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February 27, 2019 at 7:21pm Meanwhile, back at ASU... Karla Hardesty is still in charge of enrollment. Why? Why? Why?
February 27, 2019 at 7:13am As Roger pointed out, tenure at ASU doesn't mean much. After researching ten schools and national guidelines, ASU has the weakest protections for tenured faculty I could find. Our Faculty Handbook falls far short of the joint guidelines published by the AAC&U and the AAUP. Unlike those guidelines and most institutions, ASU's Faculty Handbook does not require that financial exigency be declared before administration can fire tenured faculty. At some schools and entire state educational systems, once financial exigency is declared, tenured faculty can be dismissed only if entire programs are scrapped. These policies are to prevent cherry-picking, where administrators can choose to fire professors they don't like. Similarly, most schools and the AAC&U / AAUP guidelines require some sort of "jury of your peers" when dismissal for cause is invoked. Not ASU. If the president decides there is cause (outlined in the Handbook), then the president can fire you. You may appeal, but the Board of Trustees selects three people to potentially handle the appeal. You would rule out one, the president would rule out one, and the remaining person handles the appeal. The "for cause" part protects us to some degree, but cause can be subjective. HLC even has criteria related to this issue: 2.C.4 The governing board delegates day-to-day management of the institution to the administration and expects the faculty to oversee academic matters. I brought this to the attention of Faculty Senate over two years ago. A committee was formed to investigate dismissal policies and make recommendations. We did that, making 18 recommendations about what a new policy should include. Senate asked for a draft policy. I did that. Senate voted to drop it. Two tenured faculty members were fired a year later. ASU has embraced the AAC&U VALUE rubrics, but not their guidelines to VALUE faculty. The horse may be out of the barn, but there are still a lot of us horses left inside. Perhaps seeing our peers fired could motivate Senate to re-visit the issue? Unless you think you are less worthy than faculty at CU, CSU, UNC, Western, Colorado Mesa, and Fort Lewis, I encourage every faculty member, regardless of status, to speak to their senator about this problem. We may never see our salaries reach 90% of CUPA, but let's move ASU into the modern age by bringing our protections up to parity with our peers and in-line with national guidelines. That's not a radical idea or an unreasonable goal. - Jeff Elison
February 26, 2019 at 1:20pm As a casual reader of these posts, I was shocked to see the way that Roger Eriksen was released from his ASU tenured 2017 contract and his above posting of 2/26. As chair of the Art Department I hired Roger in August of 2002 after a January faculty resignation that was delivered to me on a Friday of the same month. After the receipt, I sent the appropriate job vacancy announcement to the dean of the college on the following Monday. The search was difficult and long, and Roger thankfully accepted a position several days before the August start of Fall 2002 classes. He did an excellent job teaching, being a supportive colleague and was respected by the students in the classes that he was assigned to deliver. When staffing art faculty members, Graphic Design instructors are one of the most difficult to recruit and then agree upon a salary. They are often restricted in budgetary matters and can usually make more money in the private sector. As for ASU as a state supported regional rural institution, many issues come to bear. Faculty turnover has been a regular occurrence for many years, state fiscal support has ebbed and flowed and is impacted by a peculiar fiscal mandate of the state of Colorado. Declining enrollment is surely a problem, and if it reaches 1000 students or less, the institutional survival options are usually slim and grim. Of course, Adams is reflection of the community that it mirrors and serves as it should. As Roger moves on, the sting of this separation lessens; I have had appointments at Baylor University, Central Texas College-and even sometimes substitute teach in the local school system. I wish him the very best. - Todd Turek
February 22, 2019 at 5:00am Re: Feb 18 @ 5:20pm - The photo in the Valley Courier is a warning to all other institutions about who NOT to hire!
February 18, 2019 at 5:20pm Did anyone notice Karla Hardesty in the front middle in the Valley Courier article on Lovell losing interim off her title? Frankly, I might have given her bad directions so she didn’t make it for the photo. Seriously, this university cannot move on with her track record of failure in that position. It will be interesting to see if Lovell will make any changes now that interim is off her title.
February 15, 2019 at 5:06pm Correction to my earlier post: That was only for exam #1; I haven't analyzed other data. As someone else wrote, it shouldn't be a surprise to faculty. It's consistent with tons of studies on spaced-practice vs. massed-practice (cramming). I think the more important point is that we shouldn't make such a decision without putting learning first and basing the decision on data. There must be tons of data on campus like mine where the same prof teaches the same course MWF vs. T/Th. When I get around to it, I'll look at more of my data. - Jeff Elison
February 15, 2019 at 2:35pm It should come as no surprise to most faculty that students learn best from shorter, more frequent classes than from longer, less frequent classes. If ASU truly cares about improving academic performance, including retention and graduation rates, the idea of moving to a four day school week should be a non-starter.
February 15, 2019 at 7:01am I won't comment on athletics vs. learning as priorities, but the Paw Print has a good point: "In departments such as math and science that require practice and repetitions with the material in the classroom setting, as well as lots of material to cover, only meeting twice a week could potentially be tough." (What is the author implying about Mass Comm?) I teach Intro to Psych Statistics which is largely math, and psychology is a science, so the course is a pretty good exemplar. Over the last 9 years there has been a statistically significant difference between grades in MWF classes and TTh classes (N = 11 sections). This in spite of the fact that I use the same, or nearly identical tests and the TTh classes have 50% longer to take the test! Those results support the conjecture that students learn more when they meet 3 times a week, and they are counter evidence against the conjecture that traveling on Fridays decreases learning. The latter is probably a challenge that does affect some athletes; however, I've seen highly motivated athletes miss an entire week for nationals and come back, make up the work, and earn high grades. So, obviously we should switch to a MWF and T/Th/Saturday schedule ;-) Or athletes who aren't going to compete could stay home and attend class. - Jeff Elison
February 14, 2019 at 5:50pm So apparently departments within ASU are openly admitting that athletics are a higher priority than academics. The Paw Print recently published Four-Day Week Proposition Draws Mixed Opinions: "The Mass Communications Department is the first to adopt a shortened school week, with there being classes only Monday through Thursday and all three-credit periods are an hour and fifteen minutes. The proposition came from department head Aaron Abeyta, who pushed for the shortened school week because of the amount of student athletes at the university who travel for athletics on Fridays." Now imagine a world in which the NCAA and athletics directors push for only holding games on weekends and within close geographic proximity so student athletes wouldn't have to miss class to participate in sports? When the tail wags the dog long enough, it becomes difficult to identify which end is really in charge.
February 13, 2019 at 7:52am All over campus I see posters on doors, walls, etc. that “Hate Has No Home Here”, etc. and that’s great. We should expect no less. But to great lengths despotism is practiced, as is the sense of entitlement, classism, nepotism and if Richardson Hall gives themselves enough raises ASU will become a plutocracy. Ken, Bruce, Karla, Margaret, Wade, Lovell, Manzanares, etc. readily admit there needs to be changes to raise morale, productivity, enrollment but what they are doing is changing the things that actually work by changing how the people that actually work do things instead of changing how they do things. We’ve gotten to a point where Casual Fridays are the norm yet Facilities Services are expected to wear a collared shirt 5 days a week in the name of professionalism. Exactly how bad does RH think Facilities personnel look on a daily basis? Departments all over campus having to give account for every little detail yet nobody is calling for RH to give an account for how or why they continue to get raises while numbers are plummeting. Want to catalyze positive change on our way to being in the positive, RH? Work for your respective base pay like a lot of ASU does. Throughout the classrooms, offices, public areas of ASU, we are taught/reminded of those who championed positive change, equality, etc. and they should be remembered; their great accomplishments recounted. But here on campus there are people who still fight for those same causes within the ASU microcosm and they are labeled dissenters. If those great people of history we venerate, whose accomplishments and sacrifices we celebrate, worked at ASU, they would be at best silenced.
February 12, 2019 at 10:47pm @Feb 11 9:17pm - Marquez has an MA from Adams State in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He should have taken better notes on managing interpersonal relationships. Oh wait! How could I forget? He needed the letters, never planned on using the degree. Just like Mansheim trying to get his Masters through the History Department. Hardesty has an MA in Adult and Post Secondary Education from the University of Wyoming.
February 12, 2019 at 12:11pm Student enrollment and recruitment is not about what degree you have. It’s about skill set and business. The leaders of this department need to be innovative thinkers and the representatives need to be able to implement the leader's ideas. If there’s no plan, everyone is just collecting a check.
February 12, 2019 at 6:53am I have to believe Karla’s days are numbered. The question is, who would want that job?
February 11, 2019 at 9:17pm Karla needs an assistant to assist with... burgeoning enrollment? Someone to answer the silent phones while Karla is vacationing? How many different positions has Karla held at ASU over the last 5 years, and what did she do in each of those positions? What evidence does she have to demonstrate her effectiveness? How does the community tolerate the nepotism associated with Ken’s daughter being hired to be Karla’s assistant? This is a disgrace and the staff and faculty should be up in arms. Ken has a Masters degree? In what? Does anyone know what degrees Karla, Ken, and Ken's daughter has and how any of them are qualified to hold the positions they hold?
February 11, 2019 at 7:03pm So, when is Adams going to close? They bit the bullet and survived HLC, which could have closed them. Now, enrollment is falling which means someone has to come up with money to pay bills. I'm guessing their cash flow is a mess. Any projections?
February 10, 2019 at 9:27pm Re: February 10 @9:16 - Agreed! But somebody needs to inform Lovell of the history. Because she clearly isn’t getting it from her “E-Team”!
February 10, 2019 at 9:16pm I think it’s time to realize that the only people that can get ASU out of this whole are the people that who were pushed out.
February 10, 2019 at 3:08pm Ken's daughter? Of course. Nepotism breeds nepotism. Why did he ever get promoted to his current level or current salary?
February 9, 2019 at 8:17pm Can anyone locate the Valley Courier article where Karla states "someone needs to come up with an enrollment strategy?" I know I read that somewhere. It is hilarious because... hey, chica fresca... that would be YOU that should be doing that!
February 9, 2019 at 6:11pm The thing is, if Karla and Kendra and everyone else in Enrollment Management, Admissions, etc. were bringing in more students, some of these raises and the nepotism might be justifiable (or at least tolerable). But how many years of failure are permitted at ASU for someone in administration to continue being paid for sub-par performance? These falling enrollment numbers hurt everyone and there seems to be no accountability for poor performance.
February 9, 2019 at 5:25pm Do you all know that Karla's Assistant (Kendra) is Ken's daughter? wow
February 9, 2019 at 6:10am Seriously have never seen a person keep their job when clear evidence exists of their failure! Karla Hardesty needs to go!
February 7, 2019 at 7:37pm Is anyone really surprised by the enrollment numbers? Karla will never be successful. She will follow in the footsteps of Ken and continue to blame everyone around her because they lack personal accountability. There has only been 1 (FAILED) search for Director of Admissions since the resignation of Mr. Carpio (Ken and Karla needed raises). Karla's brilliant plan? Let's put a 23 year old kid, fresh off of her 1st year in a real job, in charge. Fantastic. Look out, Admissions! Karla and Ken need raises and the budget needs to be cut. #karlaforpresident
February 6, 2019 at 3:57am Is it just me or is the Financial Action Plan committee lacking transparency? When will we know who is going to be eliminated from the Hunger Games next?
February 3, 2019 at 9:15pm Not that I want to talk about old business, but looking at McClure's evaluations by BoT, I wonder who wrote: "No one cares about ASU more than Dr. McClure"? Perhaps the board with people like this individual is where it all starts...
February 1, 2019 at 2:12pm Surprise, surprise. It looks like ASU was implicated in this latest academic fraud scandal. From this Inside Higher Ed article: "She also helped athletes fulfill some of their university math requirements through online courses offered by other colleges, which the NCAA asserts that "a significant portion of the [Missouri] student population" does because "Missouri's math courses are historically difficult." (A university spokesman did not respond to requests for information about how commonly that actually happens.) The tutor completed course work for four athletes enrolled in an algebra class at a "local non-NCAA institution" that the report does not identify. Two other athletes took an online algebra course offered by Adams State University, in Colorado. The NCAA concluded that the tutor had also helped two athletes score high enough on Missouri's (unproctored) math placement exam to place out of remedial math. They ended up playing for Missouri before ultimately being found guilty of cheating under the university's honor code."
February 1, 2019 at 8:58am "Oh dear, not again..." - David Mazel NCAA Punishes Missouri in Blatant Academic Fraud Case
January 17, 2019 at 4:12pm I hope we will be told which option was chosen out of the several bond restructuring options explained to us in December. Based on the substantial short-term savings, it sounds like the scoop and toss method.
January 14, 2019 at 3:26pm Re January 14 @ 7:36 - Jody Mortensen does not work 30 hours per week. She works maybe 15. Her office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 4pm. The position which I think you referenced is budget director. I believe that is filled by Jenny Yund. Jody’s title is controller of sponsored program which is not listed on the salary sheets.
January 14, 2019 at 7:57am @January 9, 2019 at 5:11pm: Please tell us more. 17 out of the 18 ASU nursing students who took the NCLEX (94.44%) passed. How many students started the nursing program in the 2017-2018 school year? How many were kicked out "2 days before they graduate"? What reason were they given? Did they fail to pass some internal exams?
January 14, 2019 at 7:36am Why is Jody Mortenson, who only works 30 hours a week, earning $80,000 a year, plus benefits? Half of her work was taken away when ASU forced Community Partnerships to close its doors. Adams is really hurting for money so this especially needs to be looked into.
January 9, 2019 at 5:11pm Congrats to the Nursing Department!? You gotta be kidding! What they did to achieve these results was the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed in all my years in education. Stay tuned for yet another story going public demonstrating that, yet again, Adams is being run as a private business that benefits the E-team and a few other members of connected valley families at the expense of the some of the poorest students in the state (all while they brag about serving them). You wanna make your Department look good? Just borrow nursing's playbook and kick about 50% of the students out of your program 2 days before they graduate just because you wanna be sure to pad your pass rate on a standardized test. Sure hope our new President has enjoyed her honeymoon period because all the lies she's chosen to believe from the ASU cabal are about to fly in her face.
January 9, 2019 at 1:10pm Now here's a story that bears striking similarity to ASU: Chicago State to pay $650K to end lawsuit over faculty blog criticizing school leaders "A bitter lawsuit between Chicago State University and two professors who published a blog rebuking school leadership is coming to an end after more than four years. Chicago State has agreed to pay $650,000 in damages and attorneys fees to professors Robert Bionaz and Phillip Beverly, concluding yet another costly litigation involving the Far South Side institution in recent years. The professors alleged that the university violated their free speech rights in repeatedly attempting to shut down their blog, CSU Faculty Voice, which they billed as “the faculty’s uncensored voice.” Launched in 2009, the blog has criticized university administrators, particularly former President Wayne Watson. Faculty members who contributed posts lambasted a culture of cronyism and questioned ballooning administrative salaries and perks even as enrollment and graduation rates plummeted. Professors also criticized the university’s revolving door of leadership in the past three years: Four people have served as president or interim president since Watson retired in 2015. ... The university also agreed to revamp school policies governing cyberbullying and computer usage, the latter of which banned “any communication which tends to embarrass or humiliate,” according to a news release from the Philadelphia foundation. Chicago State must implement the new policies within 60 days and provide training to employees enforcing the policies within three months, according to the settlement agreement."
January 5, 2019 at 8:41pm Life’s short. You need to get a life. Have a little fun and be thankful. - Todd
December 26, 2018 at 10:29am Congratulations to the 2018 nursing graduates on their 94% NCLEX pass rate. And thanks to the Nursing Department faculty and staff for making successful changes.
December 23, 2018 at 8:59am Is it safe to spend my money on the online programs? Do I have a good chance of graduating from one of them? I'd already been through a lot of courses, and left, only to realize that financially I could not afford another school. I doubt Manzanares is going to give me back all the tuition I paid, which by the way, is kind of hefty. And I had a good GPA. Is there anyone who is willing to post on this board about the inner workings of the Counselor Ed dept? Whose coming, who's going, and what their take is on their popularity? I think in some ways it must have all gone to their heads. Of course, I wonder, given that some were just blasted unkind to me, if my FERPA rights were violated by sharing my information, my story, anywhere outside of the Counselor Ed or graduate programs dept. There are two people there I simply don't trust, and that's typically a good indicator, I've found, that something is going on. This time, I'm not taking it lying down!
December 11, 2018 at 11:38pm How does this keep happening every year when Counselor Education has 600-700 students? Maybe this year's deficit will require the institution to dig into the coffers of Counselor Education again? Didn’t they miraculously pull out few hundred thousand dollars to save the University last year? Has anyone submitted a public records request to see the financials for Counselor Education-Online and then compare that with the rest of the institution?
December 11, 2018 at 1:02pm Could someone shed light on what happened at the campus meeting yesterday? There was talk about restructuring to meet the $2.1 million deficit. Does this mean layoffs? I honestly can't see Adams making up this money without doing some serious cuts. But has that ever been mentioned? Am I missing something?
December 9, 2018 at 10:57am What do you mean “banned on Google?”
December 8, 2018 at 1:18pm For those of you who are banned on Google: Campus Safety & Emergency Management The link on this page includes the report: 2018 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report While there might be problems at Adams State, it does not help anyone if you invent new ones based on your inability to find a document on a website or fake news - "I've been informed that he refused to put the latest ASU CLERY report on the ASU web site."
December 7, 2018 at 6:54pm So: Adams was at one time utterly out of compliance with Clery (until 2014 or so?), and was again recently - in spirit if not legally. So what has changed? Is the HLC and probation just old news now? What lessons have we learned? Can we talk real about the future? What’s the big idea in play that’s going to change our trajectory, a trajectory that’s not terribly difficult to extrapolate? I personally vote for merging with another CO school, as soon as possible, and without much particularity as to the partner. Pretty much anyone will do at this point.
December 4, 2018 at 2:36pm Not wanting to inform students of potential dangers on campus is a terrible disregard for their safety. It could also cost ASU a lot of money. They are federally required to post this data. Fees for not doing so are like $50,000 per infraction. I don't think ASU has that money to spare!
December 3, 2018 at 4:36pm @Nov 26 10:18am - I'm certain there is very important web content that is no longer considered necessary by Mike Henderson, who created this new site. I've been informed that he refused to put the latest ASU CLERY report on the ASU web site. This is outrageous. The CLERY report exists to inform students about the crimes committed on their college campuses. It was named after Jean Clery who was raped and murdered on her campus and was never made aware that there had been 38 violent crimes committed on her campus in the 3 years prior to this. CLERY is essential information for our students, and it took the VP of Student Affairs and the Office of Equal Opportunity to force Henderson to upload it.
November 26, 2018 at 12:05pm @November 26 6:36am - I see the comparison between Gilmer and McClure as a cautionary tale for the rest of us in higher education and America at large. Sure, it's easy to be a bully and use fear and intimidation to shore up power for yourself in the short run, but it rarely works for long. Conversely, an ethical and caring person will eventually rise due to their own good work. That lesson still applies to everyone at Adams State. Either learn from ASU's history or we'll be doomed to repeat it with more terrible hires and chasing off great people.
November 26, 2018 at 10:18am @Nov 23 7:52am: the sites search tool wasn't good, either. Yeah, old stuff was first on the list and I think that there's info from the old site that is just gone on this new one.
November 26, 2018 at 6:36am @November 25, 2018 at 8:08am - So glad to see everything is right at ASU and you still have time to talk about ex-employees. I am not sure why we are talking about people who have moved on to other places rather than what needs to be fixed still at ASU. Oh wait, it is easier to dwell in the past. That way you don’t have to take any responsibility for what you are not doing in the present. Yes Dr. Gilmer is doing well and that is great for him but it no longer has any impact at ASU. Yes, I think it was a mistake that ASU let the bully push him out but that is now water under the bridge. He isn’t coming back. The Bev is gone, and for a while, she was the issue. Not any more. How about we work on fixing ASU rather than living in the past?
November 25, 2018 at 8:08am The Karma Mechanic has once again been busy making things right in the universe. Guess who is a university president and who isn't.
November 23, 2018 at 1:16pm ASU was doing really well back in 1957! But the past 5 years running? Not so much.
November 23, 2018 at 7:52am And how did that search feature work out for you? ASU's website has always been one of the least searchable I've ever seen. Search for almost any phrase and you get links from 1957, rather than the most recent / most relevant links.
November 21, 2018 at 4:14pm Thanks for posting the October 19th article about the failed new ASU website. I tried to give it a chance but after a month of trying to use it, I have to agree with the article - it's a cluster. My parents wanted to see it and I was showing it to them and couldn't find what they wanted to see. Everything is buried under so many clicks that I just gave up and just used the search feature to try and find info. Thanks for this blog for calling it out!
November 15, 2018 at 10:57am From the Concerned Parent, To all that have responded to my previous post, I say thank you. I see there seems to be a civil war at Adams State which is sad and critical. The deep disappointment and resentment about the degradation of this once proud school is fierce. With each post I admit that my heart wants my kid to be a part of the student body that resurrects Adams, but my head says the sacrifice is too great. I hope these tough issues get sorted out very soon. It appears we may be headed to my kids second southern Colorado school: Fort Lewis... It appears they have some problems, as well. I will still check this site for your sage and import advice. Thanks Again
November 14, 2018 at 9:54pm To the parent November 9, 2018 at 12:30pm - If you want to accept the risks associated with the factual information available regarding Adams State, then that is your choice. Decisions are made with incomplete information. In the case of Adams State, there is plenty of factual information available outside this website to make an informed decision. Just remember - your child would be assuming the risk. My nieces, nephews and future grandchildren will not be attending Adams State. We have many family members that attended Adams State College. The risk is far too great. The tradition of attendance has been broken.
November 14, 2018 at 11:58am @November 14, 2018 at 9:57am - And what makes your anonymous comment, which provides no counter-factual evidence, a "reliable source?" In addition to the poor ratings by College Factual, most people know by now that Adams State has also been named as: - ranked down at #96-#127 in the sub-category Regional Universities West by U.S. News & World Report - admitting 99% of all applications with an "easy" academic difficulty by University Magazine - named as one of the Top Ten Worst Dropout Factories (6th worst in the USA - 21.7% four year completion rate) by Third Way - a 25.7% lower graduation rate than CO state average; the lowest of the Top 10 Affordable CO Schoolsaccording to NCES - also named one of the Eleven Biggest Wastes of Money (8th worst in the USA - -$43,600 20 year return on degree) by PayScale - cited and sanctioned by its accreditor for serious and systemic academic fraud as widely reported during over two years of reporting - plagued by ongoing serious financial constraints with a negative outlook on credit according to Moody's Investor Service - cited for multiple compliance violations and an $84,351 fine from the Department of Education All the reliable indicators over many years have suggested ASU is in serious trouble. Attending ASU now is a considerable financial and career risk for students and employees alike.
November 14, 2018 at 9:57am Just FYI -- College Factual is not a reliable source.
November 12, 2018 at 5:31pm College Factual has all those wonderful things to say for prospective students. ASU is overpriced, yet faculty are paid very poorly, the worst in the state. They are overworked with a high teaching load, advising, and reductions in faculty. As a bonus, their kids pay full tuition, being the only school in CO that doesn't offer any sort of break. Is it any wonder faculty turnover is so rapid?
November 12, 2018 at 12:50pm According to College Factual, a national ranking database that compares a school's cost with the value of its education: "Compare the Adams State University Value of an Education - Within Colorado, Adams State University is Considered a Lower Quality College at an Average Price. Adams State University's overall average net price combined with a lower quality education, results in an average value for the money when compared to other colleges and universities in Colorado. This lands Adams State University in the #9 slot on our ranking of Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado." ... "Nationally, Buyer Beware: Bad Quality Score at a Bad Price - Adams State University's educational quality places it among the worst-ranked colleges and universities on our Overall Best Colleges list. However, when compared to these other schools that deliver the same caliber of education, the net price to attend Adams State is much, much higher than it should be. This has earned it a very poor #1,255 ranking on the Best Colleges for the Money list, and makes it an overpriced option. Students should carefully consider what their financial obligations will be should they wish to attend this school, and look closely at other educational options that offer similar benefits at a much better price."
November 12, 2018 at 11:15am Or send your kids to another university... It's not going to get any better anytime soon.
November 11, 2018 at 8:50pm As usual, the truth is in between the extreme positions presented here. Prominent members of past administrations were cruel, stupid, and corrupt. Most of them are gone with a few rotten apples remaining. As a result of past administrations, current students, staff, and faculty are paying, literally and figuratively. For example, ASU has low tuition but high fees to pay off all that construction approved by stupid and corrupt administrators in the past. Check the numbers. Cuts have been made to staffing, so faculty are stressed and overworked. Nevertheless, faculty are typical of faculty at many institutions in that they are here to teach because that's what they love. So students can expect a good education and possibly more individualized attention than they would get at many other schools. They can also expect very busy faculty, relatively high turnover of faculty, fewer course options, and more of there classes will be taught by adjuncts and visiting professors. If you want a quality education for your kids, then vote for politicians who and taxes that will fund higher education.
November 11, 2018 at 1:30pm @November 9, 2018 at 12:30pm - You should also consider talking to the former students, staff and faculty who left in disgust or were driven out by a corrupt, often cruel administration. Their stories matter, as well. And they aren't on the ASU payroll or with a degree pending so they will likely give you their full honesty.
November 10, 2018 at 10:02pm @November 9 12:30 pm - I've worked at Adams State for over 10 years so I've seen the good days and the tough days. I can honestly say I would not hesitate sending my student to Adams State, in fact I did and they got a great education. They have gone on and are very successful in their chosen career. If you have questions, please talk to students or staff and not base your decision on the things you read on this site.
November 10, 2018 at 12:01pm @November 9th 12:30 p.m. - ASU is a joke. I would get your child out as soon as you can and send her to any other University in Colorado... NOT ASU. I would not want a transcript from ASU. Once you are at ASU as a student or faculty and don't move on, you become stuck, never having the chance to move forward. Take her out as soon as you can.
November 9, 2018 at 12:30pm Hello all readers, I appreciate the reality check. I find myself to be a very concerned parent now that I have started reading these posts. I am a parent of a out of state student who is academically outstanding, motivated, and is very interested in ASU as well as playing a intercollegiate sport. We have visited campus finding all the people we ran into (not just introduced to) very complimentary of the school, the faculty, and the area. Am I guiding my kid into a train wreck or is this really the typical administration nightmare that can be managed? Please send me your thoughts. - Respectfully
November 6, 2018 at 7:04pm The honeymoon is over. Morale jumped with the start of the new semester. Now it is plummeting.
November 4, 2018 at 6:25pm I heard the same thing from my son. His high school friends aren't considering Adams because of our reputation. So sad what an inept, corrupt administration has done to a good school and the work of dedicated faculty. Of course, some of our faculty or former faculty are to blame, as well.
November 4, 2018 at 3:50pm November 3rd - I was subbing at the high school last week and was talking to a student about an advanced degree. I asked her is she was planning on going to Adams State and she said the same thing: Adams State is a joke.
November 4, 2018 at 3:38pm I'm not even sure who 7:55am thinks is the "problem employee" in question. Grohowski the former police chief? Ledonne the former faculty member? It doesn't seem to matter much at this point. The issues at hand are far more pressing and people seem to have drawn whatever conclusion they will about previous ASU employees.
November 4, 2018 at 5:12am Re: November 3 @ 7:55am - That is exactly the point of this website. It’s not that ASU had a problem employee. It’s that ASU has major, structural problems stemming from an incompetent and corrupt administration — many of whom are still there. And that so-called problem employee wasn’t afraid to speak out. I pray for Dr. Lovell to get it sooner rather than later. Area HS students should be coming to ASU, not laughing at it.
November 3, 2018 at 7:55am Yesterday I talked to an Alamosa high school Sophomore and asked him what his plans were after school and if ASU was part of them. He laughed, and said “Adams State is a joke” and now I see a bigger part of the issue. You have people out there that would rather talk about a problem employee that left the university years ago and now has no impact on ASU, rather than deal with the issues that still affect ASU. I am guessing that they are probably one of the problems that still exist trying to deflect. Mean girls? Is that you?
November 2, 2018 at 2:12pm Looks like Paul Grohowski, everyone's favorite campus police chief, has screwed up yet again and landed himself desk duty after 5 months on the job: Sarasota schools head of security leaving, police chief reassigned Sarasota Schools name new police chief; reassign current chief to new role
October 29, 2018 at 2:51pm This op-ed in yesterday's Pueblo Chieftain seems relevant for Adams State: Coloradans need cheaper, more accessible higher education, not tax cuts for millionaires
October 23, 2018 at 11:26am ----Editor's Note: We received the following message today which may be of interest to readers: "I have been reaching out to the Perkins loans officer at ASU since June 2018 to work on a payment arrangement I had set up. I have yet to actually to speak with her. Every time I call she’s on vacation or out of the office, so I spoke with her supervisor Greg and he couldn’t do anything for me either and stated he’s not sure why she hasn’t returned any of my calls. Considering he’s her boss, that should not have been the answer and he should’ve worked harder to assist with my request. Since she hasn’t gotten back to me, I may not be able to start my new school in January as planned. It is very inconvenient, inappropriate and just plain rude! Please feel free to use my story to blast them for the unprofessional university they are!"
October 22, 2018 at 6:32pm I am one among the many departed faculty of recent years. Am curious to know what steps the board is now taking to address faculty retention. Are they just looking at salary competitiveness, or are they also considering the deeper and far more problematic issues of morale, trust, valuation, nepotism, cronyism, shared governance, basic human decency, transparency, and fairness. Answer that and you’ll have your answer as to whether they are serious or not.
October 22, 2018 at 10:30am Re: October 19, 2018 at 7:21am - I had the same conversation with a student SEVEN years ago. There's been no change. How is the Board addressing the issue? Not being snarky - legitimately wondering your opinion.
October 19, 2018 at 7:21am The cost of turnover: I had a new advisee say she requested me because her last two advisors disappeared so quickly. So, I'm her third advisor as she goes into her fourth year. ASU has put faculty retention on the back burner for too long. It's nice to see the Board finally addressing the issue. Let's hope they take it seriously.
October 15, 2018 at 5:08pm I hope Dr. Lovell, new administrators, and new faculty get a chance to hear Dr. Waddell's podcast so they can learn more about the history of problems at ASU from an unvarnished perspective in the trenches of higher ed. One of the pervasive problems with ASU's institutional culture is that new leaders are quickly absorbed into the same corruption and either 1) become complicit (McClure) or 2) chased out (Gilmer) upon realizing what's going on.
October 14, 2018 at 8:15am Uhhh, in response to October 9 at 2:58 posting: the Art Dept full time graphic designer faculty position was eliminated in the 2018 purge. Go figure.
October 12, 2018 at 12:35pm Re: The recent Courier article "Adams State University trustees may resume a presidential search in the future, but they are not in a hurry." HOW TYPICAL for the Trustees to remain complacent and want to maintain the "status quo." An interim is interim for a reason - - although that reason has never been made clear. Typically when an organization hires anyone interim, the intentions are made clear from the beginning, either by the organization or the candidate. Interims are hired for a few reasons: to make overarching changes with no intention of applying for permanence or to maintain status quo until a search is conducted with the candidate having some intention of applying for permanence. Interim positions are also typically filled quickly due to time constraints. The candidates originally interviewed were for a temp position. Why not strive for more? Strive for better? Put the work in and conduct a national search that yields the best possible candidate. I'm not saying that an interim cannot become permanent once the realization of a perfect fit for both professional and institution has been found. But that's not the case. The bar has been set so low by the previous president, Lovell merely has to "meet with faculty weekly," "walk around campus," and have a pulse to be considered a permanent fit. Maintaining "status quo" is not what is best for ASU. Where is the innovation? Where are the changes in order to prevent another massive exodus of staff and students? Where is the accountability to prevent E-Team from giving themselves undue/undeserved raises? *crickets*
October 10, 2018 at 2:18pm RE: October 9, 2018 at 2:58pm - I agree. The new "improved" website is less easily navigated than the previous website it replaced. For a simple example, try finding the class schedule. Importantly, it is shameful that a wholesale culling of the archives of prior articles - a loss of historical institutional record.
October 9, 2018 at 2:58pm I'm not sure whose brilliant idea the new ASU website design belongs to. I do know that the end result is a very dumbed-down interface with all the images from most previous pages now gone (like that Standing Strong article or any older ASU news article). The new Adams State site looks like it was designed by a first year graphic design student as a final project made the night before it was due and after a weekend of partying. In other words: the perfect representation of what's wrong with ASU!
October 9, 2018 at 1:33am I am surprised about Benson's comments on morale and "residual scarring." Who was standing with a sign "Standing strong for President McClure"? There is still an article about it - Standing Strong for Adams State - pictures are gone, unfortunately. This is a faculty trustee that faculty should not trust. Many of Adams State's problems are not caused by external factors, like McClure or HLC. They are caused by internal factors. Benson is one of them. Just retire, Rob.
October 7, 2018 at 4:50pm
I'm amused by this quote in the recent Courier article:
"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. He added that faculty are cautiously optimistic “because we have a little bit of residual scarring from a couple of rough years.”
It's always charming to hear from the people who were in denial of, and often outright supporting, a vindictive administration while it was happening... and who now have the comfort of passively criticizing it from their cushy view in the rear view mirror. When they look back, do they see all the people they threw under the bus in the process? Who inflicted those "residual scars," Rob?
September 25, 2018 at 11:22pm It's impressive to see the new and updated adams.edu website. I wonder if that just means they are trying to bury any reminders of the train-wreck of the past decade.
September 25, 2018 at 5:24pm According to the Faculty Senate agenda for today's meeting, administrative salary adjustments will be among the discussion items, and addressed by Dr. Nehring. Will the results of this discussion be shared with the rest of the campus community?
September 21, 2018 at 3:44pm The Courier op-ed by Michael Marchildon is correct. I've been saying for many years that ASU's landscaping is woefully out of step with the dry, high desert conditions of the San Luis Valley. Attempting to maintain these water-guzzling grass lawns is just another example of a campus that has failed to understand how to allocate resources in effective, responsible ways. And thus ASU is a burden on its own community's limited water resources as a result! What message does this send to students?
September 17, 2018 at 3:50pm September 16, 2018 at 8:16am - I've also been wondering if/when the administration would ever deign to provide any explanation or justification of their outrageous salary increases. No surprise that they have elected to regard them as justified (at least in their minds) - and that no one in the greater campus community is due any explanation. "Shut up and get back to work" seems to be the implicit message.
September 16, 2018 at 8:16am Nothing but silence from the administrators who gave themselves raises. They reassure us they are committed to us, but their actions show commitment to themselves. Fine leadership, inspirational.
September 15, 2018 at 4:46pm Maybe he is teaching the plethora of remedial classes taught in math at Adams which are not college level? Those are high school level and high school teachers don’t need a masters. I am guessing that the admissions standards are continuing to drop in order to pump up the numbers.
September 13, 2018 at 9:58pm "No contest" means you're conceding the charge without admitting guilt and without presenting a defense. But unlike a plea of guilty or innocent, a defendant must get a court's consent to plead no contest, which comes with certain legal consequences. HE DOESN'T HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE! HLC, where are you? Qualified people have been fired!
September 13, 2018 at 1:55pm @10:15am - The bomb prank was "blown out of proportion." That's a good one! There's nobody who can teach math at ASU except for a guy who "pranked" the same campus with an explosive device? Really?
September 13, 2018 at 1:42pm The editor and publisher of the Valley Courier needs a basic lesson in journalism - including reporting and headline composition. The headline "Adams State shares enrollment trends" isn't newsworthy because these trends aren't secretive, so sharing them isn't a headline. The headline should include what those trends actually are - which in this case means enrollment dropping by 1%. The existing headline tells us nothing about what enrollment trends actually are... which I suspect is precisely the point.
September 13, 2018 at 11:11am I just noticed that the arresting officer in the explosive case is the same officer listed as a defendant in a lawsuit against Monte Vista. MVPD, RG County settle with Delgado family
September 13, 2018 at 10:15am I think the Kenny Bussen thing might be being blown out of proportion. I wasn't able to find much additional reporting on the incident, but what I did find indicated that this "bomb" was probably akin to the baking soda and vinegar variety or maybe dry ice. Stupid and irresponsible to be sure, but let's not act like he was strapping C4 to the stadium. Plea entered in ASU explosive device case
September 12, 2018 at 2:28pm @1:45pm - Woah, that's surreal. So in 2013, Kenan Bussen planted a bomb on the ASU campus, was charged with three felonies, and in 2018 is hired to teach Math there? Yet ex-President McClure claimed Danny Ledonne was engaging in "terrorism" without any charges, the school paid a settlement, and he no longer teaches there? Got it. What is wrong with this place? What parent would send there child to a college that hires teachers charged with felony explosive possession on their own campus? Is bomb manufacturing now part of the math curriculum at Adams State?
September 12, 2018 at 1:45pm This fine young man now has a job teaching as an Adjunct Instructor Mathematics at Adams State: Adams State Police arrest suspect, safely detonate explosive MA in progress?
September 11, 2018 at 12:02pm Enrollment figures look like they have been managed once again to lower numbers. Nice work Team Adams! We all enjoy the data mining for ANYTHING that looks good for the Adams State spin cycle. We are also awaiting the spin cycle for how hard and tough the athletic teams have been performing thus far. Besides Cross Country, all other teams look either horrible or below average, which is the standard set by the AD. Looking ahead we should see a rise in enrollment due to Adams States 100% acceptance rate. Morale should be high due to all the nice pay raises for the administration. Professors can hopefully find a way to milk those ATM $$$ via online anything to keep those $140-$180k per year salaries intact or we may lose them to the professional marketplace. Enrollment is down. With Karla Hardesty at the helm and after a nice pay raise, she should be excited for another great year in managing the downfall in enrollment.
September 7, 2018 at 10:15pm ----Editor's Note: We thought readers might be interested in this video recently completed for Colorado AAUP: The Dirty Little Secrets of the Colorado Community College System Part I: Why Impoverished Educators = Impoverished Education
September 2, 2018 at 9:22pm After review of the salaries for the Administrative Assistants... what a huge disparity in salaries! Position C00130 AAII $45,072 (how’s this admin paid so high - what a huge pay difference!). C00124 AAII $34,500! C00181 AAIII $50,760 : AAIII C00536 $37,536 : C00124 AAIII $34,500 WTH! Classified employee council should get on this! Or HR, Tracy Rogers!
August 27, 2018 at 2:59pm 8-27 @12:45, Do you really expect Ana to do the right thing? Has that been the experience in the past?
August 27, 2018 at 12:45pm The post on ASU Instagram shows how behind ASU is. Wonder if they are going to post a picture of all ethnicities in the team? Ana, where are you...
August 25, 2018 at 9:53pm Where the heck is the Board of Trustees regarding these raises? How could they let this happen? Have they learned nothing from McClure's reign of terror? Or are they clueless about what actually goes on at ASU?
August 20, 2018 at 9:00pm Agreed! Raises have to be explained ESPECIALLY given all the job losses. Also, aren't raises supposed to be given based on performance evaluations? How are those going for everyone? Just going through the motions?
August 20, 2018 at 4:02pm I agree, 7:18am. Does Dr. Lovell read Watching Adams? She should know what people here are concerned about. And that's (another) long list of 2017-2018 departed employees! Did Dr. Matt Ikle in Computer Science also leave?
August 20, 2018 at 10:21am A counselor at Alamosa High has bumper stickers in her office for CSU, UCCS, Fort Lewis, and one other Colorado school, but none for ASU. She doesn't have one. Do we provide AHS with recruitment materials?
August 20, 2018 at 7:18am I really appreciate how Dr. Lovell addressed morale so directly during the all-campus meeting. I like the idea of everyone letting go of the past. And then I read and hear people's responses to the large salary increases for a select few. Concern is justified. The same administrators who dug the hole in which we reside rewarded themselves. How do you expect people to let go of the past when the past keeps repeating itself? Seriously, if administrators can't step up and explain these raises clearly and publicly, they have little chance of changing morale for the positive. A response here or an all-campus email is necessary.
August 19, 2018 at 10:03am Hey Matt Nehring - no comment at all in defense of the outrageous salary increases for administration? Really? Is the campus community not entitled to any explanation at all?
August 18, 2018 at 7:48pm At this point, throw the whole executive team away. If not, they will try to get rid of Dr. Lovell.
August 17, 2018 at 6:27pm The new director of Facilities Services had already told grounds crew they can’t take break in the shop or use the restroom there and that they must “stop in their tracks” and take breaks there. They can’t use a microwave or stop at First Stop to buy anything. They have to “plan accordingly” the night before or after the shift. Is that even legal to do?
August 17, 2018 at 5:50pm I appreciate Dr. Lovell’s “let it go” position. But she is smoking crack if she thinks anyone is going to “trust” that executive team. They are the heart of our problems. Seriously, trust Tracy Rogers? She is the most vindictive snake around.
August 16, 2018 at 3:45pm Any of ya'll get over a $10,000 raise this year? Because if your first name is Margaret, Heather, Kevin, or Ken, you just might have. But don't look at that salary data... and get back to work!
August 16, 2018 at 1:18pm Re: August 15, 2018 at 11:38pm - I'm sure I am not the only one who would be appreciative of Dr. Nehring offering some explanation of this outrageous disparity in compensation.
August 15, 2018 at 11:38pm Interesting commentary about raises at the top and firings down below. Looking at the comparison data provided in the table suggests the administration was derelict in duty. What in the hell was Matt Nehring thinking? He FIRED people! He FORCED people to take pay cuts (or else). All this as he was giving raises to the same old corrupt individuals. Does Dr. Lovell understand this? The attorney general? Have we learned NOTHING from our HLC probation? I seriously don’t know if I’m more pissed, sad or worried! WTF!
August 14, 2018 at 10:08pm CFO and CIO are completely overpaid. What a waste of institutional money!
August 14, 2018 at 7:41pm Whatever happened to the salary review committee from a couple of years back? Shouldn’t they reconstitute? Shouldn’t the Faculty Senate ask some hard (and obvious) questions? Is this something the attorney general could be asked to look at? Never mind. It’s Adams. Same old.
August 14, 2018 at 6:35pm Executive Director of Enrollment Management $81k! Salaries go up while enrollment goes down. Fantastic business plan. It's awfully quiet over in Admissions. Oh wait, they are very busy with Pokemon Go and Netflix. I wonder how inflated the 1st time freshman numbers will be for fall 2018? Whats the real acceptance rate? How many students with an index of less than 70 were admitted to help pay these salaries? Slogan: "Lifetime debt begins here." It's okay Karla, everyone knows its not your fault. Let's Make Adams Great Again! #KarlaforPresident
August 14, 2018 at 7:30am @10:06 - CIO got over 15k raise since last report. Good to know some people were not affected by the budget cuts.
August 13, 2018 at 10:06pm I thought 2% increase applies to everyone. Why some people got higher increase?
August 13, 2018 at 3:40pm Budget Director's salary? 0.75 FTE?? What the hell?
August 13, 2018 at 11:38am Dear Editor, It would be helpful if we could see a spreadsheet with salaries across the years in one file—for comparison purposes. I think people would be shocked to see some of the raises that administrators in RH received this year. For example: Heather Heersink’s $16,000 increase. THIS with people being fired and forced to take pay cuts. Heather’s increase was paid for by Sally Kelly. Thanks, Sally! How many others can we find? Matt Nehring was a worthless, spineless joke.
August 11, 2018 at 3:24pm To the editor: A sincere thank you for keeping this site abreast of current events and obtaining and making available all pertinent institutional data - that is, incidentally, public information (regardless of whether ASU administration likes it or not.) ----Editor's Reply: You're welcome!
August 10, 2018 at 5:15pm ----Editor's Note: ASU 2018-2019 salary data is now online here.
August 7, 2018 at 9:14am Wondering if 2018-19 salary data has been made available... ----Editor's Reply: We expect to publish these salary sheets within the next week.
July 23, 2018 at 6:07am Filling a facility position or a locomotive? Decisions, decisions.
July 19, 2018 at 10:47pm I'm so glad ASU purchased a train and spent $ painting it. This will be a great distraction to make up for the lack of plans unveiled on how students will be recruited.
July 17, 2018 at 6:42pm "Giving students a great education at a great price" should be our motto. Building dreams of debt, not. If we want to give everyone a chance, give them one term to prove they want an education.
July 17, 2018 at 5:46am So back to other news... any strategies to actually recruit students? Anyone with a plan?
July 16, 2018 at 2:34pm What an insufferably dim statement, 7:23am. Do you think that the Internet only works on a per-country basis or that articles posted from one country cannot be viewed and considered everywhere? Do you also believe that only the Valley Courier is a reliable news source about Alamosa because the Denver Post and Pueblo Chieftain are published north of here? It's not “gossip” to publish admission standards comparing various schools. Much like that Atlantic article “These U.S. Colleges and Majors Are the Biggest Waste of Money,” an article like University Magazine's “College with the Highest Acceptance Rate” is not a flattering place for ASU to be prominently mentioned. But maybe it's all “fake news,” right? After all, Canada is now a national security threat according to Donald Trump.🙄
July 16, 2018 at 7:23am July 5, 5:22 pm - Excuse me, what does CANADA have to do with it, and why should a US school be gossiped about in a UK magazine?
July 9, 2018 at 1:25pm The following message was sent to the ASU campus: From: Office of the President Date: Mon, Jul 9, 2018 at 12:10 PM Subject: HLC News We received this notification Monday and wanted to share it immediately with you. “The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has removed the sanction of Probation for Adams State University. HLC took this action based on the institution’s ability to demonstrate it is now in compliance with all of HLC's Criteria for Accreditation.” This is wonderful news and a cause for celebration. What a great way to begin the week. Addressing and resolving the concerns of the Higher Learning Commission has been a campus-wide effort led by the Vice President of Academic Affairs Office and Assistant VP Margaret Doell. Others who put in extraordinary work to resolve the HLC concerns include: Dr. Matt Nehring and Ken Marquez as Criterion 1 co-chairs; Karla Hardesty as Criterion 2 and Federal Compliance chair; Leslie Alvarez, Criterion 3 co-chair; Beez Schell and Tony Weathers, Criterion 4 co-chairs; Kevin Daniel and Heather Heersink, Criterion 5 co-chairs; Traci Bishop, our amazing assurance system coordinator; Victor Soe and Sarah Rhett for digging up evidence on short notice; Erin Frew, our external reviewer and consultant; and David Moon, external reviewer. In its decision, HLC noted the University’s efforts to “adopt several new policies, including a policy on overload, that limit the number of credit hours and the number of students one faculty member can teach.” The HLC also noted how Adams State has “reorganized so that the appropriate academic departments and the Vice President of Academic Affairs provide oversight for the Extended Study courses.” Adams State is now on the Standard Pathway with its next comprehensive evaluation for reaffirmation of accreditation in 2021-22. The institution is required to submit an Interim Report no later than June 30, 2020, in addition to the standard annual reports required. Please do share this news with your own networks and help us spread the word. The fall semester is around the corner and we have so much to look forward to. Let us collectively move onward and upward with Adams State. And we will plan a celebration. Stay tuned. Dr. Cheryl Lovell, President
July 7, 2018 at 5:56pm On the upside, it is satisfying to see Chris Gilmer being welcomed as university president at West Virginia University and that Beverlee McClure is no longer president at Adams State. Notice how there are no more McClure cheerleaders on this website or on campus? Dr. Lovell should note who those remaining Mean Girls (and a few guys) are and be very skeptical of their "support" for her...
July 7, 2018 at 5:44pm It should be embarrassing but not surprising that, although for decades Adams State has proudly touted its “moderately selective admission standards”, University Magazine has ranked Adams #1 (!) for laxest admission standards and rated it “easy” for academic difficulty. Over the past 25 years general education requirements have been reduced time and again, as well as reducing the total credit hours required for a bachelor’s degree. Concurrently, in order to boost enrollment the “moderately selective admission standards” were progressively abridged - which, in turn, required the development of a robust developmental (née “remedial”) program for woefully underprepared students. This shortsighted strategy sacrificed institutional integrity and inevitably resulted in unsustainable reductions in persistence and 4, 5, and 6-year graduation rates. As data regarding the standards actually in practice at Adams State are readily accessible to prospective students, their parents, and prospective faculty, the effects can only be continued decreases in enrollment, increasing difficulty in attracting qualified faculty and, ultimately, a self-reinforcing downward spiral. Therefore, to prevent the institution failing altogether, at this most critical juncture the campus community at large must rise up and demand that the new administration, lest they be removed and replaced, resist the inbred administrative traditions that have eroded institutional standing and insist that respectable, objective standards be reestablished. Alternatively, perhaps Father Guido Sarducci’s suggested model for higher education might be appropriate for Adams State going forward.
July 6, 2018 at 9:14pm @12:32pm - Ditto for fall enrollment. Probation or no probation, everything hinges on students. Will there be any?
July 6, 2018 at 12:32pm So what is the outcome of HLC and the probation? I thought it was going to end the last week of June, this year, not next. The comments have been inexplicably silent on the biggest issue facing Adams State!
July 5, 2018 at 5:22pm So University Magazine in Canada has just ranked Adams State as the #1 highest acceptance rate, with 99% of students accepted and an academic difficulty ranking of “easy.”What does that say about the value of a degree from ASU?
June 30, 2018 at 12:25pm The word is getting out about ASU‘s bad cop, Paul Grohowski: Sarasota schools’ new police chief has blips on past employment screen
June 30, 2018 at 9:58am The purpose of the Clery Act as first legislated was to enable consumers to have some measure of risk of violent crime at colleges they may be attending by forcing campuses to report those risks in spite of the temptation to hide criminal activity for fear of losing potential students. Like our current wildfire, no federal legislation is ever satisfied and continous to grow and spread. Clery has been amended, "clarified" (in the way bureaucrats make things clearer), and piggy-backed until the regulatory burden threatens to overwhelm its purpose. Fire reporting, specific discipline procedures, added offenses, and new Violence Against Women regulations grew the law. Ok, civics lesson over. As campus police chief for 7 years, it fell to ASUPD to be the fingers at the keyboard to sumbit the report. It is critical to understand that meeting Clery requirements is the responsibility of multiple entities. Disciplinary reports and procedures, policy, drug and sexual violence education, etc etc come from housing, counseling, student affairs, area off-campus law enforcement, athletics and others. (And, of course, there were paid consultants brought in to give the latest best practices). Gathering accurate data depends on cooperation of the data holders. Reporting requirements are complex. One of my key veteran officers took the responsibility for gathering and entering the data, in addition to doing our internal information management, CBI and FBI crime reports. This required digesting and coding every officer's reports according to the inconsistent definitions and reporting requrements of each requesting entity. It was time consuming and complicated and it always pained me to have a fully trained officer in our chronically understaffed department chained to a desk fulfilling bureacratic requirements. I shifted the responsibilites for Clery data entry (not Clery compliance since that is a campus wide responsibility) to our very able administrative assistant as an added duty. When she returned from training she reported that she was a minority in that her Clery duties were part-time compared to the multi-staffed compliance teams of other colleges of similar size. She was eventually allowed to give full time attention to that task(not during my tenure) Finally, it should be noted that the Clery issues cited in the report that were controllable by ASUPD and subsequently another office were transcription errors easily correctable and swifly satisfied. The bulk of the DOE investigation and concern was in financial aid, not the Clery issue. Also, for the record, 2013 had many new regulatory additions to the law. 2013 stats get reported and published in 2014. One may recall that there was (ahem) a leadership change in the PD in the summer (pre-report deadline) of that year. Bottom line is that ASU can be proud of the competence, training, and hard work your Clery compliance folk have done. - Joel Shults
June 30, 2018 at 6:32am June 29, 2018. 10:18 p.m. - Mean Girls has spread further than that. A set of discussion board posts in Counselor Ed had me feeling retailated against. I disagreed with a point and politely explained my position. Then, I got a midterm grade warning 3 count em, THREE weeks into the semester of C. Even I'd lost some points early in every semester, no one had ever done that, give me a warning so inexplicably early. The adjuncts behavior was something I considered unprofessional. I had oroblems with the whole Dept after that debacle and handed in my notice as a grad student. For you see, I agree with what JLC says about the online programs, the students get very little interaction with the proofs. When you reach out, you get maybe one email back. I guess they don't make enough to bother, and they use their own grad PhD candidates to adjunct. So this means the adjunct is likely in a practice, being a wife and mother, and in grad school, with an added classload on top of that! But as an online grad student who pays 1300 per course, that's NOT my problem! Somehow, all that became a dissatisfied. The fact actual discussion was squelched was just proof positive that Adams is a good place to stay away from.
June 29, 2018 at 10:18pm A point of clarity: The term “Mean Girls” at ASU isn't some random insult that's applicable to anyone on campus. It refers to a specific group of women, led and cultivated by Beverlee McClure as her inner circle, who made a routine practice of bullying and retaliating against anyone who questioned, criticized, challenged or contradicted the ASU administration circa 2015-2018. They have been mentioned here by name and observed in their completely unprofessional behavior and actions. ASU "mean girls” is an accurate and widely-held perception that describes this group, not for the purposes of “bullying” but to characterize a tribal, vindictive workplace culture used to maintain power and punish dissent.
June 29, 2018 at 8:25pm June 29, 2018 at 5:20pm - Yes, it was my understanding as well that at that point it was not the same individual collecting Clery information. June 29, 2019 at 11:44am - That’s the problem, “you’re guessing”, and not correctly. I’m not sure what you mean with your “bad girls club” comment, nor do I know anything about you to be making assumptions about you, but I can tell you yesterday was the first time I’ve gotten on this ridiculous site in months; thank you for reminding me why. THOSE are the types of comments I am referring to when I say they are unnecessary and show that you know nothing of the person you’re responding to. June 29, 2019 at 7:42am - I appreciate your intelligent response, and it is exactly the type of comment I am happy to read on this site. No accusations, no “guessing”, just discussing what you know to be correct. That, I 100% am happy to see and l, believe it or not, completely agree with. I believe that we both want to see accountability & improvement, and no, I don’t expect nothing but positivity to change things, nor do I believe that ignoring things is the answer. And I think there are absolutely people on this site who respond in a productive manner, refer to facts, and what they know to be true. I just also see that those posts are becoming fewer and far between. It is the juvenile, accusatory “bad girls”-type comments I don’t appreciate and don’t believe are productive or helpful at all. I am more than open to discussion about issues, and it’s likely I agree with you on a lot of ASU’s issues. I just believe it’s possible to do so without all the name calling and bullying taking place on this site. I believe it’s possible to speak about the issues at hand and still treat others like human beings, especially when I am not personally involved or sure of all the facts at hand.
June 29, 2018 at 5:20pm June 29 @11:44am - Again, you obviously don’t have an understanding of how Clery was/wasn’t handled. Prior to this year. No. The person handling Clery compliance now was not handling it in 2013. No one really was, which is why there is now an employee dedicated to that. The fact that you’re responding at 11:44am tells me that you, more than likely, are sitting at your desk, not doing your job and are part of the “I want to bitch and moan about everyone else, though I do nothing” club. The same ones who never respond to a student’s voicemail, or email, or you transfer them all over campus to avoid having to actually do something and earn your pay. I too hope that Dr. Lovell sees through the bullshit to get rid of the lazy, incompetent people collecting paychecks, while the rest of us have to pick up your slack.
June 29, 2018 at 12:19pm As she did her own homework on Adams State, she offered, “I am equally pleased to see your athletic programs are so strong. As a student-athlete myself, I appreciate these experiences and want to be part of a campus community that also values student engagement and athletic competition at both intramural and intercollegiate levels.” - Interim ASU President Dr. Lovell ASU Football - losing program Men’s BB - average at best Women’s BB - losing program Volleyball - always average Softball - below average Wrestling - losing program Swimming - losing program Women’s Soccer - losing program Lacrosse teams - losing programs Cross Country - win titles Track and Field - strong teams but not as much of late it appears So where is the “strength” of the athletic programs? There is strength in only one program. Any other AD would be gone with this record. ASU seems content to support losing programs in athletics. Here’s to hoping that Dr. Lovell sees the opportunities in changing leadership in athletics and ridding ASU of coaches that do not produce.
June 29, 2018 at 11:44am @June 29, 2018 at 2:23am: - it seems that you might be the one without knowledge of the situation. Was it not the same individual doing the Clery reporting in 2013 that is doing it now, just under a different title? I am guessing you are a member of the so called “bad girls club” circling the wagons here. I just hope Dr Lovell sees through the BS and gets rid of the rest of the people that have screwed up the institution. There are a ton of good people at asu. Too bad there are so many bad ones in the administration.
June 29, 2018 at 7:42am "It almost seems as though many of this site's commenters would like to see ASU fail." Incorrect. We want to see ASU leadership held ACCOUNTABLE for the mistakes and even crimes they have committed. Instead, those responsible continue to retire, be promoted, be paid off. This statement is not "smack-talking" or an unfounded conclusion. It is FACT. And it lies at the heart of what this site is trying to accomplish. Staying positive isn't a cure all for ASU's shortcomings - it just leads to ignoring the deep seated issues that still remain at ASU.
June 29, 2018 at 2:23am Taking into consideration that all Clery-related findings had to do with statistical discrepancies from the 2013 calendar year, and that these violations were satisfactorily addressed, and the findings subsequently closed with no attached fines, as well as the fact that the “assistant director of Title IX/Clery compliance coordinator” position was filled at the end of 2015, it would seem that the author of the June 27, 2018 at 7:41am comment has little knowledge of what those issues entailed, nor what the findings from the 2013 calendar year have to do with the job that person has been doing since 2015. Furthermore, it would seem that they fail to notice that the DOE found no Clery violations after the year 2013. The fact that almost all of the findings, including all Clery and DFSCA-related violations, were dismissed or closed without fines assessed is actually incredibly good news for the University, and shows that, although ASU is not currently at it's finest, there are still a lot of people who work extremely hard every day, and care very much for this institution. The people on this site want to see change and positivity happen for ASU, yet all I see here are people's constant negative comments and assumptions. Just a few lines down: "Lovell is going to come in thinking she can push the sports and earn money for the school.", and further down, somebody else making an incorrect assumption regarding the decision the board would make. "...we will, in fact, have the local candidate, Salazar." Why is this necessary? A discussion? Absolutely. Talking about ASU's very real and important problems, and working toward positive changes/solutions for a better institution? VERY necessary. But the bullying, assumptions and negative comments about positions and people who, a lot of times, the comment-writer knows nothing about? It's absolutely unnecessary and makes no positive impact on ASU or its community whatsoever. It almost seems as though many of this site's commenters would like to see ASU fail. All this jumping to conclusions is ridiculous and has gotten so old. The sad thing is, a lot of people coming to our little valley, and ASU, are seeing things like this site, and the petty complaining and "smack-talking" and instead of being able to form their own opinions of ASU and its employees, come here with a negative impression of ASU and its community. And honestly, I am just embarrassed and saddened to read so many grown adults' constant complaining and accusations. Many times, the authors of these comments look no better than the people they are so eager to put down. I am in total agreement that ASU is in need of some very real change, and has been for quite a while. But if everybody on this site wants a better ASU, how can so many not see what a detriment all this negativity is to ASU and its chances of improvement and growth? None of this helps ASU.
June 28, 2018 at 2:29pm Looking over the timeline of events in the Department of Education review, it seems reasonably clear by now that Beverlee McClure wasn't let go because of a Halloween costume or some vague “incongruity” of priorities with the Board of Trustees. It now appears that she failed to properly manage a number of mandatory reporting duties and did not fully apprise the Board during the DOE investigation... Because when you're a narcissist, you cannot admit fault and instead blame everyone else. Or just pretend nothing is wrong. McClure did both repeatedly. And now we can add another $84,000 to the cost of getting rid of her. In other news, it looks like the Board was wise enough to hire a competent, qualified replacement. I hope Dr. Lovell gets the job done and finishes cleaning house! We know who the bottom-feeders are; they've been named here often.
June 28, 2018 at 12:18pm Re: June 28 @ 9:01 - My thoughts exactly! She’s far more qualified than Dave Svaldi ever was!
June 28, 2018 at 9:01am Re: June 27 @ 9:45pm - How about we give Dr. Lovell, the best qualified candidate, a chance before leaping to negative conclusions?
June 27, 2018 at 9:45pm I can see it now, Lovell is going to come in thinking she can push the sports and earn money for the school. Never realizing this is one of the things people are so angry about. Oh well.
June 27, 2018 at 7:41am Considering there is a title listed on the salary data spreadsheet of “assistant director of Title IX/Clery compliance coordinator” and there were so many issues discovered in Clery Compliance, considering the failures pointed out by the DOE, seems like that person is not doing their job. Was that a position that was eliminated in the budget? It did not appear that way based on the “eliminated positions.”
June 26, 2018 at 5:54pm For once the BoT did the right thing and selected the most qualified candidate rather than continuing the longstanding tradition of capitulating to inbred local politics. A ray of hope - and a bullet dodged.
June 26, 2018 at 4:16pm Thank you sweet baby Jesus! And welcome Cheryl Lovell! I finally have some hope!
June 26, 2018 at 2:20pm Looks like ASU screwed up big time on this one: U.S. DOE review results in $84,000 liability to Adams State "A U.S. Department of Education program review of Adams State University's Title IV funding over a 10-year period has resulted in Adams State having to return $84,351 in federal student aid... Adams State was found to be in non-compliance on two findings related to the Clery Act and Drug-Free Schools Act: An incomplete annual security report in 2013, and failure to develop and implement a comprehensive drug and alcohol abuse prevention program."
June 25, 2018 at 8:32am I’m concerned that the lack of an announcement just one week prior (as of this writing) to the first week in July indicates we will, in fact, have the local candidate, Salazar. I've also heard from a very reliable source (one who used to work with him) that Vilá is a horrendous choice. May the gods have mercy on our little (and shrinking) college. smh
June 23, 2018 at 11:01am Regarding the Mumper quote in the Courier, I believe it was illustrating why it is important to offer folks like Vila and Dupler tenure. In other words, offering tenure is necessary to get some people to take a new job and give up tenure at another school. The article would have been clearer if it had said "his former job as VP..."
June 22, 2018 at 11:40pm @June 22 7:11pm - "Karla Hardesty" and "responsible" don't belong in the same sentence, just ask her. The enrollment problems at Adams are Mumper & Carpio's fault. To answer your question, Mumper has nothing to do with enrollment. #KARLAFORPRESIDENT
June 22, 2018 at 7:11pm Can someone explain this quote from the Valley Courier? Is Dr. Mumper still in this position at Adams? I’m confused, I wasn’t aware there was someone other than Karla Hardesty responsible for enrollment? “Michael Mumper, senior vice president of enrollment management and program development for the university, said that he wouldn't have accepted his job at ASU if he wasn't tenured and the offer of immediate tenure is important to attract a high quality candidate.”
June 19, 2018 at 4:08pm I have mixed feelings about Grohowski. I don't know if he's is a "bad cop" he seemed like a good soldier who does what he's told. Sure, he could stand to be more aware and discerning when given marching orders that are unethical. I'm just saying I haven't seen any examples of him abusing his power, but I don't think he knows he has any. Can someone explain why his current employment is being brought up here, since he is no longer affiliated with ASU in any capacity? You know what? I change my mind. Grohowski did corroborate McClure's absurd accusations against Danny. That seems like a pretty clear unethical action he took of his own accord.
June 19, 2018 at 11:20am It looks like for ASU's former bad cop Paul Grohowski, his past is starting to catch up with him... Sarasota schools police chief has complicated past
June 18, 2018 at 2:40pm @1:46pm - That statement is more than "entirely irrelevant to institutional consideration" - it's a disqualifying remark because it demonstrates that Salazar's application is made in bad faith or at least for ulterior motives. ASU's administration is not a six-figure paid finishing school for politically-connected locals to transition into retirement from the comforts of their high-dollar resort ranch just across the river.
June 18, 2018 at 1:46pm Re: @10:29am During her open forum presentation on the Adams State campus (as reported on June 15 in the Valley Courier) Ms. Salazar admitted that: “A reason she has applied for the position is because when Hickenlooper's term is up she will no longer be employed. Salazar said she isn't ready to retire and wishes to return to the Valley.” This admission is of a purely personal issue that, in an unbiased process, should be entirely irrelevant to institutional consideration of any candidate.
June 18, 2018 at 11:26am Dr. Cheryl D. Lovell clearly has the most, and most relevant, higher education administrative experience of the four finalists. With Adams State in crisis in a number of contexts, relevant experience must be the primary criterion by which an appointment decision is made.
June 18, 2018 at 10:29am Although it seems likely that Marguerite Salazar’s appointment as Interim President is a fait accompli, it appeared necessary to emphasize to the Search Committee obvious concerns, shared by many having long association with Adams State, that should disqualify her from consideration Despite considerable experience in a diverse array of organizations, Ms. Salazar has no relevant experience in higher education administration - experience that is absolutely essential at such a critical juncture for ASU. Adams State has a long-standing tradition of administration dominated and misdirected by the whims of inbred small town politics, nepotism and cronyism that has imposed myopic provincial administrative constraints and resulted in the devastating long term consequences currently afflicting the institution. It light of the current crises facing ASU it is utterly nonsensical to continue this tradition, which Ms. Salazar’s appointment would epitomize, and expect a different result.
June 17, 2018 at 5:57pm 3:10pm - Yes, great question. Another question that others have posed and I’m interested in: Why is Adams seeking an interim vs. a permanent president?
June 17, 2018 at 3:10pm Thank you, editor, for ending this Hillary/Beverlee nonsense. It’s time to have a dialogue about important issues — such as the candidate interviews. What were everyone’s impressions?
June 17, 2018 at 2:11pm Hillary, an interesting comparison Hillary: Female. Beverlee: Female. Hillary: Democrat. Beverlee: Democrat. Hillary: Touted previous experience in positions of importance. Beverlee: Touted previous experience in positions of importance. Hillary: No notable accomplishments prior. Beverlee: No notable accomplishments prior. Hillary: Litany of failures – Benghazi, email scandal, failed foreign policy, presidential campaign, etc. Beverlee: Litany of failures – Persona non grata, inflamed accreditation issues, declining enrollment, etc. Hillary: Conspired against popular male (Bernie Sanders) to keep her power and position. Beverlee: Conspired against popular male (Chris Gilmer) to keep her power and position. Hillary: Exposed. Beverlee: Exposed. Hillary: Rejected by a majority of states as unfit to lead. Beverlee: Rejected by a majority of Trustees as unfit to lead. Hillary: Never accepted responsibility for failures. Beverlee: Never accepted responsibility for failures. Conclusion: Hooker boots vs. spinster shoes are about the only difference! ----Editor's Response: This comment was posted by the same Boise, ID IP address (commonly understood to be Michael Tomlin) which brought up Hillary to begin with (June 16, 2018 at 7:52am) and is now attempting to "astro-turf" a conversation with himself. This topic is now closed and this IP address (as well as the VPN used to redirect similar comments so as to appear to be from India) is being given a final spam violation warning.
June 17, 2018 at 10:32am June 14 1:39 p.m - Creating retribution seems to be an ongoing theme at Adams, whether it's getting rid of a bad president, in-fighting among staff or disagreements on what multiculturalism really means on curriculum for Counseling and how that plays out. Bad cop was a tool for the President, it's rumored, and lack of fair play... all in a school that's already struggling and will keep the numbers going down. I lost $40K as a student in this place. Run as fast as you can, somewhere else!
June 16, 2018 at 10:12am Yes, Mike Tomlin. We all know you believe that.
June 16, 2018 at 7:52am Almost as bad as Hillary winning.
June 15, 2018 at 9:53pm Re: June 15 @ 8:08pm - And thank god none of those fools were appointed. It would have been ALMOST as disastrous as having Mike Tomlin hired as president when he applied during the last search.
June 15, 2018 at 8:08pm To the comment about JFK and the appointment of the VP. Yes, that is what the Constitution calls for. The BOT could have appointed a VP - Doell, Marquez, Cary, but they probably respected the input of this group that no one likes those people. So they went outside. It makes sense. We cannot simultaneously trash our admin and then expect the Board to appoint one.
June 15, 2018 at 11:24am At this critical juncture for ASU, it is essential that ALL employees respond to the survey as requested by Dr. Nehring and, in addition to listing candidate preference in rank order, provide detailed feedback with any concerns regarding any candidate(s). Analogous to citizens' responsibility to VOTE - ONLY by providing our feedback can we insure that the Search Committee has information crucial to making their best recommendation, and hopefully forwarding concerns, to the Board of Trustees.
June 15, 2018 at 11:20am June 13th @2:04pm has a good point. If ASU is trying to recover from a public image problem and assure accreditors and students that the school is stable and recovering, why advertise and hire for an "interim president" instead of simply a "president?" Beverlee McClure was hired as president but given a 1 year contract (which Arnold Salazar and the Board foolishly renewed for three years). By tagging this high-profile presidential search as an "interim" position, it just furthers the perception that ASU is under managerial distress and without a solid direction. Even when JFK was assassinated, the USA didn't have an "interim president" in LBJ. So why does ASU perpetuate the signs of its own distress and state of disorder?
June 14, 2018 at 1:39pm After screwing around in California for a year, it looks like ASU's bad cop is back on the beat in Florida. How many more campuses will welcome the incompetence of Paul Grohowski? City of North Port, Sarasota County School District name new police chiefs
June 13, 2018 at 2:04pm If you're electing another Interim President, doesn't that say you've lost confidence in the permanence of ASU? As a student I believed I would have to beg to have credentials accepted from a school that is teetering on the brink of disaster. - Alison
June 12, 2018 at 6:54am @4:49pm - One way to stop online bullying is to take seriously a reading recommendation from a trade publication made in good faith... rather than trolling the Internet like a child with flippant remarks that are flatly unserious in nature. Bye for now!
June 11, 2018 at 4:49pm @3:58pm - Stop online bullying. Calling someone a moron is so demeaning. Your assignment is to read up on how to erase the problem of online bullying. I enjoyed the banter but now I'm done with you. Bye-bye.
June 11, 2018 at 3:58pm @3:32pm - Welcome to adulthood - where not everything is done for a grade or on a deadline, reading is a voluntary way to improve one’s intellect and become a more informed citizen in a democratic society, and the reward is not coming across as an uninformed moron on the Internet. Give it a try for 30 days free of charge.
June 11, 2018 at 3:32pm @2:36pm - I will try to start my homework on the assigned reading. However, I would like the due date and the means for reporting back to you. Would a one page, single spaced, 12 pt fontsize, APA style meet your requirements? Oh, and may I have a scoring rubric?
June 11, 2018 at 2:36pm @8:47am - You seem to have a “sit down and shut up” attitude, like top-down governance is somehow going to be an effective model for leadership at a public university. Well, here’s a good article for you: Shared Governance Works in Executive Hiring, If We Let It “In the context of executive search, communication — and in particular the open sharing of opinions and ideas — is absolutely critical. When search-committee members trust one another, listen to alternate views, and use their input productively, better hiring decisions are made. More important, the outcome of such a search has credibility and support. Even in these challenging times — perhaps especially now — our institutions are best served when all key parties work hard to enfranchise one another in governance. Ray Kroc, who built McDonald’s into one of the world’s most recognizable brands, famously opined that "None of us is as good as all of us." Even notwithstanding the self-confidence of trustees, faculty members, students, administrators, alumni, and all the other sectors that have a stake in our colleges and universities, that statement proves itself true in every search that we do.”
June 11, 2018 at 9:22am Empty accusations of sexism at ASU - the real legacy of Beverlee McClure. So let me get this straight: out of 77 “highly qualified” applicants for interim president, the very best one just happens to be the wife of the previous chairman of the Board of Trustees... who oversaw the bottoming-out of the institution? Call the math department - what are the odds on that?
June 11, 2018 at 8:47am Why are you all running your mouths and attempting to "one up" each other by inserting intellectual jargon and flamboyant opinion, when you don't have a flippin' say in this decision. It is what it is. And it will be what it's going to be. Focus on your work. You are just an employee at ASU; not a diplomat.
June 10, 2018 at 4:29pm @3:54pm precisely, I was just going to post the same thing! Apparently, no discussion in higher ed would be complete without accusations of racism, sexism, or other jousting lances of identity politics. And if one criticizes a female leader or candidate, it clearly must be sexism!That is quite McClure of 1:57pm. Or... just maybe... the last thing ASU needs is more of the usual brands of cronyism and nepotism, backdoor deals and local dynasties that infest small town politics and infect the best practices of higher education. Just maybe.
June 10, 2018 at 3:54pm Re: June 10 @ 6:29am - It is all too convenient to resort to allegations of racism and/or sexism in addressing objections expressed regarding Marguerite Salazar’s near certain appointment as Interim President. In fact, no objections expressed regarding Ms. Salazar have been either racist or sexist. Rather, they are based on concerns about continuing the long-standing traditions of nepotism, cronyism and small town politics that have adversely influenced Adams State administration and resulted in the institution’s current difficulties.
June 10, 2018 at 1:57pm June 10, 2018 at 10:12am - My only fear is that you still inhabit the halls of ASU. Your arrogance is gross. My point was that the 2 white candidates are not more qualified than Mrs.Salazar based on just these bios... also that she is not responsible for whatever her husbandhas done or said. Furthermore, a person working in academia for a shot at this position his whole life is not a qualifer above Marguerite. Clearly I must be an idiot to disagree with you. That is quite McClure of you to treat others that way.Now, enough of you... My thoughts are that there is some inherent underlying racism and sexism to some of these posts. Give people a chance. Even Armando.
June 10, 2018 at 10:12am
Dear June 10 @ 9:30,
My apologies if you felt I was being nasty or vile. That certainly was not my intention. My response was to correct your erroneous statement that the external candidates weren’t qualified because they had no experience as a president of an institution or running large organizations. I think the public deserves truthful facts, not someone’s uninformed opinion.
My hope is that everyone will attend the forums and make intelligent, informed decisions. Not decisions based on erroneous heresay from this or any other website or individual. Thus, my contribution.
Unfortunately, your statement that you are “wating [sic] to do the opposite of whatever you [I’m] advocating for” speaks more to your vile nastiness. Would you seriously jeaopardize the institution like that? Just pick a person because it’s opposite of what a stranger wants? Further, you don’t know what I’m advocating for other than the best candidate. In fact, I’ve indicated I will listen to all of them equally and make a decision then.
Again, don’t make assumptions. Do some research. Try reading.
Now I’m done with you and this conversation. You clearly don’t have the capacity to have an intellectual, civil conversation. And I don’t get into pissing matches with your type of ilk.
Have a great day!😊
June 10, 2018 at 9:30am @June 10, 2018 at 8:00am - I stand corrected. Dr. Lovell was a president of a small for-profit osteopathic medical school. So if that qualifies her, go for it. Your tone is nasty and vile. I find myself wating to do the opposite of whatever you’re advocating for. Are you here to persuade or bully others in to believing as you do? You have stated some things as fact that I happen to know are not true. Just because you state them in another form does not make them true or intelligent.
June 10, 2018 at 8:00am Re: June 10 @ 6:29am - Actually if you READ the candidate bios available on the ASU website, you can see: 1. Dr. Lovell WAS a university president. Further if you Google her, you will READ that she was an extremely successful president—awarded the highest title possible—president emerita once she retired. 2. Mr. Bailey-Fournier has worked in the highest levels of leadership, other than president, in higher education—not insurance or healthcare administration. He has been preparing for a university presidency his entire career. 3. Yes, Mrs. Salazar is an extremely talented woman, with vast experience in a public bureaucracy AND as a political appointee. Although being a political appointee doesn’t mean you are qualified. Betsy DeVos is a great example of that! Mrs. Salazar’s only experience in higher education (according to you - I don’t see it on the ASU website) is that of member of CSU’s board of governors. While this political appointment is impressive from a “who you’re connected to point of view”, it hardly qualifies her to run a an institution of higher education. Seriously, would you want Erica Romero appointed as superintendent of Alamosa Schools or Arnold Salazar or Tim Walters appointed president of Adams State? No, it’s not the stone ages and Mrs. Salazar is not her husband’s property... Not sure why that statement is relevant. I think what many are concerned about regarding that is the continued nepotism and incestuousness of ASU’s hiring practices. But I have judged her against the other candidates based on their bios and other info I found by Googling each of them. So, yes the two not from the Valley bubble to the top. Mrs. Salazar is a strong third. Although I’d now like to see the resumes of the other 73. 4. I agree with you about Mr. Valdez. Yes, I will attend the forums and “listen to the woman”. In fact, I will listen to ALL of the candidates, giving each the benefit of the doubt. The written bios and resumes are but one part of the process. Beverlee also looked good on paper. But the board, including Arnold, didn’t actually vet her. They didn’t listen to her lack of substance. If they had, perhaps we wouldn’t be in quite the mess we are. My question to you: will you LISTEN to ALL of the candidates with an open mind and a willingness to change your mind? Will you also give Mr. Valdez the benefit of the doubt? And, no. I don’t ever make any statements or decisions off of the cuff. Just as you made assumptions about Dr. Lovell and Mr. Bailey-Fournier, you have made assumptions about me. Don’t do that. Do some research instead. You will not only be better informed, you won’t make inaccurate or unintelligent remarks.
June 10, 2018 at 6:29am A few thoughts regarding the recent thread. You have it wrong that Arnold was a big Beverlee supporter. Have you ever been on a board? Decisions are made by the group that you must support as 1 unit. Secondly, who is this person who can off the cuff say that the 2 candidates NOT from the Valley are the only qualified? It doesn’t seem like either of the two who that person thinks is qualified have actually run a University or organization. They have had high level positions, but that’s it. It really is taking a chance on either of them. I personally think that Armando is the token ASU faculty member given the opportunity. If he reallt has a chance at this I’d be surprised. However I would invite people to examine their point of views. We are in effect only highly criticizing the 2 hispanic candidates. Marguerite has an impressive resume that includes the board of governors at CSU. She’s clearly qualified to be considered. And no, you can’t disqualify someone because they are married to someone else. This is not the stone ages. Marguerite is not the property of her husband. Go to the forums and listen to the woman. If you still think she’s not a good choice, put your support to someone else. Until then, leave your typical racial and gender biases at the door.A few thoughts regarding the recent thread. You have it wrong that Arnold was a big Beverlee supporter. Have you ever been on a board? Decisions are made by the group that you must support as 1 unit. Secondly, who is this person who can off the cuff say that the 2 candidates NOT from the Valley are the only qualified? It doesn’t seem like either of the two who that person thinks is qualified have actually run a University or organization. They have had high level positions, but that’s it. It really is taking a chance on either of them. I personally think that Armando is the token ASU faculty member given the opportunity. If he reallt has a chance at this I’d be surprised. However I would invite people to examine their point of views. We are in effect only highly criticizing the 2 hispanic candidates. Marguerite has an impressive resume that includes the board of governors at CSU. She’s clearly qualified to be considered. And no, you can’t disqualify someone because they are married to someone else. This is not the stone ages. Marguerite is not the property of her husband. Go to the forums and listen to the woman. If you still think she’s not a good choice, put your support to someone else. Until then, leave your typical racial and gender biases at the door.
June 9, 2018 at 4:51pm No doubt Marguerite would drain the swamp. She would have to make room for the rest of the Salazar’s and Lara’s to have leadership roles.
June 9, 2018 at 4:02pm Wow 2:27pm, for someone who appears to understand the problem, your solution is totally and incredibly backwards. The only way that Marguerite Salazar could hope to be an effective president of ASU is to disavow, disown, and discard her husband Arnold in every conceivable way and then some. Arnold Salazar’s malpractice on the ASU Board of Trustees began in 2010 and his disastrous run as chair began in 2013.He presided over any number of failed policies, mounting and reckless finances, a toxic workplace that drove away talented faculty and great staff, declining student enrollment and the “swamp” of all those academic pond scum that you correctly name. Remember: Arnold stood behind and promoted the garbage bin presidency of Beverlee “Just Say Anything” McClure and cost the school countless dollars to get rid of her and repair the damage she’s done. He defended her over and over, attacked her critics, blatantly lied to the public, and slithered away just as the Board finally gave Beverlee the administrative axe.And yes, Arnold personally profited off the university’s Title V program while serving as board chair with what we could call “Barngate.” As the Salazar Ranch is their residential business, Marguerite profited, as well. While I don’t believe in judging one leader by their spouse (we just had an election about this matter), it’s extremely difficult to conceive of a much-needed change agent from within the same entrenched interests and small-town corruption that got us here to begin with. We can and must do better. So let’s select a leader for ASU who is competent, qualified, a fresh start, and a clean record as a force for change... not a creature of the same swamp we both agree needs to be drained. Because really, ASU is a Salazar Swamp and the Salazars won’t be in the business of draining it.
June 9, 2018 at 2:27pm Marguerite Salazar is by far the best candidate for President of Adams State University. I dare any of you naysayers put her impeccable resume up against any others, and the rest would pale by comparison. Adams State University desperately needs an interim president who will drain the swamp: Doell, Crowder, Alvarez, Guervara, and the bottom-feeders like Scott White, and the rest of the trash. The only hope ASU has for any chance of being taken seriously by the higher learning and academic institutions, the state, and local community is to send Nehring back to his playpen, demote half the administration and faculty of deadbeats, and for once in the history of Adams State LEAD THE UNIVERSITY up and out of the garbage can Beverlee McClure left it in. Let's get those President Salazar t-shirts printed!
June 8, 2018 at 11:01am Re: June 8 @ 8:53 - And Kathy Rogers, along with Marguerite Salazar’s husband, then board chair Arnold, gave us fawning reassurance about Beverlee McClure. Yeah, I don’t have much faith in Kathy Rogers or her judgment.
June 8, 2018 at 10:55am Dear June 8 @ 8:53 - The problem is that the board doesn’t want to hire a qualified individual. They would, instead, prefer to continue the deeply entrenched, sickening incestuous hiring and promotion practices that are the core of ASU’s problems. And, on the rare occasion they do hire from the outside, the person is usually incompetent. And by chance a competent individual is hired, they are inevitably marginalized and/or run off. So of 77 applicants, two are locals, who are not qualified. Two are from outside of the Valley and clearly qualified. My bet is Salazar wins the title and the qualified individuals’ visits are an exercise in futility. What is so sad or frightening—depending on your situation—this hire is critical. Everyone should be updating their resumes and CVs.
June 8, 2018 at 8:53am First came the hopeful announcement by the search committee that there were 77 well-qualified applicants for Interim President. This is now followed by the fawning reassurance of Kathy Rogers, ASU Trustee and Chair of the search committee, that: “The finalists we’ve selected reflect the extraordinary pool of talent we reviewed during the initial phase of the process” and “The finalists’ credentials are beyond impressive…” Nevertheless, Dr. Nehring’s campus-wide email announcing the four finalists shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Adams State over the past 25+ years. Armando Valdez? Seriously? Marguerite Salazar? Does anyone really believe it is wise to continue the long-standing tradition of preeminence of local politics, nepotism and cronyism directing Adams State administration? If so, by all means do keep it all in the self-appointed first family of the SLV. (Would anyone care to wager whether the ”fix” is in re: the final selection?)
June 7, 2018 at 7:14pm Personally, I really like Armando Valdez. He’s a friendly, thoughtful, kind and considerate person. However, I’ve done enough committee work with Armando to conclude that he is often over-committed, waits until the last minute to get important tasks done, is terrible with responsive communication, and is frequently the bottleneck for completing group tasks. This was a consistent perception and experience among many committee members. On this basis alone, I cannot recommend Armando to a position like university president.
June 7, 2018 at 10:11pm Armando Valdez - Are you serious?
June 7, 2018 at 4:02pm Marguerite Salazar appears to be a walking conflict of interest and it’s unclear why she is a finalist in this interim president search. But I guess ASU is the campus where “great nepotism begins here.”
June 7, 2018 at 10:38am That evidence is circumatantial at best. If anything my IP showing as being from India only serves to demonstrate how easy it is to occult such things. Thank you for confirming that my VPN is working as intended, a precaution I took when I noticed that detractors tend to have their IPs published. ——Editor’s Response: We have never and will never publish IP addresses. We have used IP information to prevent spamming and related activities which violate submission guidelines. We have used IP addresses to note repeated comments (such as yours) from a single account for verification purposes, particularly when a comment is signed in order to authenticate the user. However, we also reserve the right not to publish comments which are off-topic or irrelevant to matters concerning Adams State University, particularly if the IP addresses would indicate a history of activity which is intended to disrupt or spam the comments page. The intentional use of a VPN to conceal IP addresses is actually among the considerations for spamming and will be factored into overall submission criteria regarding spam. All of this in response to posts by and/or about Mike Tomlin only illustrate the likelihood of continued posting by the same individual. At this point, this and related topics will be closed in the interest of furthering discussion about relevant and ongoing issues concerning ASU. References to this same topic and/or from IP addresses unrelated to the southwestern US (such as India) may be considered spam and may not be published.
June 7, 2018 at 10:08am So what I'm reading is that while you suspect that certain posts are being made by Dr. Tomlin, there isn't any actual proof. Especially considering that anyone can put on airs while they hide behind anonymity. This sort of behavior is what lends itself to the perception that this site has devolved into a place for people to shout their personal grievences into the void only to have them conflated into a cabal of malfeasiants and echoed back. ——Editor’s Response: As a point of clarification - all comments are tagged with the poster’s IP address.The string of comments over this past week regarding ASU being a business all came from the same IP address in Boise, ID.This is also the location Tomlin resides, according to his Amazon author bio. Your two posts are tagged as originating from India.
June 7, 2018 at 9:30am Dr. Tomlin - I have no intention of being drawn into a puerile online pissing contest, but I will offer the following: Some who post observations and criticisms here do so based on far longer experience with Adams State than your ca. 5+ years. Historically, it has been exceedingly rare for a department chair at Adams State to be unceremoniously removed by administrative fiat. From this perspective, your supercilious and self-righteous proselytizing has become very tiresome. Please, please give it a rest.
June 7, 2018 at 9:08am Michael Tomlin has a distinctive writing style that drips of condescension and self-certainty.He espouses a point of view that is unabashedly corporate-minded, top-down governance, sneering at dissenting views from employees.Combined, his posts are always a tell. While at ASU, Tomlin wrote in Billy Pulpit about how ASU is a business.So his ardent and delusional insistence upon re-asserting that here is par for the course. He will defend a debunked and vapid thesis to the end, merely because it is his. Now why he persists long after ASU showed him the door is a genuine mystery. Perhaps he just likes being “published” even anonymously.Or perhaps he has such antagonism for those who have rightly identified the poor leadership that got ASU into this mess that he can’t help himself. It really upsets him that McClure was removed after he sang her praises and chastised her critics. He even wrote the Denver Post to complain about this and suggested ASU’s critics are only embittered because they aren’t “successful.” Mike cannot help coming here again and again to complain about the complainers and insist nobody should be on this website. He should probably take his own advice.
June 7, 2018 at 8:10am So is Tomlin signing his posts somewhere and I'm just missing it? Or are people here so intimately familiar with him that he can be identified through his writing style alone?
June 7, 2018 at 7:59am @June 6 5:47. You're talking out of your ass, son.
June 6, 2018 at 6:22pm From this College Fix article: “Public university paid board chair $12,000 to host social-justice retreat - doesn’t even cover food”
June 6, 2018 at 6:09pm Dear June 6 @5:47pm - What do you mean “food costs extra”?
June 6, 2018 at 5:47pm If Marguerite is selected as interim president, maybe she can get ASU some great deals on more navel-gazing, hand-holding retreats to the Salazar barn! Food costs extra... but that’s okay because the real objective is to burn through Title V money before the grant cycle ends.
June 6, 2018 at 4:38pm Is anyone else suffering from “Mike Tomlin Fatigue”? How about those four Interim President candidates? Two very questionable choices — Salazar and Valdez. WHAT is the board thinking?
June 6, 2018 at 3:35pm I read Tomlin’s absurd claim that ASU is a business and his subsequent attempt to shoehorn a broad and expansive use of the term to fit his claim. It’s laughable. Not everything is a business just because Mike says so. A business is a legally-defined entity with specific criteria. State and federal education organizations, regional accreditors,popular and industry press, the IRS, grant sources and foundations all recognize ASU as a public university, not a for-profit enterprise or private organization engaged in commercial activity. As for good ASU is doing? One example is that Beverlee McClure looked at Mike Tomlin’s horrendous personnel file and promptly removed him from department chair, then Tomlin finally left ASU not long after. Then the Board finally removed McClure from her position. Both were extremely positive developments that made many people relieved.
June 6, 2018 at 11:22am To June 5 at 10:15 pm, I am sorry you did not see the definition of a business shown in a previous post. There are numerous definitions but the following is pretty industry standard: "A business is an organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial or professional activities. A business transacts business activities through the production of a good, offering of a service or retailing of already manufactured products. A business can be a for-profit entity or a nonprofit organization that operates to fulfill a charitable mission." Yes, a charity can be a business. Non-profits can be businesses. A family reunion typically does not engage in the activities listed above - but universities hire professionals and engage in professional activities. Universities are audited, they have HR departments, payroll, etc. Some negotiate with unionized workers. They accept payment from customers - who, once paid become students, to which they provide their professional services. Most universities answer to a board of directors, and the president is not a subordinate of the Governor, nor a state department head. And yes, while ASU is a quasi-state agency, all employees are not in state retirement, and when "state employees" receive a pay raise that does not always mean all state university employees. State universities are hybrid organizations, but they are never not businesses. Your reference to what students and others believe makes no sense. If 100% of the students believe we are in D1, or B3, or NAIA, it doesn't change the fact. If 100% of the employees believe we are in the WTO and not subject to oversight from HLC that does not change the fact. Some things simply aren't opinions. Now that we've had this nice chat, how have we helped Adams move forward? LOL Is there anything nice that you can say about our university, staff, leadership, direction, campus? Did you miss a pretty nice commencement and not see all of the celebrations? Are you unaware that summer session is up and running and students and faculty are working hard? Those are such cool things. Good people are moving ASU forward every day. Get to know some and become a part of the journey. It's a much happier way.
June 5, 2018 at 10:15pm If a public university is a business, then surely a non-profit organization is a business, and a community volunteer group is a business, and a youth sports team is a business, and a family reunion is a business, and almost any form of organized human behavior is a business.The term loses all meaning when applied in this way.And it’s most certainly not what people consider a business if not a private organization in the pursuit of profit. Ask the HLC if ASU is a business.Or ask the CO Department of Education. Or simply ask most ASU students, faculty or staff.They intuitively understand that a public university is not a business. Moreover, it is jibberish to assert a state-funded school is a business.
June 5, 2018 at 9:01pm Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???? "I am certain ASU‘s main sources of operating funds are the bookstore, the cafeteria, and ticket sales to public events. Not state/federal funds and subsidized loan programs allocated to public universities." No one said those were main sources of funds. Read the post. Those were just examples of transactions that contribute to the business of ASU. And by definition, even if 100% of ASU's income came from grants, charity, or tax dollars, it would still be a business. Read the definition of a business provided in a previous post. The rest of your post is just jibberish that doesn't merit comment.
June 5, 2018 at 4:28pm Sure, Mike. I am certain ASU‘s main sources of operating funds are the bookstore, the cafeteria, and ticket sales to public events. Not state/federal funds and subsidized loan programs allocated to public universities. ASU could operate just fine as a for-profit business with you in charge. I presume you applied for the presidency and are a front runner for the job? One of us has been providing evidence based on available data... and the other has been slinging insults and empty, malfunctioning definitions that defy rational consistency. That’s certainly not debatable.
June 5, 2018 at 3:58pm To June 5 at 3:50 pm, now you just embarrass yourself with what you do not know. It is okay, but certainly not debatable.
June 5, 2018 at 3:50pm Michael Tomlin is so deeply confused about what public universities are and the definition of a business that it’s truly puzzling he ever taught business at a public university - albeit overseeing a department that violated academic integrity and landing ASU on probation. So that might explain it. Quick review - ASU’s principal funding sources are federal grants, state budget allocations, and various federal student loan programs... Not the book store, the athletic events, concerts or theatre.If ASU were to operate as a for-profit enterprise, it would shut down almost instantly. That’s among the reasons why HLC reaccreditation is important to begin with: eligibility to receive public funding in order to remain viable. Hint: it’s tax dollars. And education shouldn’t be a business.It should be a public good.That’s why almost every developed country funds tuition-free K-12 and many countries fund tuition-free higher education... most of which out-perform the USA in science, math, reading and writing. Not coincidentally, the absolute worst higher ed institutions in the USA - like University of Phoenix and the now-defunct ITT Tech - are “run like a business.”They frequently engage in predatory lending practices and vastly overstate the success rate of their graduates. This is not the model any school should emulate if they are serious about quality education. None of the elite institutions in the USA (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc.) are for-profit colleges. You know what other “school” was run like a business? Trump University.And it was a total scam that resulted in class action lawsuits and a $25M settlement.Speaking of which, I wonder what a degree from Tomlin University would be worth...
June 5, 2018 at 10:10am For those who wish to believe a public university is not a "business," see the common definition below: "A business is an organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial or professional activities. A business transacts business activities through the production of a good, offering of a service or retailing of already manufactured products. A business can be a for-profit entity or a nonprofit organization that operates to fulfill a charitable mission." ASU is an "organization" or "entity" and it operates a book store, restaurants/cafeteria, sells tickets in return for admission to theater and sporting events, and of course exchanges the receipt of money for the delivery and provision of educational services. It is by any definition a "business." This is not say that it has been run well or managed well. There is no argument that the Trustees were under-involved in their oversight a few years back. There is no argument that missteps were made by Richardson Hall. Most of those administrators are gone. Many of the department chairs are gone. But the path to stability and improvement for the university is not through the skeletons of previous employees. You can continue to shake "documents" at Doell, decry dinner receipts, and insult supporters of the university, but you only show your smallness and irrelevance. Those who care about the university are working to strengthen it, from its core to the fringes. That's a productive approach and it's more fun. We welcome new faculty and staff to the team and embrace the good work ahead. You haters can join too.
June 4, 2018 at 4:32pm There are literally dozens of documents on Watching Adams that cannot be found anywhere on the ASU website and were only reported after this site published them. Outrageous mediation agreements, unpresidential conduct, reprehensible compensation data and salary sheets, a lying president called out by the CO AAUP, wasteful spending on fancy meals and excessive travel, internal memos and attempts to suppress information and intimidate employees... but on the ASU site, everything is great and getting better! Notice June 4 @2:26pm (aka Mike Tomlin) has no defense for the questions that June 3 @1:05pm asked regarding the “evidence” for Doell’s promotion and raise? Telling and unsurprising. Here are more questions to ponder: if “accreditation first, finances second, and customers third,” why have ASU’s finances been running a deficit since FY 2013 and why has ASU’s enrollment been dropping since 2012 - long before ASU’s academic probation in 2016? Also, students aren’t “customers” and public education isn’t a business. Sorry, Mike. Speaking of the NFL, ASU spends tuition and taxpayer dollars on its football team like it regularly sends players to the pros each year! But that’s not happening; For a decade running, ASU cannot win a majority of its D2 football games. So if management is always management, then clearly it’s management that mismanaged ASU into serious financial deficits, a disappearing student body, academic probation, and a shrinking workforce. Where’s the accountability from those in charge?Instead, we’ve seen a literal “standing strong” parade, fancy banquets and a six-figure severance package alongside padded salaries for admin to return to faculty.Yet according to (disgraced former faculty and dethroned department chair) Mike Tomlin, management has been smooth sailing for the past three years as he has been insisting that everything is great and getting better. This just in: everything is not great at ASU... and for it to get better, will require an admission that things have indeed been very bad for a considerable number of years under leadership elements that are still intact (and promoted, in Doell’s case).Consequently, the apologists like Tomlin who insist that ASU’s real problem is an optical illusion cultivated by nay-sayers now have zero credibility as the unassailable evidence to the contrary is evident in every press report, firsthand account, ledger and enrollment record.
June 4, 2018 at 2:26pm Given the lack of any evidence of "wrong doing, incompetence or corruption," it is natural for a site like this one to devolve into a no news announcement platform and insult site. Most of the announcements here are readily available in other places, and signs show a university moving forward - positively toward reaccreditation, slowly toward financial stability, and still stuck on enrollment. But there is a rule - accreditation first, finances second, and customers third. The Trustees understand this and are wisely steering the ship in the right direction. This site has also developed unrelated themes, such as the NFL. Bill Belichick touts that everyone is replaceable, and that is core to the success of the Patriots. Mike Tomlin is misquoted as saying that management is always right - when he actually said that management is always management - work for it or move on. Two great coaches, one hugely successful, and the other one very successful. Smart organizations can learn from both.
June 4, 2018 at 2:18pm June 4th 8:32 - I agree with you. If you are a new professor or a new incoming professor and want to do research to move up or out think twice about staying or accepting a teaching job at Adams State University. The longer you stay, the longer you are stuck with no where else to go. Don't let ASU ruin your career!
June 4, 2018 at 8:32am If Adams State University is a "true" University, why aren't the professors given the time to do research? The professors have some of the highest teaching loads ever seen at the University level. This does not go unnoticed. It's kind of like a high school for kids who graduated public high school, only not managed as well.
June 4, 2018 at 8:25am Lately, the purpose of this site seems to be documenting who is getting their position cut or their salary reduced versus who is getting a cushy severance package or a raise and promotion... as well as who is getting their budget cut as enrollment continues to drop. The evidence is clearly posted for all that.
June 4, 2018 at 8:01am I thought the purpose of this site was to present evidence of wrong-doing, incompetence, and corruption at ASU to the larger community. However, lately it seems that there is an excess of accusations and a shortage of actual evidence to back them up.
June 3, 2018 at 1:15pm When you aren’t good enough for one job, let’s create another one to make you feel good. #Karlaforpresident
June 3, 2018 at 1:05pm All the evidence available, huh? Here are a few questions for Mike Tomlin’s “Management Is Always Right” School of Higher Ed: - If Doell was so good at her job, why wasn’t she hired as VPAA when she interviewed? - If Doell was so good at her job, why did ASU go on academic probation under her leadership? - If Doell was so good at her job, why has ASU’s enrollment and retention fallen under her leadership? - If Doell was so good at her job, why does ASU have among the lowest graduation rates of 4 year programs in the nation? Apparently, actions have inverse consequences at ASU. If you are great at your job, you’ll be bullied into resignation. If you are terrible at your job, you’ll get a promotion and a bonus. These days, the empty suits/hats around Adams State are usually the ones in charge - which is why the school is in serious trouble.
June 3, 2018 at 10:24am To the contributor who wrote that AVPAA Doell has "for years, amply and repeatedly demonstrated a complete lack of academic integrity," you should have submitted your evidence to Dr. Nehring and/or the Board of Trustees. Based upon proper vetting of all evidence available, and her work performance, Ms. Doell was promoted. So you either sat on your evidence, or more likely you are an empty suit, a hollow hat, and you have nothing other than insults. And while I am truly not an expert on re-accreditation, I don't believe any organization ever "insulted" their way to success. If Adams is to gain a clean - or improved bill of health it will be due to the good and hard work of those involved in the effort.
June 2, 2018 at 6:20pm Let us not forget that inadequate academic integrity at the institutional level is a principle reason that HLC placed ASU’s accreditation on probation. It is therefore astonishing that Ms. Doell who has, for years, amply and repeatedly demonstrated a complete lack of academic integrity would be promoted to Associate VP -- of Academic Affairs.
June 2, 2018 at 3:17pm Yes, Mike Tomlin, those are some “alternative facts.” But if you think Doell was merely “active attending community and social events,” you don’t understand what was really happening. For those of us that do, it was clear McClure was grooming Doell as her loyal lackey at a great cost to many personal and professional relationships in the process. The campus is measurably worse off for it. And this passive characterization of Gilmer as “gone” belies a larger problem at ASU - the competent, professional, committed people who were the targets of bullying and retaliation didn’t just disappear one day out of mere preference. They were actively hunted down and chased out. At ASU, many truly great people have been run off campus while truly unqualified, vindictive and disastrous people were retained, promoted, and protected. ... Are things moving forward?With ongoing declines in enrollment, fleeing employees, declining salaries and cut positions, this hardly appears to be a campus on the ascent.
June 2, 2018 at 1:06pm An alternative translation for 11:13am is that Doell worked for the president appointed over her and was active attending community and social events. No sin there. Gilmer is gone, McClure is gone. Neither are likely coming back. Neither are relevant to today or tomorrow at Adams. We can move on. "If" Adams is to prevail in its re-accreditation quest, then it will be because of good work done by Dr. Nehring, Doell, department chairs, faculty and others. We also have a new VPAA to celebrate, and welcome. Things are moving forward.
June 1, 2018 at 11:13am Translation from 7:07am - even after Doell applied for the VPAA position and wasn’t hired, she befriended President McClure and paraded around with her to social events for years as McClure chased off VPAA Gilmer and generally wrecked things across campus. After McClure was rewarded for her incompetence with a full payout and a jeep, Doell also got a raise and a promotion. Because hey, why hire great people at ASU when you can keep promoting the poison?
June 1, 2018 at 7:07am To May 31 @ 2:20 - Dr. Nehring communicated to all employees via email on May 14th about updates on campus. In that message, he detailed additional duties and responsibilities that were given to Margaret Doell, and a corresponding promotion in rank from Assistant to Associate VP for Academic Affairs. A pay raise naturally follows a promotion.
May 31, 2018 at 2:20pm Can someone please explain how Maggie gets a substantial raise after all these cuts have been made? Her and her wife both make good money off of this Institution and not to mention the Mumper /Freeman scammers!
May 31, 2018 at 1:02pm Actually, the problem at ASU has consistently been a lack of clear, effective, accountable leadership.Blaming the faculty, staff, and students for problems that begin on the desks of upper administrators simply doesn’t cut it. And here’s another idea: how about disgraced former faculty Mike Tomlin stops posing as an ASU employee on Watching Adams with all this talk about “we” in his comments here? Tomlin was absolutely part of the problem at ASU and oversaw some of the worst abuses in course overloading that got ASU on probation to begin with... and then complained on this forum at length about how unjustified it was for ASU to be sanctioned by the HLC for online coursework with hundreds of students. So enjoy your retirement and Amazon book sales, Mike.And please stop lecturing the rest of ASU on how to solve problems that you clearly made worse.
May 31, 2018 at 9:38am Dear May 30 @3:54, thank you for exposing the single biggest problem at Adams - it's always someone else's job, someone else's failure, someone else who should be fired. Unless Karla was there, at the moment and time, then it was the job of whomever wrote the post telling the personal story. We are all "first responders" when someone talks about OUR school. You, me, everyone. Adams isn't perfect, but we can defend and relate the many very good things about it. If WE can't do that, then we should not expect "Karla" to be able to do it. And that brings up the other issue. All of you haters - fire Karla, fire Rodney, fire Ed, fire Frank, fire Erica, fire Tracy, fire Margaret, fire everybody except you.... We are moving forward positively on our accreditation, we are making headway with our budget, and we are positioning Adams for a strong and bright future. Some of you who have done nothing to help with this continually carp about who should be fired. Maybe it's you. Or maybe you should just get over yourselves and do your job, and be a good "first responder."
May 30, 2018 at 8:51pm Dear May 30 @ 3:54 - Isn’t that Karla Hardesty’s job? Major FAILURE. Can we fire her yet?
May 30, 2018 at 3:54pm Dear "Sadly" @ 12:22pm, please share with us the best arguments you used to convince her that Adams is still a great choice for many students.
May 29, 2018 at 12:22pm Sadly, I was in Denver this weekend talking to a workforce coordinator for one of the big school districts and she said she is no longer recommending Adams State University to high school students because of its bad reputation - both financially and educationally. Sadness.
May 25, 2018 at 9:54pm Hey Karla Hardesty... Enrollment is going the WRONG WAY!
May 23, 2018 at 8:41pm I love when the spring semester is over because the sidewalks at ASU are lush and green and the lawn is nice and brown. Those aerator plugs are a classy touch!
May 23, 2018 at 7:32pm Can someone please tell Karla Hardesty that people not registering until later and later is directly related to her lack of energy and strategy for enrollment! Yet another Valley Courier article discussing the reasons enrollment is down with no plan for change presented. The community is tired of reading this WITHOUT an action plan! ASU projects 3 percent enrollment decrease, tuition and rates the same
May 20, 2018 at 8:51am I’m hitting a paywall on the WSJ article. Can someone post the relevant excerpt? ----Editor's Reply: We've provided a PDF version here. The relevant excerpt is: Behind the rancor is a competition for cash. Top tier schools continue to thrive but many universities are facing declining enrollment and public cuts in funding. Hostilities between faculty and administrators can impugn a school’s reputation and lead to high administration turnover that can affect enrollment and ding the school’s credit rating, said Susan Fitzgerald, an associate managing director at Moody’s Investors Service. The credit-ratings firm downgraded the standing of the University of Missouri, Birmingham Southern University, Adams State University and Howard University in part because of turnover of senior management. “The real question is can universities keep up with the pace of change? I think we’re going to see a lot more of this,” Ms. Fitzgerald said.
May 20, 2018 at 5:56am I’m curious about the article posted re; no confidence votes of University leadership. Is there a suggestion that this be done at Adams? ----Editor’s reply: This Wall Street Journal article mentions Adams State’s credit downgrade and was posted for that reason. The context in which it is included could also be relevant for discussions about a growing lack of confidence in university leadership nationwide.
May 17, 2018 at 9:47am @May 15 comments - I agree, congratulations to Dr. Chris Gilmer. It is so true that good things happen to good people! Evil spirits could not dampen his quest to serve students and community. Adams State's loss. So damn frustrating.
May 16, 2018 at 5:30pm The Romero’s are poison to Alamosa and Adams State. How is Erica, who still does not have a bachelors degree, employeed by ASU? She has destroyed the morale of Alamosa School District through her alterior hiring/firing motives and will eventually weasel her way to the top of ASU if she is not stopped. Erica is an evil person. Her husband is a snake in the grass who can’t be trusted. Hiring Jason for the baseball position would be a massive mistake! Go back to Albuquerque, Romero’s! You’ve worn out your welcome in Alamosa!
May 15, 2018 at 10:15pm So... can anyone lend anything to the rumor that Erica Romero’s husband, Jason, is going to be the next baseball coach at ASU? I understand that the current coach isn’t getting the job done, but he is Larry’s boy. I also understand that Romero is a hothead and got into a shoving match with a coach from another school this weekend. Hmmmm. Sounds like someone we need to hire. A bully like those in power now. Didn’t the baseball team only win 2 games this year? Change is needed, but not with the Romeros. They need to be run out of town, like the others from Albuquerque!
May 15, 2018 at 2:44pm Adams State 0; Chris Gilmer 1. Winner!
May 15, 2018 at 1:31pm Congrats to Dr. Chris Gilmer, "the new president of West Virginia University at Parkersburg" according to The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. You know, if Adams State wasn't such a massively dysfunctional place led by hostile and incompetent administrators, Dr. Gilmer would be leading the school into a bright future. But here, the corruption rises to the top and the virtuous are chased out of town!
May 15, 2018 at 11:20am Last line of Matt Nehring’s memo: “I appreciate your continued commitment to Adams State...”. Really, Matt? Those who were forced out were probably the most committed, but commitment to Adams State has never mattered, so why try to fluff it up now so the public can think you actually care?
May 15, 2018 at 7:06am Re: May 14th - I'm so sorry to hear this. Let me count the ways ASU has screwed over their nursing students. In the past 6 years, at least, nursing students have been dealing with a moving target when it comes to reaching their potential success. Changes in course requirements, grading scales, and staff have been occurring overnight, leaving students in the dark and confused. The discrepancy that exists when it comes to disciplinary actions towards students is pervasive. Nursing students with JOBS and FAMILIES of their own don't know what their course schedule is until a few days before term. Students have had to rally for attention, to Svaldi (happily retired), Novotny (still employed), later to McClure (gone, thank goodness), and to Doell (promoted), and for what? They continue to get screwed by a system that consistently works against them. Many of the changes that occurred after Dr. Elliott was removed were welcomed, but in true ASU form, it comes at a cost to the student not to those who are culpable (see names above) for the situation they're having to overcome.
May 14, 2018 at 10:19pm Regarding Matt Nehring’s campus wide email tonight. I’m extremely disappointed in him—especially with regard to Margaret Doell’s promotion. How can anybody recommend anything other than her firing for her culpability in this mess? She’s still hanging with the former president (check her FB page). She is such a failure! Matt has proven he is no better than his predecessors who put us in this position. But of course, he is going back to be Frankie’s colleague (friend). Yeah Matt, it was easy for you to come in, make a few minor changes, wash your hands and return to the faculty. And you will likely continue to complain about the decades of incompetence and bitch about new leadership and their incompetence. But really, what did you bring to the table? A bunch of BS. You fired good people. You ran good people off. And you KEPT the incompetence that continues to plague this institution — including yourself. Nice work, Matt. Your agenda was realized at the expense of good people. Nice work. SMH!
May 14, 2018 at 7:40pm The following anonymous message was sent to Watching Adams on May 14, 2018 at 7:40pm and may be of interest to our readers: Adams State Nursing Program has not provided the education required to the students during the four year degree program and is now preventing 12 senior students from receiving their diploma 2 days before graduation due to a predictor exam that was implemented only for job security of the professors and the security of the program. This predictor exam is used as other Universities as exit exams but does not determine whether they can receive their degree or not. Students were suspected of cheating in the first predictor exam and the intern president and director of the program promised something would be done to those students and instead are letting them graduate. Myself and other students have passed all of our courses and this one test that should be used as a practice exam is determining whether I can be a nurse or not; that is what the NCLEX is for. We are united and we will fight until justice is done.
May 14, 2018 at 2:40pm The Chronicle Vitae has two very ASU-relevant articles this week. Both are worth a read! Do I sign the severance agreement? Do I negotiate? Hire a lawyer to send a threatening letter? You’re Not Just Leaving Academe, You’re Leaving Your Students
May 11, 2018 at 7:49am "Slavery is a system of brute force. It must be met with its own weapons." - Frederick Douglass This trend not hiring or keeping people of color has to stop. How have they safeguarded against such accusations? By putting people of color on hiring committees that have sold themselves out. When all you're out for is self-preservation, don’t be surprised when you’re all alone in your greatest time of need.
May 3, 2018 at 2:10pm Who cares about ASU's Guaranteed Tuition if the student fees are the highest in the state? From The Criterionat Colorado Mesa University: “The highest four-year institutional fees were from Western State Colorado University, with $3178 per year, and Adams State University, with $3704 per year. Though these universities boast some of the lowest tuition ($6624 and $5736 respectively, for 30 credit hours), their student fees are the highest. The average four-year institutional student fees for 2017-2018 is $2086, a number that is more than double CMU’s current fees.“ So ASU's student fees are about 77% higher than the state average? Are the campus services 77% better for ASU's students? Doubtful. This seems like the high cost of a fixed tuition program to me.
April 29, 2018 at 5:32pm Any thoughts on who the next interim will be?
April 29, 2018 at 4:50pm ...and we love and miss you, Meagan! Adams benefited from your passion, your candor, and your student-centric focus. Your presence made us stronger, your absence is keenly felt.
April 28, 2018 at 10:30pm Regardless of the negative comments that were made, I will always of a strong love for Adams State University and the San Luis Valley. - Meagan Smith
April 28, 2018 at 7:55pm The words "love me some ____" is a commonly-used turn of phrase and perfectly acceptable in conversational English. This is the comments section of a website, not a PhD dissertation or literary work. Ya'll need to chill out, calm down, and focus on the real issues ASU faces. Get over yourselves. For reals, yo.
April 28, 2018 at 3:17pm Reading all of the recent posts I saw no assumptions about race. There was a question about education level regarding English language skills.
April 26, 2018 at 11:02pm April 26 @ 9:27am - 1. Meagan's post (which she has admitted to making) indicated "I was responsible for the Valley and Texas. I will take the compliment anyway." Yes clearly Meagan posting. 2. You are making assumptions about my race/ethnicity, my employer, etc. How are you so certain I'm not an African American trying to "learn you some ethnic dialects"? Be very careful about pot/kettle, my friend. I stand by my statement that the comment "learn you some English" was in extreme poor taste--for a myriad of reasons--one of which is blatant racism.
April 26, 2018 at 7:07pm ASU what a shit hole it has become. Morale is low, enrollment is down, great and good faculty have left. More budget cuts! Still not understanding why Tracy Rogers, Ana Guevara, Scott White, Kevin Daniels, school board prez Erica Romero are paid high dollar and didn’t take a voluntary cut in pay. Retired employees or employees who have left - come back and takeover positions. Some individuals need to leave because they’ve been at ASU for too damned long. Some faculty and staff need to resign as they are horrible instructors and employees. So glad I’m out and my girls WILL NEVER ATTEND ASU. CU BUFF FAN FOR LIFE!
April 26, 2018 at 5:22pm @ 4/24 9:49 - The most recent Valley & Western Slope rep was May Mercandante - fired in early March. Texas rep Phil Romero quit in early April.
April 26, 2018 at 1:22pm I made the April 24th @ 9:49pm comment and I have no idea how race got involved in this conversation. So silly! - Meagan Smith
April 26, 2018 at 9:27am @ 10:22, The post was not signed and since it referred to a "Ms. Meagan Smith," it seemed the writer was not she. I think most viewers of this site must work for ASU. However some do not, do not know all of the employees, and do not know the ethnicity of all who respond or are referenced here. To your point on racism, what would have been blatantly racist would be to assume and assign race to a written word or phrase. That is the type of racial stereotyping we should be avoiding, not encouraging.
April 25, 2018 at 10:22pm Re: April 25 @ 8:51 - Wow! I'm not sure what is more offensive or ignorant about your comment... 1. Clearly Meagan is the person who posted about her "loud mouthed" self. Given she is a black woman, and there is an accepted "black dialect" which she was using, your "Take you some English class" comment is so racist, it defies logic or common human decency. OR 2. Let's assume you didn't realize this was Meagan. What does it say about you and your opinion of our students? Either way, your comment is more indicative of the ass you are than anything else. And this comes from a non-Meagan fan.
April 25, 2018 at 10:14pm What? This does not make sense... They should have kept the loud mouth Valley representative! Annoying yes, difficult to work with yes, getting the job done HELL YES!
April 25, 2018 at 8:51pm April 24, 2018 at 9:49, "Love me some Adams State." How about "Take you some English class." I do hope you are a student admitted on academic probation, and not a junior or senior.
April 24, 2018 at 9:49pm I'm assuming you are referring to Ms. Meagan Smith. I was responsible for the Valley and Texas. I will take the compliment anyway. Lol! Love me some Adams State.
April 24, 2018 at 5:59pm @4/21 - No one said Del Tondo wouldn't do a good job. HOWEVER: it is highly inappropriate for the search committee chair & the individual charged with receiving applications, resumes and letters of interest, to be selected for the position! DUH! In more important news: IS ANYONE WORKING IN ADMISSIONS? Texas moved on to a bigger and brighter future. Arizona & New Mexico is in charge ()! The admissions representative calendar is EMPTY! They should have kept the loud mouth Valley representative! Annoying yes, difficult to work with yes, getting the job done HELL YES! #KARLA4PRESIDENT
April 21, 2018 at 5:58pm I disagree I think Bruce will do a great job. He has experience with sitting on construction project committees for years.
April 16, 2018 at 8:39pm Del Tondo is supposed to be the chair of the facilities search committee. If he is indeed taking over the department it would take everything to a whole new level. ASU Current Position Openings
April 16, 2018 at 5:55pm It’s sad that retired people that went back to ASU still have their jobs while others who needed the tenure have to go. People who quit get to return, as well. If Del Tondo is the new director, let’s see how much enabling and bailing out he’ll do.
April 15, 2018 at 6:49pm I heard they hired Bruce DelTondo as facility services director beginning June 1st.
April 15, 2018 at 4:41pm Re: April 15 @3:29 - But didn't you know it's not Karla's fault! It's Eric Carpio's and Dr. Mumper's faults! #karlaforpresident!
April 15, 2018 at 3:29pm The department of admissions is now short 1 director and 2 (TWO) admissions recruiters! Karla for President! I can't wait to see the freshman numbers for fall. Let alone the retention numbers! I hear tell Karla is trying to recruit her next set of employees out of athletics! WOW! There's a bright idea. Karla, the hardest direction to point at is yourself. Admit that you have no idea what you are doing! Everybody already knows! Resign Karla, before they fire you. It will look better on your resume.
April 14, 2018 at 6:02pm I noticed some other revealing language in this Valley Courier article: "Bricker liked the idea. She added, “We don’t want someone to just use this as a stepping stone. You want someone who is a little bit more committed.” ... This is especially sad when thinking about the number of faculty and staff who saw ASU as their home and wanted to stay but were chased out. So many people who would otherwise form roots in Alamosa are treated as though ASU is a stepping stone - one that is pulled out from under them. "The trustees talked about the key needs of the university right now. Some of those include improving enrollment, retention, the university’s financial condition and the relationship between the president and board." ... Yup, these are literally all the things that McClure failed at. Why did Arnold and Company offer her a three year extension to her contract when she was already failing to do these things a year in? And then the Board paid out her contract completely for shoddy work - even as they cut salaries and positions of 35 people for no fault of their own? Is the Board going to talk about that at all? Or is this an executive body that is in constant, non-reflective deliberation? "Lueck said the process needs to allow for transparency as well, and community meetings might be a part of the process... Trustee Rogers said the vacancy announcement could be clear about what the board’s priorities are, and the candidates could tell the board during their interviews how they might “help us get there.” ... Does it strike anyone else as odd that they are just now talking about this process? They removed McClure from office two months ago and no doubt have been talking about doing so for many months (years?) before that. Why are they just now discussing how to start the process of hiring a new president months after formally removing the previous one from office? And overall, I still don't get the sense that this board fully appreciates how bad the situation at ASU is - for students, employees, and the community. Where's their skin in the game? What are the stakes if they fail? Arnold spent something like 8 years on the board and managed to personally enrich himself during the process - even as the school had the bottom drop out from under it on many levels.
April 14, 2018 at 5:13pm Not sure if the trustees are praying, laughing, or crying in the VC photo. Judging from the two fresh boxes of tissues on the table, perhaps the latter? To answer April 14, 2018 at 3:44pm, I'd like to see the following qualities: - An independent-minded leader who will not be drawn into the viper's nest of cronies and who will clean house - An ethically-minded leader who believes in and upholds the ideals of higher education - A team-building leader who truly welcomes ideas and active participation from faculty, staff, and students - A community-minded leader who embraces, values, and nurtures the symbiotic relationship of the campus and the Valley - A healing leader who will acknowledge and address the pain and damage inflicted by ASU in recent years - A daring leader who knows that ASU's precarious future depends upon bold, decisive, innovative action - A coalition-oriented leader who can forge the educational, fiscal, and legislative connections crucial to ASU's survival That'll do for a start.
April 14, 2018 at 3:44pm Enlightening article in the Courier today about ASU's search for a new president. Hints at where McClure fell short: real knowledge of higher ed, our culture, leadership, and keeping the board informed. Of special note, wanting to be part of our community. (In contrast to mocking it?) I sure hope they will survey what's left of the campus. Many vocal critics here on WatchingAdams, so what do we think? For example, the article mentions higher ed experience not being critical. No, maybe not essential, but I definitely think it is desirable. That experience is likely to include knowledge that will help with other issues: financial, legislative, culture, recruitment and retention (of faculty and students). The idea that it's a buyer's market when it comes to faculty is fatally flawed. When faculty leave, students are impacted negatively in ways many people don't understand or appreciate.
April 14, 2018 at 2:07pm Plenty of interesting subtext to explore in today's ASU Begins President Search article. The trustee banter is as much about what was wrong with their last selection as what they hope to see in their next: “Really what we need is a president that wants to be a part of the community and culture.” "Bricker also talked about the need to find someone who had cultural appreciation and knowledge." "Lueck said the three areas she believed should be enhanced in the announcement summary were: relationship building in the community and in general; ability to work well with entities such as the Higher Learning Commission; and financial skills to deal with ASU’s current challenges." Translation: Not like Beverlee.
April 13, 2018 at 10:21am I can't believe the Teflon Don is still with this place, it sickens me!
April 12, 2018 at 7:05pm April 12 @5:15 - So Frank and Ellen Novotny get away with theft and racketeering. Frank's CLEAR culpability for the mess he helped to create with Svaldi, Mansheim, and Rogers is forgiven by a "voluntary" salary reduction? Are you f'ing kidding me!?! I would LOVE to know by just how much his salary has been reduced. I mean, considering he's picked up 5 additional hours in overload this semester with Astalos' resignation. Yeah! Let that sink in! His wife was bragging about it at the all campus meeting the other day. When will those two thieving leeches be driven off of this campus? Or I digress, perhaps these decisions shouldn't have been made by insiders... too many friends, too many agendas. This is sickening AT BEST!
April 12, 2018 at 5:15pm ----Editor's Note: We have published the list of positions affected by the 2018 Financial Action Plan.
April 12, 2018 at 9:43am @April 5, 2018 8:20 p.m. - They should have used the shot of her in Halloween costume, as the wrecked plumber. It's actually likely more HER.
April 9, 2018 at 12:30am ----Editor's Note: Per reader requests, we have published ASU's program self-assessment reports for Athletics, Operations, President's Office, Student Services, Undergraduate and Graduate programs. Thank you for your patience in anticipation of these documents.
April 8, 2018 at 8:05am “Mission: ASU’s mission is to educate, serve, and inspire our diverse populations in the pursuit of their lifelong dreams and ambitions.” Notice how "educate" comes first. No where does it say "entertain with mediocre sports teams." Even considering "inspire," the only inspiring team record here belongs to our runners.
April 7, 2018 at 9:37pm Given that the largest budget cuts are to academics - including tenured faculty positions and administrative assistants who manage graduate programs, how much longer before Adams State becomes a college again?
April 7, 2018 at 9:24pm Did they fire President Hardesty?
April 7, 2018 at 3:02pm From today's Valley Courier article: "A total of 45 people are impacted from the staff changes, which equals 11 percent of ASU’s fulltime benefits-eligible workforce. Two positions were eliminated in the president’s office, which impacts two people. However, the changes that cut three from the chief operating officer’s department affects five people and the vice president for student service’s five eliminated positions only affects two people. Twelve people in the athletics department are impacted by the plan and one position has been eliminated. Academics, which saw the largest cut, therefore sees 24 people impacted as 16 positions are terminated."
April 7, 2018 at 8:59am I would like to know how many departments had to cut positions? I can probably guess some that didn't lose anyone and probably some that even had promotions. Sad, sad day at ASU!
April 7, 2018 at 6:42am @April 6, 2018 at 10:07pm: Remember, 42% of our students are athletes. Athletics makes money at Adams, academics doesn't. What I'd like to know is - of the nine involuntary cuts/reductions/eliminations/terminations (people) - how many are administration vs. faculty vs. classified?
April 6, 2018 at 10:07pm So, the smallest cut in absolute dollars and as a percentage is to athletics, while the largest cut in dollars and as a percentage is to academics? WTF? Are professors' jobs to pretend to teach athletes so that they can compete?
April 6, 2018 at 5:40pm I would love to know who was cut in administration to come up with $740,838? Also, was McClure's "little" exit package factored into the $2.7 million deficit, or did that just become $3,000,000?
April 6, 2018 at 11:06am According to paragraphs 13-17 of McClure's Settlement Agreement, she is fleeing campus with another $250,000, a 2015 Jeep, and a laptop computer. Must be nice when failing at your job results in winning so many prizes at the end of the show! Just remember this when you hear about ASU employees being terminated for the administration's financial mismanagement.
April 5, 2018 at 8:20pm Valley Courier, wow. Could you have made your Beverlee McClure image any bigger? Gives one quite a jolt. Once I recovered and read on, I ran into this beauty: ASU Trustees "...look forward to a stronger, more financially stable institution, one comprised of exceptional talent and dedication from a broad spectrum of stakeholders." "Broad spectrum of stakeholders"? Look around you. Who's left? You're still lopping heads even as you dribble empty platitudes for the press. The ranks of "exceptional talent and dedication" at ASU are not just thinned. They're gone.
April 5, 2018 at 8:10pm Further to April 5, 2018 at 2:35pm: "...poised to make courageous decisions...". Courageous like what...like terminating tenured faculty? Is this your definition of courageous, Bev? I call it reprehensible. Utterly, tragically reprehensible. How does a university ever recover from such a Rubiconian action? What faculty past, present, or future would ever trust such an institution? Trust is a fragile thing, easily broken. Mistrust is deep waters, a long lasting current.
April 5, 2018 at 2:35pm From today's Valley Courier: Dr. McClure, in a statement to the trustees, said she is proud of the accomplishments the university achieved since 2015. “I believe this current board is poised to make courageous decisions about the future of Adams State University and to build on the many successes since 2015. I wish Adams State University and the San Luis Valley the very best.” Does anyone seriously believe ASU is in better shape than it was in 2015? The list of McClure's accomplishments include: driving away students, driving away faculty, driving away staff, driving up debt, driving down the university's reputation, and then driving out of town with a half million dollars. Great job, Beverlee!
April 5, 2018 at 7:20am Fake news, making ASU great again, she really is Donald Trump in a lousy disguise.
April 5, 2018 at 6:01am ...Vituperative, contemptible, and also laughably prone to libelous statements. Danny is no “stalker”; he’s a citizen journalist of the highest caliber. Bev should take care not to open herself up to a defamation suit.
April 5, 2018 at 3:28am Beverlee McClure via LinkedIn 4/4/18 - "The board of trustees at Adams State University and I reached a mutually agreeable settlement. My resignation was effective March 31, 2018. Despite the fake news story generated by my stalker, Danny Ledonne, the separation was due to a change in priorities by the current board. I am going to take some time to determine my next adventure. I will enjoy being a private citizen for awhile—especially since stalking a private citizen versus a public figure is illegal." ----Editor's Response: Take care, Bev. This proclamation is news to me; I don't visit any of McClure's social media and, now that she is unaffiliated with ASU, I have no interest in spending another moment of my time thinking about such a vituperative, contemptible person. - Danny Ledonne
April 4, 2018 at 8:46pm Faculty - particularly tenured faculty - shouldn't be terminated at all absent a situation of true fiscal exigency. Even then, position elimination (faculty termination is what I'd call it) should still be a last resort course of action. Eliminating a dozen or so faculty positions without declaring fiscal exigency does not sound like a last resort move. It sounds like the easy way out of a financial challenge, without any regard for appropriate practices. It sounds like an administration that does not respect the primacy of faculty. Besides knowing who else is getting the axe, I'd like to know is *how* these faculty are being selected for termination. Was there an established process/rubric? If so, was it developed in concert with faculty? And was it shared transparently? Rhetorical questions, largely.
April 4, 2018 at 8:18pm April 4 @ 7:30 - "laid off"... that's an interesting way to say "position eliminated". I mean, no chance Roger will ever be back.
April 4, 2018 at 7:30pm So it's circulating on social media that Robert Astalos is taking a job in Denver and that Roger Eriksen was laid off - both stated on their Facebook accounts. These are likely just the first of many departing faculty. Who else do we know is not returning in the fall?
April 3, 2018 at 12:08pm @March 30, 2018 at 12:22pm - All units (operations, athletics, student life) had to submit self reports. They were all linked in the email Matt sent last month.
April 2, 2018 at 8:43pm @April 2, 2018 at 6:05pm - Judging from the deafening silence, that looks to be about the sum of it. "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What one trusts to be truths, turn into compromises. And what is called resignation is confirmed desperation." - Thoreau
April 2, 2018 at 6:05pm It seems like we have a Tale of Two Colorado Campuses. At Fort Lewis, active and engaged faculty have an AAUP chapter, faculty took a proactive approach to addressing budget shortfalls, directly communicated an alternative plan with AAUP support to the administration, and spared every tenure track position from being cut. At Adams State, scared and silent faculty were hesitant to form an AAUP chapter, faculty took a reactive approach to budget shortfalls while their ranks thinned from attrition and a culture of bullying, and now they sit in quiet desperation as a dozen tenure track positions are planned for elimination. There's a lesson in here somewhere for the future of faculty across this country.
March 31, 2018 at 5:20pm Someone asked what the FLC faculty did to save jobs. I was told they went through the budget with a fine-toothed comb looking for ways to balance the budget without eliminating faculty positions. They then proposed, in a letter to their administrators, an alternative strategy to address the budget shortfalls.
March 31, 2018 at 1:55pm It is beyond comprehension how Karla Hardesty can keep a position is which she has failed at over and again. Name one business in which an employee consistently fails to meet requirements and keeps their job? Anywhere else, this person would be let go. Someone really needs to get a backbone and deal with this. It makes me wonder if the BoT has just accepted ongoing enrollment decline and ultimate ASU failure. Where is the fighting spirit of this university? Come on! Dig in and make hard decisions, people!
March 31, 2018 at 7:17am Embedded within the Fort Lewis college piece is a link to the letter the Colorado AAUP wrote to Fort Lewis administration a couple of months ago. Everyone should read it, as there is much that applies directly to us. Elimination of faculty should be the last consideration, not the first. The comment about concern for administrative cherry-picking of faculty got my particular attention (top of p. 2).
March 30, 2018 at 7:05pm So nice news on a Friday. Academic Affairs is proposing cutting tenured and tenure-track faculty by a dozen positions. A dozen! Is this 10% of the faculty body? Or is it more than 10%, given the flight of faculty in recent years? Is this really “right-sizing”? Or is it just part of a continuing “strategy” to slowly but steadily turn out the lights? How do we engage in our primary business of education without educators? And will ASU’s dwindling pool of educators take a stand in defense of their more vulnerable colleagues? Or will they continue to lay low in the name of short term self-preservation? So many questions.
March 30, 2018 at 3:50pm In looking over the proposed staffing changes (academic only) I notice that chemistry and physics are lumped together, with the recommendation of only one tenure/tenure track loss. I certainly hope with Robert Astalos' departure next week, this doesn't mean that Frank Novotny will slide by - keeping his job despite his role in creating this mess AND maintaining his exorbitant salary! Truth be told, he should be brought up on racketeering charges.
March 30, 2018 at 1:34pm From this week's proposed staffing changes, it looks like there could be cuts to: Business, Art, Math, Psych, Soc, Chemistry, Teacher Ed, English, Comm, and HAPPS. Meanwhile, the proposal suggests adding to HPPE - the major most popular with student athletes. Is it just me or is ASU becoming even more of a "jock school?"
March 30, 2018 at 12:22pm March 28 @6:51am - Not that I can find.
March 28, 2018 at 6:51am Are there self reports for departments like HR, OEO, Computing Services, Cleary, PD, or Admissions? Looks like all the reports posted are for academic programs.
March 27, 2018 at 11:05pm March 27th at 10:31pm - Is it a rumor that ASU hasn't had an Admissions Director since August 2017 or that the search for one was failed? Is it a rumor that enrollment continues to plummet? Is it a rumor that faculty and staff have left in droves? Is it a rumor that the university is facing consecutive financial losses? Is it a rumor that the previous president ran off good people while putting up voodoo mirrors in her windows? These are all facts, my friend. Maybe you should stop laughing long enough to pay attention to what's really happening to Adams State.
March 27, 2018 at 10:31pm This forum is hilarious! Does anyone actually do some fact checking before jumping on here to share rumors?
March 27, 2018 at 9:01pm @Don Connell - I guess certain people’s PDQ’s being changed or reallocation haven’t happened in the last 5 years. I guess maybe a posting at RH for a Mechanic III that was there for only about 15 minutes didn’t happen. My sincerest apologies.
March 27, 2018 at 8:43pm Karla can & will make Adams State Great Again, just examine the evidence. - No director in admissions since August 2017. Don't worry, it saved money. - No Texas, New Mexico or Arizona travel. It saves money. The 2 counselors assigned to those territories are very busy people. - Fire the Valley and Western Slope counselor in the middle of the most important recruiting time in the history of Adams State. It saves money. - Enrollment is down historically, not because of THE Director of Enrollment Management, but, because of everyone around her. #FAKENEWS
March 27, 2018 at 2:10pm For the misinformed individual making the comment about the structural trades department giving raises/promotions. It isn't happening! I wish I knew why so many people who comment here do so anonymously. If you have something to say, say it! Then, stand behind it! Get your facts straight. First and foremost. - Don Connell
March 26, 2018 at 9:27pm March 26, 2018 at 7:53pm - I’m sure if someone reached out to the Fort Lewis AAUP chapter, we could readily learn how they put together their analysis and alternate budget proposal.
March 26, 2018 at 7:53pm I read the commentary about Fort Lewis and followed all the links to the news articles, but unfortunately couldn't find any details about the alternative plan for budget cuts proposed by their faculty. Does anyone have any information on this? How did they save faculty positions? I also noted their voluntary severance package was much, much better than ASU's. In some cases, they offered a full year of pay, 4x ASU's maximum. I guess that's to be expected given our low pay and lack of tuition breaks for dependents.
March 26, 2018 at 3:13pm March 26 @ 8:35 - #KarlaforPresident? WTF? ----Editor's Reply: We detect some sarcasm today. Folks are feeling punchy after Spring Break.
March 26, 2018 at 8:36am How can Facility Services give raises to certain people too? Structural seems to do that from time to time and is this a time to do it?
March 26, 2018 at 8:35am The only recruiting work that continues to be done in admissions is by the transfer coordinator and the Colorado Springs admissions counselor. #KarlaforPresident
March 23, 2018 at 1:43pm GEN | Adams State Athletics Business Manager Position Opening Sports Information Director Mar. 13, 2018 General While Adams burns financially, Larry is adding a full time position to help Dianne Lee, the SWA. How, in the current state of Adams State, can this even be allowed? Anybody? Larry has it made now. He can play AD even more now. Dianne Lee, for all her beliefs in Equal Opportunity, women’s rights in the workplace, and Title IX, is a fraud. She makes 1/3 the salary of Larry the AD and his boss Damon the Assoc AD. As far as team sports, increase football and wrestling as a recommendation? What? The ASU wrestling program is a joke. Lazy coach. Football needs downsizing. Will 20 more athletes create success? More of the same. The RMAC is no longer affordable for an Adams State. Travel expenses are far too great. Have some leadership, Larry. Stand up to the RMAC Commissioner on his expansion. All it has done is price out an Adams State. Oh well, too late. Start your own conference. Western, Pueblo, Mines, Ft Lewis, etc. Realign. Have a vision for the future. But instead, Larry and Damon will ride off in the sunset hand in hand. Larry will remain in the Valley and Damon will leave here as he has said privately. Damon has benefited from a donor that put $1 million in “his” Foundation account. If asked, this donor would have released some money to help the university... but do you think Damon even asked? Not if it hurt his domain. This donor could easily give another $1 million but Damon keeps this guy to himself.
March 23, 2018 at 9:19am At the last minute, President Thomas stepped in and declared that no tenured or tenure-track people will be eliminated as part of the budget reductions. This is at Fort Lewis. But they didn't have McClure, Svaldi, Novotny, and Mansheim running their show.
March 22, 2018 at 8:33pm March 19 @ 7:38pm - Who are those foreign ladder climbers? Who is knowledgeable about higher education?
March 20, 2018 at 7:35pm To 7:57pm from 7:38pm: Mmm, you have a point. Perhaps they’re all gone at this point? They came, they saw, they ducked, they departed. And as we’re just about to embark on broad layoffs, we’re certainly in no position to be attracting fresh new voices. If we should ever be again, I hope we adopt a new orientation towards them of listening, valuing, and embracing their innovative ideas.
March 20, 2018 at 9:19am 7:38pm has got it right. That's what I was thinking when I posted the pointer to the Chronicle article. The thought of VP Cary, Doell, or Marquez makes me nauseous, ready to abandon all hope. I believe Gilmer was in that middle ground, ready to embrace the Valley and eager to share fresh perspectives on best practices in higher education, as were many of the faculty and staff who were driven away by an inept and insecure administration.
March 20, 2018 at 8:44am 10:30pm - Now according to Karla Hardesty, the declining enrollment is Dr. Mumper's and Eric Carpio's fault--despite their record breaking enrollments in prior years (yes plural). And yes, Karla believes she could be a college president. If it weren't so sad, it might be funny.
March 19, 2018 at 10:30pm @March 19 7:12 - While you are at it, let's just make Karla Hardesty the new President. Her record as Executive Director of Enrollment Management clearly indicates she has earned it!
March 19, 2018 at 8:00pm March 19 @ 7:12 - Oh good grief, I hope you jest! Any of those idiots would seal our fate! Part and parcel for our amazing decline!
March 19, 2018 at 7:57pm March 19 @ 7:38pm - And who might s/he or they be?
March 19, 2018 at 7:38pm March 19, 2018 at 7:12pm - Somewhere between the hapless home folk without a clue and the foreign ladder climbers without scruples are the many who come to Adams from elsewhere, ready to embrace the Valley and eager to share fresh perspectives on best practices in higher education. They are the ones that Adams rejects at its own peril. Look to them for the path forward. If there is still time.
March 19, 2018 at 7:12pm 5:53 PM makes a very good point with the Chronicle essay. Home folks look ugly so you bring in the fast talker. Once exposed, you give them a bag of money and the bum's rush out the door. Take pictures of the moving van. Now, it's time to take a new look at the home folks. Let's rally with who we know, warts and all. Let's show support for helping us move forward. We can all suck it up a bit. Let's have interviews in short order and the Board can appoint VP Cary, Doell, or Marquez. Time's ticking. What do we have to lose?
March 19, 2018 at 5:53pm Sound familiar? From the Chronicle Vitae: Another New Provost, Terry McGlynn, March 19. How relentless administrative turnover makes it hard for me to do my job as a faculty member. "We keep hiring provosts who want to be presidents. And we keep hiring folks who have no connection to our university, nor to our geographic area. These folks don’t appear to have an intrinsic motivation to follow through on what they’ve started." "most of the interims have been better than most of the permanents" "As faculty members, how can we deal with an administrative merry-go-round?" "While the university exists to serve students, the faculty and staff are the only ones who plan to stick around for more than a few years. We decide what our community is. When we get new administrators, senior faculty members must educate them about the campus culture and mission."
March 19, 2018 at 3:02pm No comments on this: "Increasing the football roster by 20 students and the wrestling roster by 12 was the first suggestion." Give me a break! Maybe we can double spending on travel for football players who don't play and eliminate travel for faculty. Or just eliminate faculty and turn ASU into a sports camp.
March 19, 2018 at 11:08am How kind of ASU admin to allow folks to wear jeans and ASU colors all week. I mean in light of pending job eliminations. Makes the sting far less painful.
March 19, 2018 at 6:49am $2.2 million in personnel cuts is where they'll make up most of their money. They have the list, just release it so we can move on.
March 17, 2018 at 6:58pm Is there any external monitoring of ASU's layoff process, other than the Board of Trustees, which I don't consider external? Someone with extensive HR experience suggested we should have at least that level of protection. Colorado WINS may be able to provide external monitoring for classified staff. Has anyone contacted them? Who could provide external monitoring for faculty?
March 15, 2018 at 12:52am I had a friend who was an art major. She submitted a project with the motto ‘don’t tread on me’. She was told by the department chair, Margaret Doell, that it was ‘inappropriate’. Things that make you go hmmmm...
March 15, 2018 at 12:22am The United States Flag: Federal Law Relating to Display and Associated Questions
March 14, 2018 at 6:59pm Flag art: Free speech. Period.
March 14, 2018 at 6:26pm I thought people might appreciate this picture from earlier today. Notice the side of the van says "Albuquerque."
March 14, 2018 at 6:15pm ----Editor's Note: We have been receiving comments and inquiries about this image including an inverted American Flag, believed to be student work, currently on display in the ASU Art Building. It has generated considerable discussion on Facebook in the past 24 hours.
March 14, 2018 at 12:42pm Adams State University is a joke with a bad reputation state wide!
March 14, 2018 at 9:46am Next time, next place, next targeted people, she needs more potent lemons and/or larger mirrors. Or, a different way to control spiritual forces to protect her from herself.
March 14, 2018 at 7:47am YES! The moving van WAS on campus today. Even voodoo mirrors and lemons couldn't save Bev from herself.
March 13, 2018 at 5:25pm And the moving van was on campus today. I wonder what the final settlement was...add that to our deficit!
March 11, 2018 at 8:05pm If they are not focused on admissions then they are not focused on the future of the school. Read between the lines.
March 8, 2018 at 5:27pm They forced the valley admissions counselor to resign. No Texas travel is planned. Northern NM FINALLY got some attention this week. The Springs recruiter is still trying to cover Denver. I'll say it again: the transfer coordinator seems to be the only recruiter actually working in the local office. Combining the Graduate & Undergraduate Admissions department has done nothing but increase the tension in an already dysfunctional office. Karla is clueless. Ken is spineless. None of that matters. What matters? FALL 2018 ENROLLMENT. First time student applications are down nearly 7% over 2017. How many jobs will have to be cut before someone, ANYONE, takes serious control over the admissions department? Who will stop the bleeding? The 2018 projection is 5% down when compared to 2017. Dr. Nehring indicated that equates to 680k. Will they wait until the percentage reaches the equivalent of 1 million dollars lost to take action? Someone really needs to light a fire. Maybe its just to late.
March 8, 2018 at 11:22am Does anybody know when we find out if we're still employed? I'm certain there's a list of people that are on the chopping block, and it's obvious that a few have been given a heads up already. So when do those of us who aren't favored get our warning? Do we have to wait until the board rubber stamps their approval, even though it's more or less set in stone? Nobody's talking about the special president’s cabinet meeting yesterday either. I bet that went great.
March 7, 2018 at 7:37pm I’ve scoured the quintile rankings multiple times, searching for clues to the fate of friends and colleagues. I’ve concluded that, other than some rather obvious fluffing up of house favorites, the rankings are largely meaningless and can be used to justify just about any decision.
March 7, 2018 at 7:05pm March 5, 2018 at 8:16pm cut-and-pasted from the Faculty Handbook. As I pointed out to Senate, our Handbook provides tenured faculty the weakest protections of any public institution in Colorado, especially with regard to dismissal for cause. The procedures clearly fall short of AAUP/AACU guidelines and I believe HLC criteria. They also include antiquated language like "moral turpitude." Senate formed a committee to recommend changes, but that initiative died as far as I can tell. Oh well, just jobs. Protection for dismissal due to financial woes is similarly weak. Compare us to other universities in Colorado, or better yet, other states. Oh well, just jobs. Not worth making changes to the Handbook. I believe part of the indifference was based on the argument that these things rarely ever happen at ASU. Anyone care to close the barn door after all the horses have been escorted out the door? Nevertheless, I appreciate Matt's process, transparency, and efforts to garner buy-in from the campus. These are a big step in the right direction. Maybe once the current emergency is behind us, we can re-visit the Faculty Handbook policies around dismissal. - Jeff Elison
March 6, 2018 at 7:08pm What hidden magical thinking went into these quintile rankings? The descriptions aren't even internally consistent. From the Introduction: "Also, appearing in the fifth-quintile does not automatically mean that program is in jeopardy as it may be very important to the University, but be weak due to lack of resources historically allocated to the program." From the 5th Quintile: "Inconsistent Outcomes; underperforming despite adequate resources; underperforming due to a lack of resources; potential for growth is limited." So how do we really know if the issues with an underperforming program are due to inadequate resources or not? Some areas on campus have never been adequately funded so it's impossible to know what performance would be if they were adequately funded. And what is "adequate" funding? Furthermore, is there any consideration given to what is "excessive" funding? Some areas of campus are obviously funded far more heavily than necessary and the amount of money doled out each year just to burn through their budget is blatant waste. I'm thinking about all the feel-good, extravagant luncheons and retreats with grant money that has to be spent. Meanwhile, basic department and program budgets are slashed to the point of inevitable malfunction. And blowing $25K for 72 people to travel to one football game over 600 miles away? That kind of financial brilliance lands Football in the 1st Quintile? It's not like they've had a good season in over a decade.
March 6, 2018 at 5:25pm Glancing over the Quintile Rankings, it looks like the lowest performers (with cuts very likely) are: English & Communications, HAPPSS, Spanish, Cultural Resource Mgmt, Masters Public Admin, Nielsen Library, Golf, Wrestling, Swimming, Facilities Services, Lobbying, Adventure Sports, First Year Immersion, STEM Center, and Student Union Building.
March 6, 2018 at 4:01pm From Adams State announces finalists for president's post: "Trustee Paul Farley, Chair of the Search Committee, said, "The entire university community owes a great debt to these dedicated individuals who have invested countless hours in pursuit of a single goal: securing the continued growth and vitality of Adams State for the next generation." The committee was assisted by search consultants retained by the Board of Trustees. Hope Johnson and Camila Alire of Pyramind, LLC, a Virginia-based firm with a connection to the San Luis Valley, assisted the committee in creating in the position announcement and took the lead in identifying promising candidates." ... So we can add Trustee Farley, Pyramind's Hope Johnson and Camila Alire to the list of people who brought ASU the many calamities of Beverlee McClure. And what's this about "a Virginia-based firm with a connection to the San Luis Valley" - some thinly-veiled nepotism to compensate for a poor search process?
March 6, 2018 at 11:56am ---- Editor's Note: We received the following message and want to share it with our readers for further review. We can confirm this did not come from Margaret Madden, one of the four finalists who withdrew her application: I was a prospective candidate in the presidential search that resulted in the hiring of Beverlee McClure. I withdrew from consideration when I was offered another presidency, which was primarily a matter of timing, as Alamosa would have been an excellent location for us as our family primarily resides nearby and we're now on the east coast. One issue that you don't seem to have touched on is that the search firm involved in the hiring was NOT an established higher-ed firm, but rather a general-purpose executive search consultant. I was not impressed with them, and they clearly did not have the Rolodex that a firm familiar with higher education would have. Of course I have no idea how your search played out internally, but the campus finalists were not that impressive on paper. Anyway, just another 2 cents from the outside.
March 6, 2018 at 6:15am As mentioned below, Arnold Salazar should be held accountable for destroying lives of honest, hardworking, and dedicated employees. Salazar cannot just hide and run away from the mess he created.
March 5, 2018 at 9:46pm March 5 @8:16 - 6 months! Oops!
March 5, 2018 at 9:40pm As ASU faculty and staff inevitably find themselves unemployed through not fault of their own, perhaps the eminently charitable Arnold Salazar can put them up in his fancy barn without charging them extra for meals? After all, he presided over this entire mess while lining his own pockets...
March 5, 2018 at 8:26pm Wow! At least 1 employee in Richardson is waiting for their contract to be terminated. They didn't even take keys away, deny banner access, or place on administrative leave! That's got to be a storm waiting to happen. How did HR rank 3rd?
March 5, 2018 at 8:16pm If you are a tenured faculty member, you can only be terminated for cause or if: "a. There is a justifiable change in program. b. A significant decline in state appropriations or other revenue creates a need for the institution to reduce expenses." I think b. falls under "the Board and past administration screwed up." "Unless the program or budgetary needs require otherwise, tenure status and years of service at the University shall be given more weight in this analysis but are not conclusive factors." "e. Notice Period i. When a Faculty member’s employment is to be terminated because of program reduction or elimination, and is not based on the reasons set forth in Section IX.A.2.b [I'm pretty sure the Board is taking current actions under IX.A.2.b] of this Handbook, the Faculty member shall be given notice as follows: (a) A Faculty member who has tenure shall be given one hundred and eighty (180) days notice. (b) A Faculty member who does not have tenure shall be given sixty (60) days notice. ii. When a Faculty member’s employment is to be terminated, in whole or in part, for any of the reasons set forth in Section IX.A.2.b of this Handbook, the University shall make reasonable efforts to give the same notice as set forth in Section IX.A.3.e.i above. The University is not required to give such notice if, in the discretion of the President, a shorter period is necessary to maintain the University’s educational programs and financial stability." In other words, under the current crisis, the Faculty Handbook allows administration and the Board to do just about anything they want and doesn't require much in the way of notice. Nevertheless, the Handbook recommends 6 months for tenured faculty and 2 months for non-tenured. The current crisis was created by the past administration and Board: overspending leading to the high cost of ASU (tuition & fees), probation over Extended Studies, both of which led to declining enrollment. They messed up, we pay the price. Oh so simple.
March 5, 2018 at 6:28pm I know Matt Nehring has a difficult job ahead of him, but I have confidence that he can do the right thing. He understands ASU, he loves ASU, and he has the perspective we need to pull together and succeed. If anyone can do it, Dr. Nehring can!
March 5, 2018 at 2:48pm If you are an exempt employee, you can be terminated for any or no reason whatsoever. Got to love 'right to work'. ---- Editor's Response: Readers are encouraged to learn more about the Employment-At-Will doctrine in Colorado.
March 5, 2018 at 1:20pm Can a person really be terminated without cause?
March 4, 2018 at 8:38pm Danny, an Albuquerque IP address, huh?!? I just WONDER who that might be... Excellent response to a positively ignorant individual. Tsk, tsk.
March 4, 2018 at 8:07pm ---- Editor's Note: In the past few weeks, I've received a number of laughable, juvenile hate mail messages which are par for the course with any public figure, especially one willing to engage in controversial or critical issues that challenge existing assumptions or power structures. I have reported the legally actionable ones that threaten actual violence. In addition, one user with an Albuquerque IP address has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to repeatedly making objectively false claims that form the basis of unfounded assertions and betray a sustained personal animus which is neither relevant nor worthy of response. But rather than simply deleting these messages as spam as I often do, I wanted to share a few of the more obvious errors made in these messages with readers here. These statements and my responses are as follows: “I just looked at Ledonne's Twitter and realized why he needs this blog... only 260 followers and close to zero like or retweet activity.” You got me. Yes, I am hardly ever on Twitter and usually just copy/paste content I already posted on Facebook. I have used Twitter for organizations for which I perform social media work. Personally, I have a much stronger presence on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and LinkedIn because I have found those platforms to be more useful. I don't have much regard for Twitter and find the discourse there to be among the least productive among major social media platforms. I do follow some people and news organizations there, which I find marginally useful. However, I generally maintain a Twitter account in the interest of being able to respond to press inquiries (this has happened on many occasions with journalists from Chronicle of Higher Education, College Fix, and other publications). I sometimes also use Twitter to promote some of the publications and announcements for my business activity (such as the annual photography calendar I shoot, edit, and distribute). I like having many ways for people to reach out and connect with me. Including anonymous Internet critics, apparently. But Watching Adams really doesn't fulfill any of the many reasons I have used social media since 2005 when I first signed up for sites like MySpace and later Facebook. This site is a topic-specific, open access platform for anyone to discuss Adams State University – which has undergone significant change in the past decade and likely has much more change coming. I see value in maintaining a space for open comments, documents, podcasts, news and commentary. And given that February 2018 broke records for traffic with over 30,000 views, other people continue to see value in the site, as well. “Also, Ledonne's Wikipedia page has been flagged because several people (correctly) assume that Ledonne wrote it himself as a self-promotional tool.” No, that's not true. If you look at the page's edit history, you can see that the Wikipedia page for Danny Ledonne has been continuously updated (and vandalized) over the years by a variety of editors with their own accounts, complete with citations that verify the information included. I've written about some of the more humorous examples of vandalism in an entry on my personal blog. “I also have to wonder...what's your endgame here, Danny? So you get Beverlee removed as president - okay. Now what?” In point of fact, the Board of Trustees removed Beverlee McClure from the role of ASU President for reasons that have only been vaguely described. Watching Adams has reported as much factual data as is available about McClure's performance in office, but it was up to the Trustees to make the decision for McClure to be placed on a leave of absence. Regarding this notion of an “end game,” someone named “Scott Black” posed this exact question on a recent Inside Higher Ed article. I answered it there, so I'll share that answer here: Transparency and accountability for public institutions isn't an "endgame." It is an ongoing objective that citizens must expect from their public officials. Just this week, we received documents that show ASU's football team has increased its travel costs from $67,901 in 2016 to $100,352.01 in 2017. That represents a 47.8% increase during a time of budget cuts and financial shortfalls and the public has a right to know how their money is being spent. Would anyone have found out about this if we didn't continuously monitor and publish it? That's highly unlikely. The same can be said for any number of reports and files - such as Dr. Gilmer's mediation agreement in which he agreed not to disclose the nature of his complaint against ex-president McClure lest he be subject to her threats of litigation. That's a serious form of institutional intimidation and the public has a right to know that Dr. McClure conducts herself by attempting to silence her critics. But it didn't work with me and thus the truth came out and the ACLU's lawsuit on my behalf prevailed in lifting an unlawful order banning me from a public university campus without due process. Benefits? We've seen many positive effects from Watching Adams in the past few years - not the least of which being an improvement in the university's more timely publication of institutional reports (because they'll end up on Watching Adams anyway). Prior to this, nobody even knew what the salaries of employees were - despite this being public data. No one was comfortable requesting it given the culture of retaliation in an at-will employee state. Now, the salary data is accessed on Watching Adams on a daily basis as people review and compare compensation of state employees. Here's a thought: maybe the people who harangue and complain about state-run institutions being subjects to citizen watchdogs should find a new hobby? In this day and age, we don't need more apologists for obstruction of transparent and accountable government. “You have to know they're never going to give you the president's job, even if you want it. You're not qualified. I doubt you'll be able to get any kind of job at Adams again besides adjunct instructor.” This is among the most amusing rumors I've seen online in a great while, so I must thank you for the entertainment! I have never applied for, nor do I have interest in, being a college or university president. I greatly prefer teaching and creating media for a living and enjoy continued opportunities to do so. This ongoing effort to impugn the motives for a group of people forming Watching Adams is a convenient way to avoid the many problems that this site has exposed and explored over the past few years. But it doesn't work. Adams State is going through a great deal of transition now and has experienced an ongoing decline in enrollment, including the Mass Communication program in which I taught between 2011-2015. I don't anticipate that there will be many opportunities for expanding tenure track faculty positions in this or related departments anytime soon. I do hope the university is able to pull together and succeed under Dr. Matt Nehring's leadership and wish him well in doing so. “I realize it's probably tough to realize this when - as a grown adult - you still live in the same place where you grew up” I've had the opportunity to travel many places – living in Boston and DC, traveling through almost all 50 states and visiting about 10 countries. This statement conveys to me that whoever wrote this isn't effectively researching their claims. I have publicly listed my residence as Eugene, Oregon for the past year and half, where I currently live and work since moving here in October 2016. I really enjoy the Pacific Northwest and regret not exploring such a beautiful area of the country sooner! “Are you going to try to become mayor of Alamosa? Is that as far as your ambition goes? What's the endgame for you, here?” Given my above statement about where I'm living, I think we can agree that the notion that I want to be mayor of Alamosa makes almost no sense. I enjoyed performing video services that included Mayor Rogers and Mayor Lucero, both of whom I hold in high regard for their public service. Further, I consider Mayor Coleman to be an excellent leader and believe Alamosa is in great hands under his leadership. I don't have interest in running for public office at this time but have and continue to offer media production and consultation services to public institutions and programs as needed. Indeed, it is work that I enjoy. Also, people who wish to contact me personally are encouraged to use my website's contact page to do so. If you actually want a reply, please leave some form of contact information so I can respond. I cannot promise that I will continue to publish anonymous personal inquiries directed through Watching Adams on this comments page because it is almost entirely off-topic and likely of only marginal interest to people who come here for news about Adams State University. And for the love of all that is righteous, please at least try to get your facts straight when making claims about someone you quite evidently know little about. Now, back to watching Adams State. - Danny Ledonne
March 3, 2018 at 5:47am Someone needs to ask: how much is in the Counselor Ed reserves and how can they keep that much when the university is struggling! $250,000 appears generous, but is just a drop in the bucket for what they are making!
March 2, 2018 at 10:01pm Counselor Education contributed $250,000 to the general fund this year.
March 2, 2018 at 8:33am Crowther is leaving in August. ASU is taking a major turn for the better. He won't be missed.
March 2, 2018 at 7:25am In reply to March 1, 2018 at 7:57pm - Counselor Ed kicked in a very large sum to help with the $800,000 shortfall this year. Matt did provide that number at one of his talks. I wish I could remember the figure, but I'm sure it was over $100K.
March 1, 2018 at 7:57pm ----Editor's Note: We received the following message and want to share it with our readers for further review: How does the cash cow of those counseling programs play into, or take out of, the cash-strapped institution? Aren’t they just growing and growing while the vine they sit on shrivels? Surely they must be contributing a fair amount back to the university... I didn’t hear anything about that mentioned in the meeting or is that something that no one wants to dig into because it’s not broken? They seem to know what they are doing.
March 1, 2018 at 5:09pm I'd love to see the email chain surrounding the series of petty retaliations that made me decide to give up on ASU. I wonder: do they think about fair play to the students they claim to serve? ----Editor's Reply: You may be able to request any email communications from Adams email accounts responsive to your query by filing an open records request with Tracy Rogers, Director of Human Resources.
March 1, 2018 at 2:05pm Considering Prom Queen Beverlee tried to call someone a terrorist, an obviously untrue allegation, a crime you can get the death penalty for, I don't feel the least bit sorry for her. - Alison
March 1, 2018 at 1:02pm There's a lot of talk here about who at ASU to remove - to “clean house” of all the cruel, incompetent, vindictive people willing to sell out their ethics, betray their colleagues, and step on anyone to push them down, get ahead, or make a few bucks. You know who they are: Margaret Doell, Leslie Alvarez, Frank Novotny, Ed Crowther, Ana Guevara etc. And I understand the suggestion. But I have a better idea. They can stay. But they'll be demoted to part-time adjuncts. They will be allowed to teach one or two courses per semester. They won't get an office. They won't have any of the benefits that come with full time employment, like health insurance or retirement contributions. They will get paid what all other ASU adjuncts make – well below the poverty line. They will have to wait for their contracts to be processed each semester, causing them to be delayed by the snail brigade in HR, then told they can take out a loan to float their monthly expenses while their paychecks are finally cut. They won't be allowed to serve on any committees to have a say in making things better. They will be overlooked and disregarded at department meetings, if they are even allowed to attend. This will save ASU money, of course. But it will also teach a lesson in humility and equity to the people who got ASU into this mess and supported the worst elements of the Beverlee McClure administration.
March 1, 2018 at 11:03am LMAO, I got sucker punched by an online program. SRSLY I should have known. When all their instructors are their own grad students. Goodbye 40 k! ASU only cares about the money! Don't use the discussion boards to discuss anything. Some might get upset. Even the assigned topics. It's a mean girl retaliatory culture. For sure, be safe and go somewhere else. Adams State University is bad news. - Alison
March 1, 2018 at 8:07am Feb 28th @ 5:25 - The decision was made this week not to hire an admissions director for at least 1 year, it will save money. Enrollment has done so well under Karla why would admissions need a director? First time student applications are down more than 7%. Budgeting for only a 5% drop in enrollment is not a good idea. Not having a director in admissions for a year is a terrible idea.
February 28, 2018 at 8:15pm In response to February 27, 2018 at 12:15pm - "I hope many people attend tomorrow's open meeting to ask some hard questions and get some honest answers!" I'd guess there were 40-50 people there tonight. I should have counted. About half of them were from ASU. Matt did a great job of explaining the current financial situation. There were some good questions. More importantly, the community members expressed their willingness to help: directly, through fund-raising, via politicians, and with suggestions. It was nice to see community members' pride in ASU and concern for ASU. Cleave Simpson also did a good job with questions and it was nice to see him at yet another open meeting, probably his fourth in a week (2 faculty & staff; AS&F, tonight). I haven't seen this level of communication and transparency in my 7 years at ASU. So glad to see it now. - Jeff Elison
February 28, 2018 at 5:35pm February 28 @ 12:02 - Such as?
February 28, 2018 at 12:02pm People are already being fired without notice. Departments are being completely restructured. So much for handling all of this so called right sizing appropriately. HR should have been ranked 5th.
February 27, 2018 at 12:15pm I hope many people attend tomorrow's open meeting to ask some hard questions and get some honest answers!
February 26, 2018 at 9:07pm "McClure was the first woman president and surely anything that didn’t go her way was due to owning a uterus. It was a massive conspiracy involving Watching Adams, a few disgruntled faculty and staff, countless outside agitators, the local and national media, and the evil spirits she had to ward off with mirrors in her windows and frozen lemons with the names of her enemies in her freezer. (Seriously, that happened.)" - The Aftermath of Superstorm Beverlee ----Editor's Note: Yes, according to multiple trusted sources, that happened. We've known for a year now but it seemed appropriate to discuss this practice in retrospect. Yours truly was certainly among the named lemons...
February 26, 2018 at 8:48pm More football, less education for students and professors! Let's Par-tay! It's gonna be epic, dude! Like, everyone is gonna want to come to ASU!
February 26, 2018 at 7:35pm Arnold Salazar is the main culprit here. I wonder how the governor of Colorado appoints the trustees of this university and who advises him with the names of the trustees?
February 26, 2018 at 6:02pm Looks like Bev was caught lying again today - this time about the AAUP. Seems like people have finally had enough of her Pinocchio stories.
February 26, 2018 at 3:56pm 2/26 @ 12:18 pm - How many investigations is Rodney going to pass? How many are Kurt and Ana going to deny that have been conducted concerning him? There was a post some time back that said he’d be the next Director of Facilities and if that day comes, how many more people is he going to hire to do his job while he officiates games on the clock or visits Shannon at HR while getting paid to do so?
February 26, 2018 at 12:18pm Don't forget Rodney Martinez.
February 26, 2018 at 9:35am Take things to NLRB, that’s the only place left. Can’t go to Ana, HR, etc. The chain of command is a cabal in itself. There is talk that Kurt is leaving soon as well so what happens when he leaves? One thing for sure is Facilities will get worse so all of those in Facilities need to get out ASAP.
February 26, 2018 at 3:29am Dear WA: Excellent, excellent Commentary about Superstorm Beverlee! I can think of no better analogy! It certainly is enlightening to reflect on Dave Svaldi's own role in this entire mess. How the BoT allowed him to completely mismanage the institution for 10 years is unbelievable at best, criminal at worst. Then to add fuel to the fire by hiring an individual with known problems. Did the Board only check her given references? I cannot imagine that a little additional vetting wouldn't have shed light on her deficiencies. Alas, I regress. That's why we pay big bucks to hiring firms (irony intended). One colleague noted that "learning to trust one another again" would be necessary to moving forward. HOW does that happen? How does one ever trust the remaining Svaldi and McClure sycophants and supporters? Margaret Doell Tracy Rogers Ken Marquez Karla Hardesty Leslie Alvarez Kurt Cary Ana Guevara And I'm sure there are dozens of others who have just never bothered to fully crawl out of their holes. The rest of us are so badly beaten down, trust will be difficult to establish--ever again. How will this instituon ever recover?
February 25, 2018 at 3:43pm Re: February 25 @1:04 - Interesting that Margo has such a long history of undermining people in Napoleonic march. Let's not forget Mumper, Novotny, and Gilmer. Nehring and Sanders would be best advised to proceed with caution. Doell is pure evil.
February 25, 2018 at 1:04pm Margo got her start in the ASC art dept after buddying up to a long gone chair of the dept. As a self appointed 'academic citizen' in plying her favoritism to those students she liked and ignoring those she didn't, she orchestrated the ouster of another chair to begin her stairway to the supposed heights of ASC. Disingenuous at best and ultimately a self serving crony, perhaps her Napoleonic march may come to an end sooner than she would like.
February 25, 2018 at 11:57am So. Much. Coverage. Will people continue to blame Danny for ASU and McClure shortfalls? How can you? One thing is for sure: McClure won't be able to scrub all of this from the Internet.
February 24, 2018 at 10:57pm Re-reading the commentary that was supposed to be a Valley Courier op-ed (in Ledonne's reply to 6:26 pm) was enlightening. I forgot the point that according to the FBI and Secret Service, McClure's actions would have actually increased the risks to students - had Ledonne been a real threat. Point being, she was either so stupid or so self-centered, that she did the wrong thing in terms of students' safety. She did what was in her best interest. Who's the terrorist? Funny how quickly history is forgotten. I'm glad I signed.
February 24, 2018 at 8:54pm ***clapping really frantically*** at comment 5:52. Agreed on all points!!! You can throw Beez in there too...oh, but she left.
February 24, 2018 at 6:41pm All this time Beverlee McClure has claimed that Danny Ledonne was a terrorist, but the real terrorists are within the higher administration.
February 24, 2018 at 6:26pm McClure tried to misrepresent the timeline regarding the "recommendation" from Nicoletti-Flater Associates. They were contacted after the ban, as you point out. I wonder if she's also lying about banning you "based on legal advice" or in other instances she is more specific "based on advice from the state’s attorney general." I'm guessing that's not true. Did any evidence come out during discovery to support her claims? ----Editor's Reply: It's been a couple years since I reviewed our document file in detail, but here's what I can recall. The idea of banning me from campus was floated in early September 2015, at least as it appears in Beverlee McClure's ASU email chain. McClure tells Ana Guevara not to meet with me regarding my OEO complaint and that she will be banning me from campus soon. McClure discussed this with Jessica Salazar, then ASU's legal counsel from the CO Attorney General's office. It was clear that they were trying to find a way to get rid of me and did not want to directly address the issues I was raising. McClure has reportedly blamed Jessica Salazar for giving her bad advice and I understand they did not have a positive working relationship (to put it charitably). Civil liberties issues aside, I have no idea why ASU administration thought this would work or what they anticipated happening after I was banned. As one commentary argued, banning someone from campus but not following up with mental health evaluations or a court-obtained search warrant to assess an individual's capacity to do harm only increases the overall threat to campus safety. This is what the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Department of Education have all concluded. So McClure and company weren't serious about protecting the campus and didn't take the steps to do so - evidently because they didn't really believe the hysteria they were promoting publicly. But sadly, this same scenario is almost exactly that of the Parkland shooting, where so many signs weren't followed up and a real threat did escalate.
February 24, 2018 at 5:52pm Surprised to see that people like Leslie, Margaret, and Ana supported her. It does tell me much about their character. How can they remain on campus now after showing such flawed professional and personal judgement? Also, of course, Tracy Rogers has to go. Ken and Aaron, I suspect, also propped her up but that was basically because they do not have a spine and are not able to stand up. Matt needs to clean house if he is going to get anywhere with this mess.
February 24, 2018 at 5:11pm Let's clear up a few things about McClure's “thick file” on me. Thanks to the discovery phase of our lawsuit, I've seen the file in its entirety. So have the CO AG attorneys: Jessica Salazar, Kathleen Spalding, and Patrick Sayas. So have the ACLU attorneys: Reid Neureiter, Kayla Scroggins, Sara Neel, and Mark Silverstein. So did Judge Downes, serving as mediator for the legal settlement. The file contains several hundred pages of documents – many of which are duplicates of chain emails, multiple copies of various application materials I submitted (CV, cover letter), internal discussions about exactly how to create a persona non grata policy, a public records search that found no criminal history and included my driver's license photo (McClure likely misinterpreted this as a “police watch list," according to Spalding and Sayas after our court hearing), and a threat assessment report by Nicoletti-Flater Associates that concluded I was not a physical threat to anyone but had the capacity to annoy people. Annoy people? Guilty as charged. McClure did coerce a statement from one female student. I have since followed up with her. She didn't know her message would be read aloud by McClure and understandably wants nothing to do with any of this. Using a student in this way was a cynical manipulation - after which McClure confidently emailed Kurt Cary to say: “That moment when you realize you are fighting the good fight.” So there's a reason the CO AG's office was eager to fork over the maximum their insurance policy could offer to settle the case as soon as we went to mediation: the "thick file" contains nothing legally actionable. There were no police reports. No prosecutorial action was taken by the university to lawfully file a protective order, restraining order, or other deprivation measures. In point of fact, ASU entered zero exhibits into evidence during our court hearing. Tellingly, the threat assessment was done weeks after I was already banned from campus. McClure just wanted to disappear me and cooked up a shoddy way to do so post hoc. She was desperate for evidence to justify what she had already done... but that ship had sailed, the train had left the station, or pick your favorite euphemism here. In summary: the “thick file” was a “nothingburger.” McClure paraded around with it, carrying the confidence that her status as president would be sufficient authority to be believed without evidence. McClure became the queen of fake news. A pathological liar has to constantly reinforce their fabricated reality with new lies and it's evident that McClure continues to do this. It aids and abets her voracious ego and helps to reinforce her role as perpetual victim. As the saying goes, McClure was able to fool some of the people some of the time but certainly not all of the people all of the time. The truth is starting to catch up with her and no binder can conceal it. - Danny Ledonne, living the good life in Oregon
February 24, 2018 at 4:17pm I hope that with all of the changes in leadership, that they are replaced with people that understand the Adams State's mission. Which is to serve the underserved. Some where down the line this got lost for a number of reasons. It's time to put in the work, and get our hands dirty for the sake of the students. I know and believe that this institution is capable. Students and staff need to feel like the are in safe space. One where the are heard and encouraged to grow within the institution. - Meagan Smith
February 24, 2018 at 1:21pm Beverlee McClure just can't stop lying. "McClure said she had invited the AAUP to campus to help address some faculty concerns and perhaps diversify the staff, with an eye toward adding more women." This is a blatant lie. All the positive things she says in her own defense are either lies, claiming other people's successes (Hispanic enrollment; thank you Title V office), or trivial (restructuring the debt isn't rocket science and was probably facilitated by board members). Similarly, blaming Ledonne for the Halloween costume as reason for being fired narrative is either a lie or ignorance. Ledonne has told reporters (and it has been reported) that he doesn't believe that's the case. Go with the simple explanation for why she was fired: numerous failures and creating a campus climate of retaliation and fear. She definitely exhibits a long-standing pattern of concerning behaviors.
February 24, 2018 at 1:02pm Who really cares about the costume she chose to wear? What about the higher wages for all of her cronies? BTW, where do I sign up for the Erica Romero fan club? Civic service is great but she should do it on her on time. She’s never in her office.
February 24, 2018 at 12:06pm The only one circulating "fake news" is you, Beverlee. You spent the majority of your time at ASU fabricating lies about the university's state of affairs, your success (or lack thereof), and above all, about anyone who dared try and contribute to improving the university with ideas that you didn't come up with first or that you didn't felt were favorable to your public image to discuss. The biggest fake story you created while at ASU was the one in which you depicted Danny Ledonne as a terrorist. The Chief of police, while still working at ASU, admitted that Danny was never really seen as a threat to anyone. Yet you had him banned from campus, and later you willingly sacrificed the police chief’s career to cover up your tracks. And why? Because the only person you ever think about is you. People close enough to Richardson Hall to know what was really going on all know that you were still fishing for students to use as “examples of Danny’s threat” just hours prior to the infamous act you gave in Faculty Senate back in 2015. You’d already banned Danny from campus but that morning, hours prior to addressing campus, you still didn’t have ANY evidence that he was a threat. So, what did you do? You BULLIED one female student who suffers from depression and anxiety into participating in your scheme. Can you image how that poor student felt? What was she suppose to do? Tell you no? Talk about abuse of power! The student really had now idea what she was being signed up for nor did she really have an option to not participate. Anyone who has bothered to talk to her knows that. But you didn’t care! You simply needed someone on record in an e-mail, that you personally solicited, saying they might have felt threatened by Danny. With this fabricated evidence, you walked into a room with a “folder of evidence.” You actually brought a large folder to the meeting and dropped it on the desk! In retrospect, I have to give you credit, you can put on one hell of a show! You stormed into that room that day, a room in which you’d encouraged your soon-to-be-lover to create a “Standing Strong for McClure” movement, and delivered a teary-eyed speech about how being the first woman president was at the root of this problem. Danny Ledonne, you said, was sexist, and a terrorist, and if anyone supported him, or the right to due process for that matter, they too were sexist. You used two male professors as examples that day. Could the audience believe that these men would have the gall to try and influence you? You conveniently forgot to mention that you asked Kurt Cary to reach out to these two men on your behalf as a means of trying to negotiate a solution with Mr. Ledonne. In any case, the message was clear: Beverlee McClure was not to be questioned. I’ll admit, you owned that room but to be honest, it’s probably the last room you’ll ever command as much attention in. Sooner or later, if not already, people are going to realize that you are the fake news, Beverlee. There is nothing genuine about you, which is why no one will dare hire you at this point. You’ve never actually worked in the business sector, you’ve never contributed to higher education in any meaningful way, and you certainly didn’t improve ASU in any measurable way. I don’t doubt that you’ll spin a story of sexism and cyber-stalking in your favor somehow. You’ll likely write a book with someone else’s help, start a tour, and do a TED talk that will get a few likes from folks who buy into your pitiful story but in the end, anyone that has ever worked closely with you will know the truth. They will know that you alone create this unfortunately tragic novel and that the hole you currently find yourself in was of your own creation. Good luck getting out. In the meantime, here’s a bedtime story you might want to pick up. There’s a moral to the story that I think will serve you well as you tread through these difficult times: Bedtime stories - The Stories of Pinocchio As you'll note, Pinocchio's salvation came through admitting the truth. I honestly, believe, despite all that you have done, if you would simply admit your own short comings and addictions, you too would be forgiven. Do you have it in you to tell the truth, Beverlee?
February 24, 2018 at 8:18am She just doesn't get it... still.
February 23, 2018 at 8:40pm I'm still healing from the damage inflicted by McClure. Nevertheless, I'd be happy to buy her a big box of band-aids if that makes her less insane. Maybe she should use the extra large size to cover her mouth. It might prevent more self-inflicted wounds.
February 23, 2018 at 5:51pm From the Albuquerque Journal: "McClure said she was planning to return to New Mexico, where she would “probably take some time to heal.” She has not determined her next career move but is reluctant to return to public service." Yes, we just hope that public service is reluctant to bring you back! Many other people are now healing from what you've done to them, and without the cushy padding of the $500,000+ wasted on your salary since 2015.
February 23, 2018 at 7:40am Feb 22 @ 8:56pm - Hey Bev, is that you?
February 23, 2018 at 7:28am Thanks to Cleave Simpson for attending yesterday's all-campus meetings. We have to acknowledge that the members of the Board of Trustees have changed substantially since McClure was hired, even more so since Svaldi-Mansheim-Novotny ran up our national debt to unpayable levels. It looks like the current trustees are taking their jobs more seriously. Thanks to them, as well. Removing Dr. McClure from the president's office is a clear step toward a brighter future. There are so many happier faces on campus.
February 23, 2018 at 4:48am Awesome article. Thanks for sharing useful information. It's good of you to stay open for your readers. - James Randel
February 22, 2018 at 11:09pm What is remotely crazy or irrational about responding to being called a cyberstalker? The entire piece is sourced and filled with specific examples of McClure's vindictive lies - some of which extend way back before ASU. She's an embarrassment and we're glad to be rid of her.
February 22, 2018 at 9:48pm 8:56: you must be one of those that gets things done (or rather, not) with thoughts and prayers. Keep praying. Danny will continue to make positive change through research and action. You are in the minority, my friend.
February 22, 2018 at 9:47pm
February 22 @ 8:56 - Wow! What a horrible, mean human being you are. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! You went off on your own crazy rails to rant about a decent man - one with whom you've likely never had a 5 minute conversation. I read Danny's "rant". It was not a rant at all, rather a calm, matter of fact account of how another horrible human being (McClure) treated him. I would say by all accounts, Danny has been far more gracious toward McClure and her ilk than most individuals should be.
Further, you seem to make a number of assumptions about him and his life that I can affirm are erroneous. I have spent afternoons with Danny, talking politics, films, and host of interesting topics over tea. And yes he makes a great rooibos. He has spent evenings at my home over dinner with my family. Now that he lives in Eugene, we text regularly and I know when I need help with something, I can count on him to take my call.
So for you to get on here and claim a bunch of bullshit that you obviously know nothing about says far more about you and your worthless life. In all honesty, your rant sounds eerily familiar - like those I've heard in the various halls on campus by the mean girl club--Alvarez, Guevara, Doell, to name a few.
You should "pray" for yourself. Shame on you!
February 22, 2018 at 9:31pm Fit the profile of a school shooter? The FBI, CIA, and Dept of Ed concluded there is no profile. Nice try. It's comforting to believe someone you don't like is miserable. Hope you are comfortable in your own little fantasy bubble.
February 22, 2018 at 8:56pm There you go, Danny! Double down on your own crazy, irrational behavior by publishing a rant about Beverlee McClure. Do you think that maybe if you had a life of your own - a life where you weren't a miserable failure - you might not care so much about what this other person has or hasn't done? Was it the 100th time you got turned down by a girl at a bar or the 1000th that sent you off the rails? How much does it suck to be you, living your life every day? How disappointed do you feel every time you look in the mirror? Why do you see it as farfetched that people see you as a potential school shooter? You gotta admit, you definitely fit the profile. I get sad just thinking about you. I am sure many, many other people feel the same way. Sorry about your terrible, pathetic life. I'll pray for you. ----Editor's Reply: When it's not possible to defend the indefensible, when there is no evidence to support your claims, and when you have no coherent arguments of a substantive nature, the currency of irrelevant ad hominem becomes mightily palatable. So let me share with you just a bit about my life and who I really am. You may not read this, you may not care, but I want you to know what it feels like to be Danny Ledonne. This morning, I watched the snow gently melt and fall from the pine trees out my window while listening to Schubert and Pachelbel. I like to prepare a vanilla rooibos tea with extra cream and sip it slowly. Last night, I taught my Screenwriting Seminar class – the topic was plot points and three act structure. We did scene read-throughs and the students were great! Two nights ago, I caught “Black Panther” for $5 movie nights – a unique contribution to the MCU but “Guardians of the Galaxy” remains my personal favorite. Last weekend, I photographed the 2018 Oregon Asian Celebration – it was incredible and the team I am working with has been so supportive and inspiring, so welcoming and friendly! I'm looking forward to photographing the upcoming Shamrock Run in Portland next month with a good friend of mine I've known since grad school in DC. For me, I try to keep life simple. I cherish my walks and my bike rides. I rarely drive and greatly prefer to cycle for my commutes. I appreciate that rare afternoon sunshine in the swirl of clouds. There's the daily eagerness with which my birds greet me. My neighbor and I chat semi-regularly about life and the headline news. I lead a satisfying and purposeful life dedicated to principles, filled with people I cherish and who care about me in return. It's not for everyone, but it is the life for me and it suits me all the same. And I don't like meeting new people at bars. At all. I find them to be very noisy and I rarely drink alcohol.
February 22, 2018 at 2:48pm McClure says, in her defensive response in Inside Higher Ed to the board's decision to fire her, that "enrollment of minority students jumped and the graduation rate among Hispanic students -- who make up a large portion of the university's enrollment -- has climbed." This is classic McClure - stealing credit for others' hard work. Lillian Gomez and the Title V crew have for a long time been working their butts off to improve Hispanic student participation, and McClure unashamedly tries to rob them of their kudos. Pathetic.
February 22, 2018 at 11:34am Can we kill this myth dead please? Inside Higher Ed characterized McClure as "a business woman by trade," and The Denver Post said McClure was "hired for her business acumen." For a start, she has never been a businesswoman. She has never started a business. She has never successfully run a business. She has always been a salaried worker, just like the rest of us. If the definition of "businesswoman" is to be paid for services rendered to someone else's business, then all of us are businesswomen or men. If it means taking a salary while overseeing a budget, then every departmental head at ASU is a businesswoman or businessman. And, acumen? The Board of Trustees assumed that her credentials as past president and chief executive officer of the business lobby, New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry - again just another salaried position, were proof of "business acumen." But the public record is clear. She was a failure. She raised her own salary while revenues for the Association dropped. She was also exposed as blatantly lying to the public, and was named "Worst Person in the World" by Clearly New Mexico - as reported by the Albuquerque Journal, thereby damaging the Association's credibility during her tenure. Sound familiar?
February 22, 2018 at 8:59am Cleave Simpson is quoted in Inside Higher Ed as saying that "he was disappointed in the way some media reports have mischaracterized its [the Board of Trustees' decision." "Cleave" means to cut. If you lived up to your name, you would cut the PR crap. Instead of saying that "the priorities of the current Board are no longer congruent with the priorities of the President," why don't you say what you really mean? Why can't you use open, honest, direct and unambiguous language instead of weasel words? Why can't you say that finally the Board has had enough of McClure's tantrums, lies, her failure to improve ASU's appalling financial situation and her damage to morale? For once, why can't the Board level with us, treat us like adults and tell us what is really happening? Or are you indicating that you expect the board to continue bullshitting to employees by omission, obfuscation and euphemism? Perhaps if you were straight-up and left no room for misinterpretation, you wouldn't be "disappointed in the way some media reports have mischaracterized its [the Board's] decision."
February 22, 2018 at 8:03am Feb. 21 6:37 pm - Although I disagree in part about McClure, I wholeheartedly agree there were many things going on long before she became ASU president. Lots of people here just come to earn a paycheck by coming in and sitting in their offices with the doors closed when they’re there to help students directly. Instead they make personal phone calls, order online, PM their Facebook friends, play online games, etc. and that IF they show up to work and even at that they leave for any reason under the sun. Everything is an emergency. Those are just some of the reasons for the things you listed as proof of ineptitude.
February 21, 2018 at 11:45pm ----Editor's Note: We received the following message and want to share it with our readers for further review: Have you looked into Damon Martin doing illegal things with the Cross Country runners? There are lots of comments on various blogs. Past ASU runners, competitors... all have issues and knowledge of Damon's wrongdoings.
February 21, 2018 at 10:31pm So will Beverlee McClure be this year's keynote speaker for Women's Week at ASU? Or maybe ASU should be inviting back all the women (and men) McClure has driven away?
February 21, 2018 at 9:53pm This is great! Sorry Danny I have to share! I Think I’m In Love With The Adams State University President Who Allegedly Bullied Everybody
February 21, 2018 at 6:41pm She has made a joke of the university and the trustees are responsible for it.
February 21, 2018 at 6:37pm It's interesting to see so many faculty and staff quick to scapegoat someone but not at all surprising. In my experience at Adams as a student, I've encountered academic advisers that have the most basic understanding of the process, faculty and staff that are quick to transfer you back and forth between departments because they fail to communicate with each other, and professors that can do no more than read the textbook to you for an entire class period. Perhaps some of you feel McClure has hurt the institution, but let's remember that she spends far less face to face time with the student body than the rest of those working at Adams. I influenced several students from out of state to attend Adams before I had a clear picture of the university. As of now, I wouldn't encourage someone to attend Adams. I might even talk them out of coming here and it has nothing to do with McClure. It feels like the majority of the faculty and staff at Adams go to work every day to pick up a paycheck. I understand as well that teachers don't make as much money as they deserve, but I also doubt the teachers and faculty that refuse to go above and beyond would be willing to sacrifice part of their salary to those that do. If the concern is enrollment, maybe we need to survey the students about their situations and how Adams can be more appealing to potential applicants. No student attends a school or convinces a friend to attend a school because of the president. I'm hoping AS&F will give me a platform to be able to bring these concerns to light and maybe we can formulate a plan to resolve these issues. Right now all this petty fighting reinforces my perspective that the faculty and staff care more about themselves and their own comfort than the students. I have had a few professors on campus that have really made coming back to school worth it. I hope you all can figure out how to elevate each other by adopting each others strengths instead of highlighting weaknesses.
February 21, 2018 at 4:52pm
February 21, 2018 at 10:47am Regarding Cleave’s response, I agree that he and the rest of the BOT are out of touch. Yes, enrollment has dipped because faculty/staff retention has dipped but not for his ridiculous economic reason. Why would an F/S member stay at an institution where they do not feel valued and are not encouraged or rewarded for innovation? Why would anyone stay where those who have committed actual CRIMES are rewarded with tenure, promotions, and successful retirements? The rubric is not consistent or objective. Yes, there people and individual departments doing great work. I wholeheartedly believe that. But the positive culture and support found in those departments are not institution wide – not by a long shot! Campus climate is set with smart administrative practice and policies. That hasn’t been the case for at least 2 decades. Regarding McClure’s statement, It is so uninspiring and unconvincing. Yes, you inherited a mess. Unfortunately for you, you didn’t realize how much of mess you were inheriting. NO ONE disagrees with that. But McClure’s responses were poor over and over again. She should’ve made real “necessary decisions” early on (i.e. cleaning house, demanding REAL transparency), but she never did. McClure accuses individuals “outside of ASU” for circulating false information. It’s so easy to say that. It’s so easy to say, “You’re not here anymore, so you don’t know what you’re talking about”. It falls very well in line with how out of touch the BOT is regarding F/S who have left. They have left because of run-ins with their supervisors and former/current vice presidents. They have left because of the campus climate I stated above. While this climate was not created by McClure, it was perpetuated by her actions and poor management practices. That is why so many are now considered “outsiders”. Speaking of those who have left… How many F/S have left? We can cite the previous articles showing the mass exodus in the past years. You can no longer say “if you don’t like it leave”, because there will be no one left. Now is the time to come together and not further perpetuate the broken morale of those left on campus. While I disagree with Matt Schildt’s stance, I stand behind his right to express it and condemn those who have belittled him. I refer back to the original purpose of this site which was and has been for “taking action for Adams, taking action for administrative change, taking action on behalf of faculty and staff who feel they are without a voice, and thereby taking action in the interest of Adams State University’s students, employees, mission, and institutional legacy.”
February 21, 2018 at 9:17am I'm apprehensive that, as all the goings-on at Adams State are reaching a wider audience, the actual and legitimate concerns are getting lost in the petty things, specifically this costume nonsense. It's essentially a self-erected strawman in the apparent zeal to depose McClure, something that is and has been (rightly, I'd say) criticized and has pulled attention away from the much more pertinent issues. In this desperate attempt to undermine the president (and in many regards for legitimate reasons), perhaps a toe's been shot off here. Count the headlines that reference the costume against those that reference the intimidation, and ask if that's representative of your concerns and desires for change.
February 21, 2018 at 7:53am How many more resignations are to come within the next few months before ASU becomes a dystopian society where the reptilian mainstays rule with complete control?
February 21, 2018 at 7:34am Is Matt Schildt suggesting the Board of Trustees was wrong? Blasphemy.
February 21, 2018 at 4:17am Dear Matt Schildt: First let me state that you are an individual on campus for whom I've never had anything but the utmost respect. I truly view you as one of the "good guys". As such, this response is in no way intended to belittle or demean your experiences. Rather it is designed to give you a different perspective--a perspective from a current employee. (In your email to Mr. Whaley you claim those quoted in the article are a handful of disgruntled former employees. I can assure you I am not.) I have worked at this institution for a long, long time. Things I have seen scare me. The losses of shared governance, academic freedom and freedom of speech are truly alarming. The bullying, harassment and general meanness are unprecedented. Granted, this was problematic, to some degree, under the Novotny/Svaldi reign, but nowhere to the extent that it became under McClure's "reign of terror". I have been truly terrified to speak. To speak out against injustices I have witnessed. To speak out in terms of taking up for myself. To speak out with simply my opinion about how we could be better as an instituon and community. I have been--and continue to be--terrified that if I do then there will be retaliation. And it is especially frightening now given the impending right sizing. And while I respect Dr. Nehring and believe him to be our best bet, I still find trust difficult (sort of like an abused animal). Dr. Elison is correct, you likely have different experiences, and therefore different metrics by which you judge McClure and her tenure here. And that is valid. But, please, do not demean or invalidate others'. It just perpetuates the problem. Thank you for listening.
February 20, 2018 at 9:58pm Re: February 17, 2018 at 5:05pm - "Yes, I want to know if Ana Guevara and Leslie Alvarez were less smug and vindictive this past week..." What is this in reference to? Please expound. Transparency please?
February 20, 2018 at 9:54pm
My suggestion, not that it’s worth much and will only fall on deaf ears... begin right sizing with Ana Guevara (loose-lipped unprofessional) and Tracy Rogers (worthless) Karla Hardesty (under the bus thrower and backstabbing) Edward Crowther (bully, part of financial crisis) Frank Novotny (weeeelllll, little squeaky mouse) and Margo (unfitting at her job. Send her back to Canada. I think her visa is about to expire).
My understanding there are two sessions of an all campus meeting on Thursday the 22nd @ 7:30am and then another @ 4pm in Porter Hall and lead by Dr Nehring!
Too bad Simpson can’t attend and give the real reasons of dismissing McClure. Yes! I just realized, I need not to refer to her as President or Dr.! Nor ma’am or Ms.! She is going to become a middle class citizen like so many of us. KARMA!
February 20, 2018 at 9:49pm When will someone, ANYONE! besides Karla, or Ken for that matter, take a good, long, hard investigative, unbiased look at what each and every single person in admissions is "working" on? It seems as though the transfer coordinator is the only active recruiter in the local office. That's one packed schedule. Everyone else is too busy complaining about their jobs and throwing coworkers under the bus! WHO IS IN CHARGE? Karla has no clue! Not one, even though she spends more than 50% of her time in admissions. Want some cheese with that whine? YOU ARE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT, it's your job. There are several schools in the valley that have only seen a recruiter once. Maybe those out of state numbers are up? Who knows. They sure aren't traveling. Just check the calendar, people! Not one California trip this year. No Texas, New Mexico or Arizona travels in 2018! Athletics to the rescue. At least we will be guaranteed some students next fall. Ask anyone in athletics, we will tell you, we alone are responsible for the majority of students on campus. Maybe the quick fix is to get rid of Karla and her admissions counselors. While we are at it, send the welcome center and its staff on their way too. Put Larry in charge of all undergraduate recruitment. That way the next time men's basketball goes to Hawaii they can recruit in at least 10 different schools on their off day! Bring back 2 sports and enrollment will go up at least 10%! Have the athletes and coaches lead new student tours, full of misinformation, and empty promises. All kidding aside, really it is simple, belive it or not, like it or not, there is a correlation between the decline in the number of sports on campus over the last several years and overall enrollment! Whine over a losing football team all you want. Some money in the black is better than all the money in the red.
February 20, 2018 at 8:06pm My New Year's resolution was to reduce stress, and one step was to ignore WatchingAdams. That worked for a while, but then the Board placed the president on leave, and I received many texts and emails about all the discussion. So, here I am again, for a little while. Someone suggested that the whiners (I think I'm supposed to be one of them) won't support any administrator. Not true. I have a ton of confidence in Matt Nehring, and I was impressed by Chris Gilmer. I know that's true of several other whiners too. I apologize to Matt if that just undermined his support on campus. "If Elison supports you..." Regarding Matt Schildt's email, I support his right to free speech 100%. I know what it feels like to express an unpopular opinion, so good for you. Obviously, I don't agree with his opinion. That doesn't mean I will belittle him. I just assume he had very different experiences with the president and perhaps evaluates her performance based on different metrics. I know a lot of relationships have been damaged over the past 2.5 years. Some of us will blame the president and others will blame her critics / supporters. Either way, I hope we can all agree that ASU needs a new direction (I suggest up) and our combined support. I'm still here because I love to teach and I'm idealistic about the value of education. Teachers need to keep teaching and students keep studenting. But let's not fall into the trap of ignoring reality. The duties of faculty go beyond the classroom. We are supposed to "own the curriculum," but we sure as hell didn't do that when it came to Extended Studies. Many of our woes could have been avoided. - Jeff Elison
February 20, 2018 at 7:58pm McClure released a statement to the Denver Post.
February 20, 2018 at 5:11pm Everyone is entitled to their opinions but Matt’s letter is disappointing and disheartening. One simply can’t ignore the facts and add to that how much ASU promotes diversity and acceptance yet all those in power are driven by the very things ASU speaks out against.
February 20, 2018 at 4:15pm Cleave Simpson's latest public statement sums up perfectly why the Board of Trustees must be dissolved, all members must resign and a totally new body formed to conduct ASU's future. If you expect failure, you get failure. According to the Denver Post, he believes that low unemployment is mostly to blame for dipping enrollment, that when jobs are plentiful, people are less likely to chase a degree. “People are going to go to work quicker than going to college.” In other words, despite shelling out more than a half-million dollars to McClure in salary and benefits over the last two-plus years, he believes that she has been defeated by an improving economy, that somehow ASU's continued financial decline is not really her fault. If this self-pitying "we're just a tiny podunk college so what do you expect" attitude pervades the board and the administration, then no wonder we are failing. And if so, why pay big bucks to any ASU president if the board accepts that externalities will defeat them. Big bucks demands big results, not big excuses. This losers' attitude is particularly galling when other small universities in other rural towns are doing just fine, thank you. Let's face it. If Adams has any chance of future success, this board must be replaced with confident, competent and inspiring leaders who demand results, not excuses.
February 20, 2018 at 3:08pm I don't agree with Matt's take on Bev; there is no doubt that she is toxic for morale and has been a total failure in terms of improving ASU's dire financial situation. But I gotta hand it to him. He has the guts to stand by his point of view, albeit a view through one very squinty eye, and put his name to it. Kudos for courage if nothing else.
February 20, 2018 at 2:42pm Feb. 20th at 2:30pm - Schildt is like a Trump supporter, shouting "fake news!" whenever his dear leader is maligned over truthful reporting. Yes Matt, all the news outlets are conspiring against McClure, who has been Making Adams Great Again for the past 2.5 years!
February 20, 2018 at 2:30pm Hey Matt Schildt: Are you going to cancel your subscription to the Chronicle as well? I mean, they must be biased too?
February 20, 2018 at 2:28pm Dr. Schildt Shills for Beverlee? Surprise, surprise. So who else inside ASU is still a McClure supporter? We need to find them all, identify them, and hold them accountable for supporting the worst elements of ASU. Simply put: those who stand behind the status quo are supporting declining enrollment, financial ruin, apologetics for incompetence, a culture of retaliation, and the flight of hard working faculty and staff from our university. Hey Matt, here's a basic rule of journalism: when you ask both sides for their story and only one side gives a comment, you go with the story you have. The Board issued a vaguely-worded statement a week ago and then made an incredibly weak-sauced statement about how ASU's enrollment is falling due to lower unemployment? Really, Cleave Simpson? Nice try. Nobody is buying it. Colorado is a growing state and other universities are experiencing a growth in enrollment over the past five years – while ASU's has declined. Meanwhile, McClure has been missing in action, off the grid, and even the Board doesn't know how to reach her. So if you complain about a lack of “multi-sided journalism,” it's only because the side you are championing are cowards who duck and cover as soon as the inevitable shit hits the fan.
February 20, 2018 at 2:20pm Wow! Dr. Schildt, you have either: a) had your head under a rock the last three years or b) you are completely delusional. Seriously, the data does not speak for itself about McClure's performance? Does that "costume" not offend you? It offends me and my working class family. But more bothersome is the fact that you spoke in behalf of the university after Dr. Nehring asked us not to. It was sent on ASU letterhead! Unbelievable!
February 20, 2018 at 2:00pm The following email was sent to the Denver Post on Feb 20, 2018 12:39pm from mschildt@adams.edu: Dear Mr. Whaley, I was very disappointed to see the article on Adams State in the Denver Post. This article is so blatantly one sided and quotes a handful of disgruntled former faculty members as if what they are stating is the irrefutable truth. I am surprised that the main source of your article was given this platform to air their grievances and most everyone I know on this campus would consider him a very disreputable source with ulterior, mean-spirited motives for his actions. My experience as a faculty member at Adams State does not mirror your article in any way and you have clearly put your desire for a sensational story above factual, unbiased, multi-sided journalism. As this poor excuse for journalism was deemed worthy of the front page, I will take pleasure in canceling the subscription to the Denver Post I have had for the last thirteen years. Sincerely,
February 20, 2018 at 12:39pm Re: University email - ...so as an employee of the University do we not represent the university? Now ASU is about individuality? Nice try.
February 20, 2018 at 11:12am The following message was sent to all ASU employees on Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 10:39am Office Of The President Responding to journalist inquiries Good morning, I know many of you have received inquires from journalists looking to cover the Board's decision to put President McClure on administrative leave. Each of you need to make your own decisions about whether you want to respond to the inquires, it is a matter of free speech. Please know that you are under no obligation to speak or provide comment, but if you choose to do so, you should make it clear that you are speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the university. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Matt Nehring Acting President Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Physics Professor
February 19, 2018 at 9:50pm This is all sad, but welcomed news. Governance, i.e. the board of trustees are just as accountable as the President. They all need to be replaced and held to account for letting things get out of hand in the first place. I hope they are exposed for what they let happen. They are making a scapegoat out of the president for their lack of oversight and covering up their own incompetence. That simple. I’m so embarrassed to say I went to Adams State. From top down the school is mismanaged and the children of the San Luis Valley are exploited. This is the real tragedy. My kids will not go to this school when they are ready nor a dime of my money. Shame. - AAron
February 19, 2018 at 8:30pm One of Crowther's favorite sayings: Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one. And what kind of parasite does it take to defend the rats that are destroying the barn from within? Queen rat is gone, you parasites better scurry away and hide.
February 19, 2018 at 8:01pm Some of this news coverage gives the Board too much credit. They sat there silently after her Halloween spectacle, never issuing a public statement denouncing her behavior. "No problems here. She's wonderful."
February 19, 2018 at 8:00pm 6:38 pm - You hit the nail right on the head. Although it was paramount that Bev be dealt with one can’t overlook the fact that her sycophants were already in the business of skulduggery, lechery of various kinds and thievery at ASU before Bev ever got there and they need to be dealt with. If not they will only corrupt (at least try to anyway) the next person to take the helm of ASU. What needs to happen is to find out the root of their immunity and deal with them. Some have been around since Wueste.
February 19, 2018 at 6:38pm From US to U.K., what a shameful day for ASU, for her sycophants, and for the BoT who did not fire her earlier. A shameful day especially for Arnold Salazar. I feel for the hard working, honest and dedicated employees of ASU, and the students who came to ASU in search of a dream and a future - they absolutely do not deserve this day. They have been let down by the BoT who let this cheapness and fiasco continue for many years... sad!
February 19, 2018 at 4:08pm I see that Otero Junior College is hiring a new president. I hope they receive letters of dis-recommendation against McClure.
February 19, 2018 at 3:50pm McDonald's is hiring assistant managers in Clovis, NM.
February 19, 2018 at 2:18pm Question: who in their right mind would hire Beverlee McClure after reading today's article in the Denver Post? Adams State places president on leave amid uproar over bullying, offensive Halloween costume
February 19, 2018 at 10:30am Feb. 18 @ 9:39am - That sounds like what the custodial department has gone through for the last 10+ years.
February 18, 2018 at 9:49pm Sadly, this doesn't bring any of the good people who have left back. And, I'm sure, we'll lose more to right sizing.
February 18, 2018 at 8:12pm Feb 18 @ 12:10 - Yes, Karla Hardesty needs to go - yesterday. During her tenure as executive director in enrollment management, we have seen the most significant declines in enrollment in our institution's most recent history. She helped to run off Eric Carpio by consistently throwing him under the bus to McClure, not to mention her negativity toward her previous supervisor - a person who supported her at every turn, even though he knew her deficiencies. Yet she stabbed him in the back, as well. These are the two individuals in addition to Michelle Romero who grew enrollments in historic ways. Karla couldn't even get the dang director position filled... search failed! Karla FAILURE! I wouldn't hire her to manage my lunch break. Cut the fat? Yes! Let's start with an overpaid chameleon, two faced, worthless excuse for a human. Talk about promoted WAY beyond your abilities. But that's what Bev liked - "less than"... made her "shine." Ha!
February 18, 2018 at 12:10pm If enrollment has been on the decline for all these years and there has been no prior intervention, shouldn't another mean girl be on the list now that her protector is gone?
February 18, 2018 at 9:39am Good article: Dominant Leaders are Bad for Groups. Why Do They Succeed? - Dominance involves using power, coercion, and intimidation in group situations. [Hi Bev, bye Bev] - Dominance works as a tool to gain power, if not respect, but generally douses a group’s well-being. [ASU is so much better off after Bev's reign of terror.] - Dominant workers tend to exhibit arrogance, superiority, and conceit. They have higher-than-average levels of aggressive, disagreeable, manipulative personality traits. Dominant people also score highly in the traits known as the ‘dark triad’: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. [Narcissist definitely; psychopath probably] - In groups, dominant members tend to view others as either allies or foes, to evaluate people’s usefulness in attaining goals, and to show a hunger for power. [We hold these truths to be self-evident.] - Leaders high in dominance go to great lengths to safeguard their power, even at the cost of the group. They want to coerce others through reward and punishment. They often view talented group members as threats. [Poor Chris Gilmer] - Dominance-oriented leaders ostracized a talented group member and chose instead to work with an incompetent one. [Chris vs. Margaret, Kurt, Tracy] - They isolated their subordinates and prevented them from bonding with one another, because alliances among subordinates were viewed as posing potential threats. [Just polarize the whole campus and things will be swell.]
February 17, 2018 at 5:05pm Yes, I want to know if Ana Guevara and Leslie Alvarez were less smug and vindictive this past week...
February 17, 2018 at 4:10pm Where are all the strident Mean Girls now that their queen bee is under duress? Why are they not openly rallying to her cause? Who is organizing the support parade? Bueller? Bueller? Margo? Heather? Tracy? Thought not. Fair weather opportunists and bullies, the lot of you. Stay as still and quiet as you can, but you won’t find a rock big enough to hide under. The game has changed, the reckoning is coming. As others have said, we’re just 15% of the way there. Matt, we’re counting on you to clean house.
February 17, 2018 at 1:54pm And don't forget Frank Novotny. He was right in the thick of those decisions along with Svaldi and Mansheim. Right-sizing Novotny out the door would save two entire professors' salaries.
February 17, 2018 at 9:35am February 16, 2018 at 2:28pm - Don't forget Heather Heersink.
February 16, 2018 at 7:57pm 2:28 wrote: "Unsustainable debt service obligations are among the main reasons ASU was audited for poor financial performance and had its credit rating downgraded." And if you read the HLC report, it sounds like administrators were cooking the books. Had they not, HLC would have come down on us earlier. [On page 38]: "Both the overall Composite Financial Index (CFI) as well as ratios which comprise the Index raise concerns about the financial operations of, and fiscal resources available to, the institution. The peer review team was unable to verify the FY 2013 CFI and while on site, requested that the institution recalculate this index. The recalculated CFI worksheet is in the addendum area of the assurance system. Upon institutional recalculation, the CFI dropped from the previously reported 1.40 to (0.06). [Oops, we don't math good here at ASU.] Had this been calculated correctly upon submission in November 2014, it would have triggered a Financial Panel Review because it was below zone and was a second consecutive year with the CFI in or below zone. The past five fiscal years have shown a CFI range of 1.90 five years ago to 0.48 for the most recently submitted CFI for FY 2016. All those years would have indicated the institution should 'assess debt and Department of Education compliance and remediation Issues' and 'consider substantive programmatic adjustments.'" Next paragraph [on page 39]: "Operating results indicate ASU has not been living within available resources (Ibid, p. 107). 'A continuing decline or pattern of deficits is a warning signal that management and the governing board should focus on restricting the institution’s income and expense streams to return to an acceptable net operating revenues ratios' (Ibid, p. 128)."
February 16, 2018 at 2:28pm Let's also not forget the amount of capital construction debt the university incurred in support of the bottomless money pit that is ASU football. Unsustainable debt service obligations are among the main reasons ASU was audited for poor financial performance and had its credit rating downgraded. We can thank Svaldi, Mansheim, and the 2010-2014 BOT members for that.
February 15, 2018 at 10:07pm Regarding the comment about the football team, the unfortunate truth is, yes, the 90-100 students currently paying tuition to play football at ASU bring in at least $1 million per year, if not more. However, a large percentage of this is paid for by student loans, which players take on with the hollow promise of being able to make it to the pros. Of course, we all know, nobody playing football at ASU makes it to the pros. A similar story could be told of multiple other students playing sports at ASU. In other words, a very large percentage of students at ASU are going into debt to play sports, not earn a degree. ASU's extremely low graduation rates confirm this tendency.
February 15, 2018 at 11:48am Football brings in $13,500 to the campus but costs just over a $1,000,000 to keep running. Just me thinking, but is that justifiable for a team that barely wins any games? Do they bring in enough tuition that the costs are offset? Personally, I don't care either way, but it seems like there's a lot of waste in several of their programs. If they offset the costs I can see it being useful, but if it is putting ASU even further in debt, then we can probably do without them. Any information that I'm missing?
February 14, 2018 at 9:47pm Ultimate irony: Ledonne has been allowed back on campus ever since ASU lost the ACLU lawsuit, but McClure is a Persona Non Grata.
February 14, 2018 at 7:45am To what is the "watching the watchers" comment referring? Are you talking about the fact that Bev has Computing Services monitoring certain people?
February 14, 2018 at 7:42am It looks like the Board had its own vote of no confidence. So many happy faces on campus, in spite of imminent layoffs. Tells you something about Bev's management skills.
February 13, 2018 at 5:45pm A leave of absence/administrative leave is what ASU always does to show the mirage of them doing something to someone in a managerial type of job. It’s their way of playing with our emotions only to leave us deflated when the person returns. They never return with a hint of humility, remorse or change. They come back with vengeance on their breath. I’ve witnessed it before.
February 13, 2018 at 4:05pm What I read is the careful legal language of a university that doesn't want to get sued for breach of contract. Thanks for sticking her with us for three more years, Arnold. Yuck! But could McClure really be seen as a legitimate leader at this point? The Courier already reported on this story. We're all moving on without her toxic brand of leadership. We don't want her back. Bottom line: MCCLURE MUST GO. If the Board is somehow daft enough to put her back in the job or if she twists their arm into reinstating her, it's up to the students, faculty, staff, and community to refuse her leadership and demand her resignation. ASU can no longer afford her "expertise."
February 13, 2018 at 3:49pm 3:35pm - Nehring's photo was posted on two webpages earlier today. Now they are switched back to McClure's. If you read the announcement, McClure was put on the "leave of absence" - not "fired". Huge difference there. I have a gut feeling that she is not going anywhere.
February 13, 2018 at 3:35pm 3:18pm - I'm not convinced. I checked last night and that profile was still there - had it ever been changed? ASU is notoriously bad about updating their campus directories and info pages. The campus announcement of McClure's removal is still online.
February 13, 2018 at 3:18pm It seems like McClure is not going anywhere... Profile has been switched back. We are all back to square one.
February 13, 2018 at 11:06am If we are cleaning the swamps, let's work on Heather Brooks next. She is a Beverlee Clone.
February 13, 2018 at 10:57am Time to start watching the watchers. The ones doing the most damage are the ones who sit back and watch other people on camera.
February 13, 2018 at 9:41am Glad to see Nehring’s efforts are acknowledged! Notice Margaret is not! She’s part of the Problem. Hmmmm, why didn’t she assume interim President? Cause she worthless! Move her out too, then pack up Tracy Rogers and Anna Guevara! We are making great stories, folks! Clean out the riff-raff! 2018 is looking clearer!
February 13, 2018 at 8:46am February 12, 2018 at 9:04pm - 8:42 is correct. Stopping with McClure would be a mistake; only about 15% of the necessary job. McClure is out. Ding dong the witch is dead. Bye. Get out of town. McClure has 1 1/2 years of salary guaranteed due to the Board’s decision last year. What a blunder. Next to go should be those that were paid $150k that built their secret society. Next to go will be key administrators in Athletics once financial malfeasance, cronyism, and their power over the ASU NCAA Compliance officer who interprets rules and eligibility decisions becomes public information. Next should be the HR Director. What a joke of a professional. Bye. Go away. You are horrible at your job. A good start for Adams State. But this initial cleansing should be just the beginning. Accountability now must become transparent.
February 13, 2018 at 8:40am
February 13, 2018 at 7:47am February 10, 2018 at 8:35am - who said anything about trashing other schools? Of course it's about promoting ASU's many pluses. Now that the constantly boorish Beverley has been given the chop, perhaps you McClones will get an attitude readjustment and stop being so negative.
February 13, 2018 at 7:21am McClure gets the boot, now that's what I call "right-sizing." Looking forward to a better future for ASU.
February 13, 2018 at 5:15am Replying back to February 12, 2018 at 9:01pm - I hear you, and I do thank the members of the board who acted. I do see many fresh faces and agree that they are likely the ones to credit for this important decision. As individuals, they are certainly to be applauded. As a governing body with fiduciary oversight, it still must be said that the board took far too long to act. The board collectively bears responsibility. I’d love nothing better than to roll up sleeves alongside you to rebuild ASU, but I am now among the innumerable departed. Wishing everyone who remains Godspeed.
February 13, 2018 at 4:57am While I agree that those who aided and abetted McClure’s actions need to go, they need to dig even deeper than that. There still remains those who were involved in many forms of skulduggery before she ever even worked at ASU and not just out of RH.
February 12, 2018 at 10:33pm When Waddell and Elison disagreed with the former president on one legal issue, she called them sexist. So I'm guessing she will accuse the entire Board or entire university of sexism and try to sue.
February 12, 2018 at 9:04pm 8:42 is correct. Stopping with McClure would be a mistake; only about 15% of the necessary job.
February 12, 2018 at 9:01pm Dear February 12 @ 8:42 - I completely agree with you on all points. I would just ask that you be aware of how board membership changes -- every year -- with new membership. I think it is at least worth thanking those newer members who were not on the the board at the time of her hiring. I believe they have undone a grave injustice previous (and some current) members committed. The bottom line: Yes, it's time for a number of individuals, who aided and abetted her actions, to go. But importantly, let the rest of us come together and work with our new president to fix our institution.
February 12, 2018 at 8:42pm The board should have taken action long ago, so sorry - I just can’t bring myself to pat them on the back. Far too many lives destroyed over the past few years while they fawned and diddled, far too many good people gone. If they wish to earn back half of our respect, we’ll need to see more heads start rolling. Quickly. Let’s begin with Margaret. And all of HR. And Novotny should be called to account, no matter what his current title.
February 12, 2018 at 8:14pm Hallelujah! After two years of the reign of terror, "Her Royal Highness" McClure is out! Now if the board and President Nehring simply allow the appropriate dominoes to fall, we will likely solve next year's $2 million budget deficit. Nice work, Board! We all are breathing a little easier tonight - well, except her evil minions.
February 12, 2018 at 8:03pm Big news! McClure is out! Pack your bags! Hire the moving van! I don't care where you go but you cant stay here!
February 12, 2018 at 7:41pm Wow! Board of Trustees you took the initiative, finally! President Nehring that has a good ring to it.
February 10, 2018 at 8:35am The Feb. 7 @ 1:37 really got it wrong on recruiting. He/she wrote about recruiters "Their job is to convince prospective students NOT to go to other universities." No. No! NO!! And hell no!!! You don't recruit by trashing other schools. You recruit by promoting the many pluses of Adams, and help prospects understand how it can be a great choice for them. You don't sell Fords by trashing Toyotas, sell State Farm Insurance by talking badly about New York Life. It's a losers game. But that is why it made sense to the writer. He/she also asked "Do you seriously think a new faculty can negotiate a $100K salary?" No, they cannot. Nor did those on the Oregon Trail find homes built and fields cleared and plowed. They traveled with a dream and backbone, ambition and grit, and built the territory and some their fortunes. So it is at Adams, and any university. It is not your entry level salary that defines you, it is what you do with it and yourself. There is opportunity for those with ambition, dream, backbone, and grit, as evidenced by those here who have achieved. You know them. They are the ones you often wail against because they have exactly that. But then Adams has an undercurrent of anti-achievement. Interestingly someone calling an employee a "phony" for serving in leadership on a school board. That's as un-phony and legit as you can get. Another poster rightly explains it - yes, we value community service. Those who have shown leadership at Adams have also shown it in their communities. Serving in Rotary and Kiwanis, Boys and Girls Clubs, numerous valley school boards, credit union boards, as mayors and city councilors, on the Chamber board, heading up the SLV "branding" initiative, tourism boards, and on and on. Adams State is valued in the Valley far more than by some who draw their pay here value it. Thank you Ms. Romero, and all the others who step forward, lean in to the work and make the university and the Valley a better place. And someone wrote "gag me." That would be nice. But you gag yourself by showing how repulsed you are by good work, achievement, leadership, contribution to the Valley, service, and all of the other things you don't have within you to do. Just criticize. Yes, "gag" you would be a good choice.
February 9, 2018 at 9:08am It's all BS. Not one person in administration knows what to do. Maybe Dr. Nehring & Mr. Simpson could right size & fix things, the problem is they are surrounded by leaches. Forget crumbling, admissions is now shattered.
February 8, 2018 at 12:56pm Feb 7th, 9:19 p.m. - Erica does a wonderful job as ASD School Board President and as a parent of a student in the district, I’m grateful she chooses to serve in that role. If you, too, are interested in serving our community, consider attending the Feb 20 Information Session hosted by the ASU Center for Civic Engagement. ASU’s mission specifically mentions inspiring others, so I think you’d find it helpful to learn about how faculty and staff can promote community service and civic responsibility. We need more of that kind of representation rather than unhelpful negativity and petty jealousy.
February 7, 2018 at 9:19pm Re: February 4th and Erica Romero - In today’s Valley Courier article, it’s nice to see Ms. Romero taking ASU time for photos and school board duties! What a dedicated woman. NOT! What a Phony! Gag me!
February 7, 2018 at 1:37pm February 5, 2018 at 11:05am - You seemed to have missed the point. You say that "she [everyone's daughter] determines her future, not college recruiters." That's right, but college recruiters determine the college's future, or are a pivotal part of that future. Their job is to convince prospective students NOT to go to other universities, but come to ASU. Yes, Michael Mumper is a good teacher and works hard. But so are, and do, most other professors. His over-the-moon salary has nothing to do with his teaching ability or work ethic. It is the result of a golden parachute built into his original employment contract. Nothing more! How many other teaching faculty get $122,000 a year (excluding those who participated in the Extended Studies scam that crashed ASU's national reputation; or like Novotny, who got a similar lucrative landing)? Let's face it: when the university is heading for financial collapse and mass lay-offs are expected, do you really think a new faculty recruit can seriously negotiate a $100K-plus salary? I mean, seriously?
February 5, 2018 at 11:05am To Feb, 4 @ 10:54, I'm sensing some anger. The "screw ASU," says more about you than about ASU. If your daughter is recruited by Stanford, she should go. If she desires to go to ASU, she should go, and not wait for someone else to ask. She determines her future, not college recruiters. And btw, we are all ELL in this country. Nothing special about it. To others, regarding Michael Mumper earning $122K, that's great. He is a good teacher, created the MPA program and works hard. He should be an inspiration, along with other ambitious faculty who earn over $100K. That's a great incentive, and a great tool for recruiting new faculty - the opportunity is here. Make something of it, and of yourself. Regarding Melissa Freeman, yes, cut the fat. She has no talent and contributes nothing in exchange for her toxic personality and granted $69,000 salary. The grant is a farce, and it only enables her. We would be better without both.
February 5, 2018 at 9:02am @February 4th: Lots of goodies for those 2nd graders too! T Shirts, water bottles and photos. Very interesting. Meanwhile, at home in the Valley, Western State admissions counselors are busy doing their jobs! Talking with HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS about attending college and giving them goodies! If the University can afford to send 4 Adams State representatives to visit a classroom of 2nd graders in Pueblo, why is there any concern about financial hardship? P.S. Has anyone seen the Mesa State commercial?
February 4, 2018 at 10:54pm Read the Chietain earlier. The mascot was in Pueblo elementary school. Have they ever taken him/her to the elementary schools around the valley? Isn’t Erica the President of the Alamosa School Board? Where is the recruiting there? Or are Pueblo kids more important than valley kids? Maybe they can get more “gifted” kids from out of the valley? My kid is an ELL student. Recruit her! Oh wait, she’s not G/T. She won’t fit in with your “ASU” kids. Maybe CSUP will be more open to having her there. No wonder full time enrollment is down. Screw you, ASU! My parents fought to have the right to have their kids educated. Now you people are pissing on that. I’m done with ASU! Sad! So sad! Make ASU great again!
February 1, 2018 at 5:55pm Who, during this very critical time, is managing admissions? The "search" for a new director was a failure. So what? Will there be a new search or will the blind continue to lead the blind? Those with firsthand knowledge tell me the application count for fall is down. Seriously down! There has been ZERO out of state recruitment since last fall. Who knows what the recruiter assigned to the much sought after and needed San Luis Valley does all day? Can we rely solely on the Metro areas and transfer coordinator to save us all? No enrollment = no money. What are they doing down there? Who is in charge?
February 1, 2018 at 11:45am Here are some more numbers: According to this website's ASU EMPLOYEE SALARY DATA, the highest paid faculty member is Michael Mumper. He is paid $122,280 per year to teach political science. He is past retirement age. His wife, Melissa Freeman is the Title V grant activity director. She is paid $69,768 per year to do a job she created for herself. Together, this husband/wife team make $192,048 at Adams State University. If the powers that be are paying attention to waste and corruption, this seems a good place to start. Adams State University is well on the way to becoming "Adams High Altitude Sports Training and Conference Center". It's the only way to actually increase income for the institution. Higher Education is on the way out. With enough grant money, they may also be able to continue the Migrant Program. I'm sure Ms. Freeman already has plans for this. Adams State is so top heavy with administration, that faculty have become an extraneous liability. But Adams State faculty members cannot punch their way out of a paper bag. What administration and faculty do well is meetings, workshops, and retreats. The hot air exchange would rival the Albuquerque balloon festival. Trim the fat - Mumper & Freeman. Save your breath.
January 31, 2018 at 10:22am Dear Mike, As a former employee of ASU's Business School, you of all people should be judging ASU on its financial performance. Wasn't it you who used to say in class; "Count the numbers cos the numbers count"? Here are the numbers - again! Enrollment numbers have been declining for years. Student retention numbers have been declining for years. Graduation numbers have been declining for years. Debt has been going up for years. Salaries in real terms for teaching staff have been static or declining in real terms for years, while at the same time, overall, salaries in real terms for members of the executive team, senior administrators and coaches have been going up. You can whine about the whiners, moan about the moaners and criticize the critics. But, Mike, the numbers remain the same. Any accountant, banker, financial adviser, business school professor - and even 101 business students - can see that. And even 101 business school students know that if you just keep cutting costs - that's McClure's only plan - without increasing your income, then your business - in this case, ASU - cannot possibly survive. The numbers say it's so. So, as a "business expert" how about you propose some ideas to improve the numbers instead of whining like the other whiners.
January 30, 2018 at 8:20am @Jan 30th @ 6:57am - I don’t see anyone bashing the people who pay them. I have seen no taxpayers or students getting bashed. Let us all remember who is paying everyone at ASU: students and taxpayers. The big issue is the elitist attitude of people like you in thinking that it is somehow your money that runs the institution, it is not. It is my money, as a former student, and my money, as a taxpayer. I am an alumnus and I am disgusted at what is happening to MY institution. FYI, I am not an employee. FYI, I was always listed as a donor in the A-stater and not at the $100 level. I am no longer a donor and will not be until I see the student numbers back where they should be: double what they are now. I hope you guys get it figured out because Adams used to be great. Now... meh.
January 30, 2018 at 7:34am Re: January 30 @ 6:57am - Mike Tomlin, just give it a rest. You will never be hired back at ASU, much less be our next president. People not only don't like you, they don't respect you. Go write another "bathroom read" to earn your keep. Maybe the topic of "how to get away with harassment."
January 30, 2018 at 6:57am Dear January 25th and your "For the sake of our families please tell us." Did you ever consider for the sake of your family just doing your job? Keeping your yap shut? Not criticizing the very people who pay you? But then, no. The self pity and class envy crowd at Adams exposes itself daily. You also wrote: "I wonder how much time and consideration will be given to those of us who are likely to get the axe? Will we get letters of recommendation?" And "Will Princess McClure sacrifice her bonus during this 'really really difficult time'?" Right, trash the president and ask for a letter of recommendation. Smart. Hopefully you will get no time and consideration. Hopefully you will not get a letter of recommendation - and hey recommendation for what? What would it say? "Hire this person and they will undercut you and your administration anonymously, cowardly, and help create unrest at your workplace." I'm sure there is a "letter" ready for you and others. Call HR and make an appointment to pick it up, and turn in your keys. It will make the Committee of 21's work a lot easier. And it will make Adams a lot better.
January 30, 2018 at 12:15am In reference to: January 29, 2018 at 5:24pm - “Looking at Google Drive will give you the names of those on the “Committee is 21” and I can assure you here are a couple of names contained therein that are definitely on the outside and have taken a stand against McClure publicly.” Please do share who of the 21 have taken a stand against McClure publicly? This would be interesting to seek discussion with these individuals regarding the meeting and their work.
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January 29, 2018 at 5:24pm Looking at Google Drive will give you the names of those on the “Committee is 21” and I can assure you here are a couple of names contained therein that are definitely on the outside and have taken a stand against McClure publicly.
January 29, 2018 at 4:23pm Here's a relevant article from today's Chronicle Vitae: Off the Team and Out of a Job: What do you do when you’re not included in the new president’s plans?
January 25, 2018 at 7:33pm I wonder how much time and consideration will be given to those of us who are likely to get the axe? Will we get letters of recommendation? What about our families? How many children are going to lose health insurance? How many people may not be able to make house payments? Will Princess McClure sacrifice her bonus during this "really really difficult time"? At the very very least don't we deserve an exit interview, directly with the board? I wish someone, anyone, would just tell the truth. If they were hoping for 5 classified to take early retirement, only to rehire 3, just to save $50k, does that mean at least 25 jobs are on the chopping block? Who were the last 25 hired? Billy Adams is likely rolling in his grave. Just tell us how long we have! We are more than just some 900# collecting paychecks. Please!!! Professors aren't at risk. Mr. Lopez is good to go. All of those riding out the storm on the coats of those of us answering the phones, you are safe. Please, for the sake of our families, just tell us. This is the last chance for any of you to do something right. It's going to be hard enough. Don't blind side us.
January 25, 2018 at 6:34pm Re: January 25 @ 1:56pm - Hear! Hear! Mikey--you resigned, albeit late, thus leaving your department in a lurch like the vindictive a$$ you are (are those dollar signs as good as the ones in the crosswalk?). Given that resignation and your personnel problems, your opinion carries little weight. And frankly, you have no professional credibility. A twice (at least) fired harasser. Maybe that would be a good review for Amazon.
January 25, 2018 at 1:56pm The saddest thing about 'January 25, 2018 at 8:08am' is that the ghost of Michael Tomlin continues to haunt ASU even after he was exorcised from his chair position and eventually from campus for multiple accounts of very bad behavior. "The power of personnel files compels you!" Here's a gem: "Unfortunately, there's the occasional dumb ass, too self-absorbed in their own pity to be of any value." - Now there's a "Rock Solid Lesson" for Tomlin! It may be time for him to take a "Hard Look" in the mirror and stop peddling his unending allegiance to ASU's "management" when it has so obviously and repeatedly failed ASU's students, staff, faculty and Colorado taxpayers. Give it a rest already, Mike. Your complicity in ASU's online and on-campus abuse of class sections and course overloads has only made things tougher for the good people at Adams State.
January 25, 2018 at 12:03pm to January 25, 2018 at 8:08am - “Sometimes this site is saddening about the future of America. The questions asked have to make you wonder how some people who can evidently read and write, simply not know basic things. It seemed like this...:” My concern is the future of Adams State. -graduation rates -professors stealing from ASU and still working at ASU with zero accountability -mounting debt that can’t be restructured or paid If you are not on the committee of 21, you are on the outside. “When you sit down at the poker table and you can’t find the fish during the first few hands then you are the fish.”
January 25, 2018 at 10:56am 1/25/18@8:08am - “Management”...use of this word saddens me about the future of higher education as a whole, never mind our school. Higher education is not a business. It is a social good. Treating it as anything otherwise is precisely how Adams fell to its sad current state. Universities don’t have “management”. They have administrations and boards, whose respective responsibilities are to safeguard the operational and fiduciary health of the institution so that the faculty - a school’s true organizational leaders - can focus on their core educational mission. It’s a tragedy that more ASU faculty don’t realize this and hold administration and the board accountable for the current state of affairs.
January 25, 2018 at 8:08am Sometimes this site is saddening about the future of America. The questions asked have to make you wonder how some people who can evidently read and write, simply not know basic things. It seemed like this...: > Who picked the Committee of 21? > What is the Committee of 21? > What is a Committee? > What is 21? Earth to employees everywhere - management probably picked the committee. You see, when you take a job you work for people who are appointed to jobs at higher rank than you. That gives them the responsibility to do the pickin'. This happens at places other than Adams too. If you didn't know about the committee, try going to campus meetings. If that doesn't help, then ask your supervisor. If they don't know and you are faculty, ask the faculty senate president. He will know. If you are staff, ask your staff council president. She will know. Sometimes it's not questions on this site but rather statements that boggle the mind. Someone wrote "I saw new Hispanic students looking for where they might be served." Were they newly Hispanic, or just new students? Did you help them find a place, maybe a place that serves only new Hispanic students, or did you just watch them as they looked, and then walk away? Of course a good strategy would have been to aim them at a faculty member or departmental assistant. They are famous for helping all students, not just those newly Hispanic. You can walk them to the One Stop, or really anyplace on campus and ask a staff employee to help this student, since you don't know how to help students. I'll bet our good staffers will ask questions, or make a call and get the student help. Life on campus is pretty good, with a lot of good employees who help people everyday. Unfortunately, there's the occasional dumb ass, too self-absorbed in their own pity to be of any value. Hopefully the Committee of 21 will keep the right ones.
January 25, 2018 at 7:31am January 24 @ 11:22am - Ok, I'll bite. What are the "actual facts"? Thanks.
January 24, 2018 at 11:22am January 22, @10:44am - Perhaps you should check actual facts before spewing stupidity.
January 24, 2018 at 7:34am What's the committee of 21?
January 23, 2018 at 8:56pm So this "committee" of 21... who decided that they should keep their jobs?
January 22, 2018 at 10:44am How timely was Bishop’s “departure” from ASU? How timely was her “return”? She never truly left, her leaving was a smokescreen on so many levels most notably the fact her departure coincided with the investigation and her return happened as soon as the HLC suggested ASU be taken off probation. One thing she excelled in is information so the new job title is fitting. “Miss Information” should be her proper title.
January 22, 2018 at 10:19am Just watch how Ed dumps his coffee and the grinds into the water fountains and you will see how he truly feels about those “beneath him”...
January 22, 2018 at 9:53am Wait! Where’s or where was this position posted? “Chief Information Officer, reporting to Kevin.”
January 21, 2018 at 1:17pm January 20, 2018 at 9:02am - “One week under our belt and no comments here about the joy of seeing our students, or the buzz around campus with the new semester beginning, or the happy new year greetings as we see our colleagues and coworkers following the holidays. Well that is how it was for me - a good week, and energizing. (Mostly) good people doing their work, and of course our great students.” To Jan 20 at 9:02am - You can find uplifting, spin cycle stories on the ASU website “Great Stories Begin Here”. This site is only for truth to be exposed mostly anonymously and not be fired. I saw 5 Professors that have averaged $140k per year the last 3-4 years still stalking the coffers of ASU, an AD that got a $30k raise 4 years ago from Svaldi (hush money), tried to guess the 17% of the new Freshmen destined to graduate in 4 years or the 28-30% that will graduate in 6 years...walking the campus headed to turn their loans over to ASU...I saw new Hispanic students looking for where “they might be served”, saw 700 athletes dressed in new UA and NB warm-ups walking to classes (ok only 300+ with the rest in bed) I don’t want ASU to close. Period. I just want the thieves and cronies gone. ASU needs a cleansing from the top down. Any shareholders of this company would and should demand this. Let’s go to the board and get new leaders... never mind.
January 21, 2018 at 3:17am Chief Information Officer, reporting to Kevin.
January 21, 2018 at 12:03am In reference to this: “ASU has hired a new assistant CIO--Tracey Bishop. What is a CIO & where is She located ?
January 20, 2018 at 9:25am I have attended my share of Crowther’s talks and he has proven himself to be the last person to lecture anyone on Martin Luther King, Jr. Despite all of his posturing about supporting the oppressed and vulnerable, Crowther has regularly made a practice of standing with the powerful and corrupt to advance his own career or merely just to side with the administration instead of faculty.
January 20, 2018 at 9:02am One week under our belt and no comments here about the joy of seeing our students, or the buzz around campus with the new semester beginning, or the happy new year greetings as we see our colleagues and coworkers following the holidays. Well that is how it was for me - a good week, and energizing. (Mostly) good people doing their work, and of course our great students. But then others of you live in your self-pitying unhappy little world. Posting here about who to fire and listing people who have already left, presumably just to trash their names. Classy. You list professor Crowther - did you attend his MLK presentation? What was your contribution to the event? And then the gossips - "I heard she tried to empathize," and "I heard she walked off the stage when she was done." You "I heards" out there should go to the meetings, and not live in your "I heard" gossip world, or get your jollies by spreading your "I heard" trash talk. You are the virus, the phlegm, that has infected our campus. The President is not easy to like, but she is leading us in the right direction, and the Board is finally getting its proper legs under it. Let's work to improve our university and make positive differences in our students' lives. Those are far better outcomes than at the end of the day knowing that your only contribution to life was that you spread "I heard" gossip.
January 19, 2018 at 6:02pm Reading past today's misleadingly cheerful Courier headline, the article itself makes one thing clear: Plan B has been Plan A for years now and the Adams State Hunger Games have begun: "Cuts have yet to be implemented, but the board stressed on Wednesday that the in-progress contingency plan is now ASU's regular financial plan. "This is our financial plan," said ASU Board of Trustees Chair Cleave Simpson. "It is no longer contingent on something. This is what we have to do. We're committed to working with everyone involved to truly make this successful and it's going to be truly difficult." ... And we should be impressed that the Board canceled their retreat in San Francisco in favor of "as local as possible and as cheap as possible"? Why did the Board think it was a good idea to charge ASU students and CO taxpayers to go to San Francisco to begin with? McClure should triple her salary, then reduce it by two-thirds, then praise herself on her financial discipline in the Valley Courier's next edition!
January 19, 2018 at 7:21am I heard President McClure walked off stage as soon as she finished her last sentence with no chance for questions. Scared? I also heard her attempt to empathize with how stressful this is fell flat. Any other impressions of our great leader?
January 18, 2018 at 6:27pm The criteria for who to fire are incomplete. They should start with the people who put us in this situation, those who ran up our debt to unpayable levels, and those who are responsible for the HLC probation. Let's start with Novotny 1 and Novotny 2, Jill Coddington, Benjamin Longfellow, Kristen Scott, Elizabeth Hensley, Linda Reid, Bill Schlaufman, Bill Mansheim, Walter Roybal, and Ed Crowther. Of course, some of these people have escaped from ASU unscathed.
January 18, 2018 at 2:04pm Who's bringing popcorn to the campus meeting? I have a feeling we are in for a long one.
January 17, 2018 at 12:01pm As HR seeks volunteers for early retirement buyouts, and the right sizing committee begins its deliberations on who to fire, ASU has hired a new assistant CIO--Tracey Bishop. Wow! Just wow!
January 15, 2018 at 6:24pm @January 15, 11:30 am - Awesome way to clarify how petty and immature, not to mention paranoid, recent comments that have taken an all time low. However, I am still seeking clarification on the size of a cockroach's behind and its capacity to carry around a wart?
January 15, 2018 at 11:30am To respond to a few recent posts: Adams may monitor your email - duh! If you are an employee then you likely signed an agreement for use of a computer and/or an email account. This is a work account and it is owned by the employer. There is NO promise of privacy. Many large employers regularly monitor employee's email, this is not unusual. Having said that, Adams does not waste much time or money checking employee emails, but it should be remembered that what you write on your account is for work, on work equipment, and should only contain work content. Kurt and Ed are tight, so beware - right, and Donny and Marie are siblings, Rob knows rocks, Tammy and Lori are co-workers, and I am pretty sure Jimmy cracked corn. There is some useful information. All of which will help us with HLC, I'm sure. Kurt listens to conversations - okay. If it's on campus hopefully he'll catch you discussing how to increase math pass rates, or improve retention, or effective recruiting strategies, or teaching techniques that work. Or wait, is he more likely to hear you bitching about your work, trashing the people who hired you and pay your salary, or otherwise undercutting your employer and fellow employees? If so, that's on you, not him. Who cares who is listening? Just do your job.
January 12, 2018 at 1:24pm I suspect they monitor personal email, as well. Anything accessed via ASU computers could be compromised.
January 12, 2018 at 5:10am Kurt Cary and Ed Crowther are tight so beware of both.
January 11, 2018 at 11:38am Jan 11 10:35am - Kurt Cary is no better than a wart on the behind of a cockroach. And he's not the only nor is that the only tactic. Be very careful about what you do on university computers, using your university email account and be careful around any security cameras. They do watch and listen.
January 11, 2018 at 10:35am Watch what you say and do. Kurt Cary goes all over campus and listens to conversations. He’ll even hide in a room with the lights off and listen.
January 10, 2018 at 6:07pm ASU refused to release the draft report on January 8. Then they turn around and release the final report on January 10? Perhaps CORA violation? Certainly suspicious!
January 10, 2018 at 3:20pm The following email was sent to all ASU employees on Jan 10, 2018 at 3:13 PM: From: Office of the President Subject: HLC Visiting Team Final Report... Please see the following message from President McClure: Dear Faculty and Staff: As we begin a new semester, I wanted to share some positive developments around our most recent correspondence with the site visiting team of the Higher Learning Commission. Following its comprehensive visit this past November to consider reaffirmation of accreditation, the HLC site visiting team is recommending that the sanction of Probation be removed for Adams State and commends ASU for the progress it’s made in addressing prior HLC concerns and resolving federal compliance concerns. It is important to note that this is only a recommendation and that both the Institutional Action Council (IAC) and the HLC Board have full discretion to disagree with the underlying findings and/or recommendation of the visiting team, and the HLC Board has other options at its disposal should it determine, based on the evidence, that a different or less favorable outcome is warranted. Certainly we all should be “cautiously optimistic” that the HLC Board will adopt the recommendation of removing the Probation sanction when it meets this summer. There is no question based on the site visiting team’s full review and recommendations that the hard work and intensive hours many of you put into the site team’s visit this past November led to the positive recommendation. Adams State was placed on probation in 2016, mostly due to a lack of oversight for the online learning and written correspondence course in the Extended Studies program. The site visiting team notes in its recommendations that these concerns have been addressed. There were five core components to the site team’s visit: Mission of the University; Ethical and Responsible Conduct of the University; Teaching and Learning, including Quality, Resources and Support provided by the University; Teacher and Learning components around Evaluation and Improvement; and University Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness. The HLC site visiting team determined Criteria 1, 2, and 3 were “met” and Criteria 4 and 5 were “met with concern.” A follow up visit will be required in 2020. As an institution of higher learning vital to the health and well-being of the San Luis Valley, we look forward to a full review of the site visiting team’s recommendation by the HLC Board. We will continue to share updates as we receive them. In the meantime, it’s onward and upward with Adams State. Please join us January 18 at 4:00 p.m. in Richardson Hall Auditorium for an all-campus update. The full report is located at: https://www.adams.edu/hlc/adams-state-university-final-report.pdf. Have a great spring semester!
January 10, 2018 at 1:57pm Jeff Elison's point is spot on, but doesn't go far enough. Those who whine "we don't care," or "we do nothing," are truly ignorant of the work good people do every day at Adams. Yes, meetings of faculty and staff, students and student leaders, community members, specialists and consultants, and others, all to improve learning opportunities for our students - many who struggle. And truthfully, colleges don't need to do any of that. Adams should be commended. One writer asked about "demographics." We should not care about the divisiveness of demographics. It is not a "demographic" that fails math, or drops out, or incurs student loan debt. It is a person. But that takes us to the very racist "help" programs that are open to some and not to others. One demographic however should be looked at - the large number of SLV area high school graduates who cannot write and cannot pass "grade 13" math.
January 9, 2018 at 8:53am Dear Jan 8: I'll repeat this, I was responding to a question and accusation: "I'm asking what was done and why wasn't there any concern?" I provided facts, data, and an incomplete list of actions. I only used "Title V to support my argument" in that they funded work to address pass rates in remedial math and students not taking advantage of tutoring and other support services. You can't tell me the folks in Title V don't care about pass rates and graduation rates. The meat of my argument is that a bunch of other people (virtually everyone in the Math Dept including adjuncts, me, and a math education consultant) actually took time and effort to do something. I think that partially answers the original question (what was done?) and refutes the accusation that there was no concern. Regarding Title V and racism, I meant I don't know the folks in that office very well. You took that and made a leap to saying I don't "know enough about Title V" and stretched it farther to talking about our students. To answer your question, I have been at ASU seven years. - Jeff Elison
January 9, 2018 at 7:36am While it is a huge injustice that non-Hispanic students feel like they don’t matter here at ASU let’s look at a few alarming things the powers that be are doing. They see being an HSI as a means to stuff their wallets. They are exploiting what it is to be Hispanic for their own selfish gain. Sure, they let us have our CASA and our Cesar Chavez week and let us build hornos and try as we may to keep our traditions and count on the fact that that is enough for us and to a large degree sadly it has been. Then they turn it into a form of demagoguery; again to fatten their bank accounts. As much as I am for keeping and remembering the traditions of such a proud people and culture what the powers that be are counting on is that we remain in the past and celebrate the heroes of yesterday because then no one will rise up and answer the call of today’s cause. As for the people who claim to “help their people”? They only do so because that’s where the money is. We are nothing but job security for them. Bob Marley had it right when he sang, “send us another Brother Moses...”, it’s time for a new generation to rise up. As for those who call for us to give you our names? Know who we are as a people; as human beings first and not just a means to exploit us for gain and job security.
January 9, 2018 at 6:20am @January 8, 2018 at 5:32pm - please explain the demographics to which you are referring to those of us who are unaware?
January 8, 2018 at 5:32pm You not knowing enough about Title V is exactly my point. Yet you use Title V to support your argument. How many years have you been working at Adams, Jeff? You should know as well as Matt Nerhing. Apparently you guys think it's OK not have a better understanding of the demographics of ASU students.
January 7, 2018 at 9:36am January 4, 2018 at 8:49pm wrote: “Wait Jeff. You did not address the first part of the 11:06 PM comment. Accusing the Title V department of being one of the most racist departments on campus." No, I didn't. I was responding to the question about what had been done about low pass rates in remedial math. None of the students in the focus groups mentioned Title V. I don't know enough about Title V to speak to this accusation. However, the next comment made it sound like they only help students with "brown skin." In my brief discussions about the Math 09x studies I did, Title V folks told me that of course the work they were funding would help all students. That was certainly true of all the work I was involved with. Also true of other initiatives they funded, such as bringing in a math education consultant, repeatedly. - Jeff Elison
January 5, 2018 at 8:40pm The biggest function an HSI has is to integrate and not segregate but the latter seems to be the only form of functionality at ASU. LatinX serves a great purpose especially since there are not many Hispanics in places of leadership at ASU but there again it’s only served as a means to segregate especially within LatinX itself! There is more division within LatinX at ASU than there is any hint of unity. Those who claim to “help their people” do so and hold it over their “peoples’” heads in one form or another.
January 5, 2018 at 7:18pm @ 5:48 PM: “Engaño” if you want to imply dishonesty or fraud. “¡Es un robo!” for something priced way too high. I think both apply but I’m sure the CAMP scholarship is available whether you qualify or not. If that’s how they “help their people” count me out.
January 5, 2018 at 7:08pm I think most of the reactions and emotions y'all are sharing are completely valid and I want to thank you all for sharing. In regards to those of you implying that the Hispanic Serving Institution designation is a marketing ploy. Sure. To an extent it can definitely be seen as so, but also understanding the historical context and how we came across such is important as well. I've linked the article below for some background reading on the history of what it means to be an HSI. Honestly, I had no idea what it meant a couple years back. Here's my challenge to our institution as a whole. Most of the ASU community understands we're an "HSI" but also to an extent many of us don't understand how to put it into practice. Right? So ask yourself how many times within our departments have we brought into our meetings, "hey how are we doing in regards to serving our hispanic/ latinx identified student populations?". For me personally, not a whole lot and I'm planning on changing that. So I encourage all of us to engage in these conversations, and really think critically about what actionable steps are next so that we feel like we're achieving our institution wide goal. Bring it up. Set aside from time. Just do it as Shia Lebouf (he was on Disney channel) once said! Don't feel like you can go to the BoT or the President? Start with your colleagues or with yourself and perhaps think of ways to implement it into practice. Doesn't have to be huge, but starting small can have a significant impact! We have a lot of potential this year, I really believe so! Hope y'all had a great holiday The article for though I mentioned before: A Closer Look at Hispanic-Serving Institutions What is "latinx"? Read more here: Rodriguez: The X in LatinX
January 5, 2018 at 5:48pm Yes 2:15pm, I know many former students whose families are more poor, who are in deep student loan debt, and who have no degree at all - thanks to the predatory admissions policies of Adams State University. Given that only 28% of Hispanic students enrolled at ASU earn a degree in 6 years (about half the state's average), the university is engaging in blatantly fraudulent marketing as a designated Hispanic "Serving" Institution. So what's the best way to say "rip off" in Spanish?
January 5, 2018 at 2:15pm Well if ASU is being accused of catering to Hispanics then where does the fault lie when the numbers show a lesser percentage of Hispanics completing their education? Do we let the blame rest at the feet of the students or the people who claim to help “their people”? I don’t see how ASU is a true HSI with those kind of figures. Fact is the students, faculty, staff, community and parents are all being bled dry to line the pockets of the Richardson elite. Everybody serves RH, BOT, HR and the boot lickers who do their bidding.
January 5, 2018 at 10:21am January 5 @ 6:42am - That is the most ludicrous conjecture that has ever been posted. You are delirious. Thanks for the humor. It made our day.
January 5, 2018 at 6:42am Of course the Title V program is racist - by plan, by design, by staffing, by implementation, and by practice. The only students we care (institutionally) about on this campus are migrants, and others of brown skin color. Pete Gomez talks about helping "his people," and that means only the ones just referenced. Try to get reading or math help for a student with black or white skin color and you are turned away. But it's bigger than Title V. When racism charges were made against a previous transfer coordinator, they were ignored, the accuser punished, and the coordinator promoted. Jeff Elison is right about the students. Those questions have been asked and are regularly asked, and the answers are disappointing. But all colleges have those students. It is because of our small size and unique mission that we have a disproportionately larger population of them. Then we stupidly herd them into demographically defined groups (migrant, Hispanic) to better prep them to succeed in the general population. It is the exact opposite of how we should help all students - but follow the (grant) money and the protected employees who exploit and spend it. Much like with opioids, the treatment (to pain) created a larger problem. Such as it is with grants and the untouchable people they fund.
January 4, 2018 at 8:49pm Wait Jeff. You did not address the first part of the 11:06 PM comment. Accusing the Title V department of being one of the most racist departments on campus. That is huge! Wow!
January 3, 2018 at 9:03am Dear 10:41 and 11:06: "So we are saying that the students just don't care?" No, SOME students said that, not all. However, the number was alarming. "They don't want to graduate." Sure they do, but not all of them have a clear understanding of what that requires. I didn't invent the "C's get degrees" saying. I find it very troubling to hear that from students. "Sometimes you should not rely on a survey, you should just talk to the students themselves." Indeed! We created the surveys after running six focus groups with students from the Math 09x classes. We started by identifying the themes that came up in those focus groups. Yes, being intimidated or poor tutors were mentioned occasionally. However, lack of motivation, not caring, and lack of time were mentioned more often, as were complaints about MathXL. I suspect the biggest problem is prior education in that their educational experiences did not provide an adequate base for math and convinced them they couldn't do math. Low self-efficacy for math was the number one predictor of grades. I'm not blaming anyone here; I'm just reporting the data. I responded to a question: "I'm asking what was done and why wasn't there any concern?". There were other efforts by the Math Dept as well (revising content, focusing on "less [content] is more" teaching), but I wasn't involved in all of those, so I can't tell you much more. Some things to consider: "The most recent PISA results, from 2015, placed the U.S. an unimpressive 38th out of 71 countries in math." "Colorado schools rank 21st in the country in Education Week's annual Quality Counts report released Thursday. The state scored an overall grade of C, the same grade as the nation. That ranking is the average of three separate indices: "Chance for Success," "K-12 Achievement," and "School Finance."" "The rankings vary by measure, but Colorado's rank ranges from 39th to 47th across all states in K-12 education funding." "In terms of average faculty salaries based on purchasing power, the United States ranks fifth, behind not only its northern neighbor, but also Italy, South Africa and India." Colorado is way down the list for faculty salaries in the U.S. and ASU is probably the lowest paying public four-year institution in Colorado. On the list I saw from 2015, we were above community colleges, Naropa, and a few art institutes and seminaries. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure I didn't need to say that). :-) - Jeff Elison
January 2, 2018 at 11:06pm Title V is one of the most racist departments on campus. Run by Neo-liberals who only pretend to care about students of color. Many students did not feel comfortable with going to the tutoring centers because they could not relate to the professors and tutors that were there. Most general education math classes are weighed on tests and not the work that is done in class and for homework. There are also many math professors to find it disrespectful to ask questions during class in which a student would have to make an appointment with the professor after class in order to find out what they didn't understand. Sometimes you should not rely on a survey, you should just talk to the students themselves.
January 2, 2018 at 10:41pm So we are saying that the students just don't care? They don't want to graduate. That is the biggest bullshit I've ever heard in my life.
January 1, 2018 at 6:45pm ----Editor's Note: Readers may be interested in the related Watching Adams podcast from a former ASU math instructor: Andy Zaugg: “I Can’t Do Math and It’s Not Important”
January 1, 2018 at 6:36pm Jan 1, at 9:45 - "What plan was made to assist these students with what they needed to pass? I'm not saying make it easy for them. I'm asking what was done and why wasn't there any concern?" There was and continues to be a great deal of concern. Many people put in many, many hours attempting to address this problem. I was one of them. Title V funded studies, which including surveying students, to find sources of the problem and solutions. Title V also funded studies to figure out why so few students go for help (e.g., tutoring or to professors) when they need it. Changes were made in the Math 09X classes and in the tutoring centers, including more "marketing" of available services. The studies revealed two clear themes. First, many students in these classes have very low self-efficacy when it comes to math. So they tend to give up quickly once they start having trouble. They learned earlier in school that "they can't do math." Second, regardless of subject, many students don't care enough to make the effort to get help, or study enough. I'm not being judgmental or jumping to conclusions, they told us these things, over and over. - Jeff Elison
January 1, 2018 at 11:34am I think the real problem is not with the math department, it is that students at ASU are consistently being coddled and the standards of the institution keep being lowered. I know many people, not just at Adams, that struggled with the math requirement. Rather than dumming down the standards, how about ASU raises the admission standards? College is not for everyone. Maybe it is the fact that ASU has watered down the value of its degrees by letting everyone in. The valley has a JC, maybe that is a better place for people who need remedial help. Math is a requirement at any institution. ASU is doing a disservice to everyone by admitting everyone. The math department was great to both my wife and I. The professors were always willing to help. I am sorry that some people are just too lazy to do the work. Oh, by the way. I had Matt Nehring for multiple classes. He was a good professor. He is good for the institution and I hope to god he does not water down the value of my degree by lowering standards. I agree that a 75% failure rate is an issue but I think the issue is not with the math department but an issue with admissions. Again, college is not for everyone and by letting in individuals that can not do the work we do everyone a disservice. I follow Watching Adams regularly and I agree with a lot that I see here but lowering standards in order to accommodate the lazy is not the answer. Again, college is not for everyone. -signed, an ASU graduate, class of 2007, who actually earned their degree Also, if you would like my contact information, please post yours in the comments and I will respond personallly.
January 1, 2018 at 9:45am If any academic department has a 75 percent failure rate of a general education class under poor leadership, why would we want the same leadership to be responsible for all of the academic departments? What plan was made to assist these students with what they needed to pass? I'm not saying make it easy for them. I'm asking what was done and why wasn't there any concern? Fact check the failure rate in Banner. Numbers don't lie.
January 1, 2018 at 8:03am To December 30, 2017 at 8:13pm: We don't understand your point about Dr. Nehring visiting Admissions. He has his degrees and is likely not looking to apply. He also is the VP for Academics - essentially the lead faculty member. The Admissions office is an entirely separate office. There is no need for him to meddle there. But your point that admissions is a failure is spot on. There has been no defined, strategic, recruiting and admissions plan in many years - in recent memory actually. Of the many good things your president has done and cleaned up, this is one issue where she has failed thus far. While evidently unpopular on this site, The Promise Scholarship and guaranteed tuition are actually good tools. But they have never been effectively promoted or used. Hopefully 2018 can be the year where everyone recruits, everyone promotes the good things about Adams, and you all come together to strengthen a good university. Hopefully too the new recruiting hire will craft and execute a good plan and we will see the results.
December 30, 2017 at 8:13pm Matt Nehring hasn't been to the admissions office 1 time. Does anyone have a clue what goes on down there on a daily basis? There is no strategic plan to recruit students for fall 2018! Someone with credibility and some plan, ANY PLAN had better get down there soon. Or maybe Karla already knows that it's too late? Where is that preliminary HLC report? While we are at it, what about the more than 200 students who aren't able to register for spring because they didn't pay for fall? Dont worry, its only $500,000! Keep collecting your paychecks everyone. The well is running dry.
December 30, 2017 at 10:24am December 30 5:32am - Do you have any additional reasons why Matt Nehring would be a "terrible choice"? Because your only reason is worthless. He had little control over the pass rate in those classes, but we do know he didn't just drop standards to let everyone through. I can't think of a better person in ASU administration.
December 30, 2017 at 8:52am December 30 5:32am - I appreciate your point about a 75% failure rate in the mathematics department under Matt's leadership. But let's be honest, there are many more variables than just Dr. Nehring--not excusing it--simply looking at it from a multi-faceted perspective. Perhaps this is indicative of the students who matriculate into ASU, which in turn is indicative of the quality of mathematics faculty or the lackluster GTLC. I'm not completely certain without data collection and regression analysis. But what I can unequivocally conclude is that based on the logic of a variable of one (Mart Nehring), then Liz Thomas Hensley would be an excellent choice for VPAA--no rigor, huge pass rates. I, for one, just can't go to the opposite end of that spectrum.
December 30, 2017 at 5:32am Matt Nehring would be a terrible choice for the VPAA position. Did we forget that while he ran the Math Department most students were at a 75% failure rate for Gen Ed math? How many students are out there who have completed all of their credits and only need math to graduate? I'm not sure why he was picked as the Interim VPAA.
December 29, 2017 at 12:25pm At a minimum, I hope Matt Nehring applies for the VPAA position (I wish the board would just appoint him). He truly seems to be the only person with any sense and who cares about this campus! He works from the heart and what is best for ALL at ASU--not his own agenda. And he's a nice man. That goes a long way considering the "mean girls"' club.
December 23, 2017 at 11:47am Want to be the next VPAA at ASU? This job description doesn't do justice to the workplace hazards of reporting to Beverlee McClure...
December 19, 2017 at 11:04pm @9:22 pm: that’s not the Financial Aid philanderer I was referring to but maybe you are right in what you say. It totally makes sense. In other news Rodney is going to get off “Scott” free. I couldn’t resist the bad joke but sad thing is everybody is going to be the punchline. Not even the mailroom which he ran for a short time has recovered from his despotic reign. His maddening methods have passed on to the one who currently runs it now. Rodney controls ASU, people. He controls us by manipulating those in control. He fits the profile of a sociopath, a jealous and possessive boyfriend and a cult leader.
December 19, 2017 at 9:22pm Maybe the philanderer and the politician have a little something going on! Ever think of that? Why is she always allowed to be campaigning and gone? After all, the philanderer is her boss.
December 19, 2017 at 6:55pm Ask anyone who has a degree... Yes, let's. Let's ask those who have received a graduate degree from ASU (especially an MBA). What were their undergraduate GPA's that merited their entrance into a grad program? What were their GRE scores? Were they pursuing a graduate degree just so that they could continue competing in their sport? Answers: below 2.5, what GRE scores?, and yes. Way too many cases like that to count. There are certainly good people doing good work here but they are drowned out by poor leadership/administration and the few faculty that remain who conduct business illegally and unethically (Crowther, Hensley)
December 18, 2017 at 2:25pm Notice how Guaranteed Tuition isn't even mentioned anymore (in ASU's PR or BOT communications) in terms of how it can attract or retain students, boost enrollment, or even address the increasing costs of attending ASU? That's how poorly-planned a policy it is. And it will be remembered as part of Beverlee McClure's failed presidency. Moody's was correct in downgrading ASU's credit as a result.
December 17, 2017 at 5:22pm Financial Aid, they are watching you too and a certain male trying to be promoted from campus flirt to campus philanderer.
December 17, 2017 at 5:05pm Clearly 25% of the staff at Adams will be cut. Careful everyone, careful. Years of dedicated service won't me a damn thing. Admissions...they are watching you!
December 17, 2017 at 5:00pm Ask the majority of ASU students who never earn a degree and are saddled with the debt... ASU Graduation Rate 26% Lower than State Average - "ASU’s four-year graduation rate is only 15.3%. And in six years, only 34.2% of students will graduate with a degree. The same data shows the statewide average for six-year degree completion at 59.9%." A university that only confers degrees to one third of the students who attend there? That's unacceptable and taxpayers should be outraged that ASU is a long-running dropout factory. Don't tell us that ASU's educational achievements are solid. They are shoddy. And covering for the soft bigotry of low expectations doesn't help ASU students or the San Luis Valley as a whole.
December 17, 2017 at 4:05pm Talking of degrees and jobs: Erica Romero, who is employed by ASU, but who is never at work because of her other political obligations, does not have a degree. Yet she’s trying to run ASU, ASD, the hospital, etc...
December 17, 2017 at 3:45pm Ask everyone who has degrees and jobs because of Adams... then tell me the educational achievements are not solid.
December 17, 2017 at 1:55pm If you think this website doesn’t have facts, you clearly cannot read. This past week, we saw more facts about ASU’s deficit spending, rising interest payments on the university’s debt, diminishing revenue due to lower enrollment, rising costs to students, being among the lowest average university salaries in the nation, and now being about 45% overstaffed due to all the shrinking programs. Those are facts, ladies and gentlemen. So you can celebrate the bread and circuses of athletics, but the educational foundations of ASU are not solid and the financials are not sound.
December 17, 2017 at 1:42pm No facts are presented here, only peoples opinions and negative attitudes towards ASU, if there is truly good happening at ASU we need to recognize that too, not just complain about everything. Cross team takes nationals and you wanna talk smack... whatever haters, jump in a lake!
December 17, 2017 at 9:20am "Chris Lopez was not the first choice for the PR/Marketing position, but Beverlee made sure he was hired." Yes, there were others with much better qualifications and experience, but Chris, with his ties to certain BoT members, had one quintessential asset that placed him above the others. Loyalty. Bev, like Trump, values loyalty over and above skill, experience, intelligence, ingeniousness and energy. Chris may have all those things, but he must defer to Bev's omnipotence - because she is an expert at everything and beyond challenge. This means keep his nose down and mouth shut and simply taking Bev's orders. If he does not, he will lose his job. This of course is what happened to that other Chris. Gilmer put the needs of the university first, above those of the need to feed Bev's fragile ego, and was fired. And of course the BoT capitulated. We will know soon enough if Chris Lopez has a spine because he will not be long in his new seat. Being fired by McClure is now a badge of honor because it shows you have a heart and a brain.
December 15, 2017 at 11:28pm Many good people work at ASU. And many more have left - either because they were run off, disemployed, or simply found a better job elsewhere. This isn’t an accident. Adams State seems quite committed to retaining incompetent bullies and blowhards while punishing innovators, those willing to uphold high standards, or advocates of academic integrity. Just observe who is still drawing six figure salaries and attending lavish parties while running ASU into the ground. And then wonder why Dr. Gilmer was forced to resign at the threat of being sued by Beverlee. The qualified are kicked out, the inept are rewarded generously. But hey, it’s always easier to blame a scapegoat: the HLC, “negativity”, “cyber bullying”, etc. That’s what a failed leader does.
December 16, 2017 at 11:06pm Anyone at ASU doing a good job? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Only Danny I guess, because he goes to plays and what not.
December 16, 2017 at 10:23pm I am so sad that the BoT and the Administration have allowed Adams State to fall to this level. I'm angry that they continue to pad their pockets while the rest of us are left wondering if we will even have a job. Obviously they don't care how their greed will affect Adams State employees or the the SLV.
December 16, 2017 at 8:30pm @December 15, 1:48 PM: Rodney will remain employed at ASU regardless of the current investigation on him. Kurt and Ana will make sure of that. The only reason they started the investigation was because the HLC was in town at the time. In this current investigation they are asking only for pertinent information dating back to only a year or a year and a half back. If the all the prior investigations regarding the last 20 or so years of his tenure hasn’t gotten him fired the current investigation regarding the last year or so of his tenure only cements his stay at ASU. Thank you, Kurt. Thank you, Ana.
December 16, 2017 at 6:55pm Beverlee has been a disaster, and it is shameful of BOT not to have realized this long time back. Their decision to hire her in the first place was an extremely stupid decision. It was clear reflection of the unsophistication and naiveté of BOT. Anyone with experience and professional maturity could see right through her during the interview process. BOT should have dumped her a longtime back.
December 16, 2017 at 1:34pm I would encourage the Valley Courier to shut down its publication. All it does is divide the community with facts about how poorly run ASU has been for years and years. If only the administrative incompetence were kept under wraps, ASU would be great and getting even better!
December 16, 2017 at 12:26pm Regarding this morning's Valley Courier articles, it's too bad the Board and president only acknowledge all these problems now that layoffs are imminent. Rather than addressing them openly, or addressing them at all, they chose to hide and deny problems in the past. I am amazed by the variety of admissions, so much bad news: We are overstaffed for 3,000 students when we only have 1,600. Does that mean 45% of employees will be laid off? ASU currently sits at the bottom of CUPA’s list of average salaries for 89 institutions. There's a shocker. 2010 was ASU’s peak enrollment year and it has decreased every year since. Great job. ASU wouldn’t have to worry about the competition as much if it was still the most affordable public institution in the state; however, it is now the sixth most expensive of public institutions. Holy crap! They blame this on HLC and the drop in online courses, but they never mention the interest and fees for capital construction, or acknowledge that Extended Studies was a joke deserving of HLC's sanction. I can't wait to see Moody's reaction this spring. B-team here we come. According to McClure the average Division II percentage of student athletes is 15-18 percent and ASU is made up of 40 percent student athletes. ... “We can’t get our revenue correct because it costs more per full time equivalent for an athlete,” said McClure. In spite of McClure's statement about athletes, this is Trustee Pryor's take: "While major cuts to the athletic program weren’t discussed, other than the approval of the department’s criteria, Trustee Wendell Pryor added on Friday that he would like to preserve the department as much as possible. 'I would certainly like to not tear down the progress we’ve made in the athletics program,' said Pryor. 'It has to be a shared sacrifice and I’d like to preserve as much of that infrastructure as we can.' Wendell, please resign and take McClure with you. Why does it have to be a "shared sacrifice"? Let me see, we are a university that has to make cuts. Universities exist to teach. But let's cut academics equally with athletics. Your attitude pretty much summarizes one of the biggest problems in higher ed today. We are fighting for survival and if anything is to survive, it needs to be education.
December 15, 2017 at 5:53pm Re: December 15 @ 2:03p.m. - Not to mention interfering in campus employment searches. Chris Lopez was not the first choice for the PR/marketing position, but Beverlee made sure he was hired. Possibly because of his relationship to someone on the BoT?
December 15, 2017 at 2:03pm Salary and benefits combined, ASU students and taxpayers have paid Beverlee McClure well over $500,000 and counting. What do we have to show for it? Declining enrollment, financial ruin, public embarrassment, academic devaluation. There are so many better ways this money could have been spent.
December 15, 2017 at 1:48pm Forgive this comment as this conversation seems to have happened quite some time back but I have just learned of this site. I am very surprised to see that Rodney Martinez still works at Adams, I haven't worked there in many years but I recall at one time he was arrested for beating his I'm assuming now ex-wife. Being drunk and wrecking an Adams vehicle. As well as using facility equipment and other resources to have a side business cleaning. And I do recall that he was an umpire of either baseball or softball (cant quite recall which if not both) during regular business hours when he should have been at work doing whatever he does. So it seems he likes to double dip or maybe triple? Not to mention all the sexual harassment allegations that were "settled". Wow Adams you really let this continue for so long!?
December 15, 2017 at 9:32am We're not the only ones suffering. Check out this poem regarding the compensation package for the prez at Wake Forest: Poem About Your University President’s Completely Reasonable Four Million-Dollar Compensation Package
December 14, 2017 at 10:20pm December 14, 2017 at 6:29pm - You know, there's something remarkable about reading your comment while at the ASU Theatre Building to film the Nutcracker Ballet. I haven't missed a dance recital since I started recording these programs in 2004! So yeah, I care about my hometown for many reasons and I've been going to events and activities at Adams State since I was a kid. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. The San Luis Valley needs a community hub for creative and intellectual life. ASU needs to be the best it can be. And I think we can all agree that ASU could do better - for its students, its employees, and the community at large. It has to. - Danny Ledonne
December 14, 2017 at 8:57pm It's interesting that nowhere in the contingency plan, which is supposedly to help save ASU from bankruptcy, is there a suggestion that McClure or Doell or Hardesty et al take a pay cut. They are entirely happy to eviscerate everyone else's livelihood, but they make no sacrifice themselves. So much for all that crap about being in this together. Then they wonder why they have lost so many people's respect.
December 14, 2017 at 8:37pm December 13, 2017 at 5:26pm - Kari Allen is Heather Brooks' sister who somehow didn’t have to apply for the position that was never advertised. Hmmmm. Let’s take this a step further, Heather Brooks (Alamosa City Manager) and Randy Wright, who is on the ASU board of trustees are very good friends. In fact, Randy is a puppet of Heather. Heather is very good friends with McClure. It’s easy to see how Kari Allen was hired. The City of Alamosa wouldn’t be much without the support of ASU. The cesspool needs drained at ASU, the City, and the Chamber of Commerce (Wright’s employer). Very surprising that none of this has been made public!
December 14, 2017 at 7:28pm The ones who divide the community and undermine the SLV as a whole are people like HR, Doell, McClure, Hardesty, etc. They implore those who make the least amount of money to make the biggest sacrifices. They bleed ASU dry to ensure their livelihoods are left intact should the doors close. They make sure to keep the integrity of the term “Hispanic Serving Institute” to serve themselves and their ilk and live the American Dream.
December 14, 2017 at 7:14pm The fact that Danny even posts comments from the detractors shows he’s not here to bring ASU down. If a site like this didn’t exist it would benefit those who have plenty to hide.
December 14, 2017 at 7:13pm @6:29: I would encourage you to stop reading if you don’t like this site!! No one is forcing you to, I’m quite certain!
December 14, 2017 at 6:29pm I would encourage you to shut down this site, anyone can make up a name or even put someone else’s name making it seem like they wrote it... this site helps no one... In fact it further divides our community, but what do you care you live in Oregon.
December 14, 2017 at 2:21pm While periodically this page receives a rash of Trump-like personal attacks, with absurd calls to fire swathes of ASU employees, the majority of comments are mainly concerned with finding out what is going on in the echoing halls of Richardson. For example, as someone recently asked, what is the plan to earn the income to dig us out of the debt chasm into which the university has slid? Is that not a reasonable question? Most people simply want to know what's going on at ASU, but because Dr McClure and the BoT are intent on keeping us in the dark, we must resort to WA to share information. It is not ideal, but there is no other choice, and it is lucky for us that we have someone like LeDonne with the technical skills to provide us this channel. I don't agree with a lot of comments, and the tone of some is distasteful, but this site exists only because our "leaders" have actively repudiated shared governance and organizational transparency. This site would dissolve if they took their responsibilities to us employees seriously and started engaging with us as adults.
December 14, 2017 at 11:24am @December 14, 2017 at 10:24am – I have and continue to perform community service in the places I've lived because I find it fulfilling. I try to post 2-3 relevant news and information articles on Facebook each day because I enjoy staying informed and exchanging ideas with other people. Sometimes I post more, and sometimes less, depending on what else I have going that day. I can show you how the comments submission process works and, like yours, I assure you that all comments are published as submitted unless they violate the terms of use. Very few comments have ever been withheld here. I do try to clean up grammar and spelling errors for the ease of readership. Given that this forum is maintained for discussion about Adams State University, I would encourage yourself and others to stay on topic for the benefit of everyone here. But if it's your heart's desire to send me hate mail, I enjoy collecting it and you may do so here. My collection goes back to at least 2006. And I'm sure Mr. Trump appreciates your support! The latest Monmouth University poll has him down to a 32% approval rating, with 56% disapproving. He's really losing support among women and independents lately. - Danny Ledonne, aka a jealous, bitter keyboard warrior
December 14, 2017 at 10:58am The only way to save millions of money is by downgrading our athletic department from NCAA Division II to Division III. Students come to ASU to get a degree! It is mind-boggling how people could say things like students come to ASU to play sports and without strong sports, we won't students. Athletics is NOT the student life - just a PART of it. In higher education, academics has to come first. If they don't get it, they shouldn't work at a teaching institution like ASU.
December 14, 2017 at 10:24am Danny Ledonne is a jealous, bitter keyboard warrior who is always on Facebook and other ridiculous blogs like this, I think it’s only he who posts and puts fake names. Also this site allows others to post under whatever name they like. How bout you go serve the community instead of complaining about others on the internet...... p.s Go Trump
December 14, 2017 at 7:26am Can someone interpret the budget document posted here? Are we really $7.2 million in the hole this year? Are we really paying almost $5 million in interest on our debt? Thanks Bill, Frank, Dave, Beverlee, and the past Board of Trustees members. Swell job that will cost us ours.
December 13, 2017 at 9:48pm There were many times a job was posted for two hours or less in RH especially when it was starting to be renovated. They would put the job post on a wall where nobody could see it.
December 13, 2017 at 6:08pm Well color me surprised! Heather Brooks is Beverlee McClure's lead booster amongst a very shallow pool of remaining support.
December 13, 2017 at 5:26pm Kari Allen is Heather Brooks' sister who somehow didn’t have to apply for the position that was never advertised. Hmmmm.
December 13, 2017 at 4:52pm Yet again, more about the contingency plan but absolute silence about Plan A. You know, the one you put into action before Plan B? Every 101 student in business school will tell you that any commercial operation - and that is what education has become - can only survive if it generates income. Trimming the fat is fine, but if you are already anorexic, cutting services, cutting resources (in our case, the human capital we call employees) and cutting morale without demonstrating a strong plan for income recovery, is a death sentence. You can reorganize your debt and negotiate extended repayment schedules... but eventually the bank manager is going to call in your chit. So... and let me repeat... where is the plan to build income?
December 13, 2017 at 4:42pm December 13 @12:36 - Well stated! All Jason's machismo behavior does is make his wife look worse, not to mention how foolish he looks/sounds.
December 13, 2017 at 12:36am Jason, there's no need to start white knighting on the Internet. This isn't about the “hatred” of anyone but honest criticism of under-performing administrative bloat in times of financial hardship for ASU. I have no special knowledge of Erica Romero's job performance as Scholarship Coordinator in Financial Aid, but what has been alleged is that “Financial Aid/One Stop is replete with people who take unnoticed leave” and providing specific examples of this, to which Erica was then identified. More seriously still: “She is on every board known to man and she is never at work. I believe that being cronies with the higher-ups allows her to take unnoticed leave everyday. Earlier in the year, some students didn't get their scholarship money processed because she was busy trying to be a politician instead of her job.” Notably, Erica Romero was also on the Alamosa School Board when they were sued by a group of community members in 2013 for failing to do their due diligence in assessing the property value of the Polston land. Those bad decisions ended up costing the school district over a quarter million dollars because it turns out that the Healthy Living Park group was able to put up well beyond the appraised value. Erica voted against the better offer and the community lost out as a result. So please keep the personal insults and alpha male braggadocio out of this. Instead, focus on the issues of public policy and job performance where ASU obviously needs major improvements.
December 13, 2017 at 11:58am Hey Alan maybe we can meet up and discuss your hatred of my wife in person? That is if you are truly the non-cowardly grizzly you claim to be. - Jason Romero
December 13, 2017 at 11:40am December 13 @9:04 - That’s Kari Allen - Assistant to the President/Value Added Ag Coordinator, Office of the President
December 13, 2017 at 9:04am Questions: Who is the email exactly from in RE: to “From: Office of the President Subject: Contingency Planning Process"? Who is kaallen@adams.edu? And in reference to bullet point 6: “The Vice President of each area will discuss evaluations with Contingency Plan Senior Leadership Team” ... who is that VP of each area?
December 12, 2017 at 10:54pm To December 2, 2017 at 9:20am- That would be the hated and disliked PRESIDENT of the Alamosa School Board - Erica Romero. Re: December 6, 2017 at 2:20pm - “The students will know about this site in droves shortly. There are 3 particularly interesting stories involving the track team, and upper admin that will be exposed soon. The corruption involved in it is nothing short of shocking and criminal.” Curious when will this be exposed? Do tell more? Will the doors of ASU be reopened after the New Year in 2018? We are not 5 to 6 million in the hole, we are 8 million in the hole! And now academic departments are being asked to give back money to the university... don’t spend your operations budget unless you absolutely need to, volunteer for a furlough, take an early buy out, graduation rates are down, spring 2018 is DOWN, go out and recruit your students, early retirements, searches for departments are on HOLD, Debbie Chapman left, Coach Rosenbach left, track team in the news, sexual harassment, bullies, liars, loss of students, Rodney is going to be director of facility services, Kurt Carey will continue to patrol, prez will recover from her surgery and dig us deeper into a hole... proud to be an INDIAN... I am not a scared cowardly grizzly! Santa 🎅 please deliver one 🎁 gift! You know what I want. I’ve been a good boy this year! - Alan
December 12, 2017 at 10:41am The following email was sent to ASU employees on Mon, Dec 11, 2017 at 5:00 PM: From: Office of the President Subject: Contingency Planning Process Attached you will find a diagram outlining the Proposed Contingency Planning Process. The Process reflects how decisions will be made through our Shared Governance Process. Please review and answer the three questions to help us determine if this is the best process. For clarification, here are the members of each group: Constituent Groups: Faculty Senate Classified Employee Council (CEC) Professional Administration Staff Council (PASC) Contingency Planning Group of 21: Faculty Representatives: Sheryl Abeyta, Rob Benson, Beth Bonnstetter, Ed Crowther, Jess Gagliardi, Curtis Garcia, Yusri Zaro CEC Representatives: Kristina Cook, Peggy Dunn, Jerah Dickson, Andrew (Andres) Herrera, Kendra Marquez, Patrick Roybal, Elaine Wenta PASC Representatives: Rosanna Backen, Andrea Benton-Maestas, Betsy Chacon, Kevin Daniel, Bruce DelTondo, Toni Leach, Shanae Mundee Contingency Plan Senior Leadership Team: Beverlee McClure, Kurt Cary, Lillian Gomez, Heather Heersink, Ken Marquez, Matt Nehring Executive Team: Beverlee McClure, Kurt Cary, Margaret Doell, Karla Hardesty, Heather Heersink, Lori Laske, Chris Lopez, Tammy Lopez, Kenneth Marquez, Larry Mortensen, Matt Nehring, Tracy Rogers, Penny Sanders President’s Cabinet: Beverlee McClure, Mark Manzanares, Alex Lopez, Dianne Lee, Kevin Daniel, Dodie Day, Kristy Duran, Jess Gagliardi, Ed Crowther, Mari Centeno, Renae Haslett, Matt Nehring, Lillian Gomez Board of Trustees: Cleave Simpson, Kathleen Rogers, Pam Bricker, Reeves Brown, Michele Lueck, Wendell Pryor, Arnold Salazar, John Singletary, Randy Wright, Robert Benson, John Owsley Here is the process described: 1. For the Academic area: Data from Institutional Effectiveness and Budget Office is distributed to department chairs for review and consideration. 2. Departments develop the narrative sections of the evaluation – due Feb. 1. 3. Evaluation of programs conducted and ratings assigned by VPAA. This process will include communication/discussion with department chairs and faculty. Completed by Feb. 21. 4. For Student Services and Operations, the same process will be used with data routed to the appropriate department heads. 5. For Athletics, a comprehensive departmental evaluation of athletic programs to determine if athletics is aligned properly with the goals of the University and is serving in the best interest of the University will be conducted. This will include a sport-by-sport review. 6. The Vice President of each area will discuss evaluations with Contingency Plan Senior Leadership Team. 7. The relevant Vice President will make recommendations regarding program prioritization to the Executive Team. 8. The Executive Team makes recommendations to the President’s Cabinet. 9. President’s Cabinet makes recommendations to the Contingency Plan Senior Leadership Team. 10. Additional revenue generating and expense saving proposals will be vetted through the Contingency Plan Group of 21 and will follow the same process as the above. 11. The Contingency Plan Senior Leadership Team makes formal recommendations to the President. 12. The President makes formal recommendations to the Board of Trustees
December 10, 2017 at 11:03am Dec 8 8:16: maybe they offered Ellen Novotny an early out — one that isn’t offered to anyone else yet. - Carol Otto
December 8, 2017 at 8:16am Re: December 8 @7:16am - Really? Ellen is gone? Before the end of the semester? Wow! Maybe Dr Frank(enstein) "NO"votny will be next. They are nothing more than bullies and thieves.
December 8, 2017 at 7:16am What happened to Ellen Novotny? I walked by her office the other day and it's empty and her name plate is gone. Karma? Good riddance!
December 7, 2017 at 11:26pm What does everyone think about the outdoor program? Miltenberger as a director, seems like he is not doing that program justice. It used to be too notch, now not so much.
December 7, 2017 at 8:36pm I've been around long enough to remember when the girls basketball team used their voices. They were able to rid themselves of Storm.
December 7, 2017 at 7:03pm No silence to break on this one, the voices have just been ignored a dozen times: Crowther.
December 7, 2017 at 6:11pm
Many people have put their names in places like HR, VP office, prez office, EOE, etc. and they have been ignored or ran off. One ignorant person who refuses to look at the facts posted will not define what guts is. One ignorant person will not define the masses who although disrespected, retaliated against, lied about still come in every day and work their butts off. Right now it's all about making people aware. Names will come but it starts by naming the perpetrators. You want people to have guts then give them a hope, an avenue by which they can speak and find justice. Stop the dastardly act of calling out the victims.
December 7, 2017 at 9:25am Frank Novotny created a hostile workplace and was one of the major determining factors in my decision to leave Adams State University. He routinely used his status as VPAA to force other faculty into keeping quiet about things that needed to be addressed for the success of students at ASU that he did not want to deal with. I know that several other faculty that left ASU indicated that he, as well as Margaret Doell, bullied them into a feeling of helplessness when the faculty brought up valid concerns that either Frank or Margaret did not want to discuss because it would have made more work for them. I can honestly say that both Frank and Margaret created an environment that has resulted in many faculty deciding to leave ASU because they felt their opinions did not matter.
December 7, 2017 at 8:31am Finally someone with guts, good job Danny, maybe others will take your lead and put down their names like you did. Otherwise these posts mean nothing. BTW I think Danny was unjustly let go, seems like he was kicking butt. At least he is not a coward.... - Doreen C.
December 7, 2017 at 5:19am @11:39 pm: women have shared their stories and they've been ignored. The "it's her word against mine" saying is the loophole. The fact that a person can be under investigation twice in a span of less than a year it telling but what's more telling is the fact that people like Ana are saying the previous investigation was never about said person. They're protecting the abusers and the predators.
December 6, 2017 at 11:39pm If ever Adams State were to have a truth and reconciliation movement, this would be it. Major political, entertainment, and news figures are being brought down by average people coming forward. "The Silence Breakers" are named Time's Person of the Year. Women are sharing their #MeToo stories of sexual misconduct. Perhaps it's time to start naming names around ASU. Who have been the predators that create a hostile workplace?
December 6, 2017 at 9:15pm I find it interesting that people like Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer (to name a few) can be brought to justice for things they've done years ago but ASU can conduct an investigation on someone and only want recent things. They don't want to bring their cronies to justice. They know all too well about their pervy past, their physically abusive actions toward their employees and want to continue to ignore it. If the aforementioned people that had all the fame, power, money and prestige can be brought to justice why not the nobodies at ASU who continue to abuse their power and debase women?
December 6, 2017 at 4:36pm This is golden. Sounds like Trump: "'While Adams State has made some progress toward our goals, we do still have a substantial amount of work to do,' said President McClure." WHY? Why have you, the Board, and upper administration gotten so little done over the past years? The press release then laughingly lists some weak measures or measures that should have been taken years ago. In other words, they don't know what to do. And then the press release slips in the real message at the very end: "The Adams State Board of Trustees also authorized the administration to prepare a contingency plan to 'right-size' the campus". This is the real message, the only thing they really know how to do, get rid of people. Throw up their hands in despair and try to keep the doors open long enough to collect their salaries until they can find new jobs. While watching ASU sink.
December 6, 2017 at 4:23pm Right on Danny! You did a great job at ASU. People in the know know your being banned from campus had absolutely nothing to do with the job you were doing. Total bullshit to imply otherwise.
December 6, 2017 at 2:20pm The students will know about this site in droves shortly. There are 3 particularly interesting stories involving the track team, and upper admin that will be exposed soon. The corruption involved in it is nothing short of shocking and criminal. ---- Editor's Reply: Please have any interested individuals contact us with more information.
December 6, 2017 at 2:03pm During the years 2011-2015, I performed my job duties at or above the defined expectations, including: - Developing and teaching 10 media production courses that had never previously been offered at ASU - Collaborating with ASU Athletics, Art, Theatre, Sociology, and History departments to support interdisciplinary coursework, as well as college readiness training for SLV high school students - Establishing and serving as advisor for the Grizzly Video Productions student organization - Receiving student evals of between 4.65 – 4.94, above the department-wide average - Receiving all “Meritorious” evaluations from my department chair - Producing over 100 videos for ASU Creative Relations – featuring Student Scholar Days, department promotional spots, advertising campaigns, construction updates, and campus messages from the president's office - Co-founding the Southern Colorado Film Festival and supporting its annual programming - Volunteering for service events like Late Night Breakfast and ASU Open House functions I lived and breathed Adams State. Almost all of these duties were performed while working as an adjunct instructor and independent contractor – without health insurance coverage, without an office, and often with delayed paychecks. But then again, I met many other colleagues who were themselves doing a great deal above and beyond their job duties, as well. And they were also being compensated well below their peer position averages. Many of them are now making significantly more money in similar positions elsewhere. One of the hallmarks of a dysfunctional institution is the devaluing of the laborers who make such a system possible. Campus morale surveys, salary data, and staff turnover rates certainly suggest Adams State suffers from these problems. - Danny Ledonne
December 6, 2017 at 12:33pm Watching Adams is a site built by a person who wasn’t doing there job, got let go and now is providing other people who suck at their job to complain about people who are good at their job. You professors that post on this site are a disgrace, be better teachers and not “ no it alls”
December 6, 2017 at 6:25am Keyboard warriors? I'm sorry but I won't fall for such tactics, Doreen. If that is your real name. Fear has nothing to do with anonymity. Rather, we speak for the collective who actually are fearful. We who post don't just speak for self. How many people have come forward without the shroud of anonymity only to be ignored or worse - retaliated against? It's worse than what's being said and people are now having to write up exactly what they do at ASU, so what does that tell you?
December 5, 2017 at 8:16pm Doing a fine job? By what criteria? Increased enrollment? No! Increased gradation rates? No! Increased morale? No! Increased reputation? No! Increased income? No! Improved status as a university? No! I understand the reflex to support your employer and be a good corporate citizen, but we are an institution of higher learning where we are supposed to use our brains, and employ our faculties of critical thinking. That means looking at the numbers and coming to inevitable conclusions. And using these simple arithmetic tools, we can rightly say that McClure is not doing a fine job. She simply is not, period, no matter how much you might want her to succeed. And by the way, between you and me, there is no Santa Claus. Nor, unfortunately, is there a Termination Clause. Bev gets to keep you in Fantasyland for another year.
December 5, 2017 at 8:02pm Oh my god. "Dec 1, 7.27am" got it absolutely right! McClure and the BoT have no idea how to save ASU. Dated 4-12-17 under the banner "Adams State Works to Grow Revenue, Trim Costs," they just admitted in Trump-like idiot fashion that they have no idea about how to recover ASU's fortunes. The blurb starts with Bev's robot-language that no real human would use by saying: "We continue to strive to make Adams State University financially strong, while also meeting the needs of our historically underserved student population," said Adams State President Beverlee J. McClure. "We are committed to improving our financial health while not losing sight of our role and mission as a designated Hispanic Serving Institution. Adams State is vital to its population and the economy of rural Colorado." Danger, Will Robinson, danger! My batteries are low. But the real substance - the .357 magnum shot to the foot - is this; that ASU intends "....identifying and implementing new student recruitment and retention strategies..." So let's get this straight. The BoT has sat on its hands for nearly a decade watching as ASU's student recruitment and retention has steadily nose-dived. Yet it is only now "identifying and implementing new... strategies." And McClure, whose remuneration and benefits package has cost the university nearly a half-million dollars since her appointment two years ago, is only now just getting to think about "identifying and implementing new student recruitment and retention strategies..." Bev and BoT, what have you been doing for the last two years?
December 5, 2017 at 1:42pm 3-5 million in debt is a fine job? Laying people off because she can't do what she claimed she could do? I'm wondering which of the admins are now on here encouraging people to quit under phony names. That'll make their jobs easier when it comes time to lay people off because the University has been mismanaged for years. The ones to go are not the ones responsible for this mess. In fact, the ones who are responsible will probably get a raise after the mass head chopping that's coming down the pipes. But yes, I'd love to hear how she's doing a fine job. What do you know that we don't? I'll continue my anonymity, not due to cowardice on my end, but for to the cowardice that the administration portrays. If their response to any complaint is to harass and intimidate the person into quitting, than I don't see how protecting your employment is cowardly. It's cowardly to retaliate, lie, defame, or harass a person for a legitimate concern. Sounds like a dictatorship would suit "doreen" just fine.
December 5, 2017 at 8:19am I support Adams State, McClure is doing a fine job and all you disgruntled employees need to go to elsewhere if you can’t support our fine institution! Adams State will endure....... your negativity will only bring negativity to your life , but Merry Christmas anyway
December 5, 2017 at 7:56am Doreen, I admire your pluck. Now, on behalf of all these chicken-shit anonymous whiners, go see Dr McClure and tell her that enrollment continues to fall, retention of staff and students continues to fall, ASU's status as a university (already among the lowest in the US) continues to fall, graduation rates continue to fall, and employee morale continues to fall, Then you tell her all your ideas for making things better. See how that goes for you. Go girrrrl!!!
December 4, 2017 at 10:25pm What has become of the tree that was/is going to save us all? Who is Doreen Cordova? Debbie Chapman is leaving and the great Coach Rosy is right behind her. The Director of Admissions search was a joke, but at least they didn't settle for the only game in town. If Admissions doesn't have a full time Director, the blind will continue to lead the blind, right down the drain! Application numbers for 2018 & 2019 are already down. Problems problems everywhere! All of these vacancies should be saving some money, but at what cost? Are there any hot coals left? Who will light the fire Adams State so desperately needs? Where is the sense of urgency? Mesa State Alamosa? President Foster! Simply put, there are no solutions on the horizon. This year's money problems have nothing on next year's. Contingency plan(s) won't help. You (McClure!!!) have to learn to work WITH what you have. Unless failure is what you are seeking? Stop working against the crazy/desperate, capable few left in Adams States corner.
December 4, 2017 at 2:13pm Perhaps you all should quit being a coward and put your names in these posts..... typical of keyboard warriors, talk tough, usually grammar police because they have nothing relevant to say....... - Doreen Cordova
December 4, 2017 at 1:37pm Re December 4 @ 10:46. Perhaps one should practice what one preaches. And you should learn the appropriate use of there, their, and they're.
December 4, 2017 at 10:46am This website is not beneficial for anyone... It is used to gripe and complain about an institution that is continuing to help young and old attend and finish college... The haters on here have nothing else to do other than watch others rather than doing there own job... Get a life.
December 3, 2017 at 9:22pm @Dec. 2, 9:20am: Financial Aid/One Stop is replete with people who take unnoticed leave. It's very easy too when the supervisor is across campus. They go to unnecessary trainings, appointments of every kind and twice a month or more a back goes out or some kind of maintenance man has to stop by their house and only they can go home for such visits. Oh and don't forget they also have to leave when a package arrives at their front door whether it's Christmas or not.
December 2, 2017 at 9:20am How is it that one paper pusher from financial aid is able to be everywhere around town throughout the day? She is on every board known to man and she is never at work. I believe that being cronies with the higher-ups allows her to take unnoticed leave everyday. Earlier in the year, some students didn't get their scholarship money processed because she was busy trying to be a politician instead of her job.
December 1, 2017 at 7:27am It seems that Plan B - the contingency plan, "lower the lifeboats" - is actually Plan A. It is clear that McClure and the BoT don't know what to do. Why is Tracy not explaining how we are going to build up enrollment, prevent staff and student defection, increase graduation rates, bring in the money that McClure promised she would "cos I'm a "business woman", and improve morale? Why? Because there isn't a Plan A.
December 1, 2017 at 2:40am How can Maxine afford to be so mean?
November 30, 2017 at 9:48pm Ding-dong! How can some of the lowest paid faculty and staff in all of American higher education afford to take unpaid days off? Then again, Tracy makes $86,652 per year so maybe this seems like a good idea to her.
November 30, 2017 at 8:05pm Are these emails from Tracy for real? Is ASU actually this desperate? If so, I would strongly advise people to take her up there on the volunteer furloughs so that you have a day off each week to begin looking for other jobs. These emails are a thermometer reading for how bad things are in the boiler room. I assure you, this is the a sign of an institution on the verge of collapse. Don’t wait.
November 30, 2017 at 6:20pm Beverlee McClure should show some leadership on this issue and voluntarily furlough herself until her contract ends. She would save the university more money than any other employee and campus morale would instantly improve! The HLC might appreciate that, as well, given her antagonism towards them.
November 30, 2017 at 5:13pm You all know what comes after the VOLUNTARY options, right? Starts with INV...
November 30, 2017 at 2:30pm The following email was sent to ASU employees on November 30, 2017 at 1:34pm: Subject: Interested in VOLUNTARY furlough? Good afternoon, As we continue to engage in the contingency planning process, one suggestion that has come up in several campus forums is the use of furloughs, which would allow us to reduce salary expense in this fiscal year. A furlough is a temporary reduction in your salary in exchange for unpaid time off. We are exploring the cost savings of offering voluntary furloughs that could be taken between now and June 30, 2018. If you have any interest in taking a day or two (or more) off in exchange for a reduction in pay let me know and we can discuss the possibilities. I can be reached by e-mail at tracy_rogers@adams.edu or at 587-7990. Tracy
November 29, 2017 at 9:18pm @9:00 pm: I sure hope so too. Stop the despotism in Facilities Services because Bev, Kurt, HR and Ana sure as heck won't!
November 29, 2017 at 9:00pm I sure hope the HLC reads Watching Adams.
November 29, 2017 at 6:44pm While I'm appalled and dismayed to read about all the crookedness, lechery and beguilement going on in Facilities particularly from one person I tremble at the thought of how the custodial staff will be retaliated against due to the recent posts. Word around campus is there's already fingers pointed at a few custodians the supervisors think are sending them. Here's a little news flash for you. You honestly think the custodians are the only people who know what's going on in that department? The whole campus and the community at large know what's going on so before there's fingers pointed at an already browbeaten custodial staff in search of whom to punish know there are more of us in the know who are speaking out and this is just the first place we are going to in coming forward with the truth.
November 29, 2017 at 6:51am With Kurt Cary assuming all of Scott's former duties, you can be sure Rodney is the proxy Director of Facilities Services. People once highly esteemed are losing credibility standing in support of Rodney. Even their inaction is a strong stand support for Rodney.
November 28, 2017 at 9:18pm Gee, I wonder how long it will be before Rodney is appointed Director of Facility Services.
November 28, 2017 at 8:14pm How can Rodney cause so much trouble when he spends most of his time in Shannon's office? But seriously, who is going to come forward from his staff? Who will speak up? Even former employees are afraid to speak out against him out of fear that his connections with their current employers will be an avenue for him to retaliate.
November 28, 2017 at 5:05am It's not surprising to read of Scott's departure. No matter what the official statement is, never forget that anybody who opposes Rodney suffers the same fate. He does his homework, people. He keeps his employees under his thumb and when held accountable by his immediate supervisor, he starts filing grievances against them and ends up not having to report to them. Kurt Cary and Ana are basically getting paid to continue to ignore the problem Rodney has been for almost 20 years. Look how many people they ignore when they come forward and "ignore" is the best case scenario for anybody speaking out against Rodney. Mark my words: there will be changes in the custodial department and Rodney's reign of terror will continue and worsen. Every time he gets in "trouble", he ends up getting promoted. Let's see if the trend continues...
November 27, 2017 at 11:23am Effective December 15, 2017 Scott Travis will no longer be Director of Facilities Services. Number the brave among you...
November 27, 2017 at 9:54am The following email was sent to ASU classified employees on November 27, 2017 at 8:02am: Subject: Interested in Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan? Certified Classified Employees, I hope you had a great break. I sent the following message just before break and wanted to remind anyone who MIGHT be interested in a VSIP (or just want more information) to let me know and I'll add your name to the list of people to keep in the loop. If you have interest or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 7990 or tracy_rogers@adams.edu. Tracy
November 26, 2017 at 6:56am How is it that a certain employee can have countless complaints against them for the last umpteen years and nothing happen? Yet when a new investigation is being done on them the people being called in to speak are told speak up because now is the time for something to be done or remain silent and never complain to EOE, etc. again and deal with it. Firstly, how has the problem remained for so long? Also, how is it all up to the people all of a sudden when people like Ana, etc. are the ones who get paid a pretty penny to make such decisions? I'm not sure if it's Ana's decision but she still has to be the one to submit her findings. All of a sudden the people who have the job titles and all the pay want to play Pontius Pilate and wash their hands while they rile up the workers?
November 23, 2017 at 8:38am I live out a way from Alamosa and not totally familiar with everything. Specifically all the posts about Facilities Services, people named Rodney, Ana, and and Shannon. I know about Tracy (ugh). What is the scandal?
November 22, 2017 at 11:50pm This Thanksgiving, I am thankful to have gotten out of ASU before wave after wave of administration-caused problems compounded by a retaliatory workplace. But those turkeys in Richardson Hall should not be pardoned.
November 21, 2017 at 12:06pm @5:02 - I will see your $50 & throw in another $150!!!
November 21, 2017 at 5:23am I also want to know who the gentleman is that's always hanging around Scott. I hear he's some consultant for Facilities Services and that he gets paid a pretty good amount. Is a consultant necessary especially in these financially dire times? Facilities is a place ASU needs to look at more closely and see there's too many supervisors. When custodial is a few people short the supervisors continue to spread them thin instead of helping them out. It's been that way since the current regime took over. Also, isn't grounds a four-man crew? Then why is there always only three of them working to get things cleaned up around campus? Where's the supervisor to make sure everyone is working? A big thank you to custodial and grounds for all that you do to keep our campus clean and safe!
November 20, 2017 at 6:39am When you have Shannon sitting next to Ana at basketball games, people in Facilities taking Ana out to lunch and the whole lot of them having drinks together I don't know what anyone asked to contribute to Ana's investigation of FS can really say of any value that could go against Rodney that she won't go back and tell him. Then he'll obviously retaliate within the parameters of his job and call is a managerial decision.
November 19, 2017 at 5:02pm @4:39pm - We could start an online fundraiser to pay McClure to voluntarily resign! I would contribute $50.
November 19, 2017 at 4:39pm Question: Did Tracy send the voluntary severance incentive plan email to McClure? She's the obvious place to start. ASU could save a lot of money and curb the damage she continues to do.
November 19, 2017 at 1:05pm Not to fear, McClure is a prodigy! Surely her prodigal mind will save ASU! Not convinced? Not to worry, I doubt anyone in the state of Colorado buys into this either. Must be an exercise in self-advertising as McClure continues to find a way to secure her own rescue boat. Of course, after being at the helm this long, I can't imagine anyone expressing any interest in saving our dear leader. Presidential Prodigies - A new breed of campus leader
November 17, 2017 at 7:17pm Why would ASU Horrible Relations send an email to all Classified employees openly inviting them to get paid a bonus to retire or resign? And what happens if not enough "volunteers" step forward to walk the plank for a loaf of bread? This is the Adams State Hunger Games.
November 17, 2017 at 3:11pm To 11/16/17 @ 8:10 am- Do you have any proof that Tracy is not sleeping with the enemy, Bev McClure? We know that Rodney is sleeping with Shannon, hence, nothing is going to be done to him. Keep filing complaints on Rodney, they will only go by the wayside. Ana is corrupt as Satan! And Tracy is probably sleeping with McClure! Rodney + Shannon + Ana + Tracy + McClure= corruption... deceit... lies... adultery... Does one believe that ASU is going to pay out a reputable amount to classified employees for early retirement or separation? I bet they have ocean front property too! But one can read in between the lines, we are financially doomed!
November 17, 2017 at 8:53am How does the snake still have a job? That's easy, when you're as corrupt as the people running this campus, you need someone who has no morals, no integrity, and no dignity to do all the dirty work. Tracy is the perfect person for that job, and is really a reflection of the administrations true self. At-will employees will be preferred to be kept in place of classified because the snake knows they can legally be taken advantage of. They will be forced to work longer hours and take on additional duties without a say in the matter and without reimbursement. They can also have their pay cut for no reason and ultimately become the slaves that Tracy has longed for ever since she heard slavery was a real thing.
November 16, 2017 at 8:10pm Re: November 16 @ 5:16 - Exempt employees will simply have their positions eliminated and IF you're lucky a thank you for your service and don't let the door hit you on the way out. Of course, the snake Rogers won't be in that boat. What DOES she have on people to keep herself employed? Especially this administration? I mean it's not like she's in bed with McClure like she was with Svaldi and Novotny...?
November 16, 2017 at 5:27pm Re: November 16 @ 12:41 - Laughable! As if anyone in their right mind would trust Tracy Rogers, regardless of who the president is. Anyone who doesn't know the snake she is has their head in the sand.
November 16, 2017 at 5:16pm Great, just great! VSIP for classified! What about those of us who are exempt? Not all exempt employees make a great deal of money or have been around forever milking the system. We don't have a council guiding us, no union protection. What the hell are we supposed to do?
November 16, 2017 at 3:41pm Thank you, Tracy. It’s all clear now. Apparently the HLC report is really moot. The straits are indeed dire and it is every man, woman and child (student) for themselves. You, your cronies, and let’s not forget the bored (sic), have mismanaged ASU into the ground.
November 16, 2017 at 2:22pm Another investigation involving Facilities Services? What now? Why does Facilities keep getting treated as a fringe department that gets ignored when there's obviously some serious things going on?
November 16, 2017 at 12:41pm The following email was sent to ASU classified employees on November 16, 2017 at 9:52am: Subject: Interested in Voluntary Separation Incentive Plan? Dear Certified Classified Employee: As part of the ongoing contingency 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 retiring or otherwise 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 November 29th. 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. If you have interest or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 7990 or tracy_rogers@adams.edu. Tracy
November 15, 2017 at 11:30am I agree with 7:51 am: The letter from McClure is hardly satisfying. The line: "For this process, it is our understanding that the report will only be shared with a few members of the administration and will not be widely circulated." Is a cop out. Of course, HLC is not widely circulating this report. That's not their job! It is the job of university administration to circulate it and inform the campus and wider community. Stop spewing about the supposed ASU pillar of transparency if you're not able to lean on it - much less stand on it.
November 15, 2017 at 7:51am Current employees of ASU, I would ask you to take a minute to carefully consider what your president and self-appointed CEO, Beverlee McClure, is asking us to do. In not so uncertain terms, she is asking us to work hard to save the university while the HLC's decisions looms. However, although McClure and upper administration will have the opportunity to read the HLC's report, and through it gain valuable insight into the future stability of the university, we will not know our institution's fate until next July. Imagine how difficult it will be to secure a new job before August 2018, especially if our previous employer is no longer an accredited institution! McClure & CO have time and again raved about their transparency and their willingness to opening discuss the institution's wellbeing with anyone and everyone. I would encourage everyone to remind her of such promises. As employees, we have the right to know what the HLC thinks about our institution, and of course, for our own future's sake, we need to know as soon as possible. We have children and families that depend on our incomes! Knowing earlier rather than later about the future of the insitution is particularly important on the side of faculty, for as we all know, academic searches are long, drawn out processes that take months on end to sort out. Most faculty members at ASU that have achieved tenure status previously applied to hundreds of jobs before they landed their current position. Imagine how difficult it will be, after being associated in name with ASU, to land another tenure track job? I know most people are already looking for jobs outside of ASU, but I get the sense that if you're not, now would be a good time to start working evenings and weekends on applications before it's too late. Regardless, we have a right to know how the HLC visit went, and as soon as possible, what the report indicates. McClure & CO should hold open houses to discuss these matters ASAP. In addition to our right to know more as employees, the whole community has a right to know about the institution's future. Imagine the negative economic impact that losing accreditation would have on the SLV? How many families depend on income from the university? How many restaurants and businesses depend on a steady flow of students and their families to keep things afloat? And what will be of all our students who are matriculating courses at ASU? What are they to do? Should they transfer? Should they stay? Should they both investing time and energy into ASU? They too need to know. We need to demand transparency. We need more than hollow e-mails from Richardson hall. We need hard evidence to demonstrate that our administration has us on the right path because everything that's currently on the table indicates that we are not. Perhaps this website can run a poll on the percentage of employees at ASU who would prefer to see the results of the HLC audit as soon as they are available. And then, once the results are in, we could send them over to McClure & CO so they have a genuine sense of our urgency. Or perhaps we could print up the results and post them around campus just in case McClure fails to read our e-mails, as her tendency has been in the past.
November 14, 2017 at 10:04pm Is Adams State losing its university status?
November 14, 2017 at 8:33pm Want to expose police corruption? Don't leak documents to the media – just tell the sheriff! Want to reveal a coach abusing their players? Don't blow the whistle to referees – just tell the team owner! Want to resolve a harassment dispute from a colleague or boss? Don't file a lawsuit or make an EEOC complaint – just go to the company's HR! Want to reform a university engaged in systemic abuse, corruption, and fraud? Don't alert the press, accreditors, or regulators – just politely address the Board of Trustees. Yes, it will all work out just fine – for the entrenched interests, that is. For the aggrieved victim, it will be a surefire way to put target on their back. Guaranteed Tuition? How about Guaranteed Retaliation? Just ask the folks who already tried following “the proper channels” at ASU in the past few years... And what happened to them? Truth to Power 101: “When you try to handle a problem internally within a broken system, don't expect justice to be served in the outcome.” That's a lesson that ASU teaches its students and employees incredibly well.
November 14, 2017 at 8:20pm It is upsetting to learn that the outcome of the visit won't be known until July at the earliest. I'm also irritated to read that only select administration will see the initial report....um WTF so much for transparency!
November 14, 2017 at 3:30pm The following message was sent to the ASU campus on Tue, Nov 14, 2017 at 1:28 PM: Please see the following message from President McClure: Thank you for all your hard work and your participation in the HLC visit. Today we had our exit interview and the visiting team will now begin work on their report. As expected, we do not know their recommendations. Here are the next steps: We will receive a draft report from the visiting team in mid-December. We will review this report and can only correct “errors of fact.” For this process, it is our understanding that the report will only be shared with a few members of the administration and will not be widely circulated. We will have 30- days to conduct this review and submit any corrections to HLC. The final report will be sent to us in late January or early February. In the spring (dates to be determined), the chair of our HLC Visiting Team and I will appear before HLC’s Institutional Action Council (IAC) for a hearing on our probation status. This hearing will take place in Chicago. The IAC will review the visiting team’s report and our presentation to make a final recommendation to the HLC Board. The HLC board will vote on our status for the removal of probation and granting of our full accreditation in their June 26-28 meeting. It will not be until after this meeting that we will know our status. Again, thank you all for your hard work.
November 13, 2017 at 7:42pm I am going to assume that the November 13, 2017 at 1:30pm commentator means well. They are trying to be helpful. They are being thoughtful and providing a thorough account of their point of view. But they're also enabling bullies and a workplace culture of retaliation. The idea that we simply need to have more compassion for someone like Bill Mansheim or Frank Novotny or Beverlee McClure or Ed Crowther because they may have personal problems completely abdicates their responsibility for making the lives of many ASU employees more stressful, needlessly difficult, and often times miserable. There has been a documented pattern of willful lying, intimidation, retaliation, and furthering a hostile workplace by a number of past and current ASU administrators and senior faculty. This website is replete with examples. So please, @1:30pm, take your advice and apply it to the people who are causing faculty and staff to flee ASU in droves. These bullies in power are setting the tone on this campus and they are creating the conditions the rest of ASU's employees (and students) must endure. This website is a response to that culture, which existed for many years prior under Dr. Svaldi and has continued (and worsened) since Dr. McClure's hostile takeover.
November 13, 2017 at 7:19pm I could be wrong, but the last two posts sound like they are coming straight from upper admin. At the very least they originate from the admin apologist and sycophant fan club, posted with full admin blessings. It's all so very reminiscent of Russian meddling in US social media. Bonus points to you for being so trendy! But really - we should report complaints to the Bored of Trustees first? You completely blew your cover with such an absurd recommendation. You need to work more on your stealth tactics. Go hang with some Russian trolls for a while. I see this as a good sign. It means the creation of the reporting "tree" has made them nervous. As it should. A few thoughts about the tree: 1. If you are concerned about others being able to keep a secret (understandable), just ask the editor of WA to keep your identity from others. You can share your story, in the company of others, yet without ever knowing who those others are. You can set the terms of disclosure. You control your story. Right, Danny? The idea is to end their ability to isolate us while fully maintaining our individual safety. 2. I don't think reports need to be limited to HR abuses. We all know the mistreatment of employees extends well beyond that office. We all know that HR is often indirectly behind other abuses. They coach admin in tried and true techniques for how to silence us and disappear us. 3. Reporting on systemic abuses does not put ASU at risk. Don't fall for this appeal. It's just another classic tactic of propagandists throughout history. ASU doesn't stand a chance unless all the ugliness is thoroughly rooted out and exposed. Truth is the only way forward.
November 13, 2017 at 3:31pm First of all, I have no desire to be a part of this Support Tree, if for no other reason than I cannot keep a secret to save my life. That being said, I have some concerns about the plan of going to the wider media that has been proposed here. If 9 News ran a story about corruption at our University, it is going to damage the institution. At least for the short term, and probably long term, effect on enrollments at the very least. Maybe it will be worth it in the long run to prevent greater harm to the institution down the road, maybe not, time will tell. For that reason, any accusation brought to the media need to be backed up by evidence that is above reproach, otherwise the damage done will be for nothing and the civil litigation that would be sure to follow any unsubstantiated claims against McClure is going to hurt any accusers personally as well. I'd also recommend giving a copy to the board and any other interested parties before giving it the the news, so that they can have time to prepare to refute any of the accusations if possible. It's not the fun way to do it, but I believe it is the right way.
November 13, 2017 at 1:30pm Re October 22, 2017 at 11:46am - Perhaps I can assist in answering your questions; "I am wondering why there is a need for a "Director of Clery compliance"?" - The DOE program review did call out issues specific to Clery Compliance. All but one of those issues/findings occurred in the 2013 calendar year and prior, and the other had to do with an oversight regarding off-campus teaching locations - 5 out of 6 of these locations have since been found to be inactive beyond 2 years and have been reported to and accepted by the HLC as such. While each of these is absolutely an important concern, ASU's compliance with Clery Act regulations has improved tremendously since 2013. "Considering many other, much larger institutions, do not staff a position like this, is this just another case of fluff at ASU?" Yes, many institutions, do not currently employ a full-time Clery Officer, however, please keep in mind that up until the Clery position at ASU was created in 2015, no one person was responsible for overseeing ASU's compliance with Clery, which meant several important aspects of the Act were mistakenly overlooked, and compliance often fell on the shoulders of employees who had not been adequately trained, and whose primary functions did not include Clery responsibilities but took it upon themselves to try to do as much as they could on top of their normal full-time duties. At that time, and earlier, there was little awareness of it, however, with the increase of Clery-related high-profile cases in the media over the last few years, as well as more frequent increases in Clery fines and audits, the University made a decision to create the position, though it had been lucky in years past to have not been audited before now. Due to these rapid increases & changes, many institutions, like ASU, are continuing to create or designate Clery-specific offices or positions to keep up with the numerous and extensive requirements and take those requirements very seriously. For example, in the first 22 years of enforcement, the Department of Ed issued no more than three fines in a single year; in 2013 the Department imposed a record high eight fines, ranging from $82,500 to $280,000 and totaling $1,455,000. Between 2014-2016, institutions were fined a total of $3,285,000 while the number of audits increased significantly as well. Individual fines were originally $25,000 per violation but have increased periodically from $25,000 to $27,500, and from $35,000 $53,907 just within the last year. This continues to be expected to increase in the future to as high as $150,000 or even 1% of the institutional budget, per violation. One challenge ASU faces is that the Clery act is dynamic and is amended frequently, making it extremely difficult for the university to keep up with these, sometimes very technical, requirements. I do not get on this site often, but every time I do, the amount of negativity and hate I see in these comments is mind-blowing. Which is why I felt it might be helpful to answer a few questions so that instead of wondering, or jumping to conclusions (which I myself am guilty of occasionally) those on this site could form better informed opinions. While I completely understand the need to voice these opinions and fight for equality and better treatment, it seems to me that a lot of these comments boil down to what I consider "blind anger/hate". Being upset about a person or situation not knowing them or the entire background directly or fully. We sometimes become biased because of our own experiences, and it becomes easy to hear one side of a story & feel immediate frustration before hearing all sides or taking into consideration that there may be more to the situation that what we are aware of. Many of the issues on this site are absolutely legitimate concerns, and I in no way am saying that any should be quiet or stop, I just feel there are more kind and intelligent ways to go about questioning or dealing with a lot them. And like we learned as kids, two wrongs don't make a right. Being frustrated about issues at this university, (all very serious and important), does not excuse us from having compassion for other human beings on this earth. I do not personally know a lot of the people on this campus, what their own personal struggles are, what their job descriptions entail specifically, and how busy they actually are. So, while it may be easy to create a list of people who some feel don't do their jobs correctly, or criticize a person's drinking habits, or another's leadership, or another's willingness to act on a grievance or complaint, I implore those of you making these judgments to stop & take a look in the mirror; look at how good a job you are doing as a human being. Think about yourself and these people. Think about what else they may be dealing with in their jobs and lives and the struggles you yourself have dealt with. Consider instead what you actually know about the entire situation and then, please just question and talk about these issues without all the name calling and hurtful jabs. No institution is perfect, and ours is far from it, but we also have a ton of amazing, kind and helpful people working here too, doing really good jobs and making differences in the lives of our students and those around them.
November 8, 2017 at 10:09pm Thank you editor for making the tree possible. I am the one who volunteered to be the first. I have already had contact with the second. We will chat in a couple of days about strategy for this group which includes SAFETY! More info about process will follow. But to be clear, we will vet everyone closely, thoroughly, and rigorously. If someone "in the tree" can't vouch for an individual, then that person will have to be on hold until someone can. Safety is paramount. And yes, the editor is correct DO NOT use your Adams account. And DO NOT use your work computers, even with a personal email account. Everyone is being monitored. This dates back to at least two years when one computing services employee "accidentally" found something against a former employee. The safest way is to use your home computer, a public computer like at a library or your cellular service (no Internet). The second in the tree and I will post more after we figure out what is the safest and most effective way to move forward. Ok everyone... it's time to take back our university: that starts by exposing those who need to be exposed. I haven't been this happy about a project for a long time!
November 8, 2017 at 8:45pm Perhaps a very public outing, one that could include Ruth Heide or better yet 9WantstoKnow, could be arranged? I've been wondering when Adams State and McClure will make their television debut! She is always ready for her close-up. Developing Story or Breaking News? Have they been contacted by anyone? Maybe it's time!
November 8, 2017 at 8:39pm I second not using the @adams.edu account for such purposes. The term "monitor" goes far beyond just being a term for computer hardware.
November 8, 2017 at 8:16pm Bravo, let the tree begin! Enough is enough. Thanks Danny.
November 8, 2017 at 7:48pm Re: November 8 @ 7:39pm - I have often thought the very same thing you have articulated so well. But, as you point out, how do we find out who we are? Is there someone who could start an underground contact tree, of sorts? A way to vet the serious? Perhaps the editor of this very website? I would be willing to be the first to reach out to the second, and so on... ---- Editor's Reply: If people contact us individually and indicate that they wish to establish a confidential contact tree, we can arrange that. Please include a name and email address. I strongly recommend not using an Adams.edu email account for any such correspondence.
November 8, 2017 at 7:39pm I've been following the recent line of comments with great interest. There are clearly many of us who have suffered both ill treatment and illegal treatment at the hands of HR and their RH co-conspirators. But most of us remain anonymous, if not silent. This is exactly what they count on. They isolate us, they leverage their petty power, they play to our vulnerabilities, they make us feel that we are alone and have no recourse. This is what has allowed the Weinsteins of the world to cause so much suffering for so many years. It doesn't mean that we are responsible for our situations. We are the victims of a thoroughly malignant organization that has gotten away with too much for too long. The lesson in recent national headlines is that there is power in numbers. There is power in finding a way to come forward as a group. I suspect that we collectively have a class action case in the making. The challenge, though, lies in discovering who we all are and finding some way to connect with each other. Contacting the state HR officer individually and independently is an option but I suspect that many, myself included, would not feel safe doing so. Is there another way?
November 8, 2017 at 1:01pm It appears that the grievances need to be escalated to the state level as soon as possible! Hostile work environments, fraternization and substantial whistle-blower concerns. Chief Human Resources Officer: Kim Burgess Executive Assistant: Charlene Wisher-Howard 303-866-4920 Someone needs to take the next step, that is, if the accusations are sincere and with merit?
November 8, 2017 at 12:45pm Few know how deep cronyism runs at ASU, but for those of us that has seen it up close and personal, it’s absolutely mind-boggling. Richardson hall was plagued by nepotism and cronyism long before McClure showed up. She hasn’t helped the situation but she certainly didn’t create it, either. Take HR, for example. HR’s issues with neutrality began the day Svaldi chose to hire a young woman fresh out of law school with who he had a relationship with when he was a professor and she was working on her undergrad degree. This is a woman who doodles her way through meetings and proudly brags about doodling her way through law school, which she claims to have despised. Clearly, she wasn't the most qualified person for the job, but now that she’s in it, and she knows what she knows, she’s untouchable. Of course, HR’s neutrality suffered even more when the director decided to begin a second relationship with the then-VPAA at ASU. Tracy probably has more dirt on past and present administration than anyone in the valley. Unfortunately, she’s absolutely terrible at her job.
November 8, 2017 at 8:08am HR & Ana, what a bunch of pathetic individuals who are employed at ASU. File a grievance? File a complaint? Are you kidding me, they don’t even know the rules and how they apply to all employees on campus. The director is here to see her courted love with Novotny. Coffee anyone? The assistant director is in matrimonial bliss with Rodney. The admin used to be best friends and babysit her children. And Ana, the county judge’s wife! See the problem, see the cycle. As anyone who has dealt with these women, they are useless and do not support any employee that is not in their high society world, nor support anyone who doesn’t look like them. And how the HR women criticize others on campus. Get off the phone with the admin to find out how unethical they are... how they make fun or roll their eyes when you walk out of the office or hang up the phone. Send an email to one of them, you might get a response back within two weeks... To find out the director has been gone or out of the office. Disgusting! They have no class, no morals, no ethics, not supporting, do not help with reallocations, promotions, nothing! Coffee at the SUB, anyone?
November 8, 2017 at 6:20am 4:03pm is right on the money. HR and Ana G. won't do anything to help you. The Board doesn't care. The only way to break the cycle is to get external help. It's been done successfully before.
November 7, 2017 at 4:03pm ASU Horrible Relations has functioned as a place to identify “problem employees” and target them for ongoing bullying until they "resign", are non-renewed, or are fired. The Office of Equal Oppression works closely with Horrible Relations to ensure grievances go nowhere and the employee feels too defeated to persist. The Mean Girls Administration will support Horrible Relations and the Office of Equal Oppression whenever possible. And the Bored of Trustees doesn't want to hear about any of this and will just defer employees back to Horrible Relations, the Office of Equal Oppression, and the Mean Girls Administration. Want to break the cycle? You'll have to hire a public sector labor attorney and/or file complaints with state and federal employment offices. Or alert the media. External pressure is the only language ASU's cabal of retaliation understands.
November 7, 2017 at 1:38pm Wow! Not sure what's going on there. I do not support or condone any physical harm to anyone in HR or on the Adams State campus. However. I have had many experiences where they were difficult with almost any situation that I brought to their attention. One being my job description and work duties. Also, my complaints regarding racial discrimination. Most importantly I felt like they were completely unsupportive towards my request for family medical leave during my 8 surgeries on my lower back. I had to come in to the office constantly to show documents from my doctor, and during this time I had a draining tube connected to my lower back with a machine. Again I do not support any harm to anyone in HR my hope is that Adams State looks at these issues with severity, and that everyone feels welcomed and safe. - Meagan Smith
November 7, 2017 at 12:04pm File a grievance with whom? Ana? You think any good would come of that? Hasn't worked for anyone else except in McClure's favor.
November 7, 2017 at 9:59am If the HR rumors are true, perhaps someone should file a grievance: creating a hostile work environment?
November 7, 2017 at 7:48am I suspect one reason HR is contemplating calling the police is due to the fact that a certain situation between an employee and a conflict of interest is brewing and it's their attempt at dissuading this individual coming forward.
November 6, 2017 at 7:46pm Re: November 6 @10:26 - I suspect what the bitches in HR are reacting to is the roar of the karma bus. After ALL of the horrible treatment MANY have suffered at their hands (with Svaldi's blessings), they might be a bit nervous about their victims' desires to beat the snot out of them--which is quite understandable. I have NO sympathy for them. Let them keep crying wolf. ----Editor's Reply: While criticism of ASU employees is within the acceptable standards of commentary, expressing support or advocacy of violence is not. This comment appears to be getting close to doing that, so please remember that such statements will not be published. It is also not encouraged to refer to female employees in a derogatory manner based on gender.
November 6, 2017 at 10:26am Human resources is now threatening to call the police when employees bring contentious matters to their attention. I've heard that they've felt threatened a few times and use it in a manner to silence dissent. I've called their bluff and they never made the report. If you want a fair meeting with them you might as well record the entire meeting. Then, and only then, will they act professionally. SAD!
November 5, 2017 at 6:48pm I pray daily that Adams retains its accreditation, and McClure flies away on her broom!
November 4, 2017 at 11:25pm If McClure really wanted to leave a positive legacy at ASU (which is the opposite of what she is currently doing), she would phase out the football program and re-invest in more funding for academics and culturally-relevant student programs.
November 4, 2017 at 10:09pm How much scholarship money does the football program dole out each year? They are an embarrassment! Wouldn't it make sense to cut football and use the money to increase academic scholarships to attract students that aren't here just to play a sport?
November 4, 2017 at 12:04pm So quiet here lately. Is it the impending doom of the HLC visit? Fear of downsizing? Complete apathy, as everyone has given up?
October 27, 2017 at 5:01pm Apparently ASU administration and the board just see departing employees as fewer mouths to feed. Maybe they don't realize that these are the people who also make the meal that everyone is eating. When employees depart and are slow to be re-hired with a qualified replacement (this is the San Luis Valley we are talking about), there is an ongoing loss of revenue from the lack of expertise and labor from those who left. ASU has been slow to recognize the valuable contributions that employees make and how difficult it actually is to find qualified replacements. And if ASU is serious about improving admissions, they should not be admitting over half of their students with conditional enrollment due to low GPA or standardized test scores. These students are often never able to complete remedial courses (especially college math) and never go on to earn a degree. But ASU has been all too happy to sign them up, even if the data shows they are very unlikely to catch up and graduate within six years.
October 27, 2017 at 4:21pm Why bother with interviews when all new positions are hand picked ahead of time.
October 27, 2017 at 11:17am @9:02 Interviews for the admissions director position have begun. They hope to have a new director by December.
October 27, 2017 at 9:02am Ummm! Who is supervising Admissions?
October 26, 2017 at 4:54pm @10:52, more out of state travel would mean less trips to Starbucks and almost no time for lottery tickets. Not to mention news and football. The admissions counselors are very busy people.
October 26, 2017 at 10:52am Hopefully the new Marketing Director will request that admissions counselors recruit more Out-Of-State students especially the Midwest and East. Our competitors like Mesa and Western are sending their folks out there or have recruiters living in those states. This would make a significant increase in ASU income .
October 25, 2017 at 8:29am Wow! ASU executed a NATIONAL COMPETITIVE search for the new position of Director of Public Relations and Marketing so quickly. Impressive. [SARCASM!]
October 24, 2017 at 11:52pm Does it seem odd to anyone else that the BoT isn't scheduled to meet again until December?
October 24, 2017 at 11:29am Arnold Salazar’s brother-in-law is the new marketing director! Valley politics at their best!
October 24, 2017 at 9:03am Please see the following message from President McClure: Dear Faculty and Staff: I wanted to take this opportunity to clarify some information in the recent Valley Courier article that summarized some of the discussion at Friday’s Board meeting and to provide some additional information about the Contingency Plan. As a reminder, the Contingency Plan is just that—a plan. This plan is more comprehensive than identifying potential cuts. It will also focus on where we can generate additional revenue, improve operational efficiency of the University, and eliminate redundancy and waste. The creation of this plan is an inclusive process and will be open and transparent. Our goal is not layoffs, but instead to look at ways to take advantage of attrition over the next three years. We will also continue to try and reverse the downward enrollment trend we have been experiencing since 2011. The priorities of that plan do include reallocation of resources to make our faculty salaries more competitive. In fact, this is a priority for Dr. Nehring and me. We cannot rely on the Valley’s attractiveness to retain faculty with less than competitive salaries. The Executive Team has already taken steps to correct some faculty salaries in an effort to begin the process of bringing all faculty up to competitive levels. The Foundation has helped us offset the cost of a new Director of Public Relations and Marketing. We are excited that Chris Lopez has accepted this position and will begin in November. Chris is a seasoned Public Relations and Marketing professional, and is an alumnus of Adams State. Additionally, we are filling our vacant Director of Admissions position. We will be looking at offering courses at varying times to better attract our non-traditional age student population, as well as working to provide additional resources for programs that have the potential to grow. Offering non-credit course offerings targeted at serving the San Luis Valley for workforce and professional development is another consideration. In fact, the recent campus survey provided ideas for the type of courses that could be successful. As we move forward in a positive and transparent manner, we will continue to communicate with you openly and often. Please let us know if you have questions or need additional information. President McClure
October 24, 2017 at 12:40amEditor's Note: We have published a commentary detailing some ideas to cut costs and ramp up revenue at ASU. We encourage your comments on this topic!
October 23, 2017 at 9:09pm Worried? Scared? Angry? Wondering what you can do? The time for submitting HLC public comments may have passed, but you can still communicate your concern for ASU's precarious future by showing up to the next trustee meeting. A large audience will speak volumes in and of itself, but if you're comfortable you can also share your views during the public comment period. See you there. ---- Editor's Reply: Just a reminder that the ASU Trustees now maintain adams.edu email accounts and yes, they do check them and respond.
October 23, 2017 at 8:37pm @4:58pm: Respectfully beg to differ. Long lists of perpetrators are problematic, it's true, but everyone is NOT part of the problem. This is not just some sad, unavoidable situation. It's a crime. Crimes involve both victims and victimizers, and there is a distinct difference. I will not be summarily lumped in with the criminals. I will not dilute their guilt. I will not share in their culpability.
October 23, 2017 at 6:47pm I for one am against finger-pointing but certain names have to be brought to light! Why have some kind of Lovecraft-ian phobia as if these wolves are Cthulhu himself? Not everybody is part of the problem, how ridiculous and half-assed is such a comment! If you truly feel that way why don't you have the guts enough to be the martyr and take all the blame upon yourself because I for one will not find a hill to die upon for they who are truly to blame for the denigration of ASU.
October 23, 2017 at 6:34pm Totally agree with 4.58pm. Finger-pointing long lists of people who should be terminated sounds too fascistic for my taste. But as with any organization that faces systemic failure, its leadership - the president and the board of trustees - must be held accountable. Finally they have publicly admitted that ASU is facing an existential threat. Which is in essence a public admission that our leaders have failed to fulfill their jobs. I don't believe that this failure is a result of laziness or unwillingness, but that they simply do not know what to do. So it is incumbent on them to gracefully bow out and find people who can save us.
October 23, 2017 at 4:58pm Ladies and Gents: This is what is the real concern. All bullshit aside, this is the concern and everyone needs to be aware. This does not look good for future faculty nor students! QUIT POINTING FINGERS...... EVERYONE IS PART OF THIS CONCERN AND PROBLEM THAT WE ARE FACING!!! ---- Editor's Note: This commentator then pasted the entire text for the Valley Courier article, ASU financials cause concern.
October 23, 2017 at 1:49pm @10:53 - if you lump those with the reason of "broader economic trends" you clearly have the 25% of respondents who seem to have their heads in the sand. It also seems to show that those ruining the institution into the ground appear to be reading WA. "Broader economic trends" ??? When you look at other universities in the state, most are gaining students. CSU has record enrollment. CU enrollment is up as is U of northern CO. Broader economic trends? That along with WA provides these people with a way to blame someone else. I think the only way some people will see is if ASU fails. Unfortunately, those who are causing the issues are not going to be the ones standing in the bread lines.
October 23, 2017 at 1:37pm re: October 21 at 4:28 pm and October 22 at 8:29 am - Let's not forget to add Rodney Martinez, Alicia Harmon, Shannon Heersink, Jacqueline Martinez, Stephanie Hilwig, Mark Melgares, Kara Espinoza, Angela Madrid and Andrea Rydgrun, and Larie Bearss
October 23, 2017 at 10:53am The recent poll reveals an alarming amount of people that would choose "Watching Adams and its negativity" as a culprit for ASU declining enrollment. 12 votes the last I checked. That in and of itself, not counting those that are still too scared to click anything on the WA screen while sitting at work, should be cause for alarm. These folks are still "drinking the kool-aid" and refuse to see that if you take WA out of the equation - ASU is still hanging on by a thread over a cliff. Remove WA from the equation and the only difference is that we would be more in the dark than usual - or was admin readily handing out public information prior to all the CORA requests that WA has solicited? Didn't think so...
October 23, 2017 at 9:24am Dear friends and former colleagues, welcome to the abattoir. To all the adjuncts and untenured, your time of usefulness to this decrepit institution will be coming to an end. To all you tenured and privileged clubbers, your workload is about to increase with a modicum of a pay increase. Before this House of Usher falls the majority of pain and sacrifice will be put on your backs. In an effort to save what is left to their skins, your feudal lords will eliminate your peers of lower status in a paltry and fruitless effort to raise your pay somewhere above your current but still maintaining a sub CUPA status. In return for this paltry and ultimately meaningless gesture, you will no doubt be asked to teach evening classes, and weekend classes on top of your day load. “O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” As part of the master plan to save your wretched and flailing institution, your dear leader and phalanx of cronies will be asking for schedule augmentations such as these to make the institution more appealing and accessible to unwary applicants. Of course with the elimination of adjuncts and the untenured, the weight of this burden in the fall directly upon your shoulders. Perhaps an alternate plan would be to have the dear leader McClure and others at Wretchardson Hall teach evening and weekend classes. Standing Strong, shoulder to shoulder with tenured faculty in a grand valiant effort for Addams Family Values and and bringing this ship safely into port. Can you see it now? Neither can I. On its current course the SS Adams should more aptly renamed the SS Titanic. The dear leader and Wretchardson Hall cronies are “right sizing” ASU into oblivion.
October 22, 2017 at 9:25pm The Valley Courier piece signals the watershed moment we all knew was coming. Administration is finally cornered by reality – they can no longer pretend everything is fine. Heersink says they’re not crying wolf yet, and she’s correct - they can’t cry wolf because they ARE the wolves. The wolves are crying uncle. The article is a clumsily orchestrated plea for help from administration. A plea for a bailout, a plea for outside intervention, a plea for mercy from the HLC, the DOE, somebody, anybody. And yet they still can’t help but engage in multiple false pretenses. The article references a “possible faculty retention problem”, as if we don’t all know the tsunami of departures is very, very real. They claim the flight of faculty is a pay issue, when we know it’s primarily a result of the supremely crappy, corrupt, and clubby culture they shamelessly honed. And Beverlee has the temerity to suggest that ASU’s enrollment issues can somehow be fixed with course scheduling – beyond laughable! More insidiously, the article is a clear, formal announcement of what we should expect in the coming year. Make no mistake about it, the “contingency plan” will be implemented. Faculty will be let go. If you aren’t tenured, get out of Dodge now. And if you are tenured, know that it may not save you when entire programs are cut. The wolves have finished raiding the hen house, and they’re now at your door looking to "right-size" you.
October 22, 2017 at 6:44pm Whether they are faculty, staff, or administration, offing some employees so the remaining ones receive higher salaries is a disaster for morale and institutional cohesion. Think about it: people no longer want to work together for mutual success and shared rewards but instead compete to make others look bad so they will be fired and the remaining employees take home a part of their fallen co-worker's paycheck. What could possibly go wrong? This is corporate cannibalism and just the kind of “leadership” a shill like McClure would introduce. Sounds like the Adams State Hunger Games to me! May the odds be ever in your favor.
October 22, 2017 at 6:25pm From the Courier article: "If the plan means faculty are let go then the remaining employees could theoretically receive a higher salary. 'This is one of the top priorities of this reallocation plan,' said McClure." McClure mentions letting go of faculty first? Is she out of her tiny little mind? Why does she think students come here, to see her? She should quit and take Novotny, Rogers, Crowther, and most of the athletics program with her. That would be a significant cost savings and no students would miss any of them.
October 22, 2017 at 1:15pm Larry Mortensen and his “great leadership” of his highly successful athletic department will be coming to an end this year due to his self announced retirement. His teams compete to hopefully reach “the playoffs” which in reality they are talking about the RMAC playoffs for many sports. Is this how high the bar is set for success in his athletic department? Or is it simply an enrollment quota for participant sports? The is not how ASC competed in the past, on and off the field. The ASC historic Wrestling program is at an all time low with zero accountability. Football is getting embarrassed constantly. Women’s Basketball is sad at best. Most teams strive to reach the coveted RMAC playoffs. Seriously? Thank God the dynasty that Coach Vigil built is on auto pilot still with strong coaching and scholarship funding. Svaldi gave Mortensen a $30,000 per year pay raise before his retirement. For what? For a padded false 3-4 year average to raise retirement income per PERA calculation methods. Mortensen knew this. He truly is a deceptive person. Mortensen deserves to be on this list and an AD to be remembered for his failures, not a few successes that were in place before he arrived.
October 22, 2017 at 11:46am I am wondering why there is a need for a "Director of Clery compliance"? In the DOE audit, there were issues with Clery compliance specifically called out. This was pointed out in McClure's letter to campus about the DOE findings. Considering many other, much larger institutions, do not staff a position like this, is this just another case of fluff at ASU? I am pretty sure that up until a couple years ago that position did not even exist at ASU. Was ASU ever called out on Cleary issues before?
October 22, 2017 at 8:29am @ October 21, 2017 at 4:28pm - Please do not forget Armando Valdez.
October 22, 2017 at 6:18am Re: the academic identity survey. If I had a dollar for every time a survey like this was sent out, I'd be rich. These surveys are sent out by our leaders under the pretense of gathering input but it's really to get others to do their job! Are we really going to base our optimal enrollment numbers off of an alum or community members perception of what they think is an optimal number? What are the trends, folks? What are best practices being developed all over the country? What are you getting paid to do?!
October 21, 2017 at 9:45pm I came across this comic from 2005 and it reminded me too much of Adams State not to share it here...
October 21, 2017 at 4:28pm Right-sizing the institution, huh? Allow me to make the following recommendations based on incompetence, culpability or both: Beverlee McClure Frank Novotny Ellen Novotny Ed Crowther Margaret Doell Elizabeth Thomas Hensley Tracy Rogers Karla Hardesty Kurt Cary Ana Guevara Larry Mortensen Dianne Lee Anthony Romero Judy Phillips Ken Marquez Lori Laske Gaylene Horning Richard Loosbrock Lisa Marie Centeno Elaine Trujillo Wenta Zena Buser Sammie Thomas Trabert Mark Schoenecker Julie Waechter Michael Henderson Berna Hostetter Aaron Miltenberger Lisa Clements Beneranda Chacon I'm sure there are others deserving of the unemployment line, but this would be a good start.
October 21, 2017 at 2:41pm So Bev stated we need to find new revenue streams. Isn't that why the stupid drunk was hired? Wasn't she hired to lobby and do fundraising? Oh yeah, she's been too busy dismantling our institution, firing competent people, and ensuring a Balkanized campus. Seems like Danny was speaking truth to power all along. But the power (the board) was too arrogant and up Bev's skirt to listen. And yes, we will "right size". Great plan, dozens of hardworking people, who truly care about this institution will be in the unemployment line. And our leader probably won't even know their names. Nice work Bev! You earned that evaluation and quarter of a million dollar salary.
October 21, 2017 at 11:36am Welp, even the Valley Courier is sounding the alarms about ASU’s poor finances, low enrollment, and high turnover. This reads like an article from Watching Adams over the last two years!
October 20, 2017 at 7:46am Again, where is the Board of Trustees? They remain silent, presumably transfixed by McClure's stunning "performance". Why doesn't the BoT make a public announcement about what it intends to do to save ASU? Or don't they have any idea?
October 20, 2017 at 7:11am If well-known, well-liked figures of other universities like Joe Paterno, Rick Pitino, etc. can get caught, be held accountable and suffer the consequences then why not the repeat offenders of ASU?
October 19, 2017 at 11:11pm Looking at these enrollment trends, we should just tell HLC to never mind and throw ourselves at the mercy of the state. Any of the systems, including the community college one, would be a lifesaver. Nice work Bev. Enrollment has dropped since you took the helm by a number larger than you indicated we needed to grow to make guaranteed tuition work. You truly don't know ANYTHING about higher education. AND, you've gotten rid of anyone who does and surrounded yourself with idiots dumber than you! Time to brush up the CV--as if we could be that lucky now. Holy sh*t!
October 16, 2017 at 10:28pm So what do people think about this ASU Academic Identity Survey? Is it the pretext for starting to cut programs and departments? A meaningless showpiece to pretend to care about public input? An administration completely out of ideas?
October 16, 2017 at 12:40pm What a great comment, Danny. I don't know how you were able to describe ASU so succinctly, but it's dead on!
October 12, 2017 at 8:55pm I have submitted my comment to the HLC. I saw no point in having my information remain confidential, though I understand why others might. It was challenging to condense my observations to under 250 words, but here's what I wrote: As a faculty member at Adams State University between 2011-2015, I found many of the institution's structures to be highly dysfunctional. Worse still, a hostile campus culture protects various types of corruption, fraud and ineptitude from meaningful internal reform. I joined multiple committees to address issues of salary inequality, lack of shared governance, deliberate lapses of academic integrity, violations of labor law and handbook codes, and low campus morale. Many employees on these committees subsequently encountered retaliation up to and including termination, workplace hostility to the point of attrition or constructive dismissal. In the years since, I have published WatchingAdams.org – an accountability website with over 100 news and commentary articles, public documents, external press, podcast interviews, and reader comments regarding Adams State. With the assistance of current and former employees, the site highlights various institutional problems primarily rooted in the policies and practices of the ASU administration. The institution's response was to ban me from campus without due process for false allegations of “campus safety”, culminating in the university being sued by the ACLU. The university settled out of court, paying $100,000 and lifting the campus ban. Multiple settlements with other former ASU employees have occurred before and since. After conducting dozens of anonymous and on-record interviews, I have concluded that the nature of ASU's problems are deeply entrenched and not merely regulatory or compliance issues. High employee turnover, declining student enrollment, and a retaliatory work environment warrant serious and sustained intervention to repair a fundamentally broken university. - Danny Ledonne
October 12, 2017 at 5:49pm Most of the people at One Stop need to work out of Richardson Hall anyway. It's not efficient for the department when the supervisor has to walk all the way across campus multiple times a day to check on things. Use the Community Outreach building to house people like Ken Marquez, Karla Hardesty, Margo & Mark and send the back part of One Stop to the 2nd floor of Richardson Hall. That should make things more efficient and improve accountability in that department.
October 12, 2017 at 4:32pm From the Valley Courier: Carpio is History Colorado philanthropy officer "The Community Museum Division of History Colorado recently added a new philanthropy officer as part of the recent expansion of Community Museum programming and services. Eric Carpio joins History Colorado as philanthropy officer for Community Museums. He brings with him more than 20 years higher education experience, most recently as Assistant Vice President of Student Services at Adams State University in Alamosa. At Adams State, Carpio and his team received more than $2.5 million dollars in different grants for several different programs. In his new position, he will design and implement fundraising strategies across the state to support Community Museum initiatives."
October 12, 2017 at 10:45am @9:18pm: One Stop is just as grueling. Come and go as you please and answer only to self. How can one be of service to the students when the office door is always closed even when they do decide to show up?
October 11, 2017 at 9:18pm Admissions is the place to be for those who want to collect a check. If streaming Netflix, ESPN or Fox News sounds like a rough day at the office, they have it the worst. I can't understand why enrollment is down!
October 10, 2017 at 6:40pm All comments to the HLC regarding ASU's accreditation are due by this Friday. The form asks, "Would you like HLC to remove your identifying information before sharing your comment with the evaluation team and institution?" and you may choose "Yes". If you have anything to say about ASU to its accreditor, this is the time to do so.
October 9, 2017 at 10:18am I think the comment about bumping rights is incorrect. The "talent agenda" part of HB 12-1321 eliminates bumping for all state employees except those within five years of retirement. Is this not the case?
October 8, 2017 at 2:43pm Classified will have bumping rights for those with seniority. Classified employees with less than 5 years will be let go. Exempt employment will be let go as they are at will. Classified employees who will retire in the next year won’t be paid out for early retirement.
October 7, 2017 at 4:01pm Does anyone know if there is a plan B in the event Adams does lose its accreditation? What will happen to classified and exempt employees?
October 7, 2017 at 3:27pm "The duty of citizens in a democracy is to be skeptical -- not to worship our leaders, who have always been fallible, but to question their decisions, challenge their policies, and hold them accountable for their failures." Ken Burns & Lynn Novick Same should be true regarding the duties of University employees.
October 6, 2017 at 9:43pm Is anyone really surprised by the Board's evaluation of McClure? This strikes me as precisely the kind of review that a lackadaisical, out of touch, asleep at the wheel board might give of a divisive, unhinged, vindictive president.
October 6, 2017 at 9:20pm "People skills exemplary with those not working under her." ...Wow, lots to unpack with this criticism tucked into a positive wrapper. I'm sorry, but this just cannot be the true or complete evaluation. Comments are far too sparse and generic and pointless for a position of this importance.
October 6, 2017 at 4:40pm What any wise, dedicated employee should do when receiving their evaluation is to start with the lowest numbers because they point to where they need to improve. * "Works effectively to maintain high morale among subordinates and between herself, her staff, and others within the University. = 3.1" I've heard so many people say morale at ASU has never been lower. * "Based upon the President's leadership, faculty and staff have confidence in the future of the institution. = 3.25" The Board pegged this one, but should have given her a 2.0. None of us have confidence we'll still be open next year or the year after. * "The President's leadership has a positive influence on employee morale and performance. = 3.25" Her influence is most definitely negative overall. She has created a divided campus which is becoming less divided as people realize just how bad she is. Sounds like Trump. * "The President is effective in resolving significant problems. = 3.37" Hahahahaha! Look at how she dealt with Ledonne, HLC, enrollment, etc. * "Reacts too quickly without thought at times." Understatement to be sure. * "Looks at problems with clarity, logic, and coolness, and makes decisions based on facts. = 3.4" Yeah, not so much. Coolness? Hardly. Board suggests faculty may be able to assess some of these more accurately. I should say so. The Board picked up on many disturbing shortcomings, but they definitely did not realize or care to admit just how bad these things really are. McClure is no leader. She isn't and never was presidential material. The sooner she goes, the better ASU will be.
October 5, 2017 at 11:54pm President evaluation is a bunch of horse crap! I work at ASU and she has yet to speak or acknowledge me. She’s an arrogant arse! What’s it going to take for others to see her true colors? Get her the hell out of here!
October 5, 2017 at 8:13pm Evaluations completed at Adams State are unprofessional done by unprofessional people or those placed in “puppet power” (Board members) and acknowledged by those they evaluate (McClure) as being of high esteem, character, and servitude. In Arnold Toynbee’s writings Theory of Civilizations, he argues that the breakdown of civilizations begins from decay within by the actions of the dominant minority that forces the majority to obey without meriting obedience. The Dominant Minority then forms a “Universal State” which stifles political creativity. This process leads to the fall of civilizations. History shows this time and time again. Just some thought and parallel to the Rise and Fall of Adams State.
October 5, 2017 at 1:06am I'm not sure what to make of McClure's evaluation. Has the board truly lost touch? Or are they giving her an "out"? Let's review. On a 5 point scale--with 5 being the highest mark, below are her overall marks on each dimension and my thoughts related to each. Commitment to Institutional/System Mission = 4.7 (A-): Ok, perhaps she is committed to institutional mission. How has she proven that through her actions in the past 2 years of her tenure? Part of our mission is that of an HSI...has anyone counted, lately, how many Hispanic employees she has either fired or run off? Leadership Ability = 3.9 (B+): Seriously? McClure couldn't lead her way out of a paper bag. Other than a handful (literally 4-5 individuals) believe in her leadership. The rest of us are waiting with baited breath for her to leave. She is NOT able to "resolve significant problems" any more than she "has a positive influence on employee morale and performance". I could go on, but, space is limited. Management Effectiveness = 4.0 (B): She displays none of these characteristics. Let's just talk about "appropriate judgment in the appointment and retention of senior institutional personnel". From Margo to Kurt to Karla to Scott to Liz, her "administration" is full of incompetent buffoons! And, the most competent can't wait to get the hell out. Fiscal Management = 4.2 (A-/B+): Seriously? BUDGET CRISIS! Need we say more? Daily Decision Making/Problem Solving = 3.9 (B+): "Identifies problem areas before they escalate into crisis". Well, the majority of us know she is the crisis. And we know she loves to escalate things. Human Relations/Communications Skills = 4.5 (A-): HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Fundraising = 4.15 (A-/B+): How much has she brought in over the last two years? Academic Quality/Accountability = 4.7 (A-): Three letters: HLC What a bunch of bullshit!
October 4, 2017 at 3:59pm:---- Editor's Note: We have received and published President McClure's 2017 evaluations.
October 2, 2017 at 2:36pm: New email that came out 10/2/17: Office of the President Dear Campus Community: Last week two staff members from the Department of Education were on campus conducting a Program Review of Adams State University. The team met with a number of Adams State University staff and among other things they reviewed student files associated with Federal Financial Aid, conducted an analysis of our compliance with the Clery Act, and explored some distance education courses. On Thursday evening the DoE site review team provided an exit interview with the Administration during which they described a handful of findings as well as outlining next steps in the process and the time frame until the final report is complete. Some issues flagged for attention by ASU included a couple of items under Clery; a policy for how many semesters of developmental education any given student can complete; evaluation of our procedures related to conditionally admitted students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; and an institutional policy for how we make referrals to the Office of the Inspector General. The Department of Education will complete a preliminary program review report in 60-75 days (end of November or early December). Adams State University will have 30-60 days to respond to this preliminary report and the Department of Education will then issue their final report some 90 days later. I will keep the campus community informed as we receive more information and as results from the Program Review become available. Thank you. Sincerely, President McClure
October 1, 2017 at 12:18pm I didn’t realize there was an administrative person in the athletic department (a bit of sarcasm). Dianne Lee is hardly ever in the office. She’s either out taking care of her grown up kids, out to conferences, sitting at games, golfing with Margo and our glorious President McClure. She’s one of the President minions kissing ass and making a huge salary. Have you noted her title? Dianne Lee, Associate Athletic Director/Senior Women Administrator. No college degree nor does she represent any of our students' demographics and she’s as rude as she comes just like her President! If I was not a single parent, relying on my income and insurance for my young children, I’d be gone. I work three jobs to keep afloat. I have a masters degree and I’m still one of the lowest paid employees. People like Dianne Lee infuriate me to no end. There is no transparency, no equity or equality. It’s just a big black dark deep hole. It won’t get better, HLC will dismiss the probation, jobs will be cut (including mine), continue to be in debt. It’s her way or the Highway. And Crowther, Novotny, Nehring, McClure, Doell, Hardesty will continue to reign and look down us with smirks and arrogance because they won the fight! People will continue to resign... and we’ll be back in the same situation in 4 years. It’s a damned cycle. Signed, Feeling Hopeless and Beaten
September 28, 2017 at 6:15pm It's not surprising that some of the lowest-paid faculty in the nation would struggle with house payments, student loan payments, and other necessary bills. It's also common for ASU to cut course loads, making sure adjuncts don't qualify as full time employees for receiving healthcare coverage. This came up during the HLC review in 2015-2016. Many ASU staff and faculty live below the poverty line and many ASU employees qualify for public assistance. Not to mention ASU students on food stamps or those threatened to have their meal plans cut if they fall behind on their tuition payments. But someone has to pay for those six figure administrator salaries. And actually, Beverlee McClure's quarter-million in salary and benefits is among the least costly expenses she has imposed upon the school.
September 28, 2017 at 7:39am If you want to know what the BoT's plans for "rightsizing" means, check this out: Facing poverty, academics turn to sex work and sleeping in cars .... and if you think "it couldn't happen here", well, it already has.
September 27, 2017 at 6:37pm So are Karla and Margaret going around to different departments to coach people on what to say to the DOE?
September 27, 2017 at 3:49pm Miguel Chaparro, Transfer Student Coordinator & International DSO announced his resignation, effective 9/30/2017 yesterday evening.
September 25, 2017 at 3:40pm Having taught at other universities, I can tell you that there are multiple reasons why Adams State isn't a model for a university. 1. Adams State doesn't have nearly enough autonomy within the various schools in terms of department size, number of degree plans, or program budgets. Many schools have only one or two departments so it's redundant to even make a distinction between the two. 2. Adams State also doesn't offer enough graduate and doctorate programs to have a robust post-graduate campus community, there are insufficient graduate fellowships, or dedicated graduate and doctorate support staff. 3. Adams State doesn't conduct anywhere close to enough research to qualify as a true university. Faculty almost all have 4/4 teaching loads (or even higher when they rack up extra money teaching hundreds of students online - putting ASU on probation). There is virtually no funding allocated for research, program development, academic conferences, grant writing, or publications. Consequently, few faculty have the time or resources to conduct research or publish scholarship. If anything the campus culture actively prohibits it. So yes, there was a signing ceremony with Governor Hickenhooper and everyone smiled in the photos, adorned by party balloons. It was a marketing effort and celebrated ASU's record-breaking enrollment and campus expansions. But now the bills are due, the campus is in debt, their credit is bad, students and employees are leaving, and the term “university” is self-evidently hollow as it applies to Adams State.
September 25, 2017 at 9:38am So how about a little light controversy to start off the week? A campus email just went out, and that last line, "Adams State was named a University in 2012." made me put on skeptacles (like spectacles but for skeptics). I think the statement is kind of misleading, it's not like we were awarded the prestigious title of University. We just kind of named ourselves as a marketing gimmick, despite (in my opinion) not having the programs to support the name change. To me, University means Graduate Programs, which are few and far between here at ASU.
September 21, 2017 at 10:21pm Danny - I appreciate you sharing your memories, notes and thoughts about the hiring process that led us down the "McClure" path. I attended two of the three faculty forums, one of which was McClure. And like you, I was alarmed by many of her comments and answers to questions. On the surface, she presented well. She was a great talker. She knew the "points" she needed to make. And yet in the back of my mind I kept thinking, "there is no substance to this woman. There is no idea about shared governance. She is all smoke and mirrors. She is autocratic." And I was SCARED! Scared because I looked at Leroy Salazar, a trustee member at the time, and he was lapping it up like a parched puppy dog. I remember thinking, "OMG! Anyone but her! If they hire her, our path will change forever". And today? Here we are. A quick note about search committees for presidents: make NO mistake, the search committee didn't recommend her. The committee put forward three names to the trustees. THEY chose our train wreck. Nobody else - period!
September 21, 2017 at 6:19pm I attended all three presidential candidate forums ASU offered for faculty in spring 2015 and considered each candidate very carefully, discussing these matters in detail with my colleagues. I thought people here might be interested in the written assessment I gave of Dr. McClure's on-campus interview on March 19th, 2015. These are my thoughts on McClure's forum performance, emailed to Faculty Trustee Benson on March 27th, 2015: "McClure was also very impressive, but in some ways that concerned me. She clearly is willing to make tough decisions and take a strong leadership role. However, her terse, almost snarky response to Carol Smith's question about tenure was the most worrisome to me. She has a Google problem, as we know, that could add to Adams State's mounting Google problem. That seems trivial, but I don't think it is in this day and age. Politically, she could be too right-wing, business-oriented for much of our campus. I would certainly appreciate having her in my corner on a program or initiative as she seems to be a tireless advocate... but I thought she would be the most difficult to work with on issues of disagreement. She seemed to have a 'my way or the highway' leadership philosophy that could be a double-edged sword. That being said, if she could bring more resources to the university and empower us to do our best work, she could be a valuable asset to the campus." In hindsight, I believe I over-estimated Dr. McClure's virtues and strengths but nonetheless identified the tip of the iceberg in terms of her abrasive, vindictive leadership style. I clearly had no way of predicting that, less than a year later, the ACLU would be filing suit against her on my behalf. It is somewhat humbling that I gave her the benefit of the doubt for as long as I did, given the blatant transgressions she would later mete out against so many people. "My way or the highway", indeed! So many people I knew at ASU have hit the highway out of Alamosa since McClure arrived. - Danny Ledonne
September 21, 2017 at 3:14pm I will always remember Beverlee's answer to one question during her faculty presentation when she interviewed on campus. She was asked how she would bring along those who don't share in her vision, or something along those lines. She answered that, in her experience, people either get on board or they leave. A shudder ran through me. The search committee should have known right then what they were signing up for. She is not a community builder. It was a negative response from a person with a negative world outlook. She was fully truthful with us. And she was right. We've had a good look at her "vision", and we're voting with our feet
September 21, 2017 at 11:50am Beverlee McClure has not clearly articulated to those truly concerned about the future and feasibility of Adams State University how her leadership will turn ASU into an upward positive trend and sustainability - the alums, current students and employees, businesses in Alamosa and the citizens of the entire SLV. The survival of many of these constituents listed above correlates directly with the survival of ASU. What group vetted McClure and recommended her for hire? How did this group come to the conclusion based on her words and actions leaving New Mexico at a time of crisis that she could be loyal and trustworthy to ASU? A list of those on the selection committee should be made public and be asked what quality did she display during their search, interviews, and references that made her the selection over other qualified candidates?
September 20, 2017 at 7:28am Surprise — our economy’s taken another ‘alarming’ nosedive since May Words to fail by: "New Mexico saw 15,228 people leave the state in 2012... Said Beverlee McClure, president and CEO of the Association of Commerce and Industry: 'We are seeing a brain drain of COOs and CEOs and we have to address it. We have to stop this brain drain and this jobs drain. I think folks are beginning to realize that we can’t keep ignoring this issue.'" So what did she do? She went down the drain to Colorado. "New Mexico's politicians and business leaders continue to seem paralyzed and perplexed over the long running economic crisis. And the population at large seems more in a mood to flee--if they can--rather than fight." She was perplexed and paralyzed in NM, just as she is at ASU. And believe me, she's trying her best to flee. I wonder why so few employers are interested in her resume?
September 18, 2017 at 12:34am It's not whether or not the assurance document is "accurate" or even truthful. What matters is how convincing it is. I truly want ASU to work its way out of this mess. I want it to thrive--for our students. AND I recognize that student success is NEVER going to happen on the scale we want under this administration. So. What can we do? Take your complaints that you are posting here. Your evidence that the assurance is bullshit. Take those and post on the HLC comments page. Remember! You can ask to have your identifying information withheld from the administration. IF EVER there was an opportunity to have YOUR voice heard without the constant fear of retaliation, THIS. IS. IT!
September 15, 2017 at 7:58pm I've looked through the Assurance Argument and find it less than assuring. Here are a few of the items that stand out from an initial perusal: 1.B.2 and 1B.3 - It is telling that these sections, among many others in the document, rely on evidence from programs that have closed (like Mary Hoffman's Community Partnerships) or professors who are no longer running these field studies (like Dr. Waddell's Nicaragua and Cuba study abroad programs). As more people leave, ASU will be able to do less and less of what it assures the HLC it has been doing. And of course, with no mention of why things continue to fall apart. 2.C.2 - Hilariously, this document argues that the decision to hire Beverlee McClure "is an excellent example of how ASU “lives” this core component" (of Ethical and Responsible Conduct). Referring to the ASU Chronicle of Decline: "McClure was also named “Worst Person in the World” in 2010 by the New Mexico Center for Civic Policy for “incorrect and damaging statements” made by McClure while heading ACI regarding the Better Choices coalition. NMCCP concludes, “The trouble is that most of what McClure [said] was without basis in fact – she simply made the stuff up.” Could ASU have a worse example of "Ethical and Responsible Conduct" than Beverlee McClure's two years (and counting) of reckless, unpresidential behavior and hostile campus environment? 3.D.4 - "While most of the projects undertaken were initially identified in a 1993 Campus Master Plan and revised in a 2007 Campus Master Plan, changes in personnel have resulted in retention of very few program plans documenting the details of each project." - What a total admission of failure on the part of ASU to even track the spending of student fees and tax dollars. A clear indicator that campus turnover has a high cost! 4.C.4. - "Given the fact that ASU serves a large proportion of historically underserved students, the commonly used retention and graduation rates have limited meaning for the performance of our institution." - A laughably lame excuse that in effect says, "don't hold us to the same standards as other institutions when measuring how poorly we retain and graduate our students." This section goes on to move the goal post using other, less stringent measurements. Greatly lowered expectations begin here! Sub-component 5.B.2. - Somewhere in this word salad of administrative duck-speak, it is clear that ASU relegates faculty voices in shared governance and every metric indicates this. What is not mentioned is that the most beloved academic administrator, Dr. Gilmer, was chased off campus in the most hostile fashion by the university president (who many faculty voiced their opposition to prior to her hire). Also, while the deliberately-ineffectual CIELO is mentioned as a presidential advisory group, there is no mention of Campus Advocacy Group (CAG) - the one that actually identified serious structural problems and tried to organize a plan to fix them... until the administration hunted them down to the point of attrition, disemployment, or being banned from campus. And actually, from CEC to PASC and Faculty Senate, this entire section is littered with pure fantasy about how shared governance at ASU works and neglects any mention of how limited, bullied, and intentionally marginalized these shared governance units are and have been for at least a decade. It's been top-down governance all along. 5.S - Criterion 5 – Summary - "ASU has experienced a lot of change over the past decade." That's certainly a charitable way of phrasing it. How about admitting that ASU has been in a period of fiscal decline, lowering enrollment, major academic ethics violations, lawsuits and scandals, and eroding morale from a disappearing workforce? The HLC should hear the whole story about the ASU campus - not just the grossly misleading story that the administration is attempting to tell here.
September 15, 2017 at 2:29pm Michael Skinner has resigned his position as the Sports Information Director for the ASU Athletics department. Michael is the fourth S.I.D. to resign in the past six years. The reason for such a high turnover at this position is a heavy work load and an average salary. When will Athletic Director Larry "the blister" Mortensen learn he cannot work his staff 50-60 hours a week, seven days a week? While Mr. Mortensen and his sidekick Dianne Lee (who by the way does not have a college degree) are well-paid, the rest of the staff is underpaid. It is a well known fact around the ASU community that the only reason Mr. Mortensen was given the A.D. job was because of the influence of his father-in-law. The ASU Athletics department was once a proud and historical department, now these days it is going down the wrong side of the tracks.
September 15, 2017 at 11:39am 2 - Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct - The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible They must have been choking as they responded to this one. Ethical? McClure, Novotny, Mansheim, oh please! Extended studies! Failing grade on that one. Pure fantasy.
September 15, 2017 at 11:39am In response to Sept 14 2017 11:20pm. - "In what way (s) is ASU not in compliance with HLC Core Component 3.C, 1-6? Specific examples or evidence, please." ASU's 4 year graduation rate is 15.3% ASU's 6 year graduation rate is 34.2% ASU's graduation rates STATISTICALLY underperform in EVERY category. This is not a defensible position to be in with these graduation rates statistically displayed over a long period of time with the trend overall downward. This is failure at ALL LEVELS and at EVERY POSITION. What is the one singular goal for EVERY STUDENT that enrolls in higher education? To graduate. ASU is so far behind State and National graduation rate averages it is indefensible. The bus is rolling, the driver is in place, key seats are filled... do you want your daughter or son on this bus?
September 15, 2017 at 7:22am In no way shape or form is it true that the, "institution has processes and resources for assuring that instructors are current in their disciplines." This is especially not true for faculty in STEM fields that often only receive 1 credit for labs that may be 3-4 contact hours a week. There are some STEM professors that have contact hours as high as 19 a week. So you're spending 19 hours a week in the classroom, you have prep for classes, grading, advising, scholarly activity, service, AND somehow need to find time to keep up with a constantly changing field? If the institution is not willing to increase compensation for credit hours, then how can they claim that those professors can be current in their disciplines? How do they see professors working 60+ hours a week that still need to find additional time just to keep up with new literature as a sustainable practice? I have never in my career heard of another university that cares less about the well being of their faculty and staff. I have a lot of friends at ASU whose families rely on the continuance of the institution, and I want nothing more than for ASU to flourish and provide a solid education for students, as well as stability for those people who have invested their careers in ASU. But, that will require strong leadership in a positive direction. Right now ASU does not have that. I believe ASU requires major, systemic changes in their administrative model from the top to the bottom, and with McClure and Margaret in positions that dictate the direction of the university, that will never happen.
September 15, 2017 at 5:21am ---- Editor's Note: We have made the 9/13/17 draft copy of the ASU Assurance Argument to the HLC available for public review.
September 14, 2017 at 11:36pm Re: Sept 14 11:20pm - Let's start with the LIE that there are "sufficient numbers and continuity of faculty members..." Lest we forget the 40+ staff/faculty who left last academic year AND after 3 weeks into fall, already a prominent faculty/chair (Beez) is leaving.
September 14, 2017 at 11:20pm Okay, I'll bite. In what way(s) is ASU not in compliance with HLC Core Component 3.C, 1-6? Specific examples or evidence, please.
September 14, 2017 at 10:59pm Re: Sept 14 @7:24am - Bullshit and lies doesn't even begin to cover it! Wow! Who wrote this glorious piece of fiction? Margo? Bev? Others? Unbelievable.
September 14, 2017 at 7:24am The HLC assurance argument is out for review - it is full of bullshit and lies. Some of the programs don't exist. But this was the biggest joke of them all: 3.C - Core Component 3.C The institution has the faculty and staff needed for effective, high-quality programs and student services. 1. The institution has sufficient numbers and continuity of faculty members to carry out both the classroom and the non-classroom roles of faculty, including oversight of the curriculum and expectations for student performance; establishment of academic credentials for instructional staff; involvement in assessing student learning. 2. All instructors are appropriately qualified, including those in dual credit, contractual, and consortial programs. 3. Instructors are evaluated regularly in accordance with established institutional policies and procedures. 4. The institution has processes and resources for assuring that instructors are current in their disciplines and adept in their teaching roles; it supports their professional development. 5. Instructors are accessible for student inquiry. 6. Staff members providing student support services, such as tutoring, financial aid advising, academic advising, and co-curricular activities, are appropriately qualified, trained, and supported in their professional development.
September 12, 2017 at 7:20pm @9/12 11:03am - According to her Facebook account, Beez will be working at Colorado Mountain College in Aspen/Carbondale beginning in October.
September 12, 2017 at 3:31pm Yes, it turns out that even the most loyal Kool-Aid drinkers cannot stomach the poison that they promote for long. One could feel sorry for Beez if she didn't lead a march for McClure and write the Chronicle to cover for McClure's brash letter to the HLC. What did Beez think would happen? No employee can cut a deal with a pathological narcissist and come out unscathed.
September 12, 2017 at 12:24pm Beez makes me think of Monty Python: "Charge" / "Stand Strong for ASU" ... "Run away. Run away. Run away!"
September 12, 2017 at 11:03am What? "Beez" Lea Ann Schell Department Chair / Professor Human Performance & Phys Ed beezschell@adams.edu EC-111G (719)587-7271 Is leaving? Do tell? To where?
September 11, 2017 at 8:48pm Beez is bailing? Must be time for McClure's "she wasn't committed to our students and our mission" bull. Or we could face facts and admit McClure is ruining ASU, destroying its already problematic culture, and driving away everyone who has a choice.
September 11, 2017 at 7:56pm Da. Da. Da. (Imagine Queen's Another One Bites the Dust). So long, Beez. So happy you were able to get out with your career intact. The rest of us, not so much. ☹️
September 11, 2017 at 9:40am According to the academic calendar, I think the census date was last week. Any word on final enrollment numbers?
September 7, 2017 at 7:41am September 6 @720 - Give credit where credit is due!?! Is that why ASU is a sanctuary campus--NOT!?!! My God! Like Trump supporters, you McClure supporters are worse than sheep! Bahhhh!
September 7, 2017 at 5:55am Credit where credit is due? Of course she was going to take a stand for DACA. It was an ASU-centric statement but probably not one she would make personally. Why would she care about the dreamers when she doesn't even allow Hispanics to cross to her side of the wall to do yardwork?
September 6, 2017 at 7:10pm Credit where credit is due: President McClure's decision to sign a letter supporting DACA was the right move for an HSI like Adams State.
September 5, 2017 at 2:37pm September 4, 2017 at 4:40pm - why would Novotny care? He has clearly, and repeatedly, demonstrated he completely lacks personal or professional integrity.
September 4, 2017 at 4:40pm Recommended reading for Frank Novotny, David Svaldi, and others responsible for ASU's debacle with Extended $tudies - Are They Doing Their Own Work?
September 3, 2017 at 10:45am Re: September 3 @ 801am - Or how about we send Margo back to the art department and she can learn to teach history.
September 3, 2017 at 8:01am Hire a full time art history professor so art majors can get their masters here.
September 1, 2017 at 3:32pm So the administration has known that ASU is under a Program Review from the Department of Education for over three weeks now and there is still no public announcement or documentation on their website that this is happening?
September 1, 2017 at 10:59am Like many others, I am distressed by the news that ASU Community Partnerships is closing its doors. Mary Hoffman accomplished so much with so few resources. It's tragic to lose such a vital lifeline for our rural communities. It also feels foreboding. Does anyone know why this is happening, and if there is any way to reverse the decision? Does the board fully understand the consequences for our regional economy and culture?
August 31, 2017 at 10:47pm Revisionist History - A Good Walk Spoiled. Rich people and their addiction to golf: a philosophical investigation. (Revisionist History a podcast from Malcolm Gladwell and Panoply Media)
August 31, 2017 at 8:29pm @6:44am: The HLC would be well-advised to speak to former student athletes in Liz Thomas's business classes. They might learn an interesting thing or two.
August 31, 2017 at 5:34pm Staff being overwhelmed or understaffed, etc. is not the only reason things get put on the back burner. Getting a degree while sitting at your computer instead of doing your job, taking days off constantly and abusing flex time for various absurd reasons like stopping at Starbucks, waiting for the electrician on a weekly basis or to have time to do homework, etc curtails productivity. Not to mention coming to work late and walking in to put your belongings at your desk to head to First Stop for a fountain drink... So tell me, how strict are the supervisors if this kind of stuff is always going on?
August 31, 2017 at 1:20pm "Some soul searching would serve [Bev McClure] well." You assume she has one. We know she has no heart. She is a White Walker.
August 31, 2017 at 1:19pm Faculty members should not be imposing their views and leadership on the editorial direction of the San Luis Valley Historian. Certain professors are attempting to make the Historian a professional journal (fair enough) but they should not forget or ignore the original purpose of the Historian - to record, if only tidbits, the experiences and memories of those emigrants who settled The Valley. If this movement was encouraged by the current administration, then the administration should remind the learned personnel of the Historian's original purpose while reaching toward journal status.
August 31, 2017 at 8:51am @8/30 10:41am: Back to the original statement: ASU is not an efficient institution with clear and concise processes able to handle fast paced changes. Read: we have some incompetent individuals in their positions. Also read: something like updating a directory is not priority. This could be due to incompetence but most of the time it's due to staff being overwhelmed, under staffed, and under supported through their busy daily operations that things get placed on the back burner again and again and again. Lack of leadership has led us into that vicious cycle of not stopping to do the important things because people are constantly playing catch up. Don't misunderstand - I'm not defending this administration and their shoddy way of doing things. I'm merely trying to provide a glimpse of what it's really like to work at ASU on a daily basis. It's not always the conspiracy of evil lurking in the shadows. This is real life.
August 31, 2017 at 6:44am Regarding the upcoming audit by the DOE, I wonder if they'll interview Walter Roybal? They should. I'm sure ASU’s administration will dump as much blame on him as possible but I'm certain he'd have his own version of the story to tell. We all felt the pressure to teach online courses but don’t doubt he felt the pressure to create them, and lots of them. I never got the sense that he sat well with the way things were run at Extended Studies but I also got the feeling that he was never given the room to make the types of changes that we all knew would have been in best keeping with national practices. And if the DOE really wants to understand what drove the beast for so many years at ASU they should track down Ryan Shiba. As early as 2010, he was internally advocating for all of the changes that the HLC is now mandating. But Novotny, Mansheim, and Svaldi ignored him. He eventually left, in part to continue on with a higher degree but it seems he may have also left because he felt uncomfortable with the ethical violations that Extended Studies asked him and his staff to commit on a daily basis. Man, the stories Tyler, Stacy, and Jared could tell. Today, Svaldi is retired, Novotny is back in the classroom pulling in a cool six figures for teaching out of date chemistry, and Mansheim is conveniently out of the country searching for his soul on the Camino de Santiago. I wonder if he'll dare come back? My guess is that these investigators will want to get to know their history and I'm sure Mansheim’s name will pop up a lot. Perhaps McClure should jump on a flight to Spain as well. Some soul searching would serve her well, especially after all the families and careers she’d destroyed. Someone should also suggest that the team interview former athletes and assistant coaches. If I were them I’d start with that nice young man from Oklahoma who was just out of law school and served as the compliance officers for a little while. He saw everything the university was doing and ran for higher ground! He knew the legal consequences that would eventually face this campus! There are more than a few that could speak to the constant pressure recruiters feel to fill classroom seats with students who will never play but are more than willing to play, albeit with Pell Grants and loans. They've been handing out federal aid to student athletes for years, many of whom wouldn't be eligible at all for aid or to play if it weren't for coaches who carefully place athletes in unfailable classes such as Liz Thomas' infamous business courses. For God’s sake, she was paid by the basketball team for years to tutor student athletes and she encouraged them all to sign up for her own classes, many of which were online and she got paid for! And surprise, surprise, they passed, even when they’d been failing out of classes in departments across campus. What a racket! Oh, and how about that MBA program that they've been filling with students who haven't even graduated undergrad yet?!? Man oh man, the list just goes on and on. I'm afraid this investigative team might need more than two members! And then there’s McClure and her cronies. September and October are not going to be a good months for them. I'd bet money on her downsizing her Halloween party—and costume—this year. She might want to consider dressing up as Bernard Madoff. Just like him, she fooled people for a long time, decades really, but it seems the game's over. Her days of playing CEO and president are over, as they should be. After all, once the dust has settled and her latest reviews are public, who would hire her? I sense that the seams are about to burst at ASU. They could only hold out so long. It's sad, really, for ASU foreshadows a pending doom that lurks in the shadows of underfunded public campuses across the nation. And when the education bubble bursts, and it will, watch out. All empires eventually crash and burn. Not surprisingly, most are led to their ruin by the hands of egotistical leaders who are blinded by illusions of their own grandeur. Leaders like Trump and McClure are merely symptoms of systemic fault lines that run through the very heart of this nation. They are the result of decades of under-investment in the public sector. They are the false prophets that everyone wanted to believe in. Above all, they canaries silently gulping for air amidst the darkness.
August 30, 2017 at 2:46pm So what do you all think will happen with the HLC visit and process? Will we lose accreditation?
August 30, 2017 at 10:41am The directory information is updated by HR last I heard. You mean to tell me HR does not know who is leaving?
August 30, 2017 at 8:49am @8/29 8:50am: The reason our website and directory are so outdated has more to do with staff being overwhelmed with high turnover. Staff who are responsible for updating the information often don't even know people have left either because of timing, or someone hasn't completed the bureaucratic forms needed to process an update, or simply (not so simply) they're still on the payroll. It's not some conspiracy to hide that people have left. We're just not an efficient institution with clear and concise processes able to handle fast paced changes.
August 29, 2017 at 7:15pm I'm saddened to learn that ASU Community Partnerships is closing. It was definitely an area of campus that brought wide engagement from the San Luis Valley and ASU is a lesser place without it. This also cannot look good to the HLC given the criterion for community involvement. Is CASA (or other programs like it) next on the chopping block?
August 29, 2017 at 8:50am @8/28 5:01 PM - The reason they're listed still is to hide all the facts that this place is hostile and people are dropping like flies. Pretty much the same way knee-high boots hide vericose veins, reptilian skin and cloven hooves.
August 28, 2017 at 5:01pm I find it hilarious that Eric Carpio, Walter Roybal, and many other non-employees are still listed in the campus directory. What will it take for this administration to get its act together?
August 26, 2017 at 3:20pm It's simply not possible for enrollment to have been in decline since 2010 as McClure claimed in yesterday's email and article. Looking back, a September 2011 article on the university website proclaims, "ASC smashes enrollment records for third year running." In a February 2016 Faculty Senate meeting, McClure had also claimed that enrollment has been in decline since 2008. That's also not true. As someone wrote earlier, state enrollment data suggests that ASU's on-campus numbers peaked in 2011-2012. While McClure has a growing track record of making stuff up (police watch list, anyone?), I think this pattern of claiming enrollment peaked much earlier than 2011-2012 is an attempt for McClure to distance this administration from owning its own failures. The severity of ASU's decline is more recent than McClure is willing to admit. And at this point, it's definitely her fault. From a budgetary and now a marketing perspective, Guaranteed Tuition has been a failure. Don't be surprised if it is quietly phased out.
August 26, 2017 at 8:12am As of today I'm taking my job search much more seriously and expanding the range of areas I'd consider moving to. The writing is on the wall. The current and past leadership is and has led us down the toilet of financial and reputational ruin.
August 26, 2017 at 7:17am Scratching my head over Bev's assertion that enrollment has been declining since 2010. According to the CDHE: 1. Undergraduate student FTE (p. 15) peaked in 2011-2012, not 2010, and 2. Total student FTE (p. 5) hit a RECORD HIGH this past 2016-2017 academic year.
August 25, 2017 at 8:39pm The 47 employees who left during the past year are looking pretty savvy right now, whatever the circumstances of their departure. The dwindling number who remain can look forward to such alluringly named experiences as "right-sizing", "attrition", "restructuring and realignment of personnel", and the ever growing prospect of fiscal exigency. Fun times in the Valley. But don't worry - all this will "assure a stable financial foundation for Adams State". Sounds peachy, Cleave! Run for the hills, kids.
August 25, 2017 at 6:09pm "Cleave's service as chair of the board's Finance Committee makes him ideally suited for the position of chair as we move to right-size our staff and grow enrollment," said Adams State President Beverlee J. McClure. What she means is, "Cleave will do as he is told, just like Arnold before him." What she means by right-sizing is, "slash our staffing, slash courses, slash wages and salaries for everyone except me and my special people." What she means by "grow enrollment" is, well, er........... um. Results so far speak for themselves. She has no idea. When she says; "His selection demonstrates the board is taking its fiduciary responsibility very seriously," she actually means, "Even though the board has been aware of ASU's decline by all measures over the last seven years, their experience will allow them to watch passively for another seven years." Something Biblical about that. Perhaps the famine will end? We'll have to wait and see. God save us all.
August 25, 2017 at 5:52pm Of course! The solution to ASU's problems! Promote a longtime valley insider to take over the reins from the other longtime valley insider. Who needs new blood and new ideas when we can capitalize on our progress of the last few years? ASU has done soooooo well, all thanks to the board of trustees and the visionary Miracle McClure. And to ensure "continuity of leadership" - McClure's works - we have Kathy Rogers, who as deputy chair, ably steadied Arnold's hand on the helm as he nobly took us forth, and will stand by to pass Cleave his tea and cupcakes. Cleave is indeed a nice man. A total pushover for McClure.
August 25, 2017 at 5:39pm To summarize: The university is now being led by a local guy with a bachelor's in mining engineering and a local lady with no college degree at all. But maybe with his mining degree, Simpson can dig up some gold or oil underneath McClure's mansion?
August 25, 2017 at 4:16pm So Arnold Salazar has jumped ship just as it is about to go down. Now we have a new chairman as of today - Cleave Simpson. Nice man. What else? Is he a change agent or is he simply going to fill in the buttock impression left by the departure of Arnold's backside on the deckchair he has abandoned? So Cleave, tell us how you are going to steer ASU out of this mess.
August 25, 2017 at 3:20pm Funny enough, the About page on the ASU website still says, "Adams State has entered a new era of growth, recording an all-time high enrollment of 3,701." Yeah, SEVEN YEARS AGO. Talk about false advertising! Get it together, Adams State.
August 25, 2017 at 2:33pm Seven years!!! The board has sat twiddling its thumbs while enrollment has declined incrementally for SEVEN YEARS! Can you imagine any other board watching its organization head towards a cliff for seven years and doing nothing? And now that ASU is at the precipice, the most innovative thing they can think of is to cut the resource - its employees - that provide the services that sustain it? Is this a joke? Why has the trustees chairman not been forced to resign; after all, he has been on the board for most of those seven years. Why has the chief executive, whose package is in the vicinity of a quarter-million dollars a year - all by herself a massive and wasteful overhead - not been fired? Please note HLC, this race to the bottom is not the fault of faculty or staff, but is entirely the result of grossly poor leadership and sustained mismanagement. If you really have a desire to help the people of this valley, those who depend on ASU's success, then don't dis-accredit us. Just sack the small group of "leaders" who got us to this point. SEVEN YEARS!!! For godsake! What a bunch of motionless morons.
August 25, 2017 at 2:05pm This is the email that went out to ASU employees today. A fine "welcome back to ASU" indeed. Dear Faculty and Staff: Today our Board of Trustees approved a motion that authorizes "the administration of Adams State University to prepare a contingency plan to right-size the campus, in a manner which supports the board's long-term priorities as embodied in the ASU 2020 Plan, and which is complimentary with other parallel strategies to ensure ASU's financial stability, which may include a reduction in workforce, and directs the administration to communicate openly and deliberately with ASU faculty, administration and students to minimize concerns to this end." Our on-campus enrollment is down 6%, but thanks to the changes that moved the Extended Studies courses to semester-based, our total enrollment is down 3%. However, we must align our staffing with the on-campus enrollment. To create this contingency plan, we will use data and enrollment patterns. More importantly, we will work with each constituent group to help us develop this plan in a careful and thoughtful manner. At this point, this is a plan only-not an implementation of a reduction in workforce. In fact, we hope that we can meet the budgeted vacancy savings through attrition and retirements. Our enrollment has been declining since 2010, yet our staffing has not changed to align with that decline. We have narrowed the percentage of the decline, though not enough for us to avoid the chance that we would need to change the way we staff our campus. The Huron Report, on our website, also states the need for this plan. You may read more about the board's action by clicking here: https://www.adams.edu/news/aug1709.php We all need to work together to increase enrollment and improve the retention of all of our students. Not just for financial reasons-this is our mission. It is the focus on our mission that will help us through the difficult times ahead. Dr. Beverlee J. McClure
August 25, 2017 at 12:22pm So THIS is the official welcome back message? "Welcome back everyone. All is well since we were just waiting and hoping for so many people to leave so we can save money. Of course we wouldn't want to change and make things better for faculty, staff, and students. If we did, we would have to spend more money that we don't have due to poor financial practices. You are a liability to us, not an investment! Have a great semester!"
August 25, 2017 at 12:12pm Let us not forget that a huge form of bullying in exclusion. Shame of all of you. You know who you are...
August 24, 2017 at 10:06am Two "bad guys" I would like to highlight are Ed Crowther and Lisa Centeno. As chair of the department has for years pushed the HGP 110 and HGP 111 courses for being required. They are courses to ensure his faculty will be busy enough to justify a seven person department. But do the enrollments justify all the sections? This semester there are eleven sections of HGP 110 with a cap of 45 students per course (495 maximum seats available). Well, as of today, August 24, 331 students are enrolled (67% of capacity). Enrollments may justify 7 or 8 sections of this course, but look at some of the sections. Centeno herself has a mere 8 in one section and 12 in another! Her hostile, bitter personality is well known and is proven by her numbers. She has another 5 students out of a 20 size cap, for her Model UN course. That course is simply an extension of her Model UN Club which receives massive amounts of student fees and taxpayer dollars every spring to pay for their trip to exotic cities around the world. Of course Centeno herself goes on each trip. And this same course is offered every semester, so she claims to teach 5 courses, an overload, each semester but two are the HGP courses and Model UN is one prep. What about her political science courses? The Middle East course has 8 students and the US-Latin American Relations course has 3. That is 11 students! Altogether she has 34 students in 5 courses which is an average of 7 per course. Every semester, EVERY semester, her enrollments are the absolute lowest in her department and among the lowest in the university. Yet Crowther and Centeno have both bilked ASU out of thousands of unearned money. His corruption has been detailed in numerous reports and posts. She is being protected, despite being an unqualified and ineffective teacher (who does NO scholarly research-NONE) by Crowther. He has let it be known that he has so many previous sexual harassment allegations that one more could end his career. So he gives Centeno her easy schedule and overlooks her low enrollments and student discontent. What used to be a vibrant department has seen dwindling numbers. And Political Science that had grown to be a vibrant major with high enrollments has been ruined by Centeno. Michael Mumper teaches two courses but students facing a major that is heavy with Centeno courses have dropped the major and prospective students know her reputation and avoid political science. Shame shame shame.
August 24, 2017 at 7:33am So I spoke to a custodian yesterday and they told me for three years running they have had to email daily duty logs to their immediate supervisor and until recently the supervisor above their immediate supervisor. It has to list all the things they do per day and then the supervisors go thru and question why they did a certain task. Not only is that a daily requirement but their immediate supervisors still check on them many times a day and stay talking to them for long periods of time and take the away from their work. I wonder why they need supervisors if they can just look at a computer to see what's been done?
August 23, 2017 at 7:13pm So... quite the pair of recent podcasts. Way to go, WA. Way to go, Meagan and Andres. You both display more individual courage and commitment to the institution than of the rest of us combined. Applause. I do hope the HLC listens to your disturbing experiences because, umm, ahh: "Accreditation criterion 1.C. The institution understands the relationship between its mission and the diversity of society. 1. The institution addresses its role in a multicultural society. 2. The institution’s processes and activities reflect attention to human diversity as appropriate within its mission and for the constituencies it serves." - HLC Policy Title: Criteria for Accreditation Oh, yeah, right, oops: Accreditation.
August 23, 2017 at 6:59pm Underlings who enable fall solidly in bad guy territory. They can't pull "just following orders" bulloney. You are either part of the solution or part of the problem. Loyal underlings permit the problems to persist.
August 23, 2017 at 5:32pm From my perspective reading articles and comments, as well as on campus, here's my take. Who are the "bad guys"? There are certainly a few abjectly awful influences on ASU. Beverlee McClure is chief among them and sets the tone for a hostile, vindictive campus that is failing underneath her. Shame on the Board for offering her a 3 year contract even after she was sued by the ACLU and fired her mouth off at the HLC. They ultimately are responsible and should be held to account for the lost revenue, lower enrollment, high turnover, and probationary status. Some of McClure's dutiful lackeys have perpetuated the “Mean Girl” culture – such as Margaret Doell, Leslie Alvarez, Beez Schell, Scott White, and Ana Guevara. I would place Tracy Rogers in this category, as well. Then there are the people who are simply willing to be cruel bullies to maintain their power – Ed Crowther, Zena Buser, and the recently-departed Mike Martin and Mike Tomlin. Of course, there's also the legacy of administrators who knowingly ran ASU into its current mess – David Svaldi, Bill Mansheim, and Frank Novotny. It's debatable how much blame their underlings like Eric Carpio, Walter Roybal, Ken Marquez, etc. had to do with this. Who are the “good guys”? Probably everyone else. The people trying to deliver a great education to students – even as their pay is far below the state average, their department budgets are cut to the bone, and they are constantly being monitored and watched for any signs of dissent or critical thinking. The people who clean the buildings even if the president calls the campus police on them. The students themselves – who return in dwindling number to earn a degree even as the value of a diploma from ASU continues to sink with bad PR and academic sanction. ASU is a failing university and the casualties are too numerous to mention.
August 23, 2017 at 4:29pm I've been trying to follow the comments here and it's really confusing! Who are the bad guys? Who are the good guys? Are there even good guys? If there aren't good guys, then certainly some people must have competing agendas or actively work against each other (at least that's how it seems from the comments). Can someone create like a diagram or something?
August 23, 2017 at 8:07am Whatever became of the Facilities Services investigation? The only thing I know that was done was a sexual harassment training yesterday and sometime during the summer they had a marriage counselor speak to all of Facilities Services. Really? A marriage counselor? I think the same couselor spoke to a couple other groups as per Bev's requests.
August 22, 2017 at 10:00pm Got my A-Stater in the mail. All happy news and feel good reporting... right down to page 3 (just opposite Bev's letter). Yep! Adams State seeks public comment. Nope! No anonymous comments accepted. Of course they forgot to mention that identifying information can be withheld upon request. Oh yea...biased, misleading reporting, just like the Valley Courier. People! Requesting your identifying information to be withheld is ANONYMOUS from the university! Speak up and speak out! Don't let Bev and company continue to bully and silence any longer!
August 22, 2017 at 9:15pm Sometimes, there's an article in the Valley Courier about new faculty arrivals at ASU. But I didn't see anything this year. Now I'm seeing the list of departed faculty, sometimes multiple in each department. How is ASU quickly replacing these people? I see that Michael Martin left, did anyone know he was planning to leave? I see so many staff leaving, who is training their replacements? Next, I look at the enrollment numbers and course offerings in various departments and it is smaller than I remember – sometimes significantly. Is the campus collapsing? Or is it already post-apocalypse and some people don't realize it yet? Surely administration and the board know that ASU is imploding. Does the Dept. of Education know? Does the HLC know?
August 19, 2017 at 6:44pm I haven't kept up with Watching Adams comments, but I remember a few about whether or not comments made to HLC would be kept confidential. I just made my comment and the form explicitly asks: Would you like HLC to remove your identifying information before sharing your comment with the evaluation team and institution? And this is a required field, so fear not.
August 19, 2017 at 9:27am Analogous to Trump's presidency, McClure leverages the power of her position to harass and intimidate. Despite the heated rhetoric and passionate opinions, the Board of Trustees must endorse her behavior. Putting her up in the President's home to plot and execute domestic terrorism, she has free reign to do as she pleases. I imagine the Board is also plotting to erect a monument to represent the time and place of her reign at ASU; a monument that depicts her persona, knock off boots and all.
August 19, 2017 at 9:09am Of course she doesn't care about minorities. Ever notice she won't allow ASU Grounds mow her lawn, etc and they are all Hispanic? Notice who she DOES have as grounds keepers; those worthy of attending those little personal outdoor parties she throws.
August 18, 2017 at 10:03pm Bev's statement about Charlottesville was so obviously self-serving as to be ridiculous. She doesn't care about others, especially minorities. She mocks those "below" her high position as Queen of Mirrors. As for her mirrors, faculty from other institutions, citizens, students, and parents of students assume the Board of Trustees must endorse voodoo. Otherwise, they would have booted her last January. The woman is a nutcase and responsible for all kinds of harm to ASU, its students, and its reputation. Is it any wonder enrollment is down again... and again?
August 18, 2017 at 10:22am When duck hunters want to fill their bags to the limit, they do three things. They hide in blinds, apart from their prey, and stare out at them from a protected place. They use duck calls to mimic the sounds which make the trusting birds feel most safe and comfortable. They float decoys out onto the lake so the ducks see others, tokens, who look like them, and they wrongly assume if the decoys are safe, they will be safe, too. Then they are slain. When the pied piper came to town, his music was so alluring, so hypnotic, that he could charm a whole town into jumping off the highest peak of Mt. Blanca. Was it their fault they wanted to believe? No. Was it the piper's fault his song was untrue. You be the judge. The eyes of the Cobra dance as it sways back and forth. How beautiful the colors of the dance must be, until it strikes. Perhaps history will remember Walter Roybal not as the person who drove Extended Studies to the brink of destroying a university, but who instead, tried to convince those with all the power to stop funding their own folly and excess on the backs of students. But those in power did not listen. They needed a scape goat. Perhaps history will remember Eric Carpio not as the person who sent enrollment numbers diving, but instead as someone tasked with the impossible, trying to sell seats on the Titanic after the iceberg hit. Perhaps history will remember Chris Gilmer as he was when he came to us, full of passion and hope, equity and joy, someone who always had time to counsel a student or listen to a faculty member's concerns, someone brave enough to speak truth to power as an advocate for the underserved, and not someone who was run out of town by mirrors deflecting truth. Are these men perfect? No. Are we perfect? No. But they are not the ones who hung the mirrors and neither are we. We are not the ones who betrayed right and hope to serve our own agenda. Neither did they. Before this campus and its leader get to call out the racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia of this nation, we need to repossess one of those mirrors and look with a discerning eye at ourselves. Are we so afraid of the Adams State Gestapo, Scott White and Ana Guevara, that we turn away while our own minorities are carted off or racially profiled for simply eating their lunch on campus? Yes, Charlottesville was an abomination. Perhaps more of an abomination is letting our students believe that vacuous words spoken by self-serving leaders are sincere and will somehow render us safe. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts doesn't mean you should not accept a pound cake from your neighbor. It means those who sue for peace are sometimes just buying time to deploy their duck decoys. If you want to call me the ugliest racial name you know and climb over me to get where you are going, do it to my face. If you want to keep me in my place, well, if I am a 19-year-old Latina from Antonito whose parents are migrant workers, then Adams State is my place. False words spoken with motives even more false will never make it yours. We see you. ----Editor's Reply: I would welcome the opportunity for you to write commentary articles for Watching Adams in the future so that your comments can be written in greater detail. If you are interested, please contact us here. You may remain anonymous.
August 18, 2017 at 7:22am Bev's email about the tragedy in VA was just her way of telling us we shouldn't hate her or have a contrarian viewpoint to her's. She is not mindful toward others, we are all just a body count by which she can step on to achieve a higher status of hubris.
August 17, 2017 at 8:10pm Just a friendly reminder that the ASU President who claims "no toleration for intimidation" regularly intimidates people - the same president who claims "hate has no place here" after wearing a Halloween costume mocking obese, working class people. And of course, never apologized.
August 17, 2017 at 2:33pm The email below was sent to all ASU faculty and staff on August 16th. I think Beverlee should start practicing what she preaches. She's the most hateful person on our campus. How laughable! Many of us are still in disbelief about the events that occurred this weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. We saw violence and hatred of such proportions that we want to believe it could not and did not happen here on American soil. But it can happen and it did happen. It was a frightening display of how much anger and hate one group can manifest toward others - others who are also Americans or who have come here in hopes of finding safety. Regardless of whether the violence was witnessed in person, on television, or on social media, the hurt inflicted runs deep across the country. The phrase "Hate Has No Place Here" is an important mantra for those of us who wish to push back and denounce this hatred and violence. It is up to us to stand together to ensure that hate does not have a place "here," whether that "here" is our country, our state, our valley, or our campus. I want to encourage us to think of "here" as all of these and to stand together in unity and say, "No more! Hate Has No Place Here!" It is only by speaking with a unified voice that we will be heard. Adams State University can be an example of how vital it is to embrace and celebrate our diversity. This embrace can help us create a safe haven here on our campus. Hate has no place here, and that "here" is in our hearts. Sincerely, President McClure
August 13, 2017 at 11:05am I hope people have been watching the news closely in the last 24 hours. Imagine that you are student of color, and you walk in around Adams State campus. There are very few faculty of color. Are you going to feel supported? Where do you go to feel like you are in a safe place?
August 12, 2017 at 7:45pm It is not merely incompetence among upper administration at ASU. The problem has included knowing, willful academic fraud against students and taxpayers of Colorado. Remember that Walter Roybal engaged in an ongoing and systemic act of fabricating degree plans for which there was no coursework in the Interdisciplinary Studies program. He was directed to do so under the Svaldi administration and this was allowed to continue under the McClure administration. This was only discovered because the hastily “resigned” Dr. Gilmer commissioned an investigation into Extended Studies which found, on page 8: "It was reported and documented that Interdisciplinary Studies majors have been officially transcripted with emphasis in areas in which the University has no offerings such as “Interdisciplinary Studies in Construction Management”, “Interdisciplinary Studies in Child Development”, and “Interdisciplinary Studies in Public Safety”. Such notations on the ASU official transcript are misleading, inaccurate, and in violation of institutional integrity as seen by regional accreditors."
August 11, 2017 at 10:11pm Double kudos for Walter Roybal for gaining any sort of job with having no real skills or talents and having done what he did with Extended Studies after leaving ASU...
August 10, 2017 at 5:12pm Kudos to Walter Roybal for securing gainful employment at SLV Federal Bank after suffering no consequences for officiating the Extended Studies program that landed ASU on probation!
August 10, 2017 at 12:45pm HLC will not accept anonymous comments but you do have the option to have any information which may identify the person making the comments removed before comments are given to ASU and those who will evaluate ASU. I don't think there was any intent to mislead anyone.
August 10, 2017 at 8:21am So let me get this straight... the Valley Courier reported that comments to the HLC regarding ASU's accreditation could not be anonymous. But when an HLC staffer was questioned s/he, in fact, confirmed that anonymity could be provided upon request? Wow! Not sure whether it's just shoddy journalism, biased reporting or fake news. Either way, it's dishonest at best and an outright lie at worst. Shame on you, Keith Cerny, and your "rag".
August 8, 2017 at 1:42pm Are you hiding from your boss? Leader’s destructive personality and employee silence - Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal (SBP) "Employee silence is increasingly prevalent within modern organizations and has been considered a significant issue linking to a number of important organizational outcomes, hence attracting academic interest. In this study, we developed and tested a model of leader’s destructive personality, trust in leader, and employee silence with a sample of 205 supervisor– subordinate dyads. We found that (a) leader’s destructive personality was positively related to employee silence, and (b) trust in leader mediated the relationship between leader’s destructive personality and employee silence."
August 4, 2017 at 7:28am Yes, I confirmed by email with an HLC officer that while you have to submit your name on your commentary, you can ask to have your identity hidden from public exposure.
August 4, 2017 at 12:38am So here is a public service announcement that was NOT in the Valley Courier. Individuals are, in fact, able to submit complaints or comments to the HLC and, upon request, the HLC will keep the user's identity confidential. The link is here: Third-Party Comment on an Upcoming Visit Just want to make sure that everyone has ALL information available.
August 1, 2017 at 2:51pm Re: 6:18pm and BoT emails: Way to go Danny! This is fantastic progress. ----Editor's Reply: I have been assured by Trustee Brown that these emails will be treated confidentially and/or he is willing to discuss matters over the phone if preferred. ----Amended 8/16: Trustee Brown wanted to make clear that confidentiality likely cannot be maintained for email communication. He said, "Given that ASU is a public institution and its trustees are subject to the Open Records Act (CORA), I don't think we can assure anyone that their emails to the trustees are confidential. I think that a CORA request might even require a trustee to divulge any of their PRIVATE email if that email pertains to ASU business. Could you correct this on your post? I just wouldn't want anyone to perhaps share more than they would otherwise be comfortable based on the errant assumption that their emails are confidential, and then have that turn out not to be the case. (This is the unfortunate downside of CORA.) It might be helpful for you to caution your readers about this."
July 31, 2017 at 6:18pm Thanks to our constructive communication with the ASU Board of Trustees, the university has created email accounts for each of the Trustees and they can be reached here. - Danny Ledonne, Watching Adams editor and publisher
July 31, 2017 at 10:15am If ASU were truly a Hispanic Serving Institution, the Student Life Department would like CASA. If McClure is worried about supporting the Hispanic Community and retaining students, she should make these changes ASAP. Hispanic students deserve to see leaders that look like them and support their culture.
July 30, 2017 at 2:02am @July 26, 2017 at 7:50pm - I whole-heartedly agree with this statement. It makes zero sense that CASA is not a standalone program. ASU needs to highlight and examine programs like CASA who are practicing and living best practices related to serving students, especially marginalized students.
July 29, 2017 at 1:46pm Alright everyone, it's time to put up or shut up. I see many people writing anonymous complaints about ASU but that probably won't change anything. So take note of what is in today's Valley Courier: Adams State University is seeking comments from the public about the university in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency. Adams State will host a visit November 13 through November 15, 2017, with a team representing the Higher Learning Commission. Adams State has been accredited by HLC since 1950; it was placed on probation in March 2016. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation to determine whether the institution has demonstrated that it is now in compliance with all Criteria for Accreditation and whether probation can be removed. The public is invited to submit comments regarding the university to the following address: Public Comment on Adams State University Higher Learning Commission 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604-1411 The public may also submit comments on HLC’s website at www.hlcommission.org/comment. Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing. Anonymous comments will not be accepted. All comments must be received by October 13.
July 27, 2017 at 10:08am I'm guessing Carpio is leaving because he sees no point in staying. Everything he tries turns to crap with a touch of Bev's magic wand.
July 27, 2017 at 10:06am McClure had burnt pretty much every bridge in the valley and a lot of people are just waiting for her to go. Many people can't understand why she hasn't been fired. I suspect no one is putting pressure on Arnold Salazar because he is a respected member of his community.
July 27, 2017 at 10:03am Yes. Lots of disgust in some quarters, but no one wants to step up and "make a fuss." Others think everything wrong with ASU, from falling rolls to falling morale, is exclusively Danny Ledonne's fault. The fact that he has been living in Oregon for months seems not to have changed that fiction.
July 27, 2017 at 9:09am Anyone have any idea of public opinion in Alamosa and the Valley on ASU and all the presidential scandals?
July 27, 2017 at 6:42am I am guessing there was a reason for Carpio leaving. Does anyone know what the fall freshman/transfer numbers are looking like?
July 26, 2017 at 7:50pm CASA does, organically, what no other department or program can do with all the fancy planning and strategizing that most spend their time and money on; create a home away from home for Hispanic and/or first generation students. In addition, it has made countless community connections and receives community support (on and off campus) without even trying. Why? Because we believe inn what CASA stands for. As such, to answer the previous poster's question, CASA should be a stand-alone department under the Division of Student Success, with its own Director, funding source, and staff. If ASU is truly to be a Hispanic SERVING institution (rather than just enrolling), that would be a first step.
July 26, 2017 at 3:18pm Questions about the prez: Is she married? What does her husband do for a living? Does she really have a drinking problem? Is Ed Crowther her drinking partner?
July 26, 2017 at 9:07am @July 25th at 10:59am - CASA being a student supporting group should not be under Student Life? Isn't he the director of student life? who are you suggesting it be under? Athletics? IT? Who?
July 25, 2017 at 10:59am I agree Aaron needs to go. He has been a dead weight for years. He uses students to do his work. The fact that they put CASA under his department makes no sense what so ever. Let's not forget him supporting the "White Folks Study Group".
July 24, 2017 at 10:51pm In 2015 Ledonne lost a job, but has since moved on, and clearly has come out ahead in his battle with McClure. The latter, on the other hand, has ruined her career. I'm not sure that has sunk in yet but it will shortly, for the inevitable is already unfolding behind closed doors. Where will McClure go from here? Who would dare hire her? Those who have supported her in her quest to bring Adams State down should be asking themselves the same questions. You may have run all those individuals you didn't like out of town but what is your plan now that your captain's ship is sinking? There's a lesson woven into this saga and it's quite simple. Selling your soul always comes at a cost, for in the long run, values and morals matter.
July 24, 2017 at 9:59pm @3:41pm - If you don't understand how a septic culture can make even the most competent subordinate look like an idiot, you have not been around ASU long enough. Alan Turing, the father of computing, a genius, was imprisoned and eventually committed suicide because he did not fit into the culture of his time. Galileo was threatened with death, then exiled for life because he did not fit into the culture of his time. Socrates was condemned to death because he pissed off the elite. I am not calling Carpio a genius by any means, but no one, not even you, could perform to any level of competence in administration so fouled by McClure's "leadership".
July 24, 2017 at 9:53pm If we're going to speak of the dead weight at ASU, let's also look at getting rid of Aaron Miltenberger AND Ken Marquez. Both worthless and nothing but kiss-assers to the drunken President. Aaron has his head so far up the prez' butt! Keep cleaning house, Dr. Nehring!
July 24, 2017 at 6:39pm @July 24, 2017 at 3:41pm – Your comment might be funny if it weren't so sad. We've already seen the enrollment data that includes a rise and fall during Carpio's time at ASU. We also know that, for years and years, there has been no marketing plan – which is not his job! He was literally sent out without the tools to succeed... and then gets blamed for the failures of this administration's leadership? I don't buy that for a second. Given the diverse options in higher education today and the tuition hikes, scandals, controversies, and outright failures at ASU over the past five years, what rational student or parent would want to attend this university? Blaming all this on Carpio is like blaming a bank teller for the 2008 stock market crash; if you aren't directing your criticism about ASU right to the top, you don't really understand what is happening.
July 24, 2017 at 3:41pm July 24, 2017 at 12:27am - Carpio's performance has been mediocre, at best, for many years. This is not just a recent situation. Carpio couldn't sell the university to students before all the issues you listed began. Again, he had no marketing plan. He thought people would just show up. Many of his admission counselors had no faith in him. Regardless, his job was to sell the university and recruit students to coming. He did not. It seems to me that if you are supposed to be selling something, you better be good at it. So good, he should be able to sell ice to an Eskimo, but he can't even sell slop to a pig. Good riddance to dead weight who can't do their jobs.
July 24, 2017 at 1:07pm So if we were taken over by CU or CSU, would the BoT be replaced? Let's hope so. We need new blood and they deserve to be replaced after ignoring McClure's disasters.
July 24, 2017 at 12:27am If the Board of Trustees (BOT) tries to plead ignorance, I have some oceanside property in Arizona I’d like to talk to them about. Only a blind man wouldn’t be able to see what’s going on at Adams State. Do they care? Obviously not. They have failed to act in the interest of the University or its students. The writing has been on the wall for President (I use the term loosely) McClure for a year and they refuse to admit their mistake, take the well-earned negative publicity of hiring her, and right this sinking ship. Instead, they are, as others have mentioned, most definitely the band playing while the Titantic was sinking. To the individual claiming Eric Carpio was “dead weight.” I admit he wasn’t perfect (nobody is). At the end of the day, he cared about students and their success. He had to sell an "unsellable" University in the wake of: guaranteed joke, rising tuition costs, cheating scandals, being sued by the ACLU, an unethical former police chief, the list goes on and on. I’d like to see you put a ribbon on a piece of crap and see how successful you are selling it to parents and students. At this point, it looks like it would be a blessing for Adams State University to become part of the CSU or CU system. Maybe degrees would be worth something again. Unfortunately, CSU or CU would be insane to take on the mess that is currently Adams State.
July 23, 2017 at 9:29pm I heard second-hand after the Chronicle of Decline report was sent to the Board that some of the newer members "had no idea things were so bad." I think the trustees simply aren't sufficiently informed and aren't provided information to become more informed. Thank Beverlee McClure and company for that.
July 23, 2017 at 12:32pm So many times people have called for the BOT... has anyone actually spoken to them about the state of Adams State? Do they know? Do they care? When (not if) the state come in to save us will they be held accountable? Will they plead ignorance? I truly am confused as to their role, their power, who they are and what they know. They are completely silent and practically invisible!
July 22, 2017 at 6:56pm Lets hope not, because she could not even manage her program assistant. Karla Hardesty thinks she should be a vice president. She wants Eric's spot. LET US SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT.
July 22, 2017 at 5:57pm Got any idea who got the police chief job? What are that person's qualifications?
July 22, 2017 at 1:17pm @7:48am: Those in the upper echelons now considering resignation in order to "keep their integrity" should be actively questioning whether they still can. Retaining one's integrity through adversity involves assuming personal risk, taking action at the right time to do what's right, and never, ever allowing loyalty to a leader to *trump* one's personal values. At a certain point, resignations become obvious to all as cowardly acts of self-preservation. I'd say we're well past that certain point. So good luck to ya.
July 22, 2017 at 9:11am 7:48am - It's also extremely difficult for one to do his job--in this case enrollment--when Dear Leader is such a drunken nut job that she constantly has our institution in the news in a negative light--ACLU, HLC, credit rating, guaranteed tuition failure, drunken parties on facebook, author of soft porn, etc, etc, etc. What student would want to come here? What parent would want to send their child here? Eric could walk on water, get trees to grow money and make pigs to fly. But he would never be able overcome her "leadership". Nobody can. And until the BoT gets that, this instition will continue to spiral downward.
July 22, 2017 at 7:48am For those who blame Eric Carpio for ASU's dire student enrollment numbers, they should keep in mind that no one, no matter how competent, can do their job properly when you have a Dear Leader such as McClure. Independent thought is not allowed. Independent thinkers are rooted out. Gilmer, Lemke, Ahmed - the list goes on - were cut out or cut off because they did not toe the line. Regardless of their skills, talents and experience, no executive can do their job effectively without teamwork, and Dear Leader has destroyed her team by divide-and-rule. And there are many others in Richardson Hall - some in the highest echelons - who are considering resignation. They are all asking the same question Carpio asked himself: "Do I stay for the pay, or do I keep my integrity and get out?" It takes enormous courage to resign without another job in line. Congratulations, Eric. You have my deep respect.
July 21, 2017 at 5:02pm The question we all want yet fear to know the answer to: What are Fall 2017 enrollment figures looking like right now? Any inside insights out there?
July 21, 2017 at 2:56pm I would add to 11:52's comment that the "hostile and defensive" tone is also consistent with the comments made about Chris Gilmer after the Queen of Mirrors ran him out of town.
July 21, 2017 at 2:48pm 7:29am wrote: "But if you're a nice human that can't do their job, then you need to move on." And what if you are a cruel, hateful, spiteful, insecure barely-human that can't do her job? I guess the BoT gives you a 3-year contract. It's so far past time to boot Bev.
July 21, 2017 at 2:40pm @11:52am - Wow, thanks for posting that data! It seems like Eric has been through the rise and fall of ASU's enrollment and pinning the current trends on him doesn't make much sense. People who don't understand Eric's job are quick to blame him for so many other problems... and continue the general trend of kicking sand onto the bodies of ASU's departed soldiers as though they were the reason the war is being lost. Next time, try blaming the generals!
July 21, 2017 at 11:55am July 20, 2017 @ 5:40pm - Eric Carpio was entirely incompetent. Full stop.
July 21, 2017 at 11:52am Re: July 20 @ 9:09pm No, I’m NOT kidding you (I don’t even know who “you” are). I find absolutely nothing about ASU’s enrollment situation or the hemorrhaging of faculty and staff to be funny or something to be “kidding” about. Frankly, I find our current state of affairs to be frightening, at best. But let’s address your claim that Eric Carpio is incompetent and that enrollment “is his main duty and responsibility and he has failed bad at it.” [sic]. Below, I provide ASU enrollment data from the Colorado Department of Higher Education for every fall (this is how we report in higher education) from 2006 to 2015. Fall 2006 is an appropriate baseline because Eric Carpio arrived at ASU, as the Director of Admissions in March 2005. I ended with 2015 because these are the most current data available on the CDE website and ASU refuses to publish compendiums any longer. Fall 2006 Total Undergraduate enrollment 1981 Fall 2007 Total Undergraduate enrollment 1965 Fall 2008 Total Undergraduate enrollment 1924 Fall 2009 Total Undergraduate enrollment 2134 Fall 2010 Total Undergraduate enrollment 2218 Fall 2011 Total Undergraduate enrollment 2225 Fall 2012 Total Undergraduate enrollment 2194 Fall 2013 Total Undergraduate enrollment 2140 Fall 2014 Total Undergraduate enrollment 1980 Fall 2015 Total Undergraduate enrollment 1893 http://highered.colorado.gov/Data/Search.aspx Some interesting points to note and a little history lesson: Yes, enrollment dropped from Fall 2006 through Fall 2008. Remember this was partially a time in which ASU had both an interim president and an interim provost, Dave Svaldi and Frank Novotny, respectively. In July 2007 a new provost began, Michael Mumper. After putting together an enrollment management plan, one can see the growth from Fall 2008 through Fall 2012. Actually, it was reported widely on the ASU website and at Dr. Svaldi’s retirement party as “record breaking” and “record smashing” enrollments during those years. Yes, Dave Svaldi took credit for something that he had never accomplished during his time as provost or interim-president. In fall 2013, enrollment dipped by 55 students. This was a trend nation-wide as the economy had rebounded. In other words, yields were down at institutions across the nation. Anyone with any knowledge of higher education, whatsoever, understands that enrollment trends are often tied to economic trends. When people find jobs, they drop out or stop out of school. When people lose jobs, they go back to school. Then, in late 2014, the now infamous article “Confessions of a Fixer” hit the Chronicle of Higher Education—although Svaldi and Novotny were well aware of this and the problems in Extended Studies long before the Chronicle got ahold of it. Oops! Now our HLC troubles begin… McClure comes in 2015 and everything has gone downhill since, exponentially so. There is plenty of documented evidence on this very website as to McClure’s irrational and irresponsible behavior in terms of how HLC was handled; in terms of how PR was handled; in terms of decisions that were made. Additionally, McClure has surrounded herself with individuals who do not have the skill set or experience to be running enrollment management. The entire re-organization she undertook upon first arriving nearly cemented our doom. Karla Hardesty is hardly qualified to be in the position she is in. To name her director of enrollment management and marketing AND have Eric report to the VP of Student Affairs was just an irresponsible, rookie mistake. A mistake that would never had been made if Dr. Duran or Dr. Maestas had been hired. As a side note, you ask “How is that marketing strategy?” related to some comments that Eric Carpio allegedly made. Ummm, marketing strategy was not his responsibility. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of Karla Hardesty and Mark Schoenecker to name a few. To suggest that plummeting enrollment is solely Eric Carpio’s fault is simply looking for an excuse; someone to blame; someone at whom to point the finger. Which leads me to my final point. The tone with which your post comes across—hostile and defensive—coupled with the fact that you provide quotes from Eric Carpio that were never public statements, but more likely came from an E-Team meeting leads one to believe that you are, in fact, Beverlee McClure, herself! And, if you are not Beverlee then you are one of her ever-dwindling minions—Kurt Carey, Margaret Doell or Scott White. Interestingly, the first two would be in those E-Team meetings as well.
July 21, 2017 at 7:29am I have to agree. Grieving? Seriously? One of the biggest problems with ASU and one that keeps any organization from functioning effectively is that we confuse people's friendly personalities with their ability to do their job! "He's really nice, but..." "She's really friendly, but..." No! Stop that! I'm not talking about taking humanity out of what we do because we are not machines and humans are the most important part of any organization. But if you're a nice human that can't do their job, then you need to move on. I'm really quite unsure why McClure did not replace him the minute she took office. It is clear that our admissions/ recruitment strategy is NOT working.
July 20, 2017 at 9:09pm @July 20, 2017 at 5:40pm. You have to be kidding me about ASU grieving over Eric Carpio's resignation. Talk about someone who is extremely incompetent in the position he was in. His main duty was to bring students to ASU. How has that worked out the past several years? Enrollments have been declining and as of today, we are significantly down in numbers. This is his main duty and responsibility and he has failed bad at it. Even when asked about why numbers are low, his usual response was along the lines of "we shouldn't be worried" or "we'll make it up" Even asking him about why we are not getting as many valley students and what he is doing about it and he gave responses of "we expect them to show up" How is that a marketing strategy? Carpio more than McClure is to blame for the decline in enrollments. If there is major blame on McClure, it is she did not fire him sooner. Carpio...what a waste of space, time and money. People put too much trust in him. I hope more "housekeeping" is done to eliminate the dead weight on this campus.
July 20, 2017 at 6:11pm During my time at ASU, I always thought Eric was a friendly, sincere, and genuine person. I also thought he was a "lifer" at Adams State. After a semester or two under President McClure, I would see him with a nervous smile that concealed a deep sense of despair. I hope he goes on to bigger and better places in his career.
July 20, 2017 at 5:54pm July 20 @ 2:28 - That's what alcoholism does.
July 20, 2017 at 5:40pm Re: July 20 @ 11:26am - Yes ASU lost an incredibly valuable employee this week with Eric Carpio's resignation. It is especially disheartening given where we are in the recruitment process for the fall 2017 class. Enrollments will likely be even further down than anticipated as no one is there to "seal the deal" with fence-sitters. And lord knows with our issues, we need someone with some competence who can sell this institution. How many more hard working, competent faculty and staff will be bullied by Beverlee into resignations before the BoT not only does something, but GETS it? How much more Hispanic leadership do we lose at this "HSI"? It's a real shame. Eric will be fine. While he left without any employment in the immediate future, he WILL land on his feet. He's that good. Beverlee...not so much. Today is yet another day this campus grieves.
July 20, 2017 at 2:28pm Maybe the Conejos County Citizen captured McClure's true form. Despite all her witchcraft and sorcery, Beverlee isn't looking so great these days.
July 20, 2017 at 2:05pm Another campus, another set of problems involving Paul Grohowski. At Allan Hancock College, his own police officers spoke out against him at a recent Committee meeting. Not long after, Grohowski resigned as police chief (again). “Chief Grohowski has made no effort to lead his department members. His lack of leadership and continued hostility toward his officers has crippled the department's morale,” according to an online campaign to keep the Police Department. Notice also that this involved a large severance package - another $100,000 settlement involving Grohowski. Why does ASU keep hiring these train wrecks?
July 20, 2017 at 11:26am It's official - Eric Carpio gave his resignation to ASU.
July 17, 2017 at 11:11am July 11, 2017 at 3:13pm - I definitely appreciate your comment describing what your work load consisted of. It definitely provides some good insight to what it might look like to be a student of this program. This information also causes further alarm. Your statements, "Although I believe that I have received a quality education, that appears to be primarily because of the work Gilder Lehrman has put into it" and concluding that "ASU is a schlocky institution.", says it all. That is exactly why the relationship between Gilder Lehrman and ASU has always been so questionable; in the way it was implemented and administered. Regardless of the rigor Gilder Lehrman offers in its own programs, they are not in the "business" of providing Master's level diplomas. Similarly, ASU should not be attaching its name to Gilder Lehrman and claiming title of a rigorous Master's level program. By doing so, it is nothing more and nothing less than a diploma mill.
July 14, 2017 at 2:03pm Looks like everyone's favorite bumbling chief of police continues to bounce around the lucrative market of campus cops. As reported in the Lompoc Record: "Hancock College Chief Paul Grohowski, who was sworn in seven months ago, has resigned as the school's top cop. His last day is July 31. Hancock trustees accepted Grohowski's resignation during a board meeting Tuesday, and the school's Police Department now is seeking an interim police chief to lead the 12-member department. Grohowski, who was not available for comment before press time, has received a 10-month severance package." Has ASU hired a permanent replacement for Grohowski almost a year after he resigned? I couldn't find any info about a new police chief on the ASU Campus PD page.
July 11, 2017 at 3:13pm I am an M.A. student through the GLI program. I just read some of your articles because I was curious who Matt Nehring is, since he sent me an email notifying me that ASU was terminating its involvement in the program. While I'm not surprised that Ed Crowther was treating the program as his own personal cash cow, nor that Eileen Tilton was buried in work for the program, I do believe you have some misunderstanding about the program. First, the phrase "as long as you want" refers to how long you have to finish the overall program, not how long you have to finish each class. Every class has a set starting and ending date. Second, you appear not to understand the workload for the classes. Your article makes it sound like you just watch some videos and presto! instant credit. In fact, each course has a TA assigned (a Ph.D., as you noted). Besides watching the videos, there is a significant amount of reading with required discussions monitored and graded by the TA, a series of short papers (typically 5-8 papers per course, 1000-1500 words each, and a final project for each class. The requirements for these projects have varied, but for one I had to do a 25 page paper based primarily upon primary source research. I worked my butt off for that, as I have for the program in general. I guarantee you that the requirements are rigorous, and I would be happy to put the work I have done up in comparison with any MA candidate at ASU. I have no doubt that the quality and rigor are comparable. I am glad for future participants in the program that the association with ASU is ending. Although I believe that I have received a quality education, that appears to be primarily because of the work Gilder Lehrman has put into it. Based upon my experience, I think ASU is a schlocky institution.
July 9, 2017 at 4:25pm Dear Matt Nehring, Congrats on your promotion to Interim VPAA! Here's a piece of advice: you're now working for a vindictive, high-functioning narcissist and pathological liar. So tread lightly. If you look “too presidential,” if you start acting like a genuine leader, if you make too many bold and sensible reforms, and if you create alliances across campus, you will be blackmailed and forced to “resign” just like Chris Gilmer. Until she is removed from office, she will continue to undermine and ultimately destroy anyone's career if she perceives them as a “threat.” And trust me, nobody can manufacture fake threats and needless controversy like Beverlee McClure. Good luck! - a former ASU employee
July 9, 2017 at 4:03pm Matt Nehring and Ed Crowther, now there's a serious contrast. Could the two of them be any different? Matt puts students and ASU first. Ed puts himself first. Matt moved up (and continues to move up) because he earns it. Ed moved up (and is now sliding back down) because he steps on others. Matt can be trusted. Ed is a snake who will bite in any direction that serves those to whom he sucks up.
July 9, 2017 at 1:05pm 6:12am mentions Senate doing something meaningful. That was never going to happen. Faculty ignored the problems with Extended Studies for years, inculturated into believing they have no power or responsibility for making ASU a quality institution. Far too often we hear: "I just worry about what happens in my classroom and trust administration to do the rest." That's a lazy and unethical position. Faculty who spoke up were driven away. Crowther as Senate president was the final blow, crushing any hopes of progress. In some cases, Crowther actively worked to undermine faculty who sought change.
July 9, 2017 at 6:12am July 6, 9:50pm: "Go Matt Nehring! Clean this frigging house!" The general consensus is that Matt Nehring's laundry list of changes, dated July 5, 2017, represent a significant step in the right direction. Two questions, though: 1. Why are such changes only being announced and implemented now? The HLC's first written warning shot across the bow came in January 2015, in response to the December 2014 Chronicle articles. That was fully two and a half years ago. Think about that, people. 2.5 years ago. 2. HLC returns to campus in just 16 weeks or so. Are the announced changes a whole lot come too late? Many of the listed actions won't be fully realized until July 2018. Will that satisfy the HLC in November 2017, after administration has had 2.5 years to get their act together? There's a third question, that of whether the interim VPAA engaged in sufficient shared governance before implementing the changes, but it's really not worth much consideration. When the plane is in a tailspin, a pilot has no time for group discussions. And it's doubtful that group discussions would have accomplished anything anyway. Faculty Senate should have stood up and demanded these changes years ago, but they're all either in bed with administration or rightfully fearful of speaking up.
July 8, 2017 at 9:25pm “From my perspective we’re accessible,” [Arnold Salazar] said. This is a clear sign of the contempt that the ASU Board of Trustees chairman, Arnold Salazar, has for his community. HE thinks he's accessible. Other people's opinions don't count. Everyone else must be, well...... who cares? “I think the important access is to us as a board. As individuals, we can’t do anything but listen to someone, we can’t act. It’s only when we’re together as a board that we can take action on things.” That his colleagues on the board believe that they as individuals can do nothing except listen, is an abdication of responsibility. Imagine the captain on the Titanic saying that he heard from his crew about the iceberg, but that he couldn't act until the next White Star Line board's meeting. I wonder what the Unsinkable Molly Brown, a Colorado resident, a woman of fortitude, courage, and action, who helped saved the lives of her fellow passengers when the Titanic was going down, would think of the gutless board members who watch, without saying a word, cos Arnold says they shouldn't, as ASU founders. Heroes, every last one of them.
July 7, 2017 at 2:54pm As the article on the Gilder Lehrman program posted here pointed out, everything about it stank. It put our accreditation at risk, but Crowther didn't care. It should have been handled by the Graduate School, but Crowther wouldn't let it go. No more TED chair, no more Boettcher, now it's time to let Crowther go all together.
July 6, 2017 at 9:50pm Re: July 6 @ 8:32 - We lost the Boettcher program because Beverlee McClure is a self serving, misguided, narcissistic bitch. Because she is ALWAYS right; because it's her way or the highway; because she is SO ill informed, she pissed of the Boetcher board and they pulled the program. And why wouldn't they?!? Who in their right mind would want anything to do with this dysfunctional institution? It will take YEARS before the damage done by Svaldi, Novotny, Crowther, and company can be undone. All of those crooks should be fired, run out of town on a rail, and tarred and feathered. I don't what is the appropriate descriptor: Sad Frustrating Irritating Enraging Dumbfounding Others? In any event, it's critical. And anyone who doesn't believe it has their head in the sand. Go Matt Nehring! Clean this frigging house!
July 6, 2017 at 8:32pm Trying to reconcile the loss of the Boettcher program with this: Officials tour Colorado looking for ideas to solve statewide teacher shortage
July 6, 2017 at 8:16am THANK YOU Watching Adams for publishing that article on Gilder Lehrman. It seems that the only way the university and its leadership will mobilize to do the right thing is if they get called out on it publicly. The unethical practices with Gilder Lehrman had gone on too long. And who knows how long it would've continued despite questions being brought up by faculty and staff for years.
July 5, 2017 at 9:15pm Check out the recent article in the Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction's paper) about how many Colorado universities don't make their Boards of Trustees accessible to the public. This has long been a criticism of the ASU BOT – often called “asleep at the wheel” and woefully out of touch with the ASU campus. I hope they read this! The Adams State University trustee web page lists no contact information for a trustee, secretary or spokesman. Trustee Arnold Salazar said the public’s ability to interact with the board during meetings is the most important form of accessibility. “From my perspective we’re accessible,” he said. “I think the important access is to us as a board. As individuals, we can’t do anything but listen to someone, we can’t act. It’s only when we’re together as a board that we can take action on things.” It is a total farce and a public outrage that a state-funded university Board of Trustees has no public contact info available and whose communication is handled by the assistant to the ASU president, is regarded as “accessible” by the board chair. How can Salazar claim to believe this with any credibility? But then again, he's collecting major Title V funds for renting his barn and lying to the public about the ACLU settlement, so this is nothing new.
July 5, 2017 at 7:38pm This email was sent to all employees today at 3:53pm, detailing many changes across campus. Apparently Nehring is the only one with any integrity and can see the fool's path we were on with Gilder-Lehrman. And no, HLC would never have approved! That boondoggle (for Crowther) couldn't be axed soon enough. Along those lines, it seems somebody (Nehring) FINALLY has Crowther's number - no more Teacher Ed chair, no more Gilder-Lehrman. We all hope HAPPS is next.
June 29, 2017 at 9:52am June 22, 2017 at 7:47am - yes, you and everyone else!
June 22, 2017 at 7:47am Oh, I was hoping Novotny left ASU altogether.
June 21, 2017 at 10:16am In December 2015 (after the HLC site visit but before the University was placed on academic probation), Frank Novotny announced he was stepping down as VPAA "given health concerns." He officially left the position in fall 2016... but continues making $106K to teach chemistry!
June 21, 2017 at 7:29am Did Novotny leave ASU? When? Where did the jerk go? Did he take his girl Tracy with him?
June 20, 2017 at 6:08pm First Svaldi, then Mansheim, then Novotny, now Roybal. It seems many people connected with ASU's sanction by the HLC, primarily due to Extended Studies, are finding their way out the door lately. This is what the email he sent recently said: Amigas y Amigos, I am writing to inform the LatinX Caucus of a change in my employment with Adams State University. Last week I submitted my letter of resignation to the President's Office. I will be fulfilling my contractual obligation through June 30th; however, my last official day in the office will be Tuesday, June 27th. I have accepted a position as a Commercial Loan Officer with the San Luis Valley Federal Bank and will begin the next chapter of my career shortly after the Independence Day holiday. Words alone cannot express my gratitude for the friendship, support and collaboration that members of this group have provided to me over the years. I have worked with many of you for the 17+ years I served the institution. Our challenges have never ceased and continue to require the attention of this collective group. Although I won't be working on campus after June 27th, please know I will always support the efforts of this group to provide a strong and safe learning environment for our students, staff and faculty of color. Thank each of you for making me feel valued to this institution! Walter Roybal, M.A.
June 20, 2017 at 4:55pm I was told I had to check in to see recent relevant comments. Glad I did. You see I've been having these horrible chills in the 95 degree Utah heat. Frozen lemon voodoo must be the explanation. I'm taking a White Bath immediately. I wonder if Danny and Chris are experiencing the same. - Jeff Elison
June 18, 2017 at 6:46am June 16, 2017 at 3:56pm - Please give us evidence, examples, of Mumper's incompetence and dishonesty. I agree with you on Novotny and Liz Thomas Hensley. I would like to know of the incompetence and dishonesty of Mumper. Also, what is your take on another unethical felonious miscreant-Ed Crowther.
June 17, 2017 at 9:03pm But the truth about Bev's incompetence isn't buried very deeply. Google Image search Beverlee McClure. She must be thrilled to know that multiple photos of a smiling Danny Ledonne and Chris Gilmer come up, as well as quotes of her ridiculous lies about a police watch list, her hideously offensive Halloween costume, blatantly unprofessional emails and letters as archived on Watching Adams!
June 17, 2017 at 8:05pm Google search Beverlee McClure. The curious searcher will notice that the top results are from 2015, when Beverlee took over as president of ASU. This, of course, despite a large amount of negative press coverage in recent years regarding her clear mismanagement of ASU. How is this possible you might ask? In the 21st century you can buy your way to the top of Google searches by paying a hefty fee for phantom traffic. Think about that for a second. The president of your university is paying to have news of her hiring--at your university--remain at the top of search results, as if those articles were the ones that readers were most interested in reading! What's even more egregious is that it appears that she is instructing her own staff to increase the traffic on these articles: Adams State Trustees name Dr. Beverlee McClure 10th president of university Or might she be instructing staff to pay an outside party to increase traffic to these articles? It would certainly be interesting to know the truth, even if the source were to remain anonymous. Regardless, think about that for a second. The president of a university is instructing her staff to increase traffic to news of her hiring, when they should really be dedicating their time to improving the quality of education on campus that is in dire risk of folding up all together. Beverlee McClure, Frank Underwood, and Donald Trump suddenly seem to have a great deal in common! Of course, Frank Underwood and Donald Trump simply can't compete with the running love affair between McClure and the Assistant VPAA. Perhaps Netflix should take note! Or perhaps insiders already have and are currently in touch with the folks at Netflix. Only time will tell. Ding, dong.
June 16, 2017 at 4:09pm I'm worried the conversation is going to get stuck on witchcraft and lemons for an intolerable amount of time. So here; If you believe in this sort on non-sense, this is how to remove a lemon-voodoo affliction. White Bath for Removing Lemon-Voodoo Afflictions Materials: • 1 tbsp lavender flowers (dried) • 1 tbsp rose petals (dried) • 1 tablespoon salt • 1 bay leaf • Juice of 1 lemon Place the dry ingredients in a container of hot water and allow the potion to brew. Mix in the lemon juice and add the contents to the bucket of warm water. This bath helps to increase focus and personal productivity. It is also an excellent remedy for warding off malochia or the evil eye. • Make sure that all the bathing accessories that you use are clean and dirt-free. To ensure that you are as clean, do not forget to take your normal bath/shower with soap, shampoo and water. Wash your hair and body and rid yourself of physical dirt. • After the usual bath, add the warm water redolent with herbs to your bucket of bath water or the tub if you have one. Use a mug to pour the water over your head and body. As you bathe, consciously remind yourself of the aim of taking the magical bath and trust the process to accomplish its purpose • Do not use a towel to dry yourself after you finish bathing. Drape a robe or any other comfortable clothing around yourself and let the body dry naturally. This is known as air-dry in magical bath traditions. • If your hair is long or if you have a tendency to catch colds easily, wrap a towel over your head but do not towel dry your face or body. • It is best to wait 24 hours before you take another bath. If this is not possible, at least wait 12 hours before your next bath.
June 16, 2017 at 3:56pm Re: June 12, 2017 at 9:20pm - among those who have egregiously exploited Extended Studies, none are more culpable that the two individuals you have correctly identified. Frank Novotny and Liz Thomas Hensley have shamelessly demonstrated a complete disregard for academic and institutional integrity in exploiting Extended Studies for personal profit. From his position as VPAA Frank Novotny engineered his wife’s blatant disregard for academic integrity in enrolling in excess of 500 students in a composition course not simply for immediate profit amounting to nominally $150K per year (for an adjunct instructor), but more importantly in order to grossly increase her PERA benefit upon retirement. Thus, Novotny’s greed extended beyond exploitation of an immediate revenue stream, but more egregiously in order to position his wife to exploit an inflated PERA retirement benefit - for the rest of her life. Such an exaggerated benefit by one retiree would inevitably have an adverse effect on the solvency of the PERA retirement system, potentially at the expense of all PERA participants. If Novotny’s nepotism is not criminal, it is without question abjectly unethical. However, ethical conduct has never been evident in Novotny’s conduct. However, if Ellen Novotny were in fact compensated at a higher rate than any other Extended Studies instructor (as documents provided on Watching Adams indicate) this would seem to warrant investigation as potentially criminal malfeasance. In the case of Liz Thomas Hensley, her disregard of academic and institutional integrity extended beyond the gross over enrollment in her own Extended Studies courses to coaching her “student” athlete advisees as to how to bring administrative pressure on other Extended Studies instructors who were unwilling to compromise academic and/or institutional integrity in their courses. Beyond the obvious lack of professional respect extended to her colleagues, this clearly demonstrated a complete disregard for academic and institutional integrity. Institutional integrity, if it existed at Adams State, would mandate an immediate reprimand and post-tenure review. In the case of Michael Mumper, I must take exception with the June 12 (9:20pm) post. Mumper was removed from the position for which he was hired (i.e., Provost) owing to obvious incompetence and a documented disregard for honesty. Mumper is an incompetent buffoon who has publicly admitted that he has no idea how, or why, he has managed to ascend to upper administrative levels. Nevertheless, as is the case with Novotny, upon his “resignation” from his administrative position and “return” to faculty status (in a department in which he is clearly superfluous), Mumper enjoys a grossly inflated salary relative to his peers at both Adams State and in the CUPA comparison. This, as is the case with Novotny, is an institutional disgrace.
Time: June 15, 2017 at 3:04pm From her first month here, all her behavior has been patently ridiculous for a university president. That's not the main issue. Every large organization from time to times makes a hiring mistake and ends up with a loony-tune. The problem at ASU is compounded by a board that has failed to do anything about it. I understand that the trustees won't fire her because they are terrified, not so much of frozen lemon voodoo curses, but of having their asses sued off. Not only do the trustees lack competence, they also lack courage.
June 15, 2017 at 2:25pm Does the ASU Board of Trustees, Higher Learning Commission, and CO Attorney General's Office know that Beverlee McClure is casting spells and practicing witchcraft on ASU employees and community members she doesn't like? This is patently ridiculous behavior for a university president.
June 15, 2017 at 11:46am Ask Bev's followers about lemon voodoo. They watched and rolled on the floor laughing as she set up the concoctions aimed at certain individuals.
June 15, 2017 at 10:19am June 12, 10:57 - Please tell me more about the lemon voodoo. That is creepy as hell!
June 13, 2017 at 6:44am Crowther doesn't care about students, faculty, or anyone else. He only cares about power and his wallet. He sold his soul long ago and is a danger to ASU.
June 12, 2017 at 9:20pm June 12, 2017 at 2:30pm - Well put. I am several years removed from all the scandal, greed, immorality, viciousness. I had my contacts with ugly mean people - Novotny, Crowther, Rogers, Centeno, and others. Oh, and truly one of the most UN-intellectuals at ASU - Liz Thomas Hensley. They are a collection of misfits not worthy of being at any true institution of higher learning. The current Board is a farce. Bev is mentally, emotionally, intellectually unfit for her position. HR is a dating site. Athletics, specifically everyone's dream child cross country, has been the monster that ate and then excreted a university. I hope enrollments decline and eventually the state figures it out - ASU needs to be officially eliminated. The campus should be incorporated as a vibrant branch of the U of Colorado or Colorado State. Billy Adams had a long run, but the track has been in a ditch for decades now. All of the individuals implicated in enriching themselves though Extended Studies and other adjunct teaching (NOVOTNY!) should be investigated, indicted, charged, and tried. Crowther should be retired and sent off to the local bars to spend his life. Promote Michael Mumper, the only one in HAPPS with class, to department chair.
June 12, 2017 at 2:30pm Not a darned thing is going to happen to anyone at ASU. Those individuals who have ruined our departments, credibility, and reputation will walk off this place hands free and with the money they stole richer. BOT have no backbone, leadership or desire to do whatever is best for students and the community. Individuals have continued to make contributions, comments, file complaints and grievances and not one thing has been done! HR is worthless. Heck one staff member sleeps around with the main facilities guy who has numerous complaints! Go figure! Tracy Rogers and Ana Guevara are two failed, inexperienced, idiotic lawyers. One would think that after Novotny was demoted that people would see Tracy's incompetencies. No more sleeping - or rather “having coffee” with one another. This place can fall apart... no one that can do something... will. And me, I'm a lowly at-will employee hoping I have a job each hour and each day that passes. Yes, I am looking constantly to leave this place. And I will never allow my family or friends' children attend this horrible school.
June 12, 2017 at 10:57am The recent fallen tree on the south side of Marvel House should be replaced with a lemon tree that yields an abundance of fresh lemons. That way, Bev would have lemons readily available. For you see, she practices "lemon voodoo" and targets certain people. Check out the Marvel House feezer. Yes, for reals!
June 10, 2017 at 5:47pm In the Wall Street Journal. Shameful. And what is the Board doing? Novotny, Crowther, and others who scammed Extended Studies to bolster their income; Bev for her incompetence; Tracy Rogers for her complicity, and others should all be fired. The Board should be replaced with real trustees. Good riddance.
June 9, 2017 at 11:05am Adams State is in the news again, but not in a good way. The Wall Street Journal profiled efforts ASU is making to increase enrolled student credit hours, which many of us remember as a failed effort by Frank Novotny to require enrollment of 15 credit hours per semester. Back in the spring of 2015, President Svaldi received a widely-signed petition urging him not to enact this policy - which he didn't. According to this WSJ article: "The university’s goal is to have more than 20% of its students graduate in four years by 2020. For the freshman class of 2009, the rate was 11%." The baseline here is terrible and the aspiration by 2020 is almost as bad. Was this number chosen merely because 20% and 2020 end in the same number? If ASU only graduates 1/5 of its students in four years, what does that say about the institution? And remember: that's just a goal for three years from now. Does anyone who reads the WSJ honestly want to send their son or daughter to a school that aspires to such mediocre graduation rates?
June 7, 2017 at 4:35pm June 6, 2017 at 7:55pm – Of course everyone is still in the dark about ASU's plans and ASU's money. That's intentional. Recall that the 2020 Strategic Plan concludes with “the detailed plan with action steps and metrics is available at adams.edu” but the webpage that is supposed to have details just links back to the slick document itself. There is no detailed plan, there are no action steps, there are no metrics. It's all for show. If ASU really wanted to raise some money to fill its yawning chasm of debt, it should have setup a dunk tank at the Summerfest last weekend. Imagine! The chance to dunk Beverlee McClure, Arnold Salazar, or any of the others complicit in running the university into the ground. As long as they were anonymous, many ASU employees and students would be happy to step up to the challenge.
June 7, 2017 at 3:31pm Re: June 7 @1:17pm - Ed Crowther stepped down of his own accord? Do you SERIOUSLY believe that?!? Your own post stated his complete ineptness. Your own post states how he has single-handedly destroyed that department. And that's what Ed LOVES to do--destroy things. Look at his track record. Look at his long standing collaborations with the master destroyer Frank Novotny. This coupled with his insatiable greed and thirst for power. WHY would he ever step down of his own accord? Ed's story is likely that it was his decision...but like you suggested ask anyone in the department. I believe they knew nothing until a Sunday evening email from Ed himself. Not really a typical communication strategy for a planned exit. Nah...despite McClure's bungling of many things, this one she got right. Or was it Nehring? We will never know for certain. And it doesn't matter...so long as the big buffoon is gone. Next up: HAPPS! (And could we be so lucky to get his tenure stripped too?!?)
June 7, 2017 at 3:27pm Fire the pot-smoking alcoholic bully once and for all. He is an embarrassment.
June 7, 2017 at 1:22pm May 8. 3:39 pm - Ole' Margo and the prez seemed like a pretty chummy couple at ASU's football golf tournament. I wonder if this why Jennifer resigned from her position; she most likely had enough of their relationship.
June 7, 2017 at 1:17pm In reference to May 24 @ 1:30 pm - Edward was terminated? I hear he resigned/stepped down on his own free will. I'm quite positive a faculty member in Teacher Education will share. My condolences to Dr. Cheri Meder for having to clean up over 5 years of damage that Ed faltered. There are no tenured faculty that could stand up to him. And the fact that there is only one on a tenure track. There is a huge decline in teacher education students, reduced programs, retired graduate adviser, and loss of the Boettcher program, and now HEAL! What a disaster and disappointment to our community and students! Teacher Education is most likely overjoyed to not have his lack of leadership! Surprised to hear that another "Hensley " was not going to be the interim chair. But yet there is time to hand it over to her. Teacher Education has always been dysfunctional and altered states.
June 6, 2017 at 7:55pm I see that McClure and the board have both been challenged to demonstrate transparency and business competency. Basically, that challenge was: "Show us the plan, show us the money." Silence. As usual. We are all still in the dark.
June 2, 2017 at 5:01pm Either way, the board's reaction to any information it doesn't what to know seems to be; Put your fingers in your ears, close your eyes and loudly chant "lah-lah-lah."
June 2, 2017 at 2:12pm Actually, I believe the Huron Report was paid for through the Colorado State Assembly - so, the taxpayers of Colorado. And while the Board may prefer Pinot Grigio, Beverlee McClure seems more inclined to down large quantities of Patrón.
June 2, 2017 at 1:38pm I too would like to think that the board of trustees doesn't lack care; that they simply don't know what's going on. But while that excuse might have been convincing a few weeks ago, now that the Chronicle of Decline is public, how can they possibly make that claim? The document itself says that it was sent to all of them. And even if they didn't receive a copy, I find it impossible to believe that one of their colleagues did not pass them a copy. I suspect that the Chronicle of Decline only tells part of the story, and that there is much more that has yet to come to the surface. I am sure the administration would be terrified of a proper forensic accounting audit. The Huron Report only scratched the surface. Huron's managing director Andrew Laws even says that in the foreword: "We did not audit any financial statements... Our services are not designed, nor should they be relied upon to disclose weaknesses in internal control, financial statement errors, irregularities, illegal act, or disclosure deficiencies." That the board paid a bucket load of money for a report that did not explore these avenues when the university is in deep financial do-do is surely proof of willful ignorance. And they've treated the Chronicle of Decline in the same way. See no evil, hear no evil, do no evil.... and "Oooh, I shouldn't, but perhaps a top-up of the Pinot Grigio please?"
June 1, 2017 at 12:15pm Re: May 31 @ 5:48 - I don't believe it's because the board doesn't care. I believe it's because the board is ignorant. Let's face it, the dog and pony show we call board meetings are nothing more than parade the good, spin the bad and hide the ugly. McClure and her minions are the masters.
May 31, 2017 at 5:48pm Yeah, come on Bev! Tell us what the hell's going on? We need to know what your plan is for getting ASU get out of debt. Are you going to start closing departments? Trimming salaries? Firing staff? Cutting the football team? Imposing a sinking lid? You, as a leader need to tell us. That's what leadership is all about...identifying risks, figuring out solutions, then telling your people - us - what we need to do. But we are getting none of this! Why not? And board members. Why are you not insisting that the president you selected is doing her job as leader? Why are you leaving us out of all this? Don't you care?
May 30, 2017 at 12:24pm The Board of Trustees has kicked ASU's massive debt down the track a few years, but Moody's is obviously unimpressed because it continues to keep ASU on its endangered species list. What then is the Board's plan for repaying the debt? Is there a business plan? I can't find one on our website. If there isn't one, does this indicate that the board continues to do what it has done for a decade - hit and hope? Kick and hide? In which case, we can only expect our decline to continue. Or is there a business plan but it's being kept secret like everything else? If there is, please share it with the rest of us. We need a shot of morale, a boost in confidence, that we have people in positions of power who can actually save ASU from the fossil record.
May 29, 2017 at 3:55pm May 29, 2017 at 3:00pm – I'm encouraged by your acknowledgment that ASU is in a mess. We have a president who refuses to admit this, even when the trustees seem to be increasingly aware of ASU's deeper financial problems. According to McClure, the HLC had no reason to sanction ASU at all. What a victimhood complex. If only her wardrobe was her greatest flaw! Instead, ASU is being led by a vindictive narcissist and pathological liar who cannot admit to making mistakes. McClure is living in a willfully-imposed, alternative reality and a change of clothes or more mirrors in her window won't fix that. So will Nehring be able to fix what is broken at ASU or will he be micro-managed and obstructed by McClure until he is driven out - like Gilmer? Stay tuned...
May 29, 2017 at 3:00pm Wow, didn't take long for people to start attacking Nehring in his new position. Can't wait to read more about other criticisms about him in the future. It seems people are going to attack anyone. I have seen so many silly and petty attacks...what is next, going after what McClure wears again? Whether or not Nehring's glasses are appropriate to be the interim vice president? I for one am glad Nehring is the interim vice president. If anyone can lead us out of this mess, he can. He has the support of many across the campus and is a true gentleman. If we ended up with Aaron as the interim, we all would have been screwed. I am not even sure how he was a serious candidate for the position. There hasn't been much positives lately, but I feel better with Nehring now in a senior leadership position.
May 28, 2017 at 8:38pm If November comes along and we lose accreditation, then we need to sheet home who is ultimately responsibility. Trustees can't just blame McClure for everything. Decline started with Svaldi. Trustees have sat high on Poacher's Hill, draped in sapphire and cracked emerald, and watched, while below ASU turns into Hunger City. They have sat there for years watching as ASU sputtered like a wet squib and have done nothing. As least Nero fiddled; these people have diddled. If ASU goes down, the town should be festooned with posters of the perps, the trustees. Not wanted, either dead or alive. Just leave town and let the rest of us pick up the pieces.
May 28, 2017 at 9:20am It doesn't surprise me that ASU trustees aren't fully aware of the problems at the university. I have been to enough trustee meetings to observe that they are carefully staged and with highly selective information presented to them. Trustees should seek out more information, particularly from other sources than an upper administration which has been fully committed to misleading them and repressing faculty or staff who speak out.
May 27, 2017 at 1:41pm Well, now that the board DOES know about the extent of what's going on, what is it going to do about it? Surely they can't remain sitting on their hands; they can't plead ignorance anymore. We know that Arnold Salazar is gutless, but now that he is shortly going to step down, who among you, trustees, has the gumption to stand up and take the helm?
May 27, 2017 at 11:32am I have been informed by a member of the Board of Trustees that a number of them who received the "A Chronicle of Decline to the Brink of Failure" document are surprised and aghast that they knew so little of what was going on at ASU. The trustee said that they knew ASU had some serious challenges but did not know the extent, or pervasiveness, of those challenges. This is a result of the administration's purposeful lack of transparency. It disempowers the Board from doing its fiduciary duty. It disempowers employees from being able to do their jobs properly - what would we do differently, better, if we knew what was going on - and it damages morale. Until the board demands that the culture of sneaky secrecy is abandoned, ASU will not be able to improve.
May 26, 2017 at 1:33pm Yes 12:42pm, this is just another example of Top-Down Governance at ASU. Much like with Guaranteed Tuition, this Extended Studies decision appears to have been made unilaterally and without the consideration or consultation of those charged with actually performing the duties assigned. This is what a non-democratic university campus looks like and it's failing our students, community, and the state of Colorado.
May 26, 2017 at 12:42pm The following email was sent to the Extended Studies staff on 05/24/17: Extended Studies staff, During the spring semester a group of staff from Extended Studies, the Veterans Center and other campus offices drafted a proposal to make the Prison College program and print-based correspondence courses a stand alone program, instead of continuing with its current structure as a component of Extended Studies operations. The rationale for such a change was to better enable staff to focus on providing better customer service to the prison population and on expanding the prison college program, especially within the veterans population. After several meetings, Dr. McClure and I have decided to endorse this proposal and move ahead with separating its functions from Extended Studies functions. Changes will be effective July 1, 2017. This change will result in reassigning some Extended Studies staff exclusively to the Prison College Program and print-based correspondence delivery. There will be no change in salary or classified rank for these staff, however, as part of the reconfiguration additional duties may be added and others may be removed. Duties not related to the Prison College program and print-based correspondence may be reassigned to other Extended Studies staff. Staff will remain assigned to their current work space. While some reporting details are under still discussion, AVPAA Margaret Doell will lead the transition to a stand alone program. She will be scheduling individual meetings with staff members identified for reassignment to the Prison College Program and print-based correspondence courses. We understand that change can be difficult and unsettling, and opinions always vary as to the best options. This said, clear and transparent communication is key to successful transitions. We encourage everyone involved to keep an open mind, but welcome the opportunity to understand any concerns. Questions may be referred to AVPAA Doell or myself. Thank you for your continued service to Adams State University. Sincerely, Matt Nehring The staff was not informed of this change until a decision had been made, and those staff identified for reassignment to the new department are being told that they must either comply or resign. It is a direct contradiction of the principles of "Transparency" and "Shared Governance".
May 25, 2017 at 7:50am Shortly after starting here many years ago, I was warned Crowther was a bully. Quite accurate. I've seen his bullying in action over and over again since then. His departure would greatly improve ASU.
May 25, 2017 at 12:02am He's a drunk and pothead. He is a terrible role model for students. He bullies faculty in his department (and others). He was at one time a domestic abuser. Is he not responsible and to be held accountable for all of these things? He needs to be fired. If not, retire. He is one of the reasons ASU is in the condition it is. He is not and never will be part of a solution. I have no respect for him.
May 24, 2017 at 4:23pm Not that I'm defending Dr. Crowther specifically, but it's worth remembering that alcohol addiction is a serious medical condition, not some character flaw to be the subject of ridicule.
May 24, 2017 at 1:36pm Great news to learn that Crowther has been terminated from his Chair position in the Ed. Department, but what in the world took so long for the current administration to fire this nut job? The ultimate benefit to the university moving forward, if they are really serious about changing the culture here is to give Crowther his walking papers straight out the front door. Fire his drunkard ass immediately to save us lawsuits.
May 24, 2017 at 9:52am From Academe: Hang Together or Hang Separately: The importance of participating in governance on small campuses - By Afshan Jafar, Simon Feldman, and Joan C. Chrisler "Not enough has been written about participation in academic governance as a form of faculty activism. It is perhaps no coincidence that all three of us identify as feminists. For us, being active in governance is a natural fit for our activist tendencies. It is surprising that this sentiment is not shared more widely. Of course, one need not identify specifically as a feminist to be an activist. For example, faculty who study the corporatization of the workplace should find a perfect home serving on major faculty committees on their campus. Faculty who study stratification and the erosion of workers’ rights would be very valuable in shared governance. Any faculty member interested in issues of equity, social justice, and the preservation of higher education has an important role to play in governance. Most academic training does not encourage us to use our insights, knowledge, and experience to understand or change academia. In fact, activism may be frowned upon in favor of maintaining the myth of the disinterested researcher and scholar. As if affected by Stockholm syndrome, we refuse to work in our own interest and instead uphold the logic, practices, and values that help to create and reinforce our subordinate position."
May 23, 2017 at 5:53am Just curious. How is it that Grace Young is teaching seven classes for 21 hours next fall semester? Are there no rules on how many classes one person can teach? Is this exploitation an expense saving strategy? There is no need for adjuncts when we can have faculty teach 7 classes? How in the world can anyone properly teach our students when they are teaching 7 different classes? Is this not something that was an issue with extended studies?
May 23, 2017 at 5:39am May 22, 2017 at 11:07pm: You are so correct. Crowther had no business chairing Teacher Ed. He has no business chairing HAPPS. He was so obsessed with pleasing Centeno, and Novotny, that he orchestrated reducing full time faculty in Political Science to one-Centeno. And how many students are now taking Government classes? How many majors are there? Look at the decline in enrollments over recent years. There was, of course, the scandal of Loosbrock lying about completing the Ph.D within the time allowed and Crowther covering for him. With the sad death of Stuart Hilwig-a true scholar and man of honor- there is no one competent to chair that department other than a non-tenured faculty member. I would not think that would be a safe job given the current environment. What has he done, accomplished, with Teacher Ed? Other than fire people, which he seems to have a sick and twisted lust for, what has he done? Perhaps now that he is no longer chair faculty will post on here. What else will administration allow Crowther to **** up? He is loud, obnoxious, a bully, and motivated only by brazen self interest. I guess he fits with Bev's morally bankrupt administration.
May 22, 2017 at 11:07pm Adams State University was founded as a normal school in 1921. Our history is our excellence in teacher education. So sad how a drunken, washed up has been---who KNOWS he has no other employment opportunities due to a lack of skills and knowledge--has all but destroyed our signature department. So much so that he was finally given his marching orders today. Yep! Crowther is no longer chair of teacher education. Could this be the beginning of his end? God! Could we be so fortunate?! By destroyed, I am referring to the fact that nobody in teacher education is qualified to step up to the chair plate. Nope that interim honor goes to a counselor education faculty member. Seriously, Ed, explain to us how in the hell decimating departments and programs makes ASU better (Teacher Ed, Graduate Studies, HAPPS, etc, etc, etc). Are you truly that stupid? Or... what? Everyone is scratching their heads. Oh yeah! It's your bank account. Shame on you, Ed. Every horrible thing at ASU has one common denominator. That's you!
May 22, 2017 at 7:33pm Ed Crowther has no morals. He is driven by the same two things that drive Trump-money and power. He will hitch his wagon to Satan himself if that will benefit him materially and/or give him power.
May 22, 2017 at 7:24pm Umm Novotny DID break state and federal laws. He's just still gainfully employed by ASU like many other criminals (Hensley, Crowther, Roybal). Why not?
May 22, 2017 at 1:37pm To 8:57am and Ed: AMEN!!!
May 22, 2017 at 8:57am Message to Ed, former Southern preacher, former liberal, former civil rights advocate: “On some positions, cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when a true believer in Jesus Christ must take a stand that is neither safe nor politic nor popular but he must take a stand because it is right.” - Martin Luther King
May 22, 2017 at 2:23am @8:56am-Yes, I forgot Novotny. I still can't believe he did not break some state or federal law.
May 21, 2017 at 6:43pm What in the world did Mari Centeno do to be bullied on this website? ----Editor's Reply: This was a topic of relentless, almost singular focus for several weeks back in March-April 2017. I suggest you review those comment threads for possible answers to this question. Given the length at which this topic was discussed, there hasn't been any additional information presented beyond what was already posted.
May 21, 2017 at 8:56am May 20, 2017 at 4:51pm - AND Novotny!
May 20, 2017 at 5:37pm May 20 @4:51pm - AMEN!
May 20, 2017 at 4:51pm Bye bye, Tomlin. Now can we get rid of Bev, Crowther, Rogers, Centeno?
May 20, 2017 at 6:54am Like May 17, 2017 at 9:29pm, I, too, was on the receiving end of Tomlin's inappropriate and unprofessional behavior. Unfortunately, I had no recourse to "fight" Tomlin's aggression due to his ties to the VPAA and HR. One word comes to mind about Tomlin is "karma".
May 19, 2017 at 9:44pm I literally just stumbled on to this site. As an Adams State alumni I didn't know there was so many issues with the budget and the school in general. Sad to read how the school and current and past presidents are ruining the school. Sounds like Adams is circling the drain and about to be flushed. As a former athlete of Adams it's hard to say but they need to get rid of some of these athletic programs. It's absolutely crazy how poor every program is besides cross country and track. Honestly those would be the only athletic programs I'd keep. The cost of travel is outrageous especially football and a bad football team at that. That's hard to say as a former football player but is draining the school all of the poor performing teams are. Now I know people think these athletic teams are generating more enrollment but instead of blowing money on a crappy team how about using that money to fund better and more medical, science, technical, computer and business programs. Instead of an athletic recruiting budget have that money to recruit students for serious programs that will get a student a career once graduated.
May 17, 2017 at 9:29pm Re: May 16 @ 8:13pm - I am not May 16 @ 6:31am, but I am one of many at ASU who has been on the receiving end of Tomlin's bullying, intimidating and harassing behavior. This is a pattern of behavior he brought with him from his previous position in Idaho. A position from which he was fired for this same behavior. And yes, he sued. And yes, he received a small monetary "go away annoying person settlement." Google it. Likewise, many--mostly women--on our campus have been the victims of this same behavior. He is a sexist, a misogynist, and a sexual harasser. Look up Title VII and Title IX definitions. His behavior fits all three and he has violated both. And yes, he will claim--as he did in a business department meeting--that he wasn't "convicted" of anything. But he WAS demoted for some reason. He IS leaving extremely quietly (quite unlike him). He hasn't even bothered to "stand up for himself and not be bullied" at the first mention of his departure here. How many times in the past has he risen to the bait? Yes, I believe his bad behavior FINALLY caught up with him. Want to know more? Start asking the targets of the gossip. I'm sure those individuals would like to have the opportunity to clear their good names. Names he has smeared since he arrived.
May 16, 2017 at 8:23pm @May 16, 6:31am - Please explain how ASU is or will be a safer place without Tomlin. There was also a reference made women would be safer now that Tomlin is leaving. Please explain. I heard something happened between he and a coworker in the business department. Please expound on this.
May 16, 2017 at 5:46pm Wow, I leave the state and hours later I'm dubbed the King of Shame. I'm sure I know what 4:19 is referring to, but that can't be it because summer of 2012 I was splitting all my time between Pueblo and distant climbing areas. That spanned the 8-10 month period in a healthy relationship with a woman from Pueblo, no shame there, and one of the best climbing seasons I've had since moving to Alamosa, certainly no shame there. Unless of course the author is referring to the two relatively easy climbs I fell off of in Wyoming that summer. Yeah, that must be it. Oh the shame! Get a life! - Jeff Elison
May 16, 2017 at 4:19pm Dear 12:33pm, or should I say G. M. or M. M.? Yawn. Regarding your thinly veiled reference, as I and the nearly two dozen others who were interviewed recall, there was an investigation into someone else's behavior that cost ASU tens of thousands of dollars and many wasted hours. Apparently this person made up their own story and inappropriately let it adversely affect the work environment. The investigation resulted in that person being demoted. Such a shame ;-)
May 16, 2017 at 2:07pm Ah, beg to differ. Jeff Elison is a true hero. For the many who fled ASU's bullying, toxic administration rather than stand up to it and suffer the consequences, he is our hero. For the many who remain but are too afraid to speak their minds for fear of retribution, he is also our hero. He stands for us all. We take courage in his example, even if we can't or don't follow his principled lead. If you don't see his heroism, it is because you are a card carrying member of the toxic administration. I keep hearing stories about how some of you, though, are now beginning to realize your alliance to McClure was misguided. You now harbor regret. Gotta say, don't have much sympathy for you unless you also display some belated heroism as penance. Give it a try.
May 16, 2017 at 12:33pm As Jeff Elison quoted, "As Trump has demonstrated over again, facts don't matter, just the story people want to hear." Jeff would know, he has been the King of Shame and deceit since the summer of 2012.
May 16, 2017 at 10:18am Dr. Elison's presentation to the board of trustees was very well-received. So now he has been promoted to full professor, his sabbatical was approved, and apparently the recordings of faculty senate meetings that attempted to malign him have been destroyed. It's probably time for his needlessly vindictive adversaries to use the shame scale on themselves. McClure, Crowther, Buser, and Alvarez can go first.
May 16, 2017 at 6:31am Make ASU great again. Tomlin's leaving is a huge first step. Campus will be a safer place.
May 15, 2017 at 6:24pm Re: May 15 @ 10:57am - Please, Tomlin isn't worth the gum on the bottom of my shoe! Good riddance to a god awful disaster! Ick!
May 15, 2017 at 2:02pm In reply to 7:25am: > Dr. Chris Gilmer was indeed a great hope and seemed a nice man. I agree. I thought and still think he was an excellent fit for the job, but apparently not for ASU's administrative culture. > He was charged with Extended Studies review and remodel, and with writing our Academic Strategic Plan. He hired a crony to review OES and write the report. I'd say "crony" is a mis-characterization. How about: a well respected authority with who he had worked (once?) before. > Then, given the authority and task of the remodel he did nothing but talk. For months. It sounds like he wasn't allowed to do anything substantive. If you believe the lack of change was due to him, then why have there been no significant changes regarding Extended Studies since he left? > Conspiracy with Elison to undercut the President and BOT. No conspiracy. That's a narrative painted by others. People were upset about the rumors of friction within administration. As a senator, I was asked by other faculty to write and begin circulating a "letter of support" for Dr. Gilmer. Not sure how to go about that, I went to the Faculty Senate President, Ed. It was he who suggested a senate resolution. I helped draft it. An email I sent to friends, on my own time, from my personal account wound up in Ed's hands about 18 hours later. I asked how this happened and never got an answer. HR and IT claim my email doesn't exist on any ASU computer. Hard to believe to say the least. I suspect my personal email was hacked, but that's just a suspicion. My email was sloppily written, taking shortcuts for friends who don't know all the details of ASU (e.g., referring to our Provost), which opened the door for others to paint the conspiracy narrative. As Trump has demonstrated over and over and over again, facts don't matter, just the story people want to hear. - Jeff Elison
May 15, 2017 at 1:31pm Of course, Gilmer would be kicked out for trying to fix Extended Studies... whereas those responsible for getting ASU on academic probation for violations with Extended Studies either took the money and ran (Svaldi, Mansheim, Novotny) or they continue to collect a paycheck without any consequences (Roybal, Crowther, others). It's the ASU way!
May 15, 2017 at 10:57am Farewell Tomlin. Does anyone know why he left? For all his blind faith defending of such a good employer, perhaps he realized he was worth more than what Adams State was offering?
May 15, 2017 at 7:25am Dr. Chris Gilmer was indeed a great hope and seemed a nice man. He was charged with Extended Studies review and remodel, and with writing our Academic Strategic Plan. He hired a crony to review OES and write the report. Then, given the authority and task of the remodel he did nothing but talk. For months. He never started the Academic Plan. Half a year wasted. Half a $140K wasted. Turmoil created by he and his partner. Conspiracy with Elison to undercut the President and BOT. Make no mistake, the BOT had/has the goods on Gilmer and he was lucky to leave the way he did. He was worthless and toxic.
May 14, 2017 at 8:31pm Happy news! Tomlin is no longer in the fall schedule! May the door hit him in the arskie!
May 14, 2017 at 9:53am May 13, 2017 at 10:21pm - Or the streaming numbers were low because fewer and fewer students are graduating from ASU... because fewer and fewer students are attending ASU. According to enrollment data, there were 3,033 undergrads in fall 2012. There were 1,635 undergrads in fall 2016. That's a 46% overall drop. That's one warning sign. Then there's ASU being at least 10% lower in four year graduation rates from most peer institutions. According to the most recent College Scorecard data: Adams State University graduation rate: 22% Colorado State University–Pueblo graduation rate: 32.3% Western State Colorado University graduation rate: 38.8% Colorado Mesa University graduation rate: 31.6% That's another warning sign. You say, “Rather than complain about the commencement, figure out a way you can make things better and go do it.” - Yes, many people have tried. One of them was Dr. Chris Gilmer. What happened to him? He was hired less than a year ago. He “resigned” when threatened with a lawsuit by President McClure. Gilmer commissioned an investigation of ASU Extended Studies – the main problem area that put ASU on academic probation. How many of the recommendations of the Mathieu Report have been followed? The main one was closing Extended Studies and opening an Office of Continuing Education. Has that (or any of the other fixes) been implemented? No. Along with students, more faculty (and staff) are leaving by the month... and fewer and fewer applicants are applying for the vacant positions. This should be another warning sign. The first step to making things better at ASU is removing a hostile administration that has been running ASU into the ground and suppressing anyone who would try to fix problems they see. Until that happens, it's unlikely that things at Adams State will improve.
May 13, 2017 at 10:21pm I am the first to acknowledge there are many issues at ASU but I think it is pretty sad that you take the streaming numbers as an indication of the success of a graduation. This is about the students and a lot of hard work for those students of ASU. Rather than trying to find an issue where there is none, Congratulate those students on a job well done. You ever think that maybe the reason the streaming numbers were low was because all the family and friends were at the graduation. A good portion of ASU students are from the valley and Colorado. We're the hotels in town not full? Maybe those people watching the stream are just those looking/hoping something would go wrong. There are plenty of problems at ASU but it appears Some people are just reaching on this one. Please stick to the real issues. Remember, when it comes down to it, what happened today, is the real purpose of ASU. The success of the students. Let's not forget that the students are why ASU exists. No students, no ASU. Rather than complain about the commencement, figure out a way you can make things better and go do it. ASU has many problems but the graduation is not part of it. That is one of the few successes for ASU regardless. I have to say, I am not on the side of the administration but Everyone here complains about the issues but they do nothing about it. Talk is cheap.
May 13, 2017 at 3:26pm Not weak sauce! Did you see all the people that were there?? It was a packed house with many happy people. One of the liveliest commencements I've been to at Adams. Congrats grads!
May 13, 2017 at 10:36am Only 46-48 people streaming the ASU graduation? Weak sauce, ASU.
May 12, 2017 at 8:33pm Re: "Hasta la vista, Mike Tomlin" - I certainly hope this comment is true and Adams is now getting rid of a truly horrible person. Many, many folks--women in particular--will be safer in his absence. I do wish, though, these types of comments would provide more substance and less conjecture. Not all of us reading here are a part of the "in" crowd. So a little more info would be helpful. Thank you!
May 12, 2017 at 8:46am Hasta la vista, Mike Tomlin. Tell us again why the grass is so much greener on the ASU side of the fence? Apparently you didn't think so.
May 11, 2017 at 10:49pm I remember when Beverlee McClure gave her candidate interview in the spring of 2015. She huffed and puffed a series of statements that, in retrospect, were rehearsed and empty platitudes. It would be great if those presentations were recorded so we could all go back down memory lane and identify just how much of a phony president she has been. Specifically, she made some slick statements about “friend-raising before fund-raising.” Thinking of the past two years, is this at all true? What major “friends” has McClure made for ASU? To the contrary, she has made more enemies than ever before – within the university, with accreditors and press outlets, professional organizations and foundations. And what major “fund-raising” has McClure done for ASU? Where are all the resources she's supposed to have brought in? To the contrary, ASU is kicking its can of debt down the road and hoping for better numbers even while continuing failed initiatives like guaranteed tuition. Maybe instead of jet-setting to Hawaii on the public dollar and gloating about it on Facebook, she should be focused on bringing in allies and funding streams to ASU. It's only a matter of time before she storms out of ASU once and for all. It will have been years too late. But please, Bev, claim this is all about “sexism” and “cyberbullying.”
May 11, 2017 at 5:10pm Re: May 11 @ 2:57am - I think the "massive" counselor education program is one of a couple of shining lights in this mess called ASU. They are independently accredited (with high marks from CACREP), don't have a buffoon for a chair, AND have---wait for it---qualified, quality faculty. Perhaps if more departments modeled themselves after counselor education--think business, teacher ed here--then our institution would be better off.
May 11, 2017 at 2:57am I wonder how that massive online graduate program in counseling is thriving in such a toxic system that can barely maintain itself financially?
May 9, 2017 at 6:37am @May 6th, 4:34 comment- Does Ed also receive compensation as Chair for Teacher Education? How can he effectively run two departments? Seems to me he has allowed Teacher Education to run with very few faculty. I believe there is only one 10 year faculty member. And one tenure track. Where are the credentials for these faculty? Or are there any faculty? How can Ed be a double chair, faculty senate president, stroke Bev, attend AA classes, continue to drink and drive, coach football, and the list goes on and on...? No wonder his salary has continued to increase. $$$$
May 8, 2017 at 10:18pm @9:19 - Bev "pissed off the Boetcher Board". She was probably drunk. Nothing new there for our drunk president.
May 8, 2017 at 9:19pm Speaking of graduate degree programs... I hear Bev pissed off the Boetcher Board, costing us this prestigious program. She is such a disaster!
May 8, 2017 at 8:18pm The ASU press release says, "Adams State University maintained an A3 bond rating as established by Moody's Investors Service." Right. Another way of saying that would be "Adams State University has spent 16 months spinning its wheels and still has the lowest investment grade and with a negative outlook." Brought to you by the blind optimism of the McClure administration.
May 8, 2017 at 7:21pm It's hard to imagine even a modicum of justice or legitimate investigation of any ASU department when the supposed deadline of May 1st for the investigation on Facilities Services produced only a "Professional Development Training". Instead of dealing with the repeat offenders everybody in that department gets the pleasure of having an "underpaid on the job training" for something 99% of the people aren't guilty of doing. To make all suffer for the few just shows the incompetence of those in charge.
May 8, 2017 at 7:05pm One can only hope... Right. Are state and other government officials asleep at the wheel along with the trustees? That huge document should be enough for them to come in and take action, at the very least ask some serious questions. Current leadership has been unable and CANNOT turn this ship around. Some are unwilling while others are very willing and put in the work but our impact is negated by inconsistent and incompetent leadership. When will we swallow our pride and ask for help? When will admin stop publishing alternative facts at the cost of students suffering? When will enough be enough?
May 8, 2017 at 3:39pm Is there a problem growing between McClure and Margaret Doell? I heard they are not on good terms these days. Anyone want to shed some light on this?
May 8, 2017 at 10:42am It's clear that Svaldi is the foundation of ASU's problems. He spent a decade ignoring problems and outright allowing his friends (such as Novotny, Mansheim, Crowther, and Rogers) to break laws, bully faculty and staff, and steal university resources for their own personal gain. It's a tragedy because those who pay the price are students and dedicated faculty/staff. Yes, the common denominator is an axis of evil and corruption that defies logic, ethics and common, human decency. That does not, however, negate McClure's role in this mess. Her disposition is such that she would rather fight, bully, and deflect like a 12 year old 'mean girl' than take a leadership role and responsibility for cleaning it up. Individuals such as Novotny and Crowther should have long ago been indicted for racketeering, stripped of tenure and fired. Instead they continue to enjoy old perks such as ridiculously high salaries 'earned' through continued questionable practices (e.g. Gilder Lehrman). And those faculty who continue to support this farce of an administration continue to enjoy those ridiculous perks as well (Liz Thomas Hensley and Linda Reed, among others). One can only hope, at this point, that the HLC and higher level state government officials come into ASU for a thorough audit/investigation from the Board of Trustees down to the lowest-paid employee on campus. Maybe then our institution will have a chance of survival.
May 7, 2017 at 9:53pm Hasn't Crowther already been in handcuffs previously? I seem to recall someone telling me he had been arrested for domestic abuse to a previous wife. Does anyone know for sure? I absolutely believe that he would have no problem performing illegal acts when in pursuit of self interest.
May 7, 2017 at 1:46pm Didn't erasing tapes go poorly for Nixon and others? No lessons to be learned from history, of course.
May 6, 2017 at 9:47pm No bounds whatsoever. Crowther belongs in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit. The sooner the better. Maybe he can bunk with McClure.
May 6, 2017 at 6:51pm Those faculty senate recordings are public record. Is it even LEGAL to destroy public records?! Does Crowther's narcissism and arrogance know NO bounds?
May 6, 2017 at 5:17pm Apart from the “business as usual” obfuscation and willful incompetence at ASU, it is very likely that the Faculty Senate meetings are being destroyed for specific reasons. The attempt to censure Jeff Elison in absentia and in violation of the faculty handbook comes to mind, particularly as I saw in the Valley Courier that Elison was promoted to full professor even after attempts by Ed Crowther, Zena Buser, and others to railroad him for his protected speech (namely, advocating for the removal of the disastrous Beverlee McClure presidency). But we know what really happened and who is now trying to cover it up.
May 6, 2017 at 4:34pm A little odd to destroy the senate recordings? No, it's business as usual. Rationale? Do some dirty shit and then destroy or cover up the evidence. I left ASU five years ago and rarely look back, but when I do I'm thankful I left. Crowther makes over $150K? For WHAT? Stroking the president? Your new president puts mirrors in her windows to drive away a more competent VPAA? ASU is on HLC probation and has to "kick the can down the road" with its debt praying to stay afloat? Run away, run away!
May 6, 2017 at 9:33am What does the Senate say the rationale is for no longer recoding meetings? Was it Crowther's idea? What is their claim as justification for this?
May 4, 2017 at 9:48pm @8:43am - I don't know why I'm surprised. Once again... way to go Faculty Senate. Really good work you're doing. I would love to see what the report to the Board of Trustees will look like at their next meeting. BOT: what did you accomplish this year? FS: recorded meetings, humiliated ourselves, destroyed the recordings of us humiliating ourselves BOT: good job!
May 4, 2017 at 9:10am With guitars: Oh the brilliance of the Clash: And number two / You have the right to food money Providing of course / You don't mind a little INVESTIGATION, HUMILIATION And ... if you can live on 72.5% of CUPA Number three / You have the right to free speech As long as / You're not dumb enough to actually try it
May 4, 2017 at 8:43am This is a public service announcement, WITH GUITARS! Not really, sorry to disappoint. Last year Faculty Senate voted to record meetings so people who could not be present could get the full content of discussion. I think it's called transparency. This week they voted to stop recording. Most interesting, they plan to destroy the existing recordings sometime soon. Anyone find this last bit a bit odd?
May 2, 2017 at 7:39am Debt refinancing has you worried? Oh come on, ASU has no problems. You just need another serving of Kool-Aid. Chill out. Besides, Bev is optimistic, what more do you need to know? And what the hell does she mean by this word spaghetti: "While enrollment is still down,” said McClure, “we’re not as far down as we were. We’re at least going the right direction." Does "not as far down" mean "up"? Or just that the decline has slowed, which would not be "the right direction"? I wish she would just keep her mouth closed and leave. It would be her greatest contribution to ASU.
May 1, 2017 at 8:45pm Did people read the Valley Courier article about ASU's debt refinancing? It very thinly veils how deep ASU's problems are and how the Board and administration are out of ideas for fixing these problems. By any other name, it's a “cry for help” for restructuring and/or receivership. A few highlights that convey as much: “We’re moving the can down the road a ways but it does buy us breathing room,” said board member Reeves Brown … “The university is banking on future improvements to make the refinancing worthwhile.” … “It seems to be the right thing to do,” board member Cleave Simpson said, “but make no mistake about it that we have got to focus on retention and recruitment for all of these strategies to come together. Or we continue to put Band-Aids on this going forward.” … If we stay status quo or see a decline in enrollment, there aren’t a whole lot of options left,” said Simpson. “If we can’t generate revenue we’ll end up having to do cost saving measures somehow, somewhere.” Yes, the Board is now using phrases like "breathing room," "there aren’t a whole lot of options left," and "somehow, somewhere." Great Desperation Begins Here. But never fear. McClure continues to assure us all that everything is going great: “ASU President Beverlee McClure is optimistic. “While enrollment is still down,” said McClure, “we’re not as far down as we were. We’re at least going the right direction. We’re confident that in the next three years we’ll see more improvement.” May Day, May Day! Ring-ring-ring! Hello? Has anyone notice that nothing is ever going badly at ASU – merely that the university is headed in the right direction and everything is improving. Yet enrollment continues to fall, major structural problems with Extended Studies remain, faculty and staff are fleeing by the semester (with more leaving soon). But ASU just signed the first female football player, so it's all good. As long as a football program with a losing streak gets some positive press, the negative stories about key personnel, financial conditions, and academic probation won't matter too much to prospective students, state regulators, or the HLC.
May 1, 2017 at 2:28pm While I probably want that drunk bitch gone as much as the next person, I think we need to be cautious about creating and spreading untrue rumors. What exactly did April 28@ 10:19pm hear? As far as the jeep is concerned, I'm fairly certain the institution provided it for her. Her personal white car sits in the garage. So does anyone have any true updates? Fingers crossed that this is in fact true.
May 1, 2017 at 11:00am Bev doesn't come to office today. Is she really leaving? Updates please!
May 1, 2017 at 7:59am When I got to my office I noticed her white Jeep is still at the president's house.
April 29, 2017 at 11:52am If indeed Bev has left we must not falter nor get distracted from continuing to expose the things going on elsewhere. The harassment and bullying has got to stop.
April 29, 2017 at 8:21am Did she really leave? Who will be her in the interim? Another enabler?
April 28, 2017 at 10:19pm She packed up her mirrors. Today I stood afar and watched her stroll her suitcase down the sidewalk. Then loaded the monstrosity of a suitcase in her white vehicle, while talking on her phone stating "I'm done!" She's leaving! She's leaving! She took a position in Hawaii! She's leaving! She's leaving! Vaya con dios Bev!
April 28, 2017 at 7:45pm Hopefully somebody somehow can post the findings of the Facilities Services investigation on this site for any and all to see. Maybe those findings can reach the NLRB. There has to be some place people can go where none of the reptilian upper echelon aren't members of HR, the BOT, a state liaison, etc. Somewhere where the victimization of ASU employees will not be ignored. ----Editor's Reply: We will publish any documents pertaining to this investigation if they are sent to us. We can also file a records request to obtain them.
April 28, 2017 at 6:12pm @6:02 PM, there are a few in Facilities who are willing to do just that but the key word is "few". Those few know the laws, know the procedures and have tried to inform others of their rights but the wolves get to the other ones by any means necessary and the few willing to stand are marked.
April 28, 2017 at 6:02pm It would be truly remarkable if ASU facilities workers, and any others, formed a class action lawsuit. The ASU administration and board of trustees seem totally immune to accountability and resist any effort to address concerns from employees. So get a lawyer – a good one – and publicize the matter so everyone can see how badly ASU treats people. And create an online donation page for people to contribute – I guarantee many donors would be happy to anonymously support an effort to hold ASU accountable for its many illegal deeds.
April 28, 2017 at 5:53pm McClure is definitely ruining ASU but there are people there that have been ruining it long before she came along. What do they have over ASU that they still are around? How can they get away with buying someone's silence for dirt cheap? It's the administration that exploits the financial hardships of others by buying them off for literally nothing.
April 28, 2017 at 5:23pm @2:58 PM, that's exactly what's going to happen with the Facilities Services investigation too.
April 28, 2017 at 2:58pm If we are talking about a class action lawsuit, I think ASU students enrolled in extended studies or nursing would have a very strong case for being the victims of fraud and willful negligence. Based on public documents alone, it wouldn't be difficult for an attorney to file a complaint alleging the university has knowingly promoted programs with egregious errors and practices in violation of academic standards. Every expert who has reviewed these programs has concluded they are highly deficient, yet ASU administration responds by stating that everything is great and the people who say otherwise must be reprimanded.
April 28, 2017 at 8:10am The Board definitely needs to WAKE UP! McClure is ruining ASU. Employee morale is at an all time low. Administration only listens to lawsuits. Perhaps employees could initiate a class action lawsuit against the Board. Count me in.
April 27, 2017 at 10:47pm @9:20 PM - Taking the proper channels is just a vortex all the people courageous enough to take a stand end up in then get get labeled as deviants and insubordinate and either quit out of frustration or fall victim to the games of the administration and just stop trying with which said administration then uses against them and ask them to resign quietly or risk termination. As for the ones with no backbone they believe the lies that they are not good enough and deserve the silent forms of abuse they are subjected to. Such tactics used by the administration, etc. hearken back to the tactics used by some of the most grotesque people in history and the mindless become like the processionary caterpillar experiment conducted by Jean Henri Fabre.
April 27, 2017 at 9:20pm April 27 @640pm - But people HAVE come forward. Many provided evidence to Dr. Gilmer applicable to the Mathieu report. Unfortunately, Bev buried it (and Dr. Gilmer). Until our hands off board demands information and becomes a little more hands on, Bev gets away with her shananigans. Of course you are correct, employees need to grow a backbone and start speaking out through the proper channels against Bev and company's abusive behaviors. Again, the board would be wise to micromanage a little more.
April 27, 2017 at 6:40pm What can be done? Nobody is coming forward in these investigations whether present or former employees. Nobody.
April 27, 2017 at 10:45am April 26, 2017 at 8:05pm: I would be suspicious of any poll asking about confidence in anyone, or any office, of administration. The privacy of such a poll would be in serious question. Critics of administration would be afraid that their responses would be determined and retribution would follow. This attests to the general feeling of fear on this campus. I have never seen morale lower on this campus or any campus I have taught in the past. The major suspects are McClure, Crowther, Centeno, Novotny, Rogers, Beez, OEO, business department, extended studies, and others too many to name. This institution needs a wholesale cleansing. Drain this stinking swamp. The odor is unhealthy.
April 26, 2017 at 8:05pm To properly answer 10:16am, I recommend a poll: How would you rate your trust level with Tracy? - I am confident taking any HR issue large or small to Tracy. - I would consider taking a personal HR concern to Tracy. - I am either neutral or have no experience interacting with Tracy. - I view Tracy with wariness, - Tracy is an Informant and the Enemy, to be avoided at all costs. ----Editor's Reply: While a poll on the level of satisfaction ASU employees have with HR might be helpful and certainly merits discussion here, it wouldn't directly address the question of alleged criminality mentioned on April 25, 10:23am.
April 26, 2017 at 10:16am 10:23am - could you please explain why Tracy Rogers is a criminal?
April 26, 2017 at 8:05am Re: April 24 12:53 PM - What's even more disheartening is the fact that the current investigation the OEO is conducting on Facilities Services will end up the same way with nothing done. I feel for those who are left in the wake of a retaliatory despot to simply endure or be told by HR if they are unhappy to seek employment elsewhere.
April 26, 2017 at 7:38am Wow, great site, thank you for maintaining this! Bev is what a Hillary Clinton Presidency would have been for this country. She needs to go sooner rather than later. ASU is in a death spiral, and needs major, total reorganization, starting with releasing many of the problem "children" we have: e.g., Novotny, Centeno, Crowther, Beez. Drain the swamp. Focus MUST be on regaining accreditation, if that is even possible now, with so many resources being deflected for "other" activities, like, say, Sanctuary Status. I guess in a couple of years the only persons on campus will be the Illegals. Long-time financial supporters of ASU are seriously reconsidering their donations for a University that is has lost its way and does not seem to have any interest in finding its footing. Take-over by CU, probably the best thing, at least it will clean out some of the rat's nests, probably not all, though. Faculty leaving--who wouldn't if they could? These are intelligent people (for the most part), and see the hand-writing on the wall. Anybody remember what ASU is here for, really? Surely not for those pesky students?
April 25, 2017 at 10:23am As I have written in an earlier post, McClure, Ed Crowther, Frank Novotny, Tracy Rogers, and other criminals should be fired, indicted, and convicted. If state law enforcement will not do it then the feds should. Oh wait, neo-fascist Trump upon hearing of their criminality would give them jobs in his administration.
April 25, 2017 at 7:40am Dear 10:30am, save us your alternative facts. The "Gilmer didn't do his job so he suddenly resigned voluntarily" story makes no sense whatsoever. It's clear from the documents that he was blackmailed into leaving. Real facts: the BoT "is entering into this Release and Settlement Agreement in compromise of disputed claims for compensatory damages and injunctive relief." "President McClure has the right to exercise any legal recourse under the law against him that includes the disclosure of information in her possession" "In consideration of the above, Dr. Gilmer agrees to resign his position with the University, with prejudice" "Dr. Gilmer further agrees to withdraw with prejudice the complaint he filed against President McClure" He filed a complaint just as many, many others have or would like to do. She got someone to search for dirt on him and found some on a family member. He resigned to protect a loved one. It's detestable that she would put the university at risk over her ego. It's even worse that she would pay to dig into employee's past. It's even worse that she would extend this to family members. And then to basically brag about blackmail shows how warped her mind really is. Not to mention the mirrors pointed at his house. Those aren't things a wise leader would do, much less brag about. The sooner she "is resigned" without prejudice, the better for ASU.
April 24, 2017 at 2:34pm Coincidence or psychotic behavior? Dr. Gilmer's former residence is completely vacated and the voodoo mirrors have been taken down!
April 24, 2017 at 12:53pm "Inheriting a mess" is one thing, making it worse and being a vindictive bully is another. Under Beverlee McClure's "leadership," student enrollment has continued to drop, employee turnover has increased dramatically, guaranteed tuition and other financial decisions have worsened ASU's credit rating, debt burden, and prompted the state audit, and her embarrassing behavior has disgraced ASU for the HLC all all of higher ed to see. To the extent it appears that Chris Gilmer "didn't do his job," it was because Beverlee McClure obstructed his ability to implement the changes recommended by the OES external report. What happened to shutting down extended studies and creating a continuing education office, anyway?
April 24, 2017 at 10:30am Beverlee inherited a mess and is trying to clean it up and it turns out Gilmer didn't do his job while he was here.
April 23, 2017 at 4:56pm So maybe Bev and Ed Crowther are drinking pals and that's how he got to be her hit man in charge of knifing Gilmer.
April 22, 2017 at 8:54pm Could someone remind the ASU president that tonight is Alamosa's prom night? Parents, family and friends don't need to have her drunk ass (like usual) on the roads in the university vehicle jeopardizing lives tonight. This community loves our kids. I hope she can be respectful of DUI laws just tonight.
April 21, 2017 at 9:25am I can't speak for every department on campus, or even for everyone in my own department, but I can say that I don't have any problems with either of my supervisors. My experience has been that they are fair and understanding. I came to this job after having worked retail for a number of years, and even those few times when I've been frustrated with my supervisor here do not even come close to hair-pulling frustration I experienced in my previous jobs. The job I left to come to ASU literally gave me a script to follow for everything, and stepping out of line meant being written up. (And if you followed the script and didn't meet your quotas you were still written up.) Since starting at Adams State I've never felt anything close the dehumanizing experience of being treated like a piece of company equipment. I'm not saying that ASU is without its problems, but since my experience seems to be vastly different from the others presented here I thought I would it add it to conversation.
April 21, 2017 at 8:30am Missing VPAA Gilmer? Just remember, Crowther did everything in his power to bring him down, including manipulating senate.
April 20, 2017 at 7:21pm As a fellow former ASUcks employee, I have to concur with 5:49pm. Don't suffer, people. Life is short. Functional workplaces that value you and your contributions do exist. Read the latest WA poll results and look sharp.
April 20, 2017 at 6:03pm Get it? Got it? Doubt it...
April 20, 2017 at 5:49pm As a former ASU employee, I have to say leaving that place was the best decision ever. Promotion is a joke, only those who can conform to the supervision staff in a mindless "yes man" mentality will ever get promoted, or if you are a "ol drinking buddy" of one of the supervisors, and then you are guaranteed to climb the ranks quickly. Progressive thinking is looked down upon, and standing up for the rights of a co-worker is a big no no. But playing the devils advocate and brown nosing? Promotion! Back stabbing and ridiculing a co-worker? Promotion! There are so many that work so hard for there little pay check and so many who do a whole lot of nothing for a nice fat paycheck. Something will have to change one day, or ASUcks will just bury itself one day, and no one will come the the funeral.
April 20, 2017 at 4:56pm I think there's a lot of people in ASU qualified to lead. Not everything said is criticism but statements made about what really goes on but when it's said about a supervisor it's criticism, etc. But when a supervisor does it it's evaluating. There are plenty of employees who do their job and don't complain and whether or not their superiors are good or not they do there best to make them happy by doing what's asked of them. Some people just don't want the responsibility and just go to do a good job and get what they earn at the end of every month. As far as supervisors there are some good ones out there too but when you speak out on the negativity you get labeled as the "worst kind of workers at a workplace". You don't have to go to the OEO or the inner circle to get labeled, just have the right person with the right amount of sensitivity and anal retentiveness read something they don't like in the comments section.
April 20, 2017 at 4:40pm What's just as bad or worse is a myopic outlook on what was said about supervisors. Nobody said anything about WANTING a supervisor position and you know nothing of all the negativity they spread, fear they try to instill and the double standards they create. Maybe there's a reason people don't want to be a supervisor. Learn the back story before you try and say somebody else is spewing forth vitriol. It's the ones out in the field who hold things together and have to have a mind of their own to do what they know needs to be done.
April 20, 2017 at 3:42pm When you realize the administration is leading your organization off a cliff – all while giving themselves raises, exotic vacations, and throwing themselves fancy parties with public money and student tuition... it's hard to imagine the solution is “sit down and shut up.” It's not that most ASU employees want a supervisor job. They just want a functional and supportive workplace that isn't governed by incompetence, fear, retaliation, and bullying.
April 20, 2017 at 8:05am The worst employees in any organization are those who worry, snipe, and snark about their supervisors. What their supervisors do, what their supervisors get, when their supervisors work or take vacation. You would do well to do YOUR job, worry about YOUR job, take care of YOUR life, not just criticize others. You want a supervisors job? Earn it, get it, do it,
April 19, 2017 at 10:02pm Facilities supervisors are a joke. The most useless ones are the ones promoted and all of a sudden become the standard for cleanliness. Where was that type of work ethic when they actually had to work? Blackout dates during the Summer but yet supervisors can have off, being told when to take comp time and not on Mondays or Fridays but supervisors can miss whenever. But yet it all gets denied and nothing is ever done about it. How can so many people who have come forward be wrong?
April 19, 2017 at 9:54pm Re: April 17 9:00 AM, I totally agree but isn't that against the labor laws? Isn't it wrong for a person to have an investigation go negatively against them if they are summoned to speak? I've heard that people who have spoken to Ana and told the truth had negative reports thrown into their personnel files.
April 18, 2017 at 9:34pm Dr. Gilmer is, I'm pretty sure, on to bigger and better things. What a HUGE loss to Adams State. What an embarrassment that he had to endure the atrocities he did while employed at ASU. We should all be ashamed.
April 18, 2017 at 9:27pm This is a really great poll right now regarding the timeline of ASU's bail out. For those that voted that ASU will recover on its own, I'm genuinely interested: how? HLC visit looming, the state watching (and not helping), leadership in shambles, faculty and staff leaving, enrollment and retention down, and budget deficit. I'm having a tough time seeing the silver lining here.
April 18, 2017 at 4:05pm Sad day watching Dr. Gilmer move. Maybe now that worthless excuse of a president will remove her mirrors and stop embarrassing us. After her much-needed vacation in Hawaii. After all, it's exhausting causing all of the problems she causes. The one nice thing about her vacation is that the rest of us get some relief from her lunacy.
April 17, 2017 at 2:36pm Will there be a President's Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, April 18? Will our savior and fearless Prez graciously show her face? Oh wait, I have been notified in my newsfeed 21 hours ago "Hyatt Residence Club on Ka'anapali". No golf boots this time as she is "flying solo". What's wrong, Bev? No friends? Glad to see your priorities are with ASU. But you have minions to take care of this! Májalo
April 17, 2017 at 9:00am I have a better view of the OEO due to my current position and can verify that the OEO is just another spin room for ASU and looks to be good friends with the HR director. What they do to employees is an unethical and immoral way to silence dissenters. She sits you down, gets your claim so they can defend against it, and then add a negative spin to what you say to label you as the problem. You will literally walk out wondering if the moon is just the sun at night. The most frustrating thing is their display of psychological projection. They display piss poor behavior and then claim the staff member have those attributes, which only adds to them overwhelming the employee with unfounded claims. Then they claim nobody wants to deal with it because the employee is defending themself. It's a very pervasive culture that starts with the HR director and is taught to supervisors. Their strategy seems to overwhelm and then claim there's too much to sort through because they don't want to deal with it. So they're shunning their responsibilities and use their bias in their decisions.
April 16, 2017 at 5:42pm The OEO. What a joke! Ana should be fired for her lack of professionalism, lack of confidentiality, lack of organizational and investigation skills and her persistent stupidity! But I am sure she's protected due to the fact her spouse is a county judge. And on that note, the HR director is just as bad! Both are plain worthless, unfair and bullies. But no one sees this, so we continue with creating great stories. All is I can hope for is that CU will take us over and all our tremendous debt and run our campus with integrity and hold ALL EMPLOYEES accountable!
April 14, 2017 at 10:15pm 9:37pm - Which "conflict of interest" is that?
April 14, 2017 at 9:37pm Re: April 13 4:50 PM - What about those who can't afford a lawyer and can't go to HR not only due to their looking out for the interests of the "inner circle" but also due to a "conflict of interest" everybody knows about but won't comment on?
April 14, 2017 at 7:24am 9:35 is right. Some of the things the OEO director has said about employees should have gotten her fired long ago. She can't be professional about anyone associated with this site: Ledonne, Elison, and Waddell come to mind. Administrators above her know it, but they are one big happy inner circle and they don't want her to be professional about people they perceive to be adversaries
April 13, 2017 at 9:35pm Yes, OEO is certainly part of the inner circle. Yes, the deck is stacked against you. No, the behavior from that office is not professional or ethical. Some of the communications out of that office warrant termination.
April 13, 2017 at 7:44pm Part of the reason OEO has been ineffective or counterproductive is because in the past certain people had keys to everything including the OEO filing cabinets. That was one reason certain repeat offenders knew what was said about them by the next day in a "confidential meeting" that happened hours before.
April 13, 2017 at 6:51pm That the OEO is part of the "inner circle" or not wasn't my target point. I failed to mention there seems to be a secret society atmosphere at ASU that has permeated every department and the select few receive many perks at the expense of others. Facilities Services gets overlooked a lot since it seems to be a "fringe department" and that's where a lot of the skulduggery occurs. So much of it is filtered thru middle management so that it doesn't look to be coming from their superiors and they are so brainwashed into believing that's the way to supervise that they believe they are doing their job when in reality they are just a human shield for their superiors.
April 13, 2017 at 4:50pm Adams State's Office of Equal Opportunity is a source of many problems for many people. It is presented as a neutral space to resolve an issue but its administrative oversight and current cronyism undermine any equitable outcome. I used to think the OEO was simply a closet employees could ineffectually shout into, but now I see that it is actually a coercive tool that the administration uses to ferret out dissent and tag employees for removal. When filing a compliant with the OEO, the deck is stacked against employees and most complaints are swept under the rug, buried, or found to be “meritless” (even when outside review would conclude otherwise). I can't tell you how many people have told me that they felt totally disappointed, even retaliated against, because they went to the OEO. Employee grievances often aren't treated confidentially and filing a complaint will put a target on their backs for future bullying and backlash from administrators. This is among the reasons so many ASU employees have left. Next time someone has a dispute at ASU, get a lawyer like Ledonne or Elison did. Ledonne was able to have the campus ban lifted and received a $100,000 settlement while Elison was able to secure his rightfully-earned full professor promotion. Legal action seems to be the only language ASU administrators understand. And I'm sure the Colorado Attorney General's office is tired of defending ASU's ridiculous actions by now.
April 13, 2017 at 8:01am Some think the real problem with the previously mentioned investigations is that the OEO is part of the "inner circle" and often uses bully tactics themselves. It appears there are many individual relationships preventing objectivity from that position.
April 12, 2017 at 9:55pm One of the many problems in the aforementioned departments is bullying and fear-mongering. McClure calls for stronger laws against Watching Adams' alleged "cyber bullying" but yet she completely ignores, defers or hands over all complaints given to her to the OEO. All that does is put up a front that she took action to deal with those issues but yet they'll conveniently be swept under the rug and later on she'll enjoy a nice strong drink and a few holes of golf with the perpetrators.
April 12, 2017 at 9:09pm Did the investigations of Extended Studies or Computing Services yield any fruitful results? What will the investigation of Facilities Services bring? What are so many current and former employees afraid to come forward? Why do some former employees fear it will affect their current job?
April 12, 2017 at 8:51pm What makes certain employees so bullet proof? Why is Facilities Services in such a shambles? Why is Computing Services in the same condition? Why are there so many complaints about certain people in those departments and yet they are untouchable?
April 12, 2017 at 8:04am Re: April 11 and Carol Guerro-Murphy: Didn't the board just vote rejecting ASU become a sanctuary campus? And now we have faculty/staff using university resources (email) to defy the board? Uhhhh... SMH
April 11, 2017 at 4:55pm The AAUP just released their Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession and the main trends all seem to apply very strongly to Adams State. They are: Part-time employment continues to grow, Administrative pay is high and on the rise, Funding of public education remains below prerecession levels. Visualizing Change: The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2016-17
April 11, 2017 at 3:25pm Just read the email from Carol Guerrero-Murphy about the all campus forum on how to hide, obstruct justice, and generally break numerous laws to protect ILLEGAL immigrants for deportation. What the Hell is this school doing? It is totally insane to detract from the most important task set in front of everyone on this campus and that is get off probation, increase tuition, increase retention and do something new for this institution and that is make some freaking money, but NO we've got to get sidetracked by this kind of bullshit. Come on people, we live in the San Luis Valley where ILLEGAL immigrants have been deported for decades and it's never had an effect on Adams State. Yes, there are a couple of ILLEGAL immigrants going to school here and it would be a tragedy to those people, but in the big picture it will have little to no economic effect on this institution. Whereas, losing our accreditation, the retention rate declining and lower tuition will have a huge impact on our economy. I've been told from a person that attended a all campus meeting from another small college where they talked about how to survive as a small university in Colorado. In the presentation they referred to Adams State numerous times as being in a financial death spiral, with no way out. Now there's a good way to be remembered!
April 10, 2017 at 7:56pm What I want to know is how can an employee have so many claims against them, be a passive aggressive bully and yet complain when a supervisor asks him to be accountable? How can this person complain to the point they no longer answers to their supervisor, constantly miss work for another job, etc and still be employed at Adams?
April 10, 2017 at 4:34pm Some faculty member in a department other than HAPPS could really do pre-law students a service by starting a Mock Trial Club. Do not count on Crowther and his Ph.D JD boy . They started one years ago and watched it die. Backen does not give a shit about students. Same with Crowther. The faculty advisor could be from any department- English, sciences, business, math, Theater, whatever. Adams have more than enough serious pre-law students to join if faculty really took it seriously. You do not have to be a political science or social science major to be pre-law. A student can major in anything and get in law school with high GPA and good score on the LSAT. So I hope some concerned faculty member will look into this and start up a serious Mock Trial Club. As an extra added bonus feature, the Mock Trial Club can request and get some of those funds MUN grabs every year. The team would go to regional competition and if good enough the finals which are frequently held in nice places like Florida. It will look great on a student's application, and a faculty member's vita. And will get Adams some positive coverage.
April 10, 2017 at 1:59pm The question is not can a week in another country be beneficial to students. The question is the fairness of a handful of students, and one selfish professor, getting the large portion of AS&F funds at the same time many, many, more students are being denied adequate funding for their projects. Again, someone needs to do a study of how much money does MUN receive each year and what percentage of total funds available do they receive? I think many readers will be very concerned.
April 8, 2017 at 4:41pm Agreed! And well said.
April 8, 2017 at 3:41pm Well, it seems like the nastiness continues. Highly distasteful. I'm with April 7 9:53pm. Let's cut it out and hone our attention on the true culprits. They love that we're distractedly tearing at each other below decks while they continue to line their pockets in first class. I've witnessed firsthand the nasty vehemence against the Model UN organization, and it speaks volumes about the poverty mentality of our campus. There is no richer or more educationally rewarding experience for students than to travel and experience other cultures. Too few ASU students get to enjoy such culturally immersive opportunities, but those who do bring back a broader awareness of the world that they can share with others. It is the rare ASU student who can afford a full semester abroad, but Model U.N. at least provides participating students with some limited, critical exposure to global perspectives. This should be celebrated, not torn down. But that is the valley way.
April 8, 2017 at 10:20am April 7, 2017 at 9:53pm---You use a lot of space and many words to actually say very little. But toward the end of your drivel you give yourself away. You can promise that any Model UN student would be happy to tell us about the hard work they put in. I guess that means you are one of those students, or the instructor. Thus, your defense of Centeno and not so subtle attack on Nealy are meaningless. How can you promise anything unless you are one of the parties? You also go on about those of us who are critical are really unaware of the truth and need to educate ourselves before we make comments here. You do not know who the critics are. They could be HAPPS students or even faculty. And who are you? Why should we believe that you KNOW what the truth is? Why should we believe that you are one of the few with real insider information? Identify yourself, or stop criticizing others who have different viewpoints. You want us the accept that anyone criticizing Centeno, defending Nealy, are really ignorant of the truth. Well, until you identify yourself I suggest you are a biased party, probably one of Centeno's sycophants.
April 7, 2017 at 9:53pm I first heard about “Watching Adams” through the rumor mill a few months ago. That was roughly around the same time Dr. Crowther’s drinking habits were first called into question (at least from what I could tell) and the discussion included questioning the Goddard’s positions on campus. I had already come to my own conclusions about the LeDonne mess, so I did not pay the site much attention. I assumed that this was just a way for dissatisfied students, faculty, and staff to vent and let off some steam about Adams State. However, in the last couple of weeks I have heard increasingly worse comments about both Dr. Elison and Dr. Centeno around campus. One student mentioned the new obsession with Dr. Centeno, and I became curious what new nonsense was being spread. In the last couple of evenings, I have spent some time reading the comments going back for months. I even delve into the archives to try to get an understanding of when some of these comments all started. Even then, I cannot figure out your obsessions with certain professors. Frustration and dissatisfaction with administration makes sense. Even blaming Dr. Crowther makes sense, at least to a point. However, there is no logical reason for venting faculty to continue focusing on their fellow professors. For students there are generally better ways to vent, especially if you are attempting to discourage other students from taking classes with these professors. The problem with Adams State does not fall on the professors. Especially on the professors in HAPPS or Psychology. The college as a whole does not care about its faculty or students. Our faculty are over-worked and under-paid. Our students lack any form of support and are currently under threat of losing the chance of a degree from an accredited university. None of which is the fault of the faculty being attacked on this site. Wanting to watch the happenings of Richardson and call administration out on their actions is far more acceptable and understanding. An earlier poster (April 5, 2017 at 6:00pm) ended their comment with “If you care about student retention, you should care about faculty retention.” Last year we lost over half of the English department, this year we are losing two incredible professors in the Psychology department. Along with the many departments that lost one professor. We need to be focusing on why so many professors are leaving Adams. Instead, it seems as though you are attempting to push professors away. Or do you not realize the kind of affect losing half of the psychology department or some of these key professors will have? A part of me wants to come to the defense of the professors coming under fire in these comments. An even bigger part of me wants to defend the HAPPS department as a whole for not renewing Dr. Nealy’s contract, especially since she seems to be a renewed focus. However, I am not entirely certain how much that will accomplish. It is obvious the people discussing such issues have never talked to someone in the department, student or faculty, to find out what happened. You all are reacting to events that you have no accurate or detailed information on. I know I will never be able to convince some of you that some of these faculty members do not deserve the hatred being spread on this site. I recognize your first-amendment right to voice your frustrations. I just encourage you to educate yourselves on a situation before you take to posting online. Talk to the professors you have problems with, or at least their students. I promise any of the Model UN students will be happy to tell you about their conferences and the amount of work they put into it. Even more students will tell you that if their favorite professor left, they are likely to transfer to a different college as well.
April 7, 2017 at 5:15pm Good detective work. I hope you take down all of this person's posts. I post frequently but have never tried to deceive readers into thinking I am multiple posters. Anyone doing this, regardless of which side of the issues they are on, should be banished!
April 7, 2017 at 1:50-2:33am [1] True dat. Hey, i'm a white dude who was a student of Dr. Nealy's. I didn't know she had left the university until it was too late. I really hate that cuz I had planned to sign up for her radical feminism course. Bring her back President McClure. [2] This African American male student support Dr. Nealy. I admired how she taught the HGP course. Very different from how my white profs taught the course. I learned that civilization didn't start in Europe, but in the "Garden of Paradise". Doesn't get any better than that because my white history professors hated her approach to such truth about the real genesis of civilization. [3] Dr. Neeley had my full support. Enjoyed the black history event she organized. Nothing of such high quality has been organized here since she left. -White male professor [4] This feminist supported Dr. Nealy. I was hired with her and the others in that group like Dr. Kirk. But I'll be leaving ASU as well. -A Hispanic female professor. [5] WTF....hell yeah, I like Dr. Nealy and supported her. -Former student of Dr. Nealy [6] In complete support of Dr. Neely. -Staff in McDaniels. [7] I supported Dr. Nealy and I'm a staff member in McDaniel Hall. -Single white female [8] I agree with previous comment. I too supported Nealy. I'm an administrator in Richardson. ----Editor's Reply: About a year ago, someone on this forum expressed concern about the motivation for logging IP addresses on these anonymous comments. This is why we do so. These above comments all originated from the same IP address and were all sent within moments of one another in the middle of the night, all purporting to be different people at Adams State University (note the deliberate effort to misspell "Nealy"). We've also received many previous comments from this IP address, including one purporting to be from “a retiring business professor!” The obsessive focus on praise for Dr. Lisa Nealy and criticism of Dr. Mari Centeno calls into question the motivation and identity of the author of these falsely-identified comments. After some investigation, we have determined that this is a clear case of astroturfing and violates our spam policy. We will no longer be publishing comments from this IP address. The author is welcome to contact us with any questions or concerns. We apologize for any disruption to our readership caused by this attempt to abuse the discussion forum.
April 6, 2017 at 11:58am The post submitted on April 6 at 3:49 AM, in regard to Dr. Centeno and Lisa Nealy was certainly not written by “a retiring business professor,”or any other professor for that matter. My guess is that it was written by one of the handful of students who didn’t drop her courses. The reality is that she was simply an awful teacher who spoke in a ridiculous affected accent. Dr. Nealy had no support whatsoever by anyone in the university. Her PIZZA-PERHAPS presentation was a disaster, mostly incomprehensible gibberish. She wouldn’t end her presentation on time, and took up most of the time from another presenter. The people who attended will probably never attend another one. Her lecture was abysmal, and the idea that anyone would be interested in stealing her research is ludicrous. After all, this is a professor that taught her students that B.CE. stands for “Before Civilization Existed.”
April 6, 2017 at 3:49am Dr. Centeno is getting what she deserves on this list serve. Look how her backstabbing has ultimately backfired. An individual cannot be sued for practicing their First Amendment Rights. Noone should feel sorry for a so-call Latina,hack, single female because I surely do not. Also, the expressions on this list serve regarding Dr. Centeno are stated facts Mr. Editor. Uuumm...seem perhaps you Mr. Editor has changed your tune about free speech. I guess you are now going to suck up to ASU after how they mistreated you???? It's a fact that Dr. Centeno was not only jealous and intimidated by Dr. Nealy, but she even tried to steal Dr. Nealy's presentation points presented at a PIZZA-PERHAPS event. And I quote, "I use some of the same variables that Dr. Nealy is using". This is what Dr. Centeno stated when she presented her presentation after Nealy presented her's. Some of the students laughed siliently at Dr. Centeno because she wasn't convincing. Clearly, Dr. Centeno was out of her league trying to compete with Dr. Nealy. Dr. Nealy's research presentation was highly specialized with sophisticated mathematical models that went over the heads of every faculty member who were in attendance that day. I talked with Dr. Nealy afterwards and found her to be a lovely person with a deep commitment to her student's success. She is a very passionate and fascinating intellectual with serious minded thinker as well as doer. Dr. Nealy is a highly trained research methodologist and statistician. I've read some of her scholarly work on the criminal justice system and religion and politics. Very impressive. I learned months later that she was not retained at the very hands of Centeno. - A retiring business professor! ----Editor's Reply: We are committed to providing an engaging and high quality forum for open discussion about Adams State University. Unfortunately, the grammatical errors and incoherent composition of posts like this aren't likely to be in the service of these objectives. You said that you're a retiring business professor? From ASU? Nonetheless, we are publishing this post, like every other before it, so readers can draw their own conclusions.
April 5, 2017 at 6:00pm April 5, 2017 at 8:57am – do you really think ASU is “purging itself for better more professional professors?” That seems doubtful. Dr. Kelso was a very accomplished and beloved faculty chair, Dr. Pipitone was very involved with taking his students to conferences and conducting research, and Dr. Kirk had just arrived with an impressive list of publications in his field. Why are so many faculty leaving ASU in their prime – some after being here only a year or two? At the same time, those who have led ASU down a path of academic and financial ruin seem to stick around for many decades, soaking up large salaries and maintaining the status quo. ASU invests resources into training and integrating faculty. When faculty leave, they take that experience with them and leave behind the relationships that form the basis for retaining students. There is a strong connection between faculty leaving and declining enrollment. If you care about student retention, you should care about faculty retention.
April 5, 2017 at 1:41pm Thank you so very much for putting an end to the of the endless bitching about the one professor. In my humble opinion, it went on way to long. How in the world does bitching about one professor help the institution with the larger picture? That out of the way, the uber liberals are bringing this "Sanctuary Campus" status back up for consideration. WTH are these people really that stupid. I understand that this is one of those liberal feel good topics but does this campus really have the luxury to spend energies on such a moot point? Like this institution can afford the possibility of losing federal funding, anyone that would promote or do anything that had the possibility to lose out on possible federal money is a self-centered dumb ass. Why I call this idea a moot point is we don't need some liberal generated label to treat each other with respect, keep the physical safety of each person on campus an absolute priority, and just treat every individual with grace. Why must we have a political driven agenda label to do what I've just listed?
April 5, 2017 at 10:07am Has anyone been following the proposition that we become a "Sanctuary School"? I think it's a great idea in theory, however I have doubts about ASU's ability to properly execute it. For one thing, I highly doubt the school will take any stance or action that has even the remotest possibility of jeopardizing our funding. I fully expect that resolution to become a sanctuary school will pass, and it will end up on all of our marketing, but we won't see any significant change in our policies or any additional protections for our students. Does anyone believe that this is going to turn into anything more than a marketing gimmick?
April 5, 2017 at 9:03am The Great Exodus continues. And the Board of Trustees remain asleep at the wheel. How's Bev working out for ya?
April 5, 2017 at 8:57am It looks like ASU is purging itself for better more professional professors.
April 5, 2017 at 7:59am Dr. Kelso left at the end of last summer and her position has not been filled. Dr. Kirk announced he is leaving last week. Dr. Pipitone announced he is leaving last week. Dr. Elison will be on sabbatical. The Psych Dept hired one new person for fall, so far.
April 4, 2017 at 7:00pm What happened to Elison and Pipitone? I do not see either one in the fall schedule. There are only three faculty left?
April 4, 2017 at 5:35pm Too bad the owner of this site, himself a victim of censorship, is now practicing it himself. ---- Editor's Reply: We have not omitted even a single comment from publication, including the dozens of yours in the past few weeks which are entirely fixated on the same topic. If you have some new information to bring to light, we will publish it. Your recent posts offers our readership no claim which has not already been discussed ad nauseam.
April 4, 2017 at 2:12am Adams State isn't the only Colorado school that is lowering academic standards for financial gain. Check out this story: Fired Because He Wouldn't Dumb Down a Course? “A new report from the American Association of University Professors alleges that Colorado’s Community College of Aurora terminated an adjunct because he refused to lower his expectations for his introductory philosophy class.” This looks to me like more abuse of adjuncts and a focus on marginalizing any faculty member who dares to stand up to administrative dictates.
April 3, 2017 at 10:37pm Who would say that Crowther is too white? Yo, that's laughable. Talking about Centeno's child on this forum is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I'm a single mom and if somebody talked about my child, you might see a Grizzly come out of the Den. Someone took it too far. Sick! - Meagan Smith
April 3, 2017 at 8:42pm THANKS ----Editor's Reply: This is likely in reference to our decision to close the "Centeno complaint center" for the time being, but we're not sure that is what this comment is in reference to.
April 3, 2017 at 8:21pm As long as Centeno is a topic on this board let me add some insider information. I come from a department in the same building. Centeno claims to be a feminist but in fact is the worst friend any woman could have. Twice in three years she has single-handedly made great efforts to deny young female academics employment in her department. Three years ago the department brought in three candidates for a political science position. All three had superb qualification. Two were males and one was a white woman. After years of complaining and making accusations about how lonely was being the only woman in the department,one would think Centeno would argue with search committee members on behalf of the clearly qualified woman. In the past Centeno constantly complained to anyone who would listen how she was the only woman in a department of seven. What happened? Not only did she not urge for offering the woman the position but she urged against her and voted against her. She had the chance to take a step to remedy past gender discrimination and what did she do? More recently, the department did hire Lisa Nealy, a published professor. Her vita looked remarkably more impressive than Centeno's. Not only was she a Ph.D with experience teaching political science, but she was also a proud African American woman. Again faced with a fork in the road- rehire Nealy for year two towards Tenure, or fire her? What did Miss Progressive Liberal Neo-Marxist Radical Latina Feminist Centeno do? She urged to have Nealy fired, voted against Nealy, and backstabbed her further by talking trash about her. Why? Could it be that Centeno only knows how to play the victim? She needs to be the only woman in the department. That gives her something to be angry about and fight. Add to this, she is very insecure, psychologically damaged, and would fear any other woman in the department would be more likeable, popular with students, popular wit colleagues. With a really sharp personable female to compete against, she would not no know what to do. Research and publish? Out of the question due to lack of intellectual curiosity. Improve her teaching techniques? How? She never attends conferences, does not have friends who have published, how could she ever be up to date? Ask her sometime, what is a dummy variable? No. All she has is Model UN. Of course, she does not only betray women trying to have access to and success in her department. She will betray and backstab new widows. Some of you may understand that. I do not take joy in exposing Centeno as a fraud. But I believe if someone Is a fraud, be their name be Novotny, Margaret, Bev, just about anyone in extended studies, or the business department, they should be exposed. ----Editor's Reply: At this point, this issue has received a great deal of exposure, largely from this same IP address for weeks on end. Now it's time to either send us hard evidence to support these claims or this topic will be closed for the foreseeable future given its dominance in the overall conversation.
April 3, 2017 at 3:11pm Crowther has been Centeno's primary enabler over the years. I'm not sure about the new administration, but under the previous administration he was essentially told he was sitting on two strikes. One more harassment allegation and he would be toast. Hence, his pathetic sucking up to the single mom. He does not really trust her, but he has to put out the image he does and is willing to give her whatever she wants. That is one hell of a dysfunctional department. As for his involvement with her, I highly doubt it. Crowther is too white. She claims to be a victim of white western oppression. In the past she would only have sex with women and men of color. More recently I get the distinct impression she is completely asexual. ----Editor's Reply: As members of this forum have discussed this topic extensively for weeks on end and are now at the point of actively speculating on someone's private sex life and the involvement of their underage children, we consider this topic closed if or until new information of a relevant nature to the public interest comes to our attention.
April 3, 2017 at 5:38am I support an audit of Centeno because she is a complete fraud. Tired of hearing about Model UN this and Model UN that which is a non-scholarly endeavor to say the least. No other female faculty here uses their parenthood status to advance their careers, so why does Centeno get away with it? Crowtherism is the reason why she get away with it. Is he possibly the father of Centeno's child? And Centeno is not a Latina. Just simply observe her skin tone....purely white pigmentation. Soooo, I will now proclaim my identity as a Native American although i am white. Go figure.
April 2, 2017 at 1:29pm I think an audit needs to be done to investigate for just how many years has Centeno and Model UN been given how much taxpayer money to take how few students on vacation junkets. I am sure she could provide all sorts of good arguments how students gain from this experience. The question is, do they? Do they actually spend any significant time at the conference? Does she book moderately priced accommodations? Do they eat at basic restaurants? It is a complete and total scam. She has been scamming taxpayers ever since she arrived here. She NEVER does research, NEVER attends any real academic conferences, NEVER presents scholarly papers, NEVER publishes, is NOT current in her field, gets mediocre students evaluations, performs no meaningful community service, and is not collegial. The sham scam Model UN is her claim to fame, and hundreds of thousands of dollars over a long period of time. And she will continue to get away with because as a single female Latina mother no one in administration has the guts to take her on.
April 2, 2017 at 1:15pm She puts her child on limits every time she complains how hard it is to be a single mother. She uses her daughter as a crutch to advance herself. Just one more example of Centeno hypocrisy.
April 2, 2017 at 12:16am Isn't there a No Child Policy at Adams? I seem to recall that children are not supposed to be on campus for long periods of time so this is a way Centeno is violating the rules and written policy. However, I guess we excuse her because she is supposedly a "Latina" and we are supposed to excuse her on those grounds. I think with all the issues that people have written about, Centeno should be looked at. Is her club traveling again anytime soon? If so, she should be questioned as to the value of these trips. I suspect it is true that these trips are her way of getting a vacation, but again, we should look the other way because of her "status". Her teaching is trash and her scholarly activities are non existent. She needs to be held to the same standards as the rest of us and stop receiving free passes for being a single mother, hispanic, and whatever else she claims to be. It is time to review Centeno and make her earn her keep like the rest of us.
April 1, 2017 at 10:17pm With those many turnovers per year, if not per semester, how can the college survive? It simply can't. The Psychology Department is down to only 3 professors. ASU is flaming out and sadly McClure hasn't expressed any real concern over this institution that will become extinct.
March 31, 2017 at 12:40pm Agreed! Leave the children ALONE!
March 31, 2017 at 8:52am Children are not off limit because remember, Centeno played the "single mom card" in order to get tenure. She brought her daughter-son into the discourse as a tool to advance her tenure and promotion bid. And it obviously worked.
March 31, 2017 at 7:40am The ASU business model: - offer a pretty good product - underpay, overwork, and fail to appreciate your sales people which drives them away - creating a shortage of sales people to service your customers - rather than fixing the three (and more) problems that drive away the sales people, just hire more - making your remaining sales people spend lots of time hiring new sales people, further reducing their time and ability to provide service to your customers - which is often wasted effort because you don't offer candidates enough money to attract them - now you have a whole new crew of sales people every year who don't know your customers, your customers don't know them, and they are too busy learning the ropes to help with advising or engaging students in the activities that lead to retention and participation in SSD and other conferences and visible activities - in other words, the quality of your product just dropped... again! - invest in infrastructure of the physical variety rather than the intellectual kind - finally blame your sales people for not being dedicated and place the responsibility for recruitment and retention on their shoulders Works like a charm, a charm that is losing us students and millions of dollars every year. Three cheers for leadership! It's that time of year again when we depressingly look forward to compiling a list of all the valuable colleagues we are losing. In addition to Matt Steffenson, last night I was told Nate Pipitone and Robert Kirk are leaving. All three will be teaching lighter loads, doing no advising or less advising, and earning more money. Beverlee, Margaret, and others will indirectly blame them for their lack of dedication because it's always easier to blame others and deny your problems. That's revolting. I've seen Matt and Nate in action and heard great things about Robert. These are big losses for our customers. We have a lot of sad students walking around because of these losses. Who will announce they are leaving next?
March 30, 2017 at 8:56pm To all the haters leveraging horrible insults: Basic rule of haters anonymous should be that children are off limits!
March 30, 2017 at 2:55am The "single Latina" has been given everything, favored over other women and men, and still she is a sour faced bitter person.
March 29, 2017 at 8:34am Centeno's child has a bigger ASU office than any prof.
March 29, 2017 at 1:09am As long as Adams is imploding and will soon be history, I nominate Crowther for VPAA. He will certainly help Bev destroy this place from within.
March 28, 2017 at 10:56pm Thoughts on Aaron Abeyta as Interim VPAA?
March 28, 2017 at 6:20pm Any student wanting to be selected by the professor to go on the Model UN Annual Vacation Abroad need only volunteer to baby sit for free.
March 28, 2017 at 11:11am Centeno is protected due to being a single female parent of a daughter who now proclaims is a male. Not only that, Crowther won't make waves due to that aspect and her teen is being homeschooled on the 3rd floor of McDaniel.
March 25, 2017 at 8:20am No, Centeno would not get tenure at another college or university, especially if it's a major research university. But even in this example, Centeno would be evaluated in research, teaching, y service. However, Adams is a mediocre teaching college void of rigour in research scholarship focused. But given Centeno's low class enrollment numbers and dismal student evaluations, clearly she shouldn't have been awarded tenure to Associate nor Full Professor. And yes, Crowther is the culprit in her promotion. He promotes faculty in that HAPPS department who are seriously deficient in all three categories of teaching, research, and service. And yes, Centeno as well as others in that department should have a post tenure review so the "swamp can be finally drained"! But in order for that to occur, the T&P Committee must also be heavily scrutinized as well because they are the ones who vote on these tenure y promotion of faculty. So, perhaps the swamp need to be drained there also and replace the committee with new members of a sound mind and of integrity, honesty, civility, and decency.
March 24, 2017 at 8:18am Perhaps Dr. (loosely) Centeno needs to be subjected to post tenure review by an outside academic group? Would someone with her record have been granted tenure and promotion at another institution? And what about subjecting the chair of that department to close scrutiny. Why does he approve clearly deficient faculty for promotion? That is where the problem begins. There is at least one other faculty members in Crowther's HAPPS department who has a checkered past regarding tenure and promotion procedures.
March 23, 2017 at 9:59pm Centeno is just one example of many who get to play by different rules. So many people have advanced at this school for no reason at all. I have never heard of anyone being a full professor and tenured without having any publications or engaged in scholarly activities. Why and how did she get to where she is? I can't imagine when I go up for full, the P&T committee isn't going to take a hard look at my scholarly activities and teaching evaluations and service to determine if I have done enough. But, Centeno gets off free and gets whatever she wants. It would be nice if I could also claim to be a feminist, scholar, and some sort of minority to get tenure and promoted. Why hasn't she published anything? Why doesn't she do research? One could question how she even is a PhD in the first place. She has no credibility in anything. I think she should go under tenure review. She is lucky to have what she has here because she could never be a professor elsewhere.
March 23, 2017 at 1:48pm If Dr. Centeno's full professor status is unwarranted, is this the lone example of undue promotion? Or are there others – within HAPPS or university wide? If so, that is a structural problem worth addressing. And how to address it? That might be worth discussing. But a few people repeatedly complaining incessantly about Dr. Centeno here will not solve anything.
March 23, 2017 at 9:00am It's not "petty" to raise awareness of an academic institution who illegally promoted a professor based on purely subjective measures instead of productivity in research/publications, teaching, and service. Centeno obviously lacks in each of these 3 categories and yet she was promoted to "full" professor. Such promotion is a violation of the faculty handbook policy(none of these knuckle headed administrators gives a damn about policy here and neither did the tenure committee who voted to award Centeno full pro). Gosh, this is simply not going away because you yourself probably love no standards when it comes to tenure. But it is a larger issue at hand here surrounding rules, policy, playing the "single mother" card because any faculty member like myself are currently on track line can holler foul ball when we go up for tenure and subsequently denied as a result of not being "single" and without child out-of-wedlock. So, yes it's not petty fixation on Centeno, it's simply rationalist thinking that propels me and others to point out these law breakers who didn't earn tenure the right legal way. Centeno didn't follow the policy that governs the process. She skated her way straight to full professorship. Perhaps Centeno should talk with Jeff who could offer her some sound advise on how to gain full professorship the legal way!
March 22, 2017 at 1:39pm March 21, 2017 at 5:15pm------------- Who the hell are you to judge what is a petty issue, what the proper ranking of issues should be? In scientific and medical research some study AIDS, others cancer, or Heart attacks, others blindness, others hospital care. They are all important. Is podiatry as important as pulmonology? Perhaps not. Is there a need for both? Absolutely. So get off your high horse and knockoff with your self righteous holier than thou attitude. If you are so wise and such a judge please stop with your anonymity and publish your name. In the mean time please spare us your tears for Centeno.
March 21, 2017 at 5:15pm Days and days of complaining about this topic, again? It seems like a petty fixation on one professor's career if you ask me. For all the major problems that ASU has to resolve for re-accreditation and financial solvency, let alone to excel as a rural university, I wouldn't place "Dr. Centeno's professorship" among the top 10 or even top 50 issues that need to be addressed. Whether she is the most popular faculty member or the most published, the most "authentic" Latina or whatever that infantile gripe is about, Dr. Centeno is nowhere close to what is really wrong with ASU.
March 21, 2017 at 12:52pm I think the point of discussion as to why Dr. Centeno is a full, tenured professor because she is a single mother and is a "minority" is valid. Why would anyone want to deny her tenure or promotion, knowing that she was likely to pull out the single mother card or her "hispanic" card? She has become a broken record by saying that she is hispanic, feminist, scholarly, and so forth, but she has not proven anything. And organizing Women's Week which has poor attendance and poor events does not count for doing anything scholarly. It is sad that Dr. Centeno is able to get tenure and be a full professor without doing anything except taking a trip to Europe every year, that does nothing except allow her to get a free trip from students. I bet you the trip they are taking this year will be nothing more than a tourist adventure. Every one else who has gone up for tenure has to show they have done scholarly work and are proficient at teaching. She has done none of these. How can a person be a full professor and never publish anything? Maybe when I go up for promotion I should take fancy trips and stop doing research, and claim to be some sort of ethnicity I am not. Dr. Centeno is discouraging. She is nothing of a professor, yet this evil bruja gets a free pass and gets to take free trips to Europe every year. Although she needs to go, she won't be hired anywhere else, because she would actually have to do something.
March 21, 2017 at 9:20am The Tenure&Promotion Committee "gave" tenure to Dr. Centeno because she is a single mother? Is this the policy now here at Adams State to just "give away" tenure due to social status? This is an all time low which reflects no standards used to evaluate faculty whom are applying for tenure. What about single fathers up for tenure? What about divorced fathers up for tenure? What about widowed fathers up for tenure? And what about heterosexual single fathers up for tenure? The T&P Committee can now use the lowest-of-low litmus test for "giving" tenure because it's certainly not "earned" around here anymore. But, I digress, Dr. Elison earned his full professorship. - A single white transgendered with three children
March 20, 2017 at 9:15pm Wow, this is really an eye-opener regarding Dr. Centeno. As a graduate of Adams State I was "forced" to enroll in one of her courses. Something was missing from her lectures. Motivation, aspiration, inspiration, knowledge of the issues all lacking from Dr. Centeno. That's why I didn't give her glaring evaluations and am very surprised she hasn't been fired. I didn't like her. - An authentic Latina!
March 20, 2017 at 8:54pm I am so glad that someone else see Dr. Centeno for what she really is: a "fake" Latina, a "fake" feminist, and a totally "fake" teacher. I took her class last semester and she taught the subject like a middle school teacher. I'm like..wtf... is this college or am i back in high school? During class, I asked her about the other course i heard a lot about on radical feminism. I asked would it be taught again and when? She simply did not answer my question at hand, but proceeded to deflect by giving a plug for her course "Women and Culture". She only said, the professor who taught that course is no longer here. I looked at Dr. Centeno and asked why she ain't here what happened? Well, i eventually dropped her class because it was void of college-level teaching that i had hoped for and didn't challenge me at all.
March 20, 2017 at 4:31pm March 20, 2017 at 12:52pm- Centeno has not published (maybe a letter to the editor), does not attend her discipline's conferences, does not do research, does not present conference papers (that would be difficult since she does not attend any conferences), lacks intellectual curiosity, and probably does not does not keep current in her field. This semester she has 45 students in four courses. Look at her department. That is the lowest average class size in her department. Check her enrollments in the general education courses HGP 110 in the fall and HGP 111 in spring. Compare her numbers with everyone else who teaches those courses. So she is not scholarly, students do not like her and will not enroll in her courses, and most of her efforts are in pressuring her Model UN enrollees to constantly sell cookies, burritos, donuts, whatever, to raise money for her European vacations. Hey Bev, here's a way to save some money. How much is she costing Adams?
March 20, 2017 at 12:52pm I agree with the previous comments about Dr. Centeno. She has done nothing but use her to promote her travels around the world. Basically, this club takes a huge trip to go play and pretend to be the United Nations. What is the good in this? What has this done for the university besides getting money to travel and play around in a different country? This is her only claim to ever being worldly and cultured. Dr. Centeno is nothing more than a mediocre professor, who stumbles through any lecture or presentation she gives, and has her favorites, all who get to travel with her and most likely earn better grades in her courses. She can't even fill a class the way her colleagues can. If she was the lone political science professor in that department, that program would see its end, because no one except her following of students take her classes. How is she a full professor? Has she published anything? Does she even do research? No. She has done nothing scholarly, but who would deny a "latina" single mother promotions or tenure? All she does it gather students she can intimidate to continue traveling around and role-playing. This is not scholarly in any way. She is as real as a $3 bill, but gets pass after pass for being a wannabe "latina" and other things she claims to be.
March 19, 2017 at 3:34pm March 17, 2017, 3:00 pm- You are right on the mark! "She is no scholar. She is only interested in having students raise money so she can travel around the world in her Model UN club. Centeno has scammed and bullied hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to get her and a handful of her sycophant students a vacation to far away places. Upon their return all they talk about, all the photos they have, are of tourist sites, bars, restaurants, not of the actual conference. They receive disproportionally higher sums of money than the students who actually participate deserve. But anyone at the ASF Senate who questions this club getting so much money is immediately labeled a woman hating racist and is on Centeno's "do not speak to" list. What a dismal, depressing, mean spirited woman she is. Unlike Jeff, she had no trouble getting full professor. Everyone knew not to deny her, even though she has no real publications, gets mediocre student evaluations, and has the lowest enrollments in her department. If she had been denied it would have obviously been because she is a Latina woman. Yeah right.
March 19, 2017 at 3:20pm With all the scandals going on at Adams let me add one more. I am sure most of the staff in Richardson Hall have NCAA brackets. I like sports myself. But most of them use their Adams STATE office computers to enter their brackets, see results, and so on. Is it ethical, legal, to use state computers for gambling? I know Ken Marquez, Frank Novotny, the ladies in HR are in the pool. Maybe I should alert the state legislature.
March 18, 2017 at 7:58pm I totally concur with the previous comment regarding Dr. Centeno's "Women Week". Given her phony stance on women issues, it's no surprise that the event lacked "real" serious intellectual discourse on feminism. Please remind me again why a deep serious intellectual and scholar such as Nealy wasn't retained in that bullshit department? Oops, I figured it out, Dr. Centeno subjectively cast a mean-spirited vote against Nealy... wow. And now she can't even organize the "Women Week" event? And I've attended these programs in the past as well as this year, but I really don't see the point anymore. Dr. Centeno marching for what cause? It certainly wasn't for women support whom skin are shades darker than hers? You are correct, Crow-ther isn't eating by himself... hilarious.
March 18, 2017 at 3:00pm I want to state how disappointed I am that Women's Week was not as lively on campus as it has been in the past. I think we have to thank Dr. Centeno for this. In my opinion, there was not as much variety in any of the events at all. Where was the excitement? What happened to males participating in events? I thought the panel on all males who identified as feminists went a long way to helping out Women's Week. In my opinion, having only all-female participation for the events is somewhat counter-productive in the true ideals of what feminism is about. With a good amount of focus on creating equality for women, Dr. Centeno and others should be reminded that anyone can be feminists, not just females. But I am not surprised. Her events during Women's Week were not great. Even her "keynote" address was unmotivated and hardly anyone participated in her march. She is no scholar. She is only interested in having students raise money so she can travel around the world in her Model UN club. Such a disappointment that she has depleted Women's Week into a joke.
March 17, 2017 at 10:01pm Congratulations Dr. Elison. Deserved! Crowther isn't the only one eating "crow".
March 17, 2017 at 12:24pm Congratulations Dr. Elison, full professor. Vindication...
March 17, 2017 at 9:02am Dr. Elison, congrats to you! Crowther is eating "crow" right about now!
March 16, 2017 at 10:13pm Congratulations Dr. Elison, your promotion is well deserved. It is nice to see things work out the way they are supposed to.
March 8, 2017 at 3:45am Given how badly Beverlee McClure bungled the ACLU lawsuit - embarrassing ASU, increasing their insurance premiums, and shredding her own credibility, one can only wonder what personal injury attorney would want to take on her case, anyway. If I were Gilmer, I would call her bluff and speak out publicly. There are MANY people who would happily contribute anonymously to a legal defense fund for Dr. Gilmer should McClure actually try to sue him. And can you imagine just how terrible it would look if she did so? What Board of Trustees would want to retain a university president who files personal injury lawsuits against former employees who speak out? Go for it, Bev.
March 7, 2017 at 9:21pm Today's forums were predictably disappointing. More of McClure pointing fingers, shirking responsibility and smearing her enemies (Gilmer and Elison). She even admitted that the forums weren't her idea. Rather some faculty reps came to her and told her she needed to do them. Why the hell aren't those people running this institution? They clearly understand the need for proper communication and transparency, unlike McClure and her minions--all sitting in the front row. The beauty of it all was her deer in the headlights look as the room filled to capacity. Her comment that we were there because we cared. Yes Beverlee we care. We always have. But not about you and your "leadership". We care to see you exit before you completely burn it to the ground along with our careers. Final observation: very, very few questions. I wonder why? Could it be the culture of fear that she seems to think equates to "respect". "Respect"...whatever!
March 7, 2017 at 9:06pm One of the beauties of positioning all of your mirrors toward the outside world is that you never have to look yourself in the face. Eventually, however, regardless of how long you ignore reality, the outside world will stare you in the face. I wonder, when that day comes, how McClure will justify her actions? At some point she'll have to admit that she's played a role in all of this. Unfortunately, for ASU students, staff, faculty, and the larger SLV community, it appears that it's going to take losing accreditation for McClure to see the light.
March 7, 2017 at 8:25pm What is McClure's side of the non-disparagement / non-disclosure agreements? She couldn't help herself today and had to deride Gilmer with the implication that she could have filed a personal lawsuit against him. So unprofessional. Let's build trust by putting down others. Then there was the slightly veiled reference to Elison. No wonder we work in a culture of fear. Glad I attended because it just verified she is hopeless as a leader. Board members, please find us someone competent.
March 7, 2017 at 8:11pm The open forums today were great! Whew! What a burden off my shoulders. Good thing we had these forums because now I truly feel like we work in a safe, happy environment.
March 6, 2017 at 4:34pm One has to wonder, at minimum, why 1) President McClure didn't disclose to the campus that she and Dr. Gilmer went to mediation or 2) that they agreed jointly on the language of the statement attributed only to him. While so often assuring the campus that she is open and transparent, McClure has evaded disclosure whenever possible. Note how ominous this mediation clause actually is: “6. Dr. Gilmer and his spouse agree not to make any disparaging remarks against the University or President McClure now or in the future. Dr. Gilmer understands that if he violates this term that President McClure has the right to exercise any legal recourse under the law against him that includes the disclosure of information in her possession.” This is reminiscent of the “thick file” that McClure would carry around campus while referring to Ledonne, claiming he was on a police watch list that didn't exist, etc. McClure seems to believe that holding “information” against people (real or fabricated) is an effective way to intimidate and control them. J. Edgar Hoover would be proud! It also gives us insight into how Richard Hall functions. When people wonder why no one is fired even after systemic wrongdoing with Extended Studies are uncovered, it is likely because so much of this “information in their possession” is collateral in exchange for continued silence. People are being bought off to remain compliant, still in on the take... or they are threatened with “legal recourse” should they speak out. Or they are just banned from campus under fictitious allegations, later settled without explanation.
March 4, 2017 at 4:09pm How sad is it that we need a website like this to get information of what's going on at the very institution in which we work? You can argue that the president was going to address these issues at the forum but we all know there was no way that was going to happen. Even now with these documents in the open we'll just get another version of BS. Great stories indeed...
March 4, 2017 at 9:36am Thank you, Watching Adams, for your ongoing service to the community. The latest round of documents you obtained and shared cast light into one of the darkest, most commonly frequented corners of ASU’s box of dirty secrets: Richardson Hall’s techniques for “disappearing” dissenting voices. Gilmer is the latest but certainly not the first in a long line of victims. The general impression the documents convey - point 6 of the mediation document, in particular - is of a vindictive, vengeful president who is willing to hold dirt over the heads of others in order to keep them silent. It's blackmail pure and simple, even if cloaked in legalistic officialspeak. Free speech is clearly alive and well at our public institution (not). What are you all so afraid of? Fear not, similar documents lie just around the bend for McClure.
March 3, 2017 at 12:12pm ---- Editor's Note: We have received and published the mediation agreement between Dr. Gilmer and President McClure for public review.
March 3, 2017 at 8:44am Is it the governor who has the power to fire university administrators and members of the BOT? They all need to go along with the alcoholic Crowther, neo-Nazi Margaret, incompetent HR tools, everyone on the business faculty, as well as extended studies. Clear out the swamp.
March 3, 2017 at 7:07am As your article points out, Gilmer's "resignation" is a "story" but not a great one. It's pure fiction and it would be laughable if it weren't indicative of why ASU is dying. When will McClure be "resigned"?
March 2, 2017 at 8:56am ---- Editor's Note: We have received and published Dr. Chris Gilmer's letter of resignation and settlement agreement for public review.
February 28, 2017 at 8:14pm Salazar is too egotistical, narcissistic, and most of all, power hungry to do what's in the best interest for ASU. As a current staff member, we all know this, but I guess somewhere deep down we ignorantly believe our current situation will change. In the meantime, McClure and her cronies as well as the BOT idly stand by as the building continues to burn. They should all be ashamed of themselves.
February 28, 2017 at 6:59pm We need to get rid of Salazar. He has no idea how to run a university. ASU is almost bankrupt because of him!
February 28, 2017 at 6:31pm … so undergrad enrollment has dropped by over 8% since Beverlee McClure arrived, Guaranteed Tuition has dropped ASU's credit rating, and the State Auditor concluded that ASU can no longer afford construction projects until it pays off its debts – with what increase in revenue? At what point does it become clear that McClure and the Board are unfit to lead Adams State University?
February 27, 2017 at 8:16pm Has McClure been fired yet? Has dirt bag EC been fired yet? Is dirt bag EC having an affair with McClure? Has Adams burned to the ground financially? Has Elison sued Adams yet? Did faculty who applied get promoted and tenured this semester? Were any other faculty denied tenure and promotion besides Elison? Bye-bye Adams C.
February 27, 2017 at 6:40pm I wonder if McClure's campus meetings have anything to do with she and Ed getting shut down when they tried to call the meeting of chairs and senators without Gilmer? What they did to Elison backfired. Trust in administration has never been lower. And trust in meeting "agendas." Any predictions on what to expect at her meetings? Remember of course, she will read or hear about anything written here. Personally, I predict that it will be one big catharsis with everyone freely sharing their deepest fears and frustrations. All will be fixed, ASU will be saved.
February 26, 2017 at 2:34pm That's a great game, 10:11! Here's my contribution, called “He Said, She Said: Disgraceful President Edition.” Trump said: "One of the things I'm going to do if I win, and I hope we do and we're certainly leading. I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money. We're going to open up those libel laws. So when The New York Times writes a hit piece which is a total disgrace or when The Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected," McClure said: “I believe that stronger laws are needed to protect victims of Internet mobs and cyber bullying. I hope others will join me in the effort to support these laws at the state and federal level. We cannot continue to allow Internet mobs to stifle the free speech of others.” Trump said: "I love the First Amendment. Nobody loves it better than me. Nobody. Who uses it more than I do?” McClure said: “ I will fight to protect the freedom of speech until my last breath, but alongside it I will fight for the preservation of civility. These cyber bullies, hiding behind freedom of speech, have in essence taken away the rights of others to speak freely by intimidating them into silence.” Trump said: "I’m against the people that make up stories and make up sources. They shouldn’t be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody’s name. Let their name be put out there. Let their name be put out. 'A source says that Donald Trump is a horrible, horrible human being.' Let ’em say it to my face. Let there be no more sources." McClure said: “It is tragically easy to sit behind a computer and lob shameful insults across the digital universe. Leveraging the tools of connectivity, meant to bring us closer together, cyber bullies use the Internet as a means to be hurtful while never having to look their victims in the eye... I am disgusted by what I've seen. These attacks have been the weapons of cowards, safely hiding behind a website to exercise their aggression.”
February 26, 2017 at 10:11am Let's play a new game, Trump or McClure? 1. He and his team or she and her team "are serving notice that a new era in media relations is coming, an era in which all criticism is by definition oppositional -- and all critics are to be treated as enemies." Answer below. 2. "It's not just that both Putin and [he / she] lie, it is that they lie in the same way and for the same purpose: blatantly, to assert power over truth itself." Answer below. 3. "A culture that has accepted that graft is the norm, that rules don't matter as much as relationships with those in power, and that people can be punished for speech and acts that remain theoretically legal -- such a culture is not easily reoriented back to constitutionalism, freedom, and public integrity." Answer below. Answers: 1. It should be obvious due to the tense that this quote was written about Trump. For McClure, it would have been written in past tense and continuing (Ledonne, HLC, Elison). 2. Can't lose on this one: Trump and McClure. Everything with extended studies is fine, all fixed last spring, HLC is being a bully. Or Ledonne is a terrorist on a State Police watchlist. Or Gilmer resigned. Hah! 3. Trick question. ASU under Svaldi and continuing down the rat hole under McClure: graft, relationships with those in power, lack of integrity - extended studies, Novotnys, Crowther, Doell, Schlaufman, Mansheim, all those who taught hundreds of students online with minimal contact... The parallels boggle the mind.
February 25, 2017 at 9:27am Reactive leadership, such as the type of leadership currently being practiced by McClure, is analogous to the high school football team who is behind in the 4th quarter with seconds left in the game and is forced to play hard defense. The Open Forum next week to discuss "trials and tribulations" is a reactive and defensive tactic that is too little, too late.
February 24, 2017 at 8:48pm Thank you, 6:35pm. I ask myself the same questions every day: What is wrong with this place? What kind of institution for higher learning is this? Is anyone out there listening? This institution is utterly diseased. It is hopelessly beyond internal repair. The idea of now discussing "grievances, fears and new ideas in a safe and open setting" takes too little, too late to a whole new level. The notion of holding bold conversations after virtually all dissenting perspectives - save Jeff's - have been run out of town is a JOKE. Except it's not funny. It's tragic. Hang in there, Jeff. This is Alamosa's version of the Salem witch trials. The fever and fervor will fade and the false accusers will disappear into the woodwork when outsiders finally come in, take over, and save the institution from itself. I can't believe that day is very far off.
February 24, 2017 at 6:35pm Here's a quick point of clarification: Thomas GILMORE was ASU's president 1995-2003. Chris GILMER was VP for Academic Affairs for about seven months before mysteriously “resigning” earlier in February. You know, this hostility towards Dr. Elison reveals some of the underlying dysfunction at Adams State. The guy has been asserting his rights as a tenured faculty member, quoting from the handbook, standing up for himself, using the legal processes available to advocate for his rightful interests, and in return he is being run down as “unstable” and deserving of “rejection.” What is wrong with this place? I guess everyone here is supposed to take it lying down, just follow the administration's orders, and exert no critical thought or speak openly. What kind of institution for higher learning is this? I hope the HLC pays attention to how faculty are being repressed.
February 24, 2017 at 2:17pm Good god, would someone please promote this very unstable man?! Mr. Elison has been rejected by his department, rejected by the promotion committee, rejected by the senate, his email outing Dr. Gilmore's insurrection against the President got Gilmore fired, and yet he continues on and on and on. Call the attorney general, show us your teaching evaluations one more time, tell us about your research, we know, you are Mr. Perfect and such a victim. One thing is sure about President McClure, she PNG'd the wrong damn person. - Not Jeff Elison, and not by a long shot!
February 24, 2017 at 11:36am Babbitt or McClure toadie.
February 23, 2017 at 4:45pm Babbitt alert at 1:45. Just the type the AAUP statement refers to: "Certainly a college or university replete with genial Babbitts is not the place to which society is likely to look for leadership."
February 23, 2017 at 4:40pm I presume 1:45 is a School of Business faculty member based on their (largely irrelevant) right-wing political diatribe. This is valuable to examine in more detail because any Adams State employee who would regard “income redistribution, social justice, etc.” as ”scary ideology” is either very confused or willfully ignorant about how public education works. The inescapable fact is that public sector education (K-12 or higher ed) is predicated upon income redistribution. It is funded by the collection and allocation of tax revenue for the purpose of investing in the future workforce and citizenry. Whether through state funding, federal student loan programs, or other government financial aid, Adams State University only exists because of “income redistribution.” So if you like collecting a paycheck from ASU, let alone believe in its charter to serve the public good of education, you should not be so quick to dismiss its funding structure as some scary “Alt-Left ideology.”
February 23, 2017 at 3:12pm Thanks 1:45, you pointed out two more violations of Handbook procedures in handling my promotion application. That makes about 5 so far. My case just keeps getting better. "the Department Chair ... may add documentation bearing upon the Faculty member’s teamwork, as described in IV.B above or any verified peer reviews" and IV.B: "any documented evidence of a lack of teamwork shall be added to the Faculty member’s evidence folder and considered when evaluating the faculty member in the category of Teaching" The Faculty Handbook-violating senate censure wasn't until a month after my promotion meeting. The faculty senate event to which you refer occurred less than 24 hours before my promotion meeting, my chair did not add this to my folder as far as I know, and the committee members who voted against me either did not tie my email to any criteria or they tried to force it under service, not teamwork as specified in the Handbook. They were improvising. In contrast, two committee members stated I had clearly met the Handbook criteria. What you think doesn't matter. It's what the Assistant Attorney General thinks and others making the subsequent recommendations or decisions. And BTW, sections of ASU's Faculty Handbook are verbatim from the AAUP. - Jeff Elison
February 23, 2017 at 2:10pm Yes 1:45pm, and who does the ASU administration work for? The people of Colorado, the students who attend, and the public at large. The source of those paychecks seems to have been forgotten at Adams State, which repeatedly violates constitutional rights, academic freedom, tenure provisions, and the public trust in favor of self enrichment and personal ego. It is little wonder that ASU rejects professional faculty organizations like AAUP in favor of its own corrupt regime. If one wants to know why the university is on academic probation, one need not look further.
February 23, 2017 at 1:45pm The post about AAUP's position on collegiality is interesting. It is consistent with much of the Alt-Left's ideology about "equity," income redistribution, social justice, etc. Innocent enough words, but scary ideology. In fact the very ideology that was rejected by the popular vote in over 30 states last November. But none of us work for the AAUP, we work for ASU, and the "Faculty Oath" you signed relates to your positions here, and here you are held to a standard of "Teamwork." If you have failed to meet the standard of "Teamwork" such as leaving your fellow senators in a lurch trying to figure out who wrote what lies about Dr. Gilmer, then that evidence and the censuring resolution of senate that followed "shall be added to the faculty member's evidence folder," per the Faculty Handbook. So go ahead and quote the AAUP, the NRA, Black Lives Matter, or Ducks Unlimited, your paycheck is not signed by any of those
February 23, 2017 at 12:49pm I used to be a work-study for computing and that place is a mess. I was insulted daily in my time there by administrators and fellow student workers who did their bidding. A few of them even think that if they continue doing what they're told despite integrity, they'll have a job once they graduate, which didn't happen for any of the previous students that were offered this. Before I left, a full time employee stood up for the students like me and put an end to it. Not at a cost of his own employment though, since then the intimidating supervisor has changed his focus on him and is doing some insane things to the poor guy. The administrator actually approached other work-studies and asked them to treat him like dirt. along with spreading rumors that he's on drugs and speculating that he takes psychiatric medications. very very shady and immoral coming from administration, especially for such a great employee and person. It's just sickening and I could no longer be a part of it.
February 23, 2017 at 10:55am From the AAUP article On Collegiality as a Criterion for Faculty Evaluation: "The current tendency to isolate collegiality as a distinct dimension of evaluation, however, poses several dangers. Historically, “collegiality” has not infrequently been associated with ensuring homogeneity and hence with practices that exclude persons on the basis of their difference from a perceived norm. The invocation of “collegiality” may also threaten academic freedom. In the heat of important decisions regarding promotion or tenure, as well as other matters involving such traditional areas of faculty responsibility as curriculum or academic hiring, collegiality may be confused with the expectation that a faculty member display “enthusiasm” or “dedication,” evince “a constructive attitude” that will “foster harmony,” or display an excessive deference to administrative or faculty decisions where these may require reasoned discussion. Such expectations are flatly contrary to elementary principles of academic freedom, which protect a faculty member’s right to dissent from the judgments of colleagues and administrators. A distinct criterion of collegiality also holds the potential of chilling faculty debate and discussion. Criticism and opposition do not necessarily conflict with collegiality. Gadflies, critics of institutional practices or collegial norms, even the occasional malcontent, have all been known to play an invaluable and constructive role in the life of academic departments and institutions. They have sometimes proved collegial in the deepest and truest sense. Certainly a college or university replete with genial Babbitts is not the place to which society is likely to look for leadership."
February 23, 2017 at 10:02am "Lost focus of non student athletes" huh. They have lost focus of all students. The administrators and staff really just take advantage to push their own agendas. Instead of working on safety for students they redo their building and have cameras covering every inch of it. Meanwhile, Student areas and parking lots where most crimes occur aren't even on the administrators radar for safety. The former police chief was fixing this, but got fired because he showed integrity. With the fancy conferences where people really just go to party, erm, social networking. Paid vacation on the company, erm, the students dollar. Often The stuff they report back from these conferences fall under the header of common knowledge, 5k to learn something that's readily available for free is just stupid. This campus only cares about the students money and ensuring the staff's own pleasure. That's why we are failing together.
February 22, 2017 at 5:58pm Of course the ASU-owned Valley Courier had the same headline: ASU Improving Its Financial Position.
February 22, 2017 at 5:15pm I see the ASU spin room is still in full effect. Compare the Denver Post's headline yesterday: “Adams State University in Alamosa is fighting deficit spending, state watchdog says - The San Luis Valley rural college can’t afford any new capital projects until it boost revenue, cuts costs” ... with the one from the ASU website: “Adams State University improving its financial position.” So anyone reading only the university's state propaganda wouldn't know that anything was wrong with ASU's financial position to begin with and also wouldn't understand what problems led to that. This misleading ASU headline comes from a long line of great hits, like when ASU initially declared legal victory with “Mediation decides in favor of Adams State University” (ASU paid $100k and lifted the ban) or when the administration trumpeted “ASU well positioned to improve debt rating” (Moody's had just downgraded the university's credit rating). I guess when you're at the bottom, it's always better to be looking up? How anyone buys what ASU is selling to the public is truly a mystery.
February 22, 2017 at 9:20am The audio from yesterday's legislative review of ASU's performance audit is fascinating. Some real gems in there, mainly how badly our huge investments in construction are now hurting us. Others: McClure: "We lost focus on the non-student athletes and how do we increase those." Most definitely! We need more non-students on campus. Extended Studies now reports directly to McClure and it will stay that way through the HLC review. That makes sense after she ousted Gilmer and considering Margaret's abilities. Now even less of the president's time will go toward raising money. Gilmer's expensive hiring and firing was never mentioned. Senator Neville: "Tell me about the Board because I'm looking at a situation where apparently some decisions were made, that the debt load was increased extremely high over the last few years to a point where it's not really sustainable. So, I'm concerned, do we have the same Board? ... We have this new focus, a little more of a fiscal responsibility focus, which apparently seemed to be lacking over the previous few years." That's an understatement.
February 21, 2017 at 10:28am I am afraid to include my name because of the campus culture of fear and retaliation. My question is - what is the highly paid Board of Trustees doing about this crisis?
February 21, 2017 at 9:51am .... and no doubt, jobs will be lost. Given ASU's negligent accounting practices, surely it should be those in charge of the books who walk the plank first. Perhaps this is a chance for Dr McClure to show real leadership. If jobs are to be lost, how about she leads this little parade over the cliff?
February 21, 2017 at 9:27am Also from the Huron Report's performance audit press release: "With tuition revenue of $5,636 per student, Adams’ tuition rates were some of the highest Huron found in its peer group and concluded that above-market tuition rate hikes might not be a viable solution to the problem." Good thing ASU raised tuition to some of the highest in its peer group prior to locking in those rates with "Guaranteed Tuition" for ASU's economically-disadvantaged students. But when you are building fancy new athletics facilities, polishing the administration building, and paying out huge salaries to senior administrators, VPs returning to faculty, and a select few department chairs and senior faculty, one must pay the bills somehow. Though in ASU's case, it has been coming up short by "$8.9 million in Fiscal Year 2015 and $6.6 million in Fiscal Year 2016."
February 21, 2017 at 8:31am If we increased enrollment by 500 students (!), we would still be losing money, based on Exhibit 23 in the auditors' report. We would need about 800 to break even. That's not going to happen quickly. Things are probably even worse than the report indicates given the fact that ASU's profits from extended studies will drop. The report and ASU's response agree we can't raise tuition substantially. Programs will be cut.
February 21, 2017 at 8:18am From the Huron Report released this morning, this should have people worried: "allocate resources strategically by considering eliminating or restructuring any financially under-performing programs as an expense reduction opportunity and investing in those financially high-performing programs that are most sustainable and impactful." Eliminating programs is the easiest way to get rid of tenured faculty. This is also worrisome: "However, for the years included in our analysis, there were challenges in calculating instructional costs and related revenues on a per-program basis because of the University’s data structures. Though not uncommon in higher education, the University’s approach to cost allocation meant that constructing more nuanced, program-specific cost analyses was beyond what could be accomplished as part of this evaluation." ASU's record keeping is so bad they couldn't even figure out which programs were doing poorly? Does administration know which programs are struggling? McClure's campus announcement about the report makes no mention of cutting programs.
February 17, 2017 at 10:33pm How can you talk about how cyber bullying is so wrong when you allowed a white folks only study group to exist on the ASU campus? How have you proved to students that you support our HSI status? Sick.
February 17, 2017 at 2:32pm Just a quick comment to say that I almost never visit this site unless Dr. McClure references it someway in her communications. If she is trying to keep people away from this site she is doing a terrible job. (you can insert your own quick jab about the terrible job she's doing in other areas) It reminds me of how I don't watch SNL unless 45 tweets about it. Wait, does that make Danny our little community's very own Alec Baldwin?
February 17, 2017 at 8:37am The Troll obsessed with Ed Crowther's web page photos needs to get a life. The discussion of the pictures is silly and clearly this person has plenty of spare time on his/her hands. The Slipper is not only a bar, but one of the most popular restaurants in town, and nobody should be ashamed having a photo taken there. Oh I forgot that the concern is really for the child in the background. Really? No one believes that. Those of us who support Ed are reluctant to post here on the Danny & Jeff show because the small handful of trolls will come back with even more hateful posts.
February 16, 2017 at 9:31pm: I think this quote from President Truman is especially appropriate: "There are some people who wish us to enact laws which would seriously damage the right of free speech and which could be used not only against subversive groups but against other groups engaged in political or other activities which were not generally popular. Such measures would not only infringe on the Bill of Rights and the basic liberties of our people; they would also undermine the very internal security they seek to protect. Laws forbidding dissent do not prevent subversive activities; they merely drive them into more secret and more dangerous channels. Police states are not secure; their history is marked by successive purges, and growing concentration camps, as their governments strike out blindly in fear of violent revolt. Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear." - Harry S. Truman, August 8th 1950
February 16, 2017 at 12:23pm Visit http://staff.adams.edu/~ercrowth/ At least he admits "After 28 years here, I'm starting to scare myself.", while sporting an older ASC shirt. He appears to enjoy MLK discussions. Apparently, he also admits to having a future (presumably at ASC/ASU) and an alter crocodilian ego as well, while standing next to a stuffed gator wearing a fishing "My alter ego and I in New Orleans (Back when I had a future!)" Is Ricky Lake or Jerry Springer available for a town hall with ASU administration, faculty and students?
February 16, 2017 at 10:00am Hey Bev, Do you really think a photo of a department head taken in a bar is appropriate for recruiting students? Think parents will be impressed? How about prospective students and their parents who have deeply held religious beliefs? Crowther was embarrassing and pathetic already with the shaggy burnt out 60s look. But now this? Is no one at all bothered by this narcissistic pagan?
February 15, 2017 at 4:40pm Sorry 2:03pm, you are factually incorrect. Rubi Slipper is private property that serves the public but is privately owned. Photographing a minor without parental consent and then publishing the photo online is legally actionable. It would take a simple cease and desist letter from a lawyer hired by the child's family to compel ASU to remove the image and there is no way the Attorney General's office would advise otherwise. But really, the problem here is that a senior faculty member's official work photo depicts him sitting at a bar. Is this truly that difficult to understand? - Not Jeff Elison
February 15, 2017 at 2:54pm I once heard that the speech we deem the most hateful and detrimental is the speech we must protect the most. It is easy to accept and agree with uncontrolled rants that fit our agenda. Whether that be personal, religious or political. In most every case that speech that fits our agenda is ever as bit hateful as speech that does not fit our agenda. Sticks and Stones my Break my Bones, but Names Will Never Hurt Me. It was true when I was five years old and whether you like it or not, it is still true today! Those that teach, say and preach otherwise are doing nothing but making our culture weaker and putting our freedoms in harm's way.
February 15, 2017 at 2:10pm While the campus at large is distracted with fighting over Liberal vs Conservative, male vs female vs non gender, etc. Which by the way is what they want, there's plenty of Liberals and Conservatives at ASU working together to line their pockets. Watch the hidden hand or shall I say the sleight of the hidden hand.
February 15, 2017 at 2:03pm This web is becoming more dumbass by the minute. Ask the hostess at the Ruby Slipper if it is a private bar and restaurant or if it is open to the public? It is public, and so are the views inside, to include any photographs that may be taken. "Jeff" (Ellisen?) proclaims to not write on the site by writing on the site and proclaims he is not "losing it" which is generally a sign you are losing it. No wonder he is PNG with his wife, PNG with the promotion committee, PNG with his department, and PNG with the senate of the faculty. Dumbass.
February 15, 2017 at 12:50pm Make this merry go round stop! Bev, LEAVE while we still have a chance to save our university, community, dignity and cultures. You are driving us further and further to the ground. You have continued to lie, shun my culture and my home. You came here with your flashy shoes and boots and had no intentions to create transparency. My family has a long history of attending and teaching at this university and for you to tear it down. Tú eres uña bruja mala. Your cyber bullying message is only a scapegoat to which you do on a daily basis. If you stand true to ASU send out a message that really states the issues at hand. What are you doing with my education? Will my degree be accredited? What about people's jobs? What about those who had a hand of bringing this university to probation? Talk about accountability? ME MENTISTE! Estás mintiendo!Arruinaste todo! I believe I am being sexist, no wait yo so una mujer también! I am a LBGTQ Mexicana estudiante. Maybe you too should also admit you are LBGTQ and be proud. Come out of the closet. - María José de el valle
February 15, 2017 at 12:03pm I encourage everyone to compare Dr. Gilmer's "statement" to Dr. McClure's recent rant on "cyber bullying." The style is very similar and unusual phrases like "Internet mob" appear in both. This makes it very likely that Dr. Gilmer's "statement" was actually written by Dr. McClure and required to be signed by Dr. Gilmer before he could resign in good standing. For all her bluster, she is not a very bright person.
February 15, 2017 at 11:34am Small point of fact: a pub (such as Rubi Slipper) is a private establishment - and not a public place. Photographing a minor in a private location and without parental consent, then publishing it on a website is generally not a good idea. Plus, who would want to be photographed with Crowther? That should be a crime.
February 15, 2017 at 11:25am 9:29am looks like it was written by McClure as part of a plan to PNG Elison's butt. Using words like "irrational", "seek help", "hurt someone" sounds disturbingly similar to the rhetoric that was used against Ledonne. Based on the latter case, no facts or examples are necessary for asu administration, just innuendo. From what I've seen Elison shows up, teaches classes, meets with students, and always says hello. Doing his job and nothing unusual.
February 15, 2017 at 11:03am I wrote nothing about Crowther's bar picture or the baby. I have not posted anything irrational. And I'm certainly not "losing it." - Jeff Elison
February 15, 2017 at 9:29am Jeff, it doesn't matter how much you hate Dr. Crowther, it is not illegal to meet at a pub, nor is it illegal for the baby to be photographed in a public place, as you infer in your previous message. It is feared you are "losing it" and becoming irrational in your posts and behavior. Please seek help before you hurt someone or yourself.
February 15, 2017 at 8:36am Yes, Bev, we are fighting to save the university from you. Without hyperbole, it is fair to say that you are a failure by almost every standard. For a start, during your tenure, you have failed to raise enrollment. You have failed to improve graduation rates. You have failed to raise any real money for the university. You have failed to improve ASU's Moody's rating of ASU's credit worthiness. Instead of pulling everyone together, you have widened schisms into gaping chasms. You have brought ASU into public disrepute with your failed attempt to crush LeDonne in court. You compounded that failure by lying about the outcome, saying you won when clearly you failed. You have failed to nurture talent - in fact, only last week you got rid of Gilmer who was universally recognized as a competent, savvy straight-shooter who had the expertise to straighten out the HLC mess. You take the credit for others' achievements, and blame others for your failures. Meanwhile your remuneration package has sucked nearly half a million dollars out of ASU. And all we have to show for it is ................Nothing. You are a failure. Please leave.
February 15, 2017 at 8:32am We should pass no-confidence votes in the leadership of the Board. They are responsible for employing incompetent Svaldi for many years (lots of damage) and hiring equally incompetent McClure (more damage). No university should go on like this!
February 15, 2017 at 8:20am "We cannot continue to allow Internet mobs to stifle the free speech of others," whines Dr McClure. So will she lobby for laws that also prevent her mob of sycophants from bullying her critics? I think not.
February 15, 2017 at 8:12am Dr McClure says she is "speaking out to protect my dignity." You cain't protect what you ain't got.
February 15, 2017 at 8:08am Dr McClure, you say it's cowardly to fire off anonymous criticism, but when Chris Gilmer offered his frank, honest and upfront criticism, you got rid of him. So why the hell would anyone want to stand up just you can stomp on them? What goes around, comes around. You are reaping what you've sown.
February 15, 2017 at 8:01am Cyber bullying is at least democratic if unsavory. Look at all the nastiness expressed against the likes of Elison, Waddell, Smith, Smith, Centeno, etc, but McClure is okay with that because her critics are "evil" so it's okay to hound them. As Truman said, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." And clearly McClure is having a melt-down. Time to vacate the building, Bev.
February 15, 2017 at 7:53am Why does McClure think cyber bullying is not okay but it is alright for her to publicly brand someone a terrorist, use the full resources of a university including its police department and legal services to bully a powerless and jobless former employee, to constructively dismiss others or even simply "resign" them because she doesn't like them anymore? She truly is an irony-free zone. Worse, she is an honesty-free zone.
February 15, 2017 at 2:10am Regarding McClure's cyber bullying whining: Yes, Beverlee... stronger laws are needed to censor freedom of speech. It's especially important because if that freedom of speech disagrees with you, you may then fire that individual because, after all, disagreeing with a woman is simply sexist. And yes, I am a woman. You are simply unbelievable.
February 15, 2017 at 1:03am Regarding photos and general ASU web presence... After the other lawsuits (Remember the campus cop stealing from students and the postal service?), there was this one... Coach denies threat - Trustees to review issue http://chieftain.com/coach-denies-threat/article_81523f5f-87ee-5659-8b3a-19c2770c2a47.html Do you feel that 3 years is enough time for the next link to be removed? It's even a high Google search result return, 2nd in my case for "ASU Chief". It's still hosted on an outdated and VERY insecure version of WordPress. According to this, I hope this former Chief is receiving compensation. Even if it is a Beta/Preview site. http://adams-preview.adams.edu/ps/chief.php Cyber bullying has many meanings, and Dr. McClure holds the title currently, so look into your mirrors before claiming victorious victim and running the jewels on your campus community, education, tuition and people's futures.
February 14, 2017 at 11:18pm February 14, 2017 at 3:29pm-Crowther holds department meetings off campus at bars. Either there or the Brew Pub. I suspect that probably violates state law but hey, it's Ed Crowther. The man who does whatever he wants while administrators enable him. Crowther drinks enough at these meetings that surely his blood alcohol count is in excess of state law so perhaps he will be in the newspaper again soon. Take a good look at this man everyone. This is a photo of a truly amoral individual. He has no concept of right or wrong. His narcissism has no limit. In many ways he typifies everything that is wrong at Adams.
February 14, 2017 at 3:29pm Has anyone else noticed that Ed Crowther's faculty page has a picture of him seated at Rubi Slipper, a local bar? Brilliant, especially for a guy with a history of driving under the influence. Also, I feel sorry for the baby pictured directly behind him, whose parents likely didn't give permission for the infant to appear on ASU's website.
February 13, 2017 at 5:18pm So what happens to the National Center for Historically-Underserved Students? It wasn't Beverlee or Margaret who drew all those fine people here. I'm guessing it is gone along with Gilmer. Such a waste.
February 13, 2017 at 10:17am Of course Margaret wanted the article about Gilmer's resignation to be removed. It points out that she applied for the VPAA Position but it was painfully obvious during the interview that she had no idea what she was doing; the search committee refused to hire her and would have failed the search had Gilmer not accepted. Plus, McClure was in no position to install Margaret as VPAA against everyone's wishes after just having lost the ACLU lawsuit. The article also points out the feud between Gilmer and McClure was largely over his high level of competence and her embarrassing degree of incompetence in dealing with the HLC.
February 13, 2017 at 8:40am The article about Margaret Doell interfering with free speech would be unbelievable, if this weren't ASU. Any critical free speech is seen as a threat to be squashed. Maybe she can send Crowther to Antonito to beat them up.
February 12, 2017 at 8:18am It seems like almost everyone I talk to has applied elsewhere or at least thought about it. My point about the health-care worker was: community members are paying attention and they are worried.
February 12, 2017 at 8:13am Dr. Gilmer is a smart man. He clearly knows something and risks severe retaliation if he exposes it, so he saved himself and exited from the sh*tshow. Has anyone mentioned the "hiring freeze?"
February 11, 2017 at 10:46pm Similar story for me! I rented in Alamosa because I never felt like ASU was a reliable or stable long-term employer. Ironically, senior administrators said they wished they could convince more young faculty to buy a home, start a family, and stay at ASU. But the problem is, ASU doesn't treat its employees with nearly enough value or appreciation to make it feel like home. I know so many faculty (and even some staff) who are eyeing the door and applying elsewhere as often as possible.
February 11, 2017 at 7:32pm A health-care worker here in Alamosa told me he and his wife didn't buy a house since they moved here 3 years ago because ASU is too screwed up; and now, after hearing about Gilmer's "resignation" he's thankful they didn't.
February 11, 2017 at 6:05pm Predictably, there is still no information on the ASU website about Dr. Gilmer's resignation. It tends to be the last place to find out what is going on at Adams State. The Valley Courier ran this article yesterday, which is basically a re-arranging of Dr. Gilmer's “statement” that itself remains a mystery. The only additional information it contains is from the already-unreliable statements of BOT Chair Arnold Salazar, who famously insisted Ledonne didn't get “one dime” from the ACLU lawsuit. So here's what Salazar says, the closest to any explanation on hand: “While Dr. Gilmer's tenure at Adams State University was short, it was productive ," said Arnold Salazar, chairman of the Adams State University Board of Trustees. "Dr. Gilmer voluntarily and at his own initiation resigned his position." This leads to more questions for Salazar and company: 1. What circumstances led up to Dr. Gilmer “voluntarily and at his own initiation” resigning? Most employees who just moved across the country seven months ago do not wake up, rub their eyes, and resign from their high-paying administrator job in which they were clearly very engaged. 2. Did ASU do anything at all to try and resolve whatever matters led to this circumstance such that Dr. Gilmer could be retained? If there was mediation or some legal arbitration, just say so. Much like ASU's diminishing student body, one wonders why the institution so casually brushes off anyone and everyone who has issues with the university. It just demoralizes everyone else. 3. Does it occur to ASU's PR team that these random departures are destabilizing to employees and create a perception in the community that 1) all is not well at ASU and 2) they are being deceived about what is really going on behind the scenes? 4. There is mention made of an “interactive style which President McClure and I pledge to model together” but then Dr. Gilmer “resigns effective immediately” and cannot speak publicly, calling into question this entire statement. Does this “interactive style” include explaining what really happened to drive Gilmer out of ASU? 5. Isn't the real issue here that President McClure is a vindictive, narcissistic, and deeply insecure person who continues to cultivate a culture at ASU that drives away talented and committed people, replacing them with dutiful lackeys who lash out at any agents of change? But don't count on these questions being answered by the ASU administration anytime soon.
February 10, 2017 at 7:44pm Fire McClure NOW! We need new competent leadership!
February 10, 2017 at 7:27pm Gilmer's "resignation", an interesting euphemism, was not surprising. It is incredibly disappointing, but not surprising, it was either him or Beverlee. The Board of Trustees made the wrong choice and now we will all suffer, including our students. And so will McClure; campus is buzzing with rumors about why a competent administrator would be forced out while an incompetent president would be protected. I'm sure her days are limited. What is most surprising is how poorly McClure has handled all of this. As the previous post points out, her last two emails were total failures from a marketing, leadership perspective. She is instilling deep doubt rather than confidence. Each move shows her incompetence.
February 10, 2017 at 3:55pm So Dr. McClure emailed the campus to try and calm everyone down before the weekend. Here's my favorite quote: "I know that for many Dr. Gilmer's resignation was an unexpected turn of events and it has created some uncertainty and many questions." The next sentence should read: “And I am not going to answer any of them. Instead, I will distract you with empty verbiage about how much I value each of you, until you say something against my actions, and then I'll publicly humiliate you and drive you out of ASU.” Here are a few questions that faculty have at this point: 1. Why does Dr. Gilmer's statement, which appears to be in fulfillment of the terms from a settlement, not mention anything about resigning or transitioning out of his office? 2. Why is Dr. Gilmer publicly silent about his reason for leaving ASU and why can't he speak further? In other words, why did he sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of his settlement, unlike Ledonne? 3. Most of all, why was a well-qualified academic professional removed from his position after only six months of service? Was it because they were about the most impressive six months any ASU administrator has put in to actually identify and reform the problems with ASU? Isn't the real message here: “if you expose the depth of our problems, you're the problem and will be removed”?
February 10, 2017 at 3:31pm I believe I've now read all the relevant documents, including Jeff Elison's purportedly offensive email, and I haven't read anything that even remotely justifies his censure by the Faculty Senate. What I have seen is the kind of robust political debate that ought to be protected rather than shut down. Elison's comments here on WA have been consistently civil, in sharp contrast to those of some of his petty detractors.
February 10, 2017 at 2:47pm The university president setting up mirrors pointed at her rival employee's residential window? Taking a faculty's private email about removing the president and posting it around the office building and in bathrooms? Secretly recording public campus meetings to prove the president said a former employee is on a police watchlist that doesn't exist? Jesus Christ, this must be the most toxic and dysfunctional university campus in the United States! Any outsider reading this week's comments can see that it will take more to solve this than a weekend retreat in Taos or even on the high-end estate of the Salazar Ranch. Adams State's major problem is not Beverlee McClure or Danny Ledonne or Extended Studies or the HLC. It is actually the same problem America is experiencing right now. It is a lack of basic trust, respect, transparency or camaraderie. Until you have that, no budget will really work and no department will ever get along. This website isn't causing that, it is exposing how profoundly rotted the ASU Campus culture really is. It should be entirely obvious that the solution to ASU's (or the USA's) problems isn't banning people, driving them away, or shunning them until they leave. We must find ways to listen to each other and work together under competent and supportive leadership. The administration needs to be cleared out and replaced while the employees need to take a hard look at how to be supportive, trusting, civil and cooperative.
February 10, 2017 at 2:24pm "So one of them lied, Elison or Gilmer. ... In this same email Elison lies about the classified staff being in on the deal." You are over-interpreting a personal email w/o speaking to the author. I've explained elsewhere, including a very long email to all senators, that I was projecting my hoped-for outcome of the riff between President McClure and VPAA Gilmer. I hoped the Board would understand that he was far more important to the success of ASU. He said he would talk to the Board about faculty concerns regarding Extended Studies and HLC as part of his job; I added my hopes. I took liberties in an informal personal email, but neither of us lied. Similarly, I took the liberty of referring to Dr. Gilmer as "provost" as a short-cut appropriate for the intended audience. Regarding the classified staff, I meant a different group of employees, but used the wrong term. No lie there either. Funny how NO ONE has bothered to ask me about any of this. Hell, I wasn't even invited to my own trial! Send me an email or stop by my office and I can share with you the 18-page attachment from my email to senators. Oddly, I haven't seen that one posted on bulletin boards or bathroom walls. - Jeff Elison
February 10, 2017 at 1:58pm What would a march to support Dr. Gilmer achieve? Probably nothing, of course – just like the march to support Dr. McClure. My point is simply that it is revealing what this institution pretends to care about as a matter of public relations.
February 10, 2017 at 1:53pm What's a march on ASU campus gonna achieve? Regardless of the cause the best it can accomplish is make the front page of the Paw Print.
February 10, 2017 at 1:47pm ASU has always had a "secret society" atmosphere to it. Before McClure there were others at the helm who had goons reflective of them and now they've just been replaced with goons reflective of McClure. ASU is just a microcosm of what's been going on in this country for the last few administrations. We must not fail to keep our eye on the campus as a whole though because there are rogue groups scattered about that are just as vile and corrupt that don't get noticed. Just like carbon monoxide. Beware of the silent killers.
February 10, 2017 at 1:42pm Why isn't there a march called "Standing Strong for Dr. Gilmer"? He certainly did more to improve ASU than McClure has... if Beez, Carol GM, etc. really want to unite faculty, they should start by organizing support for Dr. Gilmer.
February 10, 2017 at 1:37pm How did Elison cause Gilmer's departure? With his email of December 11, which others had and I found tacked to a bulletin board in one of the buildings. Elison wrote: "I met with him (Gilmer) last week and he said he will speak to the Board of Trustees this week about removing the president." Gilmer denied that in front of the faculty senate. So one of them lied, Elison or Gilmer. In this case it is believed Gilmer lied so Elison got him fired by outing him. In this same email Elison lies about the classified staff being in on the deal. Now we have Gilmer gone - good. Elison exposed as a liar, publicly censured, not promoted, and out of the house on his ear. All of this is earned and well deserved. He is disgraced and should leave.
February 10, 2017 at 1:24pm I have immense respect for Dr. Elison and great admiration for the strength of character and fortitude he is displaying while being openly flayed by his so-called "colleagues". I know he is sincere when he states, that "I honestly believe Beez and others feel we've reached a point where we need to try something new", and do not doubt they've finally reached this point. Finally. They should have long ago. But if the faculty honestly want to try something new and hold a truly candid discussion, it should be organized by someone - anyone - other than McClure's apologist and bully-in-chief, Beez Schell. It's always the same moderators, always the same mock theater, always the same predetermined "anticipated outcomes" (to quote the invitation). How about some fresh faculty voices? Or better yet, perhaps staff should facilitate their conversation. Faculty might learn a thing or two about collegiality.
February 10, 2017 at 1:03pm Based on first-hand knowledge, I can assure you that Dr. Gilmer did not "resign" because of Watching Adams. That is the kind of incredulous cop-out that keeps people from critically thinking about what is really wrong with ASU.
February 10, 2017 at 12:37pm "11:57am", you made me smile. Or perhaps guffaw. How, pray, are Elison and Ledonne "responsible" for Gilmer's departure? At least back up your emotional outbursts with some semblance of rationalization. How else could anyone take you seriously?
February 10, 2017 at 12:06pm Re: feel sorry for Elison... That's not karma. That's retaliation by individuals who can't handle the truth. Jeff will be vindicated.
February 10, 2017 at 11:57am Elison, Ledonne, and the other trolls behind this site are really the ones responsible for Dr. Gilmer's departure, although they will never admit it.
February 10, 2017 at 11:53am Commenter "Feb 10 at 10:32am" perfectly articulates the intimidation heaped upon anyone who has a point of view that does not suit McClure and her acolytes. It proves the claim first made nearly two years ago that freedom of speech is dead at ASU, and that those who have the temerity to speak out are soundly trounced. Should - or perhaps when - ASU finds itself entangled in another law suit, this commenter's contribution is perfect proof of malice and vengeance by administrators, and confirms other testimony that most employees are too fearful to speak out. Only the morally strong and personally resilient, like Elison, have the willingness to speak out. Even his enemies should toast his courage.
February 10, 2017 at 11:46am "One has to almost feel sorry for Elison." Awww, so sweet of you. Don't bust a gut straining to find empathy. I don't feel sorry for myself, so you don't need to. In the grand scheme of things, these are pretty manageable issues, mostly first-world problems. The promotion process isn't over yet. The censure "hearing" was a Kangaroo Court, set up to be an ambush, which I did not attend due to having the flu and not having been told about it. Nor was it on the agenda. Who puts someone on trial without telling them and then holds the trial when the defendant isn't there to speak for himself? You can listen to the senate recording if you really want an answer. (Hint: Ed Crowther and Zena Buser) I won't miss Senate. There's a reason they call it service. I won't comment on my marriage, just as you should not have. Life is good! - Jeff Elison
February 10, 2017 at 11:31am Regarding February 10, 2017 at 10:32am: Wow. Good luck with that collegial chat, faculty. You need it.
February 10, 2017 at 10:32am One has to almost feel sorry for Elison. In a period of a couple of months, he is denied promotion, censured by the Faculty Senate, removed as the Psychology representative to the Senate, is experiencing some serious marital discord, and is forced to bunk with Pipitone. When karma comes a visiting, it is harsh and brutal. Bad times.
February 10, 2017 at 8:05am "Does anyone really think this event will prove anything other than a highly structured, artificially engineered attempt to ... ? " I hope so. I honestly believe Beez and others feel we've reached a point where we need to try something new. From what I know, this meeting will be anything but highly structured. How artificial it is will depend on people's willingness to listen to each other and speak up honestly. I agree 100% that the state of ASU affects everyone. I seriously hope staff will hold a similar meeting. - Jeff Elison
February 10, 2017 at 8:04am Re: February 9 at 9:03pm, BRAVO! Standing ovation for an outstanding observation! Thank you for articulating what I was too pissed to put into words! Yes inclusiveness is for the few at Adams State. Perfect example? Carol Murphy is no longer "faculty". She retired from that role and is now an administrator. Yet her highness is one of those calling the "faculty only" meeting. Just astounding! Way to continue the divisiveness. After all we lowly administrators and staff couldn't possibly have any skin in the game. We couldn't possibly have any ideas to save this institution. Nope leave that to the elite PhDs. After all, NONE of them are responsible for the HLC mess!
February 9, 2017 at 9:03pm Regarding today’s disaster of an ABM invitation and "disinvitation" – oh, where to start? 1. The Invitation: ---------------------- In this short message, the word “colleagues” appears twice, along with “collegial” tossed in for good measure. The word faculty appears three times, including the lovely, exclusionary statement that “This gathering will be for faculty only”. Have faculty cornered the market on being “collegial colleagues”? Does Beez the Bully really think she is in ANY position to lead campus discussions on “connecting as colleagues”? Does anyone really think this event will prove anything other than a highly structured, artificially engineered attempt to shore up the rapidly crumbling Trumpesque Age of McClure? ASU has put on these sham shows before. I recall one in 2014, led by Novotny with another Novotny on the “panel”. Principled faculty can vote their distaste for this desperate 11th hour maneuver by McClure’s cronies by not showing up. Just don’t go. 2. The Disinvitation -------------------------- And then the glorious kick in the gut: “If you received a faculty invitation, and you are not faculty, we just have to blame the abm system.” Oh, so it wasn’t their fault. It was campus technology. I suppose they also blame the glaring typo in the original invitation (“We also invite ghe group”) to technology as well? They also couldn’t bother taking time to capitalize the acronym ABM. Such care taken with their dissing, dismissive disinvitation to staff. The staff disinvitation continues: “Sorry for the confusion this may have caused. All faculty are meeting as a result of the recent resignation by the VP for Academic Affairs, which most directly impacts the teaching faculty. The primary responsibility for curriculum is held by full time faculty and the VPAA.” Oh, really! Staff, who are at will employees with no tenure protections, who have the most to lose by our rapidly unfolding disaster, are the ones "most directly impacted" by the disaster that is ASU. Administration is so selective in their determination of what concerns whom and when. Margo and others have repeatedly told us that recruitment, retention, and getting off probation are EVERYONE’s responsibility. The resignation of the VPAA is directly tied to these critical issues of survival, so staff are directly impacted, even more so than faculty. This elitist, exclusionary, entitled attitude is a major contributor to the death of this campus. The Titanic is sinking, and yet they’re still concerned about keeping the 4th class passengers below decks and clueless. It cracks me up that those who trumpet most about inclusivity, transparency, and communication are the very worst offenders. This campus is rotten to the core. I’m with the other recent commentators: CSU-Alamosa. Toss out the lot of them.
February 9, 2017 at 2:10pm It seems like people posting here are very upset. But what are we doing about it? Given that ASU is a public institution, there is a degree of shared ownership and responsibility in its success or failure. If you believe the institution is in serious trouble, consider reaching out to some or all of these organizations. You may do so anonymously, as you would here. Colorado Governor's Office Colorado Department of Higher Education Higher Learning Commission: Complaints Against an Affiliated Institution Higher Learning Commission: Third-Party Comment on an Upcoming Visit US Department of Education - Title V
February 9, 2017 at 11:44am As far as supervisors stepping up goes, I agree but at times they have been unjustly criticized for just asking people to do their jobs. Let's face it, supervisors aren't there to be somebody's moral or ethical barometer either. These people abuse their time in and out of work due to their own lack of a moral compass and a lot of people clamoring for supervisors to step up and crack down on so and so... Do they really want that? Most of those who cry loudest are doing the same thing so if the other person gets "cracked down on" then that other person is going to have to let go of their cozy life too. Some people are their own supervisor and they give themselves plenty of liberties and only run to their supervisor to complain about someone else.
February 9, 2017 at 10:02am Damn, who's left at Adams? Goodbye Adams College, you are a piece of garbage forcing out Dr. Gilmer. And the rest of us who haven't been forced out will be soon and very soon. Those dirty wicked bastards and their firing squad Crowther, McClure, Doell, Novotny, will get what's coming to them... wickedness begets wickedness. They all have a special place in hell! Pathetic Adams College...more like Adams State Middle School. Not a real college.
February 9, 2017 at 9:01am In regards to the abusers of flex time; they are everywhere. One problem with Richardson Hall being the main focus of all the goings on is that it takes the focus off other people in other buildings who are constantly missing and the list of reasons is endless. Many times they find the furthest places (out of Alamosa) when it comes to appointments and their excuse is the quality of service is better. As far as the ones who. "stay in their office"? Don't be fooled.
February 8, 2017 at 4:55pm Since he is a poet, maybe Dr. Gilmer's resignation letter should be this poem - a variation on the original by anti-Nazi theologian, Martin Niemöller: First they came for the non-employees, and I did not speak out Because I was an employee. Then they came for the staff, and I did not speak out Because I was a faculty member. Then they came for adjunct instructors, and I did not speak out Because I was a tenured professor. Then they came for the tenured professors, and I did not speak out Because I was a senior administrator. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak.
February 8, 2017 at 1:42pm Isn't it stealing money when someone abuses their flex time? Isn't it also wrong to be gone from the office and not make note of time away on time sheets, which is a way to steal money? I see this as a huge problem on this campus that many abuse on a regular basis. People who are constantly away from their office and doing personal business while on the clock. It doesn't take much to see this. Just walk around campus and you will see how many people are "busy" instead of being in their offices. No wonder why so much goes undone here. Some of the biggest violators are people in the Library and Richardson Hall, who are frequently gone (mostly to run personal errands). Supervisors need to step up and stop letting people get away with this!
February 8, 2017 at 9:09am I like the sound of "CSU-Alamosa." That was a proposal a number of years ago; however, I don't think CSU wanted us under their umbrella.
February 8, 2017 at 8:55am While we're at it look into all the staff that abuses flex time (all while complaining about how others do it and not look at themselves) and spend time during work hours working on their degree instead of doing their job. That's been one of the biggest issues that has undermined ASU and goes unnoticed. Flex time is there for a good reason but it's abused and rarely ever made up.
February 8, 2017 at 7:39am Based on the "goodbye Dr. Gilmer" comment, I'm guessing some people see his "resignation" as a win. It's not. It's not a win for ASU, not a win for students, not a win for faculty, not a win for higher education. And it's certainly not a win for administration. President McClure's odd email with its even odder attachment paint a pretty clear picture. Chris Gilmer was forced out by the McClure-Doell-Crowther Bully Squad. They couldn't work with him, so we all suffer. No one is safe. I've never heard so much anti-administration buzz on campus before.
February 7, 2017 at 10:40pm Fire all in administration, including department chairs. Carefully review each faculty member. ASU is closed and control given over to Colorado State University. CSU will run what was ASU. They will supervise everything, put their people in place, and in five years the institution will have a better reputation as a real university than it has ever had. Do it. Colorado State University-Alamosa.
February 7, 2017 at 6:15pm Answer: HELL NO!!!! You are spot on regarding language and propaganda. I expect Margo to be named "interim" soon. This is complete bullshit! For all of you McClure supporters, you'd better get your CVs in order. We will all be looking for jobs soon!
February 7, 2017 at 11:06am Question: Does anyone really believe Dr. Gilmer wrote his "statement" of his original ideas? Or that he wrote it at all? Answer: The entire text is structured as a pro-administration propaganda document, praising Dr. McClure, shaming Watching Adams (like that had anything to do with the HLC or his resignation), and cheering on "positivity" even as he resigns "effective immediately." It isn't even written with any of the obvious gift for language that Dr. Gilmer has but certainly smacks of the trite, juvenile, simplistic thinking of B. Jeffries, er... Beverlee McClure! More total and utter nonsense from the ASU administration. Hopefully some of the smart folks left at Adams can see through such a thin veneer of self-promotion from an out-of-control, vindictive university president. It's the written equivalent of the fiddle solo played at the fall of the Roman Empire. Sincerely, the "Internet mob"
February 7, 2017 at 8:25am Dr. Gilmer states the following in his non-resignation letter: “Beginning in November 2016, President Beverlee McClure has been accused of (1) discrimination against protected groups and at-risk populations, (2) creating hostile work environments, (3) retaliating against those she did not like, and (4) harboring homophobic tendencies. Concerns President McClure and I might have had about each other resulted from misunderstanding and miscommunication. Based on fuller understanding and better communication between us, I do not make these accusations against her.” That’s quite a list of non-accusations. By the issuance of this non-resignation letter and the sudden departure and resignation, one can get the feeling that something is rotten in the state Denmark, to quote the Bard. Was Chris paid off with ASU dollars that it can’t afford to spend in order to avoid yet another losing legal battle? Why is there not an actual letter of resignation instead of an odd letter full of non-accusations with a “roll up your sleeves and join us in fixing our problems” attitude? There is no hint of resignation in that statement. If Dr. Gilmer was abruptly ousted, as is in keeping with the fine tradition of ASU then we could possibly project that this list of non-accusations can become the basis of yet another lawsuit. If there is an open call for character witnesses against Beverlee in such a suit, she has an ever-growing collection of joiners to that witness roster. But hey, look on the “bright side”, Maggie gets to have her dreams come true. Bev’s gal pal, (no collusion or nepotism here) Margot gets to be VPAA for more than a day. YAY!!! Aren’t you all pleased as punch now! I’m sure she will do a fine job as usual in preparing the institution for the HLC review. AND remember, if you’re in good with the RIGHT crowd, your dreams may come true too! Something else to wonder about, now that Bev’s voodoo hex has succeeded in ousting yet another foe, let’s see if she continues her “native American” tradition of placing mirrors in here windows affixed on her intended target’s residence.
February 6, 2017 at 8:17pm Chris Gilmer: one of just many - far too many - forced out by a toxic administration. When does it end? Given that Gilmer's statement is clearly not a resignation, why does McClure explicitly link it as such in her announcement? She is such a rank amateur. Amateur! Her statement, despite its terse, side eyes "compliment", will only lead to rampant speculation across campus and the valley. Bev, you are an utter fraud and fake, head to toe. You expose yourself more and more everyday. You may feel momentarily triumphant in driving yet another decent employee into exile, but just look in one of your mirrors if you dare - your own special day fast approaches.
February 6, 2017 at 7:41pm Gilmer's letter certainly was not a resignation letter. Dated Saturday, it sounds like he was still hoping for the best for ASU and to continue working here. What happened on Sunday? The fact that McClure sent the link in her very brief announcement just goes to show she doesn't understand people, marketing, or business. It raises far more questions than it answers. Chris Gilmer: forced out by a toxic administration.
February 6, 2017 at 6:10pm Who needs to be competent when you have mirrors? I guess they worked. They drove away one of the very few decent administrators we've had in years. Good guys: zero; Evil: the count just keeps growing. Our chances with HLC just dropped like a rock.
February 6, 2017 at 4:26pm Do any citizens, taxpayers, parents, care about the corruption at Adams? Does the public care about how an institution is being turned into the laughing school in Colorado? Its reputation is being destroyed. Graduates with degrees will not be respected. New faculty will have no respect for a weak pathetic faculty, many with phony doctorates bought from for-profit Internet "universities." Does the public care at all how their money is being stolen by greedy, selfish, corrupt individuals like Crowther, and everybody in the business school? Do people care that the institution is being run by an incompetent, mean-spirited, witch?
February 6, 2017 at 2:17pm Re: "his office is empty. She won." God help us all!
February 6, 2017 at 1:29pm February 6, 2017 at 9:16am - HAAHAAA... This is sort of like Crowther teaching a course on non-bullying, or Centeno speaking on "Don't claim to be a victim."
February 6, 2017 at 9:49am His office is empty! She won. What a HUGE loss to ASU.
February 6, 2017 at 9:16am Zena Buser is recruiting for a workshop on principle based ethics? With opening remarks by President McClure? This must be a comedy show. It should be hilarious!
February 4, 2017 at 8:27am Goodbye President McClure.
February 3, 2017 at 10:19pm
"Goodbye Dr. Gilmer." Interesting comment. In Bev we trust. She is sure to save ASU from HLC and our financial straits with all her talents.
Secret meeting on Monday with Faculty Senate and Chairs Council, no agenda, called by Crowther on behalf of President McClure. Faculty and staff not notified. Nothing unusual there. Faculty, staff, and students go back to sleep. Those who care about ASU will be eliminated.
February 3, 2017 at 7:37pm Goodbye Dr. Gilmer.
February 3, 2017 at 4:10pm Quite the contrary, it is President McClure who has been undercutting Vice President Gilmer. Recall that he arrived on campus and quickly took initiative to determine what was wrong with Extended Studies and set about implementing those recommendations by the Mathieu report. But as her usual narcissism dictates, McClure has been impeding any real change and keeping Margaret Doell as her reliable puppet to oversee areas she has no clue how to manage or repair. And it will be to everyone's detriment given that ASU is nowhere near ready for the HLC to review these criteria. All Jeff Elison did, from his private email on his own time, was encourage people to vote in a Watching Adams poll asking for a vote of 'no confidence' in President McClure – something that should have happened long ago. According to the poll, over 60% of respondents still believe she should 'definitely' have a vote of 'no confidence' against her. Elison is guilty of engaging in popular democracy and for the interests of a better ASU. Only the vindictive elements of this twisted campus cabal would believe otherwise.
February 3, 2017 at 3:45pm Dr. Elison's unethical acts were directly against the senate, not the faculty or departments. Thus it was proper for senate to discipline him as they did. His unethical behavior was at the December meeting when his email accusing Dr. Gilmer of undercutting President McClure was read. It was also his email that accused the classified employees of opposing President McClure. (Gilmer and the classified employees both denied their involvement - so either they lied or Ellison lied). Senate President Crowther covered for Ellison as he read excerpts from the email since it impacted a support resolution they were considering. Only he and Elison knew who wrote it. Elison, the coward he is stayed silent and let his fellow senators grapple with confusion. He had a moral and ethical duty as the one who knew the truth to speak up. He chose not to, and the senate in January acted properly. Without Ben Waddell to do his thinking and to hold his hand one wonders if Ellison has the stones to continue as a senator.
February 3, 2017 at 9:35am During the meeting, senators requested time to take the resolution back to their departments. Ed and Zena pushed for a vote. A bare majority of senators voted in favor of voting that day, as opposed to taking it back to departments and/or having Jeff present to defend himself. Zena argued for shared governance, just not outside senate. Sorry faculty.
February 3, 2017 at 7:51am What a bunch of crying babies you all are. ----Editor's Reply: I have yet to meet any baby that composes written comments for a website, so perhaps this comment is misplaced? In any case, I wanted to take this opportunity to state that we consider these vague, single sentence rejoinders to be spam which add nothing to the conversation (given that they make no coherent argument or informative claim) and will not be published.
February 2, 2017 at 8:57pm Pipitone a toadie? Give me a break. You obviously don't know him. And he didn't get my email. Backen did not receive my email either, so you can leave his name out of the Great ASU Email Scandal. - Jeff Elison
February 2, 2017 at 6:39pm February 2, 2017 at 3:40pm---Backen would be a good bet. He is one of Crowther's drug suppliers.
February 2, 2017 at 5:41pm Zena Buser introduced a senate resolution to reprimand Dr. Elison, but didn't have the decency or professionalism to discuss it with her department. She accused Dr. Elison of not acting the way senators should, but he ran his resolution by his entire department and other faculty. H-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e?
February 2, 2017 at 3:40pm I am just curious. Who in Elison’s tight social circle “snitched” and turned over the fated e-mail to the powers that be. Probably not Pipitone as he is Elison’s main toadie. My money is on Backen.
February 2, 2017 at 1:06pm The February 2, 2017 at 11:45am comment makes a number of false assumptions and seems generally confused about what “success” even looks like. Ed Crowther quite obviously is not fulfilling his core duties as an educator based on his course overloads and the students who have stated he doesn't grade their work or even ensure they pass the Writing Assessment before graduating. Then there's the problem of his vindictive character with regard to other faculty, driving out many good people over the years in order to protect his own ego and financial interests. All of this, of course, at the expense of ASU's students. The irony is that many at ASU who strive to make positive steps for the university are the first to be bullied, reprimanded, or repressed for doing so. Professors who stand up for academic integrity, librarians who call for fully staffing their services, adjuncts who work long hours without adequate pay and no benefits. There are plenty of hard-working people at ASU who make less, do more, and keep the university held together even as a few people abuse the system and get ASU in major trouble with accreditors. Does anyone seriously believe those “at the top” at ASU are either lonely or successful? They throw lavish parties for themselves, wave at parades, and speak at fancy dinner events (mostly paid for by Title V funds). But are they successful given ASU's low graduation rate, downgraded credit, plummeting finances and academic probation? Whoever wrote that comment either isn't paying attention or is being paid to be inattentive.
February 2, 2017 at 11:45am Since this comment section seems to be all about taking free pot shots, I'll take one. Most of the mush mouthed dimwits posting here seem to caught in a state of arrested development. Right around junior high school. I'm sure Ed Crowther is shaking in his boots right now because his Facebook friends are deserting him! If you expect to get paid or get credit from ASU, you may be expected to work, study or come to class. It's just that simple. Show up. Make a difference. A positive difference. Maybe classes would be even easier if you'd just show up! Maybe your work life would be better if you tried to make a positive step instead of a litigious one. Seems the hardest working people at ASU are ones who get vilified for being so "powerful". The hardest working people at ASU seem to have power simply because they are willing to do some of the work no one else is willing to do. Those working to bring money into the school, to create programs, pay teachers, oh, I don't know - keep the institution open, are the ones you all keep making hurtful and small minded comments about. It's lonely at the top. Success makes you enemies. Hiring and firing makes you enemies. None of this is easy work and here at ASU, no good deed goes unpunished. I believe our website author will attest to this. I'd love to see some integrity in this comment section, but if potshots & freebies are what float your boats....have at it! Mob mentality will win.
January 31, 2017 at 11:48pm Just listened to Ali Rivera's podcast. She is a BRAVE girl!! I'm so glad she told her story. I FINALLY feel like someone understands what I have been experiencing since I have been a student at Adams. I'm so relieved that we have a Strong/out spoken advocate for students with learning disabilities.
January 31, 2017 at 11:11pm I took one of Dr. Crowther's class last semester. He can't teach. Didn't like his bizzare attitude which at times became cranky. I have to admit that I didn't learn much in his class. He gave me a C even despite my missing many days and failed the final exam. Sooo all my classmates registered in droves to sign up for his class because they knew it would be easy to pass his course! - Graduating senior ----Editor's Reply: As we stated with the comment on janitorial staff, we encourage you to contact us with more information. You may remain anonymous.
January 31, 2017 at 8:57pm 11 custodians on staff but yet custodial has 3 immediate supervisors and another above them. One would think with them being so short handed they'd have fewer supervisors and more custodians. The chain of command and Human Resources have always been aware of the short handedness year after year but they choose to go ahead and promote three from the field to sit behind a desk or drive around all day. ----Editor's Reply: We've read about this issue for some time and would like to learn more. Please contact us here and perhaps we can arrange an interview? You may remain anonymous.
January 31, 2017 at 4:35pm Maybe it's for all the non vampire bat species to see themselves that they cast a reflection unlike President McClure and the rest of her macabre ensemble of associates.
January 31, 2017 at 7:50am Great lawsuits begin here. And end here. Get yours before HLC closes the doors.
January 30, 2017 at 11:23pm An African American woman professor stood up for herself after receiving a "knife" in her back from Ed... shame on you, Ed. Courageous she was in not signing the evaluation Ed threw together. He was hit with a blazing bullet when she didn't sign it because Ed thought it would be routine where new faculty sign off on chair evaluation of their performance. No sir, not her. Ed became unglued at the actions taken by the African American woman professor. She filed an appeal with the IAC. I am told that no such committee existed that Novotny put one together with Christine Miller, Kim Kelso, and 3 other professors. Now, the African American woman professor submitted a binder of evidence with archived emails, documents, records of Ed. She was very prepared and Ed simply hated her for defending herself against contrived vicious sexist, racial, and religious attacks herald by he and his weed-smoking buddies. I learned that the IAC was a very questionable committee who failed to even read or thoroughly examine evidence submitted by the African American professor. She spoke her peace with dignity unwavering, unflinching despite the tide that railed against her. Simply, Ed didn't have a playbook for this one. She diplomatically outwitted him with pure brilliance. She is a an ultra spiritual professor whom never feared what Ed, Novotny, Loosbrock, Centeno, Goddard, Solis, and McClure were attempting to do to her. In the end, this African American woman professor schooled these corrupt clowns. That's why she was perceived as a huge threat to Ed. Ed was angry because she denied him into her inner circle. She was very selective and cautious of who she associated with here for obvious reasons. I also learn that this professor asked such profound questions of Novotny regarding the Appeals process that he had to consult with the AG office. A walking brain of policy, she knew the faculty handbook thoroughly. Whereas Ed misrepresented the handbook unable to cite correct sections of it when ask. I was deeply bothered that the IAC ruled against her when the facts were clear. But, of course, they were protecting Ed and in doing so, violated that professor's civil rights and due process. Ed and Novotny, the IAC will regret what they did to her. I am glad that she refused to be silent on this campus during her stay. Adams didn't deserve this African American woman professor because how I see it, this college will never get another intellectual, academically sound, brilliant teacher and professor. I hate Ed. Our friendship is over.
January 30, 2017 at 6:50pm January 30, 2017 at 10:01am, are you talking about the Goddard nepotism? The son has been here for several years, measuring drapes, etc. Do you know if a normal required faculty search was conducted? Who was on the committee? How many candidates were invited to campus? Sounds like more illegal activity going on under the direction of the alcoholic drunken chair.
January 30, 2017 at 6:38pm Highly-decorated, tenured faculty member Dr. Jeff Elison had his personal email critical of ASU's administration intercepted and read aloud by faculty senate president Dr. Ed Crowther - the double department chair taking huge kickbacks from the administration to do shoddy work - as grounds for Elison's denial of full professor and also his subsequent censure? Why does ASU always seem to pick on the wrong people: the ones willing to fight back? Adams State University - great lawsuits begin here!
January 30, 2017 at 1:01pm Just listened to the Jimmy Ditmar and Alexandra Rivera podcasts. "Nope. Nothing wrong going on here. Just business as usual." Marquez arbitrarily banning someone from campus is so typical. Had it been a current student, nothing would've happened because that would've been tuition dollars out the door. And unfortunately for current student Alexandra Rivera, her story is Adams State's typical "great story". Poorly advised within a broken advising structure and directly affected by the high turn over rate of faculty and staff. She seemed to have some supportive contacts but that's not enough when it's not at the institutional level. We tout ourselves for quality education at a small school but way too many students fall through the cracks for that label to be ethical or accurate.
January 30, 2017 at 10:01am Question? How does a visiting professor achieve assistant professor less than 5 years? Does not possess a Ph.d nor has applied for a Ph.d. But yet an African American women is released because she is unable to teach? Most likely due to the fact that the Sexist, alcoholic, misogynistic honey badger has his hands in the mixture.
January 30, 2017 at 9:30am I just listened to Ali Rivera's podcast. What a brave young woman! I truly hope she manages to finish her degree in her chosen field of study. And if she does that at Adams State I hope there is no retribution toward her by Beth Bonnstetter. All faculty should pay close attention to her message... but especially the administration. And Bonnstetter ought to be embarrassed. Good luck Ali!
January 30, 2017 at 7:42am The minute Ben Waddell left Adams, the target on Elison's back doubled in size. Might as well post Wanted signs around campus. President McClure, how much is the bounty that Crowther and Doell are trying to collect?
January 29, 2017 at 3:46pm Hell yes I'll stand with Dr. Elison. I loved his classes.
January 29, 2017 at 3:45pm Not surprising in the least Crowther would lump Chris Gilmer in with his attacks on Elison. Crowther is administration's soldier. He's a mercenary. He'll do anything for more money or more power. Of course Margaret would be by his side since either of them would love to have the VPAA position. Unfortunately for them, I'd bet they've risen as far as they are going to and it will be all downhill from here. That would be the best thing for ASU anyway.
January 29, 2017 at 9:27am I am upset by Jeff's plight, but far more upsetting is what senate's resolutions indicate about Chris Gilmer's situation. Obviously administration (Beverleee, Margaret, Ed) want to force Jeff to leave, and they've put plenty of time and effort into making sure it happens sooner rather than later, but their real target is Chris. Take a look at what differs between Jeff's drafted resolution and Ed's passed resolution (December). Ed ripped out all support for Chris: "Whereas we believe faculty own the curriculum; [who could get behind such a highly contentious statement?] Whereas Dr. Chris Gilmer is ASU’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, our chief academic officer; and [and this highly debatable statement?] Whereas Dr. Chris Gilmer has substantial experience with accreditation and was hired, in part, to lead ASU through this process; [and this tendentious statement?] now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the ASU Faculty Senate: 1. supports Dr. Chris Gilmer in leading ASU’s efforts to exceed HLC’s expectations, have the HLC probation lifted, and as part of those efforts, restructure Extended Studies;" Who would support such an outrageous plan? I'm guessing just about everyone on campus, other than Beverleee, Ed, and Margaret. That should scare the hell out of all of us, but senate's new resolution (January) is even more horrifying because of what they added, rather than just deleted. In the midst of seven whereas's admonishing Jeff, Crowther and Buser slipped in this little gem: "Whereas said document implicated ASU’s VPAA, who publicly denied and disclaimed any knowledge or complicity in the plans." Of course they don't flat out accuse him, but why mention it at all except to cast doubt? If administration claims they support Chris, then why would this line be added to a resolution that is all about Jeff? Maybe Beverleee's mirrors aren't solving her problems.
January 28, 2017 at 4:52pm
Who does Crowther thinks he is: "King of Teaching"? He has no merit when it comes to observing faculty teaching effectiveness when his own teaching is questionable at best. How in the world can that demonic infidel live with himself? As I look around me, I see a man (or sissy, or atheist,) who is void of a conscience because he doesn't seem to be bothered by his own corruption, lies, and criminal activity with those online courses. I am displeased by what happened to Dr. Elison as well as Dr. Nealy. Nothing is the same at Adams State anymore.
I vote to bring Nealy back and vote in support of Elison's promotion. I also vote to strip the tenure of professors who have not published academic scholarship, ("Star Wars" doesn't count), professors who give student athletes inflated grades, professors who lack standards in the classroom, professors who have swindled online students, and those professors who receive cannon balls for the sake of "anthropology", professors who do not hold a legitimate Ph.D., professors who bought their degrees online, just to name a few. What say you?
Alumina
January 28, 2017 at 11:05am I am a former student of Dr. Nealy and must respond in support. Dr. Nealy is an excellent professor whose teaching style I enjoyed. I learned a lot in her class. I love how she pushed me to think critically about the subject matter. I also love how she gave extensive feedback on writing assignments because none of my other professors took that much time to offer feedback. I also loved how she structured her tests that comprised of long essays which actually improved my writing skills. I loved the group research paper projects that challenged me to no end, but i simply enjoyed that endeavor. I really felt like a M.A. or Ph.D. student in Dr. Nealy's classes because that's how much confidence and expectations she had for me and other students. She knew we could rise to that high level of learning. Yeah, she lost me at times during lectures with her highly sophisticated vocabulary, but you know what, she would brake it down where a new born baby could understand it. The passion, commitment, and dedication Dr. Nealy exhibited in her teaching and student learning was evident. Her love for her students and helping me achieve really is what teaching is all about in my opinion. I loved her sense of humor and facial expressions really made the lectures fascinating and motivated me to want to become a professor someday. U rock Dr. Nealy! - Former student of Dr. Nealy
January 28, 2017 at 10:49am STANDING STRONG FOR JEFF ELISON! I support academic freedom, I support due process, I support free speech! I support ASU and its students! Share this message online, have a "courageous conversation" with your colleagues and friends.
January 28, 2017 at 10:28am Since my teaching has been questioned, as well as how my performance compares to Faculty Handbook criteria for promotion, here are the bare facts. Teaching: Composite average rating on evaluations has increased consistently from 2011 to present: 4.15 to 4.65 (most recent year). This steady increase is quantified by a statistically significant correlation of r = .82 between my year of service and the corresponding year-average on my evaluations. These evaluations are in spite of teaching difficult courses that many students fear: Statistics, Research Methods, and Testing and Assessment. With an average GPA of around 2.5, my evals are not the result of giving away grades. Scholarship: Presented 52 papers and posters at conferences (most with student coauthors; 7 since I joined ASU), 12 peer-reviewed journal articles (4 since I joined ASU), 3 invited book chapters (2 since I joined ASU), a book (Vertical Mind) that has sold over 4,000 copies, and another manuscript submitted. I have co-authors from the Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal. On ResearchGate, I was the most read author at ASU or in the Psychology Department every week over the 6 months leading up to my promotion application (3/22/16 – 9/12/16: ASU – 18 weeks; Department - 7 weeks). With a total of over 1500 “reads” during that time, the number of “reads” per week averaged 62, with up to 101 reads in a single week. Service: CRC, IRB, Faculty Senate and much more. Applying for promotion isn't about narcissism; it simply requires documenting one's performance. - Jeff Elison
January 28, 2017 at 10:04am Jeff's email to Senate mentions a document Matt Nehring was involved with to oppose Svaldi. Does anyone know the details? Who wrote it? Who signed it? Where was it presented? Too bad they weren't successful. We probably wouldn't be in our current situation with Extended Studies, HLC probation, and financial distress.
January 28, 2017 at 9:26am Right about now, I wonder what it must feel like for someone working in the US Federal government. The sense of unease, disorganization, fear of retaliation, budget cuts and hiring freezes, counter-intuitive and destructive policies, and a brash, incurious, narcissistic, impulsive, vindictive, pathological liar leading the entire organization. Actually, I know exactly what it must feel like because I worked at Adams State!
January 28, 2017 at 8:51am Elison is one of the best profs I've had. Whatever ASU management has against him it cant be about his teaching. And whatever you think you are doing, its effecting students. Demski canceled class because of "problems that were effecting the department" and Psych offices have been empty or doors closed. Just let Dr. Elison do what he does and does it better than most of you. Push him out the door and you'll be pushing students out to.
January 28, 2017 at 8:42am The 8:00pm comment hit the nail on the head. How far are we willing to go? Either to defend someone or to detract from actual facts. Will people continue to blame Danny for all of ASU's downfalls? Is Watching Adams to blame for our probation status and declining enrollments? Someone please answer! How far are we willing to go to have these "brave conversations" that we claim to be having? Faculty Senate may claim to have had a brave conversation when they decided to censure Dr. Elison when he wasn't even in the room. Really Brave! That example alone helps answer how far people are willing to go.
January 27, 2017 at 10:36pm As laughable as ever the "great" drunkard Crowther would say that about Dr. Nealy because it is absolutely false as well as a "scapegoat" for him. Didn't he mock her for having "too" many rules in the classroom? Isn't this the same liar who never stepped one foot into Dr. Nealy's office? Isn't this the same Crowther who mocked Dr. Nealy for being an introvert? So, what else did you expect him to say? Did you expect him to say anything positive about her? I learned from my buddy next door that Crowther never supported Dr. Nealy in anything she attempted to pursue here. He didn't even attend her panel event that was a great success, the very day after the event, he sends her a very negative email with "additional" "made-up" peer reviews written at his request. Crowther never congratulated Dr. Nealy for organizing such an awesome campus event... because maybe he never had such success. Now if Dr. Nealy's teaching had any weaknesses, and that's a big "if", well wasn't it Crowther's job as her mentor to help her? I guess not because he is the same one that hired her and witnessed her interview teaching presentation, right? So if he thought so then, why did he hire her? And why didn't he give her a chance to improve upon her teaching "if it didn't meet his standards"? I mean, if there's any truth to Crowther's statement, why didn't he help her instead of being a racist, misogynist pig? I take what Crowther says with a grain of salt. And by the way, Crowther can learn "how to teach" had he sat in on some of Dr. Nealy's lectures. Crowther is simply a born liar who puts other faculty down just to make himself look good. A retiring full professor!
January 27, 2017 at 8:00pm The other day I read an article in the Economist that discussed the United States' recent downgrade from a full democracy to a partial democracy. Many of the comments following the article talked about how unfortunate it is that our democratic norms have slipped. Others, however, and more than I would have expected, talked about how the article was mistaken. These individuals, like many others in recent months, chose to turn the attention of readers away from the declining quality of democratic governance and toward a semantical discussion about whether the US is a republic or a democracy. "We are a republic not a democracy," argued one of the commentators. Such comments distract attention away from the fact that individual rights and social equality are currently being infringed upon by the executive leader of the United States of America. Instead of focusing on the fact that Donald Trump threatens the very stability of the world, these individuals choose to emphasis rather petty distinctions between democracies and republics. They might as well say, “We really never valued democracy anyway.” As I read through this article and the subsequent comments I couldn't help but think about Adams State. Over the last several years, and especially since Dr. McClure arrived in 2015, a growing number of individuals on campus have decided to focus a great deal of time on issues that have very little to do with the stability of the institution's future. The year-long debacle with Danny Ledonne is one example. The recent focus on Dr. Elison's outspoken nature is another prime example. In Dr. Elison, Adams State has somebody who is willing to start tough conversations. He has spoken out on a number of issues, and sent emails that others might not agree with. All this aside, Dr. Elison has always acted within his constitutionally protected rights, as well as within the rights afforded to him by ASU’s faculty handbook. Despite this, in recent weeks a number of faculty members on campus have made it their business to try and get rid of Dr. Elison. "He is not good for our students and unfit to be in the classroom," they argue. Others claim that Elison doesn't have the institution's best interest in mind and therefore he must go. "He just wants to bring us down and he doesn't get our culture and what we're about. He must leave and if he doesn't we must get rid of him." The parallels between these types of comments and Mr. Trump’s poorly crafted tweets are uncanny. I know it’s difficult to distinguish the trees from the forest when one is in the thick of the woods but it truly baffles me how highly educated people fail to see these parallels. I suppose all of this reveals the limits of education as well as the tendency of fear to jade decision making. Regardless of any one individual's opinion of Dr. Ellison, the truth of the matter is the Adams State is facing a much bigger threat than any recalcitrant professor could ever present: probation and reaccreditation. Unlike Dr. Elison, the HLC may indeed bring down Adams State University. Given this, it is hard for me to understand why one of the individuals actually charged with addressing the HLC's concerns, Margaret Doell, has spent time in recent weeks touring campus with Dr. Crowther trying to round up support to get rid of Dr. Elison. This is very similar to Donald Trump's focus on ridding the nation of undocumented immigrants despite the fact that much more serious issues loom in the West Wing. It’s all smoke and mirrors, which is quite fitting given Dr. McClure’s recent proclivity to hang actual mirrors in the window’s of her home! Like many other pockets of the United States, Adams State currently exists in a space in which alternative facts are valued over actual facts. However, as ASU’s campus will come to find out soon enough, facts can only be denied for so long. Elison may be McClure's sacrificial goat of the hour but the HLC is in need of one of their own. In the end, there's an important lesson wrapped up in all this; namely, civil rights, human rights, and democracy in general, are not inalienable. Rather, they depend on the proactive attention of citizens everywhere. In this sense, the strength of such rights shouldn't be measured by the length one is willing to go to defend his or her own rights, but rather, how far one is going willing to go to defend a stranger's right to these same democratic imperatives. So ask yourself, how far would you be willing to go? Would you hang your neck out on the line for a colleague who has suffered an injustice? Your answer might tell you something about your own stability at ASU in the months to come.
January 27, 2017 at 3:44pm I have been off of Watching Adams for a while now. Just saw the story on the "mirrors in the windows". The Botox in President McClures face must be getting to her brain. How unprofessional. ASU is in need of new leadership.
January 27, 2017 at 10:02am Response to question from 1/26, 2:14. I attended Dr. Williams presentation at Adams State last week and afterward discussed with Dr. Crowther why he did not support Dr. Neely. His exact response was "because she can't teach" and "she isn't a good teacher." That was his answer. Truth or obfuscation, you can decide for yourself.
January 27, 2017 at 2:18am Crowther, despite portraying himself as the great civil rights proponent, is anti-Semitic. I heard him make racist anti-Jewish jokes against the former head of the Office of Equal Opportunity. Those who know him have heard his racist, sexist jokes on a daily basis. Karma baby. Your day is coming Crowther. You better hope your cellmate is bigger than Novotny........you will need more protection that that.
January 26, 2017 at 11:13pm If you want more information on just how abusive and dirty both Crowther and Novotny have been, scroll down and listen to the podcast with guest Stephen Roberds. How he was treated was just the beginning of how they went after Danny and then Jeff. And complicit in all of this is the HR dictator Tracy Rogers.
January 26, 2017 at 9:12pm Reading the resolution to support Gilmer, I can't imagine what our senators were thinking. They certainly weren't representing me or our students. Why don't they prioritize our success? They pass a resolution to punish Ellison, but they won't pass a resolution to fix the most pressing issue on the whole campus. Gilmer is the only one in administration who has a clue about how to lead us to success, what our students really need, what faculty really need. But let's ignore that. Don't address the real problem, McClure. As 9:54 pointed out, it's much better to act swiftly and decisively to screw over someone who actually cares, all in order to protect McClure who doesn't care. If you don't think she's halfway out the door by now, you are living in dreamland. Oh wait, most of you really are living in dreamland. And I'm living in a nightmare as I watch the institution in which I've invested my career go down the toilet of HLC non-accreditation. Thanks y'all, great job. Soon to be no jobs.
January 26, 2017 at 3:18pm Let me get this right. Crowther and other senators acted as judge, jury, and executioners without the defendant present, without ever talking to him, and without even notifying him he'd be on trial. In the same vein, Dr. Elison offered to talk to Arnold Salazar and his email implies Salazar never responded to the request. Nothing fishy here. Business as usual at ASU.
January 26, 2017 at 2:14pm I am not surprised by the bullying, intimidation, and retaliation of low-life ASU administrators here. McClure, Novotny, Crowther come to mind. Crowther is truly a vindictive, malicious, wicked spun of the Novotny's and McClure. Any of you who know how Crowther operates should know that he will and has reached the lowest forms of human behavior to cause harm, pain, and distress to good people here at ASU, which are few. But why does he get away with such egregious behavior? Why does he still have a job here? Why haven't someone put him in his rightful place: in hell. Given multiple violations of policy outlined in the faculty handbook he's committed, Crowther should have been fired years ago. And the funniest thing about this tragic toxic environment here at AS is that Crowther supposedly wrote some parts of the faculty handbook but doesn't remotely adhere to that which he has written. You know Crowther is as corrupt as any politician when he unfairly targeted the first African-American woman faculty ever hired here. A new faculty member and you go after her? For what reason did Crowther go after this brilliant professor? Well, let me tell you it is because she was highly principled, highly dignified, highly respected and respectful, highly admired, hard worker, meticulous, methodical, organized, policy-oriented, always prepared, accomplished scholar with numerous research publications, quiet, charming, nice, a non-drinker, a very graceful, with an infectious smile, and i must add, a very beautiful woman. Now i could go on and on...but you get my point. I say all this because there have been soooo many speculations as to why she wasn't retain and i needed to shed light on some of those attributes i mentioned about her that answers the speculator's inquiring mind. I am proud to have gotten to know her while she was here. I enjoyed our conversations about the issues plaguing the free world. She is an outstanding intellectual who I really miss here. Crowther and that mickey-mouse Retention committee have a lot to pay for after casting a unanimous vote(Crowther, Loosbrock, Goddard, Centeno, Solis) not to retain her. And there you have it!
January 26, 2017 at 1:13pm I hope Jeff will post his reply to the senate so those of us who support him and see the truth of what happened. I hope the ACLU and Chronicle of Higher Education are closely following this. As a retired Adams professor I can attest to everything that has been said about Crowther. He is a narcissistic back stabbing two-faced woman abusing alcoholic who has been enabled by too many administrations and individuals. He is, in realistic terms, an evil hypocritical man who along with his buddy Novotny belongs in prison being pimped out to lifers looking for sissy boys to abuse. ----Editor's Reply: This document has been published here.
January 26, 2017 at 9:54am Color me IMPRESSED! Here is faculty senate. A governing body that typically takes at least a month or TWO to take action on ANYTHING. And last week they managed to censure one of the most accomplished faculty members of ASU and voted on recommending his replacement in just ONE MEETING! Wow. It looks like efficiency is on the docket for this board for 2017. I’m assuming, of course, all the senators had already discussed this resolution with their departments so they would know how to vote. Or did they just vote assuming that they’re representing everyone in the department? Did senators and others in attendance have a chance the vet the resolution? Good questions for Dr. Crowther, senate president, and Dr. Busar and Dr. Schell (presenting senators) to answer. I wish I could say that Dr. Elison’s explanation e-mail was enlightening. But it’s not. It’s not because here we all sit, knowing that faculty senate’s actions as well as those of his promotion committee were clearly and blatantly retaliatory, and all we hear are crickets. Silence can be our only response because we ALL KNOW in the back of our minds that if we say anything “wrong”, we’ll be next, knowing that Jeff wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. How could we not? Faculty Senate performed a public hanging and Dr. Elison wasn’t even there to defend himself. Lack of shared governance, lack of transparency, lack of due process, lack of RESPECT & DECENCY, blatant retaliation, and personal views (personal emails) being used against someone professionally. ASU will be put on trial for all of these and so many other violations.
January 26, 2017 at 7:34am Oh my, this comments page! Surely ASU's administration must regret throwing Danny Ledonne out with the garbage because now he has featured all ASU's trash prominently on a website. And ASU has some truly stinky garbage! Someone wrote (December 14, 2016 at 10:51pm) that Watching Adams is "Alamosa’s very own telenovela" and I agree. It is so scandalous and shocking that people cannot turn away; everyone keeps tuning in to see what will happen next...
January 26, 2017 at 12:30am Google Beverlee J. McClure and see what comes up. Mostly bad publicity. HLC probation, but mostly a whole lot of articles about the ACLU lawsuit. How much good stuff shows up? Other than ASU propaganda, nothing positive for the school. She's a PR nightmare. Get her out of here before she does more damage.
January 25, 2017 at 11:55pm If "Crowther really put the wood to Elison" then it was rape pure and simple. Is watching rape something you enjoy? Jeff's epic 20-page reply to the other senators is quickly making the rounds. I talked to seven other staffers today who had read all or parts of it and the consensus was clear. Crowther and Buzer dreamed up their resolution as retaliation on behalf of McClure. Transparent and ineffective. Rather than putting the wood to Elison, they gave him a lite slap on the wrist and a whole shitload of evidence if he sues. Denial of promotion, repeated violations of policies, retaliation, his grounds for lawsuits are growing like weeds.
January 25, 2017 at 11:10pm 9News is going to do an investigation of our transparent campus! They ❤️ the mirrors in the window!
January 25, 2017 at 8:55pm If Adams State faculty are going to whinge about having to follow written policy (or far worse - elect not to follow it), the polices THEY authored to govern THEMSELVES - how can we ever expect them to uphold the spirit of their profession? Academic Freedom in Peril https://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=6011 "As explained in the AAUP’s founding documents, widely accepted as defining the guiding values of the academic community, for scholars to do their jobs—seeking out new knowledge and serving the common good—they must be free to research and teach their subjects as they see fit, criticize the policies of their own institutions, and voice their views on matters of public concern without fear of retaliation or retribution."
January 25, 2017 at 3:08pm I feel like Al Pacino in Godfather Part III: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." I guess WatchingAdams is like the mafia! It didn't take long for this comment to show up in my email and pull me back in to respond: "Someone leaked Dr. Elison's promotion recommendation." Thanks for the heads-up. Why am I not surprised? I seem to have been given all sorts of special treatment during this process: 1. Margaret Doell informed my department co-chairs to "notify other tenured faculty they may review the folder and write letters regarding Jeff's promotion (these can be in supportive [sic] or against)" I asked if everyone gets that special "against" reminder regarding letters of recommendation. It certainly never appears in our Faculty Handbook. 2. I was told I was the ONLY candidate for promotion or tenure who was not informally notified of the committee's vote. Did any of you other candidates experience the several week wait that I had? 3. The chair of the full professor committee was told not to give me my Promotion Summary Report, in spite of the fact that the Handbook is clear as a bell on this point: "Promotion committee chair informs the candidate in writing of the committee’s recommendation and provides a copy of the Promotion Summary Report to the candidate." I was never told who gave those orders. However, it took the Attorney General to rule on this: "The Assistant Attorney General assigned to us has responded in a timely manner that our faculty handbook, on page 45, instructs the chair of the committee to share a copy of the Promotion Summary Report with the candidate. She indicates this is the policy we should follow." Imagine that, the AG recommends following policy. Sound advice from ASU's legal counsel. There's probably a lesson in that message that ASU should apply more often. - Jeff Elison
January 25, 2017 at 2:56pm Jeff Elison was not "censored." He was "censured" by the faculty senate for his devious behavior. Censuring is essentially a public reprimand. He should do the honorable thing and resign.
January 25, 2017 at 11:31am ... So ASU is violating its own Handbook in favor of petty office politics? I feel like I have heard that one before! Many of us watching Jeff Elison's case unfold hope that more people like him are willing to stand up and fight when they are bullied and pushed down. And for those of you cheering on the retaliation against him: just remember that you could be next. Elison wasn't the first and will not be the last. What started with adjuncts and staff has now moved to tenured faculty – so nobody is safe from this campus culture of intimidation and repression.
January 25, 2017 at 8:56am I too am curious about what brought about the censoring of Jeff Elison by the Faculty Senate. What is the low down on that?
January 25, 2017 at 8:08am Expecting the VPAA to step in and intervene in the “illegal bullying” of Elison is a “fool’s errand.” After not being promoted, being censored by the Faculty Senate, and most likely sanctioned by his own department, Elison is a liability akin to toxic sludge. And I am certain that the VPAA doesn’t want any of that on his shoes.
January 25, 2017 at 8:05am Someone leaked Dr. Elison's promotion recommendation, or non-recommendation. Knowing this place, it was strategic, maybe they plan to circulate it like his email. But its likely to backfire given a few of the comments lodge serious concerns about the committee's work. "I am concerned that some of my committee colleagues may have judged his application based of their own personal standards rather than using those outlined in the Handbook." "Based on all of this, plus the positive recommendation from the department co-chairs, I see a compelling case for promotion. Yet the consideration of the committee focused almost exclusively on Dr Elison’s involvement in campus politics over the past few weeks or months." And this one is really damning. Even a member who didn't want to support Elison felt he had to, "I reluctantly support Dr Ellison for promotion to professor because our Faculty handbook and the evaluation of faculty are flawed. I have voted based on the criteria of the faculty handbook trying to minimize my personal feeling" ... in spite of disagreeing with those criteria. I'd say the stage is set for Elison to have a field day with this if he chooses to.
January 25, 2017 at 8:01am Custodial dept is always understaffed most of the year, every year but yet they have four supervisors.
January 24, 2017 at 8:16pm Would anyone care to describe exactly what happened to Jeff in the faculty senate meeting? Bonus points for resisting the temptation to editorialize!
January 24, 2017 at 8:05pm An open note to Chris Gilmer: Many on campus look up to you and sing your praises for your early demonstration of integrity and transparency in commissioning the Mathieu report. Many now look to you to salvage ASU’s future, if it still has one. Many hope that you have by now caught on to the tragicomic farce that is ASU’s “leadership”, and that you now recognize the endless, ruthless bullying of those who dare to dissent for what it is: a clear violation of both federal and state statutes prohibiting harassment and a hostile work environment. Far too many good people have already been chased out and there’s always a fresh lawsuit lurking just around the corner. It has to stop. So we now look to you to stand up and Stand Strong against the open, nasty, and patently ILLEGAL bullying of Jeff Elison. But we also wonder if you yourself have become a target of the bullying – as seems likely to anyone who knows how ASU rolls - and whether this is impacting your ability and will to continue to stand up for integrity and transparency. But if you can’t, who can? If you won’t, who will? ASU inflicts great pain on those who stand on principle and values, and we been waiting a long time for someone with sufficient power and influence to finally break the cartel, to extract the boil. People are placing their faith in you to put a halt to the rampant intimidation tactics from Richardson Hall. ASU doesn’t have a fighting chance, otherwise. Heavy lies the crown, right?
January 24, 2017 at 5:45pm No, employees shouldn't be showing up to work if they're sick. If ASU had a better nursing program, maybe that would be more obvious.
January 24, 2017 at 2:19pm I agree that Elison might have a noble goal but he went about it in a very nefarious fashion and got caught. Sick or not he should have shown up, taken the medicine like a man, and gone on about his business.
January 24, 2017 at 10:55am As others have observed, the greatest mistake anyone can make it ASU is not being well-liked, particularly by administrators and the senior faculty who dutifully follow them. The many former and current employees that ASU vilifies are guilty of nothing except outspoken advocacy for a better institution. Elison is certainly no exception! Imagine how all of this petty infighting and backbiting looks to a prospective student or their parents. Who in the world would send their child to ASU given all the institutional problems that are defended and even rewarded while those who sound the alarms are punished and ridiculed? Who will ASU retaliate against next? Will it be you?
January 24, 2017 at 10:20am This was an easy one for Crowther. Elison got caught with his pants around his ankles.
January 24, 2017 at 9:58am Elison was home with the flu yesterday and today. They did this without him having a chance to speak for himself? Sounds like the PNG all over again. When will ASU learn? When will anyone care? Maybe when it happens to someone they like.
January 24, 2017 at 9:46am Of course Crowther will take every opportunity to publicly bully people less powerful than him, particularly when he can do so to ingratiate himself with the administration to whom he is so obviously aligned. There is no easier or safer way for him to suck up than to pick on those least able to defend themselves. This is, of course, exactly the opposite of what Martin Luther King, Jr would do!
January 24, 2017 at 9:43am Facilities Services is another department that needs to be looked into for cronyism, reallocation, huge turnaround and constantly being understaffed, etc.
January 24, 2017 at 9:38am Human boil or not, Crowther really put the wood to Elison at the Faculty Senate meeting.
January 24, 2017 at 9:05am I wonder what role HR, Budget, and Finance played in these salary increases? They had to be ok this if they were not complaining.
January 24, 2017 at 8:49am Word is that Elison was censored by the Faculty Senate last evening. He got caught with his pants down and got a good spanking from the Faculty Senate. It was well deserved.
January 23, 2017 at 10:58am Ed Crowther is a boil on the butt of humanity, and rumor all over campus is that the honey badger is about to get extracted.
January 23, 2017 at 9:00am To prison with Crowther, the Novotnys, Roybal, Hensley, and Reid..............................PRISON!
January 22, 2017 at 7:36pm No matter how you slice it, law or policy, Ellen Novotny making more than twice as much as all the other people teaching extended studies is unconscionable. When money at ASU is in such short supply, her extra should have been used for something better. Didn't it cost about $200k to bring faculty up to 72.5% of CUPA? Frank and Ellen probably bilked ASU for more than that over the years. Just in 2013-2014, Ellen made around $270K combined. If half of that was from being overpaid, that's $135K in just two years.
January 22, 2017 at 4:18pm Nepotism, what the Novotnys did, is illegal in some states and some organizations. In others, it's just against organizational policy. ASU's Trustee Handbook says: "Section 3.9: Supervision of Immediate Family - It shall be deemed to be a conflict of interest for an employee to serve in a direct supervisory capacity over an immediate family member or audit, verify, receive, or be entrusted with moneys received or handled by such family member. Immediate family member includes spouses, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers and sisters." However, we all know the people at the top at ASU rarely get held accountable. Look at Walter Roybal. Why is he still allowed anywhere near Extended Studies? Why does he still have a job? Only those who speak up about problems are routinely punished at ASU.
January 22, 2017 at 12:51pm I agree with the comment that Novotny should be investigated. What he did should be against the law.
January 22, 2017 at 9:40am Re: the comment on January 21 @12:44 Racketeering comes to mind...
January 21, 2017 at 12:44pm Is Novotny being investigated by local, state, federal authorities? Certainly he violated some laws?
January 21, 2017 at 11:16am "Obesity can be caused by a variety of factors, including depression and certain medications. In these cases, an employer who discriminates against an employee based on weight can be in violation of federal employment laws. It is also important to point out that weight-based hiring restrictions can be linked to other forms of discrimination since BMI and body fat varies by age, sex and race. An employer could be perceived as having discriminatory hiring practices based on these factors in addition to weight, especially if one class was disproportionately affected by the company's policies." Apparently obesity can also be linked to poor teeth and plumbers according to McClure. I'm guessing the Nursing Department teaches our students not to mock their patients. I'm also guessing Business Management and Marketing recommend against mocking 10-30% of your employees and students. McClure: not a leader, not an educator, not a businesswoman, not respectful.
January 20, 2017 at 7:22pm Having worked with Armando Valdez before, the report that he added almost 70% to his salary - making $108k - from up to 13 job duties doesn't surprise me. He was extremely slow to respond to communications, couldn't be counted on for help most of the time, and frequently showed up with his job duties thrown-together at the last minute. School of Business faculty aren't superhuman. They are cutting lots of corners in their job in order to make 2-3 times what other faculty make at ASU. And finally, people are starting to notice and call them on it.
January 19, 2017 at 5:52pm Novotny and Crowther both belong in prison. McClure belongs in an asylum.
January 19, 2017 at 2:15pm As stated in the President’s end of semester laundry list holiday email to the campus in December, she and Walter Roybal will be presenting to Faculty Senate on Monday about Extended Studies. Since ASU hired VP Gilmer to oversee Extended Studies, why isn’t it he presenting about the division which he, presumably, oversees? Why hasn’t VP Gilmer been allowed to put forth action that this campus so very much desires and NEEDS in order to survive HLC? Is McClure THAT insecure, vindictive, and venomous that she is unable to step aside and give credit to where it’s due? Is she unable to put aside her own pride in order to do what is truly best for this institution? I am at a loss. After the Mathieu’s report there was hope that some decisive action will occur to right some previous wrongs. And yet, here we are, 4 months later, and only one month away from HLC and it “looks” like we’ve been sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting for the axe to fall. What has been happening? What is the “higher level decision making” going on without Gilmer? Way to be transparent ASU! Way to put students first!
January 19, 2017 at 10:07am Wow! Novotny and wife had a real deal. Perhaps ASU should have banned Novotny and his wife from campus instead of Ledonne.
January 18, 2017 at 9:15pm Have people seen President McClure's "welcome back" video on YouTube? Please do, but not with coffee in your mouth or you might spit it all over your computer. It starts with her proudly announcing that "last year was a great year for the university" and the ridiculous propaganda just rolls out from there with any number of vapid talking points. She makes no mention of being put on academic probation by the HLC, being downgraded by Moody's, sued by the ACLU for civil rights violations, called out by FIRE and shamed in the Chronicle, audited for declining financials by the state of Colorado, exposed with fraudulent online coursework by the Mathieu report, and presiding over students and faculty leaving in unprecedented numbers. Question: is McClure pathologically delusional, a master of deceit, or both? Yeah, 2016 was a great year for ASU because they made it in the top 50 of 278 HSI's, even though they graduate among the lowest percentage of Hispanic students in the nation. Then there's mention of the Salazar Rio Grande Del Norte Center, a self-congratulatory PR stunt timed amid multiple controversies to distract and bury ASU's real problems... but also a poorly-curated and improperly-produced museum exhibit that upstaged and usurped the important work of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. McClure mentions that ASU will “continue to build on our academic excellence,” but doesn't mention the serious academic problems that has made the university's reputation and the value of an ASU degree anything but excellent. McClure's message continues in the tradition of denial and oblivious jingoism. It represents the empty rhetoric of a leader who doesn't have a clue how to get out of the many problems she has presided over and worsened. And fittingly, the lighting and camera make McClure look like a deer caught in headlights. So watch it a second time with the sound off for the real message of the video: this person is clueless and the university is going to get hit by a bus.
January 18, 2017 at 8:44pm We have now crossed over into the Twilight Zone, the higher education edition. In this episode, the most capable, accomplished, selfless, professors, those who devote themselves completely to serving students and bettering higher education will perversely be labeled as narcissists. Only the dwindling survivors of this warped universe, the few who still retain their intellect intact, know to look instead to the Marvel house – carefully avoiding the east side spell of mirrors, of course - to witness what a true narcissist looks and acts like. In this episode, the small-minded with no regard for constitutionally protected liberties will crow over someone being denied promotion because “he values free speech so much” (January 8, 2017 5:12pm). They will proudly – shockingly! - state that this denial of promotion was “punishment” (January 8, 2017 5:12pm), going so far as to explicitly claim that they “denied Elison his promotion” (January 8, 2017 8:48am), and meanly sneer that “what comes around goes around” (January 17, 2017 6:21pm). One is tempted to label such revolting expressions and claims of retribution as deeply unAmerican and antithetical to the principles of educational inquiry, but this doesn’t ring so true these days. Like our nation, ASU has become an alternate reality where up is down and down is up. Those stuck in the Twilight Zone look desperately to outside state and national leadership, hoping that someone out there is paying attention to the swirling drain of this sad, sad, little backwater of a campus held hostage by an “intellectually inbred, middle school mentality of cliques” (thanks to January 16, 2017 4:42pm for the apt expression). Adams State crossed over into the Twilight Zone some time ago, and we’re all stuck in its vortex. The first step out of the Twilight Zone is to recognize you’re in it, but this seems to be an insurmountable challenge for most. When surrounded by educational zombies, mimic them to survive, right? This eventually become your new normal, until one day you no longer recognize zombies for what they are - the intellectual undead. The second step is a tough choice: Take a stand, stand ones ground, and do what’s right, or set your sights on normalcy and run for the border. Good night, and good luck out there. ----Editor's Reply: I will confess to having an affinity for political science fiction that is becoming science fact.
January 18, 2017 at 7:51pm So, we have name-calling from all directions and amateur psychological diagnoses, and then there are facts. I wonder which HLC, Moody's, etc. will be concerned with. My bet is on the numbers. Mathieu report: "There is, indeed, a culture of questionable academic practice that appears to have been in place for many years; a culture that further compounded the actions of the OES such that, for many, it became standard operating procedure that was rarely questioned." And the culture lives on. Those who raise issues out of concern for ASU and our students are demonized. Those who reaped the benefits of "questionable academic practice" and those close to them defend the status quo. ASU is poised to fail, failing all our students. Whose fault? The numbers don't lie.
January 18, 2017 at 5:13pm An article from 11 years ago that's worth revisiting... Novotny assumes Interim Chief Academic Officer duties (01-20-2006) "I also believe that ASC has a strong administrative team that works well together in an environment where everyone feels free to express their opinion," Novotny said. "Only when all perspectives are considered can the best decision be made." ... "Novotny said he believes his personal challenges are balancing being a husband and father with the demands of the job and trying to differentiate what needs to be done from what could be done." Because what needed to be done in 2006 was a strategic campus plan to increase retention among students and employees, prioritize quality academic programs, remove parasitic administrators who were incompetent and/or ineffective, and cultivate a campus culture of empowered, motivated faculty and staff. But what could be done was going into debt with massive construction projects, creating an online degree mill for extra cash, prioritizing athletics programs and administrator pay, and cultivating a campus of fear and repression to scare off anyone who might "express their opinion" or to "consider their perspective." Guess which one Frank failed to differentiate?
January 18, 2017 at 4:40pm First, I would like to thank Watching Adams for analyzing the salary data. It is certainly eye opening. I was stunned to read that Frank Novotny's wife earned $141,750 in 2013-14 teaching Extended Studies courses and was paid twice the rate per student than other faculty teaching ES courses. This was while Novotny was the administrator ultimately in charge of Extended Studies. This was nepotism at its worst but I would go further and call it "criminal." Also the fact that Novotny resigned and ended up with a salary of $106, 608 in 2016 is deeply disturbing; his salary is almost $40 K more than the chair of his department. Novotny brings no value-added back to his department; he was a less than competent administrator and non-scholar. ASU and its students are simply not getting their money's worth in this deal. As the salary analysis shows, there are just too many "bad" deals being made by ASU.
January 18, 2017 at 1:18pm Is it any wonder that several ASU business faculty have lead the way when it comes to converting a public university into a private profit center for themselves? Or are we to believe the free market fantasy that Liz Thomas Hensley and Linda Reid are simply working 2.5 times more than everyone else on campus? I'm not so sure the HLC will be convinced.
January 18, 2017 at 12:48pm So Elison is not a narcissist; that is news to the rest of campus and especially to his colleagues in Psychology. Ask them; they know (However, don’t bother with Pipitone; he is Elison’s toady.).
January 18, 2017 at 9:15am There is no doubt that Novotny is an economic parasite on the carcass of Adams State. Instead of being “resigned,” he should have been terminated for allowing his wife to make an excessive amount of income in a program that he oversaw. It was pure and simple nepotism that was partly responsible for ASU’s academic probation. Also allowing administrators to be “resigned” and go back into the faculty ranks making most of their administrative salary is a poor business practice that should be ended. It is unfair to faculty, students, and taxpayers.
January 17, 2017 at 11:48pm With all the talk about "right sizing" and budget cuts at ASU, those high salaried faculty and administrators racking up extra paid services and coursework should be the first to get cut. But something tells me that won't be happening. Just think: while Frank Novotny was earning his reputation as "Dr. No" for refusing to fund programs, faculty lines, and other needed academic budget requests, his wife was making huge amounts teaching online and he was getting paid extra to do his job. His job, of course, included overseeing precisely the program area that his wife was making six figures to abuse until ASU was put onto probation. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.
January 17, 2017 at 10:00pm Loosbrock also resented Dr. Nealy because of her command of the English language and her "earned" Ph.D.. Crowther resented Dr. Nealy for many reasons especially because she is everything that he is not: A highly religious ideologue with fierce courage and academic integrity. Crowther is a coward at best and should never be in charge of the hiring process because he has cost the school more litigation fees than most. Crowther could not intimidate Dr. Nealy like he does with Saenz, Centeno, Goddard, Loosebrock, and Solis. It's really awful how my alma mater has gone down the drain. I attended the event a year ago that Dr. Nealy organized and I enjoyed it. Well organized event. Not sure why Loosbrock was on the panel...the presentation I least liked. But, now she is gone? But these ahumans are still at the college causing problems. What's happening to ASU? All the good professors are leaving or already gone. I blame Crowther for all ASU's problems. That bastard needs to go crawl under a rock. His day is coming real soon. And I'm certain he had something to do with Elison's full professor denial. A white male without any privileges!
January 17, 2017 at 8:12pm "the list of targets continue to grow, and the gripes pile up" as well they should. Would Crowther like to explain these line items? $30,000 for “Outreach Off Campus Faculty” $5,178 for “World Language Program Director" World Language? At least it's singular, "language", and not languages. $5,000 a year to "direct" one prof? That doesn't sound like a scam at all. Who is bringing down the university? People who are willing to talk about problems, like Waddell and Elison, or the scam artists like Crowther and the unscrupulous profs and adjuncts teaching 400, 500, 600 students? Waddell, Elison, and like-minded employees did not bring on ASU's probation, bad publicity, and dire financial straits. Crowther, Hensley, Reid, Longfellow, Coddington, Scott, the Novotny's, and others win that honor. Yes, when you pull back the curtain, the list grows and grows.
January 17, 2017 at 6:50pm I am a current student here at ASU and a former student of Dr. Nealy. I took Dr. Nealy's Black Radical Feminism class and her Intro to American Government course as well. I was extremely impressed with her passion and love of teaching which was exhibited in her love for students. She is an extremely brilliant professor, oratorically gifted, and a high professionalism I have not seen displayed by my other professors in McDaniel Hall. Dr. Nealy has high standards and she let everyone in the class know that. She is among a few professors here at ASU who didn't give grades or extra credit. What you earned in her class, you earned fairly through preparation, studying hard, and doing the work in her class. I appreciate this because my other professors dumb down to us like we are high school students. But Dr. Nealy motivated me and encouraged me to do my best because she had faith in me when I didn't believe in myself. I am simply proud that I enrolled in both her courses and earned a B. To me that's like an "A" because she is a very tough challenging professor. She cares and as she would say in class "tough love" is what you will experience in my classes. I was very saddened to learn that she left because honestly, Dr. Nealy was the best professor I have taken here at this school. And I miss her because she always went beyond the call of duty to help me and other students. She's very professional, very strict with rules and policy in her courses, but you know what, I liked this about Dr. Nealy because it showed that she wasn't like any of the other professors who don't have standards. Those professors allowed me to cheat on tests, come late to class, and eat in class. But, wow, not Dr. Nealy she was an entirely different professor with the highest standards. So, sure, I thought about dropping her class the first day because I just wasn't use to so many rules, high standards, or expectations. However, I stayed in the courses because Dr. Nealy to me is a real professor, a true intellectual, a true academic and educator and I admire her for that which changed my way of thinking. I want to end by saying that other professors in McDaniel were very jealous of Dr. Nealy because my classmates and I overheard conversations(won't reveal professor's names because i am currently enrolled in their boring class) from those professors "plotting" to get rid of her. One even called Dr. Nealy an "uppity colored" ... Yeah, I and my classmate were surprised and we went to tell Dr. Nealy, but it was too late. I will be transferring to another college soon because as a student of color, I don't support what ASU did to Dr. Nealy nor do I have any respect for those professors who called her that racist name. Wherever you are Dr. Nealy, I enjoyed your classes and thank you for motivating me to do better and believing in myself. I think you are a very unique high quality professor with high morals who I will always admire.
January 17, 2017 at 6:21pm Remember Elison, what comes around goes around and Karma can be a real bitch. - Gerri Swartz ----Editor's Reply: This user submitted a fake email address and their identity cannot be verified.
January 17, 2017 at 5:16pm "If you really love the San Luis Valley, don't criticize Adams State University." - does that sound like an abusive relationship, or what?
January 17, 2017 at 3:56pm Danny’s “Revenge Porn” Site Maybe Danny had good intentions when he started this site, but I don't think so. After being denied a tenure track job, he got pissed off and refused to accept that he was no longer employed at ASU, attending meetings he had no business attending. When people who did not know him looked into his background, and discovered that he had written his stupid Columbine RPG game, he was then designated as PNG. So now, under the guise of “great transparency begins here,” he is extracting his revenge. It seemed that at first, President McClure was the primary target, but the list of targets continues to grow, and the gripes pile up. This is nothing but a “revenge porn site.” Danny and his minions (all three or four of them) are obviously out to bring down the institution that he knows is crucial to the economic health of the valley he claims to love. What a guy. The most ridiculous thing I’ve seen posted here concerns Lisa Neely. Fault Crowther for hiring her in the first place, but not for his part in getting her out. He wanted to hire a woman of color. Anyone who had any dealings with her knows that she was a complete disaster. Most of the students who signed up for her courses dropped her classes immediately. Only a small handful of students liked her quirks enough to stay in her classes. The idea that Centeno was jealous about having another woman in the department, or that she was smarter than Crowther is total nonsense. I have no interest in getting Danny’s editorial response. Spare me, as I already know what you will say. This site should be shut down along with the other revenge porn sites. ----Editor's Reply: We do have an interest in publishing your criticism, even if you aren't interested in a response to it. While ASU banned Ledonne for unsubstantiated claims that it couldn't defend against the ACLU in court, any number of other universities have invited him as a guest speaker, presenter, and lecturer for the same body of work. Perhaps this says more about ASU than it does about Ledonne. While “revenge porn” is the invasion of privacy for prurient interests, the performance and policies of public universities are not. And while it is convenient to attempt to discount and marginalize inquiries into these policies, there remain serious structural problems with Adams State University that have been unaddressed for far too long and are now subject to the scrutiny of multiple outside agencies. If this were all the deranged ramblings of a few vengeful people, ASU would not be subject to a state performance audit, on academic probation from its accreditor, a lowering credit score from ratings agencies, declining enrollment, and high employee turnover. Watching Adams reports on these issues. Whatever one thinks of a particular comment on this reader-created page, perhaps the most ridiculous assertion is not about any individual statement but that a website should be shut down as “revenge porn” for discussing the performance and procedures of a public university. What university of serious academic standing espouses the ethos of banning people and websites for their ideas, however unpopular or controversial?
January 17, 2017 at 5:28am Working for ASU is like swimming with sharks. They eat their own.
January 17, 2017 at 1:16am I am a parent to an ASU nursing student that has elected to complete her nursing degree elsewhere due to a failing soon to be unaccredited nursing program! We have decided not to be part of a 41% pass rate nursing program. In this embarrassment of a nursing program we were faced with retaliation, race discrimination, unfairness, and intimidation beginning with a unprofessional nursing director, along with unprofessional nursing instructors. Melissa Milner, nursing director, has allowed nursing students to cheat, use drugs, and violate patients' HIPAA rights, along with many other violations. All these violations have been voiced with no repercussions! Shame on the students? NO! Shame on Melissa Milner for allowing this! Therefore, this is not a program we want to be a associated or even accredited from! Nursing instructors along with nursing students should be ashamed to be part of Melissa Milner boorish, unprofessional, and unethical direction as the nursing program director! Goodbye! ASU Nursing Program! With a Pass Rate of 41%!
January 16, 2017 at 7:47pm "Fall 2017, Gilmer gone, McClure still here." Right, the power of mirrors! The scariest part of this scenario is the message it would send to HLC. ASU fires the guy who took them seriously and ordered the Mathieu report, while keeping the sorceress who accused them of unfair treatment in her tantrum of a reply. We'd better all plan on finding new jobs.
January 16, 2017 at 4:42pm Professor Elison is the exact opposite of a narcissist. He is humble and the first to admit when he doesn't know something, supportive of his colleagues, and stands up for people less fortunate than him even when it wouldn't benefit him to do so. There's also no question that he is well published, exceptionally qualified, and highly regarded by his students. You know, the qualities that are supposed to matter in a performance review. But at ASU, none of that matters. It is an intellectually inbred, middle school mentality of cliques. If you don't fit in, and especially if you are willing to question authority structures, you will be beaten down and chased out. Just look at who rises to the top – the very people who have gotten ASU into serious academic and financial trouble. If Elison didn't get promoted, he should take it as a badge of honor and a compliment. Like so many others, maybe he will move to a better school with higher pay and a functional workplace. I wish him the best and I know many others at ASU who do, too.
January 16, 2017 at 1:07pm I'm going out on a very thin limb here and say that Gilmer will not be here at the start of next school year. It won't matter how popular he is, it won't matter what the faculity believes. Truth be told, your input means very little at the end of the day. This administration is going to do what they see fit. when it best serves them. Fall 2017, Gilmer gone, McClure still here.
January 16, 2017 at 1:05pm So Elison did not get promoted to professor. It certainly takes a real piece of work to be denied promotion due to a personality defect. However, Elison is the classic clinical definition of a narcissist. Perhaps it is time for him to pack up his shame scale (including the Polish translation) and move on down the road.
January 16, 2017 at 10:10am It's the really big stucco house that borders the McDanial Hall parking lot. Northeast corner of Second St. and Richardson Ave. No idea how it got it's name.
January 16, 2017 at 7:45am Is McClure's house really called the Marvel House? Why? Where is this place? We want to walk by and see the mirrors.
January 15, 2017 at 9:07am Trump mocks disabled reporters; McClure mocks people who struggle with their weight, the working class, and students. McClure lied about the State Police Watchlist and terrorism; Trump lies about, well, just about everything. McClure was clueless about the reality of the HLC's grounds for probation, or tried to cover them up; Trump is clueless about just about everything and routinely covers up his mistakes. McClure silences dissent with intimidation and humiliation; ditto Trump. This week the parallels continue: McClure used her Danny Ledonne folder as a prop in meetings with students and this week Trump played from the same game plan. Watching Adams had a good laugh over McClure's inept lying and manila theatrics, and sad coverage of her fat-suit and endangering accreditation. Now the press is enjoying Trump's manila props: Above the Law: REVEALED: What’s Really In Trump’s Stack Of Folders Huffington Post: I’m One Of Trump’s Manila Folders Boston Globe: What was in those folders at Donald Trump’s press conference? The Hill: Trump barred reporters from examining stacks of folders at press conference Both our presidents better realize this isn't a reality show and they aren't above the law.
January 15, 2017 at 8:49am Regarding the Doell-Crowther road tour, Ed's appeal was less than compelling. It would take a marketing genius to sell McClure-Doell over Gilmer.
January 14, 2017 at 9:29pm I'm pretty sure the answer to that last question is no. Well actually yes, McClure would replace Gilmer with Doell if she could get away with it. But she can't. To replace one of the most popular, competent administrators with one of the least popular, least competent while ASU is under HLC scrutiny would be career suicide and university homicide. She'll just have to settle for mirrors on her windows. The Doell-Crowther road tour to undermine Gilmer is just undermining McClure-Doell-Crowther. Bullies only get away with their game for so long. Picking on the wrong person is usually their downfall. Or when their bullying threatens everyone's jobs.
January 14, 2017 at 10:17am Re: January 13, 2017 at 12:57pm While the prospect of President McClure replacing Dr. Gilmer with golfing BFF Margaret Doell is disgusting, it would be entirely consistent with our new post-truth political reality in which facts no longer matter. Dr. Gilmer has demonstrated a commitment to academic integrity from the moment he arrived on the ASU campus. In contrast, and in addition to other legitimate criticisms, in numerous instances Margaret Doell has clearly demonstrated that she entirely lacks any semblance of academic integrity. Could ASU’s longstanding tradition of cronyism actually trump (pun intended) academic integrity in the VPAA’s office? Woe unto ASU!
January 13, 2017 at 1:13pm With apologies to the Eagles: Mirrors on the WINDOWS, The PATRON on ice And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device" And in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast They stab it with their steely knives, But they just can't kill the beast Last thing I remember, I was Running for the door I had to find the passage back To the place I was before "Relax, " said the night man, "We are programmed to receive. You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave!"
January 13, 2017 at 12:57pm No, no, no, McClure doesn't have mirrors in her windows because she'd love to replace Gilmer with Doell, even at the risk of losing accreditation. The mirrors are her best solution to HLC accreditation so far. HLC is in Chicago. That's why she put all those mirrors on the east side of her house. Nothing crazy about it.
January 13, 2017 at 8:54am I saw the mirrors in the president's windows. Does Adams have a minor in Voodoo?
January 11, 2017 at 8:04am I think I know most of the business faculty. Who is an assoc/full prof without a doctorate?
January 10, 2017 at 11:11pm Re 8:04 pm comment: Seriously? I need to take a gander and view for myself of what is spoken of... if so, I shall photograph such a sight and send to our newspaper, the Valley Courier. Hmmmmm what ever does this mean? Has the witch gone mad, is she creating a spell? ----Editor's Reply: If someone contacts us with a link to a photo, we will publish it here for public review, but only if the photo is taken from a public location (such as a sidewalk).
January 10, 2017 at 11:07pm Dr. J Elison should ask why he was denied a promotion... Then ask why a handful of faculty ex. School of Business and Teacher Education as to why these professors gained associate/full profs without obtaining their PhD. Simple reason: because of Tomlin, Hensley and Crowther.
January 10, 2017 at 8:04pm Walk or drive by the Marvel House, President McClure's residence, and note the mirrors in every single window on the east side. No other sides, just the east side. What do mirrors in the windows mean? It could be to deflect wayward birds, but that's extremely unlikely given how low the first floor windows are and how close the house next door sits. Alternatively, a Google search reveals: "it works like a protective shield. like if someone is sending you negative energies through spell work or just wishing harm on you, supposedly the mirror makes it go back to them." Whose house is immediately next door to the east? Dr. Gilmer. I think we can draw two conclusions here: She really doesn't like Chris Gilmer and this is some bizarre passive-aggressive act against him. And she's losing her mind. Very scary. I hope the BoT is paying attention.
January 10, 2017 at 8:02am Inclusive excellence at its finest. ASU respects us as long as were not fat or working class. Great message from the President. You can re-phrase Streep to fit McClure. The parallels with Trump are bad. [Mocking] Someone [she] outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. And this *instinct* to humiliate, when it’s modeled by our President, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to mock those who are overweight or working class. The President's disrespect invites disrespect from others on campus. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose. Most profs seem to defend her but we students certainly lose when she acts like that.
January 9, 2017 at 11:18pm Re: January 9 @ 10:51 - Yes, we are all losing. Even McClure supporters are losing. They just don't get it... yet.
January 9, 2017 at 10:51pm “It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it. I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.” Meryl Streep speaking about Trump And our most respected seat at ASU wears a fat suit! "And this instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose."
January 8, 2017 at 9:39pm At most universities, hard-working and dedicated faculty and staff - who care about institutional ethics and the well-being of their colleagues - are valued and retained. But not at ASU. Here, they are bullied, ridiculed, shunned, and pressured to leave or are simply kicked out. Then the faculty or staff frequently go on to more prestigious (and higher-paying) institutions elsewhere. ASU students pay attention and consequently, they are leaving ASU, as well. How many students left because Lisa Nealy isn't there for them, or Ben Waddell is no longer teaching in their department, or their favorite Art or English professor is gone, or their favorite librarian has left, or their department and degree plan begin to look like Swiss cheese? There are real numbers behind each of those questions. And they aren't good numbers. So the next time someone celebrates ASU's high turnover because it serves their vindictive, petty office politics, just remind them that it hurts the entire university when good employees go elsewhere. Especially given that many of ASU's worst employees are rewarded and rise to the top.
January 8, 2017 at 5:12pm Elison has nothing to complain about with denial of his promotion. But he probably will anyway. Quoting someone: "although his salary will be 11% lower than it would have been had be been promoted, at least Dr. Elison can rest easy at night knowing that he stood up for something that mattered." His punishment is even worse than 11% (or better I'd say). Based on CUPA for his department, his raise would have been over $10,000 per year, more like 20%. But since he values free speech so much I'm sure it was worth it to him. Whose eating crow now, Jeffie? As to his resting easy at night, I hope $10K, $20K, $30K is enough to keep him awake applying for jobs somewhere else. He should follow Waddell right out the door.
January 8, 2017 at 4:50pm Yes, and a toxic institution that bullies and retaliates against its dedicated faculty and staff who speak out against a culture of corruption and poor academic integrity... is in turn reprimanded by academic accreditors, free speech organizations, state auditors, and experiences ongoing enrollment decline coupled with financial downturn... triggering more lay-offs across campus and contributing to the low morale of the entire institution. Is this vindictive culture of "extermination" really helping ASU out? It sure doesn't seem like it.
January 8, 2017 at 8:48am From 2/13/16, If we are going to name names - let's call out Jeff Elison and Ben Waddell as being the sad, sad danny followers. Anyone else? These guys don't have a freak'n clue about the ramifications of this for their careers. Sure called it. We booted Ben out of here, denied Elison his promotion, and I bet he'll be gone soon too. WatchingAdams bozos are a bunch of vermin who at this rate will all soon be exterminated.
January 7, 2017 at 7:41am The President of Adams must stop bullying faculty & students! This unprofessional, unethical & corrupt behavior has already been exposed & will continue to be until this situation is resolved! Time for the president to be held accountable & to evolve into this century!
January 6, 2017 at 9:40pm Very interesting article about Closing Out a College. "Faculty members who had stayed with the institution even though they weren’t being paid said they kept working out of a sense of duty." "Some professors reported not being paid for months. Some said money deducted from their paychecks for health insurance and retirement accounts was not ending up in those accounts. Retirees reported insurance policies canceled because the college hadn’t paid for them." "Intermont could have survived. Things could have worked out otherwise, but we followed our leadership and it led to complete institutional failure. As a result, the school we love is coming to an end." Oh the blindness of blind faith.
January 6, 2017 at 4:54am Think it can't happen here? Does this ring familiar? Closing Out a College - Inside Higher Ed "The 130-year-old college in Southwestern Virginia had been on life support for years as financial troubles fueled accreditation issues..." "The idea of going out ugly is likely to spark discussion of Virginia Intermont. Financial troubles at the college were no secret in the years leading up to its closure. Such issues led to accreditation trouble, with the college seeking an injunction against the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in 2013 in an attempt to stave off its accreditation being revoked. In 2014, the situation came to a head. The college was to lose its accreditation July 1 of that year. Plans to merge with Webber International University collapsed." I know some are placing their faith in the state to bail us out when all else fails. But being a public university does not mean we can avoid the same fate, certainly not in Colorado.
January 5, 2017 at 10:45am What must David Mazel be thinking about Adams right now? I wish the owner of this board would try to schedule a podcast with Lisa Nealy and learn what she thinks of her one year experience. And what does Kim Kelso think of Jeff Elison not getting full professor? I hope Jeff gets a good attorney and sues ASU into bankruptcy. This place needs to be destroyed. Too bad for the greater SLV community, but this toxic, vile, obscene institution of rampant cronyism must be destroyed. ----Editor's Reply: We would welcome the opportunity to record a podcast with any former student or employee with a story to share. Please use the Contact Us page to reach out with your contact information.
January 5, 2017 at 8:29am Speaking of the Faculty Handbook and faculty duties: "I solemnly (swear)(affirm) that I will uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Colorado, and I will faithfully perform the duties of the position upon which I am about to enter." It is obvious from Senator Elison's statements that he believed he was performing this duty when he objected to President McClure banning a citizen from campus without due process. It's the ultimate irony that he would be punished for following the Handbook while no one else is held accountable when they fail to do so. The majority is always right, right? Great message for students: conform, go along with the crowd, don't speak up. It's the easiest way to get by in this world.
January 5, 2017 at 7:11am The concerned professor at Jan 4, 12:38pm has eloquently and thoroughly captured the whole of our situation and the essence of the choice before us all. Status quo is the surest path to disaster – for ASU, for Alamosa, for the entire region. Disaster is not some remote possibility. It stares us in the face right now. Each of us must decide for ourselves whether the seemingly safe but utterly deceiving status quo is our chosen path, whether our personal principles and sense of integrity will lead us to follow the numerous other capable individuals who have already left our community, or whether and when we’ve finally had enough and will take a stand against the stranglehold that ASU’s corrupt and ineffective leaders have had on us all for far too long. You can’t escape the choice before you. If you do nothing, you are opting in for disaster. You’ve made a selection, you’ve chosen your path, and you can’t then foist off blame for the inevitable consequences on others. All of us, through inaction, are collective owners of our unfolding disaster. I keep hoping that some singular event will finally topple our false sense of hope and wake us up to the need for action, for change, for real noise. Will Jeff Elison’s patently unfair denial of promotion, due to his brave and principled stand on constitutional issues, be that singular event? With all this town puts up with, I’m not optimistic. I was once optimistic, but it was beaten out of me. The choice before us is not an easy one. We truly love our community and don’t wish to leave. Or perhaps we can’t. We see from the example of others that standing up for what is right in a dysfunctional environment carries heavy consequences. Taking a stand may mean having to leave. Taking a stand may mean that the choice to leave will be made for you. But doing nothing? As our concerned professor says, how can you rest easy at night? You may have delayed personal disaster, but collective disaster is just around the bend. I believe a list was previously posted in this forum of state and national organizations to contact if you’ve finally had enough – would the editor be so kind as to post it again? ----Editor's Reply: We have posted some of the possible organizations to contact on the "Contact Other Agencies" section of the Contact ASU page.
January 4, 2017 at 2:48pm Crowther and Centeno have scammed many people into thinking they are so liberal, so progressive. Shameful. They are both as phony as a $3 dollar bill. Crowther resented Lisa Nealy because he truly does believe he is the first African American in the department. Ask students. He is that delusional. Despite his "public" self promotions as a defender of civil rights, this man is a flaming hypocrite made all the more dangerous by the power the institution for some reason continues to give him. Perhaps he is back to drinking? Centeno scams the university and taxpayers every year. Because of her bullying and playing the feminist-latina card, she and a handful of students are granted exhorbitant amounts of money for travel to far off countries supposedly for Model UN but commonly known as a sightseeing junket vacation. I invite any responsible investigative journalist to look at the disproportionate amount this club is awarded compared to other campus clubs. It is obscene that 5-6 individuals get this much taxpayer money at the expense of other clubs who actually do more, serve better, and involve higher numbers of students. And the new administration does nothing to stop this theft of public money! Oh, and what happened to that book publication Centeno was granted a sabbatical to write? As for Jeff Elison, all one needs to know is that Centeno and Loosbrock are full professors. Check Elison's vitae with both of their's - charlatans to the core! - Disgruntled Grinch Troll
January 4, 2017 at 12:38pm As a concerned professor and long-time resident of the area, I was extremely disappointed to hear of the outcome of Dr Elison's application for full professor. I do not work in his department but I have had the pleasure of working with him on several occasions on campus. My comments regarding his merit for promotion stem from this interaction as well as my general knowledge of his scholarship and teaching. Based on all objective criteria--teaching, scholarship, and university/community service--Jeff Elison's promotion folder for full professor is quite easily among the strongest folders ever submitted to a promotion committee at ASU. I say this without exaggeration. He is currently ASU's best published professor and consistently ranks among the university's best evaluated instructors. Students genuinely enjoy his classes and he is dedicated to their success. He has served on multiple campus committees in his time here, and although he occasionally speaks out on controversial subjects, as the Faculty Handbook reveals, he clearly has a right to do so. Dr. Elison fully embodies the role of a true professor in that he constantly pushes his students to improve and questions the status quo when he deems appropriate. In my opinion, that's what education is all about. If education were about holding the line and following orders our world would never progress. The whole purpose of an education is to question existing knowledge as a means of potentially contributing to the progress of society. How can we realistically expect our students to question the world they live in if we don’t allow our professors to do so? In this sense, the promotion committee’s decision to not grant Dr. Elison the title of full professor is a strike against free inquiry at ASU. The decision should be reversed and the committee members should be reminded of their duty to consider each candidate’s merit for promotion through a neutral lens in which they set aside personal differences with the candidates. The fact that Elison wasn't promoted to full professor is hardly an assessment of his character or merit. Rather, it is an unfortunately accurate evaluation of the state of affairs at ASU. Cronyism have long plagued ASU's campus, where leaders frequently hand out sinecures to their closest allies. However, McClure's leadership has promoted these types of practices to such a degree that the most effective scholars and teachers are simply fleeing ASU altogether. And those who haven't left, like Jeff Elison, are condemned for advocating for what is right and just. It's really uncanny how closely the rise of President McClure parallels the rise of President-elect Donald Trump. In this sense, ASU is an unfortunate thermometer for social conditions elsewhere in the country. Like the latter, McClure has silenced opposition, cultivated a climate of fear, and quite literally gone out of her way to vilify those who have questioned her authority. Like the US Constitution, the ASU Faculty Handbook clearly defends and encourages free speech. However, like US society in recent years, ASU’s campus is looking more and more like the security state that Orwell described in 1984. In his book Orwell wrote, “Big Brother is watching you.” The same could be said of ASU in 2017. They are watching, and if you don’t tow the line, you’ll be punished. Frankly, it's scary how quickly otherwise good people can be turned to the dark side. In my time at ASU I’ve watched seemingly genuine people turn a blind eye when they had an opportunity to speak up about injustices, unethical behavior, and corruption. This reminds me of another point Orwell made, which is that most humans will chose comfort and stability over freedom. One should expect this from the general population but it is surprising to see such highly educated people succumb to such basic principles of psychology. I suppose, in the end, it is a reminder of the limits of the human mind. For better or worse, we are bound to our tendency to conform to the group. It is a survival mechanism that may very well lead our civilization over the proverbial cliff. In the meantime, it appears to be leading ASU into its own dark precipice, and to be honest, I’m not very confident there is a road out. If indeed there is a path forward, it must begin now. The SLV community needs to stand up for what is right because it is quite clear that those on campus will not. And who can blame them? Anyone with an ounce of objectivity will see Dr. Elison's promotion outcome for what it is: A thinly veiled attack on free speech. But who would dare question administration after this? I would like to take a minute to remind administration, faculty, staff, and the broader SLV community, that the Faculty Handbook at ASU encourages its faculty to defend free speech and academic freedom. In fact, on page 6 it states that faculty shall, “Respect and defend the free inquiry of colleagues.” Then, on page 7, it goes on to state: “As citizens engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, Faculty have a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.” Free inquiry is the cornerstone of higher education, and at ASU, it is under fire. This may seem like an isolated event but it is important to remember that in many ways ASU is the bedrock of this community. If ASU falls, the SLV will follow suit. With this in mind, regardless of whether or not you care about academic freedom, it would be in your own best interest to start pressuring ASU’s leaders to turn things around because if they don’t, your own stability and wellbeing may very well be on the line. I know this seems like a bit of an exaggeration but people should know that the Higher Learning Commission will be visiting ASU in the fall and that as things currently sit, it is highly questionable whether or not they will reaccredit ASU. Failure to obtain accreditation would doom ASU but it would also have a massive impact on the SLV. I would ask local business owners to think about a world without ASU faculty, staff, and students. What would happen to the local housing market? To bankers and real estate agents? To stores and service providers? Take health care industry as an example. If ASU collapses, that means fewer patients, which means less demand for doctors, which means less demand for upscale homes, restaurants, and services. ASU’s collapse would trigger a severe economic crisis in the SLV, and while farming and ranching would obviously continue, the SLV community as a whole would suffer. I know nobody likes to envision the worst. In fact, as humans we are quite adept at downplaying doomsday scenarios but believe me, the state of affairs at ASU is as bad as it seems. This is not just another roadblock that ASU will somehow overcome. This is different. ASU has spent its way to the brink of financial ruin in recent years and student enrollment is falling, quickly. Public support isn’t what it used to be, in fact it’s gone from covering 70% of ASU’s annual bill in 1999 to covering only about 30% in 2016. If students keep leaving, and our current leadership keeps its blinders on, ASU will not be reaccredited in 2017, and everything I described above will happen. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide which side of the line you want to stand on but if you choose to hunker down and pray for the best, know that you had an opportunity to turn things around, and you chose not to. And you alone will have to live with that. In this regard, although his salary will be 11% lower than it would have been had be been promoted, at least Dr. Elison can rest easy at night knowing that he stood up for something that mattered.
January 3, 2017 at 10:23pm Re: January 3,2017 @ 950 No you clearly don't get it. Like I said you look foolish. You attacked the "grinch" turned "troll"--anonymously--which in turns makes you a troll. Get it?!? Takes one to know one! Don't try to use the alt right or the heinousness of racism as your saving grace. That's just uglier than what you've already done. Editor's Reply: At this point, I'm going to respectfully request that we move on from discussing the merits or lack thereof in criticizing a particular faculty member. By now, I think everyone has a sense for these points of view and the comments here are becoming redundant.
January 3, 2017 at 10:20pm I've known Jeff for several years now. He's a great professor who loves his work, is dedicated to his students, is modest in his associations for professional gain, has an impressive track record of publications, is principled on academic integrity, speaks truth to power, and isn't willing to run with the inner circle of popular kids who currently run ASU (into the ground). For all these reasons, Jeff being denied full professorship shouldn't surprise anyone who understands how ASU works. At a healthy university, faculty like Jeff (and Ben Waddell) would be leaders to look up to rather than dissidents to be marginalized and shamed. Look who we have leading us instead - among them the very people who put ASU on academic probation and made it the laughing stock of higher ed. That tells you everything you need to know about ASU. "I start from the supposition that the world is topsy-turvy, that things are all wrong, that the wrong people are in jail and the wrong people are out of jail, that the wrong people are in power and the wrong people are out of power." - Howard Zinn, 1970
January 3, 2017 at 9:58pm I dropped off WatchingAdams awhile ago, but I was alerted to discussion of my promotion. Amazingly the comment was posted at 4:08, about 30 minutes before I received the Committee's Summary Report and almost an hour and a half before I got home and had a chance to read it. Who says WatchingAdams doesn't have its fingers on the pulse of ASU? Regarding my promotion and the report - no comment. Now I'll say goodbye (to WA) again. - Jeff Elison
January 3, 2017 at 9:50pm So if you call someone a troll because they are making nasty, personal remarks anonymously, apparently that makes you a troll. Bit like the alt-right claim that calling someone out as a racist makes you a racist. Okay, I get it.
January 3, 2017 at 8:56pm Re: December 31, 2016 @1020am comment. "Still trolling, huh?" If you read closely the various (3-6) anti-Centeno posts, it's quite clear that they were written by at least 2 different individuals if not 3. Simple language usage and levels of sarcasm make this quite clear. I'm pretty certain I could identify the individual who wrote the first two simply because of my relationship with this individual and knowing his/her speaking habits. It's not rocket science. Having said that, it's clear you have painted several individuals with a broad brush stroke that likely isn't fair. To suggest that anyone who has issues with a faculty member is simply "trolling" negates what those individuals were trying to communicate. Perhaps in their eyes AND EXPERIENCE Centeno IS the worst person at ASU. That's not your call to make. Nor does it negate the bad behavior of Novotny of which you speak. And speaking of calling people "troll", isn't that exactly what you are doing through your own anonymity? I guess it takes a troll to know a troll. And, please don't make a further fool of yourself by trying to attack me. You already look foolish enough. Happy New Year "troll"!
January 3, 2017 at 6:46pm Re: Jeff Ellison's alleged denial of promotion. If this is true it's probably because he didn't take the Liz Thomas route of finish your PhD AFTER you get tenure and then suck up thereafter. Suck up to athletes to be judged "presidential teacher". Suck up so you don't have to do ANY scholarship (and don't give us this bullshit about ASU being a teaching college. The faculty handbook does have some mention of scholarship...however lame). If this is true...could ASU have yet one more lawsuit on its hands? How many are there now?
January 3, 2017 at 4:08pm I just heard that Jeff Elison was denied a promotion to professor. Word is that he has a solid teaching and scholarship record. What is going on? What is the story?
January 3, 2017 at 12:19pm ASU's extended studies department is understaffed so much that they have unqualified people doing critical jobs. They are the focus of the accreditation people, so if stuff isnt done right it could bring down the entire college. The people in charge are either dumb or doing it on purpose.
January 2, 2017 at 10:56pm Happy New Year! Let me start by saying it's very refreshing that Crowther, Loosbrock, Centeno, are finally gaining their assigned seat in purgatory. And let's not forget good ole' Goddard and Mumper who stood by and watched these wicked devils vote to not retain the very first African-American faculty in that department. And my guess is that she represented what Crowther, Loosbrock, Centeno, Goddard, doesn't represent: superior moral character, brilliant, classically trained opera singer, excellent teacher, well-published, and a true feminist who spoke out against racial, gender, religious inequities that plague Adams College. She wasn't afraid to speak out and held one of the best panel discussions here last year. What a prolific speaker this African American is with such articulation of thought and expression. And her students were just motivated and inspired by the powerful lectures delivered. Crowther simply could not stand to be in this faculty presence because she eloquently read him like a book. This African American faculty knowledge on every subject matter was soooo threatening to Crowther, Loosbrock, especially Centeno that they didn't know how to engage this lady. I note all this to shed a bigger light on the underlying issue of how blatantly discriminatory these people are and that African American faculty cleverly addressed such ill behavior. I attended that panel discussion she organized and it was standing room only. This school has never organized anything of such magnitude. Her high standards, perfectionist, teaching our students on a much higher level than Crowther nor Centeno could ever do and this is why she was not rehired. Not to mention that Crowther did not attend that dynamic event..... so much for supporting the college first African-American faculty. Good job Crowther, good job.
January 2, 2016 at 12:05am An interview about the rise of made-up watch lists, loss of tenure protections, threats to academic freedom, and a campus climate hostile to dissent. Yes, sounds like Adams State to me! On Contact: A New McCarthyism with Ellen Schrecker "On this week’s episode of On Contact, Chris Hedges explores the rise of a new McCarthyism with Professor Ellen Schrecker, author of “Many are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America”. They examine the role of President Elect Donald Trump and the impact the suppression of dissent has had on higher education. RT Correspondent Anya Parampil looks at a few recent examples of targets of this new McCarthyism."
December 31, 2016 at 9:06pm In re: December 30, 2016 at 3:37pm comment and Dr. Loosbrock not having a doctorate. McClure stated no faculty will be tenured. A mention that if Dr. Crowther was on your side and had something to gain he'd use it. What about the faculty who were just granted full professor without having a doctorate in Crowther's departments???? How does this work for us faculty who work so damned hard.
December 31, 2016 at 3:16pm A line in the January 2017 New Yorker magazine that Drs McClure and Crowther might like to note before next looking in the mirror: "Power doesn't change who you are; it reveals who you are." ----Editor's Reply: I'm a fan of this variation - "No man is really changed by success. What happens is that success works on the man's personality like a truth drug, bringing him out of the closet and revealing what was always inside his head." — Albert Goldman, author
December 31, 2016 at 10:20am Still trolling, huh? There are so many things wrong with your December 30, 2016 at 3:37pm comment. WA's editor may correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this site was established to put a spotlight on abuses by those in power, by revealing factual information that the administration has kept from public view. Commentary about the dubious (to say the least!) behavior of some of ASU's top officers, based on those facts, is entirely legitimate. But airing personal animosity is not part of WA's brief. To call Centeno "about the worst person in ASU" is laughable. Really? Compared to Novotny, who lied and cheated to faculty senate? Compared to McClure, who throws tantrums, verbally abuses people and tries to destroy the reputations of those who stand in the way of her ambition? What about all those who "taught" hundreds of students on year online, bringing down the wrath of the HLC? They are less "worst" than Centeno? Get a grip! Your hate extends to denying her her background. Are you saying that she - and by extension, anyone - can't be Latina if they grew up in America? That you can only be Latina if you are an immigrant? Really?!? You also deny her position as a teacher because she is not a published academic. This is categorically not a research university - its niche is as a teaching institution. There are plenty of professors, teachers who are the backbone of this university, who have published little or nothing for years because all their time is taken up caring for students. It is obscene that you should be so dismissive of them. Again, you demonstrate your membership to the Cult of Like, which worships the idea that being popular is more important than competency. There are plenty of very competent professors who are not popular, just as there are professors who are very popular but not particularly competent. Who would you prefer to have teach your children? Again, I ask you to stop this hate speech and concentrate on demanding better performance from McClure and her disciples. It is only by this means that we may see the resurrection of ASU's reputation, an improvement in its financial security, and a more prosperous future. ----Editor's Reply: We maintain this page as an open forum that includes a broad array of perspectives (most choose to remain anonymous) and encourage readers to consider it as such. Our news and commentary articles are reflective of Watching Adams' design goals, however we recognize the comments page is by and for the readers themselves. To offer one observation: as public higher education in the United States more closely resembles a for-profit business model, there is almost inevitably a decline in collegiality among faculty (who begin to quite rationally see one another as competitors rather than colleagues). As faculty are encouraged to view themselves as "academic entrepreneurs" who "cash in" on the university model for their own private gain, there is often more financial incentive to practice the small-minded politics of division than to cultivate solidarity amongst the professoriate for the common good of the institution and its students. This is an unfortunate national trend that can certainly be observed at ASU.
December 30, 2016 at 3:37pm Although Ed Crowther might have some personal shortcomings, he certainly will do what he can for his students. Crowther has always encouraged students and helped them to grow academically. As far as the HAPPSS department, he is one of the biggest supporters of students and their endeavors. Maybe the phrase "Do as I say, not as I do" works for Crowther here. I am glad people are starting to talk about the other bad eggs in that department. Didn't Loosbrock lie about having his PhD for years before it was discovered he didn't have it? And now he is a full professor? I guess it pays to have Crowther as your friend, at least for the protection. Centeno is about the worst person at ASU. She is insecure about nearly everything and does not care much about others. She plays up her "latina" background, but she grew up in America, and only has family in Latin America. She has said she's from Venezuela so many times she probably believes it at this point. And how is she a real academic? She has never published and only cares about her Model UN group. What has she actually done besides use this group to finance her travels to say how cultured she is? How is she tenured and a full professor? Oh wait, she's a "minority" and single mother. I would bet she's the only full tenured that hasn't published anything. She's a joke. No wonder why students don't want to take her, because she will likely end up alienating students like she does with everyone else.
December 30, 2016 at 8:15am 12/27 writes: "Truly an amoral being." For awhile there, Crowther added repeated confessions of "I am a bad person" to his honey badger shtick. Obviously he was having some insight into his amoral behavior, his turning against his own principles. I always assumed he either wanted others to reassure him he was a swell guy or just wanted to beat others to the punch, rather than these being honestly remorseful confessions. We haven't heard these confessions recently, probably because he's gotten so much worse that it's better to simply hide behind his power. As someone said, Crowther is a smart guy and he's right once again, he really is bad.
December 27, 2016 at 6:49pm December 27, 2016 at 12:02pm has said it correctly---DO NOT EVER TRUST ED CROWTHER................He comes off as quite affable..........in fact he is a back stabber who will do and say whatever serves his interests regardless of the consequences for others. Truly an amoral being.
December 27, 2016 at 12:02pm One of the greatest problems holding back ASU is the Cult of Like. You get ahead here because you are deemed likable, not because of you competencies. I personally don't like Dr McClure - I find her arrogant and aloof, bad mannered and bad tempered - but if she were doing her job (improving enrollment, reversing student and faculty desertions, bringing in funds and improving ASU's public reputation), I would be a hundred-percent supporter. But despite her quarter-million package and two years at the helm, ASU is worse off than before. This is an issue of management competence and leadership failure. As a matter of logic, she should be replaced. Ed Crowther, on the other hand, is very likable. He has a wide group of friends to whom he is generous by all measures, he is humorous, musically talented, a competent administrator, and a good academic. His determination to remake himself physically should be much admired. I like him very much. We have shared much alcohol together. But I can't trust him. He lectures on the principles of civil rights, but has ignored principle when his colleagues express opinions that are at odds with own his ambition. He has supported McClure each time she has violated others' civil and constitutional rights. He supports institutional bullying. He has repeatedly undermined those who have attempted in good conscience to criticize poor performance. These traits are incompatible with his role as faculty senate president, whose job is to represent the interests of his fellow professors, not to represent his own, or McCLure's interests. Centeno is a classic victim of the Cult of Like. Regardless of her competency, her dedication to her students, her incredible work ethic, and her intelligence, she is being impugned simply because someone doesn't like her. Nothing else seems to count. ASU is full of likable, incompetent, complacent people. And those less likable but more competent are vilified. And here we are, one of the least favored, least respected, least innovative universities in the nation. Could there be any connection? To Centeno's detractor: What you are doing is egregious and cowardly. To derogate someone anonymously online simply because you don't like them makes you - not a Grinch - a Troll, the lowest of all cyber species. Please stop.
December 27, 2016 at 10:55am Re: Crowther's exceptional sexism...how many of you knew about these honey badgers....no doubt in my mind this is what he is referring to every time he says it. Crowther is a sickening misogynist! Meet the Honey Badgers, the Women Behind the Men's Rights Movement http://www.marieclaire.com/culture/news/a15964/honey-badgers-mens-rights-movement/ A Fond Salute to “Honey Badgers,” the Ladies’ Auxiliary of Online Anti-Feminism http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/09/23/honey_badgers_misogyny_the_ladies_wing_of_online_anti_feminism.html
December 26, 2016 at 10:38pm How can you all be so negative about Crowther? He does, I mean gets paid for, the jobs of four faculty. Or more! He must be the chosen one. Who else could contribute so much to sucking up, while drinking, coaching, and exercising so much? When Admin needs a hatchet man, who you gonna call? Fairness-Busters Ed!
December 26, 2016 at 7:41pm Lisa Mari grades on weekends because she intentionally has no life. She likes no one and no one likes her except easily influenced female undergrads who she has indoctrinated to believe she is the picture of feminism. Truth is Lisa Mari is an enemy of other women. There is a long list of women she has abused, including faculty on the third floor. She purports to be a latina but is in fact Jewish and quite American born and raised. She once called a meeting of all Hispanic political science students and reamed them for 30 minutes for being a disappointment to their "people." She is intolerant of opposing viewpoints and is a secret admirer of Stalin. Well, actually, it is really not so secret. Her relationship of mutual exploitation with Crowther is quite amusing.
December 26, 2016 at 6:11pm Now, now...let's not start calling people names simply because they have a different view with which we disagree. The "grinch" never claimed Lisa Marie isn't a hard worker, rather s/he indicated that Lisa Marie isn't a nice person because she doesn't like others and others don't like her. And the "grinch" is correct about that as well as her own dislike of other women in the department. I think Lisa Marie has some internalized oppression issues...but that's another thread... But, you are spot on about Crowther. He's a worthless piece of crap. And likely his new fascination with the honey badger Lisa Marie has to do with that there are finally no other women with whom he can cavort...none would have his grossness.
December 25, 2016 at 9:33pm Listen, Grinch! Crowther is one of the big dogs at crotch height, where his sense of smell is greater than his sense of ethics. We all know that, and so he is fair game. But I take great exception to you slagging other professors who happen to be under his command. Centeno is a single mother who works incredibly hard and does ridiculously long hours to serve her students, with little support from her superiors. You will find her on Saturdays and Sundays grading student work when many of the big dogs are brown-nosing Bev. Centeno is the epitome of dedication. So back off! That Crowther might be buddying up to her is not a reflection on her character. Rather, it is he who is needy. Crowther is a social creature and now that his social capital has dissipated, he will impose himself on anyone who has the forbearance to listen to his tired old "honey badger" schtick.
December 25, 2016 at 3:42pm It is good to see that E. Crowther is finally beginning to be exposed for what he is-a narcissistic, power hungry, back stabbing, racist, anti-Semitic, cruel, selfish, insensitive drunkard. His lacky in the department Loos"er"brock is his chief cheerleader. Crowther is now tight buds with Centeno, who likes no one and is liked by no one, because Crowther fears one more sex harassment case and he is toast. He should be gone after the the way he treated that department's first and only African American faculty member. Was she not re-hired because of Crowther's racism or Centeno's refusal to allow any other female in the department? What a disgusting group of charlatans in that department.
December 25, 2016 at 12:18am On the twelfth day of Christmas, Dr. McClure gave to us: Twelve promised layoffs Eleven vague explanations Ten poor excuses Nine empty statements Eight percent lower enrollment Seven financial problems Six ethics violations Five total lies Four budget cuts Three sad semesters Two bad years and accusations that we're sexist!
December 24, 2016 at 11:43pm Merry Christmas, y'all. Happy Hanukkah. Seasons greetings. Happy holidays. Best wishes. Shalom. Salaam. Peace be with us all. Whatever! We have problems... let's work together to get them fixed.
December 24, 2016 at 1:48pm Or better late than never? We know that McClure is frozen in the spotlight of community scrutiny, and nothing substantive will get done until she leaves, but that doesn't mean the rest of us are also frozen. The board will eventually have to dispose of her one way or the other, and replace her with a pragmatic president who pulls in more students and stops the bleeding. In which case, having Degree Works up and running, even if not optimally, will be a tremendous boon.
December 23, 2016 at 6:01pm From the Degree Works website: "Ellucian Degree Works™ is a comprehensive academic advising, transfer articulation, and degree audit solution that aligns students, advisors, and institutions to a common goal: helping students graduate on time." So Degree Works is a tool to support retention and graduation of students. But you need to actually have students to retain for such a tool to be useful. ASU advisors were requesting it for years, along with the additional advising staff needed to use it effectively. Too little, too late.
December 23, 2016 at 1:57pm Yes, Karla Hardesty is a smart, hardworking and dedicated staffer. But I challenge her admirer (December 22, 2016 at 9:04am) on their claim that her colleagues are less than competent. In fact most of her colleagues are perfectly capable of doing their jobs, but they are stymied by their so-called leaders. When guaranteed tuition was introduced, the scheme was so riddled with exceptions, dispensations and caveats that it has become a quagmire for those having to implement it, thereby creating more work for already overworked staff, and also creating confusion for students. This is not the fault of staff. It is the direct result of poor-quality thinking by McClure et al, a limited imagination that prevented her from anticipating problems, and a propensity to blame those who are tasked with making a lousy idea work. It was a hospital pass. If the implementation of Degree Works fails, it will not be the fault of Hardesty and her colleagues - because almost all of them are smart, hardworking and dedicated. Rather, it will be another failure of leadership by those who take home pay packets twice or three times that of Hardesty and her crew members. Go Karla and Co! We are right behind you.
December 22, 2016 at 11:26pm I totally second that motion to nominate WA. Also, I agree that ASU isn't a university by any standards. So let the original label stand; "college".
December 22, 2016 at 2:40pm My experiences communicating with Beverlee McClure are similar to the hemp farmers in the article. She often uses "air quotes" to belittle people, never apologizes or comes across as empathetic, and frequently makes you feel unimportant. So ASU has a president who isn't good with public relations, doesn't really understand online education, hasn't raised the money she was hired to bring in, and ends up getting the university in bigger trouble whenever she opens her mouth. Why was she hired, again? I am trying to figure that one out.
December 22, 2016 at 9:12am From my vantage point, Watching Adams is truly a unique, outstanding, commendable example of citizen journalism. And it's right in our own backyard. I know not all WA readers will agree with this assessment but if you do, I just did a quick search and see that there are multiple awards for citizen journalism, including the CNN iReport Awards, the Bob Awards, the Paul de Armond Citizen Journalism Award, and others, I'm sure. WA may not be reporting from downtown Aleppo, but I'd argue that they are covering far more than just one small, rural public college with financial and administrative woes (and I use the word "college" pointedly - let's get real, it's not a university). WA is a case study of so many larger ills plaguing society today - the rise of an all-powerful elite, the decline of higher ed, rising attacks on constitutional freedoms, and more. Anyone else think WA should be nominated ? Let's join forces.
December 22, 2016 at 9:04am Regarding the 11.05pm commentary, it is worth noting that all other Colorado universities have successfully employed Degree Works. CAPP was a useful tool too, but like any tool, it is only as good as the people who use it. And that is the issue at ASU. We have elevated people to positions of power simply because their main talent is kissing ass, and not because they are good at their jobs. Btw, Karla Hardesty is a smart, hardworking and dedicated staffer as far as I can tell. The success or failure of the Degree Works implementation will depend not solely on her abilities but also those of her less-than-competent colleagues. For all of us, let's hope that the administration can get Degree Works running effectively as soon as possible before ASU frightens off more students by poor advisement and shambolic scheduling.
December 22, 2016 at 8:43am Woke up this morning to find yet another piece of fine reporting by Watching Adams: Local Hemp Farmers Excluded from SLV Hemp Symposium. Choked on my coffee over the final section. McClure LIED. Clearly. In writing. She was directly involved in the planning of the hemp symposium. Enough is enough. When will enough be enough for the BoT? After she's thoroughly destroyed ASU's remaining reputation in the valley and has chased away every last of our "On-campus Undergraduates"? Side note: love the unwarranted capitalizing, on our homepage no less. Also noting that McClure's response to the Rezolana Institute is incredibly rude and unprofessional. It opens with a desultory "Don't know who to respond to." She couldn't even muster up a full sentence. She puts "host" in air quotes for unfathomable reasons. And nowhere in her email reply can I detect any effort to apologize. Even if it was purely a matter of unintentional oversight - and it doesn't seem to be - a true leader would acknowledge it as an unfortunate misstep and make a sincere attempt to repair the relationship. Enough is enough.
December 21, 2016 at 11:05pm I had to chuckle and shake my head as I read the Valley Courier piece regarding the purchase of degree auditing software. Several years ago, the University invested in a software program called CAPP (Curriculum, Advising, and Program Planning) to accomplish the very task the BOT is now willing to spend $152,000 on. CAPP was designed to track student progress towards timely completion of degree requirements, which includes auditing for in-progress, completed and transfer coursework with the ultimate goal in aiding the advisor and student. In fact, the ASU Registrar's Office employed at one time or another, a full-time staff member to institute this program. Valuable time, money and other resources were made available to get CAPP off the ground. So, in the end, what did ASU get for it? Does McClure and Hardesty really think the Degree Works software will be any better? Again, Hardesty finds herself at the helm of another trainwreck waiting to happen. McClure will be ill-advised to continue down this path with believing that Degree Works software will save the day. It did not work before, so why would it now?
December 21, 2016 at 9:56pm Yeah, I heard about the way Crowther mistreated that professor just because that jerk finally met someone who was smarter than he and used sophisticated language of expression that he couldn't even comprehend. Now of course, he wasn't gona have that type of highly intellectually grounded professor in his kingdom for long. ASU cannot survive these discriminatory internal problems.
December 21, 2016 at 9:38pm I could have told you that McClure is as clueless as a deer in headlights. And I'm certain her time here at ASU is coming to a squeaking hault..hell...probably hit like a dear in headlights who will not be rescued left in the middle of the highway. Wow, her lack of racial and gender sensitivity really is highly problematic. Talking with many students of color on campus has opened an entire can of kick-ass. These students are very smart and knows fake leadership when they see it McClure, Crowther, Novotny, Murphy, and the list goes on. But to my point, students, especially the few handful of African American students on this campus have complained about no diversity in faculty. One transfer student from Denver asked me why ASU fails to hire African American professors? I saw the disgust in his eyes but didn't really want to answer that question. Instead, I suggested he go talk with Ms. Clueless, Crowther, Novotny, who lied about an all inclusive faculty. Not sure if this bright student will get the truth from clueless McClure and if he doesn't, I told him my door would be opened to him. But in retrospect, I can't help but to feel a little guilty for not sharing with this student that before he enrolled, we were lucky to have hired an African American professor. "Hired" as in past tense because of my 21 years of teaching here, it was my first time ever witnessing ASU hiring any African American professors, especially one with such an extraordinary research publication/grant writing /teaching background. And Crowther was very intimidated and jealous of that professor. Oh, well, I'll be transparent with that student should he stop by my office again. McClure and Crowther should be ashamed of themselves for not retaining that professor with such brilliance! Oops...sorry, i was told by my buddy across the hall from me that it was Crowther's doing that pushed that professor out of ASU because of her perceived radicalism and "high standards " in the classroom. Way to go ASU...way to go.
December 21, 2016 at 6:59pm Where's the administration been this week??? Gilmer gone.... McClure absent..... Margo....???? Crowther???? Who's in charge????? O that's right.... no one!!!!! They are all gone..... so, LET'S GET RID OF EM ALL!!!! Dear Santa, Please remove these individuals from ASU... and give us people who are leaders and really care! Thank you, Me
December 21, 2016 at 6:55pm Re comment at 4:01 pm I believe McClure was indicating she wanted ASU to become a destination campus... offering up the land by the Rio Grande .... the one by Margo and Crowther's homesteads. These are our destination planners! Maybe they'll drown in the 3 ft. of water when the boats sink... no one will throw them life preservers.
December 21, 2016 at 6:52pm My understanding is that the Huron audit will be available in January. McClure's cheery rightsizing holiday message, though, gives us a pretty big clue as to its findings. Someone *really* needs to clue her in to the unspoken but widely understood "Don't use the holiday season to deliver negative news to employees" rule. And the importance of celebration at this time of year. Managing Through the Holidays https://howwelead.org/2010/12/12/managing-through-the-holidays/
December 21, 2016 at 4:01pm Re: comment at 1:54 It was during the state of Adams state address to faculty senate. McClure was presenting on some initial findings of the Huron Audit (where is that anyway??). The findings suggested that ASU utilize its space more efficiently (ie. our deserted SUB). She used the ASU Rio Grande access as an example of utilizing space and garnering revenue. It was a river access example, not necessarily rafting, but things like paddle boarding and maybe a coffee shop. Not a horrible idea but I think we need to be using our brain power and financial resources on more important things, like, oh I don't know getting our students to attend classes and pass them.
December 21, 2016 at 2:37pm AVP search? Let me guess. They will call it a failed search and appoint Crowther without faculty input. God help us all.
December 21, 2016 at 2:35pm Thanks to the 8:22am comment. You deliver more transparency and shared governance than administration. There was a search for a new AVP? No open forums? You have to be kidding me!
December 21, 2016 at 1:54pm I was told that Dr McClure recently told - was it faculty senate? - that she wanted to lease a plot of ASU land to a rafting company and then take a percentage of their profits. Is that true? I mean, really? Has she seen the Rio Grande at the end of Stadium Drive? You can roll your pants up and wade across it. Why would anyone want to raft it? Is she in La-la Land? Or was she joking? Did she also mention a real plan was for raising enrollment?
December 21, 2016 at 1:49pm ASU's future is dependent on reversing our appalling enrollment and retention rates. We already know, as predicted, that the guaranteed tuition gimmick is not working. So, what's Plan B? Start culling employees. Genius!! You can delete as many employees as you want, Bev, but it won't increase enrollment. Nor will it prevent undergraduate desertion. And you have no idea what to do about those two crucial factors, do you? Please stop pretending you know what you are doing, and just leave before you are pushed.
December 21, 2016 at 11:17am Just read this update in the Chieftain: Adams State University probation review visit moved back Has President McClure explained to anyone how and why she want from publicly stating that the HLC was unfairly targeting ASU as a “whipping boy” to then pleading with the HLC for more time to fix the many problems with Extended Studies? We know the answer. It's because Dr. Gilmer arrived and commissioned a real investigation, the conclusions of which were damning. But will McClure ever admit to these and many other mistakes, or will the blame always be on someone else, somewhere else, as the university incurs damage?
December 21, 2016 at 9:30am Everybody knows that the dice are loaded, Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed Everybody knows the war is over Everybody knows the good guys lost Everybody knows the fight is fixed The poor stay poor and the rich get rich That's how it goes Everybody knows that the boat is sinking Everybody knows that the captain lied Everybody's got this broken feeling...Everybody knows the deal is rotten... - Leonard Cohen 1934-2016, "Everybody Knows (1988)
December 21, 2016 at 8:50am In the interests of shared governance, can faculty have a say in who "right-sized"? No, of course not.
December 21, 2016 at 8:45am Another euphemism big business uses for "right-sizing" is "cutting the fat." But when the concept is applied to institutions that are already anorexic, then taking up the knife means cutting into muscle and bone. So the patient ends up lighter but dead. McClure may be a doctor but she is a business quack.
December 21, 2016 at 8:22am To the commenter curious about hiring a new AVP. Why YES! The search committee has wrapped up interviews and names have been put forward! What? You didn't know about this? Not invited to open forums? Were there any? Ask Crowther. He chaired the search committee. Another "great story" about "great transparency"!
December 20, 2016 at 8:59pm Comment said: "Right-sizing, letting go, retrenchment, career transition, decruitment - whatever euphemism you want to use to mean "you're fired". Exactly, these are euphemisms that are supposed to make losing your job more palatable. Companies used to say "your fired". Then some marketing / HR jerk came up with "laid off" because it sounds so nice to "lay down", unless it means your dead, as in fired. So, they got more creative and came up with "downsizing" because it sounds nothing like firing. And then the brightest of the slimiest came up with "right-sizing" because it just plain sounds like the moral high ground, as opposed to "we're firing you because we don't know how to keep this organization afloat." McClure should be right-sized to some less important job where she can't harm the lives of so many young students and well-meaning faculty and staff.
December 20, 2016 at 8:07pm So here we have another example of McClure's so-called business acumen. "Right-sizing" is the last resort of a business leader who doesn't know what else to do. Right-sizing, letting go, retrenchment, career transition, decruitment - whatever euphemism you want to use to mean "you're fired" - is the beginning of the end for an organization already weakened by poor management. Once you start culling those who provide an organization's products or services as a means of stemming losses, it is virtually impossible to reverse fortunes. It is the ultimate hit-and-hope, punt-and-pray tactic. This is proof that McClure has no plan for turning ASU around. If she had a better idea, surely she would tell us. But she has nothing left, except to delay and delay, while she desperately seeks another job before ASU goes bankrupt, both financially and morally. She will escape on the last lifeboat while the rest of us are left to sink. A true hero.
December 20, 2016 at 7:43pm Is ASU still in search of this such AVP? Hire in spring, let's hire someone to this position during this shit-storm! Who on campus is out of their mind to apply or accept this position? Why on earth would we hire and put someone here? Welcome to ASU, where great stories really begin! Vacancy Announcement Assistant Vice President for Graduate Studies, Research, and Sponsored Programs Non-Teaching Exempt Position # A3B003. (PDF here)
December 20, 2016 at 2:20pm Perhaps there would be fewer staff members laid off if a few administrators of dubious worth would take pay cuts.
December 20, 2016 at 9:18am Booking a commencement speaker relevant to your institution really shouldn't be that difficult. ASU continues to prove it doesn't know who it is or who it serves.
December 20, 2016 at 8:51am In her cheery Holiday Email, President McClure wrote: "I also discussed the need for us to "right size" our staff size to be compatible with our current enrollment." Those of us who will be "right sized" right out of our jobs should realize that enrollment is down partly due to McClure's failures, embarrassments, and that the financial pressure of dropping enrollment is magnified by guaranteed tuition. Due to guaranteed tuition, ASU is limited in its ability to respond to lower enrollment because we cannot increase tuition for 3/4ths of our students. If I remember correctly, that was Moody's point and a reason many institutions decided their similar programs were failures. Cuts are coming soon and again in July.
December 19, 2016 at 8:15pm I'm not sure marketing Guaranteed Tuition more widely is a good idea, anyway. It's a confusing jumble of exceptions and qualifying statements. Like, you'd think Guaranteed Tuition would most appeal to business students, right? But no, they're exempt because “differential tuition applies only to degree programs in Nursing and Business and is in addition to base tuition rates. Differential tuition rates are not guaranteed or included in the base tuition rate.” Guaranteed frustration. And just ASU announcing it would be offering Guaranteed Tuition prompted Moody's to downgrade ASU's credit rating because it diminished their ability to adjust revenue while facing ballooning debt. Maybe Guaranteed Tuition should be secret. Or it just be quietly phased out with Beverlee McClure.
December 19, 2016 at 8:00pm Am I missing something? McClure claims to be a business-person who will turn ASU around with her great ideas, we pay others to do marketing and web design, and we have professors that teach marketing, and this is the best we can do to market guaranteed tuition? From our home page: Guaranteed Tuition - No increase for up to four years - On-campus Undergraduates - Predictable costs - Generous tuition window: 12-credit rate for 12-20 credits Brilliant, "On-campus Undergraduates" will draw them from miles away. You're really hooking them with an ambiguous phrase that belongs in the fine print. Is the fact that we have "on-campus undergraduates" a selling point or is it a restriction? Well placed, appearing there above "predictable costs." Please fix this and please fix our enrollment crisis.
December 17, 2016 at 3:13pm Dear Danny Ledonne (owner, manager, designer, and gate-keeper of this site), Watching Adams has generated buzz but to what end? Thank you for the early posts of objective CUPA documentation and the like, but the goal of greater transparency with ASU has long since evaporated from this site. Check your heart. Check your motives. It seems that this has become some sort of resume building item for you as evidenced in your repeated posting of "Page Views". Does this equate to efficacy of your website and mission in your mind? You succeeded in creating a blog version of a car wreck. People are rubber-necking at side-show cherry picked carnage that you decide to post like your recent nursing program update. You provided not one shred of objective perspective on that situation. It's a fledgling program that has struggled greatly with continuity of leadership. The SLV is in great need of health care providers, but did your post show any concern for what the underlying factors might be? No. What sort of journalistic ethic is that? What sort of professional have you become? Has it been worth the cost on your life, this burn it down mindsight? Your personal angst and bent towards deriding ASU has consumed you to some bitter end. Please put an end to this anonymous dumping ground for anyone with an axe to grind. If you care for the welfare of the greater SLV community, and if you ever had an ounce of care for Adams State, you will end this experiment in exercising your demons. You are doing great damage to the SLV and Southern Colorado communities. You have sought to throw the baby out with the bath water. Please stop. ----Editor's Reply: Thank you for your civil and thoughtful comment. I think you are well-intentioned in your suggestions and I will respond with the same civility and sincerity. Watching Adams is not a fixed project with a single end goal. As stated from its creation, the site is designed to do what no other publication in the San Luis Valley has consistently done: cover the serious issues facing Adams State University. And we both know they are many. Some are relatively small, such as ASU allowing a double department chair to serve as faculty senate president (most university by-laws specifically forbid this and it is not recommended by the AAUP). Other issues are much larger, such as ongoing negative fiscal performance, declining enrollment, and academic probation. Watching Adams happened to come about in this maelstrom and here is where we find ourselves. The aforementioned issue of the ASU nursing program falls somewhere in the middle. Recall that last December, we published a podcast with Elaine Regan, former nursing faculty member, as she described being labeled a “trouble maker” for raising her concerns about serious design flaws with the program from its inception, as well as being pressured to pass students who weren't prepared to take the NCLEX-RN. Lo and behold, ongoing poor pass rates are the result. Watching Adams is attempting to connect the dots here, among other issues. We recognize the urgent need for healthcare providers in the San Luis Valley and have the resolve to point out that what Adams State is doing currently isn't working. This empty sentiment about how “everything is great at Adams State” is demonstrably false and worse yet, enables the kinds of problems that have gone unaddressed for years. It's really disappointing that, metaphorically speaking, various aspects of Adams State are on fire and burning to the ground. I realize that Watching Adams has pulled the fire alarm and it's ruining everyone's afternoon tea, but hopefully we can at least agree that these issues are serious and warrant our attention. Virtually nothing on ASU's own website, nor its press releases, communicate that whatsoever. The campus and more importantly, the broader public, deserves an independent and alternative source of information on these critical matters. And of course, people are free to disagree or not visit the site at all. To quote a truly great journalist in his day: "Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit." - Edward R. Murrow. And just in case one might construe otherwise, I certainly don't believe I am a great journalist. This is my amateur effort at doing something I believe some one ought to do and, once my employment at ASU ended, I recognized I had unique opportunities (and perhaps even responsibilities) to blow this whistle. Watching Adams is a side project from Emberwilde Productions, unpaid at that, because I am passionate about these issues and the many people I care about who I have witnessed silently suffering at ASU – past and present. If you haven't yet, I would encourage you to read “Why We Are Still Watching Adams,” which details the many issues we covered and stories we broke in the first 14 months of the site's existence. Only upon reflecting did I realize how much ground we've covered! And frankly by those standards, I would confess that Watching Adams has been slacking as of late. But once we've brought an issue to the forefront, we have let things develop and only update it when new data is available (such as subsequent enrollment numbers or new NCLEX-RN pass rate data). Regarding page views, there are two primary functions of updating the site every 25,000 views. The first is simply the clumsy function of not having a hit counter on the site; only the site administrator can see the fascinating daily deluge of data in terms of individual article views, visitor locations, hourly trends, etc. For example, one might be interested in knowing how many times people view Dr. McClure's contract for employment, how regularly salary data is downloaded, and how many other sites on the web refer to Watching Adams articles. It's quite a learning experience for me as the site admin. The second reason is to discredit the notion that Watching Adams has no readership, that no one pays attention to it, or that only a “handful of unhappy people” ever frequent the site. Clearly, the data does not support that hypothesis. As one reader comment quoted: "Boards of directors are like subatomic particles - they behave differently when they're observed." - Nell Minow. And that's really the point; Watching Adams cannot be ignored as a relevant source of discussion. Perhaps that's why it upsets some people so much that they want it taken down. And that's a familiar experience for me. Just to help you understand where I am coming from, for whatever it's worth: recall that I have a long history of taking on difficult and controversial subject matter. I created a videogame about the Columbine school shooting that was nationally vilified and yet also acclaimed and has gone on to become part of “the fabric of the history of videogames” (according to game industry leader Hal Halpin). I received hate mail and death threats the likes of which make the flack I receive for Watching Adams appear tame. Yet to this day, the game is still studied in game design courses worldwide, the documentary I produced on this experience premiered at AFI Fest in Los Angeles and is still widely viewed on major video platforms, and I regularly speak on college campuses about the design and reception of this challenging work. The documentary and videogame are still online, over a decade later. I was also among ten plaintiffs in a lawsuit to “Keep Polston Public” in 2013-2014. I'm sure many San Luis Valley residents remember this and some may still feel bitterly about it. At the time, it was highly controversial and generated acrimony and solidarity in equal measure. “Just stop, you're hurting the community” was a common criticism we received. After a long and difficult journey spanning the courts of law and public opinion, our plaintiff group was able to secure this gorgeous 38 acre riverfront property for continued public use, place the river walking trails in a public easement, and is now the home of the innovative agricultural project, The Rio Grande Farm Park – generating many new grant-funded and micro-enterprise opportunities. Whenever I walk onto the land, the very same place I went to elementary school in the early 1990's, I feel a deep sense of purpose and serenity about all that has come before and all that lies ahead. Taking the road less traveled is worthwhile. I don't pretend to get everything right and I'm sure that there are a multitude of mistakes I have made in my life (as I imagine anyone who is honest with themselves might conclude). I have corrected any number of grammatical errors in Watching Adams articles, I am the first to admit I am a perfectionist, and try my very best to verify the data I review and publish on the site. But I'm still fallible and maintain these channels of communication for anyone to “call me on my bullshit” - which I welcome. During my four years working at Adams State, I began to more keenly perceive any number of intractable problems that, when one attempted to address them head-on, experienced indifference or even repression for doing so. I wrote about this in an open letter to Dr. Chris Gilmer after the publication of the Mathieu Report. If and until ASU can welcome and embrace robust discourse – including and especially about the institution itself – there will be an urgent need and ongoing relevance to Watching Adams. This “anonymous dumping ground” is the result of a climate in which “the proper channels” have too often failed and many individuals do not feel comfortable, nor safe, speaking their mind in an in-person forum. I will note that you did not sign your comment, so perhaps you already implicitly understand this. I will say to you what many in the Campus Advocacy Group said during its fledgling, abortive efforts of 2014-2015: “work with me to make Watching Adams better!” If you believe this site isn't doing what it should, that it has lost its way or that “the goal of greater transparency with ASU has long since evaporated from this site,” - what can you do to make this site better? I am more than welcoming of ideas and am not a difficult person to get ahold of if you wish to contact me privately. I mean this with complete sincerity. And frankly, making Watching Adams the best it can be is every participant's responsibility. With very few exceptions, I have published every reader comment I receive and this forum is reflective of those who post on it – for better and for worse. You may sign your name, or not. You may use profanity, or not. You may take a mature and civil tack, or not. I am here to keep this line of communication open, for whatever Adams State related issues one wishes to discuss – including those I personally disagree with or don't find particularly compelling. And the day that ASU is in perfect form, populated only with happy students and employees, in compliance with all standards and regulations, and meeting or exceeding its benchmarks in higher education, this site could very well drift away into irrelevance because there is nothing more to discuss. But since we know that this is unlikely to happen anytime soon, I am committed to maintaining Watching Adams as the place for anyone to go to when they have a concern or question about the university that they don't feel comfortable raising on their own. Thanks again for the opportunity to discuss this in greater detail. Your feedback is appreciated.
December 17, 2016 at 12:52pm I have never seen a bigger bunch of lying bullies that I have at Adams State University. Your professors gang up of other professors, tell lies a