Seems to have a lot of nice things going for him. But when he talks about his dedication to 'equity' and 'fairness' .... I get nervous! Coz that usually means decisions will be made based on immutable characteristics rather than merit and ability. Ask Harvard how that worked out with Claudine Gay. I worship at the altar of 'Equality'. But we should all run for the door whenever someone mentions 'Equity.'
I couldn’t disagree more. Cal, Harvard, Stanford , etc. are great academic institutions and our leaders should NEVER forget it. However, as Nick Dirks so well showed us, a “professor” who knows academics but with little experience in leading a $Billion institution with many “non academic” issues like HR, Fundraising, Donor Relations, budgetary issues, things a CEO would normally be familiar and proficient with, can be a disaster. Want to talk Dirks and sports? He hired the worst AD in Cal history, who hired the worst basketball coach in Cal history and they all ran our basketball program into the dumpster. Not on purpose, but because they (mainly Dirks) had no clue about how to run an entity with issues any successful business person would grasp.
Rich Lyons posseses both an academic background and a sense of how to meld this with the “business” of running a successful institution. A great Chancellor should focus on supporting academics as well as the financial stability of the institution. There are too many issues in todays world to hope that an “academic “ can adequately address them.
I know Rich a little bit. It is past time that we hire a smart person that understands all things “Cal”! This is a $Billion business with HR issues, funding issues, social issues, student (ie, consumer) issues. Rich is an academic, but also a businessman, and understands this and will be a level headed leader that is both an academic AND a businessman in respect to the above. Not an academic that knows little of the “real world” (Nick Dirks) Cal Athletics will become a vital force in spreading our “image” and bettering student excitement and campus culture. Academics will flourish. Relations with the City and neighbors will improve. A NEW BEGINNING! GO BEARS!
Overall, I like the hire, especially if he understands both the academic and the business side. In fact understanding the academic side might be MORE important for a university to function. The goal of a public university is not and never should be to capitalize on its student body.
The worst are business outsiders who think they can bring corporate logic to a university. It works for non-traditional track education (such as online courses for professionals) but basic stuff such as marketing just work differently in academia (e.g., do you thing Harvard relies on billboards and tv commercials?). Sure the sports side needs somebody who understands media and the business landscape in modern college athletics, but I have personally experienced businessman university administrators come in and totally sh*t the bed. Glad this dude has Cal roots because I generally fear administrators with BS titles such as Vice-Provost of Innovation and Cockamamie; they are usually EdD blowhards who wrangle money in the name of the latest educator trends and fads (and this usually involves shifting resources away from teachers).
Not saying this is a bad hire but I am saying be careful of the trite notion that the "businessman" is always the answer to all of our problems in an organization.
The man has been teaching for longer than most of his students have been alive. He's not an outsider or some blowhard who thinks his "private sector" acumen is some god's gift to academia. So simmer down with the assumptions.
Ding Dong, the Clueless One is Gone! Or damn near anyhow. After reading of her $700K salary, I hope she invests it all in Theranos resurrection stock and ends up writing Elizabethan sonnets for a living while residing in a trailer park in Los Banos. Now if we can only dump sorry-ass, Empty Suit Jim, Cal athletics might have a chance. Go Bears!
LMFAO I agree she shit the bed on a lot of issues and may be directly / indirectly responsible for Cal's horrible financial situation, but she is someone whose also done a lot of good for this place. She toppled peoples park, helped design and finance the SKYDECK startup incubator and steered Cal through a rapidly shifting landscape. Overall she was someone who loved this university and did her best, although I will never forgive her for her ineptitude during conference realignment and continued mismanagement of the AD hires.
I was a student at Haas while Rich was the dean and got to meet him a few times. He was extremely personable and had a very clear vision of what Haas would be under his leadership. What an absolute home run of a hire.
Thank you Lord! This seems to be a pretty clear indication to me we are going to at least try to position ourselves strategically for the next cycle of realignment.
Seems to have a lot of nice things going for him. But when he talks about his dedication to 'equity' and 'fairness' .... I get nervous! Coz that usually means decisions will be made based on immutable characteristics rather than merit and ability. Ask Harvard how that worked out with Claudine Gay. I worship at the altar of 'Equality'. But we should all run for the door whenever someone mentions 'Equity.'
I couldn’t disagree more. Cal, Harvard, Stanford , etc. are great academic institutions and our leaders should NEVER forget it. However, as Nick Dirks so well showed us, a “professor” who knows academics but with little experience in leading a $Billion institution with many “non academic” issues like HR, Fundraising, Donor Relations, budgetary issues, things a CEO would normally be familiar and proficient with, can be a disaster. Want to talk Dirks and sports? He hired the worst AD in Cal history, who hired the worst basketball coach in Cal history and they all ran our basketball program into the dumpster. Not on purpose, but because they (mainly Dirks) had no clue about how to run an entity with issues any successful business person would grasp.
Rich Lyons posseses both an academic background and a sense of how to meld this with the “business” of running a successful institution. A great Chancellor should focus on supporting academics as well as the financial stability of the institution. There are too many issues in todays world to hope that an “academic “ can adequately address them.
💙💛
He had me at The Bare Necessities! 🐻
I know Rich a little bit. It is past time that we hire a smart person that understands all things “Cal”! This is a $Billion business with HR issues, funding issues, social issues, student (ie, consumer) issues. Rich is an academic, but also a businessman, and understands this and will be a level headed leader that is both an academic AND a businessman in respect to the above. Not an academic that knows little of the “real world” (Nick Dirks) Cal Athletics will become a vital force in spreading our “image” and bettering student excitement and campus culture. Academics will flourish. Relations with the City and neighbors will improve. A NEW BEGINNING! GO BEARS!
Overall, I like the hire, especially if he understands both the academic and the business side. In fact understanding the academic side might be MORE important for a university to function. The goal of a public university is not and never should be to capitalize on its student body.
The worst are business outsiders who think they can bring corporate logic to a university. It works for non-traditional track education (such as online courses for professionals) but basic stuff such as marketing just work differently in academia (e.g., do you thing Harvard relies on billboards and tv commercials?). Sure the sports side needs somebody who understands media and the business landscape in modern college athletics, but I have personally experienced businessman university administrators come in and totally sh*t the bed. Glad this dude has Cal roots because I generally fear administrators with BS titles such as Vice-Provost of Innovation and Cockamamie; they are usually EdD blowhards who wrangle money in the name of the latest educator trends and fads (and this usually involves shifting resources away from teachers).
Not saying this is a bad hire but I am saying be careful of the trite notion that the "businessman" is always the answer to all of our problems in an organization.
The man has been teaching for longer than most of his students have been alive. He's not an outsider or some blowhard who thinks his "private sector" acumen is some god's gift to academia. So simmer down with the assumptions.
Fair enough. I hope it works out.
What a great person for Chancellor. A true BEAR!
A chancellor who's aware that Cal has an athletics dept. Who'd a thunk it?
Ding Dong, the Clueless One is Gone! Or damn near anyhow. After reading of her $700K salary, I hope she invests it all in Theranos resurrection stock and ends up writing Elizabethan sonnets for a living while residing in a trailer park in Los Banos. Now if we can only dump sorry-ass, Empty Suit Jim, Cal athletics might have a chance. Go Bears!
LMFAO I agree she shit the bed on a lot of issues and may be directly / indirectly responsible for Cal's horrible financial situation, but she is someone whose also done a lot of good for this place. She toppled peoples park, helped design and finance the SKYDECK startup incubator and steered Cal through a rapidly shifting landscape. Overall she was someone who loved this university and did her best, although I will never forgive her for her ineptitude during conference realignment and continued mismanagement of the AD hires.
Carol Christ was a fine chancellor for the university and is very supportive of athletics and this is not a post meant to disparage her work.
Disagree, but will retort at another time in respect to your statement
When can we start the countdown clock on getting a new AD?
Who will last longer? Rich Lyons or this head of lettuce?
I was a student at Haas while Rich was the dean and got to meet him a few times. He was extremely personable and had a very clear vision of what Haas would be under his leadership. What an absolute home run of a hire.
Rich Lyons, he signed off Go Bears, oh my!
I'm sorry
If only you had been able to work Tigers in there.
Marshawn Lynch would have been my first choice, but I guess I can live with this guy.
An enlightened choice
Thank you Lord! This seems to be a pretty clear indication to me we are going to at least try to position ourselves strategically for the next cycle of realignment.
Fantastic hire! Feels like we’re in good hands for the first time in a while.
YASSSS! Buy Cal stock now!
That's a good idea. I mean take Cal sports public as a SPAC and fill those NIL coffers. If it worked for DJT it works for BRZ.
Our ticker would have to be CAL
Define worked. All the money he "raised" is about to disappear before he's allowed to exercise any of it.