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What's your opinion? (This made me think about the subject: http://www.thepostathens.com/news/article_560606ca-386e-1...) Back to Top OUPride General User Member Since: 9/21/2010 Post Count: 574 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/14/2014 2:12:30 PM  I pretty much agree with everything in the article and would go even further. By almost any metric imaginable, Ohio has fallen further and further behind OSU and Miami and has allowed UC to equal us on an undergraduate level and pass on a graduate/research/endowment level. UC tied us in the undergraduate USN ranking this year, and they've pretty much passed us by in any graduate/professional criteria. McDavis is very good at telling us the things we want to hear. He's very good at verbally challenging OSU and poking a stick in their eye from afar. At actually following up on his grandiose talk with concrete accomplishments, he's an utter failure. All hat and no cattle is how the Texans would describe him. If I'm the administration at OSU, Miami or UC, I want Rod McDavis in office until the day he dies. I'll add one more thing. He's been at Ohio for a decade (average tenure is around 5 years for a major university Prez) and, to my knowledge, has never been courted by another university. If he's such a star, why has he never been a candidate for a better job at an AAU type school? I'll tell you why. He's the Peter Principle incarnate, and Ohio was the job that he eventually landed that exceeded his abilities. Other universities recognize this, and that's why none have ever tried to hire him. Last Edited: 9/14/2014 2:18:47 PM by OUPride Back to Top BillyTheCat General User Member Since: 10/6/2012 Post Count: 9,779 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/14/2014 7:59:16 PM  He's doing something right, he keeps getting performance raises. Back to Top catfan28 General User Member Since: 6/11/2011 Location: Athens, OH Post Count: 1,503 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/18/2014 11:45:55 PM  Ranking universities is essentially impossible. But as a nearly lifelong Athens resident, I feel that the university is in the best position it's ever been. It is stronger financially, has application numbers off the charts (which is declining most places) and has a much better reputation nationally than any time I can remember. Ohio University for many years was the pinnacle of mediocrity. I still loved the place, but it was. In the 70's/80's/90's we were a nice regional university that occasionally could do some good things. But I feel like finally, we are now a much more national (and international) presence. I don't really care what US News says...this is the best Ohio University has been and frankly I don't think it's close. We've had disastrous presidents like Ping and Sowle that set us back DECADES. McDavis is a breath of fresh air and has actually moved the university forward. When you look at his record, I think the criticism (which has lessened substantially) is unfounded. Back to Top Alan Swank General User Member Since: 12/11/2004 Location: Athens, OH Post Count: 7,072 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/19/2014 11:41:08 AM  catfan28 wrote: Ranking universities is essentially impossible. But as a nearly lifelong Athens resident, I feel that the university is in the best position it's ever been. It is stronger financially, has application numbers off the charts (which is declining most places) and has a much better reputation nationally than any time I can remember. Ohio University for many years was the pinnacle of mediocrity. I still loved the place, but it was. In the 70's/80's/90's we were a nice regional university that occasionally could do some good things. But I feel like finally, we are now a much more national (and international) presence. I don't really care what US News says...this is the best Ohio University has been and frankly I don't think it's close. We've had disastrous presidents like Ping and Sowle that set us back DECADES. McDavis is a breath of fresh air and has actually moved the university forward. When you look at his record, I think the criticism (which has lessened substantially) is unfounded. Sorry but Chuck Ping saved this university. Back to Top BillyTheCat General User Member Since: 10/6/2012 Post Count: 9,779 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/19/2014 11:45:33 AM  Alan Swank wrote: catfan28 wrote: Ranking universities is essentially impossible. But as a nearly lifelong Athens resident, I feel that the university is in the best position it's ever been. It is stronger financially, has application numbers off the charts (which is declining most places) and has a much better reputation nationally than any time I can remember. Ohio University for many years was the pinnacle of mediocrity. I still loved the place, but it was. In the 70's/80's/90's we were a nice regional university that occasionally could do some good things. But I feel like finally, we are now a much more national (and international) presence. I don't really care what US News says...this is the best Ohio University has been and frankly I don't think it's close. We've had disastrous presidents like Ping and Sowle that set us back DECADES. McDavis is a breath of fresh air and has actually moved the university forward. When you look at his record, I think the criticism (which has lessened substantially) is unfounded. Sorry but Chuck Ping saved this university. +1 Back to Top Recovering Journalist General User Member Since: 8/17/2010 Location: Cleveland, OH Post Count: 1,839 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/19/2014 12:20:25 PM  catfan28 wrote: Ranking universities is essentially impossible. But as a nearly lifelong Athens resident, I feel that the university is in the best position it's ever been. It is stronger financially, has application numbers off the charts (which is declining most places) and has a much better reputation nationally than any time I can remember. Ohio University for many years was the pinnacle of mediocrity. I still loved the place, but it was. In the 70's/80's/90's we were a nice regional university that occasionally could do some good things. But I feel like finally, we are now a much more national (and international) presence. I don't really care what US News says...this is the best Ohio University has been and frankly I don't think it's close. We've had disastrous presidents like Ping and Sowle that set us back DECADES. McDavis is a breath of fresh air and has actually moved the university forward. When you look at his record, I think the criticism (which has lessened substantially) is unfounded. I know a lot of people on here aren't huge Ping fans simply because he wasn't a pompom waver, but "disastrous" is absurdly wrong. He came into a mess, with declining enrollment, a crumbling campus and serious funding issues. To say he left the school better than he found it is a gross understatement. Here's a tiny overview of what he did: http://www.ohio.edu/athens/history/people/ping.html Back to Top BillyTheCat General User Member Since: 10/6/2012 Post Count: 9,779 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/19/2014 1:28:18 PM  President Ping accomplished way more in his time than the current administration has to this point. And how he went about the job was impressive as well. Back to Top Ohio69 General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Post Count: 3,021 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/19/2014 4:58:53 PM  Hopefully nobody will match Ping because to do so the university would have to face some sort of huge calamity that resulted in plummeting enrollment, facilities, and etc. Seems to me this place is on a serious positive roll right now. Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?..... Back to Top catfan28 General User Member Since: 6/11/2011 Location: Athens, OH Post Count: 1,503 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/20/2014 12:45:30 AM  I'll agree that Ping saved the university in the 70's. But the thing most forget is that he was president for 19 YEARS! Once we were out of the financial woods, the university became mired in mediocrity. Every year it seemed was "business as usual" - nothing new, nothing fresh, no desire or urge to be better. Ping would have made a fine president for a small liberal arts college, but he lacked the foresight to see what Ohio University could be. Thankfully, both Glidden and McDavis had far greater visions to move the university forward. I'm not saying that they're perfect...but I feel much better about the state of Ohio University right now than I ever have before. Back to Top TWT General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Location: Alexandria, VA Post Count: 4,998 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/21/2014 11:40:50 PM  catfan28 wrote: I'll agree that Ping saved the university in the 70's. But the thing most forget is that he was president for 19 YEARS! Once we were out of the financial woods, the university became mired in mediocrity. Every year it seemed was "business as usual" - nothing new, nothing fresh, no desire or urge to be better. Ping would have made a fine president for a small liberal arts college, but he lacked the foresight to see what Ohio University could be. Thankfully, both Glidden and McDavis had far greater visions to move the university forward. I'm not saying that they're perfect...but I feel much better about the state of Ohio University right now than I ever have before. What is telling is taking a look at enrollment when a president starts a job and when he finishes. When Ping started in 1977 Ohio had 13,021 students. When he retired in 1995 Ohio had 18,884 an increase of 5,800 over 18 years. Glidden became president in 1994 and enrollment was 18,884. When he retired in 2004 the enrollment 20,007 was had an increase of 1,100 in 10 years. McDavis started with an enrollment of 19,790 and in 10 years Ohio grew to 22,657 a 2,900 student increase. Ping sold Ohio on its existing strengths and benefited from large influx of college bound in-state students. Glidden's tenure was focused on modernizing campus and making it into a second Miami. McDavis stepped into a situation where the intellectual reputation of the school was on a downswing due to making it into another Miami (why not just go to the real one?) and faced a declining amount of HS Students wanting to attend a residential 4 year campus. In light of the challenging times Ohio's numbers are up, uptown is more vibrant and eclectic than ever. McDavis scaled back a lot of the grandiose building ideas of Glidden to focus on areas really needed like the new dorms. He redid the old Baker Center but that was sitting empty. McDavis understands the limitations of the Miami model and has tried to avoid it. Glidden was more all hat with no cattle when it came to athletics than McDavis was because he didn't want to put money behind the OHIO name. He's got athletics into a sweet spot with quality coaches for a reasonable price. Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended 2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round 2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl 2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086 Back to Top MedinaCat General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Location: Lakewood, OH Post Count: 741 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/22/2014 9:30:42 AM  So any thoughts or inside knowledge of the Kent State-Ohio University partnership that was announced at the Kent State game? Can we expect any material ventures? Or, is this simply two former colleagues committing to open dialogue and identification of common causes? http://www.kent.edu/news/kent-state-ohio-university-form-... Back to Top OhioCatFan General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Location: Athens, OH Post Count: 14,153 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/23/2014 12:21:21 PM  Sowle was disaster. He a made the worst of a bad situation. I'd give him a D+; the plus for his openness and candor. Ping saved the university by steady-handed leadership through very difficult times. He was scrupulously honest, to a fault. A man of unquestioned integrity. He was also intellectually brilliant and could explain complex matters in a way that was clear and concise, though as a philosopher and theologian he also loved to pontificate. I do wish he had placed just a little more emphasis on athletics after he had righted the financial ship. He had an offer from a B1G school (right now I forget which one) about six or seven years into his presidency, and turned it down. He had work left to do at OHIO. I remember at the time my boss was convinced that he was gone. She was wrong. Overall I'd give him an A for his leadership and his commitment. Glidden moved the university forward on many fronts, especially the improvement of some of the infrasture that was really in bad shape when he took over. One of the things that I liked about Bob was that he was very open to getting input from everybody. You could email him your thoughts, and you'd get a personal response back usually within hours. He didn't always take your advice, but you always knew he had listened and seriously considered your input. I think when he made decisions he had input from every level and his decisions were as informed as humanely possible. He was also a man of his word, and would make difficult decisions when the facts warranted. I remember, especially, two personnel decisions he made that cost him much political capital, but were the right things do under the circumstances. I give Glidden an A, as well. McDavis, in my mind, is a very committed alumnus who is trying his best to take OHIO to the next level. I think he has a good command of all the knowledge necessary to be an excellent president. I remember being very impressed when he gave a talk to the medical school, not too far into his presidency, and showed complete understanding of the intricacies of the complex labyrinth of medical research development and funding. I love his enthusiasm for OHIO athletics. My major complaint about him is that he often puts up a wall between himself and lower levels of the university bureaucracy. He has somewhat more of a "royal presidency" compared to Glidden who was much more a "man of the people." I'd give McDavis a B+ at the current stage of his presidency. An A is still within reach! :-) The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA "It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right." Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org Back to Top Alan Swank General User Member Since: 12/11/2004 Location: Athens, OH Post Count: 7,072 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/23/2014 7:35:46 PM  OhioCatFan wrote: Sowle was disaster. He a made the worst of a bad situation. I'd give him a D+; the plus for his openness and candor. Ping saved the university by steady-handed leadership through very difficult times. He was scrupulously honest, to a fault. A man of unquestioned integrity. He was also intellectually brilliant and could explain complex matters in a way that was clear and concise, though as a philosopher and theologian he also loved to pontificate. I do wish he had placed just a little more emphasis on athletics after he had righted the financial ship. He had an offer from a B1G school (right now I forget which one) about six or seven years into his presidency, and turned it down. He had work left to do at OHIO. I remember at the time my boss was convinced that he was gone. She was wrong. Overall I'd give him an A for his leadership and his commitment. Glidden moved the university forward on many fronts, especially the improvement of some of the infrasture that was really in bad shape when he took over. One of the things that I liked about Bob was that he was very open to getting input from everybody. You could email him your thoughts, and you'd get a personal response back usually within hours. He didn't always take your advice, but you always knew he had listened and seriously considered your input. I think when he made decisions he had input from every level and his decisions were as informed as humanely possible. He was also a man of his word, and would make difficult decisions when the facts warranted. I remember, especially, two personnel decisions he made that cost him much political capital, but were the right things do under the circumstances. I give Glidden an A, as well. McDavis, in my mind, is a very committed alumnus who is trying his best to take OHIO to the next level. I think he has a good command of all the knowledge necessary to be an excellent president. I remember being very impressed when he gave a talk to the medical school, not too far into his presidency, and showed complete understanding of the intricacies of the complex labyrinth of medical research development and funding. I love his enthusiasm for OHIO athletics. My major complaint about him is that he often puts up a wall between himself and lower levels of the university bureaucracy. He has somewhat more of a "royal presidency" compared to Glidden who was much more a "man of the people." I'd give McDavis a B+ at the current stage of his presidency. An A is still within reach! :-) Having been here for all but Ping's first two years, I believe OCF has pretty well nailed it especially the part about Glidden being in touch with the common man. As for McDavis, I think he is in touch with a varied constituency more than most people think. He and I had an email exchange today and I fully expect some action will come from that (nothing big so no need to start any rumors). I might bump him to a B++ or and A- since he's still in office. Back to Top rpbobcat General User Member Since: 4/28/2006 Location: Rochelle Park, NJ Post Count: 3,547 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/24/2014 6:55:07 AM  I've had the opportunity to meet President McDavis several times and also had a few email exchanges. The word that I would use to describe him is "genuine". He truly loves O.U. and to me is one of the best ambassadors the University has ever had. Back to Top DelBobcat General User Member Since: 8/26/2010 Location: Cincinnati, OH Post Count: 1,135 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 9/29/2014 1:40:38 PM  From where I'm sitting it seems like the university has been on an upswing in just about every facet except for the arbitrary rankings put out by people like US News. Athletics is on the upswing. Academic quality is on the upswing. Enrollment numbers are on the upswing. Investment is on the upswing. National reputation is on the upswing. With that being said, I do wish we could bolster our US News ranking. Not because I put any stock into it, but because I know others do. Those rankings can be gamed, and OSU is among the best at doing it. McDavis has simply not allowed this administration to take part in playing that game. BA OHIO 2010, BS OHIO 2010, MA Delaware 2012 Back to Top Victory General User Member Since: 3/10/2012 Post Count: 2,150 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 10/4/2014 1:42:34 PM  I totally agree he loves the University but it isn't just US News that thinks Ohio has fallen behind OSU and Miami. I know it isn't popular with some on this board but too much money now goes to things like Athletics. I was in school 20 years ago and knew I was at one on the better Public Universities in the country. I don't think that I would feel that way if I was in school right now. Back to Top JSF General User Member Since: 1/29/2005 Location: Houston, TX Post Count: 6,418 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 10/4/2014 5:46:30 PM  Seriously, how can you even compare Ohio and Miami? They're quite different in what they do well and what they're trying to accomplish. It's like comparing pears with black beans. They're both food, but they exist for different things. "Loyalty to a hometown or city is fleeting and interchangeable, but college is a stamp of identity."- Kyle Whelliston, One Beautiful Season. My blog about depression and mental illness: https://bit.ly/3buGXH8 Back to Top The Optimist General User Member Since: 3/16/2007 Location: CLE Post Count: 5,561 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 10/6/2014 11:25:44 PM  DelBobcat wrote: From where I'm sitting it seems like the university has been on an upswing in just about every facet except for the arbitrary rankings put out by people like US News. Athletics is on the upswing. Academic quality is on the upswing. Enrollment numbers are on the upswing. Investment is on the upswing. National reputation is on the upswing. With that being said, I do wish we could bolster our US News ranking. Not because I put any stock into it, but because I know others do. Those rankings can be gamed, and OSU is among the best at doing it. McDavis has simply not allowed this administration to take part in playing that game. Big +1 National reputation IS on the upswing big-time. I've felt it first-hand as every day seemingly more and more people I come into contact with are aware of the great quality of school I attended. One area you did not mention is the campus. The transformation currently occuring on South Green Drive is remarkable. The work done on West Green already was also very well done. I've seen crazier things happen. Back to Top DelBobcat General User Member Since: 8/26/2010 Location: Cincinnati, OH Post Count: 1,135 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 10/7/2014 1:24:29 PM  The Optimist wrote: DelBobcat wrote: From where I'm sitting it seems like the university has been on an upswing in just about every facet except for the arbitrary rankings put out by people like US News. Athletics is on the upswing. Academic quality is on the upswing. Enrollment numbers are on the upswing. Investment is on the upswing. National reputation is on the upswing. With that being said, I do wish we could bolster our US News ranking. Not because I put any stock into it, but because I know others do. Those rankings can be gamed, and OSU is among the best at doing it. McDavis has simply not allowed this administration to take part in playing that game. Big +1 National reputation IS on the upswing big-time. I've felt it first-hand as every day seemingly more and more people I come into contact with are aware of the great quality of school I attended. One area you did not mention is the campus. The transformation currently occuring on South Green Drive is remarkable. The work done on West Green already was also very well done. Agreed. I could not have imagined the kind of construction that is going on now, even when I was on campus in the late 2000s. BA OHIO 2010, BS OHIO 2010, MA Delaware 2012 Back to Top DelBobcat General User Member Since: 8/26/2010 Location: Cincinnati, OH Post Count: 1,135 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 10/7/2014 1:37:56 PM  Victory wrote: I totally agree he loves the University but it isn't just US News that thinks Ohio has fallen behind OSU and Miami. I know it isn't popular with some on this board but too much money now goes to things like Athletics. I was in school 20 years ago and knew I was at one on the better Public Universities in the country. I don't think that I would feel that way if I was in school right now. Really? I don't think your personal narrative fits the national dialogue. Most people didn't know OHIO existed 20 years ago. It wasn't even on my radar as a kid growing up in Adams County, which is like an hour and a half away. BA OHIO 2010, BS OHIO 2010, MA Delaware 2012 Back to Top TWT General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Location: Alexandria, VA Post Count: 4,998 Status: Offline     RE: The Unofficial President McDavis Thread    Posted: 10/7/2014 11:23:33 PM  DelBobcat wrote: Victory wrote: I totally agree he loves the University but it isn't just US News that thinks Ohio has fallen behind OSU and Miami. I know it isn't popular with some on this board but too much money now goes to things like Athletics. I was in school 20 years ago and knew I was at one on the better Public Universities in the country. I don't think that I would feel that way if I was in school right now. Really? I don't think your personal narrative fits the national dialogue. Most people didn't know OHIO existed 20 years ago. It wasn't even on my radar as a kid growing up in Adams County, which is like an hour and a half away. The schools reputation was built by word of mouth mostly by those who knew about it. It wasn't built on stats and rankings but the experience. My father said OU was always regarded as having a more intellectual reputation than what you would find at most schools in Ohio back in the 60's. That is in part because to offer as best possible a first rate university as the only significant college in the southern region of the state. Northern Ohio had the private colleges so what was needed was more functional state universities. Then OU having the modest public pricing drove up demand to the point where it was in a better financial situation than most private universities in the state. Its a cycle that is feeding itself as the campus and uptown have remodeled with the increased enrollment. Overall the stats are lower than Miami only because the school admits a good percentage of students from SE Ohio where the HS boards are much lower. The suburban HS stats are comparable to Miami and that may be the way its always been even in the 70's when both schools were lower. Last Edited: 10/7/2014 11:23:57 PM by TWT Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended 2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round 2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl 2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086 Back to Top Showing Replies:   1 - 22  of 22 Posts Jump to Page:   1 View Other 'General Ohio University Discussion/Alumni Events' Topics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               WHO'S ONLINE There are 208 Active Visitors on BobcatAttack.com 205 Guests 3 Registered Users:   greencat, Ted Thompson, BryanHall There are no other users looking at this page.

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