Chancellor Survey Results

[T-Dog]

First link has the summary and the second has the comments. You got some lunatic fringe stuff here. Remember than someone is behind every one of these comments and they are real.

http://chancellorsearch.appstate.edu/si ... report.pdf

http://chancellorsearch.appstate.edu/si ... report.pdf

[wataugan03]

Its interesting, though not surprising, that the alumni who took the survey care more about athletics than the students. No group was high on online education, though alumni seem to have the highest hope for it. A majority of students and alumni think a commitment to diversity is a keys strength, which is odd for a school that is only 12% minority. By contrast UNCC is 30%, NC State is 26%, UNC is 34%, ECU is 28%, UNCW is 18%.

The comments were diverse, but a few trends emerged. The faculty doesn't like the provost and thinks the administration is too inbred (surprise!); small class sizes were very popular especially with faculty and students; a lot of faculty think athletics is out of control (surprise!); a lot of students think we don't take sexual assault seriously especially when football players are the perpetrators; there is a push from some faculty to name Tony Calamai, Dean of Arts and Sciences, as the new chancellor; the faculty didn't think Peacock was a serious academic (surprise!); the faculty is very much against the closed search and many dislike the composition of the search committee; alumni loved peacock, especially because he projected excitement about appalachian.

[appst89]

Spent a lot of time reading the comments last night. Some of them were downright scary. A lot of the faculty comments show a complete disconnect from the real world. A lot of the student comments show that they are misinformed as to how certain things work. So, nothing really surprising in there. You could remove any mention of Appalachian State and those comments would fit any university soliciting comments for any reason.

[Gonzo]

Some of these feminists are ****ing insane. We had two players accused of something and without due process of law we kicked them off the team and out of the school. Now our administration "tolerates rapists?"

Absolutely delusional. We could have crucified those two kids on Sanford mall and they wouldn't be satisfied.

[Gonzo]

Anyway, I hope Peacock himself has a major Influence on the decision. An athletic-friendly Chancellor is a MUST. Anything else will doom us.

[Maddog1956]

Its interesting, though not surprising, that the alumni who took the survey care more about athletics than the students. No group was high on online education(I can see why faculty would see online as a way to replace them and students don't want to see their degrees diluted with online degrees, it makes a lot more sense for alumni), though alumni seem to have the highest hope for it. A majority of students and alumni think a commitment to diversity is a keys strength, which is odd for a school that is only 12% minority. By contrast UNCC is 30%, NC State is 26%, UNC is 34%, ECU is 28%, UNCW is 18%. It's a majority but still very low considering what else they think is important. In general it seems they are saying it's not a strength but it doesn't matter.

The comments were diverse, but a few trends emerged. The faculty doesn't like the provost and thinks the administration is too inbred (surprise!) (AppState does have a lot of staff that their only job has been at AppState); small class sizes (did it say small, that's what I assumed but the highest disagree were from faculty, did they think the classes were too big?) were very popular especially with faculty and students; a lot of faculty think athletics is out of control (surprise!); a lot of students think we don't take sexual assault seriously especially when football players are the perpetrators; there is a push from some faculty to name Tony Calamai, Dean of Arts and Sciences, as the new chancellor; the faculty didn't think Peacock was a serious academic (surprise!); the faculty is very much against the closed search and many dislike the composition of the search committee; alumni loved peacock, especially because he projected excitement about appalachian.

I agree so I just added some comments in red. This is just from the Summary and Crosstab's. I think the Crosstab's (simple "agree/disagree" are really more significant because of the low numbers. It's hard to tell without know what the significant difference listed.

[huskie3]

I hope they listen to my comment that was listed, "NON UNCCH" association.

[asutrnr81]

Its interesting, though not surprising, that the alumni who took the survey care more about athletics than the students. No group was high on online education(I can see why faculty would see online as a way to replace them and students don't want to see their degrees diluted with online degrees, it makes a lot more sense for alumni), though alumni seem to have the highest hope for it. A majority of students and alumni think a commitment to diversity is a keys strength, which is odd for a school that is only 12% minority. By contrast UNCC is 30%, NC State is 26%, UNC is 34%, ECU is 28%, UNCW is 18%. It's a majority but still very low considering what else they think is important. In general it seems they are saying it's not a strength but it doesn't matter.

The comments were diverse, but a few trends emerged. The faculty doesn't like the provost and thinks the administration is too inbred (surprise!) (AppState does have a lot of staff that their only job has been at AppState); small class sizes (did it say small, that's what I assumed but the highest disagree were from faculty, did they think the classes were too big?) were very popular especially with faculty and students; a lot of faculty think athletics is out of control (surprise!); a lot of students think we don't take sexual assault seriously especially when football players are the perpetrators; there is a push from some faculty to name Tony Calamai, Dean of Arts and Sciences, as the new chancellor; the faculty didn't think Peacock was a serious academic (surprise!); the faculty is very much against the closed search and many dislike the composition of the search committee; alumni loved peacock, especially because he projected excitement about appalachian.

I agree so I just added some comments in red. This is just from the Summary and Crosstab's. I think the Crosstab's (simple "agree/disagree" are really more significant because of the low numbers. It's hard to tell without know what the significant difference listed.

I understand why people are saying what they are about on-line ed....but remember where you read this in 10 years. Those schools who do not position themselves to be in the online playing field are going to be scrambling for funding and the "degree" of the future will look more like a collage of courses from any manner of "wall street financed" education "institutions". There is too much $ in Public and higher ed for Wall Street not to figure it out! Education makes up something like 15% of the GDP but is only "controlled" by Wall Street investments at like 1.5%.....Follow the money in the next 10 years!

I AM NOT SAYING BETTER QUALITY....BUT THE GAME IS CHANGING!...AND THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG!

[Maddog1956]

I understand why people are saying what they are about on-line ed....but remember where you read this in 10 years. Those schools who do not position themselves to be in the online playing field are going to be scrambling for funding and the "degree" of the future will look more like a collage of courses from any manner of "wall street financed" education "institutions". There is too much $ in Public and higher ed for Wall Street not to figure it out! Education makes up something like 15% of the GDP but is only "controlled" by Wall Street investments at like 1.5%.....Follow the money in the next 10 years!

I AM NOT SAYING BETTER QUALITY....BUT THE GAME IS CHANGING!...AND THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG!

You're preaching to the choir here, that's why I ranked it high. I can see why teachers might fear it (the worst case will sell prerecording educations), but it's coming. App needs to get on board in a big way just because of where that are located. On-campus education will still play a big part for years, but online is getting larger and larger. I'll feel sorry for the students that never get to experience "college life' but so it goes. If public and NFP colleges don't get involved it will be all left to private and FP colleges, the "public option" will just disappear.

I don't know if it would take government regulation/identify or industry itself to start classifying online degrees as such or at least creating standards. Some industries/fields already do (ie. CPA exam, Nursing exams, etc).

[wataugan03]

Concentrating bright young people into a small geographic space and encouraging them to write, think, engage in political activity, etc. is the major reason we have colleges. This concentration of talent molds people and encourages human development in a way that learning over the internet cannot possibly reproduce. Online education is never going to be looked at as highly as campus-based education, and it shouldn't, because it won't produce the same quality of people.

The internet can still be helpful. We can use it allow students in a class to comment on each other's writing, business plans, research designs, etc. in a message board style. We could use it to record lectures so that students can hear them as homework and use class for activities and discussions.

[Maddog1956]

Concentrating bright young people into a small geographic space and encouraging them to write, think, engage in political activity, etc. is the major reason we have colleges. This concentration of talent molds people and encourages human development in a way that learning over the internet cannot possibly reproduce. Online education is never going to be looked at as highly as campus-based education, and it shouldn't, because it won't produce the same quality of people.

The internet can still be helpful. We can use it allow students in a class to comment on each other's writing, business plans, research designs, etc. in a message board style. We could use it to record lectures so that students can hear them as homework and use class for activities and discussions.

I agree in that it isn't the same, and that's why I'll be sad for kids if it only become online. There are certain times that online works just as well (we all have those classes that we only had to "read the book" for), but I think that's the exception. That's why I think if a certain % was taken online, it should be specified in the degree (i.e. Online campus) , but I doubt it will happen. Also I think on campus shows a commitment, sitting around taking classes when you don't have anything else to do (or at work), doesn't show the level of commitment to me.

[moehler]

not surprising that the facility ranked athletics the 2nd least important factor moving forward, while alumni ranked it the most important, I wonder which the new chancellor is going listen to...hmm.

[App91]

It is clear there is a dichotomy between the Faculty and Alumni. Faculty wants more Liberal arts and Alumni want more career. It is clear some of the Faculty have never lived in the "real world" and even more clear that some could not make it in such.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

It is clear there is a dichotomy between the Faculty and Alumni. Faculty wants more Liberal arts and Alumni want more career. It is clear some of the Faculty have never lived in the "real world" and even more clear that some could not make it in such.

What is the "real world." Profs holding down jobs and paying their own bills seems pretty real to me.

[97grad]

not surprising that the facility ranked athletics the 2nd least important factor moving forward, while alumni ranked it the most important, I wonder which the new chancellor is going listen to...hmm.

I think you misread this part:

"“Q6n Preserve athletic excellence” was next to the lowest value (3.56), particularly for faculty and staff respondents; alumni respondents valued this item the highest of the groups (3.95)"

Meaning alumni valued athletic excellence more than the other groups, but even they rated it middle of the pack among the given priorities.

Seems like a lot of folks are dismissing these results, but it's clear the MMB community is not representative of the greater Appalachian family in a few areas, most notably the priority of athletics. Is that really that surprising?

[App91]

It is clear there is a dichotomy between the Faculty and Alumni. Faculty wants more Liberal arts and Alumni want more career. It is clear some of the Faculty have never lived in the "real world" and even more clear that some could not make it in such.

What is the "real world." Profs holding down jobs and paying their own bills seems pretty real to me.

Producing something. Clearly you can see them wanting more Lib. arts when those lib arts degrees ( I have one so do not flame) are showing lower ROI''s than most other fields.
Yes holding a job and paying bills is real, but not in a bubble. Normally, you can't ask other people for money less classes taught, fewer office hours.

I know you have a teaching background and I appreciate that. I do not want to flame here, but too many of these academians (is that a word?) do not have a clue what life is like outside of academia.

[luvyosef]

Some of these feminists are ****ing insane. We had two players accused of something and without due process of law we kicked them off the team and out of the school. Now our administration "tolerates rapists?"

Absolutely delusional. We could have crucified those two kids on Sanford mall and they wouldn't be satisfied.

I quit reading at "feminists". Nuff said!

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

It is clear there is a dichotomy between the Faculty and Alumni. Faculty wants more Liberal arts and Alumni want more career. It is clear some of the Faculty have never lived in the "real world" and even more clear that some could not make it in such.

What is the "real world." Profs holding down jobs and paying their own bills seems pretty real to me.

Producing something. Clearly you can see them wanting more Lib. arts when those lib arts degrees ( I have one so do not flame) are showing lower ROI''s than most other fields.
Yes holding a job and paying bills is real, but not in a bubble. Normally, you can't ask other people for money less classes taught, fewer office hours.

I know you have a teaching background and I appreciate that. I do not want to flame here, but too many of these academians (is that a word?) do not have a clue what life is like outside of academia.

How do you compute ROI in a field.
Is it based on salaries of grads?
Money given back to a univ?

Not having a clue holds for many people is whatever field they are in for many years, and many could not survive outside the bubble they are used to being in.

And I appreciate the point you are making. Actually some of the programs are more career oriented at App. I think the hard sciences are very much that way. I don't think the discussion is bad to have, though I do lean towards the liberal arts being needed and essential to a BS degree.Even the Harvey Mudd's of the world push a liberal arts view as they train engineers, scientists and math types.

[97grad]

LIberal arts education is in my mind something that differentiates a comprehensive university from community colleges and technical schools. Be careful before you knock liberal arts' earning potential also:

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/hey-lib ... 2D11972905

STEM it ain't but it appears some of the doom and gloom about liberal arts degrees may be overblown.

[Kgfish]

Profs holding down jobs and paying their own bills seems pretty real to me.

You actually think being a college professor is "holding down a job?"

I've got a lot of respect for what high school teachers do. They have to play with the cards (students) dealt them. College professors live in a fantasy world. Their students are carefully hand selected from a pool of applicants who are paying to walk into their class. They have higher IQ's, good study habits and most importantly the desire to learn. College professors work 3-5 hours per day. Most have been teaching the same subject for years so there is basically no prep work after the first year or two. These cats are on cruise control. I went to high school with a professor at App. She is amazingly honest about what she does and says it is the greatest gig on the planet. Short hours, 60K annually, solid benefits, long term retirement plan and tenure to boot. The 20 weeks vacation per year ain't bad either. Hate to break this to you but that ain't the real world.