Buy Your Own Brick on SBU Campus - 15 Days Remain

[firstdev]

I've purchased many bricks.......but certainly not for this monstrosity.

[sneakers]

Jun 25, 2013 8:39:21 GMT -5 firstdev said:

The renovation of Father/President Thomas Plassman Hall should have been priority number one, and would have been priority number one if Sister Margaret and her company of loyalists had of even ventured out from the their second floor redoubt and asked for the input, opinion from our community. Our community includes the overall alumni base, faculty senate representatives,general faculty, staff, FoB, etc., and the many folks who deeply love this university. Instead those with different opinions were met with stubborn intransigence. How dare you have a different opinion from the second floo politburo?
When Sister Margaret was finally forced to hold two public meetings on campus in the spring of 2012, just prior to our NCAA appearences, the testimony was clear, many elements of the community had very strong concerns about process of the project and the project itself. These concerns were however quickly disregarded.
Instead this was an insular process guided by the chosen few (I remember the motorcycle gang from my youth), who were bound and determined to do this project regardless of what the community might say, or the suggestions they might make.
Conditions in old Plassman are totally substandard (been there lately?), that fact was ignored by the second floor, and still is. Fifteen million dollars raised without one iota of a reference to a strategic plan. Restore Plassman - No; Renovate Rob/Fal - No.
By the way the location of this building was completely inappropriate and remains so, as is the design, the design which is inconsistent with the Umbrian theme of the campus, but is consistent with the Stasi HQ in East Berlin...but who cares as long as we can pay homage to Caesar, all Hail Caesar.

I'm sure the school will be THRILLED that you are raising $15 million to renovate Plassman! Now that is alumni of the year material. Thanks for offering First Dev! You are clearly a problem solver. Simply the best!

[firstdev]

Ok and you contributed how much to this key project? The one that trumped or muscled out all other needy, and far more critical projects at SBU, and at what ethical cost? Apparently Sr. Margaret brought into your overreach too, wow quite a work of salesmanship here.
Oh that's right, bankers can do that - SIV's, Sub Primes, Default Instruments, Slush funds, MCN's...........wow $15 million from these sources.....that's a record we can all be proud of right Sneakers? Sounds like some folks maybe cut the business ethics course Dr. Post taught......do you think?
This is all about SBU priorities, and what really drives enrollment. Let the great debate begin. The last thing this university needs is a monument to the wrecking crew that engineered the loss of trillions of dollars in wealth, and nearly pancaked the economy of this great country via some of the most unethical financial practices in our history.

[sburizz]

firstdev, everybody gets it you hate business, finance and everybody who is involved in it must be evil and the money must have been obtained in some unethical way. I definitely think the building was sorely needed as are many other upgrades but I really take issue with your statement of the new business looking like the Stasi headquarters. Don't make bold statements when anyone can google it, Plassman actually looks a lot like the Stasi HQ. Lighten up and stop insulting a large portion of our alumni and student population.

[sneakers]

Jun 25, 2013 21:50:41 GMT -5 sneakers said:

Jun 25, 2013 19:42:58 GMT -5 firstdev said:

Ok and you contributed how much to this key project? The one that trumped or muscled out all other needy, and far more critical projects at SBU, and at what ethical cost? Apparently Sr. Margaret brought into your overreach too, wow quite a work of salesmanship here.
Oh that's right, bankers can do that - SIV's, Sub Primes, Default Instruments, Slush funds, MCN's...........wow $15 million from these sources.....that's a record we can all be proud of right Sneakers? Sounds like some folks maybe cut the business ethics course Dr. Post taught......do you think?
This is all about SBU priorities, and what really drives enrollment. Let the great debate begin. The last thing this university needs is a monument to the wrecking crew that engineered the loss of trillions of dollars in wealth, and nearly pancaked the economy of this great country via some of the most unethical financial practices in our history.

Again, thanks for being part of the solution First Dev! We need more alums like you.

[firstdev]

I've been part of the "solution" for decades and you?

[sony]

While I've stayed far away from any tirades on this topic previously, I feel compleed to respond to you firstdev at this time. Fisrt , please understand that my professional career has included public sector, private enterprise and currently the non-profit sector. While your opinions about the private sector, primarily financial services,are strong,some would agrue that the federal government had a strong hand in contributing to some of those problems you railed about. On the other hand, I ask you to consider this observation - throughout all of the clamor around the litany of all those terrible situations, I don't recall ever ou feel others in the industry have hearing of a single Bonaventure Business School alum mentioned as being responsible for or evne connected to any of those issues! Maybe, just maybe, Bonaventure just might be doing a really good job in producing top quality business professionals, who succeed while taking the "high road" using the ethical & moral compass you feel others might have aboandoned. I'm just saying!!!

[sony]

Please forgive the grammar/spelling issues with my post above - for some reason my keyboard is going nuts! I HOPE ALL UNDERSTAND THE POINT I'M TYRING TO MAKE!!!

[firstdev]

Sony - you make a good point, my hope is that you are correct, that no SBU grad had a role in the financial meltdown that was a result of incredible substandard business ethics.........but I am not sure that was the case....oh and by the way the feds had nothing to do with the issuance of phony sub prime investment instruments....in fact the SEC turned a blind eye to the practice.

The larger problem is that the key SBU issue is driving up our frosh enrollment numbers to the 550 to 600 range every year. This new business memorial building is an undertaking that takes our eye off that ball. Other very worthy projects have been pigeonholed to make room for this overarching project. Will this overblown edifice generate 100 additional frosh business students enrolled each year? We took $15 million in hard earned donations and threw at the wall, without the proper input from our entire community, and yes we are a community in the true Franciscan meaning of that term. Many alums, faculty and FOSBUs had very legitimate concerns about the project and were ignored, and treated poorly in the process.

So the ball is the court of backers of this project, show us the increased enrollment, let's see how this monument to the greed of Wall Street produces for SBU. Tee times anyone?

[cornonthekaba]

Jun 26, 2013 13:56:46 GMT -5 firstdev said:

Sony - you make a good point, my hope is that you are correct, that no SBU grad had a role in the financial meltdown that was a result of incredible substandard business ethics.........but I am not sure that was the case....oh and by the way the feds had nothing to do with the issuance of phony sub prime investment instruments....in fact the SEC turned a blind eye to the practice.

The larger problem is that the key SBU issue is driving up our frosh enrollment numbers to the 550 to 600 range every year. This new business memorial building is an undertaking that takes our eye off that ball. Other very worthy projects have been pigeonholed to make room for this overarching project. Will this overblown edifice generate 100 additional frosh business students enrolled each year? We took $15 million in hard earned donations and threw at the wall, without the proper input from our entire community, and yes we are a community in the true Franciscan meaning of that term. Many alums, faculty and FOSBUs had very legitimate concerns about the project and were ignored, and treated poorly in the process.

So the ball is the court of backers of this project, show us the increased enrollment, let's see how this monument to the greed of Wall Street produces for SBU. Tee times anyone?

Is it a "monument to the greed of Wall Street" just because it is a building for the School of Business? I don't really follow your logic there.

I also think it is pretty reasonable to assume that the new business building will help to increase enrollment of business majors and J/MC majors who will both finally have their own buildings. Look at what the Walsh Science Center did for the School of Sciences enrollment numbers (I can at least think of one student it attracted).

[West End Stench]

Jun 26, 2013 13:56:46 GMT -5 firstdev said:

Sony - you make a good point, my hope is that you are correct, that no SBU grad had a role in the financial meltdown that was a result of incredible substandard business ethics.........but I am not sure that was the case....oh and by the way the feds had nothing to do with the issuance of phony sub prime investment instruments....in fact the SEC turned a blind eye to the practice.

The larger problem is that the key SBU issue is driving up our frosh enrollment numbers to the 550 to 600 range every year. This new business memorial building is an undertaking that takes our eye off that ball. Other very worthy projects have been pigeonholed to make room for this overarching project. Will this overblown edifice generate 100 additional frosh business students enrolled each year? We took $15 million in hard earned donations and threw at the wall, without the proper input from our entire community, and yes we are a community in the true Franciscan meaning of that term. Many alums, faculty and FOSBUs had very legitimate concerns about the project and were ignored, and treated poorly in the process.

So the ball is the court of backers of this project, show us the increased enrollment, let's see how this monument to the greed of Wall Street produces for SBU. Tee times anyone?

Have you been in the Murphy building for business classes in the past 15 years? Have you seen the faculty offices? It is possibly the worst building on campus that is supposed to facilitate one of, if not the most, in-demand college majors (see here). The facilities at our competitors such as Niagara, Canisius, and SJF are decade(s) ahead of what we had going on at SBU.

You claim that there were concerns and other worthy projects that were ignored, and you're expecting a debate, but you're not giving any concrete examples or filling us in on what the school passed up. How can anyone take your argument serious?

[firstdev]

Have you been in old Plassman Hall recently, within the last year?
Two major projects pigeonholed:
1. Renovation of Plassman Hall - only 40 years overdue. What is the rush?

2. Renovation of Rob/Fal - only 45 years overdue. What is the rush?

Important Note: Murphy Building is the newest and best compared to these structures, have a look around.

[West End Stench]

Jun 26, 2013 15:18:18 GMT -5 firstdev said:

Have you been in old Plassman Hall recently, within the last year?
Two major projects pigeonholed:
1. Renovation of Plassman Hall - only 40 years overdue. What is the rush?

2. Renovation of Rob/Fal - only 45 years overdue. What is the rush?

Important Note: Murphy Building is the newest and best compared to these structures, have a look around.

Newest? Yes. Best? Debatable. It's certainly not the outrage you make it seem. The case could be made for any three of those buildings. It comes down to the business major and MBA being the most in-demand programs for today's colleges, business school graduates providing the most donations down the road, and our inability to compete with other regional colleges due to a VERY comparable shortcoming. Renovating Plassman, something that is already done every dozen years or so, and renovating a single dormitory, are small potatoes compared to what was needed for the business school.

[firstdev]

Well the proof of the $15 million Business/MBA fantasy trip will be in the enrollment numbers. If we see 550 frosh this year (as of Sept. '13) and 600 frosh next year (as of Sept. '14), including 100 new incoming business majors I will be convinced. I'm from Missouri show me! Show me the results.
If this is not the chief goal of the monument to Wall Street business ethics building then we will have been sold a bill of goods....LOL. Time for cocktails Biff? Please pass the caviar Muffy.
By the way Old Plassman has never been renovated (same tiny classrooms full of 1963 era desks, some with ancient and very interesting graffiti), and Rob/Fal is in the same basic shape with a few minor modifications, since its opening in 1955. Quite a selling point for incoming students. Maybe if Sr. Margaret had actually been a undergraduate student at this great university and taken classes in Plassman or lived in Rob/Fal instead of matriculating at Duquesne, maybe then we would have an administration with a better perspective on the real needs of this campus.

[sneakers]

First Dev - I'm sure the school will be thrilled with your genrous donations for these worthy causes and your leading the charge to get other alums to donate. In the meantime at least let the Business Building open up so that it can be shown to prospective students before judging its impact on enrollment (sept '14). This new building was long overdue, as was the fields project. Obviously renovations of Plassman, Murphy and some of the dorms are also a priority (if it makes financial sense to renovate them rather than replace them). You are not pointing out anything that is not kown by all of us who love Bonas.