Pilarz to step down

[Coleman]

Look, this wasn't voluntary.  He didn't decide to leave so he could teach more.

Not saying it was entirely voluntary. He might have gotten pushed out, but it might have stemmed from his lack of enthusiasm for administration and fundraising when his true passion is teaching.


You put a guy who loves interacting with students and doing research into a stuffy office and tell him to spend his time sucking up to bigwigs, it might not work out. He might lose his passion for the job.

The only question I would still have is you'd think we would have seen warning signs from his time at Scranton. But maybe that's a small enough university he could do both effectively.

[GGGG]

I have a close friend who went to Georgetown and was pretty tight with Fr. Pilarz back then. I would be surprised if somehow Fr. Pilarz suddenly became "unlikable" by the students. My friend speaks very highly of him.

Now, if he did become unpopular with the students (maybe due to his new authority role), I could see a situation where he wasn't fond of his new career and wanted to go back and do something that had more day to day interaction with the student body (that's how he got his start).

Perhaps "unlikable" is the wrong phrase.  I think "distant" might be a better one.  Perhaps because of the differences between Scranton and MU, in size and in scope, that the students just didn't feel they knew him all that well.

I do know a student that had a one-on-one meeting with him who thought he was plenty likable.  He's just not all that easy to know.

[GGGG]

Not saying it was entirely voluntary. He might have gotten pushed out, but it might have stemmed from his lack of enthusiasm for administration and fundraising when his true passion is teaching.

But he was a college president for 8 years before taking the MU job.  He knew what he was getting into.

[Coleman]

But he was a college president for 8 years before taking the MU job.  He knew what he was getting into.

Right, my only guess is that MU and Scranton are entirely different animals in terms of administration and fundraising. Scranton is much lower profile. Maybe he could juggle it with teaching and still met expectations.

[GGGG]

Right, my only guess is that MU and Scranton are entirely different animals in terms of administration and fundraising. Scranton is much lower profile. Maybe he could juggle it with teaching and still met expectations.

That could very well be the case.

[Coleman]

Scranton is DIII, 6,000 total students, endowment of $131.9 million, not a major research institution, and pretty much absent from national college rankings such as USNW.

What met expectations there would not meet expectations at MU.

[melissasmooth]

Has a timeframe been set for the hiring process?

[The Lens]

The chairman of the board at Scranton is Kip Condron - President, CEO and a director of AXA Financial, Inc.   I have heard he has made fundraising very easy for Scranton and their leadership.  MU might have been a different animal.  

Last March I was at the 21 Club the night before the BET.  It was a packed room full of MU boosters, he was expected there and then word trickled in that he canceled, last minute.  The excuse I heard was he was visiting his parents in a NYC suburb and his Dad wasn't feeling well.  None of the MU officials I spoke to that night thought his Dad was gravely ill, they all thought it was very odd he did not make it to the quick commitment.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Right, my only guess is that MU and Scranton are entirely different animals in terms of administration and fundraising. Scranton is much lower profile. Maybe he could juggle it with teaching and still met expectations.

Yea, that makes sense to me.

He wouldn't be the first guy to climb the ranks, only to realize that he was happier/better in his previous role.

Now, how all of this is happening within the MU admin, I have no idea.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Perhaps "unlikable" is the wrong phrase.  I think "distant" might be a better one.  Perhaps because of the differences between Scranton and MU, in size and in scope, that the students just didn't feel they knew him all that well.

I do know a student that had a one-on-one meeting with him who thought he was plenty likable.  He's just not all that easy to know.

The college President, by the nature of the role, has to be distant. He just doesn't have a ton of extra time to be hanging out with the students, or teaching the the classroom.

Now, maybe in Fr. Pilarz previous role, the balance and free time were different. I have no idea.

[mu_hilltopper]

As I think of it, the concept he was let go because of lack of fundraising prowess .. is not likely.

It's barely been two years.  How on earth would the BoT assess a guy on his ability to raise funds in that short a time?   I've done fundraising .. it's hard work, takes a lot of relationship building.  You lose more than you win.  You lose 100 times more than you win.  Then you hit a few singles and a triple and a grand slam, and everyone thinks you're amazing.

That the supposedly savvy BoT people would pull the rug out on a guy so quickly based on the fickle choices of rich guys in a short window .. that's not rational.    Bad press, you damage your reputation, not to mention his, and you gotta go through yet another hiring process.   They'd need over-the-top evidence he sucks at fund-raising.  

[mu03eng]

I don't think it's a scandal, and I don't think it's his health.  I think, and again I have no inside information, that's its simply a board that woke up and realized that in 2013 Father Pilarz cannot take the University to the next level from a fund raising standpoint.  Cut the cord now, rather than watch the slow bleed.

I think this is spot on.  I forgot the B school needed a new dean too.  Big opportunity to take a swing for the fences with some "real world" hires.  Dean Bishop of the Engineering school is relatively new and very pro-real world based on my interactions.  Hire a new president, provost, and B school dean who are on the same page and you have a great way to shift how you do things.  The timing makes sense too with the Marquette mission statement activities that have been taking place.

In fact, the more I think about this the less I think conspiracy.  I had heard that some candidates had come in for the provost position.  Perhaps Pilarz didn't "interview" well in those interviews.  I've definitely had interviews where I've been watching coworkers as much as the interviewee and perhaps some of the folks realized that Pilarz was just not going to jump on the same vision.  The mission statement stuff came out of the BOT as well.  I think the BOT finally had enough evidence to take action and now is as good a time as any to start with a clean slate.

[brewcity77]

It's barely been two years.  How on earth would the BoT assess a guy on his ability to raise funds in that short a time?   I've done fundraising .. it's hard work, takes a lot of relationship building.  You lose more than you win.  You lose 100 times more than you win.  Then you hit a few singles and a triple and a grand slam, and everyone thinks you're amazing.

That the supposedly savvy BoT people would pull the rug out on a guy so quickly based on the fickle choices of rich guys in a short window .. that's not rational.    Bad press, you damage your reputation, not to mention his, and you gotta go through yet another hiring process.   They'd need over-the-top evidence he sucks at fund-raising.  

Considering how MU operates, it might only take pissing off a few of the wrong donors to make the BoT uneasy. Maybe the problem wasn't that he wasn't finding new fundraising avenues, but rather that in the process he lost too many of the previously established donations.

Not saying that was the case or that fundraising has anything to do with the decision, but considering how large some of the annual donations from major donors are to the school, alienating 3-4 of the wrong people (or even one, if it's an annual 62-home-run donor) might be enough.

[mu03eng]

As I think of it, the concept he was let go because of lack of fundraising prowess .. is bunk.

It's barely been two years.  How on earth would the BoT assess a guy on his ability to raise funds in that short a time?   I've done fundraising .. it's hard work, takes a lot of relationship building.  You lose more than you win.  You lose 100 times more than you win.  Then you hit a few singles and a triple and a grand slam, and everyone thinks you're amazing.

That the supposedly savvy BoT people would pull the rug out on a guy so quickly based on the fickle choices of rich guys in a short window .. that's not rational.    Bad press, you damage your reputation, not to mention his, and you gotta go through yet another hiring process.   They'd need over-the-top evidence he sucks at fund-raising.  

While I agree you don't fire him for fund raising only it also wasn't his life line if he wasn't onboard with the BOT on other things.

[Coleman]

The BoT has proved to be impulsive, reactionary, extremely sensitive to the opinions of donors before (Gold anyone?) (the hiring and subsequent unhiring of the lesbian person whose name I forget), so I don't think its necessarily bunk to think they might have cut their losses with Pilarz due to fundraising issues. I think its entirely plausible. Pilarz might have been unhappy and it might have been mutually agreed upon. It wouldn't surprise me.

[GGGG]

As I think of it, the concept he was let go because of lack of fundraising prowess .. is not likely.

It's barely been two years.  How on earth would the BoT assess a guy on his ability to raise funds in that short a time?   I've done fundraising .. it's hard work, takes a lot of relationship building.  You lose more than you win.  You lose 100 times more than you win.  Then you hit a few singles and a triple and a grand slam, and everyone thinks you're amazing.

That the supposedly savvy BoT people would pull the rug out on a guy so quickly based on the fickle choices of rich guys in a short window .. that's not rational.    Bad press, you damage your reputation, not to mention his, and you gotta go through yet another hiring process.   They'd need over-the-top evidence he sucks at fund-raising.  

If he isn't getting along well with the top benefactors at MU, and reports as such leak back to the BOT, that would be pretty easy to figure out.  As you said, it is a relationship based effort, and if those relationships aren't good, you aren't going anywhere.

[Lennys Tap]

I'm sure that Fr Pilarz is a great teacher and a good man, but this is likely an example of the "Peter Principle". He moved up the ladder until he reached his level of incompetence. Once it's clear a guy is in over his head (see Roseboro, Brett) there's no reason for him to linger.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Look, this wasn't voluntary.  He didn't decide to leave so he could teach more.

Do you actually have information? Because everything I have been hearing is that this was 100% Father Scott's decision

[GGGG]

Do you actually have information? Because everything I have been hearing is that this was 100% Father Scott's decision

Yeah I have some.  I mean yeah it was his decision that he "resigned," but it wasn't going to end well for him if he didn't.

[mu03eng]

Yeah I have some.  I mean yeah it was his decision that he "resigned," but it wasn't going to end well for him if he didn't.

I've heard the same.

[4everwarriors]

Anyone pitch the jump around dude to see if he's got any interest?

[Lennys Tap]

Yeah I have some.  I mean yeah it was his decision that he "resigned," but it wasn't going to end well for him if he didn't.

Yeah, Richard Nixon "resigned", too.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Yeah I have some.  I mean yeah it was his decision that he "resigned," but it wasn't going to end well for him if he didn't.

+1...and the timing decision on the exit was not his either, as he was allowed to linger but not the rest of the school year. The BOT controlled all the messaging and the quotes for him, including the late Friday release.  Let's face it, there were serious problems with his administration, and frankly many parts of his job he didn't enjoy dealing with.  He wanted to be this great academic leader bringing in East Coast elitism.  It didn't blend with the Midwest values at all on many levels, especially at MU where 25% of the students are first generation college graduates.

His term was dominated with sports issues and he didn't enjoy it although it is the one feather in his cap.  I have heard it was MU and Nova that led the coalition to exit, and he worked well because of his Jesuit and Gtown connections to form a coalition. Gtown was a late comer but then wanted to dominate, which was fine as it all turned contracts with East Coast entities.  He pretty much got his way on that deal with nice diplomacy.

He never figured out MU or its culture.  He had lofty academic goals that would put MU in the top 50.  However, it doesn't have the medical school or research facilities to accomplish that.  MU is pretty much a law and engineering school, with a few specialized technical specialities--but that is primarily a Midwest reach.

The whole basketball thing blew up in his face and he basically alienated major donors there as he tried to assert his authority by basically ignoring them which failed missably, so he just checked out from alumni functions as the relationships deterioted.  He made it clear through whispers he was not a Buzz fan as he wanted to be the big man calling the shots.  Some questioned why a t-shirt and a ride home was worthy of so much public attention and an involved external investigation that seemed to elevate the offense to major status to an eager press.  He was weakened here as it was seen as an inexperienced or vengeful overreaction that further damaged the university's image.

He wanted yes people in his administration...you see the trail of bodies and open spots...and the trouble his appointments have had blending in.  The MU Jesuit community is rather large and influential, yet he chose to live by himself in an apartment.  He had reasons why apparently, but it was seen as MIA by many it seems as was his leadship.  In a time of trouble, they need leadership.  He is a poet.

In alumni circles, he made it known he was not available to go above and beyond.  Ok, that helps mend fences?  He often sat by himself when he did attend...or ignored major donors.  Why would someone in leadership do this?

Academics I think was a success...he was seen as inclusive and responsive and one who values their world.  He asked their input and heard them.  I think academia doesn't fully understand the business side needs, but in the past they may have felt left out.  He was an intellectual after all.

Students...great 1:1 but he was not liked overall.  All zero tolerance rules, no realization of adults making mistakes.  Again, the elitist response....but all he did is push the problems down the street.  May have worked at Scranton, but MU is a big city.  FFP?  Got a lot of students, parents and alums mad with the changes.

Strategic plan took a long time--and in the end the BOT did approve it, but it was flat and not progressive enough--it was too consensus and bland on one hand, and out of kilter for what MU is about on the other. And with issues with his fundraising willingness, and his constant personal feelings of alienation which he seemed to voice or show in public through body language, it was time for both to move on.  In the end, he was a wash out, whether through his hand or others--or both.

There is more I heard, but that is a detailed analysis by me for discussion here.

[brewcity77]

Blackheart sums up well a lot of what I heard and more of what I suspected. I have a feeling the basketball part was as big a factor as anything in this. There are some heavy, heavy donors that base their donations largely on MU's athletics. Donors the school can't really afford to alienate.

[MerrittsMustache]

Students...great 1:1 but he was not liked overall.  All zero tolerance rules, no realization of adults making mistakes.  Again, the elitist response....but all he did is push the problems down the street.  May have worked at Scranton, but MU is a big city.  FPP?  Got a lot of students, parents and alums mad with the changes.

Can Blackheart (or someone else) please elaborate on this?