is an honor.
February 1, 2022 at 4:48pm Now I am convinced Dr Jeffauci, you sir are a fear monger.
February 1, 2022 at 8:16am "Let’s hope we are nearing the end." The end of what? There is already a new variant of concern to omicron. The problem is and will continue to be mutations, at least for a long time. Vaccinating the world would help. With 73 million current (known) infections and a conservative estimate of a billion copies of the virus per person, we have well over 73 quadrillion copies out there, each replicating rapidly, each replication an opportunity for a mutation. Worldwide there are 4x the number of infections now compared to previous peaks. Those surges were sufficient to produce alpha, beta, epsilon, gamma, three versions of delta, omicron, omicron+, and many "lesser" variants. I remember the early days when scientists were saying "at least it doesn't seem to mutate quickly." Ignorance was so comforting. It's a numbers thing: more copies = more mutations = more variants of concern = more deaths and the longer this goes on. Folks need to be thinking about the future and more than just themselves. Get vaccinated. 5.7 million dead is too many, especially when many deaths could be avoided.So yes, I'm hoping but not expecting we are near the "end." Whatever that means. Hope is nice unless it deludes people into complacency. Didn't someone famous write "hope is the opiate of the masses"? - Jeff Elison
January 31, 2022 at 7:53pm Dodie, you are one of the lucky ones so don’t fret. You have super immunity!https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-vaccine-combined-with-infection-provides-super-immunityNumbers in Colorado are dropping much like they have in other places. Let’s hope we are nearing the end.
January 31, 2022 at 6:35pm I couldn't thank everyone who has made the vaccine available to us, at least in the states.I did file a formal complaint with HR today and Dr. Robinson that enough is not being done to protect employees and students who comply. Jeff is correct, we need to be concerned regarding noncompliance regarding testing. - Dodie Day
January 29, 2022 at 10:14am Dear January 27, 2022 at 8:42pm: No problem, it made me laugh w/o hurting my feelings. And I agree about looking at both sides, with the caveat that I recommend reputable sources on both sides.Dodie: I'm even more concerned about whether ASU is enforcing weekly testing for unvaccinated folks. I still don't believe it.What good news about COVID was the president referring to in her email? "We are still a bit on the high side in the Valley though some improvements are noted." I'd appreciate some facts / evidence and specificity. Otherwise, it just sounds hollow and trivializes the problem (i.e., "a bit high"!). So, some facts: Bad news:- the SLV set a new pandemic record for new cases in each of the last 3 weeks, so this week was the worst (or maybe flat)- these records were more than double the previous pandemic records from Oct and Nov 2021- we had 24 new cases at ASU this week Good news:- new cases for the U.S. and Colo. are dropping (but still incredibly high, double the peak of previous waves)- cases in the SLV barely increased this week or stayed flat; let's hope for the drop soon- there were fewer new cases at ASU this week compared to the previous two weeks - Jeff Elison
January 29, 2022 at 8:37am Don’t thank the universe Dodie, thank Dr. Fauci.
January 28, 2022 at 10:30pm January 28, 2022 at 5:53pm - Damn...
January 28, 2022 at 5:53pm What is Adams State doing to enforce masks? What are they doing to make sure students cover their nose and mouth? I always wear a mask, I do everything I can to protect myself and I tested positive for COVID. Thank the Universe that I am fully vaccinated. - Dodie Day
January 27, 2022 at 8:42pm I never said I agree with Van Den Bossche I just asked if people have looked into what he said. I’m honestly looking into it but not sold on his opinion. Obviously I’m on the other side of the argument but I will admit calling Dr. Elison, “Jeffauci” was classless and for that, Jeff, I sincerely apologize. If I ever have anything else to bring up I will do so in a more professional manner next time.
January 27, 2022 at 6:50pm Students know they are required to wear masks that cover their nose and mouth. Why are some offended when you point it out? My patience is running thin, I am not nice and I am firm. - Dodie Day
January 27, 2022 at 4:39pm Laugh at both or either or. Don’t really care what you think or have to say. I’m just wanting to look at both sides.
January 25, 2022 at 7:08pm January 25, 2022 at 11:37am - I cannot tell if I am laughing at your stupidity or if I am laughing at the comment you made about Mr. Elison.
January 25, 2022 at 5:17pm "Jeffauci" - I love it! What a compliment, especially from someone promoting Geert Van Den Bossche's opinions. - Jeff Elison
January 25, 2022 at 3:15pm January 25, 2022 at 11:37am - Are you trying to mislead us or merely to make us laugh? This guy quacks like a duck because he's a quack! He makes the most preposterous predictions and then promotes his own snake oil: "On March 6, 2021, a Belgian veterinarian named Geert Vanden Bossche published an open letter “to all authorities, scientists and experts around the world” asserting that, in his expert analysis, the current global COVID-19 vaccination program will “wipe out large parts of our human population.” The way to avoid this purported calamity, Vanden Bossche asserts, is for scientists to pay more attention to his own invention — a “universal vaccine” that uses the body’s innate immune system to kill SARS-CoV-2." - Snopes
January 25, 2022 at 11:37am Geert Van Den Bossche used to work for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Listen to what he says about vaccine shedding. Yes, have your opinion and make your choice but listen to more than one side. Listen to more than just Jeffauci.
January 23, 2022 at 11:25am Did someone mention higher ed being a public good?"People without education past high school earn significantly less than those who go on to earn bachelor’s degrees, and are more likely to live in poverty and less likely to be employed. They’re more prone to depression, live shorter lives, need more government assistance, pay less in taxes, divorce more frequently, and vote and volunteer less often.With fewer people going to college, “society is going to be less healthy,” Lane said. “It’s going to be less economically successful. It’s going to be harder to find folks to fill the jobs of the future, and there will be lower tax revenues because there won’t be as many people in high-paying jobs. It will be harder for innovation to occur.”The United States has fallen from third to 12th since 2000 among the 38 member nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in the proportion of its population age 25 to 34 with college degrees, behind Canada, Korea, Russia, and others."https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/01/22/college-enrollment-drop
January 23, 2022 at 1:22am Too little, too late, for Lovell. It's funny how $110K + 50k annual raise makes someone willing to grovel and kiss ass with faculty and staff, all of a sudden... Is anyone actually going to the President's lunches/dinners? Please don't!!! Free food and wine is not worth the price we (the tax payers and community) are paying to keep this greedy, egocentric, lunatic as our leader. The trustees are clearly lost and don't know what to do. The only solutions are a vote of no confidence and letters to the governor! As others have phrased, "shovel Lovell out the door,"... We can do better!
January 22, 2022 at 6:25pm January 22, 2022 at 6:10pm - Hahahahahaha, preach!!!
January 22, 2022 at 6:10pm Has Lovell outlasted McClure yet? That's gotta be some kind of accomplishment: who can run the university into the ground while personally enriching themselves the longest?
January 22, 2022 at 6:02pm She's gonna eat less and move more. That should increase student enrollment and achievement. Really?
January 22, 2022 at 5:08pm Thoughts? Distracted by her $110,000 bonus and $300,000 salary while driving morale to new lows and not filling positions necessary for maintaining enrollment.
January 22, 2022 at 4:19pm Lovell's Friday email, thoughts? - Dodie Day
January 22, 2022 at 11:15am Vaccine boosters provide robust protection against severe disease from the omicron variant in the United States, according to three reports released Friday that use real-world data to show the shots are effective at keeping vaccinated people out of the hospital.One of the new CDC reports analyzed data from hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits, urgent care visits and hospitalizations between August 2021 and Jan. 5, 2022. It showed that a third dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots reduces the chance of hospitalization by 90 percent compared to unvaccinated people.https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/01/21/cdc-studies-booster-shots-omicronhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/01/20/n95-mask-effectiveness
January 21, 2022 at 7:20pm Just asking a question - why can't Adams State line all doors leading into buildings with masks required covering your nose and mouth like those they have put up all over campus regarding Adams 100? Provide masks outside entry doors? - Dodie Day
January 21, 2022 at 5:41pm And another record week for the SLV, about 640 cases. Cases last week and this week were double the peak of the delta wave. Alamosa county alone logged records of 72 and 63 cases on Thursday and Friday. The largest portion of cases in Colorado are among the 20-29 age group. Out of 74 ICU and acute care beds in the SLV, only 2 of each are available according to the covid19.colorado website, and it looks like we added 30 acute care beds in the last month! - Jeff Elison
January 21, 2022 at 4:06pm 32 positive cases this week. 28 positive cases last week.
January 20, 2022 at 9:18pm If administration is not setting a good example (wearing masks that cover their nose and mouth), we have a problem. You know who you are. It is being noticed. Huge issue in Plachy. - Dodie Day
January 20, 2022 at 8:35am "Policy to protect employees is lacking." I agree Dodie! Last week saw a record number of cases in the SLV by 2x. We have already broken the previous record this week. ASU shows many cases on campus: 20 students, 8 employees. And there are already at least 9 cases among students this week. CSU achieved over 90% students vaccinated by not allowing exemptions, other than medical. We need the same policy. Yesterday, Dr. Buchanan told senate that CSU is fining students for trespassing if they haven't been vaccinated or tested - twice weekly testing. Sounds like you've experienced your own problems with trespassers. - Jeff Elison
January 19, 2022 at 7:21pm Students are not getting it. The table is in front of my desk. They scoot around it. I put a chair in front. Better, not fool proof. I actually had someone move as close to me as they could, remove their mask and cough. SLV has a 19% positivity rate. I am doing as much as I can to stay safe at work. I am not feeling protected at work. Policy to protect employees is lacking. - Dodie Day
January 18, 2022 at 7:21am Are you saying Professor Elison is a sheeple because he wants people to get vaccinated and then calling him an outlaw renegade for holding classes remotely after tracking the cases in the SLV? Can't you even get your ad hominem attacks consistent?In other illogical argumentation, what could Dr. Fauci's salary have to do with vaccine effectiveness? Sling a bunch of crap and see what sticks?
January 17, 2022 at 6:53pm January 17, 2022 at 7:14am - Yall sure know how to twist up people's words. Yall are the reason misinformation is spreading at such a rapid rate. You know exactly what I meant when I said "vaccination status really does not matter" but you purposely fit it in your misleading narrative.
January 17, 2022 at 5:34pm I have no hope of reaching January 17, 2022 at 7:14am, but I feel compelled to address this gem for the sake of others who might be swayed by his or her misinformation: "if the vaccine does not work like most vaccines in preventing illness and transmission."But it does work like many others:- yearly flu vaccines because the flu mutates. And some years the vaccines are less effective because they can't predict future mutations. - Coronavirus has mutated quickly and effectively. In terms of transmission, alpha was better (worse for us) than previous variants, delta was MUCH better than alpha, and Omicron is MUCH better than delta. You can see the evolution and the data that support those observations at covid19.colorado.gov. See the "Proportion of Variants" figure. Alpha took over 13 weeks to break 80% of cases. Delta did that in 8 weeks. Omicron did that in 3-4 weeks. - It's probably impossible to develop a vaccine that will be effective against all future mutations.- Other vaccines DUE require multiple doses.- Had more people gotten vaccinated, there would be less spread now and fewer mutations.- Newer vaccines will eventually be developed for coronavirus that will be more effective.- And most importantly, the current vaccines aren't perfect, but they are very effective. See my previous post about the 44-to-1 odds ratio that hospital patients were NOT vaccinated. - Jeff Elison
January 17, 2022 at 4:50pm January 17, 2022 at 3:00pm nailed it.January 17, 2022 at 8:28am: You wrote "It is 100% a customer situation" and that "K-12, those institutions called 'public schools' are paid for, 100%." Do you work at ASU? We ARE a public institution. We receive money from the feds and state. That's why we can't teach intelligent design, but we can teach evolution. And why we have to follow other federal and state guidelines that only apply to public schools.Plus, where do grants and scholarships come from? I don't get grants and scholarships to buy my groceries.I will add to the public good argument. The societal benefits are many. Educating students makes them better citizens. Democracy is threatened by ignorance (see the international rankings where the U.S. is backsliding as a democracy). Improved health lowers the burden on taxpayers and caregivers; greater income drives the economy, increasing GDP, education and higher income lowers crime, and much more.In fact, I was just discussing some of these benefits with students today. Higher education should be free or much cheaper, as it is in many other countries. I support Biden's proposal for free preschool. Both of those would increase my taxes or divert tax money from other expenditures. My kids won't benefit because they are too old, but I told my students I'd happily pay those taxes anyway BECAUSE of the benefits to society, including me indirectly.I also explain to students that they pay way too much for their educations, not because ASU is expensive or merely due to inflation, but because Reagan and other conservatives and the general hatred of taxes by almost everyone gutted higher ed. I started college in 1978. Of course, I paid less due to inflation, but AS A PERCENTAGE, we all paid much less back then because the feds contributed much more to higher ed - per student.Imagine prioritizing education and its benefits to society over the military and tax breaks for pharmaceutical and health companies that make obscene profits, plus Jeff Bezos, Warren ("my secretary pays more taxes than I do") Buffett, and Donald ("I paid $750 in taxes") Trump. - Jeff Elison
January 17, 2022 at 4:22pm RE: January 17, 2022 at 7:14am:Oh Science! (reference to South Park where they praise science instead of god.) I'm quite sure your earth is flat. Head west, leave right now, keep driving until you drop off the edge.I caught myself after I hit submit for failing to point out that you were wrong in writing "vaccines don't matter." I was focused on responding to the other person who made it sound like vaccinated folks can't get coronavirus. Bah, bah black sheep. Bring on the shears. Thanks for the "science lesson"!"There are a ton of approved FDA drugs out there that inhibit virus replication, why are we not trying them?" Fox or OAN or Rand Paul or Roger Marshall, where do you get your misinformation. Name three effective treatments that haven't been tried by anyone. Thousands of scientists around the world are testing hundreds of candidates. Why wouldn't they? There are incentives in terms of fame, praise, and money. What are the disincentives? Oh yeah, your conspiracy theories. As Fauci said of Paul and Marshall, you are shockingly misinformed.I'm having a hard time thinking of anything I accept without question. However, when I'm in over my head in terms of expertise, I tend to favor experts rather than Facebook. You might try it. - Jeff Elison
January 17, 2022 at 3:00pm As much as economic neoliberalists want public higher education to be a business, it is not. Public education is a public good - the source of research and scholarship in the arts and sciences, a community gathering place to discuss issues and current events, and a creative hub for young adults and working professionals to exchange ideas, gain skills, and apply their learning in ways which broadly benefit these same communities and beyond. Education is a collective investment in a shared societal benefit. Students are not customers because they do not buy their grades or purchase their degrees. Students may pay to have access to learning resources, but the outcomes in education aren't products being sold. These outcomes represent something greater. See also: Why We Shouldn’t Think About College as a Business and Why College Is Not a Business: U Iowa as Case Study and Action Plan.
January 17, 2022 at 8:28am @ January 15, 2022 at 8:08pm“The analogy that students are customers is flawed.”How is it flawed? Every student pays for a service (education, meals, housing) whether it be via grants, scholarships or their own cash. It is 100% a customer situation. The fact that you do not see them as customers may be part of the reason we can not retain those customers. Whether or not you want to acknowledge it, ASU is a business that needs to be run as a business in order to succeed and the customers of ASU are who we need to be focusing on. ASU may be a non-profit business where as something like U of Phoenix is a for profit business. Both are businesses, non the less. Now, let’s look at education of K-12, those institutions called “public schools” are paid for, 100%, by the community and therefore would not be a business but private schools, that require students to pay tuition, would be a business. ASU, is a business, no matter how you look at it. They take money from customers (students) to provide a service (education, room and board.)
January 17, 2022 at 7:14am So Jeff, you agree with “ Cases are going to go up that’s just a fact your vaccination status really does not matter.” ? Then why are you pro-mandate if vaccination status does not matter? What is the point of the mandate if the vaccine does not work like most vaccines in preventing illness and transmission? We had the initial lockdown to “flatten the curve” to let the medical system prepare. What happened? Why are they not prepared. Instead of pushing the toxic drug and an ineffective vaccine, why were treatment protocols developed. There are a ton of approved FDA drugs out there that inhibit virus replication, why are we not trying them? You are just one of the sheep my friend, contributing to the fleecing of the general public. I hope you are in class today and not letting your unfounded fears deny your students what they are deserving in the way of an in person education.You call yourself a scientist but one of the general tenants in science is to disprove what it the status quo, not blindly accept it without question. Just so you know…. The earth is flat. (Sarcasm again Jeff)
January 16, 2022 at 2:34am I’d be mad as hell if my peers came to class sick (happens all the time) so if we did go online, it would honestly not bother me as much. I’m fairly certain every sane student wants school to be online for a little bit until things “cool down”. I caught COVID once, don’t plan on “purposely” catching it again. I’m hoping every professor is willing to be flexible and understanding because yikes.
January 15, 2022 at 8:08pm The analogy that students are customers is flawed.
January 15, 2022 at 5:25pm RE: January 15, 2022 at 8:17am1. Many vaccinated people are still testing positive for coronavirus, whether they develop COVID or not. They should not come to class or work. Anyone with symptoms should stay away as well.2. The fact that the hospitalized are 44 times more likely to be unvaccinated is definitely not the same as saying unvaccinated people are 44 times more likely to get ill, but it does imply the vaccines work pretty impressively well. These are conditional probabilities (really odds ratios). The odds that any wife gets murdered by her husband are VERY low, but the odds that a murdered wife was murdered by her husband are MUCH higher. The sample for the former is ALL the wives in the world; the sample for the latter is only murdered wives.So, I agree with everything January 15, 2022 at 3:54pm wrote. - Jeff Elison
January 15, 2022 at 3:54pm I don’t understand why people say if you’re vaccinated then everything will be all right. I’m fully vaccinated and I use my hand sanitizer/mask religiously and I still caught Covid and got sick because of it. Just because you’re vaccinated doesn’t mean you won’t catch Covid or that you won’t be ill. Cases are going to go up that’s just a fact your vaccination status really does not matter. The school should be cautious regardless. I still refuse to believe that over 70 percent of students got vaccinated.
January 15, 2022 at 11:06am The Colorado.gov website wasn't updated yesterday, so we can't know the exact number of new COVID cases last week. However, the total was 501 as of Thursday, so the weekly total was probably around 600. The previous record for the SLV was 272. Cases have risen exponentially for the last 4 weeks, up 8-10x. In other words, we are starting the semester with what appears to be more than double the peak number of cases, cases probably haven't peaked, and this is with a much more contagious variant.Let's be cautious, get vaccinated, follow guidelines, and maybe we can reduce the impact on our ASU and SLV communities to some degree.I wonder if administration keeps track of open beds at SLV hospitals. I know several health care workers, and they are burned out. There are serious staffing shortages, adding to their burnout and endangering patients. - Jeff Elison
January 15, 2022 at 8:17am @ January 14, 2022 at 1:34pm - Why do you think there will be many students and staff out? Thanks that the vast majority of both students and staff are vaccinated and therefore protected. You may have a few that are sick but those should largely be the unvaccinated. Look at the numbers Jeff posted. The unvaccinated are 44 times more likely to have serious illness.Even though there are some anti-Vaxers in our community, most people are vaccinated and therefore protected from serious illness and vaccinated people don’t transmit the disease. That is why we have the vaccine and the mandate. The vaccine works.
January 14, 2022 at 9:27pm I am in the office and I will place something in front of my desk so I am safe.. SIX FEET and masks that fit well. - Dodie Day
January 14, 2022 at 7:38pm I do not look forward to this semester at all. I have a really bad feeling about it.
January 14, 2022 at 1:34pm Bottom line - Many students and employees will be out sick over the next six weeks or so.
January 14, 2022 at 12:06pm I tested positive for COVID for the very first time not too long ago and the response I got from ASU was concerning. ASU is asking that students that haven’t fully recovered yet to still return to classes. Cases are going to go up even more, that’s pretty much the only thing I’m certain of. I genuinely hope that classes are back online; I am more productive in person but that’s the risk I’m willing to take. The whole 5 days of isolation thing is bs, it appears to me that the CDC just gave up on us because how? I was sick for over 7 days and I had a hard time functioning for 5 days, my symptoms got better but they were still there. I don’t know what’s going on but somethings off
January 14, 2022 at 6:32am You are right Dodie. That is what ASUs customers are paying for. I wonder how many professors will not be on campus and will try to teach remotely. I know that if I were paying for classes that I would be pissed if they were remote at this point. Everyone is being paid to be on campus and if they are not willing, I agree Dodie, resignation should follow.
January 13, 2022 at 7:01pm Bottom line - Adams State is holding classes face to face. We all need to be on campus fulfilling our duties. All areas, If any of us feel we cannot do that, it may be time to resign. - Dodie Day
January 13, 2022 at 11:12am Praise Science, not again! And I won't bother going through this again, other than to point out: a few more facts and less sarcasm would improve our community. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220110/A-study-on-COVID-vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated-that-required-hospitalization.aspx - of those hospitalized and either fully vaccinated with booster or unvaccinated, the percentage of unvaccinated patients was 44 times higher in contrast to the boosted. - remember the base rate math problem I explained last semester? Protection looks to be even higher for boosted folks, since the rates of pre-existing conditions and the mean age were higher among the boosted.End of facts. Do whatever the hell you want. - Jeff Elison
January 13, 2022 at 7:32am South Africa has a super high vaccination rate. That is why they are on the downhill run now. It’s all good, just go get another jab Jeff. It is just like all the other vaccines that require 4 doses in a year. MMR, Varicella, You know all of them, right? And we hear lots of stories about their protections waning after a couple months. That is why we need 4 tetanus shots every year. Big pharma will save us for sure.Oh, and a man made vaccine provides much more protection than our own immune systems. Science. We need to make sure that the people who have already had COVID get their jab too. They are not protected by the natural antibodies and T-cell memory response that comes with actually getting the virus. The stimulus provided by vaccines is so much better and longer lasting. That is why we see the positivity rates where they are. The vaccine is helping slow the transmission. We are seeing the infection numbers dwindle and the vaccine is our path back to some sense of normalcy.Maybe another lockdown is the answer and we can start another transfer of wealth and push another 50+ million in the world into poverty and make a bunch of new billionaires. I know my bank account is much larger than it was before the pandemic.Trust in Fauci, as the highest paid government employee, making even more than the President, he must know what he is doing if we pay him like that, right? He even gives us grape flavored vaccines.I am hoping you see the sarcasm here, I realize that MMR is only two doses over several years.
January 11, 2022 at 5:02pm Total COVID cases for the SLV over the last four days exceeded the largest weekly total to date. Let's hope this wave drops as quickly as it did in South Africa. - Jeff Elison
December 17, 2021 at 8:20pm How to Save People From Drowning in a Sea of MisinformationNossel's book, Dare to Speak, is very good.From her Slate article: "Teachers, school systems, and policymakers have slowly awakened to the urgency of providing media literacy education that can gird students to distinguish between legitimate and bogus information sources. Young people spend vast amounts of time on their phones amid deluges of news, information, and videos that they are not taught how to parse or assess. During the early days of the internet, media literacy education programs won some support from Knight, MacArthur, and other foundations, but those efforts lost focus, and funding, due to a lack of perceived urgency. Now, the spread of disinformation has turned the tide, helping to spawn a cottage industry of media literacy organizations and a fount of materials. As of early 2020, 14 U.S. states had adopted laws requiring some form of media literacy classroom education."I've expanded my coverage of these topics, truly critical "critical thinking." - Jeff Elison
December 15, 2021 at 8:36pm @ December 15, 2021 at 8:36am - What the hell...
December 15, 2021 at 8:36am Gringos or Whities? What term do our students prefer? Has anyone asked them?
December 14, 2021 at 9:51am Based on the LatinX article, the question is what term or terms do our students prefer? Has anyone asked them?
December 11, 2021 at 9:57pm Latinx or Hispanic? The debate over ‘Latinx’ highlights a broader problem for Democrats
December 10, 2021 at 8:07pm I wish I could. Faculty hold all the marbles.
December 10, 2021 at 7:47am Dodie - please get that letter moving.
December 4, 2021 at 7:03pm If there were a letter/vote of no confidence I think it may gain momentum. - Dodie Day
December 3, 2021 at 9:52pm At this point, let us all sign a petition to get her out. This is getting ridiculous.
December 3, 2021 at 7:22pm Polishing a turd. Love it. Much better than spinning the truth. She attended the SoB department meeting this past Tuesday. Spinning things or excuses. Her MO. By the way,, I have it recorded.. She is not one of us. It is like she is two completely different people. Talking shit about someone and then telling that person how much see appreciates them. - Dodie Day
December 3, 2021 at 6:48pm From the president: "Regarding COVID, we are making progress with our combined vaccination percentage at 76% campus wide. For students we are up to 71% and for our employee we are at 91% vaccinated." Seriously? No additional faculty have been vaccinated in two weeks. Only 14 additional students have been. The overall number increased by less than 1%. Talk about polishing a turd. And the total irony of following that news with paragraphs on the speed of trust. How can we trust someone who feeds us BS like her vaccination spin?
December 1, 2021 at 7:44pm We all know Aftin resigned. The Student Counseling Center works under her license. On the same day there was another resignation. Now Sam Sargent, an Admissions Counselor has resigned. Lovell would like you to drink the Lovell Kool Aid and believe they are leaving because of COVID. Lovell can try to spin the facts and blame things on COVID. Fool some of the people all of the time, fool all the people some off the time, but you can't fool all the people All the time. - Dodie Day
November 26, 2021 at 10:34am Coming attractions: B.1.1.529
November 23, 2021 at 11:13am Sounds like a wonderful idea to let Men's Basketball travel to Puerto Rico for two games
November 23, 2021 at 10:47am The Board of Trustees should tie Lovell's bonus to achieving 90% vaccination among students. Now, that would be useful.
November 23, 2021 at 8:57am In response to November 22, 2021 at 7:46pm, ASU claims our concurrent enrollment (high-school) students to make our enrollment numbers look better, but they aren't being counted in the vaccine numbers - to make those numbers look less bad. The 70% vaccinated number is based on 1141 on-campus students. So, it looks like we have a few hundred high school students attending our classes, and we have no idea whether they are vaccinated or not.What also concerns me is that I don't believe ASU is administering 370+ tests every week (33 employees and 340 students who are unvaccinated). I don't believe they are enforcing their own mandate.And the fact that COVID cases in the SLV are still at an all-time high (about 670% higher than July) that has lasted for two months doesn't seem to motivate our leaders to take vaccinations and testing more seriously. As I've written before, just charge every unvaccinated employee and student without a medical exemption $100 per test (= per week), and watch the vaccination numbers rise. - Jeff Elison
November 22, 2021 at 7:46pm 70% of students got vaccinated? Not possible
November 22, 2021 at 6:12pm I like how president Lovell brushed over the vaccine numbers on Thursday. She made it sound like an increase of 1.25% in a week was a good thing. That's 15 students. Five weeks past the deadline, we've achieved 70.22% of students vaccinated. Meanwhile, 15% have taken exemptions. So, we'll never reach the 90% achieved by CSU long ago. Sometimes I wish administration cared... about students, employees, education, something other than money.
November 19, 2021 at 4:31pm Just found out 3 of my family members are sick and one has tested positive for corona. Happy Thanksgiving break!
November 19, 2021 at 12:36pm How dare Lovell take a bonus when there is still staff below 72% of their CUPA. Support staff should be compensated fairly before any bonus should be given. What a selfish POS No love for Lovell
November 18, 2021 at 3:01pm We just lost another great employee Aftin Gillespie ~ so sad! BoT please pay attention!!! we are losing staff, faculty and students left and right because of the monster president lovell! ---- Editor's Note: We have verified that this employee has resigned.
November 18, 2021 at 11:11am While I agree Lovell is a huge problem we continue to forget the people who even before the pandemic always called in or showed up late and covered up all their malingering, poor attitudes, tardiness, etc. with “flex time”. So many personal calls are taken throughout a typical workday, 2-hour chiropractor appointments, and the like yet they have the audacity to complain about their job here and put applications elsewhere. No other place would tolerate them and neither should ASU. Entitlement is just as much at play here as anything else.
November 18, 2021 at 10:18am Lovell got a raise and bonus? No freakin' way! I plan to quit as soon as I have another job lined up. This is bullshit. She is ruining ASU and gets rewarded for it. Any dumbass can walk into a business and cut costs. The trick is to come up with a sustainable plan. The situation at ASU isn't close to sustainable. Morale is lowest ever. Lovell "listens" to us with her hands over her ears and points blame at everyone else. I've heard so many people say they plan to leave. I heard a group of profs saying they are cutting assignments because they can't keep up. So much harm to students due to Lovell. ASU will close its doors within 5 years.
November 18, 2021 at 9:11am Is it true that the president Lovell received a 100k bonus? Have heard that amount from several people now. WTF
November 17, 2021 at 3:57pm 300k a year? Wow. I am extremely confused, what does she actually do to earn that much?
November 16, 2021 at 7:30pm I did hear rumors about Lovell's raise and the deferred bonus from last year and for the 21 fiscal year. I was under impression that she only received a 4% raise. Double digits when everyone else received 3%. That would explain why BoT meeting minutes are not available on the BoT website. If she received a double digit raise the minutes would reflect that. My understanding is that her new Salary is $300,000 a year. I looked at the salary information on this site and if it is correct she received a 20% raise. Something is being hidden if minutes are not being posted. - Dodie Day
November 16, 2021 at 5:09pm I guess we now know why we can’t replace positions on campus or if we do, we pay the lowest amount of money possible. The “wonderful” President had to save money for her raise and bonuses.Dr. Lovell, how about you tell us how much your raise was and how much BOTH of your bonus incentives amount to! Makes me curious what her salary is after a double digit raise.
November 14, 2021 at 4:10pm November 14, 2021 at 2:16pm - I really hope what you are saying is not true. I am a student so I do not see everything you see but I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I personally do not think getting rid of our VP would make ASU a better place. If the president leaves and we get a better one then I think ASU will experience a good change. The common denominator has always been her. Everything has been going bad under her control.
November 14, 2021 at 2:16pm I was one who was excited for VP Robinson. 1) because he appeared good at what he did. 2) because I believe our administration needs more people of color and a broader array of diversity in general. However, he truly has showcased that he is terrible at his job. Or great, maybe, depending on the purpose of his role according to the President. Student affairs has lost almost its entire Director-level team over the last 6-months, a couple more just resigned, and several more throughout student services are waiting for the opportunity to jump. These positions have been replaced with people who have no supervision or even assistant director experience, and many do not hold above a bachelors. Dr. Robinson is a huge part of this because of how he has treated people with no respect. He is never apparent on campus. He rarely shows up to meetings, even if he’s require to be at, he just doesn’t. He micromanages with “discipline” but does not support or offer resources. He makes fun of the SLV community, and does not show up to community or campus events. He cancels meetings that have been on the books for weeks regularly simply because he wants to. And, overall, he clearly came in to tear people down, get people out, instead of build a team. That may have been exactly what he was hired to do. But it’s not what a VP of Student Affairs does. ASU needs change, but it doesn’t need it at the cost of people’s mental health, livelihoods and autonomy. Rather, strength in leadership comes from showing up, learning before changing, and being one who influences change instead of demands it without knowing anything first about best practices. He has treated people very poorly and so has Lovell. It’s simply the truth. Mark my words, he will be out of here within a year and he will have accomplished, as he already has, removing an entire division of employees who can not handle the abuse of ASU and administration any longer.
November 12, 2021 at 9:54pm November 12, 2021 at 7:08pm - Why would you even bring up skin color? You could of just said we need a better VP but since you brought up the fact that he is a black man, your comment was perceived in a wrong way. At the end of the day, he is our VP because he was more than qualified to be one and he worked his ass off to get this position. You might not know this but black people have to work 10x harder than white Americans and this school severely lacks diversity so we need more Dr. Robinsons. If you have a problem with him then have a convo with him. He can only do so much, our administration has always been trash and he is still new so he is still trying to figure stuff out. Give him a break.
November 12, 2021 at 7:08pm I am not a privileged asshole. I am someone who values others and their time, I don't believe we received anything announcing Veterans Day events. He arrived late and did nothing but sit at a table with those he knew. A meeting with admissions. Late and his excuse, AS&F meeting the night before. Wrong coworkers to complain to about late nights. So many more examples. This only scratches the surface. Nothing to do with the color of some ones skin, only work ethics.
November 12, 2021 at 10:58am November 11, 2021 at 10:27pm - Per the President's Cabinet meeting on Wednesday November 10th, we will NOT be going online. The semester will remain in person, professors should be sharing this information with students.
November 11, 2021 at 10:27pm When are we going online because I personally know a lot of people who are quarantined and some of my classes are getting smaller and smaller by the week.- student
November 11, 2021 at 8:38pm November 11, 2021 at 7:55pm - Excuse me? You sound like a privileged asshole.
November 11, 2021 at 7:55pm OMG, The Office of Student Affairs, Dr. Robinson is a joke. Performance outweighs the color of their skin. Performance!
November 11, 2021 at 8:04am Alamosa County: 49.7% fully vaccinated; 54.6%State Overall: 71.4% fully vaccinated; 64.7%Nowhere close to herd immunity.
November 10, 2021 at 10:45pm From tonight on PBS Newshour: another heaping dose of "told you so." Colorado hospitals overwhelmed by young, ‘dramatically ill’ unvaccinated COVID patients
November 10, 2021 at 9:56pm I hadn't heard the rumor about ASU going fully remote after Thanksgiving until just today. I was assured that is not the current plan, and I believe it.Nevertheless, it would probably be a good idea. With cases rising all around Colorado and in the SLV, we'll be sending sick students home to spend nine days in close contact, most of the time without masks, with their friends and extended families, many of them here in Colorado or other western states with growing infection rates. Then we'll have even more sick students returning to the valley. And away we go, another holiday spike like last year. The following article focuses on the current wave in Colorado: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/11/10/coronavirus-cases-increase-northern-states-mountain-westWe, the SLV, are now in our 7th week of the most recent wave, cases have risen over the last 3 weeks, and this week is on track to be the worst yet. And today's data from the state indicates the largest number of new infections is among those 20-29. Quit screwing around and get vaccinated, no joke. - Jeff Elison
November 10, 2021 at 6:17pm Hello again November 10, 2021 at 3:16pm, You misunderstood what I said. I said if they were not vaccinated then they probably would not of had the opportunity to use the ventilator but since they were vaccinated and got some protection from the vaccine then they were able to use/keep using the ventilator. I am aware that people who are vaccinated can still catch COVID but the chances of that happening is reduced when you are vaccinated and you are also less likely to be hospitalized/die if you are vaccinated so go get your vaccine people! I just saw a video about the long term effectiveness of all three COVID vaccines and holy crap, it is now hitting me that COVID is not going to go away and that we are all basically screwed. Living on campus is really starting to stress me out and I am also starting to regret my decision to live here, if the stats mentioned in this video is true then all hell is going to break loose.
November 10, 2021 at 3:16pm @ November 2 7:52: obviously you can't read. Both individuals who are/were on ventilators WERE fully Vaccinated! Rumor has it that ASU will go fully remote after Thanksgiving!
November 10, 2021 at 9:10am Speaking of dishonest people: rumor has it that Cheryl Lovell recently raked in over 100k in bonus pay AND got a raise to her base salary of at least 50k! All while vacant positions remain unfilled across campus! How can the trustees be so blind as to cater to the greed of an incompetent micromanager like Lovell while our University's financial health and morale hang in the balance?! Watching Adams should launch an investigation to expose the gross mismanagement of resources that has occurred under this president and board. The public deserves to know!
November 10, 2021 at 7:57am Dear November 9, 2021 at 6:50pm: I agree with you completely. One of my recent posts mentioned Dr. Lovell's Friday email with the 65% reporting statistic. This doesn't agree with what Kevin Daniel told me earlier last week in an email; he said 65% vaccinated. That's an important distinction, so I replied to the president's email seeking clarification, assuming Carol or whoever would get it. Here we are at Wednesday with no reply. I'll email Kevin for clarification right now.In those emails to the president and Kevin Daniel, I suggested ASU supply more - and more useful - metrics: % reporting and % vaccinated for students and employees (4 separate numbers), as well as the number of tests per week, the positive count per week which we already get, and from there they should report the positivity rate.We are a university, so we are supposed to understand data, analyses, and data-driven decision making. Administration isn't modeling this at all. Either we have terrible transparency with regard to these metrics, or administration has chosen penny-pinching over best practices for public health; I'm sure they are smart enough to do these things. Other schools share these metrics and I provided president Lovell and Kevin with the link to CSU's excellent COVID site. (CSU where 90% of students are vaccinated)Kevin agreed that the CSU example "is a nice way to present the data," and he said he'd pass it along to the web team. That doesn't guarantee anything will happen.So, I asked Senate President Saenz to add a COVID update to our agenda where we discuss these metrics at next Tuesday's senate meeting. Several administrators could answer those questions, but I favored inviting Dr. Buchanan because he is a scientist, a researcher, and an immunologist. He should understand the value of collecting and communicating these metrics. Hopefully he will participate in that discussion.How could administration increase vaccinations and cut the overhead of constantly tracking who needs testing and whether they are already getting it? As I've written before, just charge everyone who failed to upload their info and all the people who took exemptions (other than medical) $100 each week for testing. MANY folks will decide it's better to be vaccinated. You could (and I would) eliminate exemptions for "personal" and "religious" reasons, but I think the $100 policy would motivate most of those cases. Nevertheless, why is there a religious exemption? Do religious exemptions apply to speeding, running red lights, smoking in restricted areas, carrying a handgun into the classroom? Of course not ... that would be silly! So why are vaccines different? - Jeff Elison
November 9, 2021 at 6:50pm Dishonest people are getting exemptions and I am certain ASUs faculty knows this. Students are getting their exemptions left and right and I am shocked at how ASU does not question some of their students' intentions. They are so quick to look the other way it is actually scary. They just want to say rates are increasing and our campus is finally becoming a "safe" place but in all honesty it is not. This is a huge win for all the anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers on campus. I wonder what the actual vaccination rate is; there is no way 65% of the student population here got vaccinated. Our President lacks transparency. She should release some info about this to us but why do I have a feeling she won't.
November 9, 2021 at 10:15am Happy Holidays approaching - if we act responsibly!I can't believe how many times I hear people refer to the pandemic in the past tense, as if it's over:- Colorado: 7-day average for new cases is 2970, last Nov. 8th it was 3010, almost identical as we climbed the slope into the worst surge of the pandemic for CO. So, here we are again with new cases rising in our second worst surge to date as the holidays approach.- U.S.: cases had been dropping from the second highest peak, but have gradually increased over the last week.- SLV: experiencing its worst surge ever, as I've explained in several prior posts.- World: cases have been rising for the last 3 weeks as we climb up toward the fourth peak.- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59160525 - "The WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, said over the past four weeks cases across Europe had soared over 55%, despite an 'ample supply of vaccines and tools.'" "At a press conference WHO Europe head Hans Kluge said the continent could see half a million more deaths by February. He blamed insufficient vaccine take-up for the rise." "We must change our tactics, from reacting to surges of Covid-19 to preventing them from happening in the first place"Exactly, every time we let our guard down, we get hit with another surge. Follow the data - things are looking really bad heading into the holidays. Let's make an effort to keep our students and loved ones out of the hospital this holiday season. - Jeff Elison
November 8, 2021 at 9:57pm New cases in the SLV above 200 again for the 4th week out of the last six, the worst peak of the pandemic here. And today was the worst Monday (which includes the weekend) of the whole pandemic.Dr. Lovell's update on Friday said: "We are seeing good responses from staff/faculty with 91% reporting and our student responses still are lagging a bit at 65%." Good? Only 65% even reporting, so where does that leave us with actual vaccinations? How could we be so far behind other Colorado schools? How's that saying go: if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem? If the ASU and county data are correct, and big if - if all our cases count toward Alamosa County's numbers, then ASU accounts for 17 - 34% of new cases in Alamosa county the last two weeks. Unless we have accurate data, who knows what's really going on.And does anyone have any evidence that administration is enforcing the holds on student accounts for those who haven't uploaded their info? I've advised quite a few students in the last 10 days and looked at Degree Works for every one of them, and I haven't seen a single hold. You'd expect 1 out of 3 students to have them.So, this article from the CDC three days ago may be relevant:https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7044e1.htm?s_cid=mm7044e1_w"Among COVID-19–like illness hospitalizations among adults aged ≥18 years whose previous infection or vaccination occurred 90–179 days earlier, the adjusted odds of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among unvaccinated adults with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection were 5.49-fold higher than the odds among fully vaccinated recipients of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine who had no previous documented infection (95% confidence interval = 2.75–10.99).What are the implications for public health practice?All eligible persons should be vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible, including unvaccinated persons previously infected with SARS-CoV-2." - Jeff Elison
November 4, 2021 at 5:47pm This story on free speech and academic freedom is getting a whole lot of press: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/04/desantis-university-of-florida-professors/An op-ed from the professors who are being told they can't testify as expert witnesses on voting rights: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/03/we-work-people-florida-thats-why-we-cant-let-university-florida-silence-us-voting-rights-law/I don't think the University of Florida has a chance of winning here, which will make DeSantis look bad as well.Just a couple of weeks ago, I brought up the idea of endorsing the Chicago Statement on free speech to supplement the academic freedom statement that goes in our syllabi. I received a very supportive response, but I haven't had the time to prepare something for faculty senate. Other Colorado schools have signed on with their support: University of Colorado System: Affirmed by Board of Regents in September 2018Colorado Mesa University: Affirmed by Board of Trustees in August 2020 - Jeff Elison
November 4, 2021 at 8:39am The Guardian: Surge in Colorado Covid Cases Could Force Hospitals to Ration Services"There are about 1,300 patients hospitalized with Covid-19 in Colorado, according to the New York Times data; that's the highest number since December 2020." "That number has increased by 15% over the last two weeks, the third largest increase in the country" and is occurring while cases are generally dropping across the U.S. "The trend in Colorado can be attributed in part to the almost 40% of the state population that has not been vaccinated and people again gathering indoors without masks." And the numbers in the SLV this week are near record highs again. After three weeks of breaking 250 cases, the numbers dropped to below 200, but now we are on track to break 200 again. Our current surge is the worst the SLV has experienced across the entire pandemic. - Jeff Elison
November 2, 2021 at 8:36pm November 2, 2021 at 7:17pm - Could not agree more with you.
November 2, 2021 at 7:52pm @November 2, 2021 at 9:49am - Not trying to sound harsh and I hope your family recovers but I promise you if they didn’t get vaccinated then they probably wouldn’t of had the opportunity to be on the ventilator. Vaccines work.
November 2, 2021 at 7:17pm To: Minding my own business. Compliance and HLC should be all ASU employees business. - Dodie Day
November 2, 2021 at 5:43pm November 2, 2021 at 9:49am: I'm truly sorry to hear about your family members. I hope everyone recovers fully. - Jeff Elison
November 2, 2021 at 9:49am Jeff I'm vaccinated and wear my mask. i just dont believe in the vaccination fully. I recently and now have close family members on ventilators. They both were fully vaccinated. I just don't think it works.
November 1, 2021 at 8:05pm November 1, 2021 at 3:10pm: Seriously, can't we have a good faith discussion? I can't think of a thing I've posted about COVID and vaccines and statistics that I didn't believe to be true. And that wasn't based on real science. Come by my office and let's talk. I'm on campus five days a week, so just send me an email and we'll set up a time. - Jeff Elison
November 1, 2021 at 5:48pm The Halloween parties = more positive cases. How much money do you want to bet that we are going to have more positive cases on campus?
November 1, 2021 at 5:20pm Dear November 1, 2021 at 3:10pm,Short answer: because of people like you.Answer for anyone who really wants to know, as opposed to baiting:1) because the SLV is experiencing its worst surge of the entire pandemic2) ASU had a large jump in numbers last week3) the numbers for the SLV from this weekend are especially bad again4) anti-science bullshit on social media and Fox etc. is killing people with misinformation / too few people have gotten vaccinated5) too many employees and students are unvaccinated and continue to ignore basic guidelines6) ASU administration is too cheap or too disorganized to handle the problems of policy enforcement that other Colorado institutions seem to be handling quite well. The communication from admin to students was sorely lacking, enforcement of the Oct 15 "deadline," was worse, and now they've created an impossible problem for all of us - so many people need testing that admin can't possibly track or enforce that either.How do you fix it? Only accept medical exemptions, and then charge everyone else who is unvaccinated $100 per test (i.e., per week), whether they go for their test or not. That would basically eliminate the need to track tests. I'd bet good money most employees and students will get vaccinated if it costs them $400 per month. Other schools across the country have been very successful with similar or even stricter policies, like "no vaccine, you get unenrolled and can't be on campus."How long will Americans sit back on their fat conspiracy theories and allow other Americans (and themselves) to die needlessly, while watching the economy tank, and living this incredibly annoying lifestyle? - Jeff Elison
November 1, 2021 at 4:25pm November 1, 2021 at 4:04pm - This is an anti-vaxx talking point from two months ago. More info on why this is easily debunked here: Vaccine skeptics claim a new CDC gotcha moment — but they haven’t got much Short answer: because "immunity" was the wrong word to begin with - it implies a complete and total invulnerability. That's not what vaccines do and that's not what the human immune system is capable of. "Protection" is a more medically accurate description of what a vaccine provides. People who receive vaccines aren't "immune" from infection but do have "protection" against more serious infections or death. COVID vaccine protection isn't total because no vaccine has 100% efficacy, but these vaccines provide a very high level of protection in children and adults whose bodies are capable of mounting an immune response to the mRNA contained in the vaccine. More info on how vaccine efficacy is assessed here: Vaccine efficacy, effectiveness and protection
November 1, 2021 at 4:04pm Why did the CDC change the meaning of vaccine on their website https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article254111268.html
November 1, 2021 at 3:21pm They're idiots for having homecoming events like they did. Mass amounts of people all huddled together... (like the bonfire) no wonder why covid cases spiked this week. not a shocker.
November 1, 2021 at 3:10pm If the vaccination is so great. Why do you have your classes online? you shouldn't worry about contracting the virus. Right?
November 1, 2021 at 1:39pm November 1, 2021 at 12:56pm wrote: "The case rate among unvaccinated people is 3.4x more than the rate among vaccinated people in the state of Colorado." And as I've pointed out on two occasions, this underestimates the true effectiveness of the vaccines. The odds ratio is higher than 3.4x when you match vaccinated-unvaccinated groups by age. - Jeff Elison
November 1, 2021 at 12:56pm It's patently false that "most of the new cases are mostly among vaccinated people." The state even has a data dashboard about exactly that at https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-breakthrough. The case rate among unvaccinated people is 3.4x more than the rate among vaccinated people in the state of Colorado.
October 31, 2021 at 8:24pm How well has ASU addressed COVID compared to other schools? Poorly.Fort Lewis: mandate deadline - start of the semestercompliance - I was told 92% by a prof there, but I couldn't verify that on their websiteNicer presentation of campus data, including the positive cases PER testsColorado State University: mandate deadline: 8/11/2021compliance - 98.4% of students uploaded their info; 97.9% of employees uploaded theirsvaccinated - 89.5% of students vaccinated!; over 90% of employees vaccinated!Truly impressive numbers. Really nice presentation of data to make it easily readable: https://covid.colostate.edu/fall-2021-student-and-employee-vaccine-stats/I guess our students could leave if admin enforced our policies, but where would they go that would be anymore lenient than ASU? TX, FL, AL? - Jeff Elison
October 31, 2021 at 7:36pm October 31, 2021 at 11:02am: Simple answer - it's not true. Please give us one reputable source for this "fact."IF you can find a number that supports that anywhere in the world, read the article I recommended on October 24, 2021 at 9:05pm about statistical illusions, and maybe read my explanation in that same post. The raw number of cases in each group (vaccinated vs. unvaccinated) don't matter unless 50% are vaccinated in all age/risk groups. As I point out there, if 100% of Alamosa were vaccinated, then 100% of cases and deaths in Alamosa would be among the vaccinated, which tells you nothing about how much the vaccines protect you.The same illusion happens when most of the vaccinated people are in high risk groups like the elderly. They are more likely to have compromised immune systems and die. Period. From COVID, heart disease, cancer, and simple senescence. So, you could see the same illusion. But the vaccines are so impressively effective, that you don't see the reversal, but it does give an illusion that causes many people to underestimate vaccines' effectiveness.The only way to get the real picture is to compare the metric (cases, hospitalizations, deaths) per capita broken down by matched age groups; e.g., how many unvaccinated 20-30 year-olds per million test positive divided by how many vaccinated 20-30 year-olds per million test positive. Spoiler: 6-to-1, or you are SIX times more likely to be infected if you aren't vaccinated, or 86% of cases per million are among the unvaccinated. That's impressive effectiveness against mere infection.The ratio for deaths is generally 11-to-1 or 92%. If I could get those odds at a casino for just one hour of blackjack, I'd take every single penny out of my retirement account and retire with my massive winnings the next day.All this is shown graphically in the following excellent article: Who Had Covid-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Cases? (nytimes.com)Average weekly cases by vaccination status: trend has been 6x for the unvaccinated.This goes for groups starting at age 12, except the 6x is smaller for the elderly:"All vaccinated age groups saw similar rates of breakthrough infection, and they all had much lower rates of infection and death compared with their unvaccinated peers. “The No. 1 take-home message is that these vaccines are still working,” said Dr. David Dowdy, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. - Jeff Elison
October 31, 2021 at 11:02am Can someone answer this question for me. Why are most of the new cases are mostly among vaccinated people?
October 31, 2021 at 10:04am Lamenting on the dire situations at ASU on this site is the definition of insanity. You know, doing things over and over and expecting different results. Take a harder stance, a proactive move. Go for a vote of no confidence. Lovell and her administration, more than likely, don't even read the concerns on this site! There has to be a more results-oriented or attention-getting strategy than complaining here.
October 31, 2021 at 7:25am I have 100 students in my classes. In two days, Thursday and Friday, I received seven emails from Student Affairs saying eight of my students had been quarantined. Eight percent in one week. Things are so bad the last email was sent to 38 instructors and listed 11 students. We are required to keep seating charts for contact tracing, but I have never been contacted for that info in spite of several of my students testing positive and many of my students being quarantined in which case I don't know if they tested positive or were merely exposed.I've been teaching remotely for four or five weeks, so I know they haven't been exposed in my classes.If roughly 50% of our roughly 1800 on-campus students must get tested every week, that's about 900 students plus more employees. Since the testing is offered 44 hours per week, then about 20 students and employees per hour would be getting tested every hour. Watch Conour Hall any hour of the day to see what you think. There's no way that's happening. Of course, I realize people can get tested in other locations. Then again, consider how many students and employees that did upload their info claimed exemptions and should be added to these numbers. Who bears the cost of 1,000 tests per week? Every single one of us. Students and employees should have to pay for their tests. - Jeff Elison
October 30, 2021 at 10:15pm Thanks for calling attention to the 17 new cases, and that was as of Friday morning. They posted the numbers on Friday of the last two weeks and then updated them with higher numbers the following Mondays. So, it won't be shocking if the number is more than 17 on Monday. Is this a surprise when administration can only get 52% of students to upload their vaccine cards/exemption excuses (I believe that was the number shared with us) after two months? In just about every class, 52% is a failing grade. I think it's safe to say this is a massive failure on the part of administration."All unvaccinated students are required to begin weekly COVID-19 testing the week of October 18th." Same for unvaccinated employees. What is administration doing to verify this testing is actually happening? If they can't get 48% of students to simply upload exemption info, I don't believe for a second they are verifying the testing requirements are being met.I believe administration is putting employees and students at risk by not doing more to enforce their fairly meager "requirements." They've shared numbers about uploaded info, but what percentage of employees and students are actually vaccinated? What percentage of unvaccinated employees and students are actually being tested weekly? Based on the number of students and employees who don't even wear masks (take a tour of Plachy), I have little hope.We get endless lectures about retention and recruitment, but administration is falling short of preventing an outbreak that will return us to remote classes. That's a lose-lose outcome. - Jeff Elison
October 30, 2021 at 11:16am I can't speak for October 26, 2021 at 10:19am, but how is promoting vaccine mandates and mask wearing equate to "wanting" more cases? Only in this twisted Trumpian world could anyone pretend that reflects reality. Sick. Sick. Sick. With a little luck and compliance and effort from administration, maybe we can finish the semester face-to-face.
October 29, 2021 at 8:09pm October 26, 2021 at 10:19am - Hey you, I guess you got what you wanted, we now have 17 new positive cases on campus! All in one week too!
October 27, 2021 at 8:40pm WHY is there a sign in the public relations and marketing office that says "don’t come back, email us"...? Seriously?!
October 27, 2021 at 8:38pm THIS IS A MESSAGE TO THE BOARD It's time to wake up and realize you're sacrificing many to save one!!! Dr. Lovell continues to prove she cannot handle the position she is in. The climate is toxic, and people are leaving. Retention is crucial for the survival of the institution, but student affairs is crumbling. Nothing is good at Adams State and there's not a fast enough speed of trust to fix it.
October 26, 2021 at 10:19am October 25, 2021 at 8:00am - Way to go, disparaging two departments, their faculty, and their students. "Soft scientists", "manipulation," "psychologist" as if it need be quoted. You know you've run out of valid points when you turn to ad hominem attacks.
October 26, 2021 at 8:37am IS ANYBODY LISTENING? COACHES ARE TELLING THEIR ATHLETES THEY DON'T HAVE TO WEAR MASKS! IN PLACHY! WTF. THERE IS A BB COACH THAT NEVER HAS A MASK ON.
October 25, 2021 at 2:57pm I had already come to the conclusion that it wasn't worth discussing further with October 25, 2021 at 8:00am. I posted the stats article for the benefit of other people. "I guess that is what happens when a soft scientist looks at the hard science. ... With you being a “psychologist” you are also a master of manipulating soft data." Damn, you sure put me in my place! Why am I a "psychologist" in quotes? Because I've never taken a course in counseling in my life? Because I've been focused on research? BTW, psychology is a STEM field according to the federal government. October 25, 2021 at 2:17pm pointed out why it is pure BS to claim "The whole reason for a mandate is to stop transmission since those vaccinated are protected from serious disease already." Add to that list, reducing opportunities for new mutations, as I've pointed out repeatedly. Or is evolution "soft science"? - Jeff Elison
October 25, 2021 at 2:17pm More scientific studies (not articles about scientific studies) showing COVID vaccines reduce transmission rates: Study ties COVID vaccines to lower transmission rates (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy), Vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 transmission to household contacts during dominance of Delta variant (Yale University medRxiv), and Effect of Vaccination on Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (New England Journal of Medicine). This bears repeating from New Scientist: "People who are fully vaccinated against covid-19 are far less likely to infect others, despite the arrival of the delta variant, several studies show. The findings refute the idea, which has become common in some circles, that vaccines no longer do much to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “They absolutely do reduce transmission,” says Christopher Byron Brooke at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Vaccinated people do transmit the virus in some cases, but the data are super crystal-clear that the risk of transmission for a vaccinated individual is much, much lower than for an unvaccinated individual.” [emphasis added] A recent study found that vaccinated people infected with the delta variant are 63 per cent less likely to infect people who are unvaccinated. This is only slightly lower than with the alpha variant, says Brechje de Gier at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands, who led the study. Her team had previously found that vaccinated people infected with alpha were 73 per cent less likely to infect unvaccinated people. What is important to realise, de Gier says, is that the full effect of vaccines on reducing transmission is even higher than 63 per cent, because most vaccinated people don’t become infected in the first place." [emphasis added] It is simply false to claim "The whole reason for a mandate is to stop transmission since those vaccinated are protected from serious disease already." We also have vaccine mandates to prevent serious illness and death, to prevent the strain that places on the medical system everyone uses, and to protect public health more broadly. Because a viral pandemic is transmissible and infectious, this is a community effort, not an individual one.
October 25, 2021 at 8:00am So Jeff, in your response you brought up Israel, a more recent post talked about Singapore with their over 80% vaccines rate and their highest numbers of Covid since the start. It does not say the vaccine is not working, it just shows it is not very good at stopping transmission. The whole reason for a mandate is to stop transmission since those vaccinated are protected from serious disease already. Don’t want to talk about that? https://systems.jhu.edu/research/public-health/ncov/ You pick and chose a ton of articles, not scientific studies. You claim my sources are poor when the source I have used the most is the CDC. I guess that is what happens when a soft scientist looks at the hard science. I am done with the conversation at this point while we wait for more data. With you being a “psychologist” you are also a master of manipulating soft data as well as picking and choosing. I guess at this point there is no use in us furthering the conversation and will just have to wait and see what happens. This is truly a case of “only time will tell” Oh, BTW, the lefthanded views comment was not from me. I wanted to remove myself from that comment all together since I am proudly one of those “lefties”.
October 24, 2021 at 9:05pm This is a very helpful article for interpreting claims about raw numbers versus percentages versus rates (per million): Coronavirus vaccines work. But this statistical illusion makes people think they don’t. The author does a pretty good job of explaining Simpson's paradox, including the issue of base rates, without using the latter term. Think of it this way: if a population is 0% vaccinated, then all infections/hospitalizations/deaths are among the unvaccinated; conversely, if 100% of a population is vaccinated, then all infections/hospitalizations/deaths are among the vaccinated. Neither population tells us A THING about vaccines when we compare rates among groups. The country with 100% vaccinated would have 100% of its deaths among the vaccinated, but that number could be a single person. This is the issue of base rates, and it is the reason doctors don't recommend mammograms for 20-year-olds - the vast majority of positives would be false positives even if mammograms were 98% accurate (because more than 98% of women that age DON'T have breast cancer). That's hard to understand without a higher education and some understanding of math and science. That's why experts are called "experts" and should be given more credibility than politicians and most journalists. Thus, the U.S., with ~58% of the adult population vaccinated is close to the ideal of 50-50 if you want to use case counts, rather than numbers per capita. But that is still misleading because more vaccinated people are in high-risk groups, so the odds are "stacked against vaccines" in that respect (base rates again). An accurate analysis would require a multiple regression with many predictor variables: age, pre-existing conditions, sex, race, SES. So the most vaccinated countries in the world (U.A.E., Portugal, Cuba, Chile) tell us very little if we only compare cases WITHIN those countries. Israel, mentioned by an anti-mandate contributor was nowhere near record levels when they made that claim (10/1) and also claimed they were among the most vaccinated countries; in fact, they are 44th most vaccinated today, and they are only at 63% "fully vaccinated" today. Kahneman's book Thinking Fast and Slow has a short, fun explanation of the base rate issue. If you look at the Wikipedia page for Simpson's paradox, the first diagram is almost exactly what my students and I observed in attitudes toward excessive use of force by law enforcement officers, with the data coming from students and law enforcement officers in 2016. In both groups, the correlation between age and concern was positive, BUT the correlation with both groups combined was NEGATIVE because officers are mostly older than college students. One of my favorite moments in 20+ years of teaching. Chills ran down my spine, and the students looked at me like I was nuts. I think almost all of them got it after we looked at the graphs. - Jeff Elison
October 24, 2021 at 5:50pm So let me get this right, we're all a bunch of dead Greek philosophers? I don't like the dead part, but I'd rather be a famous philosopher than a hypocrite. Lefthanded views? WTF? Only in modern day America could vaccines get so politicized. I wonder whose fault that is?
October 24, 2021 at 4:18pm Wow. I attend a school filled with morons. Here is a little life lesson for some of you, sometimes keeping your mouth shut can do you some justice so keep it shut. October 24, 2021 at 9:57am - You really thought you ate dumdass?
October 24, 2021 at 2:45pm I recognize at least one individual is going to continue insisting upon asserting their view without strong evidence to support it and making specious arguments in the process, but this will be my concluding remarks on this topic. To summarize the case for mask and vaccine mandates here: - The COVID vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and the side effects are much less likely and less severe than a COVID infection, which is why the likelihood of serious illness or death among the vaccinated is around 11 times lower and we don't have over 735,000 dead Americans from vaccines but from COVID - and almost entirely among the unvaccinated. - Increased hospitalizations place strain on healthcare resources and personnel, thereby endangering anyone in need of medical care. The refusal to be vaccinated, in aggregate, also drives up medical costs for everyone in a given insurance pool or healthcare program. As Rep. Pramila Jayapal said, "The average hospital stay for a case of COVID-19 costs about $17,064. The vaccine is free." - COVID spreads among younger/healthy people who then can pass it along to older/more vulnerable populations. Thus, a university campus can become a "super spreader" and the surrounding older community suffers as a result. Such spread also creates the likelihood for variants which are more vaccine-resistant and more adapted to transmission between human hosts. The long-term harm of failure to vaccinate a population is cumulative. - "My body, my choice" is a poor analogy to vaccination because abortions aren't contagious but an airborne virus is. Your right to bodily autonomy ends where you expose other people to risk of infection for failure to be vaccinated. ASU and other public schools already recognize this by requiring proof of vaccination for MMR and meningitis. If you want to live out a libertarian fantasy in which you have no obligation to the society in which you are a member, it might be time to setup a shack in the woods. - The cost of inaction for an institution like ASU or a community like the SLV is greater than rare cases of vaccine complications. For every anecdote one can conjure of someone who had complications from a vaccine, there are many more examples of someone else dying from COVID or having ongoing health problems for which there may be no cure. - There are no certainties here, only probabilities. Mask and vaccine requirements lower the probability of transmission and infection; we've seen data from hospital networks requiring vaccination to prove it. That is a math-based argument, not a fear-based argument. Insistence that "we don't know enough about..." and then speculating wildly (even when we know how mRNA technology works and the global data set of vaccinations thus far) is a fear-based argument.
October 24, 2021 at 12:49pm You know the crying goes both ways. Not everyone believes in your lefthanded views. Quit crying you got your vaccination. It doesn't mean everyone else has to follow your lefthanded views.
October 24, 2021 at 9:57am @ October 23, 2021 at 7:20pm - again, I am not anti-vaccine, I am gratefully vaccinated and think the vaccine helped in me not being seriously ill when I contracted Covid. I am not anti-mask. I wear my mask all the time, even when there is no one around me that is doing the same. I think a mask mandate is a great idea. I am anti-vaccine mandate. It should be a persons choice in what they put in their body, especially when we just don’t have the data needed yet as to the effects on this younger people. Also, unless those younger people have a co-morbidity, they are not dying from Covid. Those are the numbers, people under 30 are not dying from this disease like older people. We force them to get vaccinated when they are not the at risk group here. Plus it has been shown that vaccinated people can and do pass on the virus. It may be at a lesser rate but the chance is still significant. Look at Singapore, one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world and they are seeing their highest case rates now. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/singapore-reports-highest-ever-single-day-rise-covid-19-cases-2021-10-08/ I am not the brick wall here, I am not the one trying to force what someone does with their body. I am not the one who is scared here. That is the only reason triple vaccinated people are pushing mandates, they are scared. If you are vaccinated you should be protected so stop being scared and leave others to chose what they do with their bodies. I have seen first hand what this vaccine can do to our young. I have seen a 14 year old healthy boy who spent 5 days in the ICU with heart failure that came on within hours of their first shot. This may have been a rare occurrence but it happened and the effects were very real. There are “brick walls” in this discussion but it is not me. Start looking in the mirror people and start taking responsibility for yourselves and stop trying to force people to do things with their bodies. You are all a bunch of Hippocrates. It is my body and my choice. Remember that. My body and my choice. Or is that a selective argument for some of you? Hippocrates and scared. A truly dangerous combination. Way more dangerous than Covid. From nature, a pretty good source I think, “ The comparison is less clear for younger age groups, says Russell — meaning that their risk of developing myocarditis might be increased more by the vaccine than by the disease, particularly because children rarely develop severe COVID-19.” All I am saying is we need more data especially before forcing it on our young, especially since they don’t usually develop severe COVID https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02740-y Take that, brick wall.
October 24, 2021 at 12:59am We all should know by now arguing with those kind of people is worthless. You are basically communicating with a brick wall. Mr. Jeff save your breath and energy, some people will never get it. The sooner we accept that the better off we will be.
October 23, 2021 at 7:20pm Some of you are making the lives of others 10x harder and it is annoying. If you do not want to get vaccinated, fine BUT wear a mask. It is not that hard to put a mask on and we all should be used it by now so stop complaining and bitching about this subject. It is getting ridiculous and embarrassing at this point.
October 22, 2021 at 3:47pm October 22, 2021 at 7:14am - We will never have "complete information" about a virus which is constantly evolving or potential treatments and vaccines for it. We don't have "complete information" of the effects of smartphones, yet we still have laws prohibiting texting and driving. If your standard is "complete information," you'll be waiting until the end of human history. Meanwhile, the rest of us are acting and advocating for policy based on "best available information" - which is a much more practical, real-world standard because it incorporates the scientific method while also recognizing the social and economic costs of inaction. And inaction is what the coronavirus has thrived upon.
October 22, 2021 at 7:14am Nope, conjecture means exactly what I thought. noun - an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information
October 21, 2021 at 6:57pm Perhaps if Dodie minded her own business she wouldn’t feel the need to be so defensive. It’s ok to provide thoughts, feedback, concerns, etc. But faculty concerns and HR concerns... none of anybody’s business. Just sayin.
October 21, 2021 at 9:08am I wasn't referring to you, Dodie. My whole post was in response to October 20, 2021 at 12:41pm who has repeatedly brought up my teaching online. - Jeff Elison
October 20, 2021 at 7:06pm I do not have a taser, just pointing out the fact that a Director does not have the authority to make the decision for a faculty member to teach remote, a class that is coded as face to face. - Dodie Day
October 20, 2021 at 4:28pm October 20, 2021 at 12:41pm: I agree with the previous post, you aren't discussing in good faith, you are wasting readers' and contributors' time. I believe the Washington Post link I recently posted regarding evolution completely backs points I've made before. New strains are probably our greatest threat, whether they develop in the U.S. or parts of the world where very few people are vaccinated. So, I'm done unless there are new and interesting contributors. Regarding online, I was told it is case-by-case so I'm not violating any policy. Put your taser down. Am I a rule follower? Only the good ones. I think that's a quote from Jim Belushi in Curly Sue. - Jeff Elison
October 20, 2021 at 1:17pm October 20, 2021 at 12:41pm - You aren't even reading the articles posted here before you declare that they are "conjecture." The Association of American Medical Colleges is "conjecture?" Johns Hopkins Health is "conjecture?" I do not think that word means what you think it means. If you did read those articles, you would immediately encounter passages like: "Americans between 20 and 49 years old were responsible for more than 70% of the spread of COVID-19 last year, according to the study from the Imperial College London's Department of Mathematics. The report, which was published in Science on Tuesday, noted that deaths during the late summer and fall were mostly among people over 50 years old and not the younger population." The studies are out there, the data is out there, but you are intent on wasting our time by insisting that you cannot be won over (even when you receive the scientific studies you demand as evidence). You aren't acting in good faith and apparently aren't bothering to read what you claim is "conjecture." You need to be willing to win yourself over before any evidence you encounter could possibly do the same.
October 20, 2021 at 12:41pm Great sources. Not a single scientific study in the whole lot. All your sources are conjecture. Great Job, you won me over. Jeff, what do you think about Dodie’s comment. Maybe you are not a rule follower?
October 20, 2021 at 7:05am I hear the Spin Doctors performed their hit "Little Miss Can't be Wrong" in Richardson yesterday.
October 19, 2021 at 8:55pm If we're burned out now imagine how depressing a superior mutation will be: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/10/18/coronavirus-mutations/ "The possibility of further significant mutations in the virus looms like a giant asterisk over any discussion of the trajectory of the pandemic. In recent weeks, scientists who closely monitor the virus have said it still appears to have plenty of room to evolve. 'I see nothing that suggests this virus is quieting down,' said Kristian Andersen, an immunologist at Scripps Research. 'I don’t think this virus is as transmissible as it can be.' Scientists are tracking dozens of 'sublineages' in the delta line of viruses, each with a slightly different array of mutations. One of those sublineages has spread with unusual speed in the United Kingdom recently and is gaining attention from researchers." ... Scientists studying the evolution of the coronavirus say their research reinforces the need to vaccinate widely and rapidly. There is too much virus in circulation. Mutation is a numbers game. The more chances a virus has to mutate, the more likely it is that a fitter variant will gain traction. President Biden’s science adviser, Eric Lander, said driving down the amount of virus in circulation is critical to reducing “the number of shots on goal this virus has.” - Jeff Elison
October 19, 2021 at 6:27pm Ok! Big faculty senate meeting with the #asuprez today. What was everyone’s take always (aside from the poor Internet on campus)?
October 18, 2021 at 7:49pm I believe all exceptions to change to remote teaching, due to COVID, is submitted to HR. Actually all changes to the norm would need to go through HR. A Director of a School cannot make the call. - Dodie Day
October 18, 2021 at 6:35pm October 17, 2021 at 5:39pm - I would encourage you to read the comments over the past few weeks and see many linked sources regarding COVID vaccine safety and efficacy, hospitalizations and long haul COVID symptoms in younger populations, and ASU's previous vaccine mandates already in place. The hard science on COVID vaccines is there, as are the very real costs to unvaccinated younger adults who have a serious COVID infection and the surrounding community. Here are a few more examples: Vaccine or virus? CDC says vaccines are still safer for young people than risks of COVID https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/vaccine-virus-cdc-vaccines-safer-young-people-risks/story?id=78447874 Young People Make Up Biggest Group of Newly Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients https://www.healthline.com/health-news/young-people-make-up-biggest-group-of-newly-hospitalized-covid-19-patients Coronavirus and COVID-19: Younger Adults Are at Risk, Too https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-covid-19-younger-adults-are-at-risk-too Long-Haul COVID-19 in Children and Teens https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Long-Haul-COVID-19-in-Children-and-Teens.aspx When Young People Get COVID-19, Infections Soon Rise Among Older Adults https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/09/29/916634414/when-young-people-get-covid-19-infections-soon-rise-among-older-adults Younger adults responsible for most of COVID-19 spread: Study https://abcnews.go.com/Health/younger-adults-responsible-covid-19-spread-study/story?id=75664889 Unvaccinated People Are Fueling Coronavirus Variants https://www.healthline.com/health-news/unvaccinated-people-are-increasing-the-chances-for-more-coronavirus-variants-heres-how “Worst surge we’ve seen”: Some hospitals in delta hot spots close to breaking point https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/worst-surge-we-ve-seen-some-hospitals-delta-hot-spots-close-breaking-point Healthcare Costs, Premiums Likely to Rise for Years Due to COVID-19 https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2021/08/16/627324.htm High Covid Hospitalizations Have Delayed Elective Surgeries https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/22/health/covid-hospitals-elective-surgeries.html
October 18, 2021 at 5:47pm October 17, 2021 at 3:01pm and Jeff, You both just made a ton of assertions with no factual data cited, Sources please. Lets see the real science, that would include data and numbers. Please stay away from all the conjecture and soft science.
October 17, 2021 at 5:39pm I'll add to October 17, 2021 at 3:01pm's excellent response to October 17, 2021 at 8:45am. Regarding point #4, the strain on health care is getting worse as burnout and frustration with the unvaccinated mount. People are being turned away when they need care for other conditions. According to the Colo.gov website, the SLV still or again has zero ICU beds available. Combining #1 and #2: the virus WILL continue to mutate AND young adults "are nonetheless still more likely than a year ago to have a case severe enough to require hospitalization and/or long haul COVID symptoms." The second observation is almost certainly due to the first. When a species eats all its first-choice foods, it turns to its second choice. Previous variants mainly affected the elderly. That opens the door to a new variant like Delta that isn't so limited. The adaptations in Delta made it better at infecting younger targets. So, once the majority of 18-50 year-olds are vaccinated or develop natural immunity via infections, new variants could jump to other species, but more likely, they will evolve to be more dangerous to our kids. We eradicated polio and smallpox. That may not be possible with COVID. Then again, it may, or we may just settle into a very low base rate and an annual booster like the flu. Either way, we would be better off than we are today, and vaccines are our best bet. Vaccinate the world! - Jeff Elison
October 17, 2021 at 3:01pm October 17, 2021 at 8:45am - You seem intent on avoiding a number of facts not in dispute which, when taken together, strongly suggest your anti-mandate view is without relevant precedent or a public health basis. 1. Even if younger adults are less likely to die from a COVID infection, the Delta variant has proven that the virus continues to mutate when transmissions spread widely - which is much more likely in unvaccinated populations. Absent public health measures to prevent spreading, existing vaccines will become less effective to variants over time, further endangering everyone's health. 2. Even if younger adults are less likely to die from a COVID infection, they are nonetheless still more likely than a year ago to have a case severe enough to require hospitalization and/or long haul COVID symptoms. Mortality rate is only one metric; reducing the demand on our healthcare resources, facilities, and personnel is another one. 3. Adverse side effects of COVID vaccines - even in young adults - are extremely rare, and much less frequent than a serious illness from COVID. Just running the math suggests that, absent a medical condition which would make someone ineligible for a vaccine, everyone 16 and older is much less likely to experience harmful complications from a vaccine than from an infection. 4. ASU already has vaccine mandates in place for students and you haven't been on here railing against them over the past five years. Yes, there are potential adverse side effects to meningitis and MMR vaccines and yes, they are also very rare. The "pro-choice" claim is disingenuous when it comes to vaccines because one does not have the moral authority to make reckless decisions which infect others, worsen the severity of the disease over time through mutations, or increase the strain on public health resources when they expect medical care. You've now said the same thing at least three times already. You haven't convinced anyone here and your arguments have fared poorly when tested against the science, the law, and the social contract we have to one another in community settings like the San Luis Valley and Adams State.
October 17, 2021 at 2:05pm October 15, 2021 at 1:49pm - BYE!
October 17, 2021 at 8:45am You are right Jeff, science does study mechanisms. With the mechanism of mRNA vaccines, pieces of mRNA are injected into a body. That body’s cells then take on the mRNA, transcription leads to the coding of proteins the body then displays (Covid spike proteins) and causes a response from the immune system which then attacks the body’s cells that are displaying those proteins. The immune system attacks a persons cells that display those proteins. The body in actuality attacks it’s own cells. This is very auto-immune in nature in that the body attacks it’s own cells, those cells that have coded and display those spike proteins. This is not what we saw in polio and other vaccines when a foreign object like a deactivated virus or small amounts of live virus were introduced in order to stimulate an immune response. mRNA type vaccines work very differently than traditional vaccines. Yes they are vaccines but very different vaccine in its mechanism. Science also studies data, data collected long term in many cases. That data is not there. With the polio vaccine, they were fighting a disease that was causing debilitating and long term effects in our children, with COVID, it is not the children being wiped out, with a few exceptions, children, unless having underlying issues not related to the virus like being fat, are not seeing the mortality rates that adults are… again, according to the CDC, people over 50 are 15 times as likely to die as those under 50 and those over 50 are 150 times more likely to die as those under 30. My source is the CDC website listed in an earlier post. Those are the numbers. ~650,000 deaths over 50, and ~4000 deaths under 30. Those are the CDC’s numbers. Let’s drop the guise of protecting our children and young because those are not the ones being protected because they don’t need that protection. I am still not arguing that the vaccine is good or effective, every argument coming back keeps pounding the effectiveness of this vaccine. I agree it is effective, I agree it is amazing that they were able to develop this vaccine as quickly as it did. I am very glad I am vaccinated and think the vaccine saved me a lot of pain. I am very much against mandating a vaccine that has been shown to cause issues in young people until there is more evidence as to what the long term effects are. Most arguments for a vaccine mandate here keep talking about the effectiveness of this vaccine. I am not arguing the effectiveness or the fact that it has saved a ton of people. I am just not into the mandate side of things. When it comes to someone’s body, I am very much Pro-choice In what they do with it.
October 16, 2021 at 8:19pm October 16, 2021 at 9:12am - We sure as hell know the short-term effects of NOT getting vaccinated. "Covid-19: Unvaccinated face 11 times risk of death from delta variant, CDC data show" (British Medical Journal, September). Unvaccinated adults faced a six times higher risk of testing positive for Covid-19 throughout the month, and in the last week of August, the risk of being hospitalized was nearly 19 times higher for unvaccinated adults than fully vaccinated adults.
October 16, 2021 at 8:04pm October 16, 2021 at 9:12am wrote: "How can you have an evidence based argument when there is a lack of that long term evidence." Easily. Science studies mechanisms; I think we have a pretty good idea how digestion works. Similarly, mechanisms by which coronavirus and the vaccines work are known. Astrology is a hoax because there are no known mechanisms that would account for the claims being made. If I hit a baseball in Alamosa, I don't expect it to land in Denver. We also have a long history with a wide variety of vaccines. "Science shows that even the most serious side effects for any vaccine, including COVID-19, occur within just a few weeks." (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/vaccines-are-highly-unlikely-to-cause-side-effects-long-after-getting-the-shot-). "We don’t know the long term effects of either the virus or the vaccines." Really? Death is pretty long term. Many people are suffering from long COVID, the symptoms of which include neural damage that is certainly long term, maybe permanent. The list goes on. In fact, doctors and researchers have been shocked at the variety of symptoms and complications during and following COVID. "Is academic affairs aware of and supporting your return to a remote learning model?" Thanks for the concern. I emailed my school director prior to emailing students. She was completely supportive and shared my decision with Dr. Buchanan and Kevin Daniel. I haven't heard anything from either of them, and I've exchanged several emails with Dr. Buchanan over IRB issues. Students also seem to be supportive. Many are also appreciative of my weekly pandemic updates. - Jeff Elison
October 16, 2021 at 10:52am October 15, 2021 at 4:44pm wrote: "You are poorly informed as well. Everyone is poorly informed." Another teachable moment, as I explained in my previous post. There is a difference between uncertain, fallible, and poorly informed. Being poorly informed is relative to the known knowledge base. But yes, we are all poorly informed about many things - the world is a big and complicated place. Uncertainty and fallibility are central to science - a sense of epistemic humility. Scientists make the assumption that we don't know everything, so therefore, it is worth studying the world and testing hypotheses to see if they hold up (empiricism), with the humanistic belief that we can make life better (Rauch's The Constitution of Knowledge). These assumptions and related modes of operation are in contrast to much religious dogma and the ideology of political demagogues (i.e., a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument). Trump paints a dark view of failing America and then denigrates all forms of expertise, so that "he alone can save us" (Stanley's"How Fascism Works"). Science also benefits from and thus welcomes criticism, as opposed to many religious and political leaders. Trump is the "canceler in chief" when it comes to all critics. Science is also more egalitarian - students run studies that get the attention of top scientists. Finally, science has been much more successful than religion and politics at improving our lives: infant and general mortality, life-expectancy, safety, health, wealth, free time, education, reducing poverty and hunger, and the list goes on (e.g., Pinker's "Enlightenment Now"). So, yes, I'm fallible and uncertain, and I'm proud to acknowledge that, especially if it makes me a better scientist and teacher. - Jeff Elison
October 16, 2021 at 10:27am I could have been a little more tactful when I wrote: "Ten years? You're joking or poorly informed. A little science and historical literacy puts things in perspective." I was thinking like an idealistic professor who believes higher education makes for a smarter, healthier populace that is better able to participate in democracy, understand and empathize with people who are different from us, etc. In other words, knowing more science and history tends to benefit all of us, and I thought that was a "teachable moment," as we say when ideal teaching opportunities arise - in or out of the classroom. In that vein, I'm revisiting the string of comments related to waiting 10 years and unknown long-term effects. Science and medicine aren't perfect, so we always need to balance the risk of doing nothing vs. trying the best known intervention. As a member of three different Institutional (Ethics) Review Boards over the last 15+ years, we receive training in balancing the risk vs. benefit of research involving humans. One question that must be considered in some studies is the ethical dilemma of putting participants at risk for NOT getting the beneficial treatment. The prototype example is the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, "an ethically abusive study conducted between 1932 and 1972," where treatment was withheld from Black patients with syphilis. A similar case is the final experimental trial of the polio vaccine from 1954-1955 that followed Jonas Salk's initial trials, which had already demonstrated his vaccine's effectiveness. The participants were the highest risk group - young school children - 1.3 to 1.8 million of them (1.8 includes the non-placebo controls - those who were given nothing). Prior to the trial, scientists objected. Harry Weaver wrote: “The practice of medicine is based on calculated risk .... If [we wait until more] research is carried out, large numbers of human beings will develop poliomyelitis who might have been prevented from doing so (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1114166/).” "The use of a placebo control group seemed to be too much of a 'calculated risk,' one that parents, teachers, and health officials would reject; in Salk’s words, 'a ‘beautiful’ ... experiment over which the epidemiologist could become quite ecstatic but [which] would make the humanitarian shudder.'" But they went ahead with the trial, anyway. As a result, many children in the control group contracted polio and died or were paralyzed for the rest of their lives. Among the control groups, "358 [cases] were confirmed as polio, and among these, 270 were classified as paralytic (including 4 that were fatal)." There were no deaths among the vaccinated, and the rate of paralysis was less than 30% the rate among the placebo groups. Thus, vaccinating everyone, rather than running "one more trial," would have saved approximately 4 children's lives and saved nearly 200 from paralysis (http://www.medicine.mcgill.ca/epidemiology/hanley/c622/salk_trial.pdf). The public embraced the vaccine as a miracle cure, although it was probably less effective than the mRNA COVID vaccines we are squabbling about now. The long-term effects of polio were known and assumed by many scientists to be much worse than the potential (unknown) long-term effects of the vaccine. The folks who insisted on that trial did so to alleviate the public's anxiety. Obviously, we are in the same situation today with the vaccine for COVID. How many more studies should we run while people die or suffer long-term effects of COVID? Who is being more selfish, those who want a mandate or those who insist on "more data"? - Jeff Elison
October 16, 2021 at 9:12am That is exactly what I am talking about. How can you have an evidence based argument when there is a lack of that long term evidence. We don’t know the long term effects of either the virus or the vaccines. The variable missing here is the time variable. What are the long term effects? The vaccine has been administered to the general public for about 10 months and to younger individuals for about 6 months. No matter how you look at it, that is not long term data. You can not create time, period. Does not really matter though. ASU offers “personal exemptions” so you will never see the vaccination rates as high as people would like to see. I am really curious to see how many students are going to leave come spring semester due to the “hold” placed on their accounts. Who is going to pay the faculty and staff salaries at that point? I think people are going to find they have mandated themselves out of a job. Those tenures won’t mean a thing of the students are not there not to mention we already have an enrollment problem. Jeff, I have a question for you. Is academic affairs aware of and supporting your return to a remote learning model?
October 15, 2021 at 6:35pm A university campus is a mixed population of teens and young adults all the way up to much older adults. It isn't rational to selectively apply a vaccine requirement based on a distinctions in adult age, but then to ignore other comorbidities like preexisting conditions, obesity, etc. That's too complex and fails to create the herd immunity which underlies vaccine efficacy in a population. This is a community issue, not an individual one, because the problem to be addressed is an airborne pathogen. ASU already mandates many vaccines to enroll for the same or similar reasons; that is a national (and global) trend in developed countries. This bears repeating: younger adults are still susceptible to serious illness and death from COVID. This is even more true among black and Latinx populations. As an HSI, it does not serve Hispanic students attending ASU for the university to knowingly expose them to elevated infection risks. Many adults under 30 in the San Luis Valley have died from COVID, including a former student of mine. The long term effects of COVID - including organ damage, chronic fatigue, and cognitive impairment - are the last things ASU should be willing to expose to young adult seeking to improve their future with a college degree. ASU shouldn't leave a young adult worse off simply because the university neglected to require one more on an existing list of required vaccinations prior to attending. Let's state the obvious: a campus that doesn't implement a COVID vaccine mandate is creating a petri dish of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths for all ages in that community. This places a burden on the medical resources and personnel for the entire region. Older adults in the SLV may have limited access to medical care if ASU doesn't require younger adults to be vaccinated for COVID. This has happened in other rural communities across the country. If anything is going to kill people, it is serious COVID infections, not evidence-based arguments you don't like ("doublespeak").
October 15, 2021 at 5:35pm 15 times as many deaths in people over 50 vs those under 50. If you use the groups over 50 and under 30 that jumps to 150 times the deaths. I am not the one who is off the rails here. Let’s state the obvious, you are wanting vaccine mandates for those under 30 for you own selfish reasons in protecting yourself because it sure isn’t protecting the young because they don’t need it. You got the vaccine, you are protected, right? The doublespeak by the pro mandate people kills me. Weekly Updates by Select Demographic and Geographic Characteristics
October 15, 2021 at 5:15pm October 15, 2021 at 4:44pm - Your appeal to ignorance isn't persuasive. To simply assert that our inability to predict the future justifies avoiding rational action (based on the best available evidence in the present) is a non-starter. We don't know what the long term effects of global civilization are because we've never run this evolutionary experiment before. We don't know what the long term effects of the universe are because this is the only universe we've had to study. But within those confines, we have a good idea what past experiences can tell us about future outcomes - particularly with a vaccine that over 175 million Americans have taken. We will never have a perfect and comprehensive data set. We must draw rational conclusions based on the imperfect data we have. Check out How can we know the COVID-19 vaccine won’t have long-term side effects? from OSU's Wexner Medical Center. It points out that we can look at vaccine history more generally, the history of mRNA technology and its dissipation within days of injection, the history of viral vector vaccine technology, and an overall cost-benefit analysis based on the considerable known risks of COVID and the marginal known risks of COVID vaccines. Poorly informed? Speak for yourself. Being poorly informed is a choice - one which we do not share. And again, you are poorly informed about a great number of technologies in your daily life but which you use because you see no historical evidence that they will harm you. By your rationale, you are poorly informed about the specific electrical and computational processes used to post your comment here. What are the long term effects of posting on Watching Adams? We don't yet have 10+ years of data on that, either. Yet here you are.
October 15, 2021 at 4:44pm Jeff, no I am not joking and yes, I will admit, I am poorly informed. You are poorly informed as well. Everyone is poorly informed. There is one thing no one in this world can tell us. What are the long term effects of this vaccine? That is for sure an answer you can not provide. You know why? The is no long term data. We are all poorly informed when it comes to that. I am pro-vaccine and vaccinated, just anti-mandate especially for the groups that have to deal with unknown long term effects.
October 15, 2021 at 1:49pm I will not get a vaccine, I will not get tested every two weeks - I will not return to ASU in the spring or EVER! This school is a fucking joke. Too much discrimination, inequity... shall I continue? I and about 5 of my friends will not be coming back to this shithole of a so-called university. What happens whenever you have low enrollment - then what? This school will fold!
October 15, 2021 at 12:46pm With a 16% week-to-week rise in the 7-day average of positive Coronavirus cases, Colorado is the 3rd worst state in the U.S. (New Hampshire: 17%, Oklahoma: 20%). We are the 5th worst state for the increase in hospitalizations. Deaths appear to be flat, but there is a delay between increases in hospitalizations and increases in deaths.
October 11, 2021 at 5:02pm October 11, 2021 at 2:42pm - I don’t know why but I’m having a really hard time believing that the school would do something like that. More enrollment = more money and that’s all ASU cares about. Clearly a lot of students are still not following the mask mandate and the higher-ups don’t really care because they rarely speak on it, it’s our professors that are quite literally begging us to wear it (really shouldn’t be like that, but oh well). This school is a joke.
October 11, 2021 at 2:42pm Dear October 11, 2021 at 1:55pm - The are "dead serious". Get it, they are serious because over 700,000 Americans are dead from COVID. Thank you administration. And come on, this is nothing, you just have to submit info.
October 11, 2021 at 2:38pm All semester long ASU mens and womens swim teams are practicing in a pool with no heater. Water temperatures have been about 66 degrees all semester. In the words of tennis great John McEnroe - "you can't be serious?" Really ASU? You can't get the pool heater fixed to support two of your teams? Embarrassing that you would treat these remarkable athletes with such disrespect! Shame on you Adams State!
October 11, 2021 at 1:55pm "You MUST either submit verification of immunization or submit a signed exemption form. Your immunization information must be turned into the Office of Student Affairs by October 15, 2021 or a hold will be placed on your account which will prohibit class registration and financial aid disbursement for the spring semester." School just sent out this email, I wonder if they are serious or it’s all BS.
October 11, 2021 at 8:28am Ten years? You're joking or poorly informed. A little science and historical literacy puts things in perspective. In the 1500's people would have called the simplest of cars a "miracle." In the 1800s people would have called a cell phone a "miracle." So, by those standards science produces "miracles." The new mRNA vaccines aren't miracles, they are the result of massive progress. You can read up on the development of these new vaccines to understand where the progress occurred. Consider this - 30 years ago we couldn't have sequenced the new coronavirus genome; they did it for this one in a week. Or this - 50 years ago it would have taken months for the genome sequence to propagate throughout the science community; they put it online immediately where billions of people could learn from it. The number of scientific articles about the novel coronavirus DOUBLED every two weeks from January to August. Vaccines used to take years to develop; this time it took a week. We only had to wait so long because they chose to do some of the largest RCT (randomized control trials) studies in history. Now we are way past that with over a billion people vaccinated. Do you wait 10 years before you buy a cell phone or laptop or car or TV or [on and on and on] with new technology? Probably not, and those are luxuries, not "miracles" that will save millions of lives. - Jeff Elison
October 10, 2021 at 6:05pm Reminder: Adams State already has mandates: "Students are required to provide immunization verification for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shots. Every student must show verification of receiving at least two MMR shots. If students are living on campus they must receive the meningococcal (meningitis) vaccination or complete with meningococcal waiver form." Another reminder: COVID has already killed over 700,000 Americans in less than two years - the vast majority of whom were unvaccinated. The "terrible side effects" alluded to here are 1) much more rare than a COVID infection and 2) much less severe than a COVID infection. Even if a mandatory vaccine schedule were applied to everyone ages 16 and older, the same concerns about "terrible side effects" would be exponentially lower than those of COVID infections. If you're concerned about people getting sick, vaccines greatly diminish that outcome as opposed to permitting more virus spread, more mutations, etc. Waiting for "10 plus years of data" prior to taking a vaccine - which has already been authorized by the FDA after completing clinical trials (the medical standard for authorization) - is an arbitrary timeline for vaccination against a virus with devastating health and economic impacts. What is "10 plus years?" 20 years? 50 years? This convenient excuse is a rhetorical shell game, not a serious scientific argument.
October 10, 2021 at 5:39pm @ October 10, 2021 at 2:50pm - I am not promoting anything anti-vaccine. I am simply stating that I do not agree with the mandates. Not yet at least. We are seeing some terrible side effects from mRNA type vaccines in younger individuals, so much so that some countries are halting delivery in those younger individuals. My opinion is that I am very much pro-vaccine. I am very much pro-mask, even support mask requirements. Maybe when these vaccines have 10 plus years of data like any of the other mandated vaccines. Then I would support that mandate too on these vaccines. We are just not there yet.
October 10, 2021 at 3:10pm Religious Covid vaccine exemptions should not exist. Here's why. "The law allows for vaccine requirements without religious exemptions. Not only that, but morality mandates it. Therefore, we should abolish religious exemptions for vaccine mandates. Religious objections to vaccines are not a license to kill." "The freedom of belief is absolute, but the freedom to engage in actions in support of that belief is not — nor should it be." "Why aren’t the protections afforded to individuals under the free exercise of religion absolute? Because that would actually harm the rule of law, public safety and general welfare. As far back as the late 19th century, the Supreme Court has acknowledged it would be absurd to allow people to opt out of many generally applicable laws by simply claiming their religious beliefs compelled contrary action." "So it appears the Constitution would allow vaccine mandates without carve-outs for religious objectors, and federal law would allow the same in the workplace. Here is even more evidence that laws mandating vaccines do not need exemptions based on religious beliefs: When it comes to student vaccination laws, several states — including California, New York, Maine and Mississippi — do not offer religious exemptions."
October 10, 2021 at 2:50pm October 10, 2021 at 7:27am - Fantastic! So you already understand the risk calculation involved in vaccination and your responsibility to other people. Which leaves the rest of us wondering why you're here promoting anti-vaxx talking points as the SLV faces another outbreak resulting in some of the highest death rates in the state.
October 10, 2021 at 7:27am @ October 9, 2021 at 1:40pm - only one major flaw with your post… I am vaccinated.
October 9, 2021 at 4:11pm Adults are arguing like children, we absolutely love to see it (not). There is a right and a wrong way to handle this pandemic and clearly some of you are leading towards the wrong direction and that'll come with consequences, but it is clear to me that some of you will be meeting God soon. #IRefuseToDieDueToCOVID Fuck it, do as you please.
October 9, 2021 at 2:56pm Regarding October 9, 2021 at 7:34am, I hadn't planned a lengthy response, and now I see it is unnecessary anyway thanks to October 9, 2021 at 1:40pm. Sure, going back to face-to-face makes wonderful sense during the worst time period for the SLV. You got me; I am becoming rich from vaccines. People's lives really don't concern me. Seriously, the profits and lobbying of the pharmaceutical industry are sick, another point on which we apparently agree. - Jeff Elison
October 9, 2021 at 1:40pm October 9, 2021 at 7:34am - You've done a remarkable job of information pollution here, but you've avoided some central operating facts. Here are a few: Unvaccinated People Are 11 Times More Likely To Die Of COVID-19. 1 in 500 U.S. children has experienced COVID-19 associated orphanhood, and children from racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected. Covid-stricken Alabama had more deaths than births last year, a first in its recorded history. Employers and insurers are taking notice and setting policies accordingly. That doesn't make vaccinated people "sheep"; it means they understand math. Nobody should have the choice as to whether they infect other people's bodies. And nobody should refuse basic public health guidelines and then expect everyone in the ICU to drop what they're doing to care for them (while expecting their insurance company and everyone else who pays premiums to pick up the bill). You may think you're incredibly smart, but most of us see you as incredibly selfish and we question the value in subsidizing your reckless, vanity-driven decisions to endanger and burden the rest of us. Complications from vaccines are incredibly rare, but there are individuals who may not be ideal candidates for a vaccine. That doesn't persuasively demonstrate the rest of us should forgo them entirely. A complication from a vaccine is far less likely, and far less severe, than a complication from a serious COVID infection. It's great that some people are finally becoming upset enough with for-profit pharmaceutical companies that maybe we can seriously pursue a single-payer healthcare system in which We, the People own the life-saving vaccines and treatments our government subsidizes. But most anti-vaxxers don't really want a Medicare For All or similar system; they are just promoting whatever grift that suits their anti-science arguments. Which means the real "sheep" here are blindly following the propaganda of their self-involved preferences, not the medical science.
October 9, 2021 at 9:33am Almost double the state death rate! Goes with our very low vaccination rates. Alamosa County - Population that is fully vaccinated: 48.5% (7,865 fully vaccinated) --- 18.9% lower vaccination rate than Colorado - Population over 65 that is fully vaccinated: 88.4% (1,993 fully vaccinated) --- 5.1% higher vaccination rate than Colorado - Cumulative deaths per 100k: 259 (42 total deaths) --- 94.7% more deaths per 100k residents than Colorado - Cumulative cases per 100k: 13,590 (2,206 total cases) --- 14.9% more cases per 100k residents than Colorado
October 9, 2021 at 7:34am Looks like you have another two months of protection Jeff. Gets you through the end of the semester. Now you don’t have to worry about the unvaccinated or vaccinated infecting you. Time to go back to class? Seems contradictory not to, does it not? Should mandates have a provision for those who have had COVID already since their natural memory cells are stronger than those induced by vaccines long term? Researchers find the differences in COVID antibody responses to vaccination and natural infection Oh, did anyone notice that the Moderna vaccine application has been stopped in several countries, in young people, due to adverse side effects? Same mRNA mechanism of the Pfizer vaccine which we have seen some heart issues in young people. Sweden halted for all under 30. They say the risks are worse than the rewards. Iceland halts Moderna jabs over heart-inflammation fears Sweden halts use of Moderna's COVID vaccine in under 30s Congrats to the Moderna Billionaires! Way to go guys. All these mandates must be exactly what you were hoping for. Moderna founders make Forbes list of America’s richest during pandemic I love how we are feeding the corporate machine. Sheep say baaaaaaaaaaaaa. Where are all the pro-choice people? This is my body and my choice. Funny who we choose to “protect”. Funny who we choose to impose our views on, isn’t it? I am pro-choice, through and through. Oh, for all you Lovell critics. Saw her walking out of My Brothers Place last Saturday, yes Saturday, with her partner and a pizza. Looks like she is sticking around on the weekends now and supporting a local business. At least a step in the right direction. Does not make her way of treating people on campus any better but to be fair, had to point out a positive. A great quote that I am sure I have forgotten whom to attribute to. “Opinions are like ass holes. Everyone has got one and most of them stink.” Let the bashing begin!
October 8, 2021 at 4:28pm Today was the largest single day increase for the SLV across the entire pandemic. This week topped last week, so we've had the worst two weeks ever, back-to-back. My wife and I got our boosters today before we saw the new numbers. - Jeff Elison
October 8, 2021 at 2:45pm October 8, 2021 at 7:18am - You know the flu vaccine (another set of viral strains) requires an annual booster for basically the same reason, right? Viruses mutate and immunity wanes. That's normal for vaccines, and the article you posted leads with an explanation about the value the vaccine confers and other public health measures taken in tandem with vaccination: "Two real-world studies published Wednesday confirm that the immune protection offered by two doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine drops off after two months or so, although protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death remains strong [emphasis added]. The studies, from Israel and from Qatar and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, support arguments that even fully vaccinated people need to maintain precautions against infection."
October 8, 2021 at 9:00am It is true- Cheryl Lovell is a toxic individual and one of the biggest obstacles preventing ASU from thriving. Don't believe her when she says there is a trust problem at ASU. This is a red herring she devised to detract from her own lack of leadership, empathy, and accountability for her own actions. The Speed of Trust is a solution in search of a problem. Real solutions can only follow real conversations about the challenges faced by students, faculty, and staff. How about looking at the data collected through the many surveys people have taken over the past several years? It all points to a single source of frustration and that is Cheryl Lovell. Many have tried contacting the board of trustees directly to voice concerns but they fall upon deaf ears. A vote of no confidence may be the only path forward for making our voices heard. Sign me up!
October 8, 2021 at 7:18am Two months, does not sound like any other “vaccine” I know. Studies confirm waning immunity from Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine
October 7, 2021 at 7:44pm Cheryl Lovell—queen of gaslighting and micro-aggressions. Not sure about the rest of you, but I went through some of those Equity trainings sponsored by Title V back in the day. Kuddos to Lillian Gomez and company! They provided us a foundation that Lovell could never reach… she’s that far below us the gutter. How many years are left on her contract? Good riddance cannot come soon enough!
October 7, 2021 at 2:03pm October 7, 2021 at 7:30am - if you've been following the news, President Biden mandated vaccines (or twice a week testing) for many groups, including businesses with over 100 employees. The law is in his favor for federal employees, but people have objected he is overreaching in telling states what to do. OSHA is his rationale and route to enforcing mandates beyond federal employees. - Jeff Elison
October 7, 2021 at 1:55pm October 7, 2021 at 7:30am - you cited a highlight of violations "between Oct. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2020." This was before many mask mandates were in place, before the availability of any COVID vaccines, and before the emergence of the Delta variant. Here's a more current and relevant publication on this topic, from OSHA's website: "...This evidence has led CDC to update recommendations for fully vaccinated people to reduce their risk of becoming infected with the Delta variant and potentially spreading it to others, including by: - wearing a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission; - choosing to wear a mask regardless of level of transmission, particularly if individuals are at risk or have someone in their household who is at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated; and - getting tested 3-5 days following a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and wearing a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days after exposure or until a negative test result. In this guidance, OSHA adopts analogous recommendations. CDC has also updated its guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools to recommend universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. CDC's Face Mask Order requiring masks on public transportation conveyances and inside transportation hubs has not changed, but CDC has announced that it will be amending its Face Masks Order to not require people to wear a mask in outdoor areas of conveyances (if such outdoor areas exist on the conveyance) or while outdoors at transportation hubs, and that it will exercise its enforcement discretion in the meantime."
October 7, 2021 at 7:30am @Oct 3, 7:47pm - Not even on the Top 10 OSHA violations.
October 5, 2021 at 8:23pm As an FYI: the School of Business put up new signs letting those entering the building know masks are required. The risk is serious and the ASU requirements need to be in forced across campus. Students are confused. We are a state-owned campus. - Dodie Day
October 5, 2021 at 2:39pm I just want to know why Plachy is exempt from wearing a mask in the building? And coaches TOO! Somebody isn't doing their job I'm thinking. Or is it just $? HOW DARE WE tell them anything!
October 5, 2021 at 11:02am As of 10 minutes ago, 1 out of approximately 25 people in Plachy were wearing a mask.
October 5, 2021 at 8:57am From our website: "Immunizations Requirement: Students are required to provide immunization verification for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shots. Every student must show verification of receiving at least two MMR shots. If students are living on campus they must receive the meningococcal (meningitis) vaccination or complete with meningococcal waiver form." Nope, no way, no mandates for us.
October 4, 2021 at 1:43pm To see evolution in a single figure, check out https://covid19.colorado.gov/data and scroll to the bottom. The x-axis is time and the y-axis is the proportion of different variants. Mutations led to Alpha which kicked the butt's of all other variants, rising to over 70% in Colorado. Then came Delta, rising to 100% as of two weeks ago. Adaptation in real time. To read about why (more transmissible via aerosol vs. droplets) and how new variants could be worse: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/health/coronavirus-aerosols-airborne.html Partially conjecture, but the data support this hypothesis, even experimental trials with hamsters. Addressing a criticism from an earlier post, they do discuss papers under review. This is normal during a crisis. If we waited for everything to be reviewed prior to sharing knowledge, we'd be at a huge disadvantage. The approach of sharing drafts has been widely accepted during this pandemic: https://wellcome.org/press-release/sharing-research-data-and-findings-relevant-novel-coronavirus-ncov-outbreak - Jeff Elison
October 4, 2021 at 10:55am October 4, 2021 at 7:07am - It’s honestly a long story but long story short, ASU is the best option for me. I’m just ready to graduate and get out of here but as of right now I’m stuck here.
October 4, 2021 at 9:50am From a student perspective, I think Dr. Elison is an example of the role model we need at this school. For both faculty and students. It's bizarre to me that so many of you seem out to get him. If there's anyway to fight for what we want and deserve, then he is an example of doing just that. I think ASU is so dead set on being "the best in Colorado" that they would risk lives to do that. Especially Lovell. It's unfortunate because I think the personalities of our students and staff don't fall in line with that. You're putting a bunch of individuals who care too much into a playing field with a captain who's the complete opposite and would rather hurt somebody and make a goal than do it the right way. Yeah, it baffles me. the fact we enforce social distancing and masks, and then do the complete opposite. Having outdoor activities with a hundred people with no masks, allowing students to dorm together with no masks, not holding students accountable who aren't wearing masks indoors, its all extremely two sided. Good for you Elison for putting your classes online. I think this should be what we're doing university wide until students can get their heads out of their asses and put on a mask and faculty can hold their peers and students accountable.
October 4, 2021 at 7:07am @ October 3, 2021 at 9:13pm - Why are you stuck? There are always options and I see many jobs out there right now. You should never feel stuck unless you are under a contract that binds you and I do not think that ASU does those type of contracts for most. Are you stuck or is ASU just the best option you have?
October 3, 2021 at 9:13pm October 3, 2021 at 9:47am - I wanted to leave this campus so badly because to me, there were more cons then pros... but it turns out I am stuck here. This school managed to make horrible universities look good so I do not even blame you for wanting to leave. A lot of staff members/students here are leaving/have left so you are not the only one.
October 3, 2021 at 7:47pm OSHA.gov: Federal law entitles you to a safe workplace. Your employer must keep your workplace free of known health and safety hazards.
October 3, 2021 at 10:41am I put the signs on all the doors into MCD. Only one of the official ASU signs was left. From the ASU website (I only copied some. Visit the website for full info): University Wide: - Masking required in public indoor spaces as per CDC Public Health Recommendation for areas of “substantial or high transmission”. - Vaccines required within six weeks of full FDA approval - COVID-19 surveillance testing at least weekly for all unvaccinated employees and students Classrooms: - 100% capacity allowed, distance when possible - Seating charts required - Masking for indoor spaces Students in University Housing: - Masking for indoor spaces Food Court, Dining Hall, Catering: - Mask required while not eating Our website seems pretty clear: masks required indoors university-wide, including classrooms and university housing. - Jeff Elison
October 3, 2021 at 9:47am Athletic Hall of Fame was held in the SUB Banquet rooms sometime in the last 2 weeks! Photos all on Facebook- funny thing: NO ONE IS MASKED UP AND NO ONE IS SOCIAL DISTANCING! Shouldn’t the events manager, Berna, notified this event? This is a part of ASU campus, correct? The privileges... @October 2, 2021 at 11:23pm - I’m a freshman here at ASU. But not after December. I’m not coming back to this campus.
October 2, 2021 at 11:23pm October 2, 2021 at 9:30pm - Welcome to ASU! Where people refuse to comply and are overall crappy people.
October 2, 2021 at 9:30pm Notice the new signs at McDaniel Hall regarding masks need to be worn in all ASU buildings? Anyone go to Saturday’s home football game?! If you did, you’d notice that 90% of people were unmasked and not social distancing! Ok ok - that was outside. But 93% of individuals inside the Vistas were without masks and not social distancing, only the food court workers! Our president didn’t even have hers on! Loosbrock masked, neither. What’s the policy? Yes, as a student there is such a hell of lack of communication! Is Vistas considered an ASU building?!? Confused freshman student.
October 2, 2021 at 1:20pm The exponential growth in COVID cases continues. We've only had one prior week where the SLV broke 200 cases (12/4/20: 219). This week we hit 265, up 100 from last week, which is also the greatest increase in a single week. Out of the 16 regions in Colorado defined by the covid19.colorado.gov website, we've gone from only two showing increases, to three last week, to four now. And the SLV is still the worst in the state. I've moved all of my classes online until cases drop. Without knowing how many cases are on campus (see the October 1, 2021 at 4:52pm comment), the only data I have for a data-driven decision is the county-level figures provided by the state, so I choose to be cautious. I'm not just worried about myself and my family, I'm worried about students and colleagues. A student suggested banning unvaccinated students from the classroom so that we could continue face-to-face. Obviously, I don't have the power to do that, so no students get to attend my classes in person for now. Perhaps the impact of teaching online will encourage ASU citizens to consider the consequences of their actions and inactions. I know I really prefer to be in the classroom. Thank you October 2, 2021 at 9:10am for your kind words. You noted the exemptions for other vaccines. I don't think I ever wrote there should be no exemptions; however, I do feel like they are accepted too easily and for silly reasons, in some cases. You also wrote: "Those that are not vaccinated for other diseases like polio, are not told to, quoting you, 'Go work or study somewhere else.'" Your point about polio doesn't make much sense, which would apply to just about every other serious illness for which we get vaccinated. We're not surrounded by 9.9 million cases of polio or small pox (current active COVID cases in the U.S.). If we were, ASU would be completely shutdown. I don't carry a fire extinguisher with me at all times, but in the midst of a raging forest fire I'd be wishing everyone had one. Regarding the source I provided, I chose it because it was from yesterday and their data was consistent with your point. However, their lit review acknowledged a lack of consensus. - Jeff Elison
October 2, 2021 at 9:10am Jeff, also respectfully because I love how you fight for what you feel is right. I applaud you. I think you are an asset for the students and the institution. ASU is lucky to have you. This is really how I feel, I am not being a smart ass. I am surprised you called me out on sources but provided a source with the following disclaimer. “*Important Notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.“ You have many good points. Vaccines are saving lives and there is a lot of unnecessary suffering, I agree. I also agree that unvaccinated people have a higher frequency of contracting or dying from COViD. I agree that unvaccinated people are putting themselves at greater risk and they may be putting you and me at greater risk as well. I agree that people who are not getting vaccinated are wrong in not getting vaccinated. I am vaccinated because in my mind, it is 100% the right thing for me to do for myself and those around me. I agree with all of them except the “mandate.” I appreciate your want/need for normalcy. I understand your want to be with your grand babies. I would much rather be around vaccinated individuals too. Many out there are comparing this vaccine “mandate” to other vaccine mandates like measles and polio. Yes, vaccines such as these are “mandated” but there are both medical exemptions and non-medical exemptions. In the public school system, The non-medical exemptions are simply signing a statement saying that a parent does not want to vaccinate their child. (Source) Those that are not vaccinated for other diseases like polio, are not told to, quoting you, “Go work or study somewhere else.”
October 1, 2021 at 10:54pm I just saw a video of a newborn who contracted COVID and my heart shattered into pieces, please please please wear a mask and get vaccinated. Enough of the bullshit, be responsible and do the right thing. I am literally begging you.
October 1, 2021 at 4:52pm Nice email from our president, but if she wants to promote transparency, please restore the weekly COVID report to the dashboard. I thought science, public policy, and management were supposed to be data-driven. Isn't that what we teach here? Let's practice a little Speed of Trust with factual numbers.
October 1, 2021 at 3:33pm
In respectful response to October 1, 2021 at 7:38am, your use of passive voice ("it has been shown") without references makes your claim ("many times") pretty weak. The latest article I could find (today, 10/1) indicates modest agreement among studies that addressed viral load (Similar viral load in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant) - some find a difference and some don't. Even in this study where they didn't find a difference, they found a difference in infection rate. The majority of positive cases (75%) were among the unvaccinated.
I'd rather be around vaccinated individuals because they are less likely to be positive, even if those who are positive have similar viral loads.
Had people rushed to get vaccines, perhaps the Delta variant wouldn't have grown to 99% of cases. Delta may have had other evolutionary advantages over competing variants, but it appears that the vaccines worked better with earlier variants. In other words, Delta's partial resistance to vaccines may have helped it dominate over other strains. Cases dropped dramatically across most of summer, and then cases of Delta rose sharply. Obviously, that's just correlational, but could well be causal as well.
Even if we missed the early pre-Delta window, vaccines still help. First, as mentioned above, "breakthrough" cases are less common than normal cases in the unvaccinated. Second, symptom severity is less in vaccinated individuals. Many symptoms are evolutionary adaptations for spreading the virus (e.g., coughing). So, fewer/less severe symptoms means less spread. As you mentioned, you believe the vaccine reduced the severity of your case. And as many sources point out, the vast majority of cases in hospitals are among the unvaccinated (the Valley Courier article posted on this page). Third, fewer cases, even holding viral load constant, means fewer opportunities for new mutations that may result in a variant worse than Delta.
I understand our difference over mandates is merely opinion. I've tried to base my opinion on data and logic (above), history, and the law. Unvaccinated individuals walking around our buildings, especially those w/o properly worn masks, strike me as similar to drunk drivers or smokers. I've been told by multiple students that masks are rarely worn in Plachy.
Around the world, people are dying unnecessarily, and it's often due to unvaccinated people. Deaths in the U.S. are over 718,000, with over 4.8 million worldwide. If vaccines can save a "mere" 1/4 of those people (a gross underestimate), that's over a million families that won't have to bury their loved ones. And those loved ones often go the hospital to die by virtual suffocation, never to be visited or seen by their families again. Seems like a lot of unnecessary suffering to me.
In addition, economies are paying a high price, with minorities and lower SES folks taking the brunt of it.
Finally, I will confess that I'm sickened and frustrated by the anti-science, anti-expertise attitudes promoted by too many groups in the U.S. If you don't trust vaccines, please smash your cell phones and sell your cars (which I know doesn't apply to the author to whom I'm responding). I just want the world to get back to some semblance of normal so I can play with my grandbabies without fear.
- Jeff Elison
October 1, 2021 at 2:16pm October 1, 2021 at 7:38am - Really. Wow.
October 1, 2021 at 11:22am As a student, it makes me heavily angry to see my peers not wearing a mask, or not wearing them properly. What makes me even more angry is the fact that there is no communication about where we're at between administration and students. If it weren't for my incredible teachers, students would know a damn thing about what's going on within campus. How is that fair when we're also the ones that are most affected by these decisions? And why is everybody so hesitant to tell us important things that we deserve to know? I had to find out from a professor today that there is a huge possibility we're going to be shut down soon (which I'm all for, we need to stop this virus) but the idea that students probably wont be told until the day before doesn't sit with me well. My only source of income is through a campus job, which pays my bills. The idea that if students who are in the same position don't have any warning, we'd all be fucked. Communication with this school is god awful.
October 1, 2021 at 8:59am Doctor Exposes COVID Vaccine Attacking Blood Cells ---- Editor's Note: this comment linked to an InfoWars video hosted on a third party site, but the content is so misleading and scientifically unproven as to be harmful to public health for publication, so the link will not be published.
October 1, 2021 at 7:38am So Jeff, why do we need a vaccine mandate when it has been shown many times that vaccinated individuals can still pass along the disease? Delta viral loads in vaccinated and unvaccinated are not distinguishable. Having the students vaccinated does not protect you, it limits the possibility of hospitalization and death for them. I am a vaccinated individual and one of those recent valley cases of COVID. Everyone around me is vaccinated. I wear my mask in public and limit my exposure opportunities. I did all the “right” things yet still got the disease and from contract tracing, the best we can come up with is I was infected by a vaccinated person. One who was asymptomatic but tested positive after an exposure to another individual who was vaccinated as well. Take a look at Israel, one of the most vaccinated countries, they are dealing with record cases of COVID. I am just super happy that although far more transmissible, it appears that the delta strain is not as deadly. I recognize that the unvaccinated are the ones being hospitalized. Listen, I 100% think being vaccinated helped me have a minor case and I am very grateful for that but I do not think we should be forcing anyone to get this vaccine, especially since vaccinated people are able to spread the virus, just like the unvaccinated. Also, I want to point out that the first trials for the polio vaccine happened in 1935. Polio was not declared eradicated in the Americas until 1994. Good chance if, yes if, we eradicate Covid, most of us will be long gone. That is not minimizing the effectiveness of this new vaccine, just trying to correct expectations of some who see this going away soon. Again, I am pro vaccine, just not pro mandate. Vaccines are amazing and have undoubtedly increased the life expectancy throughout the world. That is a fact. Vaccines are good science and have definitely been incredible for humankind. I, and those around me, are vaccinated. As far as a mandate goes, I am Pro-Choice. I just have one question… if students are not vaccinated are they going to be removed from classes? If that is the case with around 55% of them vaccinated, how are we going to make up the revenue for the other 45% that will be removed. We already have an enrollment issue. I am sure I will be called an anti-vaxer but I am pro-vaccine and fully vaccinated myself. My family is also vaccinated including my children and I am also grateful for that. Oh, I also am a Democrat so let’s throw that out there too. I am just not into the mandate.
October 1, 2021 at 4:59am According to Colorado COVID-19 Data: COVID cases in the valley are up 500% since the start of the semester - last 5 weeks. This is the #1 worst week ever for new cases in the SLV. All 6 of the ICU beds in the SLV are currently in use. The SLV is one of the only (3) regions in the state seeing increases. And the rate of increase is greatest here.
September 30, 2021 at 7:13pm Like I said before, being a decent human being is not a thing anymore. I am not surprised cases are going up and to top it all off students are attending class while they're sick and I cannot help but assume this campus is on the verge of facing hell on earth.
September 30, 2021 at 5:57pm The SLV already broke the weekly record for new coronavirus cases across the entire pandemic, and the week isn't even over. The Valley Courier had a front page article about our recent outbreaks the other day. People need to take COVID seriously. I think ASU should be tougher about masks and the vaccine "mandate." If you don't want to get vaccinated, stop putting my life at risk, and my twin grandsons' lives at risk. Go work or study somewhere else. Remember polio, smallpox, measles, etc.? If you don't, do a Google search for associated images. Vaccines solved those problems. There was once a time when people appreciated lives being saved by scientific breakthroughs. The Stone Age is supposed to be behind us. - Jeff Elison
September 30, 2021 at 3:09pm Dr. Hilwig is a mean girl and she lies and cheats in life. Oh, and she also bullies!
September 29, 2021 at 10:13am September 25, 2021 - Ummmm! The reason why race is mentioned is because ASU is a Hispanic Serving Institution. There are a lot of folks that forget about that. Also, it is sad that as we celebrate the 100th anniversary there has never been an ASU President of color. How can we serve students without representing folks of color within administration and our professors as a majority? We need the support of HR to make this happen. Without this, we are failing the students. - Meagan Smith
September 28, 2021 at 7:52pm September 25, 2021 at 7:22am - I honestly could careless about whether or not you agree with my comments but the fact that you're sitting here saying that since we are in the valley there is little to no "racism" or discrimination is beyond crazy to me. I have been called a nigger by a white student here and I have been treated like crap by some of my professors due to the color of my skin. I usually keep to myself so I do not say much but I am a hard working student/woman and I am really freaking tired of being treated like I am a piece of garbage, I value respect and this school clearly does not. You have no place to tell me how to feel or how to think. Thank you and goodbye. Colleen Schafner is an amazing professor and she is genuinely a nice/an understanding person. She definitely is not a "mean girl."
September 25, 2021 at 7:22am @ September 24, 2021 at 2:27pm - I thought your post was going great and then you had to throw color into it. Not sure why color had to be pointed out at all. I don’t think the people in HR have a “color” problem and one of them is even in a relationship with a POC. Some people use color as an excuse. Racism is racism no matter what the originating “color”. Especially in Alamosa where POC are not a minority according to the census. You might have a point in say, Wyoming or the Dakotas but here in the valley… https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/alamosacountycolorado/PST045219
September 24, 2021 at 5:26pm I, too, have been concerned about our high turnover, but mean girls? Speaking from my personal experience and perspective: - I wouldn't call Dr. Hilwig a mean girl. - I don't know Dr. Schneider well, but she never struck me as a mean girl. - Dr. Schaffner? You must be kidding. Colleen is the best chair I've ever worked for, and I've worked for several outstanding chairs. She is an amazing colleague. She puts in outrageous hours. We and our students are lucky to have her at ASU. - Jeff Elison
September 24, 2021 at 2:27pm And another mass exodus from ASU: Angelica Valdez (support her husband), Jennie Carter (sick of the crap at ASU), Alicia Harmon (she wised up and realized what HR was really about, leaving the mean girls club there), Nancy Gonzales (what a whack job there! She couldn't hack Stephanie Hilwig, Heidi Schneder and Colleen Schafner's mean girl club), Jasmine Camponescheti (left to follow her husband), Karla Hardesty (CMC and to work from home). Goodness gracious, who is next? Too bad Cheryl Lovell won't jump on that bandwagon. I don't care what any of you think of Mrs. Dodie Day - I find that she speaks her mind, says the truth and does her damned job - more than what I can say about others at ASU! It will be interesting to see who HR - mean girls - have chosen for their next victim. Which new person will join their club and cesspool? We all know that if you are not their color - you ain't going to get that position. Too bad I wasn't in the classified system - seems as though they make a great salary, are obviously protected- I'd give HR a run for their money! This here person of color would apply, knowing full well they would eliminate me from the candidacy pool! I recall a post that an individual was going to visit Mrs. Day - Did he/she ever do that? Mrs. Day - do tell! And how about our Football Team! 0 and 3
September 22, 2021 at 6:53am RE: September 21, 2021 at 5:42pm - Yes, quite right. ASU used to report the number of full-time on-campus undergrads. That number keeps dropping so they quit reporting it. Instead, they include the high school students who take one or two courses. They are hiding the real trend. Continue whining.
September 21, 2021 at 5:42pm ASU’s undergrad enrollment is far from steady. Graduate numbers included here are confusing the reader (and the Courier). Why do you think Karla Hardesty is gone? Not due to her amazing recruitment skills or knowledge. And, no, Karla never worked the graduate side of enrollment management. Look at the data a little more disaggregated…look at weighted student credit hours. You can find this on the CDHE website. All Karla managed to do was increase an occasional dual enrollment (high school) student. First time, full time and retention, not so much. Heaven help CMC… they have inherited an incompetent mess.
September 21, 2021 at 3:25pm “Quit your whining” hmm…. Just take a look at the Adams employment opening website and say that again- many more positions left aren’t even posted yet and the site is full. While student enrollment is reported as steady, by ASU itself, employees are leaving in droves. Truly, by the dozens. Many of whom have years of loyal service where they “quit their whining” to serve the students. The population Adams serves needs consistency. Mark my words, enrollment will spiral come spring or next fall as a result of the inconsistency in faculty and staff. F&S are leaving because of how they are being treated and how they treat each other, all of which is allowed because “HR has an obligation to protect the institution.” Seriously terrible and sad. Your phrasing is a perfect example of the nastiness that persists.
September 21, 2021 at 2:33pm Oh yes, the Valley Courier, which uncritically reprints ASU's press releases in full without doing any original journalism or fact-checking whatsoever. No wonder Adams State's culture of bullying and ineptitude continues without serious public oversight.
September 21, 2021 at 7:48am Considering the pandemic and all, I would say this is pretty positive. Adams State enrollment remains steady Now stop all your whining and get back to work. The students need you. They keep coming so now it is your turn to keep up your end of the bargain.
September 18, 2021 at 9:49am New coronavirus cases in the SLV this week: 139. That is more than double (240% increase) from a few weeks ago, and our third straight week breaking 100. We've only seen two time periods where cases exceeded this: two weeks in mid-May and 4 weeks post-Thanksgiving. As they always said on Hill Street Blues, "Let's be careful out there, folks." And as they never said, please get the vaccine. - Jeff Elison
September 17, 2021 at 9:02am Are we in high school? Or educated professionals? I’m perplexed on the atmosphere in this GROUP.
September 14, 2021 at 8:32pm Interesting article about one aspect of dropping enrollments around the country: Colleges Have a Guy Problem "American colleges and universities now enroll roughly six women for every four men. This is the largest female-male gender gap in the history of higher education, and it’s getting wider. Last year, U.S. colleges enrolled 1.5 million fewer students than five years ago, The Wall Street Journal recently reported. Men accounted for more than 70 percent of the decline." "If male identity is seen, by some, as being at odds with education, that’s a problem for the whole country.” Etc.
September 14, 2021 at 4:50pm September 14, 2021 at 10:56am - She doesn’t have time for bullshit nor does she participate in any bullshit. You’re welcome.
September 14, 2021 at 10:56am I agree. I also am so confused. For example, 9/10 @ 7:58pm----is 69 the position or the age? And, if so, what does either one have to do with this nonsense!
September 13, 2021 at 11:05am Dodie, could you clarify that last comment? I don’t know what that is about… thank you.
September 13, 2021 at 10:23am Stop drinking her kool-aid! Look where listening to Deanna’s gossip about Title V got you, Dodie!
September 12, 2021 at 8:51pm September 11 @ 937pm - Scared? Hardly. Tired? Absolutely. No I’m not scared of Dodie’s voodoo dolls, printed toilet paper or general nastiness. Do I feel like being attacked on this forum by her, not really. I’m no Lovell fan. But I’m beginning to think that Lovell isn’t half the problem as people like Dodie Day. Does that make me a clown? Nah. And I go back to an earlier comment about people like you who have no nothing substantive to say so you resort to name calling. That’s cool. It says far more about you, the content of your character and your ilk than it does me. And, I’m perfectly fine looking at myself in the mirror each morning—flaws and all. Have a great week.
September 11, 2021 at 5:37pm September 10, 2021 at 9:56pm - You are the definition of a clown. Just say you're scared.
September 10, 2021 at 9:56pm Dodie, I may take you up on that. Because regardless of your age, you are acting line a dang 3 year old. And I have no problem telling you that personally. See you next week! Actually on second thought, it is completely inappropriate to have this conversation/meeting during work hours. I respect the hours the institution pays me. So perhaps after or before your hourly hours. And I would LOVE to invite Dr. Lovell.
September 10, 2021 at 7:58pm Maybe I am immature or maybe closer to 69 and can see when people are being abused and bullied. Just giving back to CL what she has dished out to so many. I know bull when I see bull. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. You all know I am in the School of Business, 105. Have a problem with my comments? Voice them to me personally. - Dodie Day
September 8, 2021 at 9:05pm How college students can minimize covid risk on campus - a helpful article. As someone pointed out, the weekly case report was removed from the COVID dashboard. I'd like to see it back, plus more: "Gerri Taylor, co-chair of the American College Health Association’s COVID-19 Task Force, explained that most colleges have put together a dashboard to monitor the number of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, as well as vaccination rates among the students, faculty and staff." I truly appreciate the mask and vaccine mandates at ASU. I hope we can exceed 90% vaccination: "Although there would still be breakthrough cases, once vaccination coverage exceeds 90 percent, campuses could return to “some semblance of normalcy” without other measures, such as frequent testing for the coronavirus." Another Washington Post article about the Sturgis Rally noted that an estimated 75% rate of resistance (vaccines + past infections) wasn't enough to prevent a spike in cases after the rally. So, it would be nice to know the info listed above. If the current mandates aren't sufficient to reach 90% and/or control COVID, then maybe stronger measures would be warranted.
September 8, 2021 at 5:57pm Re: September 8 @ 1:28pm - it seems that you are just as immature as Dodie. When people like you have nothing constructive or intelligent to say “shut up” or name calling is your last resort. Nice work. You and your lot are soooo predictable.
September 8, 2021 at 1:28pm September 7, 2021 at 6:48pm - shut up.
September 7, 2021 at 6:48pm That has to take the award for the dumbest comment ever! I don't believe anyone wants to stoop to that level of toilet paper with someone's face printed. Honestly, despicable!
September 7, 2021 at 2:54pm real classy
September 5, 2021 at 2:41pm September 4, 2021 at 10:21pm - Period.
September 4, 2021 at 10:21pm Yes, I gave Ken a "retirement" present, which was appropriate for the occasion. If you want a roll, let me know. - Dodie Day
September 3, 2021 at 9:06pm September 3, 2021 at 8:44pm - I did not even notice that they removed it. What the hell.
September 3, 2021 at 8:44pm Why did administration remove the weekly case report from the COVID Dashboard page? I don't think hiding information is ever a good plan. Cases in the SLV doubled this week compared to last! We have the right to know how many of those are at ASU.
September 3, 2021 at 8:11pm September 3, 2021 at 4:54pm - okay, and...? She has the right to say and do whatever she wants, right? The president made peoples' lives hell, so can you really blame anyone for showing their dislike towards her? I am fairly certain Ken left because of her. Just got to respect other peoples' opinions right?
September 3, 2021 at 4:54pm That "printed" toilet paper was Ken Marquez's retirement gift. Oh Day is SO amazing. NOT!
September 3, 2021 at 3:17pm Dodie Day, your wonderful person had Cheryl Lovell’s face printed in toilet paper and brought it to work to show everyone. Talk about petty, childish, and downright mean.
September 3, 2021 at 1:26pm September 3, 2021 at 6:38am - What are you talking about?
September 3, 2021 at 8:14am Dangggggg 😂 “if” she did actually do that, you must be a crappy person 🤣
September 3, 2021 at 6:38am @ September 2, 2021 at 4:16pm - wrong. I was not the one leaving the earlier comment. You are so full of hate you can not even keep your conversations straight. There is more than one person on this board. You keep bashing people for their opinions but expect yours to be taken. Grow up.
September 3, 2021 at 2:07am Ms. Day is amazing? Did she print your face on toilet paper, too? 🤷🏻♀️
September 2, 2021 at 4:16pm @ September 2, 2021 at 7:41am - All I said was you’re extremely petty and childish for leaving a comment like that, and I am right. Mrs. Day is an amazing individual and she’s open and honest about everything. I don’t understand why you’re hating on her so much.
September 2, 2021 at 8:20am Dear September 1, 2021 at 10:55pm, I think we’re on the same page ✊🏽
September 2, 2021 at 7:41am “I cannot imagine a grown ass woman or man posting petty comments anonymously. Embarrassing.”… is that not what you just did? What is the benefit of your comment? I am pointing out the hypocrisy of your statement. This forum is to bring to light the good and the bad of ASU, not to bash those trying to do just that. Your opinion is not the only one out there and for sure is not always correct. Please show a little more tolerance of others and please do not bash them simply because you do not agree with them.
September 1, 2021 at 10:55pm September 1, 2021 at 7:39pm - I hope you’re 18 or younger because I cannot imagine a grown ass woman or man posting petty comments anonymously. Embarrassing.
September 1, 2021 at 9:12pm itwasntanna2021@gmail.com Brilliant! 🤣
September 1, 2021 at 7:39pm Dear Dodie, I’d like to address a comment you left on August 25th, 2021. I must agree with you that the bashing of Deanna is just awful. As a professional and of sound judgement, not wanting to cause friction in the workplace, regardless of your attempt to cyberbully, the comment wasn’t left by Anna as hinted in your post. Please email me at itwasntanna2021@gmail.com to further discuss who did post the comment and about the validity of what was said. I hope your days get better, and your professional judgement improves.
September 1, 2021 at 5:45pm I may not like everything Dodie says, but "go Dodie." I think it is great you speak your mind and sign your name to it. You have way bigger balls than most people on this site. I don’t see you as being a bully. You are entitled to your opinion and I think it is great you share it. Don’t listen to the real bullies trying to squelch your voice. Again, keep it up, Dodie. If there were more like you at ASU, I think it would be a better place.
September 1, 2021 at 5:12pm September 1, 2021 at 1:20pm - Are you mad she is speaking facts? Because she really is speaking nothing but facts. She’s has the balls to say everything most people are afraid to say publicly.
September 1, 2021 at 1:20pm @August 25th 7:43 pm - Hooray for Dodie Day! Not only is she the playground bully, she now asserts to be an expert in hiring regulations for Federal Programs. Dodie for President! You can't go wrong. She knows it all.
August 31, 2021 at 7:33pm Re: august 31 @ 10:35 - Trust? At Adams? Trust? This administration? One word: laughable!
August 31, 2021 at 10:35am What’s with all this I hear about some required reading for ASU employees? A book about trust?
August 28, 2021 at 10:20pm This school is falling apart. What is even sadder is this school is bringing down its students and employees too. Every comment that has been made on here is still being ignored or downplayed, the comments show what is wrong with ASU.
August 28, 2021 at 9:54pm I want to clarify the Classified raises. We are state employees and Polis signed a bill that gave us the 3% raise. The additional raises for 13 Classified employees were possible because Classified employees fought and negotiate for several years for it. I am still asking why Lovell received a 3.2 raise? - Dodie Day
August 27, 2021 at 4:15pm RE: August 26, 2021 at 9:30am - Merit raises for faculty? I haven't heard anything about this. We got a COLA and a CUPA adjustment. Yes, turnover has many associated costs. Institutional knowledge, in particular, is constantly being lost at ASU. Then there are the obvious costs like hiring, training, morale.
August 26, 2021 at 7:55pm How many Interim positions can Dr. Blake hold. $10,000 per month is a high price to pay because you have a president who continually condescends, yells, and makes valued employees leave. BoT, you are all intelligent people. Many have addressed the BoT regarding this. When will you wake up? - Dodie Day
August 26, 2021 at 9:30am The mass exodus continues! Ken was pushed out, Chris left with no warning, Karla leaving, others looking to leave, and several campus services leaders are ‘out of the office’ and I don’t see them returning, or have already quit. The toxic treatment of people is to blame. Domineering, micromanaging, manipulative, blaming, shaming, distrustful, hateful and lying bosses (administration) are to blame. Giving classified and faculty ways to earn merit raises and give them raises, when exempt staff are told it will be at least another year for them to have the same, is to blame. Saying this staff got a COL increase this year and celebrating it when exempt staff haven’t received COL consistently for years, is to blame. People’s lives are being ruined by this place. So much so that many many people have discovered they can’t stay and sacrifice themselves anymore for the very students we all care so much about. Worse yet, administration’s treatment has pushed out so many people that the new professionals, who will have the same treatment and little support, are being used as temporary replacements with high expectations and little mentoring or experience under their belt, and I fear for them. Absolutely devastating to see it all. No job is worth the effects of the treatment at Adams. It is clear. I hope students fight back and demand better treatment of their staff and faculty, so that they have people to rely on for the longterm instead of this consistent turnover.
August 25, 2021 at 7:43pm The Deanna bashing is so predictable. I have had to send out ABM for Deanna. Those in Title V need to look hard at those they employ, Anna? - Dodie Day
August 25, 2021 at 10:46am I have been looking forward to getting back into the routine of things, but I will admit I am slightly concerned about a few things. I am not confident we are moving in the right direction with HIPs, particularly the ePortfolios. Throughout the summer, Deanna Bartee showed very little leadership or knowledge in leading HIPs. She does not listen well to others and talks over people or tries to talk them down when someone disagrees. Other times she belittles people for suggesting something that could be useful practice. She also is constantly saying problematic things to try and sound progressive and that she appreciates diversity, but really she seems to have learned a few buzz words and tries to interject them into conversation. Mostly she exposes her conservative tendencies, which students pick up on and tell others. I am not sure she is the right person to be leading HIPs especially if she does not want to listen to others who could really help her.
August 24, 2021 at 8:10pm What is going on? Are we still talking about ASU? - Meagan Smith
August 24, 2021 at 7:48pm For a person who voted for Biden, you are making Trump sound super sweet. Something does not add up if you ask me... I called out European Americans who feel like they are better than me because I am a person of color. I am mature enough to realize that every white person is not a racist but since I am being questioned about who I supposedly dislike here is a more direct answer. I highly dislike people who belittle me and make me feel insecure about the color of my skin, having a superior complex is a real thing, and in my case I have only felt like this when I have been around a racist white man/woman. I dislike racists in all form but I have never personally experienced racism from a person of color so that is why I said "white people".
August 24, 2021 at 4:33pm @ August 24, 2021 at 4:01pm - I think you are talking to multiple people. I voted for Biden personally and I am looking back at posts and I think you are lumping multiple posters into one.
August 24, 2021 at 4:01pm I am very much not a racist. I do not hate anyone because of the color of their skin so don’t pull that “you’re racist” stunt on me. I have every right to feel the way I do and I can tell you are a white person so you have no right to tell me how to feel. In all honesty I could tell you are an European American just like how I kind of predicted you were a Republican (which I got right because you even stated that you are more conservative then anything ). I’m sorry but there’s no way in hell the majority of my community voted for that racist piece of shit. Now if you tell me that an African American who has been “white washed” /brainwashed” voted for that man then I would honestly believe you. There is no way in hell a decent/an intellectual person would vote for him, period point blank. Love is love but people like you love to hate? The man that you are defending has spread nothing but hate and fear so miss me with that bs.
August 24, 2021 at 3:40pm 8 In 10 Black Americans View Trump As 'A Racist,' Poll Finds. Trump increased his turnout of minority voters because more people voted in the last election than any previous election, thanks largely to expanded voting access which Trump and the GOP opposed and have claimed is the basis for Trump losing the election. Nonetheless, the GOP overwhelming skews older, whiter, and more rural than Democrats.
August 24, 2021 at 3:29pm @August 24, 2021 at 1:16pm - sorry, but that sound pretty racist yourself but I guess that is ok? Racism is founded in ignorance. All racism. When you call out “white people”. That is racist. Especially since you have no idea the color or gender of the individual you are “calling out”. Some facts… the main leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, one of the most militant trump supporters, pretty sure he is a Black Man, no? I am pretty sure Trump got more minority votes than any other republican presidential candidate in history, is that correct? You have no idea what anyone on this page’s background so your comments appear ignorant and when you bring color into it, racist. If not, they are surely hateful. Love is all we need.
August 24, 2021 at 1:16pm Don’t ever try to belittle me. I am sick and tired of white people doing that shit. First of all look at this website, Karen: Timeline of Trump’s Coronavirus Responses Second of all he is a fucking racist Karen, he called my people thugs and losers, he called Hispanics rapists, he calls Muslims terrorists, he is a fucking sexist/predator, and he fucking refers to the Corona Virus as the China Virus and you have the fucking nerve to doubt that he’s a racist/a horrible guy. I may be young, but I am an educated black woman and I genuinely do try to speak the truth (you can’t relate now can you), you’re living in a false reality and you’re so full of shit that you don’t even realize that crap. If you’re going to go after someone, you better make sure your information is correct.
August 24, 2021 at 12:10pm The ignorance on this page, from both sides, is appalling. The lack of tolerance is incredible. I can not stand Trump but it was under his administration that the vaccine was developed and his “warp speed” approach seemed to be pretty darn effective. The vaccine was first deployed to the public while he was still president. Also, remember in February 2020 when trump halted flights from wuhan, he was called xenophobic. I know it is a big word, look it up. Most of You are ridiculous and the hate I see here is unbelievable. Part of what made this country great was the ability to have an opinion and discuss it with civility, now it is “I will show tolerance as long as you agree with me” This virus is not political, not sure why people make it as such. Just looking for reasons to hate each other? So sad.
August 24, 2021 at 12:52am Hold up…. TRUMP WANTED US TO GET THE VACCINE????? HELL TO THE FREAKING NO!!! He was initially against it but since he got sick with COVID, he had no choice but to get it and since he didn’t want to make himself look like a bigger idiot(to the whole world) he “recommended” getting the vaccine to his little idiotic cult. This moron was downplaying the situation and handled the pandemic poorly and you have the nerve to defend him??? Girl bye “ QAnon is a disproven far-right conspiracy theory alleging that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles operate a global child sex trafficking ring and conspired against former President Donald Trump during his term in office. QAnon has been described as a cult.” Like really???
August 23, 2021 at 10:02pm The fact that you were dumb enough to believe in that stupid shit says more about you then you think. Based off of all your comments, you haven’t changed a bit.
August 23, 2021 at 10:50am Trumpie vibes? Hardly, at least on my part. Did I fall for the whole QAnon thing for about month? Yeah, but I quickly left that junk behind and Trump had been asking us to get vaccinated since before he left office and he did it again at his rally. There’s more that could be said but why try and have a reasonable conversation with someone who resorts to calling people who disagree with them negative and ignorant? Add some more fitting words to your Lexicon of Tolerance. I’m done with this place for now.
August 22, 2021 at 8:12pm RE: August 22, 2021 at 5:39pm - Live free and/or die. "Owning the libs" is worth dying for.
August 22, 2021 at 5:39pm We are pairing a parasitic meme with a biological parasite. "Organic parasites, such as viruses, live inside the body of their hosts. They multiply and spread from one host to the other, feeding off their hosts, weakening them, and sometimes even killing them [coronavirus]. As long as the hosts live long enough to pass along the parasite, it cares little about the condition of its host. In just this fashion, cultural ideas live inside the minds of humans. They multiply and spread from one host to another, occasionally weakening the hosts and sometimes killing them [belief vaccines aren't safe]." Harari The idea that vaccines don't work or are more harmful than COVID or your "personal freedom" [T]rumps public health or whatever conspiracy theories are being spread are memes that are killing their hosts. Take for example, the politicians and pundits who have spread these hateful memes, only to die themselves. Unfortunately, these memes are killing those of us who don't embrace or spread these memes. Nevertheless, it is clear that embracing these memes is killing more Republicans than Democrats, changing the proportions in the American population. Evolution in action? It is certainly meme-based cultural evolution and probably to some small extent biological evolution as well.
August 22, 2021 at 4:58pm August 22, 2021 at 8:56am - I have no idea who wrote which posts in an anonymous forum about a range of topics. I am specifically asking: 1) what "spewing socialism and Marxism" means, 2) which ASU professors are doing this, 3) in which classes, and 4) based on what evidence. Anyone is free to clarify here; it's all unsigned posts, anyway. Also: vaccines work.
August 22, 2021 at 11:13am "The unvaccinated are killing people in ways they probably never imagined. As the delta variant spreads, hospitals in Florida, Alabama and other states have been filling with covid patients, almost all of them people who chose not to get vaccinated. As daily infections break records, intensive-care unit beds are scarce or nonexistent. But the surge has also affected non-covid patients, such as the Texas shooting victim who had to wait more than a week for surgery. Louisiana stroke victims who can’t get admitted to hospitals. And the cancer patient I recently had to turn away." Unvaccinated covid patients are straining hospitals like mine, where I had to turn a cancer patient away
August 22, 2021 at 8:56am To August 21, 2021 at 2:55pm you commented to me - August 21, 2021 at 7:47am and start quoting another poster. I never said anything about spewing anything. Might want to address something else since I said nothing of the sort
August 21, 2021 at 10:26pm Some of y’all are giving me Trumpie vibes and it’s scaring me. Y’all are one of the most craziest and uneducated folks out here. Please keep your ignorance to yourself. A lot of us don’t claim all of your negative energy.
August 21, 2021 at 2:55pm August 21, 2021 at 7:47am - What does "spewing socialism and Marxism" even mean? To teach about these ideas? To lecture on them? To assign reading which chronicles or examines their implementation? This complaint is only ever raised without any meaningful context or intellectual honesty, hence it becomes a "bugaboo" of the right-wing ideological echo chamber to suggest as much. ASU has problems with shared governance (surveys of ASU faculty have shown this), but those problems cannot be traced back to the contents of an academic curriculum. Like most developed countries, the USA has a mixed market economy - including publicly-funded programs and services (like state universities). To whatever degree the USA has a regulated private sector and a taxpayer-funded public sector, it isn't going to become an authoritarian state like North Korea. The USA already has various examples of democratic socialism, along with most other developed countries, and the Colorado state university system is among them based on its funding and organizational structure. But this missive about ASU faculty "spewing socialism and Marxism" is a facile, vague talking point that doesn't even yield the rhetorical value it appears to provide. So shelve the McCarthyism.
August 21, 2021 at 7:47am @August 20, 2021 at 12:05pm - you have used the term bugaboo a couple times now so I wanted to clarify… do you not fear socialism and Marxism? I sure don’t want to be like North Korea, China or Venezuela or Cuba, do you? Those are some of the countries out there that follow those political structures. I personally don’t see anywhere where Marxism has really been tried, as he wrote about it, but Socialism is definitely out there. That I am afraid of, yes. Have you been to any of those countries? I have and let me tell you, it is not good for the people. Oh, I bet you will say Sweden. Well, Sweden is not socialist. They have some great social programs yes, and they have some very high taxes to support them. But more importantly they have a very strong capitalistic business environment to tax and pay for those great social programs. Oh, and they have a very strict immigration policy. We may be on the right road raising business taxes and seeing what happens.
August 21, 2021 at 7:24am Is there any truth to the claims that these places don’t have a vax mandate? The White House The CDC The WHO Pfizer Moderna The FDA J&J
August 20, 2021 at 7:05pm ----Editor's Note: We have published ASU 2021-2022 Salary Data (Faculty, Admin, Classified).
August 20, 2021 at 12:05pm August 20, 2021 at 11:51am - Socialism and Marxism are important civic and philosophical concepts for students to understand... as are many other governmental structures and historical schools of thought. That's what higher education should be doing. But this bugaboo about "spewing socialism and Marxism" is just performative politics from right-wing politicians and commentators. It is a lazy, erroneous generalization about higher education which doesn't account for the broad range of analysis and critical thinking on campus. Fox Not News, anyone?
August 20, 2021 at 11:51am You all complain about the dictatorship at ASU yet spew socialism and Marxism from your classrooms. Maduro Diet anyone?
August 19, 2021 at 7:53pm I swore to myself that I wouldn't post and give her a chance. At the same time, her actions still indicate a Dictatorship and TRUST will never take place. Her play on words is astounding. - Dodie Day
August 19, 2021 at 3:31pm It took over 30 years to eradicate polio. This is a long haul event, COVID is here to stay. It is not going away anytime soon, vaccine or not. In fairness though, the vaccine mechanism that eradicated polio is very different than the mRNA vaccine used to fight COVID.
August 19, 2021 at 1:57pm Some folks could benefit from understanding "simple" evolution. Quote: "It is simple evolution really. When you eradicate the earlier strains it allows the new strains to thrive uncontested. It is the same thing as using antibiotics. You kill the weaker variants allowing the stronger variants to thrive without competition. Science. Lol" Ya, LOL! You don't need to eradicate earlier strains. Organisms that multiply faster or resist environmental threats better will eventually outnumber other similar organisms. Delta completely took over the U.S. in just a few months, but not because we eradicated other strains. By your logic we should have "stronger variants" of smallpox and polio plaguing us, when the reality is they've been all but wiped off the face of the earth - oh yeah, by vaccines. Another gem: "In order for it to survive it can’t keep killing its host therefore it will mutate and become less deadly but more contagious just like the common cold." Great, but with 7.8 billion of us sharing the Earth, coronavirus has a whole lot of fuel. It could easily become more deadly in the meantime. A mutation that makes it more deadly and more contagious is an absolute possibility, and it could haunt us for a long time before it loses its advantage to other strains. The evolution of new mutations is the number one reason why I favor vaccine mandates. This part is simple: more infected people = more copies of the virus = more mutations = more bad variants, some possibly resistant to our current vaccines. But hey, what's wrong with taking a wait-and-see approach? What's a few more million dead on top of the current 4.4 million in the world?
August 19, 2021 at 1:41pm Someone wrote: "they haven’t even isolated the COVID pathogen(at least to my knowledge, I may be wrong) and without that it’s not even a legitimate vaccine." WTF? Viruses ARE pathogens. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus/pathogen that can cause COVID. They had the genome sequenced 18 months ago. Not legitimate? What makes it legitimate, Facebook posts from the uniformed? In some ways, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are the most advanced ever developed. Their efficacy (greater than 95% at preventing serious symptoms, hospitalizations, and deaths) exceeds all expectations, as wells as the efficacy of the yearly flu vaccine. Where do you get these baseless claims?
August 19, 2021 at 10:56am I’ve interacted with the president one time and she seemed like a nice person but when I saw how she interacted with certain folks from those meetings she holds on campus, my perception of her completely changed. I figured that she might’ve been a sassy person by nature but no, she was just been extremely rude and condescending.
August 19, 2021 at 10:47am Back at August 17, 2021 @ 9:59 pm - more individuals are leaving the student affairs team????? Listening to Lovell for over two hours is enough to ruin my day. It would be so nice if she could speak eloquently! Do you think she can say individuals names correctly? O and she wants us to keep our moral up!!! Really - she's the one who makes everyone mentally exhausted!!! It's difficult to be enthusiastic and optimistic when employees have been treated horribly from Human Resources to the president. President Lovell take your own advice regarding "talking about each other, how we treat each other and talk to one another". TRUST!!! BS!!!! I don't trust anyone on this campus. Goal to increase trust and increasing moral! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! The administration is not trustworthy - been burned too many times and to late to trust! August 17, 2021 at 9:59pm @ August 17, 2021 at 10:58am - So are several managing members of the student affairs team. The whole administration is to blame for the toxic environment that is rampant. Many had hoped the new VP would add change, unfortunately he treats people the worst of them so far, Lovell hired herself there, ego over relationships. This hurts even worse because of how excited so many of us are to see a POC at the helm. Unfortunately he was indoctrinated before he even got here about how terrible the people who work here are and how much fixing there is to do. I agree, change needs to happen. Abuse of power and people to do so, does not. For the sake of the students, I hope this changes sooner than later. Serious damage control is needed BOT.
August 19, 2021 at 10:34am They moved faculty to 80 % but what about all the people that are still below 72% of their CUPA? How can the institution not get everyone to the minimum of 72% first? No wonder why good people are leaving.
August 19, 2021 at 8:49am RE: August 18, 2021 at 10:35pm - I agree, but it's much more complex (and depressing) than just coordination these days. Misinformation is killing thousands of Americans. How do bad actors from Russia, China, Iran, etc. mess with the U.S.? Using social media to undermine elections, create divisiveness, and spread misinformation. It's so easy to create fake social media posts promoting conspiracy theories. Claim we are being injected with microchips and you can cause endless fights over vaccines and kill thousands. Americans' willingness to embrace conspiracy theories (and laziness or ignorance when it comes to seeking reliable info) and then spread them, killing other Americans, is a national tragedy. If people would think and do some research before sharing, it might prevent them from acting like pawns of foreign powers that rejoice over American polarization and deaths.
August 19, 2021 at 8:40am Global death toll from smallpox during the 20th century was approximately 300 million. During 1951-1954, an average of 16,316 paralytic polio cases and 1879 deaths from polio were reported each year. Polio incidence declined sharply following the introduction of vaccine to less than 1000 cases in 1962 and remained below 100 cases after that year. In 1994, every dollar spent to administer oral poliovirus vaccine saved $3.40 in direct medical costs and $2.74 in indirect societal costs. CDC.gov: "Thanks to the success of vaccination, the last natural outbreak of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949. In 1980, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eradicated (eliminated), and no cases of naturally occurring smallpox have happened since." CDC.gov: "Five out of six World Health Organization regions are now certified wild poliovirus free—the African Region, the Americas, Europe, South East Asia and the Western Pacific. Without our polio eradication efforts, more than 18 million people who are currently healthy would have been paralyzed by the virus." How were these "miracles" achieved? Science! Vaccines. Knocking on doors. Traveling to remote villages. Caring about fellow human beings.
August 19, 2021 at 7:05am @August 18, 2021 at 10:35pm - HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, stop lying to yourself. This virus is not a intelligent entity. It is not “coordinating” anything. It is simple evolution really. When you eradicate the earlier strains it allows the new strains to thrive uncontested. It is the same thing as using antibiotics. You kill the weaker variants allowing the stronger variants to thrive without competition. Science. Lol
August 19, 2021 at 5:23am Simple virology tells us a virus is made to survive. In order for it to survive it can’t keep killing its host therefore it will mutate and become less deadly but more contagious just like the common cold. Also, they haven’t even isolated the COVID pathogen(at least to my knowledge, I may be wrong) and without that it’s not even a legitimate vaccine. Yes, I am more conservative in my thinking but I haven’t completely rules out the vaccine as an option. I just want a little more proof it’s safe. I’m willing and have looked at both sides since it’s began so whatever opinion you have of me doesn’t matter at all. Think of me what you will, I believe you made a conscious decision and I respect that. I’ll continue my research which won’t be found in conversations like this.
August 19, 2021 at 4:13am I honestly don’t know who you are but the one thing I know is you can’t force anyone to see/understand anything they’re refusing to see/understand. I genuinely hope you open your eyes because this pandemic has severely crushed our society and it can only go away if WE all are in this thing together. I’m signing off for a while
August 18, 2021 at 10:35pm The coronavirus thrives and mutates on the fractured, hyper-individualistic, self-centered mentality of "just do you." The only way this pandemic will actually end is when humanity coordinates its defense more effectively than the virus has coordinated its invasion.
August 18, 2021 at 9:47pm @ August 18, 2021 at 8:43pm - HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, stop lying to yourself.
August 18, 2021 at 8:43pm Actually I sound like an individual who makes their own choices. Do what you want when it comes to you but I won’t resort to calling you a wannabe. Do you. Just do you.
August 18, 2021 at 6:15pm That person that is down playing COVID needs to do some serious soul searching. This whole "situation" basically describes how ASU is as a whole.
August 18, 2021 at 5:38pm Dear Lauren (or Boebert wannabe), Incentives? How about not going to jail (explosives) or paying fines for traffic violations? Or being kicked out of college for violations? Those are incentives. Going door to door? Yes, as a public service to make it easy for folks who may not have time off from work or a chance to get away from their kids to get the vaccine, or don't know where to go or don't have transportation. Drop your conspiracy theories. You sound like Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggesting people welcome public health volunteers by flexing their "second amendment rights." Ironically, many health insurance companies offer incentives to not to drink or smoke: lower rates and other perks.
August 18, 2021 at 3:50pm Has the government or an institution ever given a person an incentive like donuts or gift cards or planned to go door to door to tell you not to smoke, drink, have explosives, etc.?
August 18, 2021 at 1:16pm August 18, 2021 at 12:18pm - Also I’m a broke college student who has ambitions not a dictator 😐
August 18, 2021 at 12:32pm THANK YOU!!!! @August 18, 2021 at 12:27pm
August 18, 2021 at 12:27pm Interesting. So are requirements not to smoke in/around campus buildings, prohibitions on drugs and alcohol use in classroom settings, prohibitions on weapons and explosives in/around residence halls, requirements to wear a shirt and shoes in campus buildings, imposition of library due dates and fines, anti-discrimination policies, computer networking policies, and required hand-washing for food preparation workers... signs of a dictatorship at ASU, also?
August 18, 2021 at 12:18pm What a dictator says… “ ASU better make those things mandatory and they better enforce harsh consequences for folks who refuse to comply. End of story.”
August 17, 2021 at 10:46pm Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination
August 17, 2021 at 10:21pm From the European Journal of Neurology: Meningitis due to cerebrospinal fluid leak after nasal swab testing for COVID‐19, Francisco Jose Alberola‐Amores, Enrique Valdeolivas‐Urbelz, [...], and Jorge Alom‐Poveda
August 17, 2021 at 9:59pm @ August 17, 2021 at 10:58am - So are several managing members of the student affairs team. The whole administration is to blame for the toxic environment that is rampant. Many had hoped the new VP would add change, unfortunately he treats people the worst of them so far, Lovell hired herself there, ego over relationships. This hurts even worse because of how excited so many of us are to see a POC at the helm. Unfortunately he was indoctrinated before he even got here about how terrible the people who work here are and how much fixing there is to do. I agree, change needs to happen. Abuse of power and people to do so, does not. For the sake of the students, I hope this changes sooner than later. Serious damage control is needed BOT.
August 17, 2021 at 9:25pm You can do whatever you want, but if you’re at risk, you better stay the hell away from me. Unlike those people, I truly do value my life/others lives. It’s unfair that my family and I may have to be severely ill for days at time because someone is being stupid and refusing to comply. The fact that this all could’ve been over is what’s upsetting. ASU better make those things mandatory and they better enforce hash consequences for folks who refuse to comply. End of story.
August 17, 2021 at 8:05pm I know there are a lot of issues. The mask/no mask, the vaccine/no vaccine. I still believe in freedom of choice. I made a choice to be vaccinated. I have family members who have chosen not to. Freedom of choice, we all have that freedom, businesses and individuals. If a business decides that employees need to be vaccinated so be it. Either comply or move on. Lots of jobs out there at this time. - Dodie Day
August 17, 2021 at 2:18pm Okay karen
August 17, 2021 at 1:50pm You don’t have to read everything I wrote in order to understand what I am saying? Wow. Not even sure how to respond to that. Thank you for assuming. Telling someone to grow up as your argument seems immature in itself. You are entitled to your opinion and I to mine. That is the difference here. I respect that others have opinions, it seems you are not mature enough to do the same. I won’t comment again because you are like talking to a brick wall, not the other way around.
August 17, 2021 at 1:19pm August 17, 2021 at 11:55am - You need to look back and see what you wrote. Sis you’re making the vaccine and mask mandate look like it’s unnecessary when in reality it’s crucial. I do not have to read everything you wrote in order to comprehend what you’re trying to say. Like I said before, grow up and do better.
August 17, 2021 at 11:55am August 17, 2021 at 10:56am- you obviously are not reading what is being written. Never said masks shouldn’t be worn. Also, never said people should not get vaccinated, just said it should not be forced. I guess ignorance is bliss and it gives you someone to attack. So much for a civil conversation but I guess you being progressive, you must always be right and you will attack anyone who disagrees. Yes, people like me must be the problem, even though I am a registered Democrat and have never voted for a republican since I was 18 years old. But because I don’t agree with you, I must be a republican.
August 17, 2021 at 11:32am Karla for president is leaving?! Wait, wait wait for it!
August 17, 2021 at 10:58am @August 12, 2021 at 1:21pm - So much so that Karla is jumping ship from the good ol’ SS Dumpster Fire.
August 17, 2021 at 10:56am August 17, 2021 at 6:16am - Then why the hell are you saying it’s okay for people to not get vaccinated and wear a mask? Make it make sense. You want to know why I referenced Republicans in my previous post? It’s because you sound like every uneducated Trump supporter, seriously, like down to the tea. I even did a whole project dedicated to folks like you so I see your perspective and it’s a really shitty/selfish/ignorant thing y’all are doing and I don’t you think you realize that what you’re saying is causing our society to go into shit. This pandemic would’ve been over if people got vaccinated and were wearing masks but noooo “this goes against our constitution” “COVID is like very other virus” “ the vaccines don’t really work” etc. As I also said, you’re a hypocrite. You’re masked up but you’re also against it??? Like you willingly wear a mask but you preach against it. Likeeeeeeee…. Stop spreading misinformation and do the right thing. Get vaccinated and wear a mask. You completely missed my point but I still stand with what I said. God knows if people like you were in charge, we all would’ve been dead.
August 17, 2021 at 8:27am RE: August 16, 2021 at 5:17pm - Your "Kool-Aid anyone?" comment takes the grand prize for dumbest thing ever written on Watching Adams. You are comparing the government trying to get people to use life-saving vaccines to a mass murder-suicide of over 900 people by a religious freak. If you don't want to get the vaccine, don't. Maybe present some reasons based on facts, but don't compare public health measures and medical breakthroughs to murder and suicide via cyanide. If anyone actually listened to your nonsense, you'd be approaching Jim Jones on moral footing.
August 17, 2021 at 6:16am August 16, 2021 at 10:10pm - you obviously are heading blindly into this argument anyway. If you had read the post says that I was vaccinated and not an anti-vaxer. I am also not a republican and I wear a mask anytime I am indoors. Even being vaccinated. I am not, however, willing to force anyone into being vaccinated, especially children.
August 16, 2021 at 10:10pm @ August 16, 2021 at 7:47am - Really. Be better. I'm sorry but if you’re still an anti-vaxxer, you need some serious help. How many lives do we need to lose in order for y’all to wear a mask? Millions have died worldwide and y’all can’t wear a face covering to protect YOURSELF and others? It's literally not that hard to be a decent human being, grow the hell up and wear a mask especially if you're not vaccinated. I'm tired of all this nonsense. Also who the hell said your freedom was being taken away? You’re just playing with your life, at the end of the day, when you're severely ill with COVID and are on the verge of death, you will understand just how ridiculous you sound. Republicans tend to belittle COVID and its impacts (in my opinion) and for people that claim they are pro-life, your actions during this pandemic speak otherwise. #bighypocrites Anyways, I'm done arguing with folks like you, talking to y'all is like talking to a wall.
August 16, 2021 at 5:17pm Kool-Aid anyone?
August 16, 2021 at 3:46pm Thanks for the straw-person argument: "heart disease, cancer, accidents, obesity." First, they are not plagues except maybe metaphorically. Second, billions have been spent to reduce death by all of these. Third, solutions sometimes include new laws: seatbelt laws, airbags, toxic chemicals. Fourth, none of them can be prevented as easily as COVID (meaning vaccines). Vaccines slow transmission for at least two reasons. The vaccinated are less likely to get COVID, and thus less likely to have symptoms that lead to spread (making hosts sneeze, cough, and have snotty noses - great evolutionary adaptations). Second, viral loads tend to be lower and shorter lived. As was pointed out in two recent posts and the "mere" opinion piece: U.S. law is backing vaccine mandates.
August 16, 2021 at 10:17am Except that "heart disease, cancer, accidents, obesity and other diseases" are still also happening, but it is the COVID-19 pandemic which is overwhelming healthcare resources all across the country and the delta variant is hospitalizing younger, healthier populations. COVID-19 hospitalizations are almost exclusively from unvaccinated individuals. A university campus is not a "general population." University students, faculty, and staff are often in enclosed areas for prolonged periods of time: classrooms, auditoriums, offices, dorms, training facilities, locker rooms, etc. In order to promote the health and safety of the campus community as a whole, a university has an interest in preventing the spread and severe infections of COVID-19; this takes precedence over an individual campus member's interest in determining whether or not to be vaccinated (Klaassen v. Trustees of Indiana University, 7th Circuit case, 2021). ASU should mandate vaccinations for the entire campus (providing for documented health exemptions) and those who do not wish to be vaccinated do not have to enroll or work at ASU.
August 16, 2021 at 7:47am To August 15, 2021 at 9:11pm: Deadliest plague of the century? Sources please… the article cited is an opinion piece with little in the way of sources. I believe we have lost way more people to heart disease, cancer, accidents, obesity and other diseases over the last century, even the last year. We loose around 600,000 people a year to cancer. Wait, we have an extreme issue with obesity in this country. In order to protect the people we are going to insist every fat person has to get their stomach stapled. That would save way more people considering there are millions of obese people in this country. COVID is a big deal but it is not the deadliest plague of the century. Vaccination should be a choice and not a mandate especially now with delta and the fact, yes fact, that people who are vaccinated are still able to spread it. So, in short, getting vaccinated protects the individual but does little to protect the rest of society. If a vaccinated person can still spread the disease then vaccination does little to protect anyone other then themself. The opinion article you cited talks about Washington forcing troops to get smallpox vaccines. The key to this point is troops. Troops are held to different standards than the general population and troops do not have the same rights as the rest of the population. I have chosen to be vaccinated but that was my choice. Land of the free, except when the government tells you that you have to put a foreign substance into your bodies. I don’t think that is what they said. Oh, has anyone noticed the wealth that companies like Moderna have gained during this “plague” ? Again, let me state, I believe that vaccination is a good thing and I and the people around me are vaccinated and for that I am proud and grateful. That was all of our choice. Freedom of choice is my argument here, not that vaccines are bad.
August 15, 2021 at 9:11pm Vaccine mandate? Yes, please! “I believe it makes sense to get vaccinated,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted, “but everyone must make their own choice.” Sounds nice, but we don’t let everyone make their own choice about whether to smoke indoors, wear a seat belt, drive drunk, drive at 100 mph or myriad other public health matters. Why should covid-19 — the deadliest plague in a century — be any different?
August 14, 2021 at 8:23pm Given that Supreme Court Justice Barrett declined a request to block the vaccine mandate at I.U., ASU and every other institution of higher ed in the U.S. have a green light to mandate vaccines. Please do it now, before the semester starts.
August 12, 2021 at 8:30pm The E-Team is staying at one of the highest priced venues in Taos. Consider lodging, meals, and meeting space for X number of days... get the picture?
August 12, 2021 at 7:06pm Travel, no travel, but E-team can travel out of state. 1. Why is anyone traveling? 2. Revenue Sharing dollars have been stolen. 3. The turn over is increasing day by day. 4. E-team left, all of them. Who was given responsibility to act on the universities behalf? NO ONE. There was a need for someone to be in charge. - Dodie Day
August 12, 2021 at 4:17pm When Lovell first came to ASU, I thought she was awesome. She came across as genuine and caring. Apparently that is an outward appearance only. When I needed some help with my program, she gave me zero support and I was hung out to dry - despite having done nothing but give everything I had to ASU. She could have reached out to me with just a little bit of support and I would have been so appreciative. But nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was a kick in the stomach. I wish those at ASU well. It’s such a great place. It deserves better leadership for sure.
August 12, 2021 at 1:21pm For a school that’s suffering tremendously the President isn’t really doing much about it. A lot of people are quitting and students are transferring, it seems to me that ASU is coming to an end.
August 11, 2021 at 3:51pm @ August 8, 2021 at 1:51pm - Then you have supervisors say their staff doesn’t deserve a 4-day weekend after about 1.5 years of being on the frontlines of a pandemic, shorthanded among other things yet they can leave early every Friday and miss at least one day a week on top of that.
August 10, 2021 at 12:32pm With travel being restricted, is the e-team really on a retreat in Taos this week?
August 8, 2021 at 1:51pm Classes beginning and so is the continuation of an exit of many, many wonderful professionals. Some of them have given loyal years of service, put up with so much over the years, been some of the most engaged advocates for our students, and now is so much worse than ever for the treatment of staff and they’re leaving because the environment is now too unsafe to stay. I hope the board takes note.
August 5, 2021 at 6:15am Is the most recent CUPA data available?
August 3, 2021 at 8:42pm I know everyone believes there is shared governance at Adams State, but ultimately the president has to answer to bot, lower case was intentional. E-team is only an advisory team. They have no power. Adams is a DICTATORSHIP. - Dodie Day
July 31, 2021 at 4:31pm If ASU doesn’t make the vaccine and masks mandatory, then there’s a problem. We’ll be shutting down two weeks after the school year starts.
July 31, 2021 at 9:20am RE: the two 7/30 posts, the latest Delta surge is looking worse by the day, with breaking news about its transmissibility even among vaccinated people. It sounds like everyone should go back to wearing a mask and social distancing. I'm afraid this will affect colleges and students all across the U.S. I don't see ASU pulling off the full capacity plan.
July 30, 2021 at 9:14pm Now that the DOJ ruled vaccine mandates legal, ASU doesn't need to wait for final FDA approval. Please switch to a mandate ASAP. DOJ Memo: The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Does Not Prohibit Entities from Requiring Vaccines Subject to an EUA
July 30, 2021 at 7:49pm Thank you, Governor Polis. Masks are mandated for all unvaccinated state employees. - Dodie Day
July 29, 2021 at 7:39am With payday tomorrow… Is it true that some exempt employees got increases but others did not?
July 28, 2021 at 7:49pm I believe that ASU faculty, staff, exempt, and classified employees need to unite and make our voice heard. - Dodie Day
July 27, 2021 at 10:18pm That’s simply not going to happen. The “power balance” at ASU is nonexistent at the moment and it’s been like that for a while. A lot of voices are not being heard so there can’t be harmony
July 27, 2021 at 8:11pm My opinion is that it is a Dictatorship. There is no "shared governance" at Adams State. My wish is that the Adams State faculty, and staff unite and come together with NO CONFIDENCE in the BoT. They are the body that is allowing her to do what she is doing. - Dodie Day
July 27, 2021 at 6:41am Not sure how this turned into a conversation about socialism when a simple comment was made correcting the person who referred to it as a dictatorship. ASU is not a dictatorship but is socialist in nature. Yes it is a state run school, uses a lot of state funds and is “owned” by the state (the people) sounds socialistic to me. People are also inferring that socialism is a bad thing or something that needs to be defended. When the wealth (SOBs money) is spread around to the other schools, that is socialist in nature. Take from the rich and give to the poor. Not sure I am seeing a bugaboo or McCarthyism here, just pointing out that it is not a dictatorship. Let us look at the world. North Korea, dictatorship, China, Cuba, Venezuela, socialist.
July 26, 2021 at 6:32pm @July 20, 2021 at 4:29pm - It’s better if everyone gets vaccinated. I highly doubt that’ll be the case since a lot of students refused to wear a mask, let alone wear it properly, when this virus was at it’s peak (no vaccine available) but I am some what hopeful. ASU has to be able to easily distinguish a real vaccination card from a fake one because I’m willing to bet that there are students who will pull this stunt on them. If masks/vaccinations aren’t required then I can’t help but assume we will revert back to online school because this Delta virus is spreading and it’s spreading fast.
July 26, 2021 at 5:58pm The 1950's called. They want their McCarthyism and red-scare hysterics back. ASU is a public institution funded through state and federal programs - paid for collectively by taxpayers. Adams State isn't exactly a communist utopia, nor a Leninist thinktank. A historical quote from before ASU was founded - about a time and place quite different from when and where the quote was attributed - isn't a very coherent or persuasive way to understand Colorado state higher education, public health guidelines during a pandemic, or much of anything else.
July 26, 2021 at 5:45pm The goal of socialism is communism. - Vladimir Lenin
July 26, 2021 at 1:42pm Ah yes, hand-wringing over the bugaboo of "socialism" at Adams STATE University!
July 26, 2021 at 7:02am To July 25, 2021 at 8:06pm: I think it would actually be socialism as opposed to a dictatorship.
July 25, 2021 at 8:06pm It boils down to freedom of choice or dictatorship.
July 25, 2021 at 7:32pm I understand, the problem is with the method. The SoB is very generous and has no problem supporting others. The just taking without conversation is the problem. - Dodie Day
July 24, 2021 at 8:31am Hi Dodie, Here is the issue… The school of business does well, brings in a lot of students and has a surplus. We have a lot of programs that provide for the greater good of humanity but have a very limited draw from outside. Those are the programs that need the money more than the SOB. If SOB were to keep all that money, those other programs would not be able to survive. Think of the administration as Robin Hood, taking from the rich to give to the poor. A hero to most, unfortunately the money has to come from somewhere and the SOB generates more than many of the other programs. Thank you to the SOB for helping to uplift the ASU community as a whole. We could not do it without you!
July 23, 2021 at 7:54pm So revenue sharing is no longer revenue sharing. The School of Business was notified today that ASU was taking all but $50,000 from the $280,000 they brought in. Administration already takes approximately 48% and now they are taking all but $50,000. The School of Business has helped other departments install security cameras. We have installed new carpet, and new blinds in the School of Business. It is shameful! Where is the incentive to recruit? SHOVEL LOVELL OUT THE DOOR. - Dolores Marie Day
July 23, 2021 at 3:53pm So, with everything, how much does Lovell get paid per year? - bellisimma
July 22, 2021 at 11:08am @July 20: There are certainly many factors and a ton of information to consider regarding vaccinations. So, just a few comments: - Following one of your links leads to a well-known limitation: "Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem." VAERS isn't all that helpful. - Delta is taking over in terms of percentage of cases, but there are many other variants: delta plus, epsilon, kappa, lambda... The more people who carry coronavirus, the more replications (billions per person), so more mutations, and eventually more variants of concern. It's simple evolution, probabilistic. You don't even need to develop COVID, just carrying the virus is enough. So, the more people who are vaccinated, the slower the evolution, which will reduce the probability of evermore newly threatening variants. Delta is winning the evolution game right now because it is "worse" (acknowledging multiple dimensions here) than other variants, but we could certainly see something worse than delta come along. It's impossible to weigh all the factors perfectly because there are too many unknowns (what small fraction of deaths in VAERS were actually caused by COVID; what new variants may appear), but we are nowhere near herd immunity, almost everyone dying from COVID these days is UNvaccinated, our economy is suffering, and more variants are on their way. I'm glad everyone in my family has been vaccinated, even the 18 and 29-year-olds. - Jeff Elison
July 21, 2021 at 6:33pm Congratulations to all the faculty and classified staff celebrating raises and systems that honor your accomplishments and years of service. That is sincere, it has needed to happen. Just remember the exempt staff members that work 12-months a year as EDUCATORS for students as well, who do not get promotions and do not get raises - merit or seniority matter nothing. In fact, we get a printed certificate in a dollar store frame to celebrate our 5, 10, 15, 30 years of service. No joke, that’s it. We have no awards for us at the end of the year like you do to celebrate or honor outstanding staff. We get no recognition - verbally, monetarily, in any way, shape or form. Please remember that we matter too. Please stand up for us as we stand up for you. HR says they’re hiring a consultant to build a system but it will take at least another year, like this is a new need? Like it couldn’t have happened at the same time as faculty and classified? Adams will continue to see good people leave. I hope to be one soon, and I care a lot about this campus and our students. I can not handle this consistent circus that is ruining me and many other faculty and staff as people. Every day is a new day to get shit on by administration, to be run over by their micromanagement and lack of courage for progress. The good news is you also have weeded the bad weeds among the flowers. The communications yahoo to name a big one.
July 20, 2021 at 4:29pm @June 26, 2021 at 4:49pm - "COVID vaccine - no brainer from a science / public health perspective" I agree, no brainer from both a science and public health perspective, but why are we insisting that our children get this vaccine when significantly less than 1% of the deaths are for individuals 15-24 years old? This is the science, CDCs numbers from the CDC website. 15–24-year-olds account for 998 of the 598,624 deaths nationwide. We should talk about the numbers (science) Over 90% of the deaths are in people over 50. (Provisional COVID-19 Deaths by Sex and Age) I want to point out that I am not an anti-vaxer, I just think we should be very careful in forcing young people to take an unproven vaccine, especially when numbers (science) are now showing that the protections from the Delta variant may not be as good as were hoped. (Pfizer vaccine protection takes a hit as Delta variant spreads, Israeli government says) I think this especially now that we are also seeing instances of young people having serious issues with the mRNA type vaccines since they have been granted provisional approval. According to VAERS and the CDC, over 1000 young people have had issues with their hearts. This just since April. (Myocarditis and Pericarditis Following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination) I think the vaccination is a great idea for those of us, including myself who is, are either at risk or older in age (say over 40?) but I have a hard time thinking my children will be forced to take this unproven vaccine. Especially considering that this is a novel virus and a new vaccine type. I understand that mRNA technology has been around for some years but using the technology as a vaccine has not. I would be much more willing to see the J&J adenovirus type vaccine forced since the military started using adenovirus type vaccines back in the 1970's and has 30 years of data available about side and long-term effects. (Adenovirus type vaccines were used 1971-1999 and were stopped because no one was producing the vaccine any longer. The military again started to give the adenovirus vaccine to all recruits starting 2012) At this point we do not have the luxury of that time related data available for evaluation of the mRNA type therapy. I am by no means denying the existence or the impact of this virus. If you are at higher risk of dying from the virus, please get the vaccine. It has been proven to lessen the effects of the virus and improve survivability. This is the science. If those at-risk individuals are vaccinated and protected, like vaccines do, should we then have to force our children into a situation that is more dangerous to them than the virus itself? If the vaccine is already protecting the older, vaccinated individuals, why do the young need to be forced into that vaccination? Maybe since 90+% of the deaths are individuals over 50, those should be the people forced to get the vaccine, not those of college age. I invite responses. The only way we are going to get through this is together. I am just concerned what the long-term effects will be for our children.
July 8, 2021 at 9:41pm I am appalled to hear Housing dropped the ball (again) and moved a student into an apartment that hadn’t been cleaned yet! The new director is nowhere to be found and the lack of communication in that department is at an all-time high.
July 8, 2021 at 7:25pm I have been going back and forth with Classified Employees Council. I am sure I made a comment. Cannot find it. Yes, the current president of CEC admitted that she understands why I am upset. Through my persistence it has been proven, that CEC agreed to conduct the requested survey about Lovell. I would be happy to share all the emails if I knew how to do it. - Dodie Day
July 3, 2021 at 8:06pm Mr. Martin certainly brings in many athletes and is a valuable member of the school. However, where Adams State makes their big mistake is that track and field and cross country are the only sports that are funded adequately. When you put all your eggs in one basket, you will never go to the next level. If Adams would invest more money in their other athletic programs, they would likely see more bang for the buck, as well. Unfortunately, some programs are so underfunded that it makes it nearly impossible to recruit and retain athletes and compete in the conference. When track pays one athlete a scholarship that is worth equal to what some programs receive for the whole team in scholarship money, it is frustrating to everyone involved including other athletic coaching staff members. Whatever the case, 180% CUPA is pretty far off the charts.
July 2, 2021 at 7:19pm The merger of departments, that statement is correct. The savings would be equal to her bonus. Didn't happen so WHO will she give the next negative evaluation to? As I have stated in the past "Shovel Lovell out the door. I haven't even begun about remarks she has made about brown people. Just my opinion and hearsay. I don't doubt it for a second.
July 2, 2021 at 3:01pm ----Editor's Note: We received this anonymous message yesterday and believe it is best to share it here for others to read and respond: I would love to see a story or get some insight as to why Damon Martin makes 180% above his CUPA. He makes $120k a year and was given a associate AD title but has zero administrative duties.
July 1, 2021 at 7:26pm July 1, 2021 at 12:31pm - Don't be silly! Bonuses at ASU only go to the President (i.e. Lovell), remember? To the tune of a $60,000 per year! Which, incidentally, happens to be the amount Lovell demanded in savings from the merger of departments into schools...but nothing to see here, move along folks!
July 1, 2021 at 12:31pm Alamosa High School custodians got $1600 for working during Covid. Did ASU Facilities Services get any bonuses? Asking for a friend…
June 26, 2021 at 4:49pm COVID vaccine - no brainer from a science / public health perspective, but politically complicated. Here is an interesting summary of the issues and how other universities are handling vaccination: Colleges want students to get a coronavirus vaccine. But they’re split on requiring the shots. I like this: "Rhodes College will require viral testing for unvaccinated students and charge them $1,500 per semester to cover the costs of the public health surveillance. “We think we will see a lot of students voluntarily vaccinated,” said Meghan Harte Weyant, vice president for student life at the college in Memphis. She said the fee is not meant to be punitive. But it might spur some holdouts to get shots. “There may be some students who maybe weren’t sure or kind of apathetic on the topic,” Harte Weyant said. “This might encourage them to do that.”" Please don't let politics interfere with public health. Please don't let your anti-vax misinformation be the reason for me, my relatives, my friends, my colleagues, or my students being added to the 600,000 dead due to COVID in the U.S. so far. Vaccinated and relieved to be. - Jeff Elison
June 24, 2021 at 7:52pm You cannot let everything slide. Classified Employees Council is a joke at this point. I have requested that the CEC website be updated. It hasn't been updated since 2017/2018. The only thing they are spending on is benefiting them. Let us talk about the Scholarship. Applications have been received with no response from CEC. Last, but not least, several Classified employees asked the council to conduct a survey regarding Lovell. An emergency meeting was called and the request was approved. No longer going to happen. Fear is rampant at Adams State. - Dodie Day
June 24, 2021 at 3:20pm Oh yes, and I'm sure the ASU administration has sent out a similarly authoritative announcement to the coronavirus that it is not allowed on campus until the FDA has fully approved the vaccine.
June 24, 2021 at 2:46pm If you read the announcement it states once the vaccine is fully approved by the FDA. That is not the case as of yet. *Moot Point
June 24, 2021 at 2:01pm A few points of correction: 1) The phrase is "moot point." 2) The FDA has authorized several vaccines for emergency use, which is precisely what a deadly pandemic requires. 3) The rabble rousing is being caused by a virus that has already killed over 600,000 Americans and the Delta variant is poised to ravage under-vaccinated communities this summer/fall because it is more contagious and more harmful.
June 24, 2021 at 6:32am If you all had actually read the statement about mandatory vaccinations, you would have seen that there are both religious and personal exemptions available. No one is being forced to get the vaccine. Also, none of the vaccines have been approved by the FDA yet so really a mute point at this moment, but thanks for trying to rabble rouse.
June 23, 2021 at 9:01pm Worse, the non-vaccinated will not face consequences, continuing the two-tiered system Adams runs on. Rules for thee, not for me.
June 23, 2021 at 8:11pm I've been listening to people for the last several months say they will quit if being vaccinated is required. Well, the rubber is about to hit the road. Enjoy your job search. Ha, who am I kidding? They'll stay and endlessly complain about it.
June 21, 2021 at 9:42pm June 14 at 3:22 - Trust that being non-straight is NOT does not make life on-campus or off any easier- quite yet opposite even in 2021. Hiring a “straight” person is no better than saying I can’t believe they hired a white person. It’s messed up to think being a majority label is 1) appropriate to place someone else’s perceived orientation on here and 2) somehow a misgiving to be straight in a heteronormative world. It’s ignorant and hurtful. I am proud to see a Latina leader in alumni, too. But please don’t celebrate one success by picking on another marginalized population who is hurting.
June 14, 2021 at 11:11pm At June 19-12:02 am - Your comment saddens me deeply. I too have a love for ASU- formerly Indians! I’m proud to be a Native American and former Indian. Many changes and many quality employees have left this institution due to financial distress, sexism, discrimination and inequalities ( to name a few). The institution has apparently forgotten the reason and mission it stands for and who it serves. The students should be the primary focus. I continue to receive my A-Stater magazine and find myself lost for words. After the retirement of David Svaldi- the institution has been on the downhill track. The two past presidents have been only in position for greed and power. Who is on the chopping block next? Which faculty administrator will have enough and walk away? It’s obvious that no employee is protected from the current president and she is only out for herself. How does she think she can gainfully understand the SLV communities, students and institution? Not once has she been to Costilla or Conejos Counties (much less say these words) to visit with the communities! She seems to send her spies, minions, or pets to do her LatinX outreach. Many of us oldies but goodies have stopped contributing to ASU. Please remember your roots and where you came from! Viva la Raza!
June 14, 2021 at 3:22pm I can’t believe the President agreed to hire a straight female SLV Latina for the Director of Alumni Relations. Maybe the President is opening her eyes! Good luck pronouncing Ms. Ashley Maestas name - please take note of the spelling of last name! Ashley won’t put up with the President’s shit!
June 10, 2021 at 8:50pm I’m saddened to see the recent post from the student. But I’m honestly not shocked. People are hurting there. Adams State is a wonderful place. But the upper administration has definitely made things toxic. I left about a year ago because I knew I would never be supported in my position despite pouring all my effort into what I did. As much as I loved the community and the school, it wasn’t worth the frustration I felt.
June 10, 2021 at 12:13am I know I wasn't going to Post. I have to support the last post. - Dodie Day
June 9, 2021 at 12:02am I want to preface this message with the fact that I have a profound love for Adams State. It is the institution that has become the epicenter for the rest of my life. This campus has been my home for years. The experiences and memories that I have created will carry me onto the next steps of my life. However, there are times (now more than ever) that I find myself falling between feeling more tired and borderline ashamed of being a Grizzly. This feeling is at no fault of the faculty. My professors and the relationships that our tiny campus community has allowed me to have (in such few years that feels like a lifetime) already made an invaluable impact in my life. I will forever be indebted to the countless hours my professors have spent outside of class time and office hours to help me grow into my authentic self. These very moments that (many) students like myself have found to be the most impactful. These personal connections (in my opinion) are what make ASU so incredibly unique. We feel seen and heard, and our advising becomes personal. Our professors see our potential every day and encourage us to go beyond our own perceived limits. Unfortunately, this is where it ends. Students' voices are not as valuable as the institution wants us to believe. I fully understand that students do not know all of the details that go into decision-making, rightfully so. But there comes a time where the blatant disregard of our concerns and questions becomes... deplorable. Students deserve transparency. Students deserve the right to understand why our voices do not carry weight. When large-scale institutional changes occur, the changes that directly affect students, we're left in the dark. Most students were unaware of the new financial and course load caps until bills were sent out. The removal of what makes ASU so special (tenure track lines) was decided without our input. The second students caught wind of these situations, they acted. They approached AS&F and tried to talk with President Lovell and make sense of what was happening. Instead, students were met with unanswered emails and passive dismissals. Students are tired. Students are fed up. What happens when students feel this way? They leave. The retention issues that ASU faces could be easily addressed if the administration took a second out of their day to listen. They can send out all the surveys they want, go to conferences, and compare data from other institutions. But the most valuable resource they have access to are made to feel like burdens. Students could give entire presentations as to why they feel dissatisfied with ASU. But what's the point? ASU has incredible potential. I want to know why the students are the last to know. I want to know why we, the students (the very reason for ASU's existence), do not matter.
June 2, 2021 at 8:38pm What is the devil, you do not need to look far. My last post. She has humiliated many, how many have cried, she has forced people out. She is the devil. She needs to go. Shovel Lovell out the door. Last post, grow some Xxxx! - Dodie Day
June 1, 2021 at 7:54pm The issues at ASU are far and wide. There is discrimination, white and non-white. It goes both ways. - Dodie Day
May 28, 2021 at 4:13pm These petty comments about the new athletic director need to stop. It is not her fault that you accepted an offer that was low while having a Masters or PhD. Mind your business, get your coin, and your network together. - Meagan Smith
May 25, 2021 at 9:38pm Re: May 24 @10:35 - I am truly sad that you would prefer to leave ASU rather than work to make it better. It is our students who suffer the most in this realm. Having said that, I certainly understand. I understand the need for self-preservation. The environment is SOOO toxic. Whatever your decision, know that I am behind you and I hope others will pick up your mantle for our students left behind in your wake.
May 24, 2021 at 10:35am I as a Hispanic/Latina employee feel as though I am treated unfairly and have been since the 5 years I have started. There is NO equality or diversity! Out of all of the jobs I have been at - this place is sexist, hypocritical, and discriminatory! If you are not of the correct gender, race (need to be white), or political party you are literally screwed. Heaven forbid it if you disagree, have an opinion, or ask a question regarding any of the LGBTQ issues or political issues on campus - you are outcast! And to think that we are an HSI! I didn't know what an HSI was until I started instructing here - but I clearly can state we do not serve our HSI population one ounce! MEP and CAMP students are treated as though they are not welcomed or wanted here! I see faculty treating them like they are some type of plague. Disgusted! And yes, I am looking for other opportunities to get out of here. I would like to suggest that any of Lovell's puppets should instruct her to learn and become more fluent in learning individual's last names! Not only Latinx but all employees! She is ruining this institution. The community cannot stand this woman.
May 22, 2021 at 12:18pm Thank you for speaking out. Keep it up. It is good to bring questions/concerns to the surface. - Dodie Day
May 19, 2021 at 6:35pm The issue is, we don't want to harm/hurt Adams State. We all love Adams and believe in the mission. Lovell is poison. - Dodie Day
May 15, 2021 at 1:33pm I know that people working at Adams State are afraid of loosing their jobs. I have only scratched the surface. People are talking to each other. There is so much to expose. - Dodie Day
May 15, 2021 at 9:25am Dodie, Yes people are afraid. Lovell is vindictive. Please provide a copy of this report to the editor of this website. I haven’t seen it. If there has been fraud on federal reporting, you (or someone with proof) should call the US Department of Education and report this fraud. I suspect it is a crime if a federal report was falsified.
May 14, 2021 at 7:10pm I want to encourage everyone to post. You don't need to sign it. I know a lot of people at Adams are afraid of retaliation. That has been proven from a survey that Lovell could not tamper with. It should be a crime to even suggest that a PI alter information on a Title V grant. - Dodie Day
May 12, 2021 at 8:05pm Yes... just a puppet for the track coach mainly. Track will undoubtedly start getting more funding while the other athletic programs are left to fight over the scraps...a little league operation for sure.
May 11, 2021 at 3:17pm to May 7, 2021 at 8:00pm - Matt Gersick, throwing coach and weight room coach. Gersick coached her while she was on the track team I believe. Nothing going on here. She is a puppet for the president and the $125,000 Associate Athletic Director Martin.
May 10, 2021 at 7:34pm I don't know anything about the AD. I did believe she needed more experience. I had a great trip this past weekend. My youngest graduated, not from Adams. We visited and there is this, Shovel Lovell out the door. Lovell has not only made a comment about brown people, she has made a PI, or suggested, that all negative reporting be taken out. It is true, we do not retain students. - Dodie Day
May 7, 2021 at 8:00pm Katelyn is also engaged to a coach under her. Tell me that’s okay any where else... it’s not.
May 7, 2021 at 7:48pm The simple answer is that the new AD is a President pet. She is hand selected for many initiatives from the President including sponsoring her to be a part of a women’s leadership program- she was groomed for the role from the top. Katelyn is a very nice woman, but under qualified with little experience- and now is making more money (over double) than folks who have been here longer and with more experience across campus. Once again, athletics comes before all else is administration’s motto, and it will be our institution’s downfall- already has been since 2010. The current AD can’t even tell others how money is spent within athletics, but she does what she is told so it’s a perfect fit for the micromanager of a President we have. Can’t fight that fight. It was a waste of a search.
May 7, 2021 at 2:22pm Why the underqualified AD? Same reason She does everything: save $.
May 7, 2021 at 12:04pm I was shocked by the hire of the new AD. How can you hire someone to run an athletic department when they have never held a head coaching position at any level? I compare this to a school district that hires a superintendent of schools who has never been a teacher. Or hiring a bank president who has never been a bank teller. I don't know who else applied, but I did see that the president said over 100 people applied. And they hired someone who has never been a head coach in college or even high school? That seems like that would be an absolute prerequisite. These are the types of issues that make you wonder what goes on behind the scenes.
May 6, 2021 at 7:53pm You are right on. - Dodie Day
May 6, 2021 at 5:04pm Why is ASU a toxic environment? 1) The essential workers on campus get treated like crap and are over worked. 2) As a person of color, I do not feel welcomed/ seen as an equal by some of the staff member here. 3) A handful of the staff members here do not deserve the title that they have because there are more deserving/honest people on campus that deserve that title they have. 4) Diversity is an issue here. It is honestly nonexistent here. 5) Students voices do not matter. If you are thinking of working here or attending this school, don't. You will get screwed over.
May 5, 2021 at 7:05pm Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate all of them. Maybe, I should have been less hostile. What can we all agree on? Please leave your comments. At this point, how does she stay? She has referred to Hispanic as brown people. More brown people want that job. The person in the job was too white. - Dodie Day
May 5, 2021 at 9:07am @May 4 10:26 BRAVO!
May 4, 2021 at 10:57pm The dynamics of discourse on this forum clearly demonstrate a good match between employees of ASU and its leadership. You ever question why you get leaders like Frank Novotny or Beverlee McClure (and those are not the worst)? You can get the answer by exploring how you communicate.
May 4, 2021 at 10:26pm Dodie, I really went back and forth about whether or not write this. At the end of the day, here it goes. Yes, you are entitled to your thoughts, opinions, etc. as we all are. Believe me there are many issues on which I disagree with Lovell. BUT IT IS NEVER ok to resort to name calling, bullying, or just general uncivil behavior. She is a human being who deserves a modicum of respect for that simple fact (taught to me by a very respected professor, Dr. Doston) and that doesn’t include calling her a “bitch” in a public forum. Fine if you do that amongst your “people,” but not here. We should be engaged in thoughtful, CIVIL debate on this forum. If we don’t, we lose all credibility.
May 4, 2021 at 9:29am @ April 27, 2021 at 7:00pm: That’s 7 custodians and 4 supervisors (Rodney, the 2 day guys and the night guy). Get your facts straight. That’s 1.75 custodians per 1 supervisor.
May 3, 2021 at 6:49pm I appreciate your comments. We are all entitled to express our thoughts. See her for what she is. That goes for both of us. - Dodie Day
May 3, 2021 at 4:20pm Re: May 3 @4:00pm - And she would be the first to criticize anyone else for far less. She is a hypocrite...do as Dodie says not as Dodie does.
May 3, 2021 at 4:00pm So disrespectful! Dodie Day must be very proud of herself. Playground bully is the picture she has painted of herself.
May 3, 2021 at 8:25am What was the bright light, Dodie?
April 30, 2021 at 7:20pm A very sad day for me. The only bright lite at Adams has been snuffed out by Lovell. No, we do not want your cookies, bitch. In addition... last year, after Governor Polis mandated no tuition raises, Adams State, during the summer, when most faculty and students are not on campus, closed the tuition window. This was a cap of 20 credits and changed to 16 credits. Between Nursing and the School of Business, that accounted for $110,000 dollar that students paid in tuition. What is that money being spent on? Definitely not academics. Maybe Lovell's bonus? - Dodie Day
April 27, 2021 at 7:00pm $120K for a comedian yet the custodial staff has been shorthanded all semester. Give those people a break and hire already and don’t say it’s the state hiring process that makes it take so long. No other department has ever taken this long but every time custodial is shorthanded it always takes months to fully staff that department and even then it never lasts that long. I’ve spoken to the handful that work there and they’re all burned out mentally, emotionally and physically.
April 27, 2021 at 4:46pm Oh it is real. $120k for one hour of a comedian courtesy of Chris Lopez and his blind followers within his alumni staff. Just waiting on the top to officially put the stamp of approval on it. I propose the tag line for their marketing of the event “Adams 100- celebrating like it’s our last party, because if we keep spending money like this, it will be! Thanks donors for your support of my bad decisions to support my own ego! Also while you are here, can we have some more money to spend like children and laugh while the rest of campus is barley surviving budget cuts?”
April 26, 2021 at 11:09pm $120,000? This can't be real.
April 24, 2021 at 11:49am Some students are upset regarding the approval to retain a coach. Again, as always, it all leads back to Lovell. - Dodie Day
April 23, 2021 at 7:49pm ASU can’t afford anything, but thanks to some donors money that went unused due to COVID- 19, will now be bringing comedian Gabriel Iglesias for the cost of over $120,000 for a one-hour “comedic performance” to celebrate 100 years. No joke. One hour. $120,000. Way to go Adams State, Communications, and Alumni. Plop that shiny band-aid on an institution that has a lot of real issues that need fixing. We can’t afford to pay employees a wage above 70-80% of average unless you are administrator or within Athletics. We can’t afford to have programs that would have tangible impact on retention. We can’t afford to update the deplorable living conditions in the campus family and apartment living. We can’t have auxiliary buildings that don’t have toxic filling. We can’t have adequate support systems for our students. We can have unrealistic expectations from the top, and apparently, bring something for one night that is worth sending several students to school on a full ride. You would think after this year alumni would have gone back to donors and asked to put the money donated for the 100 year celebration, to go back to directly to students who can barely survive until tomorrow after losing family, jobs and support this year. I feel like I’m in a twilight zone and I want out desperately. I am so tired of feeling alone and demeaned on this campus while “they” continue to push this kind of crap through with no campus input or care for current students. It’s literally like a homeless person buying a Mercedes. Just doesn’t make sense. It’s infuriating, actually.
April 16, 2021 at 2:10pm ----Editor's Note: We recently received an anonymous message from someone identifying themselves as a black student at ASU who is very upset with "racial issues/inequalities" at ASU and is transferring out of the school as a result. They describe in detail a pattern of comments, situations, and language that led them to conclude ASU is "not black friendly" and mention many other students of color also leaving ASU for these reasons. They conclude by asking for Watching Adams to bring this to the attention of the faculty, staff, and administration at Adams State. Because the author chose not to leave contact information or post their comment publicly, we are encouraging anyone who wishes to share these or similar concerns to post their comments here. Comments may be submitted anonymously, as always, in the interest of facilitating a discussion while protecting the identity of those involved.
April 15, 2021 at 8:28pm Just saw this article and since I know the administration watches these comments, I felt it fitting to share the link. The Dumbest Thing You Can Say to an Employee
April 5, 2021 at 3:40pm Ledonne v. McClure Case Summary - For those of you who didn't know much of this story, I'm sharing this Powerpoint here, which I received for the first time over the weekend and had not seen prior. This presentation was prepared by the ACLU of Colorado in June 2016 as part of our mediation conference and lays out the facts of the lawsuit I filed against Adams State University. I have added two final slides as a post-script to summarize the outcomes for myself and Beverlee McClure, then president of ASU. This was one of the most formative experiences of my life and served as a strong motivation for attending law school. - Danny Ledonne
March 18, 2021 at 8:54pm I am a simple person. I believe Cheryl Lovell is only one part of ASU's problems, although, in my opinion, the largest. The BoT is also at fault. I am sure there are students, faculty, and staff not putting in 100% every day and not giving it their best. The majority of us are committed to ASU and believe in our mission and giving it 100%. - Dodie Day
March 18, 2021 at 10:26am March 3, 2021 11:30 p.m. - I found your post a bit cold. If you are a person who lives and works and studies at ASU, and things go wrong for you, because of the horrid rash of fights between the Admins and the faculty, especially over money, you are owed at least a modicum of respect for what you went through. My first take and advice, if you will, is to quit using the PhD students as Adjunct Faculty. It's not fair to the students paying tuition. You can get a person who doesn't teach well, and who plays favorites and bad guys with the students. If you are an undergrad, you can walk away from the university with your credits and plop them at some other school. But you can't do that as a graduate student, and often with a job at the ASU, you are left trying to explain what went wrong. For many hiring managers, this could be a deal-breaker. Not to mention the fact you may have purchased or rented a home in Alamosa, and guess what? The management isn't hiring at certain retail establishments, at least not at more than 8 dollars an hour. That's 320 a week and going to that from 70 k a year? How? Now, other things I noticed about you. You opined that life is hard. That's not a nice way to speak to others. It's in fact kind of nasty, and weren't you, at the outset of your post, complaining about another poster bullying? "Too busy watering my grass to look at yours?" Really, is this Lovell or something? ASU is a state school, and once you've attended it, worked at it, and paid taxes to it by living in the state of Colorado, IT IS YOUR GRASS! The college/university status at ASU should be undone and it should be a special school for Leadership from grades 11-12 from all over the state, perhaps the country. The only rules should be that you should not deliberately hurt others, you should create something, and you have to get turned on by what you do. It should be open to any race, religion, or creed. ASU as it stands now is a testimony to failed leadership, from long ago. Not just the current management. Their money problems take the school by the balls and bring it down really low.
March 18, 2021 at 9:19am The below message came out to the Classified Employees on March 17. Looks like ASU is in financial trouble. Sadly, ASU will not fill those classified positions - more work dumped on an employee. Curious as to how long it will take to fill the extended studies admin. position. Seems as though it's been over 9 months! Dear Certified Classified Employee: As part of our ongoing budget and planning process, we would like to explore the feasibility of a Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan (VSIP). Offering a VSIP allows us to provide a monetary incentive to those considering separating from the institution, resulting in base salary savings and increased flexibility for the institution. We are only gauging interest at this time and may or may not move forward with offering an incentive depending on the financial feasibility of doing so. If you have any interest in participating or learning more, please let me know by close of business on Wednesday March 24, 2021. Indicating interest does not obligate you in any way; it simply provides us with a way to gauge interest. I will not share this information in any manner except as necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing a plan. As we are in the feasibility study phase, we have not set the value of the incentive, however the basic eligibility requirements are as follows: 1. Employee must be a permanent, classified employee in certified or trial services status with 5 years of service with ASU as of June 30, 2021. 2. Employee must not have received a specific notice of disciplinary termination. 3. Employee must not currently occupy a position for which a waiver of retention or appeal rights is a condition of employment. 4. Employee must voluntarily separate from ASU in accordance with the Program and during the time frame specified in the program. 5. Employee must sign the written agreement as specified in the program. If you have interest or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at tracy_rogers@adams.edu and we can find a time to chat. Tracy
March 3, 2021 at 11:30pm Feb 19- I can agree with much of what you said but 1) bullying is never okay, and yes, it’s bullying if you are calling people out on an anonymous post with no context to your claims and no room for improvement on feedback because it’s anonymous and catty instead of helpful. 2) calling college students who are learning skills “kids” or “children” shows your true colors 3) I’m assuming who you are, and I’ll remind you that not everyone is privileged to leave a job to go home to their parents to flip the bill, so be kind before you judge others. “Too busy watering my grass to look at yours” may be something to keep in mind. 4) life is hard. There is no reason to make life harder for others. You have no idea what others have been through. 5) be a part of the change or let go. You have already left, so now, let go.
March 1, 2021 at 12:26pm Feb 21, 2021 11:18 - Well sexism isn't rampant in my life, trust me. But there are patterns of behavior that you see over and over again in the workplace! Check out www.bullyonline.org.
February 25, 2021 at 10:57am @ February 19, 2021 at 5:04pm - Did you have an experience where the PD refused you an on campus escort? Honestly, I am shocked that someone was refused an escort. I would think you should probably talk to the chief about that because I am pretty sure part of the job is escorting residents on campus. Why else would ASU have a PD if they are not there to make the campus community feel safe and to protect the campus and students?
February 22, 2021 at 11:25am Toot Toot!! Go Meagan!
February 21, 2021 at 4:00pm Just remember: Meagan Smith started the "signing your comment" movement. Because I am not a coward. You're welcome!
February 21, 2021 at 11:18am Whoa February 20 @ 3:26! Let’s be cognizant of broad brush strokes or stereotypes of specific groups of people. Would hate for you to come across as sexist and misogynistic. Geesh!
February 20, 2021 at 3:26pm @Dodie Day about Lovell targeting individuals. Personality in the workplace: Targeting those who tell you 'no' or those who say they have a problem to fix. Some react terribly, terrifiedly, by any challenge and don't see the problem as anything other than the messenger. This is all too common in women, AND they often rise quite high.
February 19, 2021 at 5:04pm Where to begin... GAB - Underfunded - Ran by CHILDREN - Disorganized - Incredible turnover rate (wtf is with this position?!) Jeni Carter - Unavailable - Unmotivated (unless it comes to funds) - Spends less hours in the office than I call my daughter President Lovell - Flakey - Remembers her Starbucks points but forgets concerning IMPORTANT emails - Dismisses student concerns AS&F - A 6 person team only holding up by 2 kids (Is it that hard?) - Lead by a single intern hired at the beginning of the fall semester for only one AY (excluding Ken, who Adams State will miss) - There is no hope for student life to live on for another year regardless of COVID circumstances. Funding - As per this site, we can see that Football - a million dollar 2017 - 2018 business - Using student fees to cover for student-athlete SCHOLARSHIPS Housing - Sub-par - Cold - Grossly outdated - Poorly maintained ASU PD - Money hungry - Pseudo-super heroes (refuse to escort residents back to apartments if they feel unsafe) - Understaffed yet have enough money to get more equipment? (But then still asked for student funds) Athletics - Money pit for sub-par results - Greedy and unwilling to compromise for the betterment of the academic departments of the institution Faculty Senate - Faculty Tenure Policy - BS - CM
February 19, 2021 at 9:44am Campus cops make way more than the average professor! What is wrong with this place? We have a local police department, but we don't have a local alternative to the dedicated professors.
February 19, 2021 at 6:31am You tell them Dodie, aside from you and Jeff, hardly anyone, including myself, has the balls to sign their names. I may not always (or ever) agree with Dodie but I have a ton of respect for her in that she has the balls to sign their names. She is the last person on this forum that should “give it a rest.” Plus, if you notice, all Dodie’s posts come outside work hours, which again, I can not say for everyone else. Props from me on this Dodie!
February 18, 2021 at 11:55pm Give 'em hell, Dodie!
February 18, 2021 at 8:51pm Whow, sign your comment. Be brave and stand behind your comment. Your comment has no value. - Dodie Day
February 17, 2021 at 8:55pm "Positive thinking brings positive results." Ha ha ha ha ha, you have me rolling on the floor. You might as well prescribe soma. "Just be happy, quit protesting, administration has your best interests at heart. What comes next won't hurt a bit."
February 17, 2021 at 8:19pm Who agrees that the appropriate reference for "Watching Adams" should be changed to "Watching Adams by Dodie Day?" Give it a break, Dodie, and support your leader. Focus on doing the work you were hired to do. Positive thinking brings about positive results.
February 17, 2021 at 7:24pm I am not defecting, just pointing out. There are classified employees, tenure track faculty, and those at will not performing. We have a president who targets individuals. Thank the universe we have classified and tenure to protect us from her wrath. - Dodie Day
February 17, 2021 at 8:50am Dodie, my first reaction before I finished reading your post was you probably have more protection than we do. Just like you, tenured faculty can get bad evaluations, be required to come up with a plan, and eventually be dismissed if we don't improve (post-tenure review process). You ask how much damage students need to endure before that happens, and the answer is probably a whole lot. Tenure was designed to protect the public good. It is supposed to prevent administrators from firing professors because they do controversial research (gun violence, pornography, climate change) or teach controversial topics or points of view. Imagine the damage that could be done from suppression of climate science research or gun violence. Oh wait, the U.S. government has done that at times, pandering to the gun and oil industries. See what I mean about the public good? Also protected: speaking out against insane conspiracy theories like QAnon, faked school shootings, Trump's stolen election, COVID isn't real conspiracy, all the anti-vaccine crap, and even teaching evolution is controversial for some people.
February 17, 2021 at 7:30am Dodie, this wasn’t a conversation about faculty. Stop deflecting and stay focused.
February 16, 2021 at 7:32pm Yes, the classified system has flaws. I do feel safe. I am performing, my supervisor appreciates me. As a classified employee, I have almost as much protection as a tenured faculty member. Classified employees can receive a poor evaluation. A plan is put in place. Tenured faculty, stay until they leave on their own or pass away. How much damage do students need to endure taking a class from a tenured faculty member, because no one will intervene? - Dodie Day
February 15, 2021 at 9:07pm February 15 @ 7:46 - I think I was pretty clear...seniority doesn’t mean equity. Why are you asking redundant questions? There are a number in the classified system would be fired for incompetence if it were easy to do. That’s not equitable, either. Perhaps I hit a nerve with you?
February 15, 2021 at 7:46pm @ February 15, 2021 at 6:33pm - Call it what you want, but the classified system ensures that seniority matters. It also provides the protections that allow people like Dodie to speak their mind without the fear of retaliation. Are you suggesting that the classified system is not fair and equitable?
February 15, 2021 at 6:33pm Well...seniority — however defined — certainly guarantees a lack of equity!
February 15, 2021 at 12:59pm To February 14, 2021 at 7:30pm: Seniority.
February 14, 2021 at 7:30pm Somebody needs to do an investigation. Tell me why are Custodian I’s the only group of people that when they have company time can’t take it when they want? They’re always told to take their comp time on Mondays and Tuesdays.
February 10, 2021 at 7:01pm Not sure if it will make a change. I have asked Governor Polis to investigate ASU. We live under a dictatorship, not an army. Yes people. - Dodie Day
February 9, 2021 at 9:31pm Colleges vowed a safer spring, but then students, and variants, arrived. "The American College Health Association ... issuing guidelines in December. “For the spring, we specifically recommend that all students are tested on arrival and twice a week thereafter if possible,” said Gerri Taylor, a student health expert who serves as co-chair of the organization’s Covid-19 task force."
February 9, 2021 at 2:49pm I find it in extremely poor taste that nothing has come out from administration about the passing of former trustee Val Vigil on February 5, 2021. Mr. Vigil was a long time supporter of Adams and served our institution well. I know it’s difficult and time consuming to copy and paste information from an obit and blast it campus-wide, but gosh, seems like an appropriate thing to do. Even the Denver news stations reported it.
February 5, 2021 at 8:25am To be honest, the environment sounds like what happens when you stuff rats in a barrel and then remove the food. Yes, the above comment was on the board, Jan 20th! And after attending Adams, and reading this site, that part of the statement is true. Bashing the board though, well, you would know a lot less of what is going on if you hadn't read it, now wouldn't you? People will say things anonymously they won't say at other moments. The problems of the school are still the same, does anyone want to share the sobriquet they started for Lovell? Superstorm Beverly moved on. And Lovell? As for the solution to Adams's problems financially? You almost always have to cut expenses. Perhaps they could sell Adams as a satellite school to one of the state schools? Nah, maybe not. The isolation of the area also causes a lot of trouble. Working two jobs is a problem because of the small area, so taking a job at a normal market value might be harder, especially if you move to the area with a wife/husband who also needs a professional position. Maybe, you might be better off if you hire a Jean a la Billy Jack, to make the place a Freedom School! - bellisimma
February 1, 2021 at 7:37pm Masood, I agree. Ken is an asset to ASU. It would be difficult to find a person more dedicated to Adams State and its students. - Dodie Day
January 31, 2021 at 5:06pm I'm surprised our COVID Dashboard says only 4 cases for last week. Dozens of students have told me they are quarantined.
January 30, 2021 at 6:52pm I am extremely saddened to hear of the situation with Ken. When I first came for an on-campus interview for the director of student engagement and success position in April, 2008 he was at the airport to receive me in his truck and when he dropped me at the Best Western motel he gave me a complete pack of bottled water as that was the time when water was contaminated in Alamosa. Later we became good friends, and we always enjoyed being in his and his wife’s company. I know when he came to my office in the SUB in June 2015 to hand me the letter from the administration that they were eliminating my position, he was uncomfortable, and I sensed sadness in him. He was just following orders from Beverlee McClure. I wish him and his family the very best as always. - S. Masood Ahmad Director of Student Engagement and Success (2008-2015)
January 30, 2021 at 4:53pm Yes, it is true, Ken is being forced out. He is constantly being subjected to harassment by Lovell. She has a history of harassment. No one will speak out because who do you go to? I am going to send a letter to Governor Polis. I want our board of trustees and Lovell reviewed. - Dodie Day
January 28, 2021 at 8:32pm Lovell has created a hostile working environment at ASU. Why would Ken retire? He hasn't reached retirement age. He only has 27 years in. Lovell has created a hostile working environment for him. She thinks she's steps in front of everyone else. The truth will prevail.
January 28, 2021 at 6:23am There will be an all campus meeting today at 3:30pm. We may be told that Ken is going to retire at the end of April. That may be true but not the complete truth. One can only put up with so much of Lovell's BS. Ken loves Adams State and wouldn't be leaving if Lovell was not ASU's President.
January 23, 2021 at 1:17pm What happened with Ken Marquez? Did he retire? Resign?
January 22, 2021 at 9:06pm Well, Ken Marquez has had enough of Lovell. She is poison. Who is next, anyone not a yes person? Maybe the new VPAA.
January 20, 2021 at 6:38pm Well ain’t that special! Someone who has never worked under this vile leadership knows exactly what our problems are—we the faculty and staff are greedy! Piece of advice “Dr. know it all”, until you’ve lived it, you don’t have an opinion grounded in fact. Period.
January 20, 2021 at 10:59am I am a faculty member at another university (far from ASU). I occasionally dream about moving out to the SLV to live/retire, and that dream also includes an interest in teaching at ASU (I enjoy teaching and learning). Sometime in the past ten years I came across this site (WA). I check back from time to time to see what is going on at ASU and the SLV (since I don't know anyone there). I realize that WA is a somewhat jaundiced view of ASU, but you can learn a lot about an institution from this "fly on the wall" perspective. Unfortunately, the perspective hasn't changed over the years. That's not entirely true - the situation has gotten worse. To be honest, the environment sounds like what happens when you stuff rats in a barrel and then remove the food. Yes, ASU has a bad hand to play for many reasons, and it hasn't gotten any easier over the last few years (2020 especially). I think everyone understands that. The big picture (about the money, because it seems that all you talk about on WA is money) is fairly simple - revenues are insufficient to cover costs. And you can't fix a revenue problem by firing a custodian here or an art professor there. I am not trying to be a smart-a**. I realize that there are many intelligent, informed people out there trying to work the problem. But...there seems to be a collective feeling on this site, trumpeted for all to see, that the ship is sinking. You continue to snatch the life preservers out of each other's hands as you struggle to be the last person who drowns. The way you talk about each other (students, staff, administrators, faculty) is just heartbreaking. I have come to see the same phenomenon at my own institution over the last few years - our collective sense of shared mission and purpose has withered under a steady stream of social media invective. We have stopped talking to each other and have retreated to our own camps for consolation. I fear that we are like ASU, only some years removed. Some of our faculty think a union is the solution. Some think our administration is to blame. To me, the solution is clear. ASU has built a cost structure that it can no longer support. From this point forward, there are only two options: reduce costs, or find a way to meaningfully increase revenues. I read a lot about "this person" and "that person" on this site, what he or she makes, how worthless they are...but have you ever discussed (really discussed) the product that you are offering? I know that most people think they are great teachers...but are you really? What about your programs? Some think that the most important thing about students is that they learn how to write in MLA format. Does an ASU education pull students in, or is that just inertia? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing... If ever there was a time for transformational thinking (and doing) with regard to the post-secondary experience, this is it. ASU has an opportunity to reinvent more than just a revenue model. If you really care about your students (like everyone on this site professes to do), then you will find a way to turn ASU into the kind of place that everyone will be proud of. It is going to take a new sense of mission and new ways of thinking. It is going to take humility and conversation and grace. Mostly grace. It has to be organic, from the faculty and staff and students up (sadly, there is no hero-administrator just over the hill in Denver waiting to charge in and save the day). Stop waiting and get to work. Build it yourselves and they will come. And then, hopefully, someone will close this awful site down.
January 18, 2021 at 7:27pm So what happened at the “spring fling”? Needless to say, I was busy.
January 18, 2021 at 12:00pm "Adams State Campus Community - Don't forget the Welcome Back Spring Fling scheduled for January 18 @ 3 pm." Wonder what are wonderful lack of a leader will update us on... Campus is already infected with COVID-19 from the students that arrived on last Monday prior to testing this past weekend. Makes sense? Why on Earth would you bring students to campus, then have them test, then start classes two days later? Does this make sense? Most colleges and universities are having faculty, staff and students test 7 days prior to arriving on campus! Prez Lovell - you need to start leading and become a leader! Take some etiquette courses and learn how to treat your ALL of your employees (stop favoring - we see who those puppets are) look and see how you treat our community! Some of us are born and raised here - some of us have lived here for many years and consider this our HOME! You are destroying the SLV Community! You have no representation here! We all know that you live in Aurora and would rather stay there and call that place your home - if that is your choice ~ please by all means ~ pack up and leave! Reside on Lakeview Drive (Southshore neighborhood). Maybe you can do more for that community. Signed, Lost me day 1 (too)!
January 15, 2021 at 9:42am Thanks Jeff I appreciate the information you have provided. I wish the school would look at some of these position that have extremely high CUPA.
January 14, 2021 at 6:53pm Responding again to January 13, 2021 at 9:14am: You wrote "I feel if the focus is on the students everything else will fall into place." And again, most of us faculty are always focused on students, but it never shows in pay. Salaries have been incredibly low, as in some of the worst in the U.S., since before I arrived 10 years ago. Things didn't "fall into place" when enrollment was at record highs around 2011. We saw no significant raises. - Jeff Elison
January 14, 2021 at 6:10pm RE: January 13, 2021 at 9:14am I think there is more to graduation rates than just professors vs. administration, but I don't have time to address them right now. I'll just give you one example: I bet most students at CU and definitely at DU don't have to work or help support their families; many of ours do. That's a huge burden that detracts from their time on academics, and in some cases it requires them to drop out - for a while or forever, or "a while" becomes forever. Most professors I know work their butts off to help students. We teach because we love it. In a previous life, I was a software engineer at Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard. I made more money for less work. I enjoy my job here much more. I'm not in it for the money. However, it does hurt and feels like we are underappreciated when we see what colleagues at other schools make. It's also difficult when some of us are forced to work well past 65 just to afford retirement. Apparently, "society" values Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix more than education. RE: January 13, 2021 at 6:28pm Thanks for the clarification. I can certainly understand and appreciate everything in this most recent post. - Jeff Elison
January 13, 2021 at 6:28pm Mr. Ellison, I think you lost the point that she never once has involved herself over the past year in the community struggle. It is disappointing. Also, the point was that there was violence close to home. Many of us were terrified of losing our businesses to perceived violence etc. she showed no leadership.
January 13, 2021 at 9:14am I’m not sure of what the current climate is at ASU, but are professors just worried about there salaries? Or should the focus be on provide the correct services to help students graduate? I feel if the focus is on the students everything else will fall into place. Is the rigor and appropriate for the type of student that we serve? Who is responsible for the low graduation rates the professors or the administration? These things create a domino effect.
January 13, 2021 at 8:11am Yet another record day for COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. yesterday (over 4,300), and the seven day average for new cases (over 250,000) was 50% higher than when we went online in November. Why is ASU bringing students back to Alamosa and campus? Who wrote ASU administration doesn't care about the local community?
January 12, 2021 at 11:30am Another "what about?" All this talk about percentages and CUPA can be a bit abstract. I was asked about dollars. Looking at the half dozed positions, closest to 82% of CUPA, they range from about $8,000 - $20,000 per year short of the CUPA average. $12,000 is fairly representative. Multiply that over a 20 year-career: Your pay will be $240,000 less. At our *old* retirement contribution rate, you will be short an additional $44,000, plus interest. Would $300,000 make your life and retirement more comfortable? Things are worse if we use comparable master's granting institutions from the AAUP data (CUPA institutions are a bit arbitrary). Using associate professors as a middle ground (things are considerably worse for full profs), we average about $25,000 less per year. Multiply that over a 20-year career: Your pay will be $500,000 less. Retirement will be $92,000 less, plus interest. I have to prep for classes, so I'm unlikely to run more analyses in response to requests (unless they are too intriguing). All the data is publicly available, mostly here, through HR, or on the AAUP website. - Jeff Elison
January 12, 2021 at 11:07am Of course the "but what abouts" are popping up regarding my salary analysis... thanks for the interest. Since Counselor Ed makes up 16.7% of the listed faculty, how do things look for the rest of us? The 15 listed Counselor Ed faculty average 100.4% of CUPA. Again, this could be dependent on the comparison groups HR chose, they teach graduate courses, etc. The rest of us faculty average just under 82%. So, updated: - An average of 82% of CUPA for the 75 faculty not in Counselor Ed - An average of 85.0% of CUPA for the 90 faculty positions listed - An average of 100.4% of CUPA for the 15 faculty in Counselor Ed - An average of 86.2% of CUPA for the 101 non-athletics administrative positions listed - An average of 92.9% of CUPA for the 30 athletics positions listed What's our mission again? I can't tell, does this say something about the relative importance of training athletes vs. educating students? - Jeff Elison
January 12, 2021 at 10:01am Dear "You Lost Me," I don't have enough information to evaluate the validity of your claims about Dr. Lovell's concern for the community. I'll take you at your word, especially since you are expressing an opinion. However, you really confused me with: "Please spare us the grief over what happened at the capital as if it somehow is different than the violence that happened in our own town that you said nothing about." The two are very different. One involved sedition and an attack on democracy. And further confused me with: "your political beliefs" and "And for goodness sake, show some class and rise above the political conversation. How about model acceptance of things you don’t like rather than just demanding people do what you tell them? Do you really think people will just change their minds because YOU tell them to. Quit lecturing and be a leader that lives it rather than lectures it." Rise above conversations about democracy and the Constitution? Are those not your "political beliefs"? Acceptance for sedition and political violence? I'm just about a free-speech absolutist; I support the rights of the peaceful protesters (if not the content), but sedition and violence are too much. State and federal laws were broken in a way that threatened democracy - end of story. Signed, Confused (AKA Jeff Elison)
January 12, 2021 at 9:15am Jeff, Thank you (I think) for your analysis of the salary data provided by ASU HR department. I state this because Lovell has challenged salary analyses in the past, questioning from where the data came. And, it came from her own HR department. The results are even more grim than I had suspected. And until Lovell and company are gone, it will continue to spiral downward.
January 12, 2021 at 9:12am Re: January 12 @ 5:34 am - You are absolutely correct in your assessment that Lovell isn't invested in our community. She doesn't give a flying flip about Alamosa, the SLV, or even Adams for that matter. What she cares about is the $3.5 million she stands to make during her 5 year contract (that will likely take her to a very comfortable retirement). She has even said, in front of Community Leaders during fundraising events, that she needed to leave to "go home". When challenged about her living just 5 minutes away, she indicated that no, she lives 4 hours away. Denver is her home. She is there whenever her work doesn't demand her be here. Don't believe it? Just drive by Marvel House any weekend starting on Friday afternoon. It's locked up, outside light shining and no sign of activity in sight. Signed, She lost me on day 1
January 12, 2021 at 5:34am Dr. Lovell, Have you not also crossed the street in Alamosa where a BLM protester shot an innocent motorist in the head because he was just trying to drive? I am thoroughly disgusted by an email that blasts violence elsewhere and demands people adhere to your political beliefs when you have sat by silent over the past year while this community suffered. Your own community has been wrought with angst and fear. Businesses that you frequent have been near death. There was not a single message during this entire time that you stand behind this community, that you support our businesses. You said nothing either way. These are the same businesses you are begging to donate to ASU. But yet here you are taking a stand on events elsewhere. Not one single time did you involve yourself in COMMUNITY conversation unless it was related to COVID logistics. True leaders do not choose to lead only when it’s easy. It’s easy to condemn the capital violence, It would have been harder to invest yourself in the community conversation. Please spare us the grief over what happened at the capital as if it somehow is different than the violence that happened in our own town that you said nothing about. And for goodness sake, show some class and rise above the political conversation. How about model acceptance of things you don’t like rather than just demanding people do what you tell them? Do you really think people will just change their minds because YOU tell them to. Quit lecturing and be a leader that lives it rather than lectures it. Signed, You lost me And P.S. a notice was sent out for the community to put together a video of why ASU is important to them. Seriously, where was your video on why the community is important to you? We sure could have used that this year!
January 11, 2021 at 6:39pm I followed the suggestion of January 9, 2021 at 5:01pm, based on the CUPA comparison data here, which was provided by HR: (Administration) and (Faculty). Note, that many people are well above 72.5% of CUPA because of years of experience / years in position, which CUPA does not take into account. Thus, all the averages for the groups are above 72.5% of CUPA; that being a minimum goal. - An average of 85.0% of CUPA for the 90 faculty positions listed - An average of 86.2% of CUPA for the 101 non-athletics administrative positions listed - An average of 92.9% of CUPA for the 30 athletics positions listed Faculty are the most underpaid group relative to our peers. I believe things are a bit worse for us than these numbers indicate since faculty have higher minimum qualifications in comparison to many administrative and athletic positions (e.g., advisers/recruiters, assistant coaches). As HR pointed out: 1) some of these percentages are based on imperfect comparisons between job titles; and 2) the years in position issue. Nevertheless, which positions are (or were) the highest paid in percentage of CUPA terms? (I'm not picking on anyone, as I don't know who most of these people are.) Non-athletics: - 142.1% Major Gifts Officer - 128.7% Executive Director of Foundation - 120.8% Student Loan Counselor - 115.7% Student Employment and Special Programs Coordinator - 114.8% Counselor Education Clinical Coordinator - 110.7% Senior Admissions Counselor - 108.9% Manager of Support Services - 106.3% CASA Coordinator / Student Advocate - 104.7% IT Support Coordinator - 104.4% Grant Specialist - 102.3% Graduate Program Coordinator - 100.7% Systems Administrator - 90.0-99.9% There were 20 positions, including - 90.2% President So, 32 out of 101 (31.7%) administrative positions were above 90% Athletics: - 188.1% Associate Athletic Director & Head Coach ‐ M&W CC/Track & Field - 132.2% Senior Associate Athletic Director ‐ Compliance/Internal Affairs - 117.5% Assistant Coach ‐ M & W CC TR - 114.8% Head Coach ‐ Volleyball - 111.2% Strength & Conditioning Coordinator/Throws Coach - 101.4% Head Coach ‐ Wrestling - 90.0-99.9% There were 6 positions So, 12 out of 30 (40%) athletics positions were above 90% Faculty: - 125.9% Graduate Studies - Counselor Education - Teaching Assistant - 108.4% Graduate Studies - Counselor Education - Professor - 102.0% Graduate Studies - Counselor Education - Assistant Professor - 102.0% Graduate Studies - Counselor Education - Assistant Professor - 101.1% Science Math & Technology - Biology & Geosciences - Professor of Biology - 100.4% Graduate Studies - Counselor Education - Assistant Professor - 90.0-99.9% There were 17 positions So, 23 out of 90 (25.6%) faculty positions were above 90%. Fifteen of those positions were in Counselor Education; 100% of Counselor Education positions are above 90% of CUPA. Again, this may be due to imperfect comparisons ("Education General"). If these are inflated due to the comparison, then they inflate the average for all faculty, and we are doing even worse. - Jeff Elison
January 9, 2021 at 5:01pm Jeff, Thank you for the CUPA analysis. Now look at those comparisons for administrators, especially senior level. Might knock your socks off!
January 9, 2021 at 1:54pm Salaries are worse than I remembered. In our classes, 72.5% is usually a C, but our salaries are in the 3rd percentile (AAUP) or 2nd lowest among our CUPA comparison group (see below), which feels more like an F. Here is a one-page summary of a much longer analysis: ASU Salary Comparison (based on the 2018-2019 AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey) Like many institutions, ASU uses CUPA comparisons. For the last several years, ASU administration has set the bar at 72.5% of our CUPA comparison group’s average salaries across ranks. We usually offer new hires 72.5% at each rank and try to maintain at least 72.5% for current faculty. Administration sometimes claims we are doing well because some faculty are above 72.5%. However, our CUPA comparison institutions are a small subset of schools. Perhaps more importantly, CUPA and averages are just one form of comparison. Here are data comparing ASU salaries to similar institutions (all Category IIA, Masters) from the 2018-2019 AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey. Full professors: ASU full professors average 67.1% of the AUUP average, placing us in the 3rd percentile, with only 13 institutions (out of 370) paying lower salaries. That paints a very different picture than the CUPA numbers. Associate professors: ASU associate professors average 69.4% of the AAUP average, placing us in the 3rd percentile, with only 12 institutions (out of 370) paying less. Assistant professors: ASU assistant professors average 77.9% of the AAUP average, placing us in the 8th percentile, with only 31 institutions (out of 370) paying lower salaries. COLA: The AAUP survey also indicates that salaries increased 3.5% for assistant professors, 3.6% for associates, and 2.7% for full professors from 2017 to 2018. Thus, with our 2% COLA that year we fell farther behind. CUPA & AAUP: Most of ASU’s 88 CUPA comparison institutions participated in the AAUP survey. I found data for us and 64 other institutions. Again, 72.5% of average is just one indicator. Only one institution paid full professors less than ASU. Only one institution paid associate professors less than ASU. Fourteen institutions paid assistant professors less than ASU, putting us in the 24th percentile. However, this last statistic may be misleading. ASU assistant professors averaged $55,716, but they averaged $74,880 in Business and $56,822 in Counselor Education. The remaining assistant professors averaged $48,183. What has happened since this analysis? ASU cut their contribution to our healthcare in 2018-2019, cut their contribution to retirement in 2020, gave us no COLA in 2020, and passed the healthcare increase on to us in 2021. The facts clearly do not support the claim that salaries are a priority. - Jeff Elison
January 9, 2021 at 12:03pm RE: January 8, 2021 at 10:02am I wasn't disagreeing with you, just providing my perspective on the president's email. I can see how that email might come across as self-focused or hypocritical. Speaking of the latter, I wish administration and the Board of Trustees would stop telling us salaries are a priority. They've "been a priority" since before I arrived 10 years ago. Other than the approximately $200K that was thrown at the embarrassing sub-72.5% of CUPA problems, circa 2015, nothing has been done. We fall farther behind our colleagues at other institutions and workers in other professions by the year; occasional COLAs don't cut it. You can't say something is a priority year after year without doing anything significant about it and expect people to believe you. Worse yet, no one buys it when our paychecks just got smaller (as a recent post mentioned - ASU should have covered the HMO increases), and they cut ASU's contribution to our retirement. The latter really accrues over time, like a 20+ year career. The vast majority of us are significantly worse off with regard to take-home pay and benefits than we were last year. Please stop insulting us with the "priority" ruse. Doing another analysis doesn't count as addressing the problem - we know the answer, pay stinks. I've done many analyses and presented them to Senate - we have the lowest salaries in the state (public 4-year) and some of the absolute lowest in the country (bottom 3-8 percentiles). I'm happy to share the most recent document I prepared; in fact, it may be here on WA. - Jeff Elison
January 8, 2021 at 8:02pm Thank you 10:02AM on January 8, 2021. I cannot disagree. The most recent post is right on. - Dodie Day
January 8, 2021 at 3:42pm Can someone share the president’s message? Not all of us who follow WA are still at ASU. ---- Editor's Note: We linked to it below and here it is again.
January 8, 2021 at 10:02am Jeff, Nobody is disputing the need to teach and engage our students. That is absolutely true and important for each faculty and staff to do. What, I think, the issue with the president’s message is her self-focus — how she is all knowing about how our democracy works; her experiences giving her some level of expertise that felt a little condescending. To take the rhetorical analysis one step further, perhaps if she was to practice what she preaches, her words wouldn’t ring so hollow—specifically civility and treating people with respect. Because she most assuredly does not do that. I was intrigued by your pedagogical practices. Thank you for being a great professor.
January 7, 2021 at 6:38pm Thank you Jeff, well said. - Dodie Day
January 7, 2021 at 11:40am I'm sure many others feel incredibly upset today, as I do. So, I appreciate president Lovell's email. I hope it went to all students. I bet many of them don't understand just how historical these events are, what a threat to democracy they represent, the importance of free speech, and the big fat red line between protest vs. sedition and violence. I tried to balance perspectives this past semester with assignments on "The Mythology of Racial Progress" and "What is Woke," which discusses the pros and cons of woke/cancel culture. I was alarmed by how many students felt suppressing speech was desirable, including specific instances of "cancelling." To attack polarization, I showed the clip of Hawk Newsome (president of BLM of Greater NY) when he was invited onto the stage at a MAGA rally, as well as the clip of President Obama making comments critical of some aspects of woke culture. Obama's message is clear, better to reach across the aisle than "be as judgmental as possible" - "that's not activism." I can't think of more important issues for students to consider this semester, recognizing that not all courses are suited to these discussions. - Jeff Elison
January 7, 2021 at 10:31am So typical of Lovell... make a national crisis about her. She’s such a narcissist. Can we toss her out at the same time we toss Trump?
January 5, 2021 at 10:22am And why members of the board of trustees should sit in the first row during the graduation ceremony? What did these incompetent people with small-town syndrome do for students?
January 4, 2021 at 8:02pm Maybe Meagan Smith should be in the “Hall of Fame”? I’m sure I made ASU history in one way or another.
January 3, 2021 at 12:03pm 2020 is over! Now enjoy your smaller paycheck, reduced contribution to retirement, unfilled positions, and flattened management structure. We survived 2020 to be rewarded with more work for less compensation. Thanks, Prez and Board! Know who else recently moved to a flatter management structure? Walmart. ASU, the Walmart of higher education. That should have been our marketing slogan for the last bunch of years. "We make education cheap for students by breaking our employees."
December 30, 2020 at 9:15am Walters' post was disgusting, magnified by his position. What's with all the thumbs-down for ASU's New Years video? Is it because of the way they treat employees, the terrible pay?
December 29, 2020 at 5:30pm Who says a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can’t make a difference? Timmy-boy took down the offensive, anti-Muslim post. Nice work WA crew!
December 27, 2020 at 8:31am The posting by Tim Walters should be sent to Senator Hickenlooper and Gov. Polis so they know who they are appointing on the board of trustees at their public universities. Can you imagine if a current or previous board member at any of the other public institutions in Colorado posted something like that? Walters responsibility to the university and to the community did not end when he left as a trustee.
December 27, 2020 at 2:28am The posting from Tim Walters reflects how Adams State handles faculty who are not US citizens. For the few years I spent as a faculty at ASU, HR (thanks, Tracy) almost screwed up my H1B process and refused to start the green card process. Hearing all ENDLESS talks about diversity equity, and inclusion, along with other Title V crap was especially painful. So glad I am done with this now. Are views expressed by Tim Walters unique and uncommon in the SLV? No, they are not. The community in Alamosa is not that different when it comes to how they treat people with a different background. Maybe you don't need a university down there. Just a big ranch with horses and guns will do.
December 26, 2020 at 8:55am Honestly, I am bewildered by Tim Walters' public post on FB. I have considered him and his wife good friends for a long time. I know his son served with distinction in Afghanistan as the personal VIP pilot to the previous President Hamid Karzai, and I proudly posted a picture of his son shaking hands with President Karzai on my FB. Tim always showed interest in my background and my family. So I don't know why he posted this? All I can say that it is much below his stature, education and background. I wish him and his family the best always and hope we will remain friends. - S. Masood Ahmad, Director of Student Engagement & Success ASU (2008 to 2015)
December 25, 2020 at 10:15pm I almost never post on here anymore, but let me take a few minutes to say something on this fine Christmas. I think back on all the great people ASU's toxic culture has driven away. People who loved Adams State, who still love the San Luis Valley, who started a family, bought a house in the area, and built a life here. Then, through circumstances and actions painfully documented on this website and elsewhere, were driven away - some near, some far, but almost none left from a mere decade ago. It's nothing short of tragic. Then on today of all days, I see the grotesque public social media post (archived here if removed) by former ASU Trustee Tim Walters, whom ASU recently heralded as a member of its "Hall of Fame." This is hate speech. It is bigotry. It is discriminatory. It would easily meet the standard of review for an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint. And this kind of bigotry is not an isolated incident, as others have described here for years and years. Yet these are the individuals ASU celebrates, lifts up, entrusts with great responsibility, coronates and memorializes? Even as ASU actively drives away so many intent on improving the institution, upholding accountability and insisting upon academic integrity? What about the students, faculty, and staff (past, present, and future) who see this pervasive culture of exclusion and conclude, quite rationally, that ASU claims to support diversity but nonetheless maintains a pervasive toxicity coursing through campus? Hall of Fame? ASU is upholding Halls of Shame, from one end of campus to the other. And the painful truth is that everyone knows it, but too many are still entrenched in the same culture of protectionism which tolerates this kind of behavior. - Danny Ledonne (I have notified Tim Walters of my comment and posted this response. Tim responded, then blocked me. I replied from a second account).
December 24, 2020 at 9:38am From the Chronicle Community - Our HyFlex Experiment: What’s Worked and What Hasn’t (October 26, 2020): "I’ve been teaching college classes for 23 years, and there have been times this semester when I’ve felt less like a teacher and more like one of those circus performers spinning stacks of plates and cups on my arms and head — except in my case, there are many more drops and crashes. What seems clear is that institutions using the HyFlex model need to find more and different ways to support faculty members than before. Hire work-study students to wrangle Zoom? Improve the integration and workflow of these various tools? At the very least, we have to acknowledge the significant burden now on classroom instructors, a burden for which very few of us were prepared." And especially relevant for ASU - "Faculty members cannot hide from structural racism and economic inequality any more, because our students were never able to in the first place. That is perhaps the most important lesson we’ve learned in our HyFlex semester. ... But after our pandemic-induced pivot, the dramatic disparities in this area became brutally evident. We have students who: - Share iffy Wi-Fi with other family members all trying to do some form of online schooling at the same time. - Try to do their coursework on a smartphone, since the computers they relied on are in now-shuttered campus computer labs. - Do not have reliable internet access at all, and attend class on Zoom while parked in the McDonald’s parking lot, hoping the restaurant’s guest Wi-Fi signal is strong enough. - Keep their cameras off, not because they’re zoning out or playing video games during class, but because they’re crammed into a tiny apartment with the rest of their family and they’re sitting in the bathroom because it’s the only quiet place to attend class virtually. None of those inequities are new, but the abrupt shift in modality has both exacerbated and intensified them. If all your schooling is now online, and you can’t get online, then for you, school is closed. And with the similar online shift in learning-support services, the scaffolding that many of our students depended upon — and which we told them they were entitled to and exhorted them to use — became unreachable. Covid-19 has laid bare the profound inequities in our society, from the global scale all the way down to my section of “Ancient World History.” HyFlex classes didn’t cause those inequities, but they can reflect and intensify them. If we employ an instructional model that is dependent upon things like live videoconferencing and streaming media — without ensuring that all students are able to access their courses — we’ve committed institutional malpractice, and it doesn’t matter if we’re in a pandemic. If we are open for learning, it has to be for all our students or none. To do otherwise is to intensify the very inequities we say we want to fix."
December 18, 2020 at 3:14pm December 18 @ 6:59 - Ok, I will engage with you this one last time. But let me bullet point it for your ease of understanding. And, I must add the caveat that I don’t know for certain if you are an employee. I’m guessing by your uninformed posts, probably not. Here goes: 1. I did not call you a racist, I called Lovell a racist. She CHOOSES to not learn how to pronounce the surnames of the Hispanic students at our institution, an HSI. I don’t know anything about you in this realm. But having observed her for two or so years, I can assure you that statement is true. 2. You call me a bully because I asked you to get your knickers out of knot. How ironic. What prompted that response from me was YOU calling me and another poster “not part of the solution... a part of the problem”. The problem (no pun intended) here is that we were bringing to light a VERY serious issue: the president’s racism. I guess everybody should do as you say, not as you do? You claim to be here [on this forum] because you thought all ideas were welcomed. Huh! Sorry I didn’t read between the lines that you meant only yours. Telling you "if you don’t like it you can leave" was my giving it right back at you. You certainly can dish it out, but you assuredly can’t take it. That’s sad, really... 3. Oh and this one is REALLY important: you know NOTHING about me or any other poster on this site to make such assumptions. You do NOT know — because again I’m guessing you don’t work in the viper pit —how awful this “leadership” truly IS. Sometimes this forum provides a much needed outlet for abused employees who are too damn afraid to speak up or out or even identify who we are amongst one another. What we don’t need is more abuse by uninformed, self-righteous folks such as yourself — hence my holier-than-thou knickers request. Now. I’m DONE with you. Please just stop. Or someone might think you’re a harasser and a bully. And that would be “Sad really.” Geesh!
December 18, 2020 at 6:59am To December 15, 2020 at 7:24pm - Glad to see bullying is alive and well at ASU. I hear what you are saying. “Agree with me, or else leave”.. “agree with me or else it is racist.” I think you are nothing more than a disgruntled bully. I am here because I thought this is a forum in which all ideas were welcome. I guess all ideas are welcome as long as they agree with you. Sad really.
December 15, 2020 at 7:24pm December 15 @ 8:02 - Get your knickers out of their holier-than-thou knot. Big difference between a cheeky play on her name that underlines how Evil she is, vs her willful ignorance. She’s been here how long? The willful inability to pronounce Hispanic surnames is simply racist...again showing how Evil she is. Perhaps if you don’t like what you read here, you can leave. Just sayin’.
December 15, 2020 at 8:02am December 11, 2020 at 12:03pm and December 14, 2020 at 7:17pm - You are both purposely doing exactly what you are complaining about Lovell doing. She may not know how to pronounce names, that is an ignorance issue. You are purposely making last name misspelling and mispronunciation errors. Two wrongs don't make a right and you purposely making those errors, in my opinion, is worse than her ignorance. Her ignorance can be corrected. I hate when HR says "if you don't like it, you can leave." but for both of you, it may be the better option. It is obvious who is part of the problem here and not part of the solution.
December 14, 2020 at 7:17pm December 11 @ 12:03 - Instead of president level, how about president lEvil. (Lower case L). Because she is.
December 11, 2020 at 12:03pm Good gawd! December campus update... President Level (intentionally misspelled) can’t even pronounce last names of our staff! We are an HSI - don’t you think she’d learn to pronounce last names correctly? If you don’t know how, have your assistant help her out! Embarrassing! SMH!
December 10, 2020 at 3:38pm Another issue is people who are working remotely don’t work. They go run errands or whatever else they do just like they did when they worked on campus. They cried about wishing they could work from home to be with their family yet they go all over town all day and if they have a deadline on something they’ll work from home until 9-10 pm thus ignoring their family anyway. Also, regarding those four hours. If you requested that day off should you be asked to fill a leave sheet for 8 hours or just 4? It would seem unfair to fill one out for 4 in my opinion.
December 6, 2020 at 7:25pm There is a lot of mistrust. How can we support an administration we don't trust? - Dodie Day
December 5, 2020 at 8:32am To December 4, 2020 at 9:27am - “Blah, blah, blah” ?? Thank you. With three words, you have summed up ASU's issues. Thank you for solidifying that perspective. You forget that those parents and students are the ones paying your salary. I know where my money will not be going. CU and CSU offer the same degree? Wow, you really are in a fantasyland. If you think that an ASU degree has the same earning potential as a CU or CSU degree, you must be an ASU grad because I assure you that you get out of the valley and there is no where that would agree with you. ROI on a degree from CU or ASU are equal? Ha, no way. Earning potential from CSU is equivalent to ASU? You have been in the valley for way too long. ASU has tons to offer and is a great place to get an education but there is no way that they are on par with a CU or CSU. You think outside of the valley that anyone even knows where ASU is? You say ASU and 99% of the people think Arizona State, not Adams State. I have a question... if ASU admissions and enrollment management are not contacting prospective students, what are they doing? Isn’t that the core of their job? It is not about $ it is about laziness. It is tough to make contact with prospective students from the Starbucks or Safeway. Picking up a phone and making a call is not about money. No one on campus has ever been told they can’t make a phone call to a prospective student because of money. I am guessing this is just another excuse as to why admissions can not do their job. Also, schools like Western, Mesa, Metro, Northern Colorado, CSU Pueblo all made calls too but they have so much more money than ASU? You know what they say... ignorance is bliss! Dodie, I highly doubt that Lovell is encouraging enrollment management to not follow up with admitted students. I love that you have the protections to be able to speak your mind but those same protections make it very difficult to remove individuals that are not doing their job. Lovell is not encouraging laziness, which seems to be the real problem right now. Give me more, the gift baskets are not enough, and I will sit here and do nothing until I retire with a state pension. Come payday you and the university are even, they don’t owe any employees jack. This is not the same as HR telling people if they don’t like it they can leave, this is just people being plain lazy. Admissions and enrollment management are not doing their jobs and taking pay for it. To me, that seems like theft. They are paid to do a job and they are obviously not doing it. There are a ton of individuals at ASU doing their jobs and doing them well, but there are also a lot of employees, from top to bottom, doing the bare minimum, if that. Yes, it starts at the top but those under the top are still not doing their jobs. If people are not doing their jobs and the management is not ensuring they are doing their jobs, then it is Lovell’s job to step in and make some changes. Enrollment management/admissions is not doing their jobs. They arguably have the jobs that most impact ASU's bottom line. If there are no students, then the rest of the employees are not needed. ASU needs students and not online grad students that do not use, or pay for, all the employees that support the on campus students. If ASU changes to a mostly online model, there are a lot of people in Alamosa whom are no longer needed. Why is it that enrollment was over 3000 undergrad students not too long ago, and half that now? Enrollment management is failing miserably. But let’s not pick on them, it must be Lovell’s fault. If ASU were a private rather than public institution, there would be a ton of employees fired, but I doubt Lovell would be one of them.
December 4, 2020 at 8:25pm I hear your concern. I hope it wasn't the School of Business. We really put a lot of effort into reaching out to our students. - Dodie Day
December 4, 2020 at 9:27am CU and CSU have many more resources and people, it comes down to $. I know it's 2020 and you have to reply and respond, make the students and parents feel good, appreciated, coddle them, entitle them (blah, blah, blah). Go to CU or CSU and pay double the tuition for remote learning, more $ for housing, meals. For the same degree.
December 3, 2020 at 8:23pm Dodie, honesty isn’t “picking on” micromanaged employees. Enrollment management was a mess long before Lovell showed up... actually since Karla Hardesty assumed her “leadership” position under the McClure reign of terror. Lovell is culpable in that she allows this incompetence to continue.
December 3, 2020 at 7:22pm Please, don't pick on those under Lovell. She is a micromanager. She makes all the decisions. We have to live with that for now. - Dodie Day
December 3, 2020 at 11:44am Gift baskets are not ASU's issue. They did not owe you anything. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth. The issue is that enrollment management is failing miserably. I have a child that applied to multiple schools including ASU. They have been granted admission by all he applied to including schools like CU and CSU (early acceptance for both). Without fail, every school, with the exception of ASU, has had someone from enrollment management call and speak to them about attending their school. From ASU, an acceptance email was sent but that was it. No follow up. I see where the real problem is. I am wondering what all those people in admissions are doing. This is not “if you admit them, they will come” type of situation. There is way too much competition out there.
December 1, 2020 at 6:46pm I believe I appreciated the 4 hours of administrative leave. What I do not appreciate is an administration, Lovell to be precise, sending out baskets with items in them that the "best use by date" is 11 days out. December 4, 2020. The very next day an email is sent out by her stating how important we are. Just a reminder, the state rescinded the 3% raises we were supposed to get. Not sure, but I don't think the majority of people received a raise. Lovell, on the other hand, is awarded a large bonus. Of course she DEFERRED a portion of it. Just saying. - Dodie Day
November 30, 2020 at 8:01pm Gosh Dodie, That just seems awfully small considering all of the issues, budget and otherwise, we are facing as an institution. I appreciated that they cared enough to provide something small for everyone. Your four hours of administrative leave had a significant dollar value attached to it. I think you forgot to add that to your $10 value. Why don’t you just say “thank you” and move on.
November 24, 2020 at 7:03pm Would anyone like to comment on the Holiday Baskets? No offense to Sodexo. It seems they had a lot of coffee and Clif Bars to get rid of. There was probably a dollar amount stipulated and they did their best. Maybe a $10.00 gift card? Just my thoughts. I do appreciate the 4 hours of Administrative Leave. - Dodie Day
November 17, 2020 at 6:30pm The reports also expressed concern about university students returning home on break. "On university campuses, students are letting their guards down with Thanksgiving break less than a week away. Message to students to continue their mitigation actions on and off campus to protect others and themselves. If they are going home, they should follow CDC holiday guidelines for protective behaviors," the reports said.
November 2, 2020 at 7:01pm If you type in COVID in search on the Adams State website the weekly update is there. Yes, it has been hard to find. I think that was addressed last week. - Dodie Day
October 31, 2020 at 8:26pm COVID cases are increasing exponentially in the SLV. The last 3 days have seen record increases of 21, 22, 32 cases, mostly in Alamosa county. Yet we haven't heard anything from administration, have we?
October 30, 2020 at 9:21am Enrollment is booming, 10x: Brown believes if one of the larger Colorado universities were to go out of business, every one of the 35,000 students would likely relocate to a different university to complete their higher education experience.
October 29, 2020 at 6:48pm So here’s an interesting little gem. It appears ASU has begun to market and sell its years of equity work, funded by Title V. Here’s the problem: Marcella Garcia is the contact for this new entrepreneurial enterprise and yet she is still working on the Title V grant that finds it. This is illegal. Institutions are not allowed to make money from grant funds... thoughts? Oh, and don’t get me started about her and Lillian trying to market this as a private venture a few years ago — using institutional resources, materials, and monies. Corruption much? And yes, at Arnold’s farm.
October 28, 2020 at 7:42pm After today’s CEC meeting, my heart goes out to the custodial staff. Matt Chacon asked a question on behalf of one of the custodians and that was what was going to happen to them once the students left for the semester. Rodney chimed in, and in this faux incredulous tone, he said he couldn’t believe someone would ask that question. How dare he! How dare he try to demean his whole staff with his arrogance? Who wouldn’t wonder in times like these about the future? It shows a complete lack of confidence in him as a leader for someone on his staff to ask someone else about their job security and Kevin Daniel needs to set him straight. Maybe he’s told them before that it would be business as usual but again, there’s no confidence in the man. Not to mention, he asked about the future of his staff at the last Zoom meeting! If any custodian feels any sort of retaliation from this, they need a safe place to address it, because they won’t have any safety going to HR!
October 13, 2020 at 11:20pm According to the 2020-21 spreadsheet, the directors most underpaid compared to any others are: Director of AITC ($52k), Director of Counseling and Career ($56k), and Director of Activities and Rex ($51k). All of those areas have multiple components of direct retention, health and well-being of students, and at least the latter two have higher degrees and multiple areas of oversight. All are highly involved on this campus and are student advocates, but their pay is drastically lower.
October 13, 2020 at 11:02am It looks like the largest sports revenue generating schools are also pretty top notch academically as well. I guess the revenue the sports generated has nothing to do with that. Ranking college sports' highest revenue producers I would like to know what directors at ASU are making between 45 and 55K, I would also like to know what those directors generate in revenue, for departments other than athletics. There are several departments on campus that are dying and a drain on the university. I think those Directors should be paid at least 100K. If you can not appreciate the sarcasm then... Just because you have a higher degree, does not mean you are better or even more qualified than someone who doesn't. Remember, 49 percent of all higher degree earners are in the bottom half of their class. Having a degree does not make you entitled to higher pay, it still has to be earned. The athletic community adds heads to a struggling school, you want to watch ASU crumble, Get rid of the athletics since they do not generate revenue. I think there are plenty of programs on campus that do not "pull their own weight" should we be looking at them? You want to really play the blame game, take a look at all departments and see which are being funded by the rest of the school with little or no revenue generation themselves. Listen, in a perfect world, money would not be an issue but whether you like it or not, education has to be run like a business (money coming in has to be greater than expenditures). The money has to come from some where. It is not found in that pot at the end of the rainbow. Wait, I know, rather than fix the problems we will "kick the can on down the road." That seems to be the status quo.
October 12, 2020 at 3:55pm Absolutely it’s jealously...and also anger. How can you justify equally or more important jobs with more supervision and oversight being paid $20,000 to $30,000 lower? These are all directors on campus with Masters or higher degrees.
October 12, 2020 at 3:13pm "if Adams State didn't have athletics, there would be no Adams State" Whoops. Somebody just said the quiet part out loud. This is a succinct summary of what is wrong with Adams State and the NCAA's effect on higher education as a whole: the tail is now wagging the dog and the emphasis is not on how to build structurally-sound academic programs, but how to prioritize athletics to then fund academic programs as an afterthought. Higher education isn't an entertainment factory. The best educational systems in the world, and within the USA, do not prioritize sports as the primary method of funding their campuses. So this laudatory praise for, and disproportionate funding of, Athletics at ASU. Kind of sounds like ignorance and grossly-misplaced priorities.
October 12, 2020 at 2:53pm One picture does not tell all. I was at the golf tournament, which had a great turn out and very well ran. When people were on the patio, most were either distanced or had a mask on. Some foursomes only had 1 per cart, and it was an outside event which I believe follows the state guidelines. Find something else to complain about other than athletics, because if Adams State didn't have athletics, there would be no Adams State. The co-AD's earn every cent of their pay, probably one of the toughest jobs in the RMAC. Kind of sounds like jealously.
October 12, 2020 at 8:27am That's because the Athletic Department is poorly run and just doesn't give a damn!
October 9, 2020 at 11:30am It is nice to see that our Athletic Department hosted a golf tournament and posted a picture with no one wearing masks or social distancing. Spread on.
October 8, 2020 at 8:08pm Well, there we have it. The new co-athletic directors with less time at Adams state, less experience, just earning their higher degrees- earning $75,000 each while leading the super COVID-19 spreader department on campus. No other director on campus makes anywhere near that amount, most are $20-30,000 lower salaries... many of whom are much more experienced and seniority... other levels are even more underpaid. Administration always says it’s just not true, people are paid what they’re worth here... fuck that. This is BS. There is no merit in choosing pay for anyone who is not faculty or classified, just being liked or fucking lucky.
October 8, 2020 at 7:43pm Yes, it was confirmed today that on campus we have five more positives. Please, wear your mask, wash your hands often, and keep a 12 foot distance. - Dodie Day
October 8, 2020 at 10:35am One building and maybe another were sprayed for Covid yesterday it seems. They’re not saying anything about it and I’m sure more furtive actions will be taken to where not even those of us who try to put this info out there will know.
October 6, 2020 at 7:26pm Your calculations are based on all employees being furloughed. Mine was based on the State formula, for classified employees, which seems fair to me. If there is a furlough I believe the states approach is fair and should be applied across the board. - Dodie Day
October 6, 2020 at 12:25pm According to the Salary info posted by WA. Keep in mind these numbers do not include anything other than salary figures (employer savings from not making retirement contributions for said furlough or payroll tax responsibilities are not calculated) Numbers rounded to the nearest dollar. Based on a 40 hr work week: Classified Employees: 88 positions listed $ 3,676,008 annual salary expense – Average classified salary is $41,773/year $ 70,692 weekly salary expense (40 hr work week) $ 1767 /hr $ 14,138 /8 hour day furlough salary savings Admin Employees: 127 positions listed $ 7,077,822 annual salary expense – Average Admin salary - $55,731 $ 136,112 weekly salary expense (40 hr work week) $ 3403 /hr $ 27,222 /8 hour day furlough salary savings Faculty: 94 Positions Listed $ 5,382,855 - annual salary expense – Average Faculty salary - $57,264 $ 103,516 - weekly salary expense (40 hr work week) $ 2588 /hr $ 20,703 /8 hour day furlough salary savings 1 day salary savings for all three groupings combined is just over $62,000. For a week, just over $310,000. Please check all my math. I am not making any judgements here, just some numbers.
October 5, 2020 at 8:56pm Not sure what all of this "Buttercup" is about. The fact is that, if you furlough all Classified employees you are going to save less than $5000. If you take ASU police out of the equation it is under $4000. The savings comes from the president and all others who make $80,000 or more. Just saying. - Dodie Day
October 5, 2020 at 5:50pm ----Editor's Note: We have published ASU 2020-2021 salary data.
October 1, 2020 at 5:46pm Oct 1 @ 5:16 - Sounds like you want to have a civil conversation as long as people agree with you. I seem to have touched a nerve and it is very obvious you don’t really want a civil conversation, you want to complain. If you see a problem, suggest how to fix it, otherwise you are just a complainer. Also, I wasn’t calling you buttercup in my initial post, I was using a common colloquialism “suck it up buttercup”. If you are not coming up with any sort of solution, you should probably get off your high horse and keep your complaints to yourself. If you really cared, you would offer up some alternatives or solutions. Again... just sayin’
October 1, 2020 at 5:16pm Ok Buttercup I don’t appreciate you assuming I am a faculty member. I never indicated I was. I just asked a question in my original post as to HOW that would work given faculty work—not a complaint. Maybe I’m an administrative assistant who sees that. Again with regard to task vs time oriented, senior administration also will take their Friday’s off and still earn the same hourly rate. If you go back to the original questions in the original post I also mentioned scholarship and service in addition to teaching. The fact that you are so uninformed about faculty work that you couldn’t see a rhetorical question about cutting class 20 minutes early proves my point. And to correct your math, a faculty member who teaches 12 credit hours spends 12 hours in the classroom and COUNTLESS hours grading, advising, prepping, etc. in addition to their aforementioned work above. So tell me Buttercup, do you spend countless hours post-toilet scrubbing helping that toilet succeed? Or do you go home at the end of your shift and forget about ASU for a while? Now I’m finished with you Buttercup. You clearly are too dense to try to learn something here, to see the original post for what is was, to engage in civil conversation for our institution. Have a really wonderful day.
October 1, 2020 at 4:56pm Oct 1 @ 3:33 - Wouldn't administrators be “task oriented as well? And the statement about ending a class 20 minutes early, that would be the wrong place to take it. A professor teaching 12 credit hours spends 10hours a week in the classroom and that is where you want to cut your time from? Sounds like you are really in it for the students. The only person that has complained about a possible furlough is you, a faculty member. Everyone else is just talking that it may be coming. Where there are many faculty who are here for the students, I am guessing you are here for the pay check. Which, my friend, is sad because ASU does not pay that well. Yes buttercup, suck it up. I am sure if you had other options, you would have taken them by now. Just sayin’
October 1, 2020 at 3:33pm Re: October 1 @ 6:29am - No, an hourly employee who punches a clock is not a task oriented employee. That toilet won't get scrubbed or offices vacuumed on Friday if that is a Furlough Day. But what faculty cannot do is cut class 20 minutes short to start their furlough. THAT is the difference between task-oriented and time-oriented. It's also the difference between an hourly employee's hours will be cut but they are still making the same hourly amount. Not so for a faculty member. And, by the way, I wasn't focusing on custodial or support staff, I was thinking more along the lines of overpaid administrators. My post wasn't arrogant as much as it is INFORMED, which you clearly aren't. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. BTW, did you READ the news article about the income level that was posted? It's unlikely you or any other custodial staff make $50K+. And, calling people names isn't helping either, "Buttercup".
October 1, 2020 at 8:14am Re: September 30 @7:36 - I wonder how or if this will impact ASU employees paid through federal grant dollars. Seems there would have to be federal approval first.
October 1, 2020 at 6:29am @ 6:05 9/27 - Of course a furlough is a pay cut. That is exactly what a furlough is, a pay cut to save money. Faculty are not the only ones who will have to still do the work. I think that is an arrogant statement you made. If a janitor is furloughed, the work is still there and will still have to be done. Suck it up buttercup, these are the most trying times the university has seen, it is going to require sacrifice from everyone if ASU is going to survive.
September 30, 2020 at 7:36pm So the furloughs look to be coming for State employees so they are probably in the works at ASU, as well. Good news is that the state will be approaching it on a sliding scale with most of the lower paid employees being spared. Mandatory Unpaid Furlough Days Planned For State Of Colorado Employees: 75% Will Be Ordered To Take Two Days Off
September 27, 2020 at 6:05pm How do we furlough faculty? Faculty work is task oriented, not time oriented. Shall we stop research? Service? Office hours? Classroom contact hours? No, a faculty “furlough” is a pay cut—plain and simple, because the tasks or work MUST be completed. Or maybe we can get it “deferred” like the president’s bonus. You know, when #karlaforpresident increases actual enrollment and not just dual enrollment (ie weighted student credit hours).
September 26, 2020 at 7:43pm Furlough - the executive order states the following: I. Background and Purpose State law provides the leaders of the State's institutions of higher education with the independent authority to furlough nonclassified employees. Through this Executive Order, I also direct the State's institutions of higher education to furlough classified employees if needed to manage their budgets accordingly. It seems, from the "All Campus" meetings, which have been held monthly, Adams State is doing better than expected. There should not be a reason to use furloughs to manage the budget this fiscal year. - Dodie Day
September 22, 2020 at 8:44am @ September 14, 2020 at 8:54pm - they probably won’t put up photos of Hispanic students to make sure none are left out. Instead they released the census and to include all Hispanic students they assigned them a number with a percentage sign afterward. No Child Left Behind 2.0: College Edition.
September 22, 2020 at 8:36am A new round of student quarantines must mean the positive tests are coming back from the Fri-Sun testing. Although the county numbers didn't change yet.
September 19, 2020 at 2:32pm From the recent Colorado Public Radio News article: "Undergraduate enrollment has fallen at the University of Colorado system, the Colorado School of Mines, Western Colorado State University, and Adams State University, according to numbers provided by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Adams State experienced a 6 percent dip in undergraduate enrollment. The school, however, is reporting flat enrollment this fall thanks to an increase in graduate students. Adams State expanded opportunities at its graduate schools to students who might need additional training during the pandemic, said Cheryl Lovell, the school’s president. Half of the regional university’s population in Alamosa is considered in high financial need, Lovell said. “We knew our growth in graduate programs would not only meet workforce demand to provide highly trained, skilled advanced employees,” Lovell said. “It also provided an upward mobility for our students to advance themselves professionally.”
September 19, 2020 at 2:16pm I would say those numbers look pretty good. Strong growth on the grad school side. Considering the current environment, ASU seems to be hanging strong. Keep it up everyone! Great stories still start here!
September 18, 2020 at 11:15am ----Editor's Note: ASU has released their Fall Census data and published a summary.
September 14, 2020 at 8:54pm Hey, are they going to put up photos of Hispanic students for the 100th Anniversary? Just a thought. Being an HSI and all. - Meagan Smith
September 13, 2020 at 9:08am New York Times: "But while health officials have endorsed masks and social distancing as effective measures for curbing the spread of the coronavirus, some experts scoff at fever checks. Taking temperatures at entry points is nothing more than theater, they say, a gesture that is unlikely to screen out many infected individuals, and one that offers little more than the illusion of safety." In one study only 44% of people sick enough that they were being admitted to a hospital had a fever. Only 30% in a larger study. “You are maximally infectious before you exhibit symptoms, if you exhibit any symptoms at all,” Dr. Paltiel said. “You can be exposed and incubating the virus, and be beginning to shed massive amounts of transmissible virus and be a superspreader, without actually exhibiting any symptoms like a fever.” And then there's the weather. After walking a few blocks to school, the thermometers on campus read well below 98 degrees for me. Some days it's in the low 90s. And it hasn't even gotten cold yet. Once temps are down below the 40s consistently, those thermometers will be completely meaningless. Widespread testing this week/weekend should finally give us a real picture of where we stand.
September 12, 2020 at 7:17pm I just want to clarify what I mean by fiasco. We are depending on Matt Chacon to solve all the camera and mic issues. He is one person and doing a great job. He cannot be in five places at the same time. He needs to be appreciated. Due to the problems with the cameras and mics the HyFlex classes have challenges for students and faculty. I do believe that we have students who are taking advantage of the HyFlex model. - Dodie Day
September 11, 2020 at 8:42pm I am concerned about the quality of education at Adams State. Students are supposed to be in the classroom or remote. Not happening. This is a fiasco. - Dodie Day
September 11, 2020 at 3:29pm I am sure you can make your donation at the Grizzly Club Golf tournament in early October.
September 11, 2020 at 6:27am $ Adams will take your donation.
September 10, 2020 at 9:36pm At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, more than 40,000 students take tests twice a week for the coronavirus. We can't even get a test at ASU.
September 7, 2020 at 7:26am Dodie, that’s because Kevin Daniel and Housing have gotten really mad at even a mere mention of the possibility of a positive case. And that’s just the side I know. Who knows who else?
September 4, 2020 at 8:23pm I did hear today that we do have one or more cases. Just curious why I was told yesterday that we have positive cases and it was being kept quiet? That was not from administration, but faculty. - Dodie Day
September 4, 2020 at 12:11pm August 31 @ 3:35 pm - Well stated and that’s exactly where I’m coming from. The amount of people hat I have seen going above and beyond to curtail the spread of Covid has been too many to number and that goes from custodians to admins to professors. Many people here have taken a frontline approach in keeping us as safe as possible.
September 4, 2020 at 11:58am Confirmed case out of Theater which means Music and McD has been compromised.
September 3, 2020 at 7:51pm I want to apologize for my comment yesterday. I am always a little crazy but become more crazy just before Labor Day and Memorial Day. - Dodie Day
September 2, 2020 at 10:58pm I only moved to the valley to be closer to my sister. She lived in Moffat at the time. My niece committed suicide by shooting herself in the third eye. I am not afraid to stand up to ASU administration. - Dodie Day
August 31, 2020 at 3:35pm To various posts: don’t for a minute think that because we are critical of ASU that we don’t love it. Quite the contrary and exactly why we are critical of an inept, greedy administration. No, nothing is ever perfect. But if the administration valued shared governance, ASU would be a hell of a lot better than it currently is. Heather, Karla, Tracy, Ken and others who have been here too long because they are “yes” people are exactly our problem. Well... and a bully, autocratic President. The critics also love Adams State. If we didn’t, we would have left long ago, like so many of our colleagues who didn’t love it as much as us.
August 30, 2020 at 2:08pm ----Editor's Note: We have posted the August 21, 2020 memo from President Lovell regarding the Temporary Reduction in Employer Defined Contribution Pension Plan Contribution.
August 28, 2020 at 10:20am @August 27, 2020 at 3:15pm - Thank you. I love Adams State. It's not perfect, but nothing ever is and I'm quite happy here. I can't think of a better place to work in the entire Valley. If you can, go there. See if the grass is greener on the other side. My opinion only...
August 27, 2020 at 7:56pm Never be discouraged to comment. There are two sides to everything. Voice your personal opinion. We, as Americans, still have the right to free speech. Always refer to it as your personal opinion. - Dodie Day
August 27, 2020 at 3:15pm @August 27, 2020 at 8:46am - Well said, I completely agree! I only get on this site occasionally, but the more I do, the more it seems that the majority of commenters would not be satisfied no matter what is being done or who is leading. Quite frankly, it seems that most of you jumped on Dr. Lovell before she even had a chance to show what she could do here. And to be honest, it just feels like most of you are rooting for people and this university to fail. I will be the first to say that I would love higher pay, and could really use it. But so could so many others. And I will also say that I wouldn’t want several of the leaders’ jobs here. I see so many of the people who are constantly being berated and criticized here working incredibly hard every day and no matter what they do or try, it’s never enough. Not often are they thanked for doing all the above & beyonds that a lot of times are not in their job descriptions, and people are so quick to assume they know everything that is “not being done” when in reality, a lot of issues spoken about and criticized here take a lot of work, time and are regulated so much. Just because some haven’t been made aware of specifics does not mean nothing is being done. There are regulations in place and confidentiality rules that must be followed. What bums me out more than seeing the state our university is in right now, is getting on this site and seeing the way some of our employees and community members do nothing but complain and bash the school that a lot of people work really hard to keep going. Do you really think this site helps the morale or culture of our campus?? None of this helps ASU. All it does is show incoming and potential students/employees how divided this campus is and what little respect there is. Maybe all of you could stop criticizing and judging for a while and try to work toward the positive instead. Because I guarantee if a lot of you were put under a microscope, the job you’re doing wouldn’t look that great either.
August 27, 2020 at 11:25am August 27, 2020 at 8:46am - You've articulated the classic "if you don't like it, leave" philosophy that Frank Novotny and other bad administrators have used. The result? Droves of faculty have left and student enrollment declined during that same period, resulting in budget cuts and job insecurity for those who remained. Morale also declined and campus culture suffered. The only way to have a campus where students enroll and graduate is to retain faculty and staff who are happy to be at ASU.
August 27, 2020 at 10:14am That message was sent out to the ASU faculty. It will be a matter of time we are shut down and students will start withdrawing!
August 27, 2020 at 9:50am A blind man could see this coming: "Dear Adams State Community: Out of an abundance of caution, and through direction from our local public health agency, we have made the decision to quarantine 44 individuals who were in direct contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19. We learned this individual not feeling well came to campus despite our protocol to stay home if sick. While this is our first positive case since fall semester started this is alarming and we should all be reminded to follow our health and safety protocols. I am sure there are a few lessons from this one positive test result. First, stay home when you are not feeling well. Everyone should inform their faculty member or supervisor (if an employee) immediately on your status. Second, at no time should anyone rearrange any furniture in classrooms or outside of classrooms. Every room has been measured and prearranged to allow the safest distance between seats. Do not remove the tape or try to use the marked off seats. Remember the classrooms equipped with hyflex technology are specifically selected to allow a reduced number of the total class enrollment to attend in person and the remainder to attend remotely with an opportunity to switch on additional class days. At no time should the entire class be in the classroom if the number exceeds the predetermined seats. Finally, we ask everyone to reinforce the message for students or employees to stay home if not feeling well. We can only maintain our in-person instruction and our on-campus experience for the entire semester if everyone follows our health and safety protocols. Careless, selfish, and/or reckless behavior jeopardizes each of us. Please remember to continue your daily health self-assessment, take your temperature, wear your masks at all times, practice social distancing, and wash your hands regularly. To keep our community informed about any change in the number of positive test results, we will be adding a weekly COVID dashboard of confirmed positive cases to our website by the end of today. Keep moving forward and keep holding everyone accountable to follow our health and safety guidelines. President Lovell"
August 27, 2020 at 9:29am 4th day of classes: two more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in classrooms. Professors and other students exposed in large classes. Here comes the dominoes...
August 27, 2020 at 8:46am If everyone is so unhappy at Adams, why don't you leave for greener pastures? If Adams is so bad, why stay? I get a complaint column, but this is ridiculous and as for information... the only information I've seen so far is opinion. Nothing is backed up by fact. Truth is, you all (with the exception of one person on here) have NO idea what the upper administration does on a daily basis or the shit they have to put up with. Yes, they are compensated for their experience and leadership, which is what you all are saying that you want. Better compensation. Do all of you have PhD's and years of leadership under your belt? Please... I have nothing but a high school diploma and I don't expect the same compensation as someone with a PhD and 20 years of experience. I see what goes on, I hear what goes on, is life always fair? NO, and I don't expect it to be... maybe you all shouldn't either. Talk about entitled brats... and I'm not talking about the students here.
August 27, 2020 at 6:52am @8/26 9:29 pm - Rankism, classism? WTF are you talking about? People like you are the dividers. Always pointing out the differences between people. Divide and conquer? We have to get rid of higher ed. Rankism is at play. The professors are ranked higher than the students and TAs fall someone in between. Uh oh, you say “go to your supervisors” that is promoting and enabling rankism. Better get rid of class rank for all the graduating seniors in high school. Funny because a lot of people are say class rank is a better indicator of student ability as opposed to say, the SAT, but they are so wrong. Classism is also at play... watch out Seniors, the sophomores are coming. Sarcasm is at play here for those of you who live to be offended. Yes, I said live not love to be offended. Work hard, that may allow you to be at a higher rank or class. Unlike race, the lines of rank and class are malleable and they can be crossed. Now that is not to say that race does not ever effect access to those different ranks and classes but that is racism not this so called classism and rankism.
August 26, 2020 at 9:39pm It’s on a “need to know” basis. That’s how we’re being informed yet they can’t trace where those infected may have been. If it gets to the point of sending students home, we will have to stay. You know why? So the ones in leadership in our respective departments can stay ensconced in their offices or vehicles while the rank and file get exposed to COVID more. Classism and rankism will rule the day. For next year’s evals, don’t let them get away with low-balling you. Don’t let them get away with not signing off on a potential raise (if Compression will even be available). Don’t let them tell you the scores don’t mean a thing when every day we put ourselves at risk to be there. Don’t let them get away with sucking up your time talking about things that don’t pertain to work and putting you behind and just leaving you to play catch up. Tell your supervisors it’s lead, follow, or get out of the way. Their incompetence, laziness and sense of entitlement is a liability.
August 26, 2020 at 8:47pm Up to 2 more COVID cases on campus. More details to come.
August 26, 2020 at 12:10am It’s fun to see all the students on campus. However, I see them also walking around with their masks below their nose or even below the chin and walking in groups. It’s only a matter of time before we get shut down. Parking lots look empty. Not much life on campus. I understand we are down enrollment by 12%, per the horse's mouth. But, what is the true actual count? Must be severe enough to start talking about upcoming layoffs, furloughs, voluntary separations and continued hiring freezes. Discussion to start after census day - 9/9/20. Prez Lovell - set an example, take a free salary! Donald Trump takes no salary!
August 25, 2020 at 5:29pm 50/50 following instructions? Hardly anyone is taking their temperatures or stopping to use hand sanitizer. Directional arrows are largely ignored. I haven't seen any students wipe down a desk yet. How many profs are actually wiping down computers and podiums? About the only guideline being followed is masks.
August 23, 2020 at 8:50pm I have a mirror just outside my office so I can see who is coming in and out. It was 50/50 on Thursday and Friday for those who followed instructions. I am very concerned about our safety.
August 22, 2020 at 8:23pm @August 22 at 7:28 - I, too, try to be optimistic. But I have to say, this generations seems to have been raised by a bunch of self centered, rabid, wild hyenas. They have absolutely no regard for anyone but “MEEEE” and mommy and daddy defend them by suggesting they can't make adult choices yet because their frontal lobes aren’t fully developed. In the meantime, they will likely be responsible for hundreds of deaths because they just gotta party and have a real college experience. I hope ASU kicks the little bastards out. But you know we are driven by the almighty dollar and nothing more... so... expect a catastrophe here. SMDH!
August 22, 2020 at 7:34pm August 21, 2020 at 6:36pm: Yes!
August 22, 2020 at 7:28pm I'm an optimist, but... COVID-19 in the quad: Colleges crack down on student parties as virus spreads across campuses Ultimately, it all boils down to personal choices, according to Penn State President Eric Barron. "I ask students flaunting the university's health and safety expectations a simple question: Do you want to be the person responsible for sending everyone home?" "I want you to understand right now and very clearly that we have one shot to make this happen. The world is watching, and they expect you to fail. Prove them wrong. Be better. Be adults," concluded Syracuse's Vice Chancellor Haynie.
August 21, 2020 at 8:13pm Why didn't I speak during the comment section? This is my comment section. Every word that is spoken by President Lovell or Heather Heersink goes in one ear and out the other. Classified employees are protected. That really can annoy Dr. Lovell. People need to voice their concerns. Thank you, Danny for providing this format. - Dodie Day
August 21, 2020 at 6:36pm Solutions you say? Here you go: - Stop hiring new people and paying them more than staff who’ve been here longer with more education and experience. - Stop treating people like they don’t matter - Stop taking all the credit for other people’s efforts - Stop glorifying our shitty athletic teams who are currently spreading COVID, do not contribute to long term retention because they dropout or transfer (FACT), and have changed the climate of our campus since 2010 when shit hit the fan- and athletic enrollment increased. - STOP GIVING THE PRESIDENT BONUSES, even if delayed. AND STOP GIVING HER A FREE YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT. What’s wrong with her? She is mean, micromanaging, devaluing to those around her and only hears her own voice. She faked us all her first year to get the job. - Stop using all campus meeting to spread more b.s. without backing it up. Grizzly Relationships, my ass. This whole campus treats each other like shit and it starts from the top. - Stop asking people to do more when they never receive accurate compensation for their first job, let alone the four others you pile on top of them. - Stop making it impossible to offer critical feedback that is actually received and changes are made. - Stop making excuses that our campus shit storm is COVID or Beverlee. This crap started several years ago and it doesn’t get better. - Stop hiring people who hold higher degrees and paying them $30K. Would you like more solutions? No, you don’t. Because they don’t matter anyway. It’s is unfortunate because students are amazing and worth way more, so are the professionals trying to serve them.
August 21, 2020 at 10:01am @August 21, 2020 at 7:28am - Thank you, very well said! I believe everybody should be able to voice their concerns and complaints, but when does it cross into just plain whining? If some are not even going to try to be part of the solution, or offer any helpful suggestions/ideas, (Beyond The same old “fire Karla”, or cut Administration’s salaries, etc.), why get on and complain? And as for the person who tested COVID-positive, yes, there are several regulations and requirements that ASU must abide by, and just because not everybody on campus has been given information on it does not mean it is being hidden or that administration has not been notifying the necessary parties. Do you really think administration is not trying their hardest to do everything they are supposed to be to comply with COVID regulations? Sometimes (most times), it has nothing to do with administration trying to be sneaky. There are so many rules ASU is bound by and plenty of meetings, conversations and brainstorms that take place that a lot of us are never privy to - doesn’t mean it isn’t being done.
August 21, 2020 at 9:56am This place is still a good source of information. Maybe the “complaining” is just good information filtered through years of frustration, burnout, neglect, anxiety, etc. Maybe a sense of humanity would work well when reading posts because we don’t know what someone else has gone through. Maybe in always trying to have the right attitude before God and man and not trying to burden anyone else this place is their safe haven to be human and have feelings. Not trying to get on any kind of soapbox or make excuses for anyone because I for one can’t stand complaining and whining but sometimes I need to remind myself to take a step back. I’d rather read complaints here than to be overwhelmed with them via text, email, calls or conversations.
August 21, 2020 at 8:40am Thank you to anyone who acknowledged the efforts and diligence Facilities Services in the meeting yesterday. It’s good to know there’s a couple people who see us as human beings and colleagues and not just human shields at best.
August 21, 2020 at 7:28am So, just asking here but can someone please let us know exactly how Lovell is doing a terrible job? With the Bev, there seemed to be lots of examples and her actions were often perceived as questionable but with Lovell it seems more like people just don’t want any sort of leader. Leaders often have to make tough decisions and not everyone is going to like them. Also people, remember, if the student body is not on campus, a lot of jobs are not needed. You will have less of a need in departments like housing and facilities. With no athletics, there is less of a need for all that staff. Also, wether or not we all want to admit it, ASU requires money from students to run and pay its employees. The money has to come from somewhere. Be careful for what you ask for, you just might get it. As far as being impressed by Dodie signing her posts, I am as well. Remember though, I think she is a classified employee and as a classified employee, it is nearly impossible to get rid of them. It takes way more persistence and red tape than most of the administrators Or management are willing to do. That has why administrators try to replace classified positions with exempt positions. easier to fire an exempt employee. I see a ton of complaining on this site but no real offers of solutions. If you see an issue and only complain but do not offer any solution, it is just complaining and does not help ASU grow or move forward in any way and you become part of the problem. There are lots of people on campus who do their jobs and some do it very well but there are also many on campus who are just there to milk the system, so to speak. Also, for all of those complaining about not knowing whom tested positive for COVID, have you ever heard of HIPPA, have you ever heard of FERPA? I believe there are lots of rules involving protection of student health and educational data and PII. I tend to agree that this has become a forum to complain. This site used to provide a valuable resource and I believe it had a large part in the decline of the Bev, although she had a big part to do with that, now, just a lot of complaints with no real offers of solutions. I support your right to complain, I just wish some solutions were being offered as well.
August 20, 2020 at 11:47pm @August 20, 2020 at 2:43pm - If this site is so negative, why come here and post about it? This seems to be the only place some of us can get information, in spite of some of the posts. As to asking questions or comments during official communications, why risk it? Adams is all about retribution and retaliation, if you ever question authority or point out a problem with procedure or policy the system comes down on you instead of the problem. I'm impressed Dodie puts her name on her posts, and I hope for a time when Adams is strong enough to let others voice their opinion without retaliation.
August 20, 2020 at 9:10pm I know it’s not census date yet, but what are enrollment numbers right now? I’ve heard they’re down 15%. Is that accurate?
August 20, 2020 at 8:57pm So Dodie, when there was a call for questions, comments or concerns, why didn’t you pipe up about this?
August 20, 2020 at 7:20pm We all know from comments that COVID is on our campus. This should have been addressed during the "All Campus" meeting held today. I personally have many reasons why I do not trust Dr. Lovell. - Dodie Day
August 20, 2020 at 2:43pm @August 19, 2020 at 10:05am, “genitalia and obscene hand gestures...”?!? What signs are YOU looking at?? LOL, I swear, some a y’all goofy as he//. Are the signs fancy? No, not all of them, but considering the budgets some of our departments are working with, they’re doing an amazing job & I don’t see anything wrong with all the signs & arrows. I walk past a ton of them every day, they literally have zero negative impact on me, and will be helpful to some coming here for the first time or who need reminders to comply. I swear, this site spreads so much more negativity than I ever see good come from it. Is this campus perfect? Absolutely not, in fact, some here get on my damn nerves, don’t do half of the job they should be, take forever to answer and cause more problems than good. But there are so many who work their tails off here day in and day out, without a complaint and with perpetual smiles on their faces. It would do some of you well to learn a thing or two from them instead of spending your work day whining & complaining on this ridiculous site.
August 19, 2020 at 8:47pm Please keep in mind that shit rolls down from the top. - Dodie Day
August 19, 2020 at 12:57pm The football player has has endangered many by not staying isolated. I ask the question again: can someone please find the open information of how much these two new Co-athletic directors are making? Kaitlynn Smith and Justin Boyd. What a job they’re doing and I can only assume at a higher pay than any other directors on this campus. The priorities at this institution are sick and twisted.
August 19, 2020 at 10:26am Yes and he was in Rex Gym so expect it to be closed for a while. I for one will not be a martyr for this place. Especially when they don’t want to let us know anything regarding our safety.
August 19, 2020 at 10:05am I knew of this student since Monday but I gave Kenny Marquez the chance to say who it was. It was a football player. See, these people who tell you to wear your masks, etc. don’t care about us. They cover it all up but what should I expect from a place who puts tacky arrows on the floor that look more like genitalia and obscene hand gestures than anything else. Stay classy, ASU. Western and Mesa did it better. Again, it was a football player.
August 19, 2020 at 9:33am Looks like Notre Dame and Michigan State have suspended in-person learning. Is ASU really going to try to do this in person? Michigan State And Notre Dame Suspend In-Person Learning Over COVID-19 Concerns
August 18, 2020 at 8:16pm It has been confirmed, one positive test and we haven't brought students back on campus, other than athletes. - Dodie Day
August 17, 2020 at 7:22pm If we have confirmed positive cases, we and the community, have the right to know. Are we going to end up doing distance learning? - Dodie Day
August 16, 2020 at 11:46pm Fact or fiction? Did football practices get shut down due to several players testing positive for COVID-19? Heard this directly from a parent of a football scholarship awarded athlete. If so, as ASU employees, don't we have the right to know?
August 14, 2020 at 8:39pm Did you read the paper today? The ASU BoT feel Dr. Lovell is doing a great job (my opinion, just like Trump). Agreed to deferral of a portion of her bonus. She will still get it eventually. Our raises were not deferred. - Dodie Day
August 13, 2020 at 3:27pm I saw the recent picture that says, “Do your part to keep Adams State healthy” and I couldn’t agree more. Let that also apply to the higher-ups and directors, as well. How? They can stay out of the way and let the people who actually do the work day on and day out continue to do so. We might not always know what’s ahead of us, but we know why we show up to work every day. Learn to trust us that we know our job and don’t need you to interject on every issue. Also, when everyone shows back up to work on campus, how about showing up to work on time - that way we don’t have everybody trying to hurry in and ignoring all the safety precautions and becoming reckless to make it to their work areas... so they can then hurry to Safeway?
August 13, 2020 at 11:33am @August 12, 2020 at 11:47am - I would think that not having athletics might be good overall. Everyone is always commenting how athletics is such a drain on ASU. If there are no athletics, ASU is not spending money on athletics, right?
August 12, 2020 at 11:47am Let's watch the enrollment numbers drop as Athletics is cut for the fall semester and student athletes decide "why go to Adams State if I can not participate" in his or her sport. They will maintain eligibility by attending a university closure to home and most likely one that is in better standing. They will worry about athletics when they can actually participate.
August 12, 2020 at 4:12am @August 6, 2020 11:44 a.m. - Taking apart the cornerstone of a country, it's buildings and statuary is done by conquerors. So, when someone says get rid of a tomahawk, and people of Indian descent ask why, could it be the group wants to get rid of everything and begin with their own playbook? The people who originated BLM are Marxists. Could it be equal power for blacks isn't their only agenda? Could it be that Antifascist groups who riot don't know what they're doing? They think they're protesting police misbehavior, but under it all, the people who are alleged to pay the rioters 1200 dollars a day, plus attorney care if they get arrested, really want something else at the end of the day? Ask George Soros, a Nazi during WW2. ---- Editor's Note: Whatever else this comment may or may not be claiming, the often-repeated slur that Holocaust survivor George Soros was a Nazi is false.
August 9, 2020 at 5:23pm After reading the article about CSU athletes, you can bet ASU will get shut down. It will once again demonstrate that athletics comes before learning. Holding practices and athletic events puts face-to-face learning at risk for all students. Once again, ASU holds true to its mission: "Great Athletic Careers Rarely Ever Start Here."
August 9, 2020 at 10:40am Could Adams State be next? CSU athletes, staff say athletic administration covering up COVID-19 health threat
August 7, 2020 at 9:25pm Those discussing convocation are not wrong, and you can thank administration. I know the orientation team had to push back hard to even have them agree to move convocation and most of orientation online.
August 7, 2020 at 3:30pm This article doesn't mention ASU specifically but it definitely rings true: College sports embraced reckless greed. With the coronavirus crisis, the bill has come due.
August 6, 2020 at 11:44am @August 5, 2020 at 9:23pm - As a Native American, the fact it’s shaped like a tomahawk doesn’t offend me at all. Now I’m only going to speak for myself on this: I’m all for statues or any remnants of a history riddled with hate, racism, etc. to be taken down but again, for me the tomahawk is part of our culture so why erase that? That’s where we minorities are getting the wool pulled over our eyes in the name of political correctness. If they take our culture away, then we’re just left with White America’s ways. No, I’m not racist; far from it but I definitely don’t want some furtive way of Naturalization to take place. We can tear down barriers without sacrificing culture.
August 6, 2020 at 7:21am If your job can be done effectively from home/off campus, then I think you should be able to work from home but how do we handle those who can not? I mean, it is not really fair that some people are being paid to work but from off-campus, there is no way for them to do their job. They can not pay people to do nothing forever. We are always discussing CUPA and such, how much does the sitting at home position pay? Is ASU in the 80% range? I bet the people in dining and the bookstore are not able to “work from home” and getting paid for the last almost 5 months. If ASU were smart, they would have furloughed everyone and let them file for unemployment. A lot of employees would have made more with the addition of $600 per week federal subsidy than ASU pays them.
August 5, 2020 at 9:30pm I am looking at the comments. There is concern. I am not going to volunteer to be at a temperature taking entry point. Actually, I am offended that we would be asked. We are all putting our selves at risk just by showing up to work on campus. This is just my opinion. - Dodie Day
August 5, 2020 at 9:23pm Just wondering since the music building is in the shape of a tomahawk if that is cultural appropriation? Shouldn’t it be razed like the offensive statues and a new music building built?
August 5, 2020 at 7:46am Put yourself at risk for convocation, put yourself at risk by even being on campus, put in extra hours due to COVID and staffing cuts. And by the way, we are cutting our contributions to your retirement and health insurance. Great careers end here.
August 4, 2020 at 9:28pm Is this some sort of perverse joke? Setup: Due to safety concerns, Convocation will now be live streamed. Convocation is still scheduled for Friday, August 21st at 11:00am. An email will be sent out with a link to access the live stream the morning of. The list of speakers includes, Dr. Lovell, Dr. John Taylor, and the AS&F President Lathen Tsalate. Punchline: Please join the NSO Team and new students for lunch on the Campus Green directly after Convocation.
August 3, 2020 at 8:40pm Will the new motto be "Great Superspreading Begins Here" ...?
August 3, 2020 at 3:24pm Re: August 3 @ 9:29 - Oh, Cheryl and company won’t keep students on campus any longer than census. They just want to ensure the fall semester money. Hopefully not too many will become infected and/or die during that time.
August 3, 2020 at 9:29am Has anyone considered the fact that they are releasing prisoners due to the dangers of COVID and transmission in an institutional environment but it is okay that students are getting ready to go back?
July 30, 2020 at 9:20pm July 31, this is disturbing. Employees received raises? Students athletes receiving inflated scholarships? My personal opinion is that contact sports should be canceled. - Dodie Day
July 29, 2020 at 7:40pm Whether Lovell likes it not not, these meetings are public. No executive session announced. Whoever the hell wants to be there is legally allowed. I hope someone challenges her, legally, like Danny did with McClure. These power narcissists are unbelievable!
July 29, 2020 at 7:21pm Why would ASU care who was Zooming in? I also noticed that the concern expressed by classified employees, from areas that need to enter student housing or working closely with them had a reply, "It will be as normal." SAD - Dodie Day
July 29, 2020 at 6:31pm Everyone should read the recent article posted here about Colorado universities losing money on sports! "Coaches’ salaries increased by at least 15% at each of the schools" - which includes ASU. Coaches are getting paid 15% more and the rest of us get 2% or nothing? "Recruitment expenses, meanwhile, increased by at least 5% at every school that was included in the audit but CSU Pueblo." "The audit found each institution’s athletic expenses — which also include uniforms, travel, scholarships and other costs — are growing at a faster rate than the self-supporting revenue they bring in" Who cares about an education when ASU is fulfilling its true mission - entertainment.
July 29, 2020 at 6:18pm Dodie, at the start of one of the recent meetings, Dr. Lovell or someone asked if there were any reporters on the phone or something similar. And if so, asked them to leave since it was for employees only. I'm not defending, just passing on info.
July 28, 2020 at 7:37pm How do you feel about today's briefing? I heard, through the grapevine, that some joining the Zoom meeting where questioned who they were. Why in the world would you question anyone joining a Zoom meeting. Are we trying to hide something? - Dodie Day
July 28, 2020 at 12:58pm Re: July 28 @ 9:03 - Yeah, classic Cheryl Lovell: do as she says, not as she does. Is her contract almost up yet? How much longer must we tolerate poor leadership?
July 28, 2020 at 9:03am I don’t feel safe coming back. Most of the time, Dr. Lovell doesn’t even wear a mask. Maybe once baseball and softball resumes, she can throw out the first pitch - the same way she throws out the rule book.
July 23, 2020 at 10:28pm The back to work agreement makes it pretty clear, if we want to keep our job, we will return to work. The guidelines can stretch out the time you are no longer employed, but in the end you loose your job. Wondering why, at least one faculty member, is being allowed to teach their load through ASO. - Dodie Day
July 23, 2020 at 8:42pm Dear Dodie, Of course! I’m terrified. I am highly immune-compromised. There appears to be NO guidance for folks like us. It seems the president just wants folks back, regardless. I can appreciate she has a large private office and bathroom. That doesn’t help me much—or you. We cannot control what folks do on their off time. They can be going to parties, bars, whatever and coming back infecting us all. Same with other students. You say you have mixed feelings. I don’t. I can tell you unequivocally, this return is dangerous at best.
July 22, 2020 at 9:04pm Is anyone concerned about going back to work? I am back on campus and feel fairly safe. I am wearing a face mask. I am concerned about students coming back. I will turn 68 in January. Gosh, how do you all feel about being on campus? I have mixed feelings and concerns. - Dodie Day
July 12, 2020 at 3:40pm July 12 at 3:35pm - That reminds me of the question that Education Secretary DeVos answered so poorly: proficiency versus growth?
July 12, 2020 at 3:35pm Regarding the recent Erasing Equity Gaps with State Funding article posted here, does anyone know if the new state formula is based on percentage for targeted groups (minorities, Pell, etc.) or the increase in those numbers? The article mentions something like "Universities will get bonus points if they improve more than other institutions" three times. If this is correct, then the new formula could penalize institutions like ASU that are currently doing well with these specific metrics. It is much easier to "improve" if you already suck. An institution with no Black students can "improve" a great deal more (and more easily) than an institution that already has 70% Black students. Politicians have been confusing this difference for decades.
July 10, 2020 at 1:28pm I have not seen anything on the athletic website for who has been hired for the empty coaching openings or the co-athletic director spots?
July 10, 2020 at 9:05am Is there information on how much the Co-Athletic Directors are now making? I can only guess it’s higher than most other directors based on the President’s assertion that there was a minimal cost savings.
June 19, 2020 at 7:56am Happy Juneteenth, Adams State - Meagan Smith
June 14, 2020 at 9:06am The AAUP recently succeeded in convincing the Colorado Community College System to support unemployment applications for those faculty with courses cancelled on account of the pandemic or other reasons. Because this victory is underwritten by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, they believe this opportunity is available to all adjunct faculty regardless of institution. However, most adjunct/contingent faculty seem to be unaware that they are most likely able to apply successfully for unemployment insurance benefits it their classes were cancelled this summer. The money (regular unemployment of a few hundred per week PLUS $600/week from the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program) is much needed by them now. It can be sought even if they have not yet applied for UI, and it will be effective from the last day of spring semester and run through the end of July. The U.S. Senate may extend the program to run through the end of 2020 due to the COVID-19 2nd wave.
May 20, 2020 at 9:29pm @May 20, 2020 at 10:21am - It’s sad for me to confirm what you said and I’m sorry it’s that way. You and every other student are the reason we have a job. Nobody communicates with us either, they hide possible COVID-19 cases from us and if anybody even suggests a possibility of a case they are severely excoriated. We have leadership focusing on if employees are carrying a bottle of disinfectant with them at all times and if one isn’t seen on their person it should be assumed no disinfectant is being used at all and one should be questioned as to the whereabouts of their spray bottle. The higher-ups are “above reproach” though. Their status makes them immune to COVID-19 apparently thus making their requirement of a spray bottle unnecessary. They’re practicing their methods of madness and totalitarianism on the few left on campus to be ready for the many upon their return. Welcome to the beginnings of a Post COVID-19 Dystopian ASU. Let me be the first to say thank you for caring enough about your future and your money to speak out. I hope “they” eventually communicate.
May 20, 2020 at 10:21am As a student, the higher-ups need to communicate with us better. I don't know how you can have students pay thousands of dollars for them to not be told about any changes, or necessary information. Seems like nobody really cares about us, just want to take our money and run. Can't tell you how much money has been taken from me because of others' failure to communicate. Some departments are fine, but I would love to see more effort from the president.
May 9, 2020 at 3:13am ASU’s plans to resume face-to-face instruction in Fall is a little concerning to me when they have tried their best to keep mum about Covid-19 related issues. Even just the mention of someone getting sent home due to possible symptoms of Coronavirus gets all of Housing extremely angry and in turn the one who mentions such cases gets excoriated. They put a lot of effort into keeping quiet about Covid-19 just like they did when the bedbug outbreak happened and they’re all in on it. ASU doesn’t care about their employees or the students when they cover up things and they’re very selective on whom they choose to protect. The higher ups put more effort into covering things up than they do in positive prevention yet they act as if they care about their staff.
May 8, 2020 at 4:58pm The Colorado Conference of the American Association of University Professors has released a statement: Protecting Colorado Faculty Throughout the Pandemic
May 6, 2020 at 11:23am Re: May 5 @ 5:45 - Interesting to see which positions/people are worth more than 72% of CUPA, especially the NEW major gifts officer. Weren’t some people forced to take pay cuts recently? This is simply sickening.
May 5, 2020 at 5:45pm
Editor's Note: We have obtained and published ASU Faculty and Administrative CUPA Evaluations for 2019-2020.
May 4, 2020 at 9:36pm Word on the street is that Fort Lewis' president is going to reduce his own salary by 20%. I wonder if our president will do the same? At the very least, she could elect to forgo her "bonuses," but even this seems unlikely.
May 4, 2020 at 2:40pm May 1 @ 9:13 - maybe they work part time? Maybe they are taking a vacation day? Maybe they worked until 9pm the night before? Maybe they keep 8-5 hours? Maybe we don’t know their story or what their supervisor has approved. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there is nefarious activity, but let’s give people the benefit of the doubt. As the engine that runs this institution, we need to stick together to get through yet one more bad hire (and her minions) by the Board.
May 4, 2020 at 2:10pm @May 1, 2020 at 8:54am - Of course they are coming, there are no students on campus and I am betting there will be very few on campus this fall. Brick and Mortar is a thing of the past. The world has changed and things are not going to be the same. Time for Adams State to either pivot or fade away. Remote learning is going to be the norm. Society has changed and traditional education providers, not only Adams, were struggling to attract on campus students even before this pandemic. Without on-campus students, the need for housing and facilities is severely impacted. The need for dorms and classrooms disappear. The food service people will not be needed either. I know they are not ASU employees but they are part of the ASU community. With the lack of on campus students, the need for things like the gym and library are also diminished. The professors and administration will be the ones left in the end. The status quo will no longer be enough people. ASU can make it but not the way it has been making it for the last 99 years. I am also guessing it is just a matter of time before ASU students come calling for their housing and student fees to be refunded as well. It is happening elsewhere so it is just a matter of time.
May 1, 2020 at 9:13am Why is it that work-at-home people from ASU are out shopping and running around between 8-5? Looks just like they used to go to work. Same repeat offenders.
May 1, 2020 at 8:54am Word going around this week is that furloughs are imminent. More discussions to be had next week supposedly.
April 24, 2020 at 11:25am And it wasn't only the coaches who took pay cuts: "The release also noted campus leaders, including University President Mark Kennedy, are taking pay cuts at this time as well." Now that's solid leadership.
April 23, 2020 at 4:24pm Good start, CU. Adams could take a lesson. CU AD George, coaches Dorrell, Boyle and Payne to take pay cuts
April 23, 2020 at 7:48am Mixed messages from ASU: normally we hear sports make money; now we hear we are saving money since athletes aren't traveling. Administration wants to streamline and cut things we have been living without in this time of corona. Sports should be first. Save lots of money on coaches, trainers, facilities, scholarships. If we are online in the fall, sports won't exist anyway.
April 12, 2020 at 8:30am I agree with April 9 5:14. How can the Board give our president bonuses when students don't have the resources they need? Students should come first. Dr. Lovell should voluntarily forego her bonuses. And yes, a 7% cut in administrative salaries would leave money for more important employees.
April 9, 2020 at 8:14pm I am not a fan of Dr. Lovell. I think she is doing her best. On the other side of the coin, there is no excuse for not doing your job. The SUB is open and internet is available. Stop making excuses. - Dodie Day
April 9, 2020 at 5:14pm Just watched the campus update. Overall pretty good. But here’s a serious idea to realize cost savings and budget priorities: Cheryl Lovell forgoes any bonuses for the next two years and we cut bloated administrative salaries by 7% — let’s say anyone whose contractual base amount is $80,000 or more. Oh and I think it’s time for the president to go do what presidents do: fund raise. Leave the operations to Dr. Buchanan and Kevin. She spends too much time dabbling in the minutiae — just like Svaldi and McClure.
April 7, 2020 at 8:08am Furlough, anyone? I heard they are coming and have already hitting other campuses.
April 6, 2020 at 10:22pm Okay ASU “leadership,” can ya give us a directive based on the governor’s newest stay at home directive? We don’t trust your backstabbing, vindictive asses. Just sayin'.
March 29, 2020 at 7:10pm It is amazing to me, but not surprising, that COVID-19 has highlighted all the existing inequities and exploitation on university campuses like ASU... and made them a matter of life and death.
March 29, 2020 at 6:45pm There are those who have no choice but to show up if they want to get paid or not lose leave time. A walkout should be staged but most won’t do it. It’s always said "nobody is irreplaceable" and that’s true but their health isn’t replaceable. There’s still a lot of people showing up in buildings, especially in the evenings. Hopefully it will come to a stop.
March 28, 2020 at 5:44pm Didn't go silent. Governor Polis put an order in place and I am following it, as is ASU. ASU has followed every order issued from the state. Working from home with an ASU computer. I prefer working from my office on campus, but appreciate all the effort by ASU to make this work so we all continue to get a paycheck. - Dodie Day
March 26, 2020 at 6:52pm Now that all those deemed important get to go home, this place goes silent.
March 25, 2020 at 10:17pm Essential yet the least paid. Accommodating and dealing with every single person who violated the building closures. Being herded like cattle to work in groups. Being spread too thin by the few who keep their hands clean by staying in their offices or driving their company vehicles. They have practiced social distancing all their career out of sheer laziness and their false walls of vainglory held together by their puny yet overreaching authority. Then told by an authority figure this is how we provide for our families. How do we provide comfort for their fears of our well-being when they see we are a human shield forced to choose to lessen the risk by depleting our leave or continue to provide more money while bringing home more risk to all? When has a scorpion and a dove both thrived when being held in the same hand?
March 25, 2020 at 7:50pm Leadership is still expecting all facilities services to show up even though the PDQs list most of them as nonessential.
March 25, 2020 at 5:22pm Governor Polis just issued a stay at home order effective at 6am tomorrow morning. The announcement made not quite an hour ago. I cannot believe that the ASU administration haven't been having conversations about this possibility. Yet, crickets... not one word! What we wouldn't give for true leadership at this institution. So discouraging and disappointing.
March 25, 2020 at 12:47pm It's quite clear that the President doesn't care about the employees nor the students wandering in and out of buildings. It is YOUR job to keep everyone out of harm's way, even if they don't know better or have a life outside of this campus. How do you do this, you may ask? LOCK DOWN THE CAMPUS, CLOSE THE DOORS TO ALL! Let us protect OUR families. What is it that you are missing here?
March 25, 2020 at 11:30am SLV Health was just over here at Richardson loading up hospital beds from the Nursing program in preparation and yet all over campus there are free-range students and kids roaming the halls. While nationwide we have police officers guarding tissue paper and limiting customers to one pack. Ridiculous. Why are we still open?
March 25, 2020 at 11:09am ASU issue follows this brief excerpt from an AAUP email: "The AAUP has put together a coronavirus information web page for AAUP members and the higher education community. We have been collecting resources from the government, other higher education organizations, and our chapters to help all of us respond to this challenge. We will continue to add to the page as new resources become available." "As many of you know, some administrations have been leaving the faculty out of decisions pertaining to curriculum and program, online teaching and intellectual property, and the faculty role in navigating the financial impact of COVID-19 on our campuses. Faculty governance bodies and academic unions must insist on involvement in decision-making about the effects that this crisis is having on our campuses, and we will be sharing guidance from the national AAUP, as well as strategies some of our chapters have developed as they grapple with the crisis." ASU note: Although I personally think ASU's administration has done a reasonable job of seeking employee feedback related to COVID, an issue came up at Senate yesterday. Should faculty be given the option to leave this semester's student evaluations out of retention, tenure, and promotion materials? Please share any feedback you have with your faculty senator. The rationale for such a policy includes: abrupt change to online delivery, variability in instructors' prior experience with online, factors outside our control such as tech problems, the possibility that evaluations will be affected by the economic and physical / psychological stress related to COVID / social distancing, and affects on evaluation response rate. I'm sure you can think of other factors. Stay positive, stay healthy! I'm so impressed by how well everyone is rallying to support our students. MVPs: AITC!!! - Jeff Elison
March 25, 2020 at 10:54am Why are there still students in the building on a daily basis?
March 23, 2020 at 9:38pm Dodie, who else enters that locked building? Who else uses that office? Who touches the railings, door handles, bathroom surfaces? Who all have they come into contact with? You feel safe, but do you know who else has access to these same facilities? Have they been tested? Have you? Your feeling of safety may be part of what is unsafe. Please find a way to stay home. Right now, we all have duties to our healthcare system, and to each other, that exceed those of our employer.
March 23, 2020 at 9:16pm I feel very safe going to work. I cannot completely perform my duties from home. I enter a locked building. I enter a locked office. I feel very safe. - Dodie Day
March 23, 2020 at 1:15pm @March 23, 2020 at 7:27am - They determined that with all the people gone already they’re past the 50% necessary. They have professors coming back from California and New York and someone told me someone from Facilities might have it, as well. People are asking questions and the best answers they have gotten so far is no response at all.
March 23, 2020 at 7:27am The Governor has ordered no more than 50% of non-essential staff to come into work. I can’t wait to see how ASU handles this! Stay tuned to Looney Tunes.
March 22, 2020 at 9:03pm Send us home!
March 20, 2020 at 1:31pm @ March 19, 2020 at 3:34pm - Totally agree and Plachy or any other building on campus be used as an ad hoc Boys & Girls Club.
March 20, 2020 at 1:17pm I really wish President Lovell would take A LITERAL PLAGUE seriously.
March 19, 2020 at 3:34pm "Adams State Nielsen Library will remain open to students and employees, but with limited hours. Your campus ID will be required to enter Nielsen Library." Under no conditions should any library, as a social gathering place, remain open. Data points for your consideration: Academic libraries already closed or closing in Colorado: CU-Boulder; CSU-Pueblo; UC-Colorado Springs; Auraria; School of Mines; Western Colorado; Colorado College; possibly others? National and regional associations calling for library closure: - American Library Association: Statement Recommending Closing Libraries (http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2020/03/ala-executive-board-recommends-closing-libraries-public) - Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) (https://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/archives/19351) - Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) (https://arsl.info/arsl-statement-on-library-closures/) - Association of Research Libraries (ARL) - no formal statement, but see growing list of closures (https://www.arl.org/resources/covid-19-resource-updates-pages/) - Colorado Association of Libraries: Statement on COVID-19 (https://cal-webs.org/) Editorials and blog posts: - Director of MIT Libraries (https://chrisbourg.wordpress.com/) - Library Journal (https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=close-your-library-editorial)
March 19, 2020 at 7:48am This is why it is foolish for the ASU administration to believe its safe to open its doors to face to face classes at all this semester. This is exactly what the nurse was talking about in the campus wide meeting. If the “leadership” thinks that students can’t take can extended spring break and still manage their online classes, then they are more foolish than any of us believed. ‘If I get corona, I get corona’: Miami spring breakers say covid-19 hasn’t stopped them from partying I hope Dr. Lovell stands at the entrance and shakes every one of their hands upon their return.
March 17, 2020 at 5:20pm Some presidents put money and power before the health of those under their leadership: Trump, Maduro, ... They lack compassion. They put others at risk with their denials and slow responses. #QuitWaffling
March 16, 2020 at 10:47pm @March 16, 2020 at 10:30 pm - I agree completely but I understand that the only language that tickles their ears is money talk. In order to be of service to the students we all should be sent home too. It’s not worth staying open just to decimate faculty and staff. People who have to go back to work under these conditions are already stressed out to the point they’re practically unapproachable never mind social distancing. The stress of being there under such conditions is creating a hostile work environment but do they care? #QuitWaffling
March 16, 2020 at 10:40pm So far no counties in the SLV have reported coronavirus cases. Bringing hundreds of students back to the SLV after visiting home far and wide during the peak acceleration of the spread is pretty much guaranteed to bring the virus to the SLV and literally cost lives of local residents.
March 16, 2020 at 10:30pm Dear March 16th, It's not in the best interest of humanity to reopen this semester, nevermind financially. It's irresponsible morally and ethically to reopen. In terms of our ethical obligations to students, the sooner administration makes the decision, the sooner staff and faculty can start taking the necessary steps to minimize the impact on our students' educations. Full stop. #QuitWaffling
March 16, 2020 at 6:33pm The Dow plunged nearly 3,000 points today and it’s suggested all people stay home from school and work for the next 15 days. So is it in the best interest financially to keep ASU open?
March 15, 2020 at 6:07pm Having to hear the president say that all students and faculty need to stay home for their safety but then saying all staff must return to business as usual is a low blow. I knew I was valued less than faculty but I mistakenly thought Adams State cared about staff, too.
March 13, 2020 at 10:50am So those who constantly call in from work and find every excuse not to be here get rewarded. Oh, but they’ll have to work from home? I wonder if they’ll show up to work to avoid work?
March 13, 2020 at 10:44am I like how Dr. Lovell smugly said she’s not an essential employee so she doesn’t have to be at work. You’re right about that, Dr. Lovell, this place is a snake that doesn’t need its head to survive. I just wish it was spelled “e$ential” for those who have to be here.
March 12, 2020 at 2:50pm Why wouldn't ASU go into a strictly online delivery? I thought we had this really great Extended Studies platform that monitors delivery of education online through a multi-faceted approach of quality assurance checks and balances.
March 12, 2020 at 9:58am The World Health Organization recommends avoiding public gatherings if at all possible. So what does Adams State do? They call a public forum to discuss Coronavirus. Unbelievable.
March 12, 2020 at 7:44am Dear March 11th, we have nothing to worry about, we are in the best of hands: "If you know you’ve been exposed or if you exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 virus, students should immediately notify Vice President for Student Affairs Ken Marquez before returning to campus, and faculty and staff should immediately notify Tracy Rogers in Human Resources." With quality healthcare professionals like Ken and Tracy at the helm, we safely sail into uncharted waters! What could go wrong?
March 11, 2020 at 5:50pm Institutions of higher education are closing their doors across the nation, and now in Colorado are moving to an online format. Yet Adams State’s official response today? “It is important to repeat, however, that as of today it is business-as-usual for Adams State and the campus has not been impacted by COVID-19 at this time.” Smart? Foolish? 1. Many individuals, if they present symptoms, don’t do so for a couple of weeks. 2. Society — including folks in the SLV — is mobile and many individuals could have traveled outside of the Valley and been exposed already or still might. 3. Dozens of visitors have come to campus and the community already, perhaps already exposing us and we don’t know it. 4. Students, as well as many faculty and staff, are going to travel for spring break and have the potential to be exposed. There appears to be NO plans to test them upon their return. 5. Students and faculty are still traveling domestically for university business and run the risk of exposure. In fact, three TSA agents in San Jose have already been diagnosed. There will be more. 6. There are many other realities of this disease we are only beginning to understand. Smart or Foolish? I wonder if there are costs associated with the brave moves other institutions across the nation and state have made. Of course this would impact the budget and potentially President Lovell’s anticipated bonus. Whatever the motivations, one has to wonder about what seem to be increasingly stupid decisions.
March 10, 2020 at 7:43am From the AAUP: As we are learning, COVID-19 (the coronavirus) has the potential to present a serious challenge to the health and safety of our campus communities. At this time, campuses in Washington State, New York State, California, Nebraska, and elsewhere have closed or moved to all-online teaching, and a number of study-abroad programs have been cut short or suspended altogether. Administrations are taking the potential health impact of the virus seriously, and we applaud their efforts to do so. The safety of the students, the staff, and the faculty should be everyone’s primary concern. We are hearing from AAUP members, however, that decisions to close campuses or to move to an all-online model for the short term are being made without adequate faculty involvement in decision-making. The AAUP’s 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities makes clear that “the faculty has primary responsibility for such fundamental areas as curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction, . . . and those aspects of student life which relate to the educational process.” In certain situations, it is necessary to close a campus or move to online instruction to safeguard the health of the campus community. Faculty and academic staff—through their shared governance bodies or, when applicable, their unions—should be consulted on how best to implement this decision. In order to ensure full participation, administrations should share information with faculty and seek input from the appropriate faculty bodies. In cases where the institution is moving to an all-online model to avoid virus transmission on campus, it is incumbent on administrations to provide all instructional faculty with the appropriate software and training. Administrations should also consider the needs and limitations of students, who may lack access to the internet or face other obstacles to completing their coursework remotely. It is hard to know what the ultimate impact of COVID-19 will be on our campuses. The administration should provide the appropriate faculty body—the union or the governance body—with information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on enrollments, revenues, and hiring and renewals. In the spirit of the AAUP’s One Faculty campaign, we encourage our chapters to be especially sensitive to how these closures and any future curtailment of programs could affect our colleagues on full-time non-tenure-track or part-time contingent appointments. The AAUP has developed a web page with resources on COVID-19. We will continue to update this page as new resources become available. We also ask that chapters share information with us about what is being done on their campus and what the chapter or faculty senate’s role has been in decision-making around campus closures and the implementation of all-online teaching. In solidarity, Rudy Fichtenbaum AAUP President
February 28, 2020 at 5:29pm It’s an absolute shame to watch an institution of higher learning fall prey to the same moral pitfalls plaguing exploitative major corporations. High turnover, poor treatment and compensation of staff, dissatisfied customers (students) and a downward spiral across all markers of success. I’ve seen it before. You won’t increase enrollment with underpaid, overworked staff. You won’t increase output without investment. You won’t build a successful, thriving institution through cutbacks and austerity measures. It. Never. Works. A sacrifice may need to be made to save Adams State, but it should be made holistically and in a way that does not disproportionately affect individuals who depend on the institution for their livelihood or education. As a country, we are following GDP off a cliff at the expense of our planet and health. As a school, Adams State is following enrollment off a cliff at the expense of students and teachers.
February 27, 2020 at 7:41am Why? Because the president won't listen to input from anyone? Because she thinks she knows everything? Because she is so out of touch with what employees actually do? I heard she showed up at senate and tried to enlighten senators on the scholarship of teaching. Because her greatest financial achievement has been refinancing, just kicking our problems down the road? Because she has failed to drain the swamp? Because she has no empathy for employees, instead condescending to us? Because she managed to drop our already low morale even lower? She's doing a great job.
February 24, 2020 at 6:50pm If President Lovell gets a bonus, the Board really isn't doing its job.
February 11, 2020 at 7:00pm It is so wonderful to see students involved in campus culture and policy. They wrote a compelling letter. I'm sure it will garner the attention of the president and board of trustees.
February 8, 2020 at 1:05pm I see that Counselor Education is bringing a stress management expert to ASU on February 21st. That's great! Will Mr. Osincup be offering individualized sessions for ASU faculty and staff being squeezed by the corporate, top-down governance model being imposed on campus at the expense of shared governance and valuing employees?
January 27, 2020 at 5:32pm The president's request for an unranked list of pros and cons for the VPAA candidates is yet another example of declining shared governance at ASU. Were she to receive a ranked list it would make it too obvious if she ignored input from faculty and staff. Past Boards and presidents have done that at ASU's expense, for example hiring McClure.
January 23, 2020 at 8:03am RE: 1/22 8:25 - ASU has been careening down a path of self-destruction for years, but Lovell is about to steer us over the edge of the cliff. We will never recover from the damage of a 60% tenure policy. Her decision, which no one outside of administration seems to support, will result in our revolving door of instructors spinning ever faster. Students and faculty will pay the price and she will reap the bonus. What she is doing is clear. Everyone should attend Tuesday's Faculty Senate meeting at 4:00pm, Richardson Hall 3rd floor. The president is scheduled to present her brilliant plan to make us the Walmart of Colorado higher education.
January 22, 2020 at 6:03pm Re: January 22 @8:25 - Yet we keep on paying those ridiculous administrative salaries for no productivity or return on that investment (eg Karla Hardesty). Because, ya know, administrators are why students come to ASU. Geesh!
January 22, 2020 at 8:25am Word on the chilly streets of Alamosa is that the Prez, who is pulling in over $300k a year, is going to cut ASU faculty to 60% tenure or tenure track. Welcome to market solutions! Instead of digging in and supporting those of us who make the institution run, they're simply going to outsource teaching to adjuncts and lecturers. What does this mean for students? In all likelihood, a reduction in quality of service. Fully time adjuncts and lectures hardly make enough to pay the bills, which means that turn over will be even higher, searchers for faculty will be constant, and the quality of instruction will suffer. The future of ASU has never looked so beak. It's worth remembering that all of this began back in 2015 when Svaldi told the presidential search committee that ASU needed a "market solution" to lead the institution forward. That advice led to McClure, who promptly directed ASU into a nosedive. Remember her idea of a brewery on the river? And now we have Lovell, who, although much more stable than McClure, seems convinced that the best way to save ASU is by becoming the highest paid president in ASU history while simultaneously reducing the cost of instruction and transferring the cost of benefits onto the backs of faculty and staff. How much worse could it possibly get? A word of advice to job candidates interviewing at ASU, don't take the bait! Stay in grad school or keep adjuncting elsewhere while applying to jobs. But whatever you do, don't assume ASU will be a step to a big, better job. At this point, it won't be. It'll simply be a blotch on your resume that you'll never be able to remove.
January 13, 2020 at 10:21pm Why would a school with only a 29% (maybe lower?) graduation rate not adopt proven ways to help students succeed? For example, if an online learning module is demonstrated to be easier to use and increasingly used by top institutions (Canvas), why would you insist on using something (Blackboard) that is more difficult to use? Choosing a less user-friendly user module essentially discriminates against people with light sensitivity, people of a certain age who have more challenges with online systems, and people with learning disabilities. Anyone who has used the two systems will agree that Canvas is easier to use. What could be the rationale for using Blackboard, unless a decision-maker has personal stake? “Blackboard was at turns frustrating, migraine-inducing, and burdensome. Which isn’t to say Blackboard wasn’t innovative. It was, back in the day. Unfortunately, that day was around 2004.” - The Reeducation of Blackboard, Everyone's Classroom Pariah - Wired “Canvas has unseated Blackboard Learn as the leading LMS at U.S. colleges and universities, according to new data from MindWires Consulting.” - Canvas Catches, and Maybe Passes, Blackboard - Inside Higher Education
January 13, 2020 at 10:02pm Why are the "Grizzlies" so grouchy? (: I feel like I stepped into a snake pit. Wish I never applied to Adams State University. Maybe it's the cold climate that makes admin so mean. Bad vibe from upper levels of mgmt. Some of the staff seem overworked and annoyed by students' questions. Some staff and department heads are unfriendly to online students. This is a school where you can apply, register for, and drop classes all online -- without ever speaking to another HUMAN. They are not trying to make things better for students' learning experiences. It's very IMPERSONAL, and they do not care about individual students, because they have a waiting list of other students to fill the online spaces. If you drop your classes (because of their cold, defensive, almost scary attitudes), they will make money off of you AND the next person. They have no motivation to improve their systems or communication styles because students are replaceable.
December 30, 2019 at 11:31am To a couple recent points- As far as Karla, you forgot nepotism- how could she be fired when Ken's daughter works directly for her? And of the "$9 million increase"- how much of that is due to the horrible decision to recently refinance their debt and get cash in hand now only to totally condemn the future? Assets vs. Liabilities Chris and Heather? They are too dishonest to paint the true financial picture and the trustees are too stupid to ask the hard questions.
December 18, 2019 at 8:52am It's wonderful to hear we are up by 9 million dollars. Now we can all get 5% raises or more.
December 17, 2019 at 8:27am I wondered how they could justify banning men from the REX, but I never cared enough to ask. I guess the answer is they can't.
December 11, 2019 at 6:43am Who developed the sexual harassment definitions at ASU? Was it the OEO/Title IX? I feel that office may have used overly broad definitions in the past so I was wondering if that is the case this time?
November 22, 2019 at 1:52pm Another advisee complained to me today about their experiences with a past visiting professor. During a one year contract, visiting professors probably only teach 150-200 students. A little sub-par teaching of those students hardly matters. What was it the Senior BS Analyst wrote yesterday about excellence?
November 21, 2019 at 4:11am Top 5 Reasons Karla Hardesty Has Not Been Fired (Written by our Senior BS Analyst in the field) It confused me for some time as to why Karla Hardesty has not been fired. In any other industry when that division is performing poorly, new leadership is always brought in. So why then, can a person be failing so miserably at their job, yet continue on? Here are my top 5 reasons why Karla Hardly has not been fired. 1. Nationwide trends. Since Universities across the country are facing similar issues, we can hardly blame one person at our less than prestigious University. 2. The accreditation debacle. How can we blame her when the University as a whole was making very poor unethical decisions? 3. Narcissism. The current and previous president’s share a similar behavior. They believe that they ultimately know all the answers. They do not look to other people on their team to solve big problems. They believe they alone have all the answers and they look to the people on their team to just execute their ideas. Therefore, Karla isn’t expected to solve the problems, she just needs to demonstrate she is doing what they tell her to do. 4. Problems everywhere. Enrollment has been one of many, many problems the university faces. Complaints abound from everywhere on campus. There are so many problems to solve, it’s hard to just focus in on this one. 5. Lack of stability. With all the turmoil that had occurred, leadership erroneously may believe that a public firing could bring unwanted attention. The desire to just have stability is so strong that a status quo environment ensues. The thinking errors here pile up and give Karla Hardesty job security. This is as much an organizational culture issue as anything else. The university DOES NOT pursue excellence as a standard. It pursues stability. They have no understanding that pursuing excellence WOULD give them stability. I would go on with what pursuing excellence would look like, but #3 exists. We already think we know. ASU needs to wholeheartedly embrace a culture of excellence. Don’t just graduate students and pat yourself on the back because they are first generation or low income. Bring them to a higher level! Start with creating that higher within your leadership. This boils down to one thing. Even if this is a nationwide issue, ASU needs someone in that position that can and will figure it out. Clearly, Karla is not that person!
November 20, 2019 at 8:09pm Thank you for your feedback. - Dodie Day
November 20, 2019 at 6:25pm No, Dodie, it’s never too soon to worry about enrollment...especially given our drastically overall declining rates these past few years. And to suggest that you are “thinking and hoping for only a 3% drop” isn’t acceptable either. This type of nonchalant attitude is part and parcel of what got us here. This and the fact that the any growth has been in dual enrollment, where enrollment is not guaranteed over time (and pointed out in earlier comments and commentaries). But then, you are not an enrollment management expert (as Karla isn’t either). You and her are no Eric Carpio, Michelle Romero or Dr. Mumper. You are a product of your time as Frank Novotny’s secretary. Period. And everyone knows his role in the decimation of ASU. Finally the point of my earlier comment wasn’t about whether or not spring would be salvageable, rather will ASU be salvageable once Karla is through. Stop reading into comments things and thoughts that aren’t there. It is irritating at best. At worst, well...your lack of knowledge shows. And that’s the nicest way I can put it.
November 19, 2019 at 7:16pm Too soon to be concerned about enrollment for Spring 2020. We always lose freshmen. The students who are pushed by parents, being offered a very small scholarship to play a sport and get discouraged because they are a red shirt, or they realize they don't have the skills to succeed. This will always be the case due to our mission. I think and hope we are only down 3% Spring 2020. - Dodie Day
November 19, 2019 at 5:16pm Happy Thanksgiving from the prez. Oh and btw continue to do Karla Hardesty’s job. Cause, ya know, she’s so freaking competent — I mean we are potentially down 540 MORE students this spring. Seriously... when will she be fired?
November 18, 2019 at 10:41pm In Dr. Gilmer's short time at Adams State, he spearheaded several initiatives like creating the National Center for Historically Underserved Students, advocated for the Hall of Research in McDaniel Hall, and shined some much-needed sunlight onto Extended Studies with the Mathieu Report. While not perfect and only at ASU for just over a semester before being chased out by McClure and her minions, Dr. Gilmer was eminently qualified and deeply understood ASU's mission in ways that Dr. McClure never did and likely never could. He also didn't violate people's civil rights, publicly insult ASU's accreditor, lie countless times on impulse, and leave the institution in much worse shape than he found it. McClure did all of those things. It's entirely false equivocation to believe they are two figures in some comparative middle with respect to one another. That's not remotely descriptive of the reality born out by the evidence. Such a conclusion isn't "absolutist" if it's broadly and factually true.
November 18, 2019 at 9:45pm Regarding previous comment. I left Adams State in 2018 and what I still cannot comprehend is that "absolute" rhetoric - quite common to the western civilization in general - that is so prevalent at Adams State. Dr. Gilmer was portrayed as a combination of every great thing that can happen - he is gay, he is eloquent, he is innovative. Ok, well, Dr. Gilmer did not do a thing - not even looked at my retention folder. And Dr. McClure - after her resignation of course - was the essence of pure evil, if you listen to some people. Truth is that neither of these descriptions are accurate. Nor they do any good to students or faculty. Nor they are constructive. The fact that he got an award means very little, to be honest. If you want to argue otherwise, well - Dr. McClure had quite a few of these. All faculty and administrators will acquire several awards in their professional lifetime. They mean nothing, but actions that precede them do. I am not defending them. In the current financial situation and prior history Adams State is unlikely to attract great leaders to come and to serve in senior academic positions. So people have to learn how to deal with each other and perhaps refrain from dichotomizing people and events.
November 14, 2019 at 11:50pm Dr. Chris Gilmer, President of West Virginia University at Parkersburg, won an award tonight for Business Leader of the Year. Imagine what awards, recognition, and positive change Dr. Gilmer could have brought to Adams State University if he weren't run off campus, like so many others, by a corrosive workplace culture and vindictive administrators. Dr. Gilmer is just another example of "Great Stories Begin Here... and Get Better Somewhere Else!"
November 14, 2019 at 7:47pm I really wish someone would enlighten me and others who weren’t able to attend the all campus meeting as to what happened!? President Lovell “learn”?!? Have you met her? She is a know it all bully. She really dislikes to be questioned, challenged or otherwise told she’s wrong. Her senior staff get that. Just ask the yes-women (and Kevin). Conferences? Do tell! From what I understand, Lovell LOVES conferences herself. Seriously when is she here? And how much fundraising has she accomplished during that travel (which by the way costs the institution significant dollars)? Perhaps WA should do an open records request for that! Regarding the follow up “survey”. One of the most poorly constructed instruments I’ve ever seen! I said so in my responses. And I didn’t hold back on my criticism of the “leadership” (what an oxymoron). Let’s see if I get fired. Stay tuned!
November 14, 2019 at 7:15am The real question is what did President Lovell learn from the Great Colleges campus update meeting? Anything? Based on the categories where we fell short, upper administration should be paying close attention.
November 13, 2019 at 11:44am My Great Colleges To Work For Survey came in this morning. Yay! A new way to silence us!!! Here’s what mine said when I clicked on the link: "You need permission - This form can only be viewed by users in the owner's organization. Try contacting the owner of the form if you think this is a mistake. Learn More."
November 12, 2019 at 11:25am What’s with President Lovell displaying social disparity and cutting people off during today’s All Campus Meeting? You know where you can fix things President Lovell? Stop paying people to go to conferences which will never translate into them being more knowledgeable or productive when they get back to work. They just treat it as time off from work and real life and will resume their malingering and taking time off. Yesterday a lot of people were off. Abuse of flex time is another way ASU is being destroyed from within.
November 11, 2019 at 11:31am Why are the names of the VPAA finalists a secret?
November 9, 2019 at 9:11am My daughter graduated from ASU in 2015 with her nursing degree. She has had an incredible number of job opportunities, including an offer before she even graduated or passed the NCLEX. She wanted to sample different types of work and needed to move with her husband after getting married, and nursing allowed her to do that. She's worked 5 different jobs, including Director of Nursing. When she needed to move, they practically offered her the job over the phone. She and her proud father are very pleased. I can't think of any other profs' children who have gone here, but I wouldn't necessarily know if they had. The fact that ASU is the only institution in the state that doesn't offer at least 50% (if not 100%) tuition remission for our kids does little to motivate their attendance here. BTW, ASU's Nursing Department's NCLEX pass rates for the last two years have been 94.44% (of 18 students) and 86.36 (of 22 students), a huge increase from the 40-68% rates during 2013-2016. Way to go Nursing! - Jeff Elison
November 8, 2019 at 7:15am I've never been in a class with a teacher's kid. Where do ASU teachers send them?
October 25, 2019 at 6:06 am Wow, looks like we are no longer a Teacher Ed college and are now a Business college?
October 24, 2019 at 7:24pm Editor's Note: We have obtained ASU undergraduate/graduate department enrollment from 2015-2019.
October 20, 2019 at 6:06pm Right there with you, 5:45pm on the 19th. Our president didn't even acknowledge a graduate from our prison program whose parents made a sustainable contribution to ASU. There was a picture in the A Stater, no president though. - Dodie Day
October 19, 2019 at 5:45pm Replying to the comment from October 17, 2019 at 10:15pm - Salazar benefited from all these equity bullshit workshops. Do you need a fancy facility to talk about equity and shit? I always was surprised by the ratio of equity talk and lack of that in everyday operation of the school. It looks like they are inversely proportional. But ASU get tons of Title V support... okay, I got it. One instance surprised me the most. One of the four finalists for the president's position was Salazar’s wife. She was obviously clueless. I still don’t get why she was chosen. Okay, maybe there are politics. But why none of the senior faculty said anything about it, is unclean to me. You are sinking your own ship.
October 19, 2019 at 5:44pm I have been on vacation the last two weeks. Looks like numbers were released. I believe numbers should be released by department. What departments are attracting students? - Dodie Day -- Editor's Reply: We have filed an open records request for all ASU undergraduate/graduate department enrollment from 2015-2019. We will publish any updated information we receive.
October 18, 2019 at 7:35pm "...We need and want teachers and scholars who would unhesitatingly come to the defense of the 'odd ball', the heretic, the dissenter, the troublemaker, whose freedom to speak and to write is under some threat from colleagues, administrators, governing board, government, or pressure groups. ...One of the most important tasks of true, freedom-and-progress-loving scholars is to come to the aid of a troublemaker under attack." -AAUP President Fritz Machlup, 1964
October 17, 2019 at 10:15pm Speaking of the Trump administration, the White House's announcement to host next year's G7 Summit at Donald Trump's Miami resort... is right out of Arnold Salazar's playbook by personally profiting from a campus equity retreat while serving as ASU Board Chair!
October 16, 2019 at 6:40pm The enrollment numbers are worse than expected. That must be the reason they were moved to the top secret server, or was that the Trump administration? I get confused.
October 16, 2019 at 7:40am The "Reading Between the Lines" commentary is helpful to put the latest enrollment numbers in perspective, but the new "Fall 2018-2019 Comparison" file is much more alarming. With comparable categories, you can see: - "Full-time" enrollment, which is probably the traditional benchmark, is down 110 students. A whopping 7.5% decline from last fall. - Similarly "Headcount" is down 95 students, 4.7%. - "FTE" is down 121, 6% I guess administration can be proud of budgeting for a 5% decline and just about achieving it.
October 14, 2019 at 12:20pm So instead of "Adams State attracts 513 new students," a more honest headline would read, "Adams State attracts 65 fewer new students than last year and 173 fewer than in 2015." 686 new freshman down to 513 is a drop of 25% in five years, folks... and still declining.
October 11, 2019 at 8:27am Yes, very dishonest reporting. Note the spin in their press release. The headline "Adams State attracts 513 new students" is ambiguous, making it sound like they grew by 513. This gem, "Adams State’s student population mirrors national trends, where the number of students seeking graduate degrees is growing faster than the undergraduate student population," makes it sound like undergraduate enrollment grew when it actually shrank, just like the national trend.
October 10, 2019 at 3:10pm Re: October 10 @ 1:30 - Those 236 aren’t just “undeclared” they are dual enrollment — high school students taking a course here and there that satisfy high school and guaranteed transfer requirements. A few of them will matriculate but not the majority. Yes, very dangerous (and dishonest) reporting indeed.
October 10, 2019 at 1:30pm A few things stand out from the Fall 2019 enrollment numbers. (1) ASU clearly wanted to hide the bad news, which is, things haven't improved and in fact, they've probably gotten worse. If this weren't true, they would have simply reported the numbers as opposed to creating new categories and stalling the release. (2) Enrollment appears to be at 1,908 students, which is apparently up from 1,710 students in Fall 2018. BUT, that is only if you include undeclared majors in the equation. Since 2016, undeclared majors have increased from 27 to 236 but they only take an average of 4.2 credits per semester. This is a dangerous trend in a higher ed environment in which credit hours per student are the best predictor of revenue generated. (3) If you take out undeclared majors, and simply compare enrollment of 1-4 year students, enrollment is down 8% from 2016 to 2019. That's a much more accurate way of looking at the overall picture. (4) It's not all bad news. Although impossible to know for sure based on the way figures were presented this year, it appears that ASU's headcount is up 3% from last fall. It's likely that this isn't entirely accurate because it seems as if some heads are being counted multiple times but if nothing else, this reveals that enrollment may be stabilizing at ASU. (5) ASU's administration continues to fail its faculty, staff and students by refusing to provide transparent numbers. This is a major problem for an institution that is ostensibly trying to regain trust on a campus that has a hard time remembering what trust means in the first place.
October 7, 2019 at 7:24am Related to free tuition, I half jokingly pointed out at the benefits meeting that voting for Sanders could lower our growing health care costs. That applies to Warren, too. Can you imagine a prescription drug cost limit of $200/person/year (Sanders' plan)? The pharmaceutical companies are pulling in piles of cash while students and higher ed employees struggle. - Jeff Elison
October 6, 2019 at 7:05pm @October 6, 2019 at 10:17am - This might be a case where we should take your apparent sarcasm seriously. Tuition-free college is the logical, policy-based extension of tuition-free K-12 schools. For all the reasons we have public grade schools (social mobility, economic opportunity, level of education likely to be a successful individual), we should also have tuition-free college. This isn't only an Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders idea; Governor Polis has also advocated for tuition-free 2 year college for Coloradans. Given the population it serves, ASU and the surrounding SLV community would benefit tremendously from a tuition-free college program. And in my opinion, Colorado shouldn't be among the eleven states spending more on prisons than on higher ed.
October 6, 2019 at 10:17am If we give everyone free tuition, we will increase our numbers. Maybe we should institute Elizabeth Warren’s ideas now! Free tuition leads to higher enrollment. Problem solved.
October 5, 2019 at 8:24pm Re: October 5 @ 6:51 - Yes, recruitment and retention are everyone’s job. Except Karla. #karlaforpresident
October 5, 2019 at 6:51pm HEY! Recruitment and retention is everyone's job. So go do it. But do it without the numbers to indicate how we are doing. Operating in the dark is so much better. At least for those who want to hide the numbers.
October 5, 2019 at 7:39am Administration can only delay the inevitable and not for very long. So ask yourself, Why bother delaying at all? My answer: They don’t want to release #’s until they’ve first figured out their plan for addressing them. It’s a form of administrative self-preservation. They must be seen to have all the answers up front, right? Reactionary decisions are being made behind closed doors right now without community input, without any dialogue. Their “solution”, hatched in isolation, will be imposed on the campus. It won’t be transformative. And it will likely involve pain (for others, not them). So the vicious cycle continues. If I’m off base, fine. But what else is one to think? We all know that holding back numbers is not a sign of anything good.
October 5, 2019 at 7:20am @Oct 4, 8:05am - “But community spirit is supported through trust, transparency, collaboration, and accountability; foundational components of a healthy institution that ASU just does not possess.“ That, in a sentence, is why I and so many others are no longer at ASU. Attrition isn’t just an issue with students. Dozens of faculty and staff who desired a healthy academic environment, who require trust and transparency in their daily life, and who strove to introduce the foundational components that were glaringly absent, were forced (literally) to conclude that the capacity was just not there. ASU just does not possess it. I still ask myself why this is. I believe your above statement encapsulates the one central issue ASU must take up - earnestly - if it is to survive the rural institutional purge that is inexorably marching toward its doorstep. I’ve been watching from afar for years now. Presidents and VPAAs come and go. Don’t see that anything fundamental has changed. Transparency, in all its painful glory: Give it a try. Release the numbers. Then talk about them. Together. Candidly.
October 4, 2019 at 8:05am The fact that aggregate enrollment numbers have not been made publicly available, let alone to faculty and staff, is deplorable. Shame on administration for keeping people in the dark - AGAIN! I can't help but think back to the Letter to the Editor in regards to "starting a movement". "Who wants to attend a school where the energy of the institution remains locked within the few blocks of the buildings?" - energy isn't the only thing locked in the buildings of this campus. I'm sure most will agree that they miss the "sense of community spirit". But community spirit is supported through trust, transparency, collaboration, and accountability; foundational components of a healthy institution that ASU just does not possess. Perhaps Dr. Seger or any other community member can go ask for enrollment numbers, since even public CORA requests have gone unanswered. We're all in this together right?
October 3, 2019 at 8:26pm Word on the street is that enrollment is down between 8-11%. Tomorrow’s meeting would be a great opportunity to press for the actual figures.
October 3, 2019 at 10:32am Hiding enrollment numbers is bad management. No trust for admin anymore, period.
October 3, 2019 at 7:53am The top brass are worried the public will see the enrollment numbers and conclude we've failed again with recruitment and retention. They are using a divide and conquer strategy where they will only provide specific numbers to specific people and departments. That way, no one will see the big picture and we have no context for interpreting our own department's numbers. Then, they can tell us anything they want about our performance.
October 2, 2019 at 6:33pm Dear Oct 1, 3:00pm, Yes someone has numbers, they just aren't sharing. A great example of transparency. Failure to share those numbers sets a new precedent, one that should concern us all. The daily news reminds us how much presidents like a good cover up. This definitely lowers my opinion of the current administration.
October 1, 2019 at 3:30pm So Lovell receives bonuses for saving money. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that she is saving money off of employees’ backs in order to line her own pocket? Case on point: the proposed employee pay for their dependents’ health insurance. Yes! This proposal is going forward. It is imperative that everyone attend Friday’s meeting!
October 1, 2019 at 3:00pm So, are there no enrollment numbers for the fall 2019 semester? I am guessing they are bad... but does anyone have actual numbers?
September 30, 2019 at 8:02am I'm so glad U.S. News recognized Adams for social mobility of our students. Too bad ASU doesn't provide social mobility for its staff and faculty. U.S. News refers to families making less than $50,000 as an impoverished background. Probably half the employees at ASU make less than that, so unless they have an employed spouse, they qualify as impoverished by U.S. News standards. What help does ASU offer with their kids' tuition? Zero. ASU is the only public 4-year institution in Colorado that offers no help with tuition. So much for caring about social mobility within its own ranks.
September 26, 2019 at 11:32am Maybe the fire drill should include testing doors to see if they can be opened by children. The library seems like a death trap if a child was ever in there during a fire. The issue has been on AS&F's list, but no change.
September 20, 2019 at 6:44pm The president is raking in the money while she plans to cut our benefits. We will see our depressing turnover rate worsen. Students will suffer.
September 19, 2019 at 8:31pm People!!! Karla is still in charge of enrollment management. It’s simple, figures don’t lie but liars figure. #karlaforpresident
September 19, 2019 at 7:40pm Humm, when Dr. Lovell came to visit me, she indicated that enrollment numbers would not be known until census date. Well past, probably... working on "FUSSY" numbers. - Dodie Day
September 18, 2019 at 1:39pm Dear September 18, 2019 at 5:45am - No, the numbers are a mystery. Danny Ledonne made a CORA request to HR, but Tracy claimed they have no such document. This in spite of the fact that Danny has requested and received those numbers for many past semesters. So much for Open Records. What might this imply? Are the numbers that bad? Has ASU administration reached a new low in transparency?
September 18, 2019 at 10:03am The president's new contract is generous to say the least. Unless I'm reading it wrong, the president stands to make $1.67 million over the next 5 years, which works out to $334k per year. That's a massive jump from the $210k/year that the previous presidents were pulling in. It seems odd to me that her new contract hasn't received more attention, especially given the difficult fiscal decisions that the campus is collectively having to make simply to stay afloat.
September 18, 2019 at 5:45am So have the fall numbers not been released?
September 11, 2019 at 6:53pm Can anyone, perhaps someone who attended the Campus Update, provide an actual number for how many undergraduate students we had as of the census date?
September 9, 2019 at 9:05am To the August 25th posters and the conversation about privacy online and paranoia - some things gather negative and reflexive reactions of paranoia, or other psychological problems, when in point of fact, Snowden and others are persona non gratis and worse for the releasing of such knowledge about spying on individuals by the govt. AND it does not stop there! Your neighbors and others can hack you without your knowledge, read all of your stuff, and take custody of your email accounts, by hacking into it and changing the password. Trust me on this: do not ever let your recovery Emails, #'s get out of date. - Ali
September 7, 2019 at 5:30pm I may not agree with you. I do respect your opinion. I hope that venting your thoughts and/or discuss has helped release your anger. It has helped me. I did not blame the current Interim VPAA of anything. It was an administrative decision. That does not hold one person accountable. If you have never worked in Richardson Hall, it is hard to understand the dynamics. Depending on who the president is, the E-Team can just be puppets on a string. They are all at-will. We all see what is happening in the areas we are working in. Speak out. If you do not you are part of the problem. - Dodie Day
September 7, 2019 at 1:25pm Respectfully disagree with the assessment of Margo’s ethics. She earned her stripes in the Mean Girls Club. And while the past cannot be changed, it can and should inform the present.
September 7, 2019 at 12:10pm Dear Dodie, With ALL due respect, your very first paragraph is an oxymoron. To suggest we cannot completely blame one person, then suggest that people have differences about what is ethical or acceptable is simply — WOW! You are correct. We cannot completely lay the blame on Frank. After all, Dave Svaldi allowed him to get away with it and many others chose not to blow the whistle — yourself included (which brings into question your own ethics). As to what others — including yourself deem ethical — I can’t decide that for you. But HLC certainly did. The US Department of Education certainly did, as did a majority of folks on campus. (I do have to applaud your loyalty to such a schmuck as Novotny. I certainly couldn’t do it.) As to your comment about the past: no, we certainly can’t change it. But it’s imperative to learn from it so as not to repeat it. Which, from what I glean from your earlier post, is exactly what you are claiming the current Interim VPAA of doing: putting the almighty dollar ahead of the student. Like or hate Margaret, she’s a far more ethical person than your former boss will ever be.
September 7, 2019 at 10:38am @September 7, 2019 at 7:42am - In my opinion, it is impossible to blame one person, past or present. We all have our own views about what is ethical or acceptable. Watching Adams provides a platform to bring attention to current issues. We can't change the past. - Dodie Day
September 7, 2019 at 8:45am Ken Marquez makes as much as two full professors, almost as much as three new profs! Why?
September 7, 2019 at 7:45am Policy # 100-03-05 "Student Non-Attendance Verification" All Academic Undergraduate policies can be found using the link below: https://www.adams.edu/publications/undergraduate-academic-policies/ Under the bold heading "100-03 Academic Responsibilities - Undergraduate" you will find policy # 100-03-05 "Student Non-Attendance Verification - Undergraduate Students (PDF)" - Dodie Day
September 7, 2019 at 7:42am Dear Dodie, Not to defend this administration, BUT...when you were in the VPAA office so was Frank Novotny. And Dr. No was responsible for all of our problems—academic probation, financial aid fines, fraudulent salaries, vacations to Singapore, etc, etc, etc. Sooo...I’m just sayin’. The shit show has been going on for a very long time. And the VPAA under whom you worked taught everyone else how to commit fraud.
September 7, 2019 at 6:55am Senate should review the incident Dodie describes. It is a clear intrusion into the domain of faculty. Dodie, you are fearless! #dodieforpresident
September 6, 2019 at 8:50pm This one is hard to believe: On the census date, a student, who has never attended one class, has had no interaction with the faculty member teaching the course. They are dropped from the course. The following day, administration determined they were to be added back into the class. It would affect their financial aid. This is a prime example that the dollar is more important than the student. When I was in the VPAA office, the faculty member decided if a student who had never attended class could remain in the class and succeed. Administration only approved the facility recommendation. The concern was for the success of the student, not the dollars. - Dodie Day
September 3, 2019 at 9:59pm Dodie! Karla is never going to provide accurate figures. Has anyone looked into what goes on in admissions? Figures don't lie but liars figure. #karlaforpresident #lastmeangirlstanding
August 31, 2019 at 10:55pm Speaking of cuts, it appears Leslie Cramblet Alvarez will be cutting and running soon. Heavens! How many Mean Girls are even left? How did that whole "Standing Strong for President McClure" posture work out?
August 31, 2019 at 3:09pm Yes, I remember the many comments by Dr. Lovell. "Can't Cut Yourself to Success" was one of them. "550 new students, 550 new students, 550 new students," over and over again. Karla stated we didn't quite make it. When will we hear the truth? - Dodie Day
August 31, 2019 at 9:46am Brace yourselves for the Oct 4th benefit rate discussion. Take home pay is about to drop. We will be given several shitty options and "discuss" which is least painful. They will justify cutting our benefits because ASU can't stay afloat if we don't make more cuts, blah, blah. The Board gives us a raise and administration will reduce benefits to where we are worse off than last year. Is it any wonder we can't retain employees and properly serve our students? So many people have left that Student Support Services can't come close to the service it used to provide. Do I remember someone saying we can't cut our way to success? Cuts take many forms and ASU is hemorrhaging.
August 30, 2019 at 12:17pm As I was looking at salary information for 18-19 I noticed there is no dollar amount listed for the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Was there a reason for this? I also noticed that salary information was not listed for 19-20 for the position of Professor in Teacher Education. Both of these positions held by Dr. Joaquin Vila. It would be interesting to see what the salary was for him as the VPAA, total payments made to him in July and his salary as a professor of Teacher Ed. Just curious to see if he was paid some sort of settlement. - Dodie Day
August 27, 2019 at 7:07am Selective justice is alive and well at ASU.
August 26, 2019 at 7:30pm Don't worry about the cameras. The School of Business had over $150 in items taken and we have cameras throughout the building. ASUPD couldn't see anything. - Dodie Day
August 26, 2019 at 7:11pm Karla Hardesty? That is JOKE, right?
August 25, 2019 at 7:00pm @ 8/25 10:02 - Its not paranoia. Ask Russel Shawcroft, he loves to record conversations on his cell phone. #karlaforpresident
August 25, 2019 at 11:18am @August 25, 2019 at 7:43am: Although I get what you are saying you miss the point that many are just being exploited through surveillance and a lot of it has to do with who their supervisors are. Paranoia isn’t even a factor in my previous post it has everything to do with being aware. I understand socialism and all the byproducts but this has nothing to do with socialism in and of itself. Most of the people doing the bullying, watching and exploiting don’t even understand what socialism is. Some people get away with ridiculous measures of insubordination, etc. while another person can’t even get away with taking a breather for five minutes. They don’t even like it when people have friends outside of their departments. People who repeatedly do things they should get written up for don’t. It’s all about creating a subculture of subterfuge and fear. Department heads telling us not to trust our supervisors. Supervisors telling us not to trust the department heads. Look at all the buildings with cameras then look at the people who go and talk to the people in charge of said cameras and the camaraderie between them and you will see who is watching whom and it’s not just people who work under them.
August 25, 2019 at 11:01am Hey August 25, 2019 at 7:43am - You sound super confused so I'll help you out. You assure us that Adams State isn't watching people, then you assert that big tech companies are doing much more surveillance. Then you complain about government "socialism" having more control. But ASU is "socialism" (as a state school) and big tech (Amazon, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Snapchat) are private companies! So you have your thesis and your examples exactly inverted. Whether we agree with your analysis or not, public universities are government entities whereas tech companies are private organizations. Plus, nobody is forcing you to subsidize social media companies, but your tax dollars already help to pay for public schools... so you have a material interest in how they are run and whether or not they violate your Constitutional rights. One more thing: "if you are not doing anything wrong, who cares?" Do you hold this view about cameras in your bathroom and bedroom? This is the kind of reasoning that causes people to forfeit their Fourth Amendment rights to begin with. Individuals have and should maintain some expectation of privacy and, at minimum, a notice when they are being recorded so they can choose to discontinue that interaction.
August 25, 2019 at 10:02am @August 24, 2019 at 2:28pm - Yes they are. ASU PD is also being used by the higher ups as “heavies” as well to intimidate people. The newer the officer, the more of a “heavy” they are.
August 25, 2019 at 9:29am Please tell us more about the surveillance: who, how, where. I've had a few experiences that have made me suspect ASU is over the line with invading employees' privacy.
August 25, 2019 at 7:43am 8:24 @2:28 - You sound so paranoid. Do you really think they are watching/listening to you? Why would they waste their time watching you? What are you doing that makes you so worried about them watching? Just an FYI... In the private sector, you usually are watched. Walk down the street in Denver, you are being watched. I don’t think any one is watching you or cares what you are doing but, if you are not doing anything wrong, who cares? There is a digital footprint of almost everything you do both inside and outside of work and I guarantee you, you are watched far less at work than you are in your off time. Amazon, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Snapchat, those are the ones watching, not ASU. The airlines are installing cameras in the seat backs to watch you. Heck, the title of the webpage is “Watching Adams” You are being watched and quite honestly, get ready to be watched more and more. An unfortunate side effect of socialism and the government having control of more is that they will also have to watch more so get ready because when we win, there is going to be more, not less. You are correct... 1984... it is all about control.
August 25, 2019 at 6:36am Dear Dodie, I think Dr. Lovell’s visit to you was a threat in and of itself. She visits no one else on campus, other than her minions in Richardson Hall. She keeps those folks around because she can bully them into submission. Those she can’t bully into submission she bullies in other ways. Let’s see what she has in store for you. She is Dr. MClure in a different sheep’s costume.
August 24, 2019 at 6:13pm I have thought about this throughout the week. I have shared it with a few on campus. Is it a threat, warning, or just random? The following link was sent to two people. It was from Dr. Lovell, the same day she came to visit me. In the subject line: (FYI), in the body only the link: Abolish the Business Major! - Dodie Day
August 24, 2019 at 2:28pm Higher enrollment is not the main focus of ASU; it’s surveillance. You’re being watched, people. There’s people listening in on your conversations, everything. People watching camera footage in their offices, at home, etc. You’re being spied on, preyed upon through the camera eye and exploited. It’s 1984 at ASU. They’re watching the rank and file mostly. Don’t even trust the privacy of your offices to make sure your fly isn’t down. It’s sick.
August 24, 2019 at 10:05am In a previous comment, I suggested we should drop the evening class experiment or do a better job of marketing them (because I have yet to hear about a single community member enrolling for these classes). Now I'm teaching a "themed course" which I love, and I think the theme idea is great. However, polling students in my section and another, a very small percentage (10-15%) had any idea they had registered for a themed course or that themes existed. I'm sure part of the problem is because many in my class are first-year students. I also believe word will get out over the years as more students have experience with themed courses. Nevertheless, I'm curious about whether there is a plan to communicate / market themes, themed courses, night classes, Saturday classes. These are desperate times, enrollment and retention are everyone's job... but they are some people's jobs more than others. - Jeff Elison
August 23, 2019 at 8:15am It looks like the Board learned something from the Beverlee McClure fiasco and beefed up Dr. Lovell's contract in case they have to fire her, too. This contract is more specific about what ASU pays if the contract is terminated under various conditions.
August 22, 2019 at 6:10pm It would be interesting to look at how much bad debt there is. If the bad debt is in a program that has revenue sharing, the dollars are taken from the revenue sharing budget to cover the bad debt. Not many programs have revenue sharing to pull from.
August 22, 2019 at 5:46pm August 22 at 4:40PM - You are 100% correct. I have stated more than once we are doing a disservice by admitting students who need to take developmental courses. Those students would be better served by a community college. Does ASU care about the student or the dollar?
August 22, 2019 at 4:40pm August 22, 2019 at 8:41am – Your “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” perspective is well-taken but doesn't fully capture the systemic problem of which Adams State is a part. We all know ASU has some of the lowest graduation rates in Colorado and in the entire country. It has been named a “drop-out factory” in national studies of higher education. The college math requirement is among the reasons – in no small part because ASU accepts students who weren't ready to begin with and then has insufficient and/or ineffective resources to close the skills gap. And yes, K-12 school districts also share some of the blame here because many high school graduates leave with a diploma (and sometimes at the top of their class), yet are not prepared for college level work in many areas - according to ACCUPLACER testing. But this attitude of “it's not our problem, it's your problem” is a fundamental mistake for anyone working at ASU to make. If the school is going to survive as a relevant and viable rural university, it must work with the student population it has. If ASU cannot reasonably accommodate students to help them meet the requirements to attain a degree (within four years or six years), it has no business admitting those students to begin with. When so many students drop out of the university after ASU recruited and enrolled them, the failure isn't merely that of the student but also of the institution itself. By the numbers, ASU is setting up the majority of its students for failure... and deflecting the problem back onto the students it serves is a losing proposition for everyone.
August 22, 2019 at 8:41am 8-21 @5:54 - College is not for everyone. Maybe TSJC for some remedial math work if you are not at a college level. Making the classes easier only diminishes the value of your degree. I question if the college classes are too difficult or were your High School classes too easy? It is not the professor's fault that you are not at that level yet; they are just teaching to where you need to be. The tutoring is available so the only one here to blame is you and the lack of time you put into that help. If you are not ready for college, then do the extra work to get yourself ready. You are the one in charge of your education. I think the professors at ASU are one of its best attributes. I think most of them do a pretty good job and they care. I struggle to believe that the resources made available to you, for math, are not enough.
August 21, 2019 at 5:54pm The math department is terrible. We need to clean it out like they did with the education department. The teachers seem to take pride in making their gen ed level classes hard to pass and don’t understand that not everyone has a doctorates in math. If you can’t get rid of these terrible teachers, make math available for a year long course rather than just a semester. Tutoring can only do so much, and these classes have so much content that not all students can keep up with. This needs to be fixed.
August 21, 2019 at 7:31am I attended all the Campus Updates, but I was unaware that an occupied position was eliminated. What does the general fund have to do with it? Don't those jobs count? On a similar note, meaning hiding stuff, there was no mention of enrollment numbers at the all-campus meeting last week. I believe that's a first. The rumors aren't good, maybe that's why.
August 20, 2019 at 8:29pm No offense to Dodie, but I find it somewhat politically obtuse for the president to be on the defensive with an administrative assistant, especially knowing it would be reported out on this website. I wonder who exactly she is trying to convince about her “honesty”? Seems a little McClure-like.
August 20, 2019 at 1:09pm President Lovell came by my office today with a printout that was used at several of the "Campus Updates" which listed a $45,000 amount. Our conversation was professional and respectful. She stated that this was the eliminated position. Out of respect to the person holding the position details were not given at the "Campus Updates" In the President's opinion, she did not lie. For those who attended the "Campus Updates," were you aware that an occupied position was eliminated? The eliminated position was not paid from the General Fund. People interpret things differently and the truth falls somewhere in the middle. - Dodie Day
August 18, 2019 at 11:20pm Re: August 18 @ 6:59pm - For advice on how to properly and effectively teach too many students in one class, go see Ellen Novotny. She’s infamous for teaching hundreds at a time while earning $142,000 per year doing so. What, you say? You’re not being paid near that? Well, I guess your hubby isn’t demanding such (nor being held accountable). Good luck! It’s a brave new world at ASU.
August 18, 2019 at 6:59pm Can anyone shed light on what the class capacity can be for an on-campus adjunct? I taught years ago and when there was a certain number, they were required to split it into 2 sections. This is ridiculous!
August 14, 2019 at 7:05pm No, administration will not cancel the classes because they are committed to offering them. I also would like to mention that, although the ASU president stated several times that no positions were cut, she lied. I know of one position that was cut in the School of Business. - Dodie Day
August 14, 2019 at 8:01am RE: August 13, 2019 at 8:12pm My understanding is that evening classes are an attempt to attract community members, not a bad idea. We offered PSYC 101 last semester during the evening. Not a single community member enrolled and enrollment was much lower than a normal daytime class - like 12 vs. 35-45. I talked to a couple of other profs who taught evening classes and they said they only had traditional students. We should chalk this up as a failed experiment and quit doing it, or we should identify what needs to be done to make it work, like marketing evening classes effectively. - Jeff Elison
August 14, 2019 at 6:42am Dear Dodie, So will the upper admin require the class be cancelled given all of the new policy decisions that put money before students?
August 13, 2019 at 8:12pm I am still in awe that it was mandated, from the top, that we had to offer ECON 201, our only Gen Ed class, one night a week. The enrollment is 8. If offered during normal school hours, there would be a full class. - Dodie Day
August 12, 2019 at 5:05pm Just wanted to give a heads-up on the online Masters in Cultural Resource Management program. There's ALOT of nonsense going on and they are losing lots of staff and up until about 3 weeks ago they only had the program director for 5 programs teaching the CRM program. Lots of upheaval, disgruntled master's students and I myself have transferred to a different program and have chosen to eat the money I lost with their ineptitude in hopes that my wasted time, money, and income potential can be salvaged in the long run. The program is in shambles.
August 11, 2019 at 4:27pm @August 10, 2019 at 6:22am - Facilities Services has not had good leadership in years. Last year, they got a new director and were put under Housing. How discouraging for one department to go through so many changes year after year only to get a new director in Wade Smith only to hear how many trips they’ve paid for him or how many times they paid to have his wife flown in then see him drive 1/8 of a mile into work in a brand new Jeep with all the bells and whistles only to turn around and get rid of it to buy matching vehicles for wifey and he while many of FS have to work multiple jobs to survive. The man has no knowledge whatsoever to run FS and was merely Del Tondo’s pull-string doll. He worries more about collared shirts than he does about the FS personnel standing under a tree by a crosswalk just talking for an hour. Now under Kevin Daniel, there’s always hope of positive change. Will it happen that way? Maybe so... maybe not... Will FS also have to answer to people like Chris Olance, Pat Roybal, Tony Maestas?
August 10, 2019 at 8:55pm @August 9, 2019 @ 8:33pm - Why even state that here and sign your name to it and then become secretive as to why you think that? Also then act like whoever asked why you have that opinion may or may not be worthy to know why? I don’t know if Lovell is a loose canon or not, but it’s yucky to come on a forum and tarnish a person's character and not think you have an obligation to explain yourself. If there’s something wrong, state it. Otherwise, you appear as the problem.
August 10, 2019 at 8:24pm Just saw the Director of Financial Aid position posted on the employment website. Does anyone know what happened to Phil? Has he retired?
August 10, 2019 at 6:22am I am really curious about the current restructuring...Facilities will be moved out of Student Services and into a new Unit that will be called Infrastructure and Resources, under Kevin Daniel in Computing Services. He will also supervise HR. If Kevin Daniel is this great leader, more than just CTO, then change his title & make sure that no one assumes two big departments - least of all HR - are under "computing services."
August 9, 2019 at 8:33pm If you want an answer to my comment, you can find me in the School of Business at Adams State University. If I feel you are a person I want to speak with, I will. - Dodie Day
August 9, 2019 at 6:57pm Kathy Rogers was required to step down by her new boss. Why do you say Lovell is a loose canon?
August 8, 2019 at 8:38pm Aaron Abeyta is leaving ASU too?
August 8, 2019 at 9:15am ASU H.E.A.L. (Higher Education Always Lacking)
August 7, 2019 at 9:33pm If there IS a HEAL program.
August 7, 2019 at 7:50pm Dr. Lovell is a loose cannon. Morale is at a low. The BoT gave her a fantastic deal. 5 years, one year sabbatical, and come back to be tenured in HEAL. We need to take a vote of no confidence. Kathy Rogers is jumping ship and Cleave Simpson is stepping down as chair so he can just leave when his term is done. Oh yay, we are screaming. - Dodie Day
August 7, 2019 at 12:55pm That’s because ASU treats the promoting of people of color like gentrification.
August 7, 2019 at 10:08am Once again a person of color doesn’t get a promotion in Facilities Services.
August 2, 2019 at 6:24pm Re: July 26 @ 9:02 - Because Heather Heersink and Tracy Rogers are incompetent. And I’m beginning to believe our new prez is too for keeping those two around. But I’m sure she has her $250k/year contract for 5 years (that’s the word on the street).
July 26, 2019 at 9:02am Can anyone explain why ASU is incapable of getting us our yearly contracts on time? It's not like the date is a moving target.
July 2, 2019 at 7:23pm Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but when you are looking into coming to a college, does everyone get your personal info? I think it's in bad taste to spread people's business everywhere. Social media makes it too easy for a few words to get everywhere. - Lilac Girl
June 13, 2019 at 9:26am It looks like McClure and ASU got off easy for calling Ledonne a terrorist in the Valley Courier: "A federal judge awarded a Muslim-American radio host $4.1 million in monetary damages Wednesday after he successfully sued a neo-Nazi website operator who falsely accused him of terrorism." Neo-Nazi website hit with $4.1 million defamation penalty
May 29, 2019 at 7:43pm Yes, five, a revolving door. Unfortunately the two best either didn't want it or were chased away by the wicked witch of the southwest.
May 28, 2019 at 5:01pm Soooooo... Is that five VPs in as many years? I’ve lost track.
May 18, 2019 at 12:14pm Go ASU chess team
May 17, 2019 at 5:00pm How unbelievable that the BoT didn’t learn their lesson with McClure’s multi-year contract. I don’t know if it’s more infuriating or sad. SMDH...
May 17, 2019 at 10:25am This whole site is Libel ----Editor's Response: While it doesn't appear you have a very strong understanding of how libel laws actually work, you are certainly free to file a lawsuit and see what a judge thinks about your claim that a public interest website publishing news and opinion about a state university and its employees is engaging in libel. The ACLU of Colorado was well aware of this website while representing Danny Ledonne and defended his First Amendment right to publish critical information about the university's administration. But perhaps you have a command of U.S. libel law that exceeds the ACLU? There's only one way to find out...
May 7, 2019 at 10:04pm The Management Corner: Stop Silencing the Skeptics
May 6, 2019 at 8:08am Looking at the Faculty CUPA data posted here makes one problem apparent: moving goal posts. We would expect average comparison salaries to go up, but what happens when they go down? It makes it look like people's percentage of CUPA increased when in fact their salary is unchanged. Faculty in that situation probably won't get raises for even longer now. Has this affected you?
March 31, 2019 at 5:14pm Congratulations to Danny Ledonne for being accepted into a whole list of law schools. Now he can continue to protect the world from the likes of Beverlee Trump.
March 28, 2019 at 6:56am Re: March 27 @9am - One cannot defend incompetence, greed or corruption.
March 27, 2019 at 9:00am Anyone notice that no one is defending Heather Heersink, Karla Hardesty, or Tracy Rogers? The real question is what connection do they have to the trustees? Why do the trustees feel comfortable with ASU operating in such dysfunction?
March 15, 2019 at 9:41pm March 15 @ 11:29am - I would reframe your assessment of “no cuts this fiscal year” as “no additional cuts...” I believe many, if not all, of the cuts Nehring implemented WERE for this current fiscal year. But, you are correct. Expect cuts effective July 1, August 1, September 1 and October 1 – depending on your contract type and funding source. But the idiots like Karla, who couldn’t recruit her way out of a paper bag, will keep her position, salary AND $5k+ raise for non-performance. Idiots like Heather Heersink, who couldn't compute her way out of a paper bag: same, except her $16k raise. Idiots like Tracy Rogers, whose “alliance” with Novotny got us into this mess to begin. If Lovell doesn’t start figuring it out soon... heaven help us all!
March 15, 2019 at 11:29am So, the hidden message from the campus updates is that staffing cuts won't be done this FISCAL year, but will happen in the Fall. It is dependent on State funding as well as the expected enrollment drop off for new students, but anyone who believes that cuts aren't on the agenda need to listen more closely. This administration has repeatedly said, "No cuts this year", conveniently leaving out that they mean the fiscal year. Withholding information is exactly the same as lying.
March 5, 2019 at 6:09am A new position that reports to the president has been created called the Chief Gifts Officer that is in charge of bringing in large dollars from donors. I am noticing the direction Dr. Lovell is taking... creation of new programs and more aggressively going after donations. I think these methods are a much better strategy than starting crazy fights with community members. The only thing I’d sure like to see is addressing the ineffective people in admissions/enrollment. Surely she must have plans to address this?!
March 2, 2019 at 8:15pm Regarding a recent publication in Courier: Faculty Trustee Dr. Robert Benson said morale among faculty had jumped significantly for the most part after the selection of a new president. “That was huge,” he said. I have the following questions to Dr. Benson: - What measures of morale were used? - What research design was used? Pre and post? Ex post facto? - At what level significance was tested? If Dr. Benson feels he cannot provide answers, maybe he can answer this question using his personal empiricist perspective: - What was the significance of him holding a sign "Standing Strong for Dr. McClure" in 2016? That was huge. Indeed, Rob.
March 1, 2019 at 7:31am Can we please stop using the term "cautious optimism" to describe ASU? It's such a veiled way of saying "we don't know what the hell is happening or how to fix it but we're going to smile all the way to end!"
February 28, 2019 at 7:47am I think the "zero-sum" article in the Colorado Sun is the most hopeful thing I've ever read for Adams State since our enrollment started to decline in 2012. The unfairness of the funding model for Adams State and Fort Lewis is mentioned three times. The author understands our mission and our plight: "The state’s largest schools are growing. Small schools are shrinking. And because the formula is enrollment-driven, it’s resulted in more money for selective research universities, such as the CU Boulder and Colorado State University, and less for community colleges and smaller rural institutions, such as Adams State University and Fort Lewis College, which predominantly serve the populations the state wants to help." "The situation is one that lawmakers have tried to mitigate through year-to-year budget adjustments, stepping in to boost funding to smaller schools like Adams State and Fort Lewis. But Morris, the higher education official, says overruling the formula every year defeats the purpose of having one in the first place. In an ideal world, state officials want colleges to have a stable, transparent and predictable revenue stream." Trouble is, about 90 percent of the money the state gives out through the funding formula is based on student volume, according to a Lumina Foundation Strategy Labs study. That means enrollment changes at larger schools like CU Boulder, which has more than 29,000 students, play a much bigger role in how dollars are divvied up than what’s happening at a place like Adams State, which has just 2,600 students." The fact that Colorado is 47th in the country for higher ed funding is embarrassing and depressing. However, it sounds like President Lovell's and Adams State's greater presence in Denver may be paying off. - Jeff Elison
Looking for older comments? An archive of reader comments is preserved here.
Watching Adams 