Progress in BoT

[AlicePope]

Hello BWI friends --

I am a little clunky with posting here and have been focusing on family for the past few days, so please forgive me for being a little belated with my Thanksgiving wishes and progress report (posted also on FB on my trustee page).

Dear friends,

I am pleased to be able to tell you about good progress made last week at the BoT meetings.

1. The Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee continues to improve our work together. We reviewed the draft strategic plan and had a productive discussion with Provost Nick Jones, and among ourselves, thinking about our future role in monitoring the implementation of the strategic plan. To my knowledge, this is the first time AASL has had a role in university strategic planning. Also, the working group (which I lead) charged with reviewing the operations of AASL had its first meeting, and we are committed to bringing our work in line with national best practices. Since its formation, the AASL committee has not been positioned to take on a major role in oversight and support of the academic enterprise, and it is exciting to be part of the change process.

2. More governance improvements are on the way. In January, we will use our regular meeting time in a board retreat, where we will work with national governance experts to conduct a board self-assessment, and to think about ways we can make the board work more effectively. Barb Doran is chairing the planning group for this retreat and she is doing excellent work to ensure that we will have the best possible governance experts attending, and that the retreat will promote productive discussions that will result in improved governance. The reform process will be helped by the attendance of Trustees Han, Harpster, Goldstein, and Pope at a recent governance workshop where we learned about the need to be more engaged in our oversight responsibilities.

3. The composition of the board is changing. We have two new gubernatorial trustees who are longtime members of the Penn State community, and are fair-minded people of good judgment. There are also a number of new, and not-so-new, trustees who are committed to working together to get past the divisiveness we have seen on our board over the past few years.

4. Governor Tom Wolf is a steadfast friend of Penn State. In addition to his commitment to increased financial support, he sends his representative, John Hanger (Secretary of Policy and Planning) as a nonvoting attendee at BoT meetings to convey his priorities. The Secretaries of Agriculture, Education, and Conservation and Natural Resources – all voting members of our board – have shown themselves to be informed, engaged stewards of the university.

5. We prevailed in our petition to the court to gain access to the source materials from the Freeh investigation. We approach this work with seriousness, and have agreed not to make individual comments in order to avoid any media spectacle. We speak together through our statement released to the press: http://www.pennlive.com/…/penn_state_trustees_delight_in.ht…

6. Now at full strength, the nine alumni-elected trustees continue to labor, individually and collectively, to be conscientious stewards of the university we love. Much work lies ahead, but I have enormous confidence in the energy, skills, and talents of every one of us – so different from one another, not always in agreement about tactics, but always united in our greater goals. I look forward to the 2016 re-election of my colleagues Barb Doran, Bill Oldsey, and Ted Brown, so that we may build further on the work we have done together so far.

7. Many alumni and friends of Penn State attended the meetings. The unwavering sense of purpose and commitment to our beloved university continues. The naysayers who predicted that the critics would lose interest were wrong. Penn State is truly fortunate to have loyal sons and daughters who want nothing less than for future students to experience the benefits of education and community that have meant so much to the lives of so many of us. It has often been said that the silver lining of the crisis was to bring our community together, stronger than ever. I reflect on this often, and I know that my work as a trustee rests on your support. I never forget that it is an honor and a privilege to serve Penn State as a trustee and I am grateful to have this opportunity.

We have many reasons to be thankful. May we all continue to live our lives consistent with the values we learned “at childhood’s gate.” A very happy Thanksgiving to you all!

 

[Zenophile]

Thank you again, Dr. Pope.

 

[Marshall30]

When does Freeh's garbage get reviewed and repudiated. Thanks for what you do.

 

[NittPicker]

Thanks for the updates. I must say I enjoyed hearing John Hanger totally destroy Mark Dambly during the last meeting.

 

[Class of 67]

Hello BWI friends --

I am a little clunky with posting here and have been focusing on family for the past few days, so please forgive me for being a little belated with my Thanksgiving wishes and progress report (posted also on FB on my trustee page).

Dear friends,

I am pleased to be able to tell you about good progress made last week at the BoT meetings.

1. The Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee continues to improve our work together. We reviewed the draft strategic plan and had a productive discussion with Provost Nick Jones, and among ourselves, thinking about our future role in monitoring the implementation of the strategic plan. To my knowledge, this is the first time AASL has had a role in university strategic planning. Also, the working group (which I lead) charged with reviewing the operations of AASL had its first meeting, and we are committed to bringing our work in line with national best practices. Since its formation, the AASL committee has not been positioned to take on a major role in oversight and support of the academic enterprise, and it is exciting to be part of the change process.

2. More governance improvements are on the way. In January, we will use our regular meeting time in a board retreat, where we will work with national governance experts to conduct a board self-assessment, and to think about ways we can make the board work more effectively. Barb Doran is chairing the planning group for this retreat and she is doing excellent work to ensure that we will have the best possible governance experts attending, and that the retreat will promote productive discussions that will result in improved governance. The reform process will be helped by the attendance of Trustees Han, Harpster, Goldstein, and Pope at a recent governance workshop where we learned about the need to be more engaged in our oversight responsibilities.

3. The composition of the board is changing. We have two new gubernatorial trustees who are longtime members of the Penn State community, and are fair-minded people of good judgment. There are also a number of new, and not-so-new, trustees who are committed to working together to get past the divisiveness we have seen on our board over the past few years.

4. Governor Tom Wolf is a steadfast friend of Penn State. In addition to his commitment to increased financial support, he sends his representative, John Hanger (Secretary of Policy and Planning) as a nonvoting attendee at BoT meetings to convey his priorities. The Secretaries of Agriculture, Education, and Conservation and Natural Resources – all voting members of our board – have shown themselves to be informed, engaged stewards of the university.

5. We prevailed in our petition to the court to gain access to the source materials from the Freeh investigation. We approach this work with seriousness, and have agreed not to make individual comments in order to avoid any media spectacle. We speak together through our statement released to the press: http://www.pennlive.com/…/penn_state_trustees_delight_in.ht…

6. Now at full strength, the nine alumni-elected trustees continue to labor, individually and collectively, to be conscientious stewards of the university we love. Much work lies ahead, but I have enormous confidence in the energy, skills, and talents of every one of us – so different from one another, not always in agreement about tactics, but always united in our greater goals. I look forward to the 2016 re-election of my colleagues Barb Doran, Bill Oldsey, and Ted Brown, so that we may build further on the work we have done together so far.

7. Many alumni and friends of Penn State attended the meetings. The unwavering sense of purpose and commitment to our beloved university continues. The naysayers who predicted that the critics would lose interest were wrong. Penn State is truly fortunate to have loyal sons and daughters who want nothing less than for future students to experience the benefits of education and community that have meant so much to the lives of so many of us. It has often been said that the silver lining of the crisis was to bring our community together, stronger than ever. I reflect on this often, and I know that my work as a trustee rests on your support. I never forget that it is an honor and a privilege to serve Penn State as a trustee and I am grateful to have this opportunity.

We have many reasons to be thankful. May we all continue to live our lives consistent with the values we learned “at childhood’s gate.” A very happy Thanksgiving to you all!

I
Thank you for the update Trustee Pope. For those who have accused the alumni trustees of being singularly focused on Joe Paterno, you show they are wrong. Clearly, however, the only hope among board members to get the truth out lies with the alumni members, as evidenced by the efforts to secure the Freeh documents. Glad to hear there are other board members who you can identify as being fair minded and willing to work objectively with you and your alumni peers. Has anyone pressed President Barron regarding his promise to lead an administration review of the Freeh Report? He needs to report to the tens of thousands of alumni who are waiting for a response to what appears to have beena false promise.

 

[91Joe95]

You and the rest of the alumni trustees are doing great work! Keep it up and thanks for stopping by with the periodic updates, its very refreshing.

 

[lein]

What good is #4 (increased taxpayer money) if the school continues to demonstrate a complete disregard to properly manage what they have now?

 

[StinkStankStunk]

Hello BWI friends --

I am a little clunky with posting here and have been focusing on family for the past few days, so please forgive me for being a little belated with my Thanksgiving wishes and progress report (posted also on FB on my trustee page).

Dear friends,

I am pleased to be able to tell you about good progress made last week at the BoT meetings.

1. The Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee continues to improve our work together. We reviewed the draft strategic plan and had a productive discussion with Provost Nick Jones, and among ourselves, thinking about our future role in monitoring the implementation of the strategic plan. To my knowledge, this is the first time AASL has had a role in university strategic planning. Also, the working group (which I lead) charged with reviewing the operations of AASL had its first meeting, and we are committed to bringing our work in line with national best practices. Since its formation, the AASL committee has not been positioned to take on a major role in oversight and support of the academic enterprise, and it is exciting to be part of the change process.

2. More governance improvements are on the way. In January, we will use our regular meeting time in a board retreat, where we will work with national governance experts to conduct a board self-assessment, and to think about ways we can make the board work more effectively. Barb Doran is chairing the planning group for this retreat and she is doing excellent work to ensure that we will have the best possible governance experts attending, and that the retreat will promote productive discussions that will result in improved governance. The reform process will be helped by the attendance of Trustees Han, Harpster, Goldstein, and Pope at a recent governance workshop where we learned about the need to be more engaged in our oversight responsibilities.

3. The composition of the board is changing. We have two new gubernatorial trustees who are longtime members of the Penn State community, and are fair-minded people of good judgment. There are also a number of new, and not-so-new, trustees who are committed to working together to get past the divisiveness we have seen on our board over the past few years.

4. Governor Tom Wolf is a steadfast friend of Penn State. In addition to his commitment to increased financial support, he sends his representative, John Hanger (Secretary of Policy and Planning) as a nonvoting attendee at BoT meetings to convey his priorities. The Secretaries of Agriculture, Education, and Conservation and Natural Resources – all voting members of our board – have shown themselves to be informed, engaged stewards of the university.

5. We prevailed in our petition to the court to gain access to the source materials from the Freeh investigation. We approach this work with seriousness, and have agreed not to make individual comments in order to avoid any media spectacle. We speak together through our statement released to the press: http://www.pennlive.com/…/penn_state_trustees_delight_in.ht…

6. Now at full strength, the nine alumni-elected trustees continue to labor, individually and collectively, to be conscientious stewards of the university we love. Much work lies ahead, but I have enormous confidence in the energy, skills, and talents of every one of us – so different from one another, not always in agreement about tactics, but always united in our greater goals. I look forward to the 2016 re-election of my colleagues Barb Doran, Bill Oldsey, and Ted Brown, so that we may build further on the work we have done together so far.

7. Many alumni and friends of Penn State attended the meetings. The unwavering sense of purpose and commitment to our beloved university continues. The naysayers who predicted that the critics would lose interest were wrong. Penn State is truly fortunate to have loyal sons and daughters who want nothing less than for future students to experience the benefits of education and community that have meant so much to the lives of so many of us. It has often been said that the silver lining of the crisis was to bring our community together, stronger than ever. I reflect on this often, and I know that my work as a trustee rests on your support. I never forget that it is an honor and a privilege to serve Penn State as a trustee and I am grateful to have this opportunity.

We have many reasons to be thankful. May we all continue to live our lives consistent with the values we learned “at childhood’s gate.” A very happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Thanks to Alice for working to enhance communications between the PSU BOT and the constituents.

Kudos Alice!

__________________


With regard to Alice Pope's "Point #2":

When an organization is not working properly, the root cause comes back to one (or more) of three areas: Processes, Programs, and/or People.

As much as we can see the benefits of improvements in all of these areas, we should be able to acknowledge that, with respect to "Processes and Programs", even Stevie Wonder could see the clear problems with the PSU Governance Structure, and even an 8th grade Civics student could put forward concepts which would greatly enhance and improve this Governance Structure. We don't need a Summit Meeting to identify the primary problems, or to develop better proposals.

No, our problem is the PEOPLE part of the equation.

We have this FUBAR governance dysfunction because of the PEOPLE. We are controlled by a group of folks (con-men, crooks, and scoundrels.....if one can indulge the rhetoric) who have no interest whatsoever in implementing - or even allowing to be implemented - the necessary changes to improve University governance. This ain't "rocket surgery".

What we need is a movement to pry the strangling hands of these Scoundrels from the throats of Penn State. It is a monumental task - as these Scoundrels have incredible motivation to maintain the dysfunctional status quo, and tremendous resources to put in play to further their objectives.

The BEST option we have had in years - to try to pry Penn State out of the control of these Scoundrels - is the Yudichak proposal in the PA Senate. It is not perfect, and many of us can find items that could be further improved upon, but it is clearly the best proposal that has ever reached the level of being formulated into a proposal and put out for sponsorship in the PA Legislature.

If we are going to see any true, meaningful reform.....any true meaningful progress in freeing PSU from the Scoundrels....our full support should be expressed - loudly and frequently - for this Bill.

I have been very disconcerted by Governor Wolf's failure to make a single public statement in support of this bill.

I have been disconcerted - while recognizing the TREMENDOUS efforts put forward thus far by Senator Yudichak - that we do not hear more discussion regarding this Bill in the PA Media.

But I am perhaps most disconcerted that, over the last year, not a single one of the elected Trustees - those folks who WE elected to represent our interests and concerns - has taken advantage of the microphones in front of them to speak out in support of this Bill (maybe I missed something, but I don't think so).

If measures are not taken to remove the stranglehold of the Scoundrels, we can have Summit Meetings, and Focus Groups, and Retreats with Governance Experts until the cows come home.....and it won't move PSU one step closer to proper governance.

I hesitate to post this....because I know it will come off as being dismissive and unappreciative of all of the work that the elected Trustees HAVE done - and I do not want to convey a lack of appreciation for all of that work. We are SO much better off having you representing the interests of Penn State than we would be without you.......AND, much good work HAS been done.

But, until the 800 pound Gorilla is thrown from our backs we will not be able to move forward.

Public, vociferous, consistent support for true Board reform is REQUIRED.

The best bet for making progress is through the Yudichak bill.

Each and every elected member of the PSU BOT should be taking advantage of their bully pulpit to raise awareness of the righteousness of legitimate board reform, and should be bringing the question to the forefront "Why is this bill being stalled down in Harrisburg? Why are Senate leaders preventing this bill from being released from Committee, and brought to the Senate floor for a vote?"

That would be much more impactful than sitting with a governance expert - who can't tell us anything we don't already know - so that the Scoundrels continue to blockade any true reform, while putting forward yet another shell game front that "they" are extending tremendous efforts to bring "Best in Class" Board Governance to PSU.

Anyway....that's what I think

 

[jim cummings]

Thanks to Alice for working to enhance communications between the PSU BOT and the constituents.

Kudos Alice!

__________________


With regard to Alice Pope's "Point #2":

When an organization is not working properly, the root cause comes back to one (or more) of three areas: Processes, Programs, and/or People.

As much as we can see the benefits of improvements in all of these areas, we should be able to acknowledge that, with respect to "Processes and Programs", even Stevie Wonder could see the clear problems with the PSU Governance Structure, and even an 8th grade Civics student could put forward concepts which would greatly enhance and improve this Governance Structure. We don't need a Summit Meeting to identify the primary problems, or to develop better proposals.

No, our problem is the PEOPLE part of the equation.

We have this FUBAR governance dysfunction because of the PEOPLE. We are controlled by a group of folks (con-men, crooks, and scoundrels.....if one can indulge the rhetoric) who have no interest whatsoever in implementing - or even allowing to be implemented - the necessary changes to improve University governance. This ain't "rocket surgery".

What we need is a movement to pry the strangling hands of these Scoundrels from the throats of Penn State. It is a monumental task - as these Scoundrels have incredible motivation to maintain the dysfunctional status quo, and tremendous resources to put in play to further their objectives.

The BEST option we have had in years - to try to pry Penn State out of the control of these Scoundrels - is the Yudichak proposal in the PA Senate. It is not perfect, and many of us can find items that could be further improved upon, but it is clearly the best proposal that has ever reached the level of being formulated into a proposal and put out for sponsorship in the PA Legislature.

If we are going to see any true, meaningful reform.....any true meaningful progress in freeing PSU from the Scoundrels....our full support should be expressed - loudly and frequently - for this Bill.

I have been very disconcerted by Governor Wolf's failure to make a single public statement in support of this bill.

I have been disconcerted - while recognizing the TREMENDOUS efforts put forward thus far by Senator Yudichak - that we do not hear more discussion regarding this Bill in the PA Media.

But I am perhaps most disconcerted that, over the last year, not a single one of the elected Trustees - those folks who WE elected to represent our interests and concerns - has taken advantage of the microphones in front of them to speak out in support of this Bill (maybe I missed something, but I don't think so).

If measures are not taken to remove the stranglehold of the Scoundrels, we can have Summit Meetings, and Focus Groups, and Retreats with Governance Experts until the cows come home.....and it won't move PSU one step closer to proper governance.

I hesitate to post this....because I know it will come off as being dismissive and unappreciative of all of the work that the elected Trustees HAVE done - and I do not want to convey a lack of appreciation for all of that work. We are SO much better off having you representing the interests of Penn State than we would be without you.......AND, much good work HAS been done.

But, until the 800 pound Gorilla is thrown from our backs we will not be able to move forward.

Public, vociferous, consistent support for true Board reform is REQUIRED.

The best bet for making progress is through the Yudichak bill.

Each and every elected member of the PSU BOT should be taking advantage of their bully pulpit to raise awareness of the righteousness of legitimate board reform, and should be bringing the question to the forefront "Why is this bill being stalled down in Harrisburg? Why are Senate leaders preventing this bill from being released from Committee, and brought to the Senate floor for a vote?"

That would be much more impactful than sitting with a governance expert - who can't tell us anything we don't already know - so that the Scoundrels continue to blockade any true reform, while putting forward yet another shell game front that "they" are extending tremendous efforts to bring "Best in Class" Board Governance to PSU.

Anyway....that's what I think

Spot on bjf1984

 

[BobPSU92]

Spot on bjf1984

Yup.

 

[BobPSU92]

Alice, thanks very much for the update and all you do. Keep up the excellent work!

A question about this:

"2. More governance improvements are on the way. In January, we will use our regular meeting time in a board retreat, where we will work with national governance experts to conduct a board self-assessment, and to think about ways we can make the board work more effectively. Barb Doran is chairing the planning group for this retreat and she is doing excellent work to ensure that we will have the best possible governance experts attending, and that the retreat will promote productive discussions that will result in improved governance. The reform process will be helped by the attendance of Trustees Han, Harpster, Goldstein, and Pope at a recent governance workshop where we learned about the need to be more engaged in our oversight responsibilities."

Do you expect the old-guard trustees who have stood in the way of progress and transparency to attend this retreat and actively participate (in a positive way)?

 

[Fizz1]

I
Thank you for the update Trustee Pope. For those who have accused the alumni trustees of being singularly focused on Joe Paterno, you show they are wrong. Clearly, however, the only hope among board members to get the truth out lies with the alumni members, as evidenced by the efforts to secure the Freeh documents. Glad to hear there are other board members who you can identify as being fair minded and willing to work objectively with you and your alumni peers. Has anyone pressed President Barron regarding his promise to lead an administration review of the Freeh Report? He needs to report to the tens of thousands of alumni who are waiting for a response to what appears to have beena false promise.

Thank you, Trustee Pope, for taking the time to write and communicate with alumni. On the question of President Barron's Freeh report review posed in the above comment, I believe he is more focused on building his legacy. For those who are not aware of his goals, see link on one of his biggest priorities: http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/penn-state/article46678720.html

The mess he stepped into, from his perspective, is likely a ball and chain and no fun to deal with. I have not seen any credible intention from him to deal with the elephant in the room, which will put an asterisk next to any accomplishments in my view - saw the dead men in the street and kept on walking. If Barron were to aggressively challenge the Freeh report, or any of the mishandlings by the Trustees at that time, it would be going against Chm Masser and the majority of the board. A risky move to go against your boss. Thanks to the alumni elected trustees for the very hard work!

 

[WDLion]

Thanks to Alice for working to enhance communications between the PSU BOT and the constituents.

Kudos Alice!

__________________


With regard to Alice Pope's "Point #2":

When an organization is not working properly, the root cause comes back to one (or more) of three areas: Processes, Programs, and/or People.

As much as we can see the benefits of improvements in all of these areas, we should be able to acknowledge that, with respect to "Processes and Programs", even Stevie Wonder could see the clear problems with the PSU Governance Structure, and even an 8th grade Civics student could put forward concepts which would greatly enhance and improve this Governance Structure. We don't need a Summit Meeting to identify the primary problems, or to develop better proposals.

No, our problem is the PEOPLE part of the equation.

We have this FUBAR governance dysfunction because of the PEOPLE. We are controlled by a group of folks (con-men, crooks, and scoundrels.....if one can indulge the rhetoric) who have no interest whatsoever in implementing - or even allowing to be implemented - the necessary changes to improve University governance. This ain't "rocket surgery".

What we need is a movement to pry the strangling hands of these Scoundrels from the throats of Penn State. It is a monumental task - as these Scoundrels have incredible motivation to maintain the dysfunctional status quo, and tremendous resources to put in play to further their objectives.

The BEST option we have had in years - to try to pry Penn State out of the control of these Scoundrels - is the Yudichak proposal in the PA Senate. It is not perfect, and many of us can find items that could be further improved upon, but it is clearly the best proposal that has ever reached the level of being formulated into a proposal and put out for sponsorship in the PA Legislature.

If we are going to see any true, meaningful reform.....any true meaningful progress in freeing PSU from the Scoundrels....our full support should be expressed - loudly and frequently - for this Bill.

I have been very disconcerted by Governor Wolf's failure to make a single public statement in support of this bill.

I have been disconcerted - while recognizing the TREMENDOUS efforts put forward thus far by Senator Yudichak - that we do not hear more discussion regarding this Bill in the PA Media.

But I am perhaps most disconcerted that, over the last year, not a single one of the elected Trustees - those folks who WE elected to represent our interests and concerns - has taken advantage of the microphones in front of them to speak out in support of this Bill (maybe I missed something, but I don't think so).

If measures are not taken to remove the stranglehold of the Scoundrels, we can have Summit Meetings, and Focus Groups, and Retreats with Governance Experts until the cows come home.....and it won't move PSU one step closer to proper governance.

I hesitate to post this....because I know it will come off as being dismissive and unappreciative of all of the work that the elected Trustees HAVE done - and I do not want to convey a lack of appreciation for all of that work. We are SO much better off having you representing the interests of Penn State than we would be without you.......AND, much good work HAS been done.

But, until the 800 pound Gorilla is thrown from our backs we will not be able to move forward.

Public, vociferous, consistent support for true Board reform is REQUIRED.

The best bet for making progress is through the Yudichak bill.

Each and every elected member of the PSU BOT should be taking advantage of their bully pulpit to raise awareness of the righteousness of legitimate board reform, and should be bringing the question to the forefront "Why is this bill being stalled down in Harrisburg? Why are Senate leaders preventing this bill from being released from Committee, and brought to the Senate floor for a vote?"

That would be much more impactful than sitting with a governance expert - who can't tell us anything we don't already know - so that the Scoundrels continue to blockade any true reform, while putting forward yet another shell game front that "they" are extending tremendous efforts to bring "Best in Class" Board Governance to PSU.

Anyway....that's what I think

Nailed it. All the board governance experts in the world will not fix the issues with the present board.

 

[lionlurker]

Alice, thanks very much for the update and all you do. Keep up the excellent work!


Do you expect the old-guard trustees who have stood in the way of progress and transparency to attend this retreat and actively participate (in a positive way)?

Perhaps not, but if they don't it will certainly place them right under the spotlight, and may well give the dissidents ammunition to give to the governor and legislature to take more control, somehow.

 

[AlicePope]

When does Freeh's garbage get reviewed and repudiated. Thanks for what you do.

Forgive me for not giving you a direct answer to your very fair question. We are being very conservative about making public statements about our review of the Freeh materials. Here is a link that contains a response to your question. http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/penn-state/jerry-sandusky/article45695487.html

 

[AlicePope]

Thanks to Alice for working to enhance communications between the PSU BOT and the constituents.

Kudos Alice!

__________________


With regard to Alice Pope's "Point #2":

When an organization is not working properly, the root cause comes back to one (or more) of three areas: Processes, Programs, and/or People.

As much as we can see the benefits of improvements in all of these areas, we should be able to acknowledge that, with respect to "Processes and Programs", even Stevie Wonder could see the clear problems with the PSU Governance Structure, and even an 8th grade Civics student could put forward concepts which would greatly enhance and improve this Governance Structure. We don't need a Summit Meeting to identify the primary problems, or to develop better proposals.

No, our problem is the PEOPLE part of the equation.

We have this FUBAR governance dysfunction because of the PEOPLE. We are controlled by a group of folks (con-men, crooks, and scoundrels.....if one can indulge the rhetoric) who have no interest whatsoever in implementing - or even allowing to be implemented - the necessary changes to improve University governance. This ain't "rocket surgery".

What we need is a movement to pry the strangling hands of these Scoundrels from the throats of Penn State. It is a monumental task - as these Scoundrels have incredible motivation to maintain the dysfunctional status quo, and tremendous resources to put in play to further their objectives.

The BEST option we have had in years - to try to pry Penn State out of the control of these Scoundrels - is the Yudichak proposal in the PA Senate. It is not perfect, and many of us can find items that could be further improved upon, but it is clearly the best proposal that has ever reached the level of being formulated into a proposal and put out for sponsorship in the PA Legislature.

If we are going to see any true, meaningful reform.....any true meaningful progress in freeing PSU from the Scoundrels....our full support should be expressed - loudly and frequently - for this Bill.

I have been very disconcerted by Governor Wolf's failure to make a single public statement in support of this bill.

I have been disconcerted - while recognizing the TREMENDOUS efforts put forward thus far by Senator Yudichak - that we do not hear more discussion regarding this Bill in the PA Media.

But I am perhaps most disconcerted that, over the last year, not a single one of the elected Trustees - those folks who WE elected to represent our interests and concerns - has taken advantage of the microphones in front of them to speak out in support of this Bill (maybe I missed something, but I don't think so).

If measures are not taken to remove the stranglehold of the Scoundrels, we can have Summit Meetings, and Focus Groups, and Retreats with Governance Experts until the cows come home.....and it won't move PSU one step closer to proper governance.

I hesitate to post this....because I know it will come off as being dismissive and unappreciative of all of the work that the elected Trustees HAVE done - and I do not want to convey a lack of appreciation for all of that work. We are SO much better off having you representing the interests of Penn State than we would be without you.......AND, much good work HAS been done.

But, until the 800 pound Gorilla is thrown from our backs we will not be able to move forward.

Public, vociferous, consistent support for true Board reform is REQUIRED.

The best bet for making progress is through the Yudichak bill.

Each and every elected member of the PSU BOT should be taking advantage of their bully pulpit to raise awareness of the righteousness of legitimate board reform, and should be bringing the question to the forefront "Why is this bill being stalled down in Harrisburg? Why are Senate leaders preventing this bill from being released from Committee, and brought to the Senate floor for a vote?"

That would be much more impactful than sitting with a governance expert - who can't tell us anything we don't already know - so that the Scoundrels continue to blockade any true reform, while putting forward yet another shell game front that "they" are extending tremendous efforts to bring "Best in Class" Board Governance to PSU.

Anyway....that's what I think

There are multiple pathways for change, and in my experience, most change happens incrementally, not so much in one big burst. The fact that we are seeing incremental change within this current board is enormously encouraging to me. I think it actually does make a difference if the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee reviews the university's strategic plan, and monitors its implementation. As just one example.

What good is a governance expert? I am seeing open-mindedness on the part of a number of trustees in regard to improving our governance practices. If a handful of people become well-informed, engaged trustees committed to conscientious oversight, then that is positive, and there will be ripples from there. I will take incremental change any time I can get it.

As for what happens in Harrisburg -- that will take someone smarter than me to explain.

 

[richie83]

Did you even start the review yet Alice?? Or will they wait the full 20 days to release it to you guys.

 

[AlicePope]

What good is #4 (increased taxpayer money) if the school continues to demonstrate a complete disregard to properly manage what they have now?

Well, it sure beats having a governor who CUTS our budget. Let's not be ungrateful when something good comes our way. We will keep working in all the areas that need improvement.

 

[Marshall30]

Forgive me for not giving you a direct answer to your very fair question. We are being very conservative about making public statements about our review of the Freeh materials. Here is a link that contains a response to your question. http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/education/penn-state/jerry-sandusky/article45695487.html

Yes, I saw that previously.

 

[AlicePope]

Alice, thanks very much for the update and all you do. Keep up the excellent work!

A question about this:

"2. More governance improvements are on the way. In January, we will use our regular meeting time in a board retreat, where we will work with national governance experts to conduct a board self-assessment, and to think about ways we can make the board work more effectively. Barb Doran is chairing the planning group for this retreat and she is doing excellent work to ensure that we will have the best possible governance experts attending, and that the retreat will promote productive discussions that will result in improved governance. The reform process will be helped by the attendance of Trustees Han, Harpster, Goldstein, and Pope at a recent governance workshop where we learned about the need to be more engaged in our oversight responsibilities."

Do you expect the old-guard trustees who have stood in the way of progress and transparency to attend this retreat and actively participate (in a positive way)?

Yes, as far as I know, everyone will be there.

 

[Marshall30]

Well, it sure beats having a governor who CUTS our budget. Let's not be ungrateful when something good comes our way. We will keep working in all the areas that need improvement.

I still say he needs to get involved with the Legislature to reform the BoT, or the Courts need to be involved.

 

[AlicePope]

I
Thank you for the update Trustee Pope. For those who have accused the alumni trustees of being singularly focused on Joe Paterno, you show they are wrong. Clearly, however, the only hope among board members to get the truth out lies with the alumni members, as evidenced by the efforts to secure the Freeh documents. Glad to hear there are other board members who you can identify as being fair minded and willing to work objectively with you and your alumni peers. Has anyone pressed President Barron regarding his promise to lead an administration review of the Freeh Report? He needs to report to the tens of thousands of alumni who are waiting for a response to what appears to have beena false promise.

No new news on this. The actions speak for themselves.

 

[lein]

Well, it sure beats having a governor who CUTS our budget. Let's not be ungrateful when something good comes our way. We will keep working in all the areas that need improvement.

The money spent on his whole fiasco tells me money isn't in short supply. Maybe if the BOT had to fight for every penny they would grow a spine and not sign away tens of millions to barely vetted "victims" and would stop siding with the NCAA on every legal issue.

 

[StinkStankStunk]

"As for what happens in Harrisburg -- that will take someone smarter than me to explain."

Don't sell yourself short.

You not only are "smart enough"....you are also smart enough and ethical enough to realize that "it" (what is going on down in Harrisburg) just isn't congruent with common sense.

It illustrates that it all doesn't jive with any logical, rational way of viewing things - not that you aren't smart enough to "get it"....You're just smart enough to know that "it" is FUBAR.

You're plenty smart enough.....we just need more like you.

_________________________________________

"I will take [positive] incremental change any time I can get it."

I think we all would. Hope I didn't imply otherwise.
And we all know - I think - that even the slightest of positive changes have required enormous efforts.
I think we all appreciate positive change of any type....at least I hope so.

But we also have to be cognizant that getting a dosage of "cold-eeze" to help us sleep through the night when he have some head congestion.....may not be enough to save the patient, if we - simultaneously - have pancreatic cancer raging through our body.


Once again....THANK YOU for taking the time to converse with "us folks" and share those thoughts and opinions that you are able. We do appreciate it.

 

[Marshall30]

The money spent on his whole fiasco tells me money isn't in short supply. Maybe if the BOT had to fight for every penny they would grow a spine and not sign away tens of millions to barely vetted "victims" and would stop siding with the NCAA on every legal issue.

The only vetting was "How much do you want or will you take"?

 

[BobPSU92]

Yes, as far as I know, everyone will be there.

Thanks, Alice. Much appreciated.

 

[91Joe95]

Thanks to Alice for working to enhance communications between the PSU BOT and the constituents.

Kudos Alice!

__________________


With regard to Alice Pope's "Point #2":

When an organization is not working properly, the root cause comes back to one (or more) of three areas: Processes, Programs, and/or People.

As much as we can see the benefits of improvements in all of these areas, we should be able to acknowledge that, with respect to "Processes and Programs", even Stevie Wonder could see the clear problems with the PSU Governance Structure, and even an 8th grade Civics student could put forward concepts which would greatly enhance and improve this Governance Structure. We don't need a Summit Meeting to identify the primary problems, or to develop better proposals.

No, our problem is the PEOPLE part of the equation.

We have this FUBAR governance dysfunction because of the PEOPLE. We are controlled by a group of folks (con-men, crooks, and scoundrels.....if one can indulge the rhetoric) who have no interest whatsoever in implementing - or even allowing to be implemented - the necessary changes to improve University governance. This ain't "rocket surgery".

What we need is a movement to pry the strangling hands of these Scoundrels from the throats of Penn State. It is a monumental task - as these Scoundrels have incredible motivation to maintain the dysfunctional status quo, and tremendous resources to put in play to further their objectives.

The BEST option we have had in years - to try to pry Penn State out of the control of these Scoundrels - is the Yudichak proposal in the PA Senate. It is not perfect, and many of us can find items that could be further improved upon, but it is clearly the best proposal that has ever reached the level of being formulated into a proposal and put out for sponsorship in the PA Legislature.

If we are going to see any true, meaningful reform.....any true meaningful progress in freeing PSU from the Scoundrels....our full support should be expressed - loudly and frequently - for this Bill.

I have been very disconcerted by Governor Wolf's failure to make a single public statement in support of this bill.

I have been disconcerted - while recognizing the TREMENDOUS efforts put forward thus far by Senator Yudichak - that we do not hear more discussion regarding this Bill in the PA Media.

But I am perhaps most disconcerted that, over the last year, not a single one of the elected Trustees - those folks who WE elected to represent our interests and concerns - has taken advantage of the microphones in front of them to speak out in support of this Bill (maybe I missed something, but I don't think so).

If measures are not taken to remove the stranglehold of the Scoundrels, we can have Summit Meetings, and Focus Groups, and Retreats with Governance Experts until the cows come home.....and it won't move PSU one step closer to proper governance.

I hesitate to post this....because I know it will come off as being dismissive and unappreciative of all of the work that the elected Trustees HAVE done - and I do not want to convey a lack of appreciation for all of that work. We are SO much better off having you representing the interests of Penn State than we would be without you.......AND, much good work HAS been done.

But, until the 800 pound Gorilla is thrown from our backs we will not be able to move forward.

Public, vociferous, consistent support for true Board reform is REQUIRED.

The best bet for making progress is through the Yudichak bill.

Each and every elected member of the PSU BOT should be taking advantage of their bully pulpit to raise awareness of the righteousness of legitimate board reform, and should be bringing the question to the forefront "Why is this bill being stalled down in Harrisburg? Why are Senate leaders preventing this bill from being released from Committee, and brought to the Senate floor for a vote?"

That would be much more impactful than sitting with a governance expert - who can't tell us anything we don't already know - so that the Scoundrels continue to blockade any true reform, while putting forward yet another shell game front that "they" are extending tremendous efforts to bring "Best in Class" Board Governance to PSU.

Anyway....that's what I think

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, people can break or circumvent any structure put in place.

 

[StinkStankStunk]

Thanks, Alice. Much appreciated.

She is not the only one (thank goodness!).....but speaking for myself, from what I have seen, Alice Pope is an OUTSTANDING example of what a PSU BOT Member SHOULD look like.

Folks who don't follow it as closely, or who are unable to attend the public meetings.....if you did have the time to do so, I think you would be very pleased that AP is on the Board.

 

[91Joe95]

Alice, thanks very much for the update and all you do. Keep up the excellent work!

A question about this:

"2. More governance improvements are on the way. In January, we will use our regular meeting time in a board retreat, where we will work with national governance experts to conduct a board self-assessment, and to think about ways we can make the board work more effectively. Barb Doran is chairing the planning group for this retreat and she is doing excellent work to ensure that we will have the best possible governance experts attending, and that the retreat will promote productive discussions that will result in improved governance. The reform process will be helped by the attendance of Trustees Han, Harpster, Goldstein, and Pope at a recent governance workshop where we learned about the need to be more engaged in our oversight responsibilities."

Do you expect the old-guard trustees who have stood in the way of progress and transparency to attend this retreat and actively participate (in a positive way)?

And pass up the buffet they serve at these things?

 

[91Joe95]

Alice, are you getting a better governance expert this time, or the same one who had no experience last year when the board expanded?

 

[AlicePope]

Alice, are you getting a better governance expert this time, or the same one who had no experience last year when the board expanded?

We are getting a panel of experts and they are good ones. Barb Doran is heading up the working group for the Governance Committee to plan the retreat and she is doing great work. Also on the working group are Dan Mead (B&I) and Gul Kremer who is a nonvoting member of Governance and a representative of the Faculty Senate. The three of them are working very well together, and have the support of board leadership.

 

[StinkStankStunk]

Alice, are you getting a better governance expert this time, or the same one who had no experience last year when the board expanded?

I have already volunteered my services, or - if that is not acceptable - the services of my dog (a "dumb-as-a-bag-of-hair" mutt)

So, although they may turn down both of those offers, they cannot claim - in either case - that they were not presented with better options than blubbering Holly "So, you promise this check won't bounce" Gregory.

 

[Hartzie]

Thanks for the updates. I must say I enjoyed hearing John Hanger totally destroy Mark Dambly during the last meeting.

Do you even know what issue was being discussed during Hanger's showboating remarks? Not sure Dambly's not on the correct side of this one.

 

[NittPicker]

Do you even know what issue was being discussed during Hanger's showboating remarks? Not sure Dambly's not on the correct side of this one.

Don't insult my intelligence. I watched the meeting live and know very well what the topic was. Hanger simply responded to a tirade in which Dambly essentially scolded other board members for asking questions.

 

[SFNit]

I still say he needs to get involved with the Legislature to reform the BoT, or the Courts need to be involved.

I'd like someone to explain to me just what the nine elected Alumni Trustees can do to change how the BoT (and through them, the University) is now controlled. They are outnumbered on the BoT by Trustees representing the very interests who want to maintain the status quo. Under the current By-Laws and rules of governance, that situation is not going to change. People who have absolute power and no effective accountability just aren't going to willingly give that up....they must be forced to.

While it was important to remove the Alumni Trustees who were complicit with the power group that controlled the University, the nine newbies who replaced them will not be able to bring about any meaningful changes to the governance of the University solely by their actions as members of the Board. The very fact that we are still waiting for responses to basic questions about what actually happened during the Sandusky debacle is evidence enough that the nine cannot bring about anything but "better communications". Well, I don't need a report of the particulars to know that nothing in the way of reforms is happening. .... only more focus groups and outside consultants and......whatever. I don't live in PA, but I believe that an Act by the Legislature to restructure the entire governance scheme at Penn State is the only way things will change. The University's Administration and it's BoT supporters have to lose their ironclad control before the interests of alumni, faculty, taxpayers, contributors and students are given proper voting power on the Board.

IMHO. President Barron, the new AD and the people who brought them in are just duplicating what we had before....and I fear as time passes, the nine Alumni Trustees will be more and more a part of the establishment and less and less the "disruptors" that we all hoped that they would be. When they speak out publicly and take other "hardball" actions as a way of exposing the corrupt structure they were sent to get rid of, I may change my mind. Until then, you can hold the "updates" unless real change is achieved.

 

[StinkStankStunk]

Do you even know what issue was being discussed during Hanger's showboating remarks? Not sure Dambly's not on the correct side of this one.

For YEARS the "approval process" for huge capital spending projects was:

Capital Budget committee says "we need XXX for project YYY".

The full Board of sycophants and "cocktail-party-trustees" would not say a word.....not wonder what the project was supposed to accomplish....not question if such a purpose could be accomplished for less cost....not ask, and not follow up on, just who was awarded the large contracts.
Just say, "Yep, sure, good by me....what time is dinner?"

When your Capital Budget committee is chaired by a guy (Dambly) with a record of shady deals, legal judgements against, anti-trust law violations, bankruptcies, defaults, and who's cohorts were convicted of bid-rigging and kickbacks......that may not be "Best in Class" policy. Maybe?

Hangar's actions in questioning the expenditure - to at least put it on the back burner for a month so that the project's scope and cost could actually....you know....be reviewed BEFORE allocating the funds - was a huge step in the right direction. We will see what happens next month when the BOT calls a special meeting to press forward on approving the funds for Dambly to distribute to his con-man co-horts....er, uh.....I mean to high-quality contractors who will insure that every dollar of our funds is wisely and efficiently put to use.

 

[Marshall30]

Dambly is worthless.

 

[91Joe95]

For YEARS to "approval process" for huge capital spending projects was:

Capital Budget committee says "we need XXX for project YYY".

The full Board of sycophants and "cocktail-party-trustees" would not say a word.....not wonder what the project was supposed to accomplish....not question if such a purpose could be accomplished for less cost....not ask, and not follow up on, just who was awarded the large contracts.
Just say, "Yep, sure, good by me....what time is dinner?"

When your Capital Budget committee is chaired by a guy (Dambly) with a record of shady deals, legal judgements against, anti-trust law violations, bankruptcies, defaults, and who's cohorts were convicted of bid-rigging and kickbacks......that may not be "Best in Class" policy. Maybe?

Hangar's actions in questioning the expenditure - to at least put it on the back burner for a month so that the project's scope and cost could actually....you know....be reviewed BEFORE allocating the funds - was a huge step in the right direction. We will see what happens next month when the BOT calls a special meeting to press forward on approving the funds for Dambly to distribute to his con-man co-horts....er, uh.....I mean to high-quality contractors who will insure that every dollar of our funds is wisely and efficiently put to use.

I still can't see what Dambly was complaining about. He had an 8-1 committee vote in his favor and tabled the full board vote. Pansy.

 

[fairgambit]

Hello BWI friends --

I am a little clunky with posting here and have been focusing on family for the past few days, so please forgive me for being a little belated with my Thanksgiving wishes and progress report (posted also on FB on my trustee page).

Dear friends,

I am pleased to be able to tell you about good progress made last week at the BoT meetings.

1. The Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee continues to improve our work together. We reviewed the draft strategic plan and had a productive discussion with Provost Nick Jones, and among ourselves, thinking about our future role in monitoring the implementation of the strategic plan. To my knowledge, this is the first time AASL has had a role in university strategic planning. Also, the working group (which I lead) charged with reviewing the operations of AASL had its first meeting, and we are committed to bringing our work in line with national best practices. Since its formation, the AASL committee has not been positioned to take on a major role in oversight and support of the academic enterprise, and it is exciting to be part of the change process.

2. More governance improvements are on the way. In January, we will use our regular meeting time in a board retreat, where we will work with national governance experts to conduct a board self-assessment, and to think about ways we can make the board work more effectively. Barb Doran is chairing the planning group for this retreat and she is doing excellent work to ensure that we will have the best possible governance experts attending, and that the retreat will promote productive discussions that will result in improved governance. The reform process will be helped by the attendance of Trustees Han, Harpster, Goldstein, and Pope at a recent governance workshop where we learned about the need to be more engaged in our oversight responsibilities.

3. The composition of the board is changing. We have two new gubernatorial trustees who are longtime members of the Penn State community, and are fair-minded people of good judgment. There are also a number of new, and not-so-new, trustees who are committed to working together to get past the divisiveness we have seen on our board over the past few years.

4. Governor Tom Wolf is a steadfast friend of Penn State. In addition to his commitment to increased financial support, he sends his representative, John Hanger (Secretary of Policy and Planning) as a nonvoting attendee at BoT meetings to convey his priorities. The Secretaries of Agriculture, Education, and Conservation and Natural Resources – all voting members of our board – have shown themselves to be informed, engaged stewards of the university.

5. We prevailed in our petition to the court to gain access to the source materials from the Freeh investigation. We approach this work with seriousness, and have agreed not to make individual comments in order to avoid any media spectacle. We speak together through our statement released to the press: http://www.pennlive.com/…/penn_state_trustees_delight_in.ht…

6. Now at full strength, the nine alumni-elected trustees continue to labor, individually and collectively, to be conscientious stewards of the university we love. Much work lies ahead, but I have enormous confidence in the energy, skills, and talents of every one of us – so different from one another, not always in agreement about tactics, but always united in our greater goals. I look forward to the 2016 re-election of my colleagues Barb Doran, Bill Oldsey, and Ted Brown, so that we may build further on the work we have done together so far.

7. Many alumni and friends of Penn State attended the meetings. The unwavering sense of purpose and commitment to our beloved university continues. The naysayers who predicted that the critics would lose interest were wrong. Penn State is truly fortunate to have loyal sons and daughters who want nothing less than for future students to experience the benefits of education and community that have meant so much to the lives of so many of us. It has often been said that the silver lining of the crisis was to bring our community together, stronger than ever. I reflect on this often, and I know that my work as a trustee rests on your support. I never forget that it is an honor and a privilege to serve Penn State as a trustee and I am grateful to have this opportunity.

We have many reasons to be thankful. May we all continue to live our lives consistent with the values we learned “at childhood’s gate.” A very happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Thank you for confirming that my vote for you was a wise decision. Rest assured that your efforts are appreciated and that you have a large body of support here that you can draw upon as needed.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

IMHO. President Barron, the new AD and the people who brought them in are just duplicating what we had before....and I fear as time passes, the nine Alumni Trustees will be more and more a part of the establishment and less and less the "disruptors" that we all hoped that they would be.

Lubrano has already been on the BOT for 3 1/2 years. You'd be hard pressed to come up with any evidence that he's become a part of the BOT establishment, or any evidence that he's not fighting for change. McCombie has been there the same amount of time. He's not as verbal as Lubrano (in terms of engagement with this board, or with alums in general), but he was part of the lawsuit to get access to the Freeh documents, so I think I can say the same about him as I said about Lubrano.

I understand the frustration many have with the BOT, and with the PSU Admin. They have treated the alumni-elected trustees like 2nd-class trustees, and also changed the BOT rules to work against the alumni-elected trustees. In an environment like that, change/improvement can only come in big ways by actions of the PA Legislature, or, as Trustee Pope indicated in a prior reply, in incremental steps. I give the current collection of alumni-elected trustees credit for their tenacity in seeking improvement, and their ability to adapt their approaches to achieve what many here are seeking.