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Post by explorerman on Jan 25, 2015 15:54:33 GMT -5
Catholic Grade Schools close. High Schools follow. Colleges will be strained and some will close. I look for a wave of mergers in the next 5-10 years. Only the strong will survive. I would say La Salle has raised close to the majority of the new building through bond offerings. Government money. Both.. The business school building has sent us to our credit rating limit
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Post by cjprof on Jan 25, 2015 19:28:03 GMT -5
This is my initial post to the blog. I'm a 1968 grad in political science, and a long time fan of La Salle basketball. After reading the various posts, particularly those regarding Dr. Hanycn, I wonder if the b-ball team is the only University affiliation that lacks direction! What are the decision-makers thinking? What do they see as the challenges facing the University? What direction did they give the presidential search committee?
I'm not "wired in" as some of members of this board appear to be, but it amazes me how our university can consider a candidate that appears not to be a good "fit" to lead an urban higher education institution of La Salle's size and organizational complexity. La Salle must survive and thrive in a highly competitive environment. It is not the only Catholic institution in the Philadelphia area.
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Post by a10champion15 on Jan 26, 2015 17:22:42 GMT -5
YES FINALLY
Your second candidate...
President of Mount St Joseph University Anthony Joseph Aretz...
This is definitely the guy many of you will like besides the fact that of the St Josephs thing. I am getting ready to run out of the office so I will post some more details later but I am really impressed by this guy.
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Jan 26, 2015 17:30:04 GMT -5
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Post by a10champion15 on Jan 26, 2015 17:32:55 GMT -5
Here are a few excerpts from his letter addressing his interest in the position....
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Jan 26, 2015 17:35:14 GMT -5
Any idea why he is leaving Cincy??
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Post by jellybean on Jan 26, 2015 18:34:11 GMT -5
What is his greatest achievement? What is his reputation as a fundraiser? Did he increase enrollment?
Isn't MSJ the same school that had the WBB player with a terrible illness and told that she did not have long to live?
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Post by blueandgold on Jan 26, 2015 18:56:00 GMT -5
Here are a few excerpts from his letter addressing his interest in the position.... I am judging because the first excerpt reads "annual yearly".
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Post by explorerman on Jan 26, 2015 19:33:21 GMT -5
Yes another underwhelming finalist.. SMH
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Post by a10champion15 on Jan 26, 2015 19:44:26 GMT -5
So in terms of his achievements....he increased gifts and endowment by the millions and holds the record for acquiring the largest single gift in school history. Last year, Mount St Joseph's change it's designation from a college to university. He introduced a co op program, multiple graduate programs and established the schools first online classes. Tony restructured the health and sciences programs as well. When he took office in 2008 admissions to the school took a big hit dropping nearly 15% but has since regained traction climbing to 2250 students up 400 students from 2008.
Mount St Joseph was in national headlines a few months ago supporting a student Lauren Hill playing basketball dispite her terminal diagnosis of brain cancer. The event was so successful they had to use the Cintas Center to hold the event.
So now what you all interested in his athletics. Currently, Tony sits on on the council for NCAA D3 sports. The school has expanded its athetics with 22 total programs. The basketball program started in 1998 and has had significant success this season. Overall, they have had 6 winning and 10 losing seasons. In 2011 they fired Larry Cox and hired Toby Carrigan. Toby has gotten the program on the right foot and they should make one of their first D3 NCAA tournaments. This season they are 13-4 with wins over top 25 D3 programs and lost to the #2 D3 team in the country by 1.
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Post by a10champion15 on Jan 26, 2015 19:45:28 GMT -5
Yes another underwhelming finalist.. SMH I do not find Dr. Tony Aretz underwhelming whatsoever. I heard about him about a week or so ago. His resume is very impressive and extensive. I don't think this university could do much better than him. What makes him underwhelming? Who would you have in mind?
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Post by a10champion15 on Jan 26, 2015 19:50:33 GMT -5
Here are a few excerpts from his letter addressing his interest in the position.... I am judging because the first excerpt reads "annual yearly". Dr. Colleen Hanycz letter was much better written than Dr Tony Aretz but from what I seen and heard he is a very very good candidate IMO and probably is the front runner.
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Post by theneumann64 on Jan 26, 2015 20:34:23 GMT -5
All reports to the contrary, I'm not perfect, so hearing the information on the first woman (very small Canadian school, no athletics) was quite jarring for me. And I'll admit I'm very impressed by my first impressions by this guy. But that's just what they are- first impressions. I have no idea if either of them would make a good President for this school. So I'm not gonna pitch a fit just yet.
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Post by MisterD on Jan 26, 2015 22:26:49 GMT -5
I am judging because the first excerpt reads "annual yearly". That's bad not good.
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Post by 20thandolney on Jan 26, 2015 23:01:32 GMT -5
All reports to the contrary, I'm not perfect, so hearing the information on the first woman (very small Canadian school, no athletics) was quite jarring for me. And I'll admit I'm very impressed by my first impressions by this guy. But that's just what they are- first impressions. I have no idea if either of them would make a good President for this school. So I'm not gonna pitch a fit just yet. it is also an all girls school. She has basically no fundraising experience too, very worrisome.
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Post by luhoopsfan on Jan 26, 2015 23:25:51 GMT -5
Are there no qualified alums not currently employed at the university that would make a suitable candidate? Dumb question?
At first impression- I like the guy from Cincy more than the woman from Canada
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Post by explorerman on Jan 27, 2015 9:52:17 GMT -5
I am sorry to Debbie-downer but this simply isn't a strong candidate... Sure when you compare to our Canadian friend he looks great..
Reality is Mount St Josephs University is currently commuter school with an acceptance rate near 90%. This is exactly what La Salle leadership just 4-6 years ago said they wanted to combat. So our second finalist is one that has not shown to ability to combat this effectively. School has an endowment is a third of the size of ours (which isn't big in the world of Division 1).
Division 3 is just a totally different animal compared to Division 1. When you think Div 3 vs Div 1, you think of what? Better academia and no scholarship athletics. If I am athletics supporter, I would be concerned. Leadership at Division 3 schools just has athletics at a lower priority level than the normal Division 1, and even Division 2.
I am glad that he has a focus on Nursing and Healthcare; however, we already have those studies. Obviously, they can improve performance but the school needs to take a new direction. The existing direction just isn't working. Does anyone on here know the fastest growing sector and one of which currently has 4.5 jobs for every graduate? Average salary is near $80k out of college with very high income growth potential. The area would be Cybersecurity and Application Security. It is amazing that leadership wouldn't come into this field. La Salle needs more graduates like this. Enter arenas where schools aren't currently or where employment markets are saturated (like Marketing, Accounting and, even, Finance). Now schools in city already are there like Penn and Drexel.
The question is do we want more of the same or something new? I am shocked that we can't locate a young, up-in-comer looking to make a name for themselves with Philadelphia ties. One that has strong ties to institutions that have shown marketed improvement in endowment growth, enrollment quality and offers programs that meet the current and changing markets.
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Jan 27, 2015 10:01:51 GMT -5
I am sorry to Debbie-downer but this simply isn't a strong candidate... Sure when you compare to our Canadian friend he looks great.. Reality is Mount St Josephs University is currently commuter school with an acceptance rate near 90%. This is exactly what La Salle leadership just 4-6 years ago said they wanted to combat. So our second finalist is one that has not shown to ability to combat this effectively. School has an endowment is a third of the size of ours (which isn't big in the world of Division 1). Division 3 is just a totally different animal compared to Division 1. When you think Div 3 vs Div 1, you think of what? Better academia and no scholarship athletics. If I am athletics supporter, I would be concerned. Leadership at Division 3 schools just has athletics at a lower priority level than the normal Division 1, and even Division 2. I am glad that he has a focus on Nursing and Healthcare; however, we already have those studies. Obviously, they can improve performance but the school needs to take a new direction. The existing direction just isn't working. Does anyone on here know the fastest growing sector and one of which currently has 4.5 jobs for every graduate? Average salary is near $80k out of college with very high income growth potential. The area would be Cybersecurity and Application Security. It is amazing that leadership wouldn't come into this field. La Salle needs more graduates like this. Enter arenas where schools aren't currently or where employment markets are saturated (like Marketing, Accounting and, even, Finance). Now schools in city already are there like Penn and Drexel. The question is do we want more of the same or something new? I am shocked that we can't locate a young, up-in-comer looking to make a name for themselves with Philadelphia ties. One that has strong ties to institutions that have shown marketed improvement in endowment growth, enrollment quality and offers programs that meet the current and changing markets. I'm going to look at this from an athletics perspective. I like the fact that he represents their conference for D3 nationally. I like that he noticed an opportunity with Lauren Hill and got the most exposure for her cause and the school. He does seem to take an active interest in teams being successful. One thing that I dislike is that their current AD has been their for 25 years. I don't know enough about their successes and failures to know if that is a good thing or not.
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Post by jellybean on Jan 27, 2015 10:24:13 GMT -5
He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and played football there.
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Post by a10champion15 on Jan 27, 2015 10:36:35 GMT -5
Sorry about that..
So Explorerman I really have to disagree with you. I think Dr Aretz is a fine candidate not just compared to Dr Hancyz. He did take "the Mount" he likes to call it in a different direction he added numerous programs mainly graduate programs. Last year they set a record for number of applicants and accepted 83%. The school is marked as "selective." He also added a number of heath and science programs and an Talent Opportunity Program which provides full-time undergraduate students with a structured and comprehensive opportunity throughout college to gain superior skills important to today’s workplace including career planning, professionalism, and ethical leadership. I thought that was very unique and different. Also, added online classes, a 3 year degree program and has expanded their athetics programs. He is very interested in athletics which is why he is involved with the NCAA, supporting Lauren Hill and assisted in the hiring of a number of new coaches such as Toby. Yes, D3 is a much different animal but his interest in the athetics programs unlike our current and past president is really reassuring. I will be asking on Thursday specifically what his ideas are. FYI there is a Q and A open to all if anyone would like to attend I can provide them with the info.
You discuss how marketing, accounting and finance are saturated markets..not exactly correct. Every school has their thing. All those fields have numerous opporuntiies and positions available in the city oh Philadelphia and surrounding areas. The hiring rate for an on of those three degrees from La Salle is extremely high. I know for a fact accounting is 92% within 6 months of graduation and 100% students in the co-op program for the 2014 class.
I think the IT programs you mentioned are quality fields to get involved in and perhaps expand in the future. They are currently booming industries. He does have some ideas for new programs but I don't know what specifically. That is another question I will be sure to ask. Unfortunately, both of those areas you mentioned cyber and application security have one of the highest outsourcing rates. I always am on board for adding programs, however, I also believe schools develop programs they excel at. La Salle is known for it's communication and accounting programs. Right now no school in this city or surrounding area can compete with La Salle's current accounting programs.
The opportunities La Salle has to develop the nursing program is an important one because right now most school's in this city don't have great programs with the exception of Penn. Up until a few years ago Nova nursing program was in a basement, SJU doesn't offer a full nursing program, Temple program is only skating by and Drexel isn't appealing to women despite them having a strong program. Dr. Aretz has the qualifications to help build La Salle's science and health programs. La Salle science programs have the highest transfer rate meaning there isn't a program at La Salle where more students transfer out of. That needs to be fixed.
While I would perfer someone younger and with new ideas I was very impressed by both applicants resume when I dug into it a bit. As I said before I am much more impressed with Dr Aretz but that is my opinion. Dr Aretz knows the challenges at La Salle and knows how to address them. He will be able to make strides in raising our endowment, our athetics program and restructuring our science and health programs. All of which he proved at the Mount.
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Post by cjprof on Jan 27, 2015 11:51:34 GMT -5
I find the last four posts interesting and for the most part contain a great deal of insight and thought on the University. Dr. Aretz in a qualified candidate! Could we do better? Probably . . . but does an extended search for more candidates bode well for the University, it's reputation, and the level of uncertainty within the La Salle community? My guess is no! So let's move on with the process. If the search committee recommends Dr. Aretz, get him on board.
My opinion is that the first thing he has to do is identify those programs, disciplines, and fields of study that permit La Salle to dominate (in some way) within the City and region? In what emerging fields can La Salle do a quick start up and establish a reputation. Explorerman mentions Cybersecurity . . . La Salle grads have a long history of serving in law enforcement, intelligence, and other public safety and security fields. We basically have left that to tonight's opponents - St. Joes basically controls the applied studies in those fields - we largely missed the boat on those programs and the students and revenue that accompanies them within the City. Dr. Aretz (or whoever we get) needs to establish protocols and planning bodies to make sure future opportunities are less likely to be missed.
What 21st Century programs can the University provide that will cause high school students to seek information on La Salle and say "Hey I think I would like it there"?
What is the dominant competitive issue for La Salle? What makes us so special? We as a University need to get the message across . . . It needs to be a lot clearer than mentioning La Salleian Values on television and in print.
Getting ready to depart Cape May County for the Philly and sit in the "blue back seats" with my stepson. The Hawk is DEAD!
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Post by belfieldhappyhour on Jan 27, 2015 12:48:04 GMT -5
I'm with a10champion15 on this one. I think Dr. Aretz is a good candidate. One thing that people some may overlook is the amount of College President openings there have been over the past couple years. Finding that diamond in the rough isn't as easy because of this, and as we saw the first time around in this search, schools are looking to lock up some of their top people so they don't lose them. As cjprof said, sure, maybe they could have done better, but it's not like this guy is chopped liver.
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Post by a10champion15 on Jan 27, 2015 16:33:25 GMT -5
Here is his letter and resume
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Post by stlexplorer on Jan 27, 2015 23:42:31 GMT -5
I feel like we're playing Let's Make a Deal. I look forward to curtain #3 being unveiled next.
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Post by gymrat67 on Jan 30, 2015 9:48:25 GMT -5
A friend of mine who is a La Salle alum, adjunct faculty member and not given to hyperbole attended the Open Forum yesterday to meet, hear a brief presentation from and Q & A one of the two current Finalists for the La Salle Presidency, Tony Aretz, PhD, and came away extremely impressed with him in all areas. His overall assessment was that Dr. Aretz " knocked the ball out of the park ".
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Jan 30, 2015 11:40:24 GMT -5
Good to hear, thanks.
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Post by 23won on Jan 30, 2015 12:05:01 GMT -5
Here is his letter and resume Sounds like he'd be qualified for U Dayton too.
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Post by cjprof on Jan 30, 2015 12:52:33 GMT -5
Previously, I posted that we could probably get a more qualified candidate (read as more scholarly). Just read the Arentz documents that a10Champion15 posted. I think this guy brings a great deal to the party along with a unique skill set and credentials(at least for La Salle). Don't know how much he would get involved with academic program design and re-design, but I think he has the potential to "shake things up". Just my two centsbased on 43 years in higher ed.
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Post by ck on Jan 30, 2015 13:11:43 GMT -5
Any chance he could "shake things up" enough to get an A10 quality arena? And straighten out the nursing program certification problem.
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Post by fvp47 on Jan 30, 2015 15:31:00 GMT -5
Any chance he could "shake things up" enough to get an A10 quality arena? And straighten out the nursing program certification problem. Anything is possible and while I would like an A10 quality arena I think the nursing program is top priority.
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