ASU Says "We Blew It," Alumni Recind Donations

[Blue Belle]

ASU Says "We Blew It," Alumni Recind Donations
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/asu-says-we-blew-it-alumn_b_187002.html

<SNIP>The Arizona State University community is expressing anger and embarrassment in response to ASU's decision not to award President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he gives the commencement speech there next month. An ASU spokesperson now confesses, "we blew it," and concedes that the university likely would have conferred the honorary degree, but once it became a controversy, ASU administrators were too worried about appearing insincere.

When the news hit last week that ASU would not honor Obama with a customary honorary degree when he addresses the graduating class, the Huffington Post asked for people with ties to ASU to email their reactions. A couple hundred members of the university's community (students, alumni, staff, and faculty) submitted their personal thoughts.

Nearly every email expressed shame over the decision made by their alma mater. One alumnus, Dr. Neil Francis, wrote from Thailand to say he will no longer wear his Arizona State University ball cap -- even halfway around the world. Several said that they did not believe the story when they first heard it: they thought the story was a satirical news piece or a holdover from April Fool's Day.

Many Huffington Post readers wrote in to say that they would be withholding donations. Some said they would even remove endowments from their wills. The detrimental effect that this debacle will almost certainly have on fundraising could not come at a worse time, since the state legislature has recently enacted major funding cuts.

Dianne Safford writes:

I have given to the school every year since graduation--and planned to bequeath money upon my death. All that has changed. In fact, I have asked for credits for money I gave to two scholarship programs just last month. I won't resume giving until Michael Crow resigns.

<SNIP>Even Republicans wrote in to say that ASU should give Obama the honorary degree. The theme centers around fairness. Those who are not Obama supporters say that ASU should not have invited Obama to address the graduating class if they were not prepared to give him the traditional honorary degree. Some even said they disagree with the tradition of giving honorary degrees but argued that if the university gives them to anyone, then Obama must surely qualify.

[polichick]

1. Sometimes karma stings a little.

[indepat]

10. What goes around has a way of coming around to bite one in the ass

:P

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gratuitous]

3. It wasn't so much the granting or not granting of an honorary degree

They could have just not mentioned it at all, and nobody would have given two hoots. But when they started in on the "reasons" for not granting an honorary degree (reasons I heard included that Obama hadn't really accomplished anything, or that the university never confers honorary degrees on sitting political office-holders, both bogus), they made themselves look petty and foolish.

[sandnsea]

11. They always give them at commencements

Yes, people would have noticed and yes there still would have been an uproar. This would not have happened to a white male US President in a cazillion years.

[tblue37]

31. I wonder whether McCain or his supporters had anything to do with the

decision not to grant the honorary degree in the first place.

[havocmom]

13. sorta like whiny-assed, impotent 'teabaggers'?

Not happy with election results and too involved with pitching sour grapes to realize that America has moved beyond their narrow little view.

[ColbertWatcher]

25. Good point. I don't remember hearing anything from Notre Dame ...

... regarding any honorary degree. I've only heard about the protest.

[ellenfl]

4. hm-m-m, is michael crow related to jim crow? eom

[malaise]

5. Good

Michael will soon be eating Crow.
I heard an ASU person saying that they have a Rushican governor, a Rushican legislature and MCGramps so they can't honor a Democratic President without worrying about reactions from their financiers.
Glad to see this backfiring big time.

[stubtoe]

20. Oh, so that's the real reason. Can't piss off the financiers.

So they piss off the alumni instead. And it backfired so spectacularly!

The funny part is, I'll bet the President doesn't give a rat about the honorary degree anyway.

[Kali]

6. dumbasses

Arizona continues its long tradition of allowing real dumbshits to make fools of themselves before the nation and world.

[cali]

7. I love this. the behavior of the ASU prez and admin was disgusting

I want to see them well fucked over and begging for jobs.

[XOKCowboy]

49. Their subtle racism is biting them in the butt...

As it should. It's the 21st Century after all.

[opihimoimoi]

8. Incompetence exists everywhere....either a crony, a Peter, or is plain ass dumb.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Stunningly stupid. nt

[havocmom]

12. Sadly, typical of too many in positions of authority in Arizona.

The people of that state deserve better than they get and they would be well advised to start throwing elected bums out and get in some people who will appoint/hire/advise others to appoint/hire better people in high places. The 'Phoenix 500' have ruled for too damned long; that stupidity has to end.

[rufus dog]

14. Too funny

When I called on Friday to cancel my donation I asked the lady if they were getting a lot of calls. She claimed I was the only one calling to cancel and she did not need to know why I was canceling even though I was the only one!

Too funny, she probably had to lie her ass off all day.

[WolverineDG]

15. Cast your bread upon the waters....

Too bad Michael Crow didn't remember that.....

dg

[L. Coyote]

16. CIA?

Michael M. Crow Arizona State University Total annual compensation: $728,750.

Crow has been a senior adviser to the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Commerce,
as well as foreign government officials on matters of science and technology policy.
In 2005 he joined the Council on Foreign Relations as a lifetime member.

Michael M. Crow
This map of Michael M. Crow relationships is interactive.
http://www.muckety.com/Michael-M-Crow/25270.muckety

Michael M. Crow current relationships:
Aquila, Inc. - director
Arizona State University - president
In-Q-Tel - chairman

[yardwork]

17. I noticed that too. Very strong connections to the military at the very least.

ASU has received a lot of recent grants and contracts from the DoD lately, too.

[L. Coyote]

19. When will we look closer at Military and Covert Intelligence in Education? n/t

[Blue Belle]

21. The only thing that's scarier...

is that it presumes ASU is the hunting grounds for future agents? ASU?? Really?? Hell... even an idiot like Bush could fly through their admission standards. :-)

[yardwork]

27. When people in the U.S. stop pretending that the government is their friend.

Never, in other words.

[Alexander]

22. You got it. Crow is a CIA agent.

It's one of ASU's open secrets.

[yardwork]

26. Are you being sarcastic or serious?

CIA or not, he's obviously very beholden to the military and the former Bush administration.

[Alexander]

41. I'm dead serious. Crow is a spook.

[yardwork]

48. If it's so obvious that even I can see it then he's not exactly covert, is he?

[Alexander]

50. Nobody claimed he was the best and the brightest.

Just the highest paid.

[goclark]

18. So what are they going to do now - give it?

If they were smart they would not only give it but have the Scholarship Program named for him and designed to his specifications.

Mean,mean people.

[Posteritatis]

42. Now they're screwed either way

If they don't give it, they're continuing the initial problem in the eyes of their community, and if they do then they're clearly pandering or are otherwise not being sincere.

I'm standing over here with a nice bucket of schadenfreude.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. I sympathize with Safford's disappointment, but question some of her actions.

To ask for credits for money already given to scholarship programs struck me as punishing a needy student more so than the sting to the university.

[DCKit]

24. Yeah it sucks.

But you'd think the people running and funding ASU would have thought about that *before* they set up the President. It's the fault of those flat-earther, wholly unimaginative, FReeper minds.

Along with the Obama scholarship, I would also suggest a "department of critical thinking."

[CTyankee]

47. As a former major gifts fundraiser, I can tell you that donors can be incredibly

vengeful against an organization that they feel has insulted or otherwise displeased them. I am glad I am retired from that job since 2004. It was horribly stressful. A forgotten birthday, a withheld endorsement, or activities by the organization (even those not supported by the donor) that the donor deems wrong can be the basis for rescinding a gift or even a pledge.

[Patiod]

28. Columbia + Havard = A S Who Cares?

Please.

Although I'm sorry students may suffer when alumni donations decline, administration should have thought of that.

[thelordofhell]

29. The University Of Arizona should give Obama an honorary degree

Just to rub it in the face of their in-state rival ASU.:evilgrin:

[dysfunctional press]

30. how about the university of phoenix?

it could be a real coup for them.

[tblue37]

32. LOL. This post should be a DUzy! nt

[dysfunctional press]

37. i was worried when i realized i had forgotten the sarcasm smilie, and the editing period had passed.

:scared:
some people here don't seem to recognize it without a label.

[Cha]

36. LOL!

:rofl:

[dysfunctional press]

38. i forget- is it a virtual education, or virtually an education...?

:shrug:

[Kali]

33. oh yeah

:thumbsup:

[Cha]

40. Arch-

rival.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

34. Looks like it's time to fire the president.

And anybody else who thought this was a good idea.

[mitchum]

35. Crow should be fired since his real job is just fundraising...

and he has now failed miserably

[lonestarnot]

39. This is one of the most fucking embarrassing states in the United States.

Pickininnee governor, failure to pass a Martin Luther King holiday, fucking idiots with teaballs hanging off their hats. I hate this place, and am ashamed to admit I graduated from ASU! :puke:

[Hekate]

43. Don't be ashamed you graduated from ASU, be proud of the many alums who protested this wtf idiocy!

The fact that so many alums, students, and benefactors are expressing their outrage is a good thing. A really good thing. :hi:

Hekate

[Hekate]

44. This really falls in the category of "What could they have been thinking?!" It's amazing. nt

[barbtries]

45. did they give any reason in the first place

for refusing President Obama that honor?

[olegramps]

46. Could it possibly be that some rich old farts sit on board?

You know those Republican Types that donate some money to a school in order to get their picture in the paper or name on some building.