Yesterday Fr. Wild gave his annual State of the University address. One small quote from near the end of his speech:
"Men's Basketball, guided by Coach Buzz Williams, is currently ranked 8th in the nation. Spectacular! And both our Men's and our Women's Basketball teams beat Notre Dame! For the Women's team it was the first time in the program's very proud history that they beat a top 10 ranked team."
I love that man.
any link to the full text of the speech? i searched but could only find 2008's.
Its good to hear he has such an address. Back in the day, I got called into Fr. Raynor's office and had an hour long discussion with him, after I wrote in the Trib that Fr. Raynor should have such an address.
ooh, just got this from the MU NewsBriefs. close as i can get: http://www.marquette.edu/newsbriefs/2009/Students/February-2009-Students/Feb-04-09-NB-STUDENTS.html
Quote from: bs4173 on February 04, 2009, 03:09:05 PM
any link to the full text of the speech? i searched but could only find 2008's.
PM me and I can send you a "Word" attachment of the whole speech. Way too long to post here. I don't have a link.
Possibly the worst president in the history of Marquette University.
Can't wait until they get someone else.
All that aside, good to see the basketball teams getting some recognition... even though it's expected from the president
Quote from: MUWarriors Zero-6 on February 04, 2009, 08:46:23 PM
Possibly the worst president in the history of Marquette University.
I'm curious to hear your argument for this statement. Not trying to start a fight, just wondering...
Quote from: MUWarriors Zero-6 on February 04, 2009, 08:46:23 PM
Possibly the worst president in the history of Marquette University.
Um, what about Albert DiUlio, S.J. The man who decided that "Warriors" was not to be our nickname?
Quote from: mwbauer7 on February 04, 2009, 08:51:55 PM
I'm curious to hear your argument for this statement. Not trying to start a fight, just wondering...
I don't agree with a lot of what he's done while at Marquette. I don't have the time to list them.
I think a lot of people are blindly infatuated with him, overlooking the negatives. It's kind of sickening actually
I'm not one to bash a Jesuit, I just think his decisions as President of Marquette do not earn my respect.
and Yes, I will agree that the President to change the name from Warriors had to be #1. Wild isn't much of an upgrade- afterall he did have the chance to change it back, but found the 1 native american who found it offensive in the most northern woods of Wisconsin... ::)
Fr. Wild's done a great job with the university - first class. I wish we could have had Warriors back tho - I heard he actually liked the idea, but the forces were against it ever happening.
Quote from: MUWarriors Zero-6 on February 04, 2009, 08:59:45 PM
I don't agree with a lot of what he's done while at Marquette. I don't have the time to list them.
I think a lot of people are blindly infatuated with him, overlooking the negatives. It's kind of sickening actually
I'm not one to bash a Jesuit, I just think his decisions as President of Marquette do not earn my respect.
and Yes, I will agree that the President to change the name from Warriors had to be #1. Wild isn't much of an upgrade- afterall he did have the chance to change it back, but found the 1 native american who found it offensive in the most northern woods of Wisconsin... ::)
No, please take the time to list them.
Indeed, honest to god, you're the first person I've heard speak ill of Fr. Wild. I've simply never heard anyone say anything but positive things about him, and how MU has prospered during his tenure.
So, yeah, I'd think we'd all love to hear your reasoning.
Quote from: MUWarriors Zero-6 on February 04, 2009, 08:59:45 PM
I don't agree with a lot of what he's done while at Marquette.
Let's see . . . . while Father Wild has been president, we moved from Conference USA to the Big East.
Got a problem with that?
Under Father Wild's leadership Marquette has or will have
- a new law school
- a new engineering facility
- improved basketball team and facilities
- Raynor Library
- A new School of Dentistry
- improved academic stature
- torn down the 1212 building and will replace it with a far better facility
- switch to the Big East Conference
I don't know how you could find faults that override all of this. If you tally up the millions of dollars invested in the projects I just listed my guess is it would be at least half a billion dollars, if not more.
in addition to what Wareagle posted....
-we rose in the national university rankings from outside of the top 100 to #77 during his tenure.
-our endowment skyrocketed.
-two new dorms in the last 5 years-- Abbottsford and the new suites on 17th and WI where Ziggies used to be
-business school rose to the top 50.
-our Law School moved into the top 100 for national rankings.
-he headed the most successful fundraising campaign in university history.
-saw the largest single donations come into MU ($51 mil and $30ish from Zilber)
-connects incredibly well with the city---on the boards of the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
-ever see campus before he came? then compared it to after? geez.
-MU has received more applicants for admission each year in the past three years.... 2006 saw 13,000 apps, 2007 saw 15,000, and 2008 was somewhere around 17,000.
i realize he isn't solely responsible for any of this, but great things have "coincidentally" happened under his leadership. sorry haters, he's possibly the best we've had.
Quote from: Sir Lawrence on February 04, 2009, 08:54:18 PM
Um, what about Albert DiUlio, S.J. The man who decided that "Warriors" was not to be our nickname?
Unfortunately, he was my president at MU.
THE WORST!
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 04, 2009, 10:23:26 PM
Indeed, honest to god, you're the first person I've heard speak ill of Fr. Wild. I've simply never heard anyone say anything but positive things about him, and how MU has prospered during his tenure.
So, yeah, I'd think we'd all love to hear your reasoning.
+1.
Bush league to trash Fr. Wild but say your list is too "lengthy".....
Well..... we're waiting......
Quote from: MUWarriors Zero-6 on February 04, 2009, 08:59:45 PM
I don't agree with a lot of what he's done while at Marquette. I don't have the time to list them.
Absolute horse sh*t. don't deal in vague statement then kitten out on stating a reason.
As someone who had to cross 11th street from Carpenter to Cobeen to eat, I'll happily add "got the state to move 11th Street behind Carpenter" to the list.
Quote from: MUWarriors Zero-6 on February 04, 2009, 08:46:23 PM
Possibly the worst president in the history of Marquette University.
Quote from: MUWarriors Zero-6 on February 04, 2009, 08:59:45 PM
and Yes, I will agree that the President to change the name from Warriors had to be #1. Wild isn't much of an upgrade- afterall he did have the chance to change it back, but found the 1 native american who found it offensive in the most northern woods of Wisconsin... ::)
How can you possibly say he is the worst in MU's history and then go on to admit that you don't even know the name of his predecessor - that completely shows little to no base of reasoning for your argument (do you have an argument).
Let me ask you this, other Wild, DiUlio, and Raynor, can you name another president in Marquette's history?
When the university bought up all of that property around campus just as the Dahmer thing hit, causing apps to drop and enrollment to drop and debt to go through the roof, there was actually speculation about the long-term future of MU. While anybody can disagree with a specific choice or decision Fr. Wild has made, it is nearly impossible to argue Marquette is in worse shape than it was when he arrived. BTW, does anybody else remember knocking back a couple with Fr. (Buck) Raynor at Block Party or the keggers that were the JesRes openhouses?
This might influence your opinion on Father Wild:
http://FrWild.tripod.com
Quote from: tower912 on February 05, 2009, 08:14:17 AM
BTW, does anybody else remember knocking back a couple with Fr. (Buck) Raynor at Block Party or the keggers that were the JesRes openhouses?
I had one memorable drunken conversation with Bucky at my Freshman year block party (1982). When Fr. Raynor visited AZ a few years later, he recalled the incident with my parents. They all had a good laugh out of it. Say what you want about Fr. Raynor, but man that guy could remember people and flat out sell MU.
Quote from: HoopsMalone on February 05, 2009, 08:20:53 AM
This might influence your opinion on Father Wild:
http://FrWild.tripod.com
TT34 and myself had to be the top contributors to that site.
I was "lucky" to have Father DiUlio as my instructor in Finance. When he handed out the test, which was about 2 inches think, I told him I would wait for the Cliff Notes version.
I would frequently see him walking through the library after a drink or two. One time he was a little more merry than usual. We convinced him to move back our midterm exams.
He was a decent instructor, but not a good president.
Anyone on the board have Fr. Wild as a Theo prof in the 70's? I'd be interested in any stories.
One of the toughest jobs Wild had to do was mend all of the bridges that DiUlio burned. The city and most of the neighborhood hated Marquette because of the way DiUlio tried to force Avenue Commons down everyone's throat. It was his way and everyone else be damned.
It also seemed that interacting with the students was beneath DiUlio. I never saw him around. He acted like a monarch in his ivory tower. I remember all the pomp and circumstance when he was installed as president.
Of course he also pissed off the students and alumni with the name change. They changed it during my Freshman year, so I was the last Warrior class. I saw first hand how bad things were.
Wild has done an outstanding job, especially given the though circumstances he inheritted.
President's State of the University Annual Address
Robert A. Wild, S.J.
February 3, 2009, 3 p.m.
In recent years we have chosen to schedule this event during our annual Mission Week, a thing very fitting indeed. Indeed, the theme for this year's Mission Week finds its inspiration in a quotation from the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola: "Love is found more in deeds than in words." In terms of Marquette, that truth is confirmed day in and day out through the high-quality work that you and your colleagues accomplish for this university, for our students and for advancing the knowledge and well-being of our human family. The successes we celebrate as a university community would not be possible without the contributions of every member of our university community. For that I most certainly thank you.
What is uppermost in our minds at present is, I strongly suspect, the severe economic downturn that we are experiencing and how it is impacting our university. So I thought it would be important to speak candidly and directly with you about that, and then to do my best at the end of this presentation to answer any questions you have.
What would I say generally? That at present we are as a university weathering the storm and doing decently well. While no one knows how long this recession will last, it already has had a worldwide impact, and most of the knowledgeable people we have consulted think things really will not turn around until 2010 at the earliest. Many also believe the economy will get worse before it gets better but no one really knows.
Since so much of our annual revenue derives from tuition, you will be pleased to learn that we have received as of today 17,536 applications for next fall's freshman class, a remarkable increase of 17% over last year's record breaking numbers. True enough, more students are sending out multiple applications as a bargain-hunting strategy to find out which university will offer the best financial aid. However, many universities, even some quite excellent institutions, have had a downturn in applications, and I know of none, certainly none of the Jesuit schools, that have had such a strong percentage increase as we have had. Last year, with a pool of 15,000 applications from which to choose, we decided that without sacrificing academic quality – in the end it actually improved – we could increase the size of our freshman class from about 1,800 to over 1,900, and we are aiming at a similar-sized freshman class this coming fall. To put it another way, given our present economic situation, the greater downside risk lies with too few students rather than too many. With more than 80% of our operating budget coming from tuition, room and board, and fees, you can well understand the negative impact any significant decline in enrollment would have on operations. We could of course be unpleasantly surprised come fall, especially if the economy really tanks in the next few months, but we think on this front we are in quite good shape.
In terms of our overall finances we have been very much helped by careful planning by our academic and administrative colleagues and capable oversight by our Board of Trustees. That is why, for example, in next year's budget we felt comfortable in including a salary increase of approximately 3% to be allocated, as always, on a merit basis, and why, unlike a variety of other institutions, we have not felt the need to freeze salaries or hiring. To be sure, we will be very careful about hiring additional people, we will look closely at vacant positions to see if they really need to be filled and we will be aggressive in looking for further ways to save money – all of these practices being standard operating procedure in any case. Ten years ago during a much more dire time for the university, we formed the Renewal Task Force, and that group over time has come up with over $10 million in permanent savings. Dr. Toby Peters, who now leads this group, has been re-energizing its efforts because we should always aim at operating better and more efficiently, and in this economic climate we owe this all the more both to our students and their families and to all of you. If you have suggestions regarding this, the RTF group would be most grateful for your input.
More generally I can report that Marquette's balance sheet is sound, our public credit rating (A2 from Moody's) is strong, our cash reserves sufficient and fully available, we will again this year operate in the black, and our endowment, while down certainly from where it was back in June (down, that is, about 25%), is diversified, well managed and performing ahead of benchmarks. And while I would very much like our endowment to be larger, if it were, in terms of budget we would be a lot more dependent on it than we are now. (I'd still take larger, though – and I am sure the day will come.)
We've all seen reports about colleges and universities around the country reducing staff and eliminating programs to cut costs, and, thank God, that is not the case here at Marquette. But, as you well know, these are very difficult times, and while we will do everything we can going forward to keep the university in good financial shape, it would be plain irresponsible not to do contingency planning to deal with possible negative "what if" situations that may arise.
One thing that must have high priority for us as a university is to do whatever we responsibly can to assist students under financial duress from the present downturn to stay in school and complete their degrees. That is simply in keeping with our mission, with who we are as a university.
In light of that priority our Board of Trustees approved in December the lowest tuition increase in 30 years — 3.5% — an increase that will add less than $1,000 to an undergraduate student's tuition bill. Even with that increase, our tuition continues to be lower than that of most of our peer private universities, lower than that charged by 18 of the nation's 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. Still, a tuition bill — even with the financial aid provided to nearly 90% of our undergraduates — is no incidental expense. Our families make a tremendous sacrifice to send their students here and they do so because they not only seek a good academic and professional education for their children but also the mission-based educational experience that characterizes Marquette: accessible faculty who are interested in their students' progress, a supportive campus environment, opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in hands-on research and clinical experiences, an education with a core of studies that embraces the liberal arts, especially philosophy and theology; an overall educational approach that seeks to form men and women for others. This is Mission Week, and its theme centers on helping us to draw more deeply on our own spirituality and faith to influence all the more our actions for good and to drive the ethic of human excellence and service that is so characteristic of this university. And, frankly, in times like these, it is, I truly believe, even more important that we do all we can to live out in our work the values that characterize this university and that draw so many families seriously to consider entrusting their son or daughter to us for their college education.
People do not easily give up on the dream they have for their children to go to college. Even in tough times such as we are now experiencing, the intensity of their hopes for their children doesn't diminish — it intensifies. They don't look at college tuition costs and say, "Oh, let's push that off for a year or two." We know the decisions families make now are based on ensuring that their children and grandchildren have better opportunities and more fulfilling lives. We know Marquette offers many special advantages to the parents and students who seek a Catholic, Jesuit university education. And our graduates, as they themselves report, leave us not just well prepared as professionals but also rightfully believing that they have a larger purpose in life and the ability to make a genuine positive difference in our human family. That's an incredible graduation present!
Under the assumption that as our families wrestle these days with their household budgets, more of them will need help, we have moved an additional $4 million into the financial aid pipeline. While we do not have the resources to solve every problem, we will in these hard times dedicate resources as best we can to keep pace with such needs as they arise, especially for our current students. In that regard, please keep an eye out for any of your students who may be running into financial problems. A call or e-mail to our Office of Student Financial Aid will allow their staff quietly to check to see if any significant financial problems have arisen. Last year we announced scholarship aid as our top fundraising priority and this year we are particularly focusing upon current-use scholarships that can go directly to students. Several donors have chosen to provide the university with very generous emergency scholarship support, and this is helping us to retain students suddenly coming under financial distress. One donation for this purpose that I am especially aware of, a gift of $250,000 from one of our long-time donors, has provided extra financial aid to no less than 51 of our students to help them to stay in school.
To no one's surprise, our fundraising results have slowed considerably. Most people these days are reluctant to make large multi-year gift pledges, i.e., the gifts that typically fuel our campaigns, because they are uncertain and nervous about the future and do not want to over-commit their financial resources. Still, there is lots of enthusiasm and good will among our donors and friends, many of them are quite willingly making smaller gifts in support of our ongoing operations, and we continue to stay connected with them and wait for better times.
You might wonder about our building projects. Two new buildings are currently underway: the new Law School, Eckstein Hall, which is being built on Tory Hill and Zilber Hall, our new student services and administration building, at 12th and Wisconsin. About $66 million of the $85 million price tag for the Law School has been raised, another $4 million is within sight, and we anticipate that all of the dollars needed for this project will ultimately come from external sources. The much more modest cost of Zilber Hall is being covered primarily by low interest, thirty-year bonds. For both of these projects bridge funding has been secured through tax-exempt bonds. In addition, the conversion of the large apartment building on the northeast corner of 17th and Wisconsin into a new residence hall for sophomores is going forward, with its opening date scheduled for next August. As for the proposed new College of Engineering facility, while a significant percentage of its total cost has already been pledged, we will proceed very cautiously and not start construction until we know very clearly where all the funds are coming from.
So that gives you a sense of where Marquette University stands amid all the vicissitudes of this economic recession swirling around us. My own sense of things: as a university we have struggled with worse difficulties in the past, and we can and we will deal with this challenge as well.
Even recognizing the unsettled future, the present academic year here at Marquette is shaping up as a good one. Let me highlight just a few reasons:
Marquette rose in the U.S. News rankings of the nation's top 100 universities to No. 77 (up from No. 82), and Kiplinger's in its annual ranking of "Best Values in Private Colleges" placed Marquette in 44th place among the Top 50 private universities.
There is good news in the area of research, grants and technology transfer. A handheld biodiesel analyzer developed by Paradigm Sensors, LLC, with technology acquired from Marquette through the work of Prof. Marty Seitz in Engineering, was recently honored by R&D Magazine as one of the most technologically significant products of the year. Then in mid-January a lengthy effort on the part of the university to license for commercial development College of Health Sciences Professor David Baker's research on neurotransmitters in the brain was successfully concluded. Dr. Baker's research has shown promise for the treatment of schizophrenia and other central nervous system conditions, and the license will allow the company established for this purpose, Promentis, to explore this further.
The Wisconsin Reading Acquisition Program, which is housed in the College of Health Sciences' Dept. of Speech Pathology, received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the largest-three year grant in university history and largest grant ever for the College.
Early in March the university will welcome a two-person visiting team for the focused visit on assessment that was mandated by our general accreditor, the North Central Association, in the aftermath of our ten-year reaccreditation visit in 2004. Having read through the self-study prepared by Marquette for this visit, may I say that we are now in a VERY different place as a university in terms of learning assessment than we were in 2004. We have a clear game plan, it is being carried out well, and more and more areas are discovering from the results what they should do to improve further student learning in their specific disciple or activity. True enough, assessment at Marquette is a work in progress that we will continue to modify and improve, but I am very encouraged by what has been accomplished. So I most certainly thank the faculty for their efforts, their cooperation and their patience with all of this, and very especially I thank our Vice Provost, Dr. Peggy Bloom, for without her considerable expertise and her persistence, we would have been nowhere as far along as we are now. Peggy, thank you indeed!
In that vein I would note that Marquette is one of 20 four-year institutions currently participating in a comprehensive, campus-wide self-assessment of the first-year college experience. We work hard to help our students make a successful transition to college, but now, to take things a step further, we are with the help of the Foundations of Excellence project of the Policy Center on the First Year of College assessing our programming to determine where and how it can be further improved.
Progress is also being made toward improving aspects of our graduate programs, especially our doctoral programs. For example, funding has been added to next year's budget to provide health insurance for those doctoral and master's students who are serving as teaching and research assistants, an improvement that for some time has been urged by our Graduate Student Association. In addition, the university has begun working with seven of our doctoral programs to assist the efforts of their respective faculties to improve further their overall quality.
Excellent work on many fronts continues to be accomplished by our Office of Mission and Identity, but I want to single out for special praise the Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality, which is directed by Mr. Michael Hogan and which offers a variety of programs for faculty and staff to help them to grow spiritually, especially through the riches of the spiritual tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. I am impressed by the creativity and variety of the programs the Center offers – there really is something for everyone – and the team running the Faber Center is indeed impressive.
Men's Basketball, guided by Coach Buzz Williams, is currently ranked 8th in the nation. Spectacular! And both our Men's and our Women's Basketball teams beat Notre Dame! For the Women's team it was the first time in the program's very proud history that they beat a top 10 ranked team.
So despite the challenges we face, there is much positive momentum carrying us forward. With regard to Marquette there is every reason for us to remain fundamentally optimistic and hopeful for the future and steadfastly loyal to the values that imbue a Marquette education. Again, my warm thanks to you for all the good things you do for Marquette University, and may God abundantly bless all of us who work and study at this institution.
2,756 words
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 05, 2009, 08:53:06 AM
President's State of the University Annual Address
Robert A. Wild, S.J.
February 3, 2009, 3 p.m.
People do not easily give up on the dream they have for their children to go to college. Even in tough times such as we are now experiencing, the intensity of their hopes for their children doesn't diminish — it intensifies. They don't look at college tuition costs and say, "Oh, let's push that off for a year or two." We know the decisions families make now are based on ensuring that their children and grandchildren have better opportunities and more fulfilling lives. We know Marquette offers many special advantages to the parents and students who seek a Catholic, Jesuit university education. And our graduates, as they themselves report, leave us not just well prepared as professionals but also rightfully believing that they have a larger purpose in life and the ability to make a genuine positive difference in our human family. That's an incredible graduation present!
Amen
Quote from: bork on February 05, 2009, 08:47:41 AM
I remember all the pomp and circumstance when he was installed as president.
The faculty still refers to his installation as the "coronation." The University dropped an obscene amount of money on that event.
Quote from: Chili on February 05, 2009, 07:15:08 AM
Absolute horse sh*t. don't deal in vague statement then kitten out on stating a reason.
+1.
Very kitten. Especially considering the person has now bee-lined it out of the thread quicker then O'Leary's tenure as ND football coach.
Quote from: marqptm on February 05, 2009, 08:23:52 AM
TT34 and myself had to be the top contributors to that site.
I remember a facebook group that promoted this site... and was the "Father Wild fan club!"
I was promptly kicked out when I mentioned that the only thing that the website displayed was how good MU students had become at taking other people's ideas as their own... ala Sarah Sherman.
I was told how mean it was of me to make fun of someone even though they were willing to risk public embarassment... (and in my opinion should have been expelled.)
but sure,
I'm the a-hole (happy, mods?).
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on February 05, 2009, 11:22:48 AM
I remember a facebook group that promoted this site... and was the "Father Wild fan club!"
I was promptly kicked out when I mentioned that the only thing that the website displayed was how good MU students had become at taking other people's ideas as their own... ala Sarah Sherman.
I was told how mean it was of me to make fun of someone even though they were willing to risk public embarassment... (and in my opinion should have been expelled.)
but sure, I'm the a-hole (happy, mods?).
Hahahahah, the Sarah Sherman incident. That brings back some memories (and probably deserves its own thread).
Quote from: Marquette Gyros on February 05, 2009, 12:02:12 PM
Hahahahah, the Sarah Sherman incident.
Can anyone elaborate on this?
That website takes me back to the 2004-05 season.
How do you crap on Father Wild then not give your reasons why. I'm not saying everyone must like the guy. If you have your reasons then so be it, but you have to at least say what they are.
I don't like what you've done for the university MU warriors Zero-6. My reasons are too long to list.
Thread Jack Alert!
Is that Mike Sherman's daughter? My memory serves me right she was a dime piece.
Quote from: MU_B2002 on February 05, 2009, 12:15:15 PM
Can anyone elaborate on this?
Sure thing!
The daughter of Green Bay Packers Head Coach (at the time) Mike Sherman was a year younger than me, and she was on the newspaper staff of the Trib. She was a sports writer and she was alright at it.
Until one day she decided that she would blatantly plagarize a popular ESPN writers entire column (nearly verbatim, mind you) and then attept to pass it off as her own. Her editor is probably equally to blame for not checking (or noticing) that the writing was clearly not like anything she had turned in for publishing before.
Regardless, the paper ran the story and a number of people thought they had read the article before... and they had!
Pretty embarassing.
Quote from: reinko on February 05, 2009, 12:20:37 PM
Thread Jack Alert!
Is that Mike Sherman's daughter? My memory serves me right she was a dime piece.
your standards must be low then... she was a 7 on a good day, and a 5 on a bad day.
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on February 05, 2009, 12:22:31 PM
your standards must be low then... she was a 7 on a good day, and a 5 on a bad day.
Hahaha. I love the turn this thread has taken. I went to high school with Sarah. She is Mike Sherman's daughter. I don't know what "number" I'd give her, but she was definitely good-looking.
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on February 05, 2009, 12:21:27 PM
Sure thing!
The daughter of Green Bay Packers Head Coach (at the time) Mike Sherman was a year younger than me, and she was on the newspaper staff of the Trib. She was a sports writer and she was alright at it.
Until one day she decided that she would blatantly plagarize a popular ESPN writers entire column (nearly verbatim, mind you) and then attept to pass it off as her own. Her editor is probably equally to blame for not checking (or noticing) that the writing was clearly not like anything she had turned in for publishing before.
Regardless, the paper ran the story and a number of people thought they had read the article before... and they had!
Pretty embarassing.
Haha, I remember that. I believe the article she stole was from Len Pasquarelli.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 05, 2009, 08:53:06 AM
President's State of the University Annual Address
Robert A. Wild, S.J.
February 3, 2009, 3 p.m.
Since so much of our annual revenue derives from tuition, you will be pleased to learn that we have received as of today 17,536 applications for next fall's freshman class, a remarkable increase of 17% over last year's record breaking numbers.
Last week, my son got his scholarship offer from MU. It was suprisingly low when compared to what he has been offered from other private schools, including one other Jesuit university. He's not all that upset by this...he had decided not to go there anyway...but I thought as a child of an alum he would get a better offer. However, clearly MU is in a position to not be too picky about next year's class...and that's a good thing.
Actually my wife (not an alum) is more pissed than either my son or I am.
BTW, Father Wild has been the best thing to happen to MU in the past 25 years. I went to school at the end of the Raynor tenure, and things were starting to slide even then. Facilities were growing old. Enrollment was starting to slip. Basketball was in the Dukiet dark era.
Then DiUlio came on board and things fell off a cliff. Completely misplaced priorties, such as the relocation of Wisconsin Avenue, haughty attitude, bad administrative hires, etc.
Wild not only reversed all of that, but MU is in a much stronger position than it has been at any time in its recent history. Renewed facilities, large endowment, enrollment isn't an issue... He is a great leader.
Quote from: RJax55 on February 05, 2009, 12:30:05 PM
Haha, I remember that. I believe the article she stole was from Len Pasquarelli.
sure was.
Quote from: Shankapotamus on February 05, 2009, 12:35:18 PM
Last week, my son got his scholarship offer from MU. It was suprisingly low when compared to what he has been offered from other private schools, including one other Jesuit university. He's not all that upset by this...he had decided not to go there anyway...but I thought as a child of an alum he would get a better offer. However, clearly MU is in a position to not be too picky about next year's class...and that's a good thing.
Actually my wife (not an alum) is more pissed than either my son or I am.
Don't think there has been a 'discount' for prospective students who have alumni as parents anywhere...
now, getting into school... that is a whole different story... a child of an alum probably has a better chance of acceptance if his/her parent went there.
Quote from: Shankapotamus on February 05, 2009, 12:35:18 PM
It was suprisingly low when compared to what he has been offered from other private schools, including one other Jesuit university.
My guess is that that "other Jesuit university" was Saint Louis U. They give out more financial aid, but it's a more expensive school. E.g., they offer a $1000 "discount" to any Catholic high school grad, which MU doesnt do, but SLU's more than $2000 more per year.
2008-2009 Tuition at SLU: $30,300
" " at MU: $27,720
Over 4 years, that's almost $12,000 more. They'd better give out more aid.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 04, 2009, 10:23:26 PM
Indeed, honest to god, you're the first person I've heard speak ill of Fr. Wild. I've simply never heard anyone say anything but positive things about him, and how MU has prospered during his tenure.
So, yeah, I'd think we'd all love to hear your reasoning.
Count me as #2 then.
Don't get me wrong; as a unversity president, he's done wonders for Marquette.
But in my personal interactions with him (and there were several), he was a pompous, condescending jackass.
My only real interaction with him was at the Final Four Pep Rally in New Orleans. He clearly had imbibed a few. Needless to say, he was extremely friendly that day.
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on February 05, 2009, 12:21:27 PM
Sure thing!
The daughter of Green Bay Packers Head Coach (at the time) Mike Sherman was a year younger than me, and she was on the newspaper staff of the Trib. She was a sports writer and she was alright at it.
Until one day she decided that she would blatantly plagarize a popular ESPN writers entire column (nearly verbatim, mind you) and then attept to pass it off as her own. Her editor is probably equally to blame for not checking (or noticing) that the writing was clearly not like anything she had turned in for publishing before.
Regardless, the paper ran the story and a number of people thought they had read the article before... and they had!
Pretty embarassing.
Funny thing is, she ended up getting a job at a major newspaper(Houston Chronicle) before going to work for Daddy at Texas A&M.
Quote from: bma725 on February 05, 2009, 01:39:13 PM
Funny thing is, she ended up getting a job at a major newspaper(Houston Chronicle) before going to work for Daddy at Texas A&M.
In case anyone doubted the value of a last name.
Father Bob is great. He married my parents, and my mother had him as a THEO prof when she was here. I've had some good conversations with the man and though he doesn't remember anyones' names, he's certainly got a respectable vision for MU's future, and I've always felt he was engaging and respectful. I certainly haven't felt he was condescending in any way.
Quote from: bs4173 on February 05, 2009, 01:21:07 PM
My guess is that that "other Jesuit university" was Saint Louis U. They give out more financial aid, but it's a more expensive school. E.g., they offer a $1000 "discount" to any Catholic high school grad, which MU doesnt do, but SLU's more than $2000 more per year.
2008-2009 Tuition at SLU: $30,300
" " at MU: $27,720
Over 4 years, that's almost $12,000 more. They'd better give out more aid.
It is. And I should have phrased it differently. Marquette is his most expensive option. SLU gave more to the point that the final price is less than MU.
Gotcha. Good luck with the decision! Can't go wrong at either place.
Quote from: Shankapotamus on February 05, 2009, 02:10:49 PM
It is. And I should have phrased it differently. Marquette is his most expensive option. SLU gave more to the point that the final price is less than MU.
I think you will find that is the case, SLU had an endowment of about $900 million as of this summer while MU was about $300 million. SLU also automatically give $3,000 if you graduate from a Jesuit HS while I believe MU only gives $1,000.
We are having the same issue, but I think the ultimate decision will be MU in our case. Either school is a fine school.
Quote from: Hards_Alumni on February 05, 2009, 01:03:58 PM
sure was.
And it may have been Pasquarelli's ridiculous phrase "second-year veteran" that Sherman aped in her article, which may have seemed a bit too coincidental to a student who happened to skip econ that Tuesday morning to read ESPN.com and the Tribune back-to-back in the DS lab.
He then may have realized that she basically copied Lenny's entire article word for word.
This all may have happened.
Quote from: JSwarriors08 on February 05, 2009, 01:47:48 PM
Father Bob is great. He married my parents, and my mother had him as a THEO prof when she was here. I've had some good conversations with the man and though he doesn't remember anyones' names, he's certainly got a respectable vision for MU's future, and I've always felt he was engaging and respectful. I certainly haven't felt he was condescending in any way.
I guess it's possible I caught him on five different bad days... or maybe it's a public persona vs. behind-closed-doors thing. Whatever, he's a good leader for the university, so that's the important thing.
Quote from: bs4173 on February 05, 2009, 02:16:34 PM
Gotcha. Good luck with the decision! Can't go wrong at either place.
Thanks...but he's not going either place. :-) He's going to Butler.
I personally have a bone to pick with the university administration, and I suppose Father Wild as an extension of that. The presence of Dan Macguire on the theology department faculty is horrendous. He is pro-abortion rights, pro-gay marriage, pro-euthanasia, and holds other stances that directly contradict Church teaching. Of course, I know plenty of Catholics and plenty of Marquette students, alumni, faculty hold similar views. Still, it is hypocritical for the university to be so heavy handed and high and mighty with an imaginary offense against Native Americans ("Warriors"), and then be so wishy-washy, do-what-thou-will on true moral principles like the right to life.
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 04:00:57 PM
I personally have a bone to pick with the university administration, and I suppose Father Wild as an extension of that. The presence of Dan Macguire on the theology department faculty is horrendous. He is pro-abortion rights, pro-gay marriage, pro-euthanasia, and holds other stances that directly contradict Church teaching. Of course, I know plenty of Catholics and plenty of Marquette students, alumni, faculty hold similar views. Still, it is hypocritical for the university to be so heavy handed and high and mighty with an imaginary offense against Native Americans ("Warriors"), and then be so wishy-washy, do-what-thou-will on true moral principles like the right to life.
1. A University's faculty should represent all sides of a debate regardless of its religious affiliation.
2. He's got tenure. If you start firing faculty members with tenure, you will fail to get good faculty members to come to your institution.
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 04:00:57 PM
I personally have a bone to pick with the university administration...stances that directly contradict Church teaching.
I should just walk away from this post - but I can't. The first part of your post makes it sound like you only want to be surrounded by like minded individuals. Should Marquette also stop accepting non-Catholic students, and especially non-Christian students? Does it irk you to have such heathens surrounding you?
Or....
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 04:00:57 PM
It is hypocritical for the university to be so heavy handed and high and mighty with an imaginary offense against Native Americans ("Warriors"), and then be so wishy-washy, do-what-thou-will on true moral principles like the right to life.
...is it just the Warriors decision that bugs you? If they kept the Warriors name, you would be ok with contradicting opinions?
I know a *lot* here would like to have the Warriors name back (or rather, never changed it at all). However, your argument makes you sound extremely shallow.
The Jesuits are dedicated to education - and fortunately that doesn't just mean they shove their religious beliefs down people's throats (many times to the dismay of the Catholic Church). Of course the Jesuit education includes spirituality, but in general the Jesuits have assembled some of the best educators around, regardless of their beliefs. Take those people away, and the Marquette education wouldn't be worth as much.
Just my opinion.
If the Native American connotation is so negative, why is there a Native American in the boat paddling Fr. Marquette?
It always puzzled me.
Quote from: LancesOtherNut on February 05, 2009, 05:13:07 PM
If the Native American connotation is so negative, why is there a Native American in the boat paddling Fr. Marquette?
It always puzzled me.
Because Fr. Marquette was paddled my Native Americans while in the area. Go check out the archives at MU - huge Native American and Catholic Indian Missionary section.
Quote from: bs4173 on February 05, 2009, 02:16:34 PM
Gotcha. Good luck with the decision! Can't go wrong at either place.
As probably one of the few people on this board who has gone to MU and SLU (MU '06, SLU Law '10), I can say
this is not the case.1.) SLU's campus bureaucracy makes Marquette's look efficient. I've been here a year and a half and if I have an issue it is still a minor miracle when I can call someone up with a question and they would KNOW WHO WOULD KNOW, much less that they know themselves.
2.) St. Louis is a fine city, but it's no Milwaukee. The downtown scene is completely dead. You need a car to go anywhere, and all the bars close at 1 AM. A handful close at 3, but they are few and far between. The scene immediately around SLU's campus falls off into ghetto even faster than MU's.
3.) Also, while MU had a nice mix of kids from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, and then the rest spread nationally, SLU is essentially like a big high school. The overwhelming majority of students here (especially at the undergrad level) are either from St. Louis, or from nowheresville, Missouri, and as such, think that St. Louis really is a big city. Many people hang out with their friends from high school during and after college. In fact, "Where'd you go to high school?" is a stereotypical StL question that will instantly sum you up religiously, socially, economically, ethnically, etc. It is asked with disturbing regularity, and I've always found it a tad provincial.
4.) There is little if any semblance of campus/school pride as on MU's campus. For a big SLU "rivalry" away game against Dayton, there were MAYBE 30 people at their equivalent of the Annex. This is not helped by a SLU team that is astonishingly bad.
All in all, if it comes down to anyone picking between SLU and Marquette, I'm certain they'll get a fine
degree from SLU, but they'll get a great
education from Marquette.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on February 05, 2009, 05:07:24 PM
I should just walk away from this post - but I can't. The first part of your post makes it sound like you only want to be surrounded by like minded individuals. Should Marquette also stop accepting non-Catholic students, and especially non-Christian students? Does it irk you to have such heathens surrounding you?
No need to worry about not walking away from the post. It's admittedly off topic from the website, but I'm not some hyperemotional guy who is going to freak out on you. The answer to all three of your quetsion above is no. It doesn't bother me at all, and (presumably) like you I think of diversity as a positive part of a college experience.
Or....
Quote from: rocky_warrior on February 05, 2009, 05:07:24 PM
...is it just the Warriors decision that bugs you? If they kept the Warriors name, you would be ok with contradicting opinions?
I know a *lot* here would like to have the Warriors name back (or rather, never changed it at all). However, your argument makes you sound extremely shallow.
The Warriors decision itself is fairly minor -- I feel strongly about it in a sport fan sense -- but not in any deep sense. What I feel more strongly about is what I feel are badly misplaced priorities. I would much rather the university take a strong stand on things that are important, and I believe the right to life is as important as any.
Quote from: rocky_warrior on February 05, 2009, 05:07:24 PM
The Jesuits are dedicated to education - and fortunately that doesn't just mean they shove their religious beliefs down people's throats (many times to the dismay of the Catholic Church). Of course the Jesuit education includes spirituality, but in general the Jesuits have assembled some of the best educators around, regardless of their beliefs. Take those people away, and the Marquette education wouldn't be worth as much.
Just my opinion.
I am a professor at a secular university, so I agree with you that a diversity of opinions is important to university life. The theology department is a special case in my opinion. Parents send their kids to Marquette and students come to Marquette to get a "Catholic" education. I think is simple truth in advertising for the theology department to be wholly Catholic. The fact is that while almost every undergraduate would know that the Church teaches that abortion is wrong, for example, when a professor of theology speaks otherwise -- and speaks with authority of being a professor at a Catholic school -- it creates a very mixed message.
I think that people understand this intuitively. If instead, Professor Macguire were an avowed racial supremacist and published and taught this, I think the university would respond very differently. No one would appreciate the value of having this diversity, and the university would take a strong stand. I would appreciate such a stand (and it would be politically easy, since no one likes racial supremacy). Not all stands are easy. I would appreciate it if the university, when they decided to take a stand against popular opinion, would do so for something important like the rights of the unborn rather than something stupid like the name of a mascot.
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 08:13:17 PM
Parents send their kids to Marquette and students come to Marquette to get a "Catholic" education. I think is simple truth in advertising for the theology department to be wholly Catholic. The fact is that while almost every undergraduate would know that the Church teaches that abortion is wrong, for example, when a professor of theology speaks otherwise -- and speaks with authority of being a professor at a Catholic school -- it creates a very mixed message.
Agree with absolutely everything you say except for this, for two reasons.
1. We have Theology classes. Theology is the 'study of the existence or attributes of a god or gods, or more generally the study of religion or spirituality' (lifted from Wikipedia, which cites a book, so it's "legit"). THEO1 at MU looks at the Judeo-Christian tradition of theology. I had a British Anglican pastor as my THEO1 professor, Dr. Hill, considered one of MU's finest. He does not teach the Catholic view of theology...he teaches the Judeo-Christian view. In much the same way, Dr. MacGuire does not teach a Catholic class. He teaches "Moral Theology," and the entire POINT of his class is to challenge the WAY we view theological and dogmatic decisions regarding morality, etc. If you can't do that at a Catholic university, you shouldn't be doing it elsewhere.
2. We do OFFER Catholic Theology...heck, we offer a CT MAJOR. Dr MacGuire does not teach 'Catholic Theology.'
MU clearly delineates the two: http://www.marquette.edu/theology/majorandminor.shtml
That said, MacGuire's a bit of a pompous jerk. That's why he should be fired, hahah
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 08:13:17 PM
Parents send their kids to Marquette and students come to Marquette to get a "Catholic" education.
Disagree. Mine did not. I imagine the x% of other non-Catholic students would also disagree. (I think x is around 40%.)
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 05, 2009, 09:27:11 PM
Disagree. Mine did not. I imagine the x% of other non-Catholic students would also disagree. (I think x is around 40%.)
I just went for the cheap beer. Oh and the block parties. And the basketball games. And the Grill concerts. And Mugrack on the road. But mostly the beer.
Quote from: notkirkcameron on February 05, 2009, 07:14:35 PM
4.) There is little if any semblance of campus/school pride as on MU's campus. For a big SLU "rivalry" away game against Dayton, there were MAYBE 30 people at their equivalent of the Annex. This is not helped by a SLU team that is astonishingly bad.
It's also not helped by SLU not being any good since Larry Hughes left or by Dayton & Xavier being their closest geographic conference rivals.
Back to Fr. Wild. Only had one experience with him and it was awesome. Held the door for him walking out of the AMU and held a conversation with him for at least 5 minutes while walking to class. Talked about the weather, basketball, and the endowment. Very pleasant experience. He's doing great things for MU and if there were any unpleasant encounters with him I would think encounters like mine would outnumber them by a significant margin. And I think we should take the religion debate to the Superbar.
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 08:13:17 PM
I am a professor at a secular university, so I agree with you that a diversity of opinions is important to university life. The theology department is a special case in my opinion. Parents send their kids to Marquette and students come to Marquette to get a "Catholic" education. I think is simple truth in advertising for the theology department to be wholly Catholic. The fact is that while almost every undergraduate would know that the Church teaches that abortion is wrong, for example, when a professor of theology speaks otherwise -- and speaks with authority of being a professor at a Catholic school -- it creates a very mixed message.
Hogwash. I am not a Catholic. I attended MU mainly because it was a larger school in a big city. However, I understood that theology courses were going to be part of the deal when I attended school. I was actually very surprised when I realized that the theology courses were not along the lines of "this is Catholic theology and this is what you should believe." I had theology courses taught not only by Jesuits, but by a Lutheran minister and an Orthodox monk. I actually know someone who it getting their doctorate in theology at MU who is Jewish!
Being given a diversity of intellectual opinions, even in the theology department, makes one a better educated person. That is the primary goal of Marquette University - not the conversion of people to a single line of thinking.
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 08:13:17 PM
I am a professor at a secular university, so I agree with you that a diversity of opinions is important to university life. The theology department is a special case in my opinion. Parents send their kids to Marquette and students come to Marquette to get a "Catholic" education. I think is simple truth in advertising for the theology department to be wholly Catholic. The fact is that while almost every undergraduate would know that the Church teaches that abortion is wrong, for example, when a professor of theology speaks otherwise -- and speaks with authority of being a professor at a Catholic school -- it creates a very mixed message.
Agreed. I call shenenigans. Catholic universites are not bible schools. Places you are describing are schools like Bob Jones University and BYU. And sending mixed messages? For the most part these are 18-24 year old adults, they should be receiving mixed messages. Young people should receive diverse opinions so then they can decide and make their own informed decisions. And have you read Marquette's mission statement lately? It's doesn't say, Catholicism is right, learn it!
OUR MISSION is the search for truth, the discovery and sharing of knowledge, the fostering of personal and professional excellence, the promotion of a life of faith, and the development of leadership expressed in service to others. All this we pursue for the greater glory of God and the common benefit of the human community.
If I may ask, where and what are you a professor of?
Quote from: reinko on February 06, 2009, 09:28:48 AM
And sending mixed messages? For the most part these are 18-24 year old adults, they should be receiving mixed messages. Young people should receive diverse opinions so then they can decide and make their own informed decisions.
If only this was the practice at most universities.
Quote from: legacy on February 05, 2009, 08:13:17 PM
No need to worry about not walking away from the post. It's admittedly off topic from the website, but I'm not some hyperemotional guy who is going to freak out on you. The answer to all three of your quetsion above is no. It doesn't bother me at all, and (presumably) like you I think of diversity as a positive part of a college experience.
Or....
The Warriors decision itself is fairly minor -- I feel strongly about it in a sport fan sense -- but not in any deep sense. What I feel more strongly about is what I feel are badly misplaced priorities. I would much rather the university take a strong stand on things that are important, and I believe the right to life is as important as any.
I am a professor at a secular university, so I agree with you that a diversity of opinions is important to university life. The theology department is a special case in my opinion. Parents send their kids to Marquette and students come to Marquette to get a "Catholic" education. I think is simple truth in advertising for the theology department to be wholly Catholic. The fact is that while almost every undergraduate would know that the Church teaches that abortion is wrong, for example, when a professor of theology speaks otherwise -- and speaks with authority of being a professor at a Catholic school -- it creates a very mixed message.
I think that people understand this intuitively. If instead, Professor Macguire were an avowed racial supremacist and published and taught this, I think the university would respond very differently. No one would appreciate the value of having this diversity, and the university would take a strong stand. I would appreciate such a stand (and it would be politically easy, since no one likes racial supremacy). Not all stands are easy. I would appreciate it if the university, when they decided to take a stand against popular opinion, would do so for something important like the rights of the unborn rather than something stupid like the name of a mascot.
showed you where you went wrong.
Also, I'm not Catholic, and I'm probably more Agnostic than anything (yes, I realize it is a cop out)... and I went to MU and LOVED that they didn't force me to believe, instead, they allowed me to make decisions for myself... Which in the long run will have a much more positive impact on their students/alumni than YOU MUST BELIEVE THIS OR YOU AREN'T WITH US mentality.
Comparing the Warriors name change (I am right there with you, probably along with 90% of this board) to the employment of a liberal faculty member is more akin to comparing apples to oranges.
Quote from: Shankapotamus on February 06, 2009, 09:45:24 AM
It is.
Unfortunately, viewpoint diversity is lacking in many universities.
Quote from: StillAWarrior on February 06, 2009, 12:16:01 PM
Unfortunately, viewpoint diversity is lacking in many universities.
Don't let outliers cloud your view of the norm.