No degree, but ASU names scholarship for Obama

[Thrill]

TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University says it will name a scholarship program after President Barack Obama as it continues to be stung by its decision not to award him an honorary degree.

ASU President Michael Crow issued a statement Saturday afternoon apologizing for the "confusion" surrounding a decision not to award a degree when Obama gives a commencement address on May 13.

Crow says it has always been ASU's plan to honor Obama. Since the decision not to give a degree was first reported by the student-run State Press newspaper early this week, the school has been mocked in various forums, and Politico reported on Friday that Crow was reconsidering.

Crow says ASU would instead name its "most important" scholarship the President Barack Obama Scholars program.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090411/ap_on_re_us/obama_honorary_degree_1

Trying their best to save face.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. So Obama is good enough to lead the Free World, but not good enough for a degree at ASU?

:eyes:

[CreekDog]

3. Bob Stump and Jerry Colangelo get honorary degrees but not Obama?

:wtf:

what a joke.

[stray cat]

2. supposedly they have a practice of not giving honorary degrees to politicians in office

is there anything on record to contradict that?

[Thrill]

6. They gave Barry Goldwater one in 1961. When he was still a US Senator

.

[CreekDog]

12. they are talking out of their ass

every statement they've made about this has either been an outright lie or negligent ignorance.

ASU's administration is messing this up beyond measure and doing it stupidly (or dishonestly take your pick) to boot.

[CreekDog]

7. Bob Stump R-Arizona got one in 2002

left office shortly after in 2003.

(a very undistinguished congressman :eyes:)

[stray cat]

10. sounds like that excuse doesn't hold water - thanks to both respondents

[CreekDog]

16. and the "body of work" statement also was bogus

so either they are just totally unaware or they are flat out lying to us.

perhaps they need a committee that actually knows the history of honorary degrees and why they are awarded instead of the current committee members that agreed with the current decision.

if it turns out that it's because people give money or congressman get some pork for the university and have a building built with their name on it, well so be it -if they had simply given Obama the honor this would never have come up.

[DrToast]

24. ASU: It's a new policy. Yeah, that's the ticket. Started this week. Yeah....that's what it is. n/t

[rateyes]

18. They gave one to Sandra Day O'Connor while she was on the bench.

And, to Barry Goldwater when he was a Senator.

[Drunken Irishman]

Three years. She had been on the bench THREE fucking years when they gave it to her.

[rufus dog]

27. Crow is looking for excuses

Previously there were degrees awarded to sitting politicians. He is going to say it is practice instituted under his administration.

[RollWithIt]

4. Ok, here's my question, what is precedent?

I mean, in the past, when Presidents spoke at Public State Universities, did they always get honorary degrees?

[Thrill]

14. I don't think its so much not giving Obama one. Its their shitty excuse for not doing it

Thats the insult, that most in the media and on this board take as disrespect.

[CreekDog]

17. It's the LYING excuse not to grant it that rankles me

if they have some rule about not granting degrees until retired, i could live with that

but the excuses they've given AREN'T EVEN RULES...they don't follow these.

so now it's worse, they are misrepresenting their policy to deny an honorary degree to Obama.

that's a disgrace.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

36. And the inconsistency. ASU's got a four alarm PR disaster on their hands now.

Cue the popcorn...
:popcorn:

[Karenina]

41. Indeed!

:popcorn:

[Drunken Irishman]

15. Generally, yes.

It's a sign of respect.

[CreekDog]

22. Notre Dame is giving him one right before he goes to ASU

the only precedent i see in this is that ASU has given two false/lie excuses for not granting the degree.

Crow has got to go. :eyes:

[BlooInBloo]

5. As if Obama gives a rat's ass about a non-school and its non-degree.

:rofl:

[depakid]

13. My bet is that given the choice, most of us would prefer the scholarship

to some meaningless bit of paper.

On the other hand, offering some worthy student(s) an opportunity to earn a degree in your name- now that's an honour.

[CreekDog]

20. see, that's the sad thing for ASU, it's not a bad school actually

they have respected academic programs and great thinkers there, to be sure.

but of course, the ASU administration is (i'll just say it) fucking this up for everyone else by giving lame excuses that aren't even true.

so now, the whole school becomes a laughing stock, even that climatology professor who worked hard to describe the phenomenon of less rainfall in urbanized areas as a result of pollution (or something like that). he and people like him that have worked hard to gain respect, get to be part of the laughing stock because the LEAST knowledgable people in the university, the administration screwed up and is still screwing up explaining their screw up.

that's what sad. ASU isn't a bad place --and i went to UA in Tucson.

[BlooInBloo]

26. Middlin.

[AZ Criminal JD]

44. Obama is invited to hundreds of universities

So apparently Obama does give a rat's ass about ASU. :rofl:

[panader0]

8. A degree from ASU would be an insult

It's a right wing party school.

[AZ Criminal JD]

45. Obama wants to speak at the "right wing party school"

What does that say about him?

[stray cat]

9. Most of their honorary degrees seem to go to donors - figures

[ClarkUSA]

11. The only way for ASU to make up for it is to rename itself Barack Hussein Obama University.

[babylonsister]

19. "Trying their best to save face." You got it. nt

[Pirate Smile]

21. Pffffttt! PR disaster NOT averted.

[DrToast]

23. What an embarrassment...

Seriously, what the hell were they thinking?

[rufus dog]

25. Here is the link to the main PHX paper

Note the responses to the article, a lot of assholes still in PHX.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2009/04/11/20090411obama-ON.html#comments

[empyreanisles]

28. This is payback. Part of the racist backlash I knew would happen if Obama won. (eom)

[goclark]

29. I don't see it as racist, I see it as politics

in Arizona.

What do I know, I'm only African American? :shrug:

I'm enjoying them trying to wiggle out of it and looking like finished fools.

I bet that Obama can turn that scholarship into something better than an Honorary Degree that would be placed in a huge box.

[empyreanisles]

33. I'm black too, and I know it when I see it.

True, it's not out front. But I see it as (white) men of influence using that power to embarrass or diminish the President. If you weren't going to offer the degree, then why invite him in the first place? It was a setup. The same thing happened with the Caterpillar CEO claiming he would hire back workers, only to step back on it after the President announced it in public.

[goclark]

40. I see your point but I bet Obama gets the upper hand

in the end.

:hi:

[mwei924]

30. Ugh, now Obama's name has to be associated with that lame-ass school.

[polichick]

31. Really - thanks, but no thanks.

[thelordofhell]

32. Michael's dad, Jim, agrees.....

"No discrimination here."
:sarcasm:

[Undercurrent]

34. First they were disrespectful, and stupid.

Then they lied.

Then they lied some more.

Now they are trying to cover their asses with a "consolation" honor (Which they should have done in ADDITION to the honorary degree. It's way better than the honorary degree anyway, but that's not the point. It's their disrespect, and lies.)

And they are still lying.

Yup. A tangled web of stupidity, and lies.






And wtf is this?
Wu Qidi, the vice minister of education of the People's Republic of China was given an honorary degree at ASU in May 2006

[Cha]

35. I like this better..it's a scholarship

that perpetuates education to a deserving individual in President Obama's name. That's an honor..he doesn't need an honorary degree from ASU.

[alsame]

38. I agree, the scholarship is much more meaningful and will

benefit students. I'm sure that the President would prefer that over an honorary degree.

[Cha]

43. Then it's

settled!:)

[medeak]

37. glad I sent email to ASU yesterday n/t

[SoCalDem]

39. Dateline.. May 12:

President Obama discovers an important global/national crisis that demands his full attention and sends Joe Biden to ASU instead..

end of dilemma..

From here on in, this whole "commencement speech lotto" should be ended..as a precendent.

Schools that WANT the president/vice-president should be asked to submit in writing, no later than Jan 1, and his staff will choose 4 or 5..and that's how you end the controversy.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

42. I predict that by the end of this that Obama will get both the honorary degree

and a scholarship named after him.