ASU Renaming Scholarship Program After Obama

[diddlysquat]

Source: Huffington Post

After a day of withering criticism over its decision not to award President Barack Obama an honorary degree, Arizona State University announced on Saturday that it would expand a scholarship program in the president's name.

In a press release sent out by ASU spokeswoman Sharon Keeler, the university "apologized" for the "confusion" over the past few days. Its president Michael Crow, meanwhile, framed the "President Barack Obama Scholars" program as a higher honor than the honorary degree, one that would "affect the lives of thousands of students" and be "an honor befitting, not only the president's exceptional achievements, but also his values as an individual."

Crow also suggested that the school had never ruled out the degree for Obama - something that earlier statements suggested - but merely had yet to make a determination as to what honor would suit the president best.

"It has always been our intention to recognize and honor President Obama's accomplishments during his visit," said Crow, "but we had not yet determined the best or most appropriate way to do so."

More at link


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/11/arizona-state-to-start-ba_n_185880.html

---

It looks like ASU is doing some damage control. I think Obama would be satisfied with the result. I plan to be at this commencement speech and consider myself lucky to be invited.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Lovely ............

Watching academicians - those most totally removed from the real world - stepping, nay, stomping on their own dicks is a pleasure.

Can they possibly fuck this up any more?

Stay tuned ......................

[Alcibiades]

10. Are academics removed from the real world?

Apparently you've confused us with Wall Street and the entire FIRE sector.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. Having dwelled in that world

for far longer than I should have, I am qualified to tell you, yes, that is my opinion of academicians.

[Alcibiades]

44. But really, "the most removed from reality?"

There are other professions/sectors at a far greater remove than higher ed, such as finance generally, or the military.

I do think that the more "elite" institutions are open to this criticism, but I doubt this shoe fits most places.

[Ken Burch]

16. Er...the ASU decisions were made by administrators and the Board of Governors, not academics

None of those people have darkened the door of a lecture hall in years.

The actual faculty were probably outraged and doing all they could to lobby against the Obama snub.

It's about bureaucrats and partisan appointees, not professors.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

18. "... anti-intellectualism..."

Oh, darling, of course I'm not, and if you read "academia" as "intellectuals," well, thanks for the laugh.

I like how you speculate without having any facts. As in "The actual faculty were (sic) probably outraged and doing all they could tolobby against the Obama snub". You just pull that one out of thin air, hmmmm?

Since you don't know what "academia" means, I'll enlighten you, or you can check out a dictionary. It means "the entire academic community," and that includes administrators.

See, I choose my words carefully. If I'd wanted to refer to faculty, I would have used the word "faculty." If I'd wanted to use the word "administrators," I'd have used the words "administrators." But, I wanted the word that would mean what I was saying, and so I used "academia."

Just so you understand: "academics" is not the same as "academia."

See? You learn something new every day. And you don't have to be an intellectual, do you?

Get back to me when you have a factual basis for your theory about the faculty's stance in this shabby matter and when you know what you're talking about, including the meaning of very basic words.

" ... anti-intellectualism..." That's hilarious. Academics as intellectuals. Funny.......................

[Ken Burch]

20. I actually deleted the reference to anti-intellectualism very quickly.

Still, your post made no distinction between the roles of the faculty and the roles of the administrators and the Board of Governors. It was the school president and the Board who initially decided to snub President Obama. Your post implies that the faculty just meekly went along. Fact is, you have no reason to assume that they would.

It's those at the top of the power structure at ASU who are responsible.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

22. Again,

and I'll use very simple words:

I used the word "academia." You seem to keep reading it as "academics." They are not the same word.

My post implies nothing about the faculty. And, if you're familiar with the academe, you do know that faculty representatives always sit on the boards.

Can't you read?

[No Elephants]

37. The President of ASU has stated that no decision was made.

[EFerrari]

23. You mean bureaucrats. n/t

[Tangerine LaBamba]

25. No, I wrote what I meant -

academicians. The distinction between that word and "bureaucrats" is slender, but I choose precision.

[EFerrari]

26. The decision has nothing to do with academic merit

and everything to do with bureaucratic politicking. I think you're being overly generous.

It's so hilarious. They went out of their way to insult one of the most talented people ever to inhabit the White House. I wonder which one of their right wing nutcase donors was behind that little misstep.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

27. And they only had four months

to screw it up this badly.

The word "academician" is precise and exactly the one I wanted. It has nothing to do with academic merit or personnel, merely the denizens who inhabit that closed and padded universe, top to bottom. "Bureaucrat" is a whole different world, carrying a connotation that would have been inappropriate for this context.

[EFerrari]

28. Closed and padded? Oh, my. Maybe Berkeley should have been padded

but it certainly wasn't closed, lol. And, yes, that's exactly why I'd have chosen "bureaucrat". We had lots of them at Cal. For some reason, they seemed to believe they owned the joint. On the other hand, they also cut my check.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

30. Yeah, they get crappy salaries,

but their sense of power and entitlement is phenomenal. Having dwelled within those hallowed walls as a student, a faculty wife, and a faculty member - all different institutions through the years - I learned how absurd they are. I only lectured at Boalt for one year, but it was enough for me. After that, at a private university, Jesuit, no less, the petty machinations were no less, but much more elegantly and disarmingly done.

They do have that bureaucratic mentality, I agree, but that word pretty much limits it to civil servants, the government drones in polyester without end.

Academicians are bureaucrats with lots more degrees......................

[Ken Burch]

50. Do you have some general reason to be hostile to people who work in university systems?

Most of them are more progressive than society as a whole. Why would you have it in for "academicians" as a bloc?

This was about the board of governors, not anybody on the faculty. We can assume the professors at ASU would have been as offended at this as anyone.

I would agree with blaming bureaucrats and the admin(as well as the board)but why imply that the profs had something to do with this(which is what your use of the term "academicians" does)

Did you actually just mean those who had mutated into administrators?

[No Elephants]

36. It is not clear who, if anyone made the decision, or if anyone at all had actually made

any offical decision at all.

ASU's media director claimed that ASU would not be awarding Obama an honorary degree, but, obvsiously, that has since been disputed, including by the President of ASU.

I am not saying that academia is not removed from the real world (or that it is). I am just saying that Teo was obviously biased. Anyone who claims that becoming the first African American President is "nothing to write home about" is the worst kind of partisan. Heck, even Dummya acknowledged that. Not to mention that becoming President is an accomplishment, regardless of race or gender. So far, only 43 men have managed it since 1789.

That said, I know Eisenhower mocked "ivory tower" academics, but I don't know that that people at Arizona State University are in any ivory tower. And I am not going to knock academics (or lawyers or "Hollywood" any of the other groups Republicans mock). Republicans tend to do that to any group that is smart enough to see through them, criticizes them regularly and has a platform.

More power to all such groups, says I. I'll stick to criticizing individuals who misbehave.

[ixion]

2. lol... if they backpeddle any faster

they'll fall over backwards. :rofl:

[angstlessk]

3. Crow? his name is Crow? sounds almost cannibalistic doesn't it?

What a turn of fate this has become...something wicked this way comes..and Crow seems to have reaped his whirlwind?

[calimary]

8. Yeah, how 'bout that?

Hollywood could never write this stuff!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

19. Oh, that story ........

You ever see the movie?

It was great!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/

[Ken Burch]

21. Or like he's one of the 'bots on Mystery Science Theare

[Coventina]

4. An appeal to DUers about this story:

Please don't judge everyone associated with ASU according to the actions of the idiot administrators.

I am a former student, employee, and instructor at ASU. Most of the faculty and a good portion of the students are extremely supportive of Obama and liberal values. I haven't been around much lately, as I'm not teaching there right now, but I'm sure all of my former colleagues are extremely embarrassed by the recent actions of the administrators.

Please don't paint everyone in the ASU community (which numbers in the tens of thousands) with the same broad brush.

Thanks.

[Pirate Smile]

5. It is amazing how the ASU Administration turned a huge coup into a PR disaster.

[Coventina]

7. I won't defend Crow or any of the administration involved in this.

They are complete idiots, and the faculty and staff (and students) have plenty of other reasons to say this beyond just this particular embarrassment.

This one just happens to be on the national (if not international) level.

[aquart]

34. Isn't it? That's real genius.

[Iliyah]

6. we are liberals and

usually have open minds. I personally never judge a whole school/state/system for the actions of a few.

[Alcibiades]

11. Then you need to visit the USC campus

To discover why perhaps you should. Go Cocks!

[ejpoeta]

9. isn't this the same college that said obama was too inexperienced

for an honorary degree or something?? hmmm...

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

15. Yes, and then "apologized" for the "confusion" when

there was no confusion.

No one has yet retracted the statement that the President was too "inexperienced" to be awarded an honorary degree.

Yet the same spokeswoman now babbles about "confusion."

She needs to babble a personal apology as well as an official one.

[NBachers]

31. Yes, I thought the book on his "exceptional achievements" was "still to be written."

[No Elephants]

38. No. ASU did not say that. The President of ASU denies any decision had been made, and the only

decision was HOW best to honor him, not whether to refuse to honor him.

Few here seem to entertain the possiblity that the President of ASU speaks for ASU and maybe some right wingnut spoke out of turn.

Just a general observation:

It's amazing what you can do simply by being the first to speak on a subject, even if you are mistaken or lying.

[Botany]

13. One of these schools is not like the others

University of Chicago
Harvard
Columbia University
Arizona State University

[AZ Criminal JD]

17. Yes, one of those schools has the largest enrollment in the country

And one of those schools is in a place that has a great economy and tremendous weather year round. And one of those schools the President of the United States decided to speak at.

[Bette Noir]

29. You can't be talking about Arizona.

Nice place autumn through spring, but the ninth circle of Hell in the summer.

Only San Diego and Santa Barbara have nice weather all year, and I'm not absolutely sure about Santa Barbara.

[ChazII]

32. You're right

We are not talking about Arizona....we are talking about Arizona State. :evilgrin: I also love our summers.

[aquart]

35. In SD, they take a drive to go see weather.

I swear to God. But they are very excited right now because they have RAIN.

[AZ Criminal JD]

46. I have been to SD many times

Quite a few of the times it was very chilly and then there is the period of the May-June "gloom" where it is foggy and cloudy most of the days. No thanks.

[No Elephants]

41. And one of those schools just made a laughingstock of itself despite the honor the POTUS bestowed

upon it. Reverse alchemy.

[AZ Criminal JD]

45. A laughingstock for a few of the people on DU

But not to anyone who matters.

[Politicalboi]

14. Looks like they

Turned in their homework late. They have had only 4 months and counting to determine his qualifications. And we are suppose to believe this? An afterthought.

[lies and propaganda]

24. ASU actually returned an angry tweet of mine today..

Ive spent enough days at that farce of a school though to know its always full of shit

[JDPriestly]

33. If is customary to bestow and honorary doctorate on important commencement

speakers. This is a cop out. Somebody vicious pulled some strings to prevent ASU from awarding the honorary doctorate to Obama.

[No Elephants]

40. I never saw ANY commencement speaker fail to get an honorary degree. If the speaker is

not accomplished, why invite him or her to address the graduates?

However, the President of ASU says that ASU was only trying to decide HOW to honor Obama, not WHETHER to honor him. I take the President of ASU at his word.

Let's suggest that the right way to honor Obama is with an honorary degree AND a scholarship AND an apology for Ms. Dawn Teo.


Let see, though. A vicious Republican with influence over Arizona State University who is evem more partisan and petty than Dummya. Hmmmm. Let me think. Why, who could that possibly McBee?

[Demit]

42. LOL! I had the same Mcthought myself.

Or maybe it was just influential Mcfriends who thought the honor would be an insult to Arizona's favorite son. After all, Obama never flew jets in a war!

[No Elephants]

39. Let's demand they give him the degree, too. Hell, the 43rd person to become

President since 1789 deserves the honorary degree on that basis alone, let alone the very first member of a racial minority so to do.

Now that Sharon Keeler, ASU's Media Relations Director, put her foot in ASU's mouth, let them give him the degree, the scholorship program AND an apology. And suggest that Ms. Keeler may want to resign so that she can spend more time with Andrew Card's family.

(Apologies to Colbert for using his Andrew Card's family line without permission.)

[Swede]

43. Here is a list of the GIANTS that have received ASU honorary degrees.

Recipient Date Conferred
Frederick M. Irish May 28, 1940
Arthur John Matthews May 28, 1940
Charles A. Stauffer May 22, 1951
Samuel Henry Morris May 26, 1953
Ira Dawson Payne May 26, 1953
Abraham Lincoln Krohn May 24, 1955
Arthur Ervin Smith May 24, 1955
Alfred Knight May 29, 1956
Harvey Leslie Taylor May 29, 1956
Daniel Earl Noble May 28, 1957
Howard Pyle May 28, 1957
Walter Reed Bimson May 27, 1958
John Cromwell Lincoln May 27, 1958
Carl Sauer May 27, 1958
Carlos P. Garcia June 25, 1958
Eugene Collins Pulliam May 26, 1959
Carl Hayden Nov. 14, 1959
John Robert Murdock May 31, 1960
Barry Morris Goldwater May 30, 1961
George W. Romney June 5, 1962
Linton Elias Grinter June 5, 1962
Walter Early Craig June 4, 1963
Lynn Meade Laney June 4, 1963
Harvey Harlow Nininger June 4, 1963
Lillian Moller Gilbreth May 26, 1964
Julius Charles Wetzler May 26, 1964
Stewart Lee Udall June 1, 1965
George Fuller Miller June 1, 1965
John Alfred Hannah May 27, 1966
James Bryon McCormick May 27, 1966
Harold David Richardson May 26, 1967
Robert Jeffrey Hannelly May 26, 1967
Karl Clayton Leebrick May 26, 1967
Lewis Judah Ruskin June 4, 1968
Harlan Cleveland June 4, 1968
John Hope Franklin June 3, 1969
Frank Borman June 3, 1969
Charles Stewart Mott Jan 13, 1970
Ernest J. Hopkins June 2, 1970
George Homer Durham June 1, 1971
Richard A. Harvill June 1, 1971
Arthur B. Schellenberg June 1, 1971
Pablo Casals Mar 30, 1972
Raul H. Castro June 2, 1972
O.D. Miller June 2, 1972
Paolo Soleri May 18, 1973
Ernest W. McFarland May 18, 1973
Paul Rappaport May 17, 1974
Hugh Downs May 17, 1974
Herbert G. Fales May 16, 1975
Robert W. Galvin May 16, 1975
Mae S. Talley May 14, 1976
John J. Rhodes May 14, 1976
Louise Lincoln Kerr May 13, 1977
Bart Jan Bok May 19, 1978
Henry Eyring May 19, 1978
David C. Lincoln May 18, 1979
Erma Bombeck May 16, 1980
Vincent Persichetti May 16, 1980
Paul L. Singer May 16, 1980
Robert Penn Warren April 21, 1980
Philip C. Curtis May 15, 1981
Herb and Dorothy McLaughlin May 15, 1981
Steve Allen May 14, 1982
Fredi Chiappelli May 14, 1982
James Dickey May 14, 1982
Alan duBois May 14, 1982
Mstislav Rostropovich Aug. 6, 1982
Martha Graham Oct. 17, 1982
Tom Chauncey May 15, 1983
G.M. Sollenberger May 15, 1983
Sandra Day O'Connor May 11, 1984
James William Creasman May 11, 1984
Leontyne Price March 8, 1985
Edward F. Albee May 17, 1985
William A. Fowler May 17, 1985
Northurp H. Fry May 17, 1985
Kathryn K. Gammage May 17, 1985
William G. Payne May 17, 1985
Edward J. Dwight, Jr. May 16, 1986
Sylvia Porter May 16, 1986
John I. Yellott Aug. 8, 1986
William Reilley Nov. 7, 1986
Henry Cisneros Dec. 19, 1986
Frank Snell May 15, 1987
Gerald Wasserburg May 15, 1987
Virginia Galvin Piper May 15, 1987
Mo Udall Aug. 7, 1987
Kax Herberger Aug. 7, 1987
Edson W. Spencer Dec. 18, 1987
Robert S. Dietz May 13, 1988
Robert J. Eggert Aug. 5, 1988
Jovita R. Salonga Dec. 16, 1988
Art Buchwald Dec. 16, 1988
Walter Cronkite May 12, 1989
Lorraine Frank May 12, 1989
William Kajikawa Aug. 5, 1989
Pearl Bailey Dec. 22, 1989
Rabbi Albert Plotkin Dec. 22, 1989
Yuan T. Lee May 11, 1990
G. Robert Herberger May 10, 1991
Frank X. Gordon Dec. 8, 1991
Cesar Chavez May 11, 1992
Tony Hillerman May 11, 1992
Alan Pritsker May 11, 1992
Willard Pedrick May 11, 1992
Marvin Morrison Aug. 11, 1992
Karsten Solheim Dec. 18, 1992
Louise Solheim Dec. 18, 1992
Daniel Nagrin Dec. 18, 1992
Dwight Patterson May 11, 1993
Jesse Jones May 11, 1993
Polly Rosenbaum May 11, 1993
Edward Carson Aug. 10, 1993
Paul Elsner Dec. 14, 1993
Rose Mofford May 11, 1994
Herman Chanen May 11, 1994
Keith Turley Aug. 5, 1994
Virginia Ullman Aug. 5, 1994
Maxine Marshall Dec. 14, 1994
Jonathan Marshall Dec. 14, 1994
Margaret Gisolo Dec. 14, 1994
Edward Bud Jacobson May 14, 1995
Rita Dove May 14, 1995
Ernest Boyer May 14, 1995
Florence Nelson Aug. 10, 1995
William S. Shover May 10, 1996
Gary L. Tooker May 10, 1996
Frank J. Sackton Aug. 9, 1996
Chang-Lin Tien Dec. 20, 1996
John F. Long Dec. 20, 1996
Paul J. Fannin May 16, 1997
Jack W. Whiteman May 16, 1997
Newton Rosenzweig Aug. 8, 1997
John P. Frank Dec. 19, 1997
Craig R. Barrett May 15, 1998
Wm. Polk Carey Aug. 7, 1998
Norman William Fain Dec. 18, 1998
Leon Howard Sullivan Dec. 18, 1998
Eddie Basha May 14, 1999
Raul Yzaguirre May 14, 1999
Alfredo Gutierrez Dec. 17, 1999
Craig E. Weatherup Dec. 17, 1999
Barbara McConnell Barrett May 11, 2000
Rudy E. Campbell May 11, 2000
Nadine Severns Carson Aug. 4, 2000
Lamonte H. Lawrence Aug. 4, 2000
L. Roy Papp Dec. 14, 2000
Marilyn A. Papp Dec. 14, 2000
L. William Seidman Dec. 14, 2000
Alice Wiley Snell May 10, 2001
Richard Berlin Snell May 10, 2001
Robert H. Johnson Aug. 31, 2001
Delbert Ray Lewis Dec. 31, 2001
Jewell McFarland Lewis Dec. 31, 2001
Jerry Colangelo May 9, 2002
Rex G. Maughan May 9, 2002
John R. Christian Aug. 2, 2002
Bob Stump Dec. 19, 2002
Rita R. Colwell May 13, 2004
Rafael Rangel Sostmann May 13, 2004
Lawrence Douglas Wilder May 13, 2004
Peterson Zah May 12, 2005
Blake Edwards Sep. 23, 2005
Lord John Browne of Madingley Dec. 15, 2005
The Right Honourable Kim Campbell Dec. 15, 2005
Wu Qidi May 11, 2006
Frank H.T. Rhodes May 11, 2006
J. Craig Venter May 10, 2007
Leland Hartwell Dec. 13, 2007
James J. Duderstadt May 14, 2008



http://graduation.asu.edu/honorary/past

[CreekDog]

47. they finally got around to renaming the "Evan Mecham Scholarship Fund"???

color me not impressed. :hide:

[Coventina]

48. Email from Michael Crow on the subject:

Attached please find our statement on matters related to recognizing and honoring President Obama during his upcoming visit.

Since my appointment we have not awarded honorary degrees to sitting politicians, a practice based on the very practical realities of operating a public university in our political environment. We have not offered degrees to our sitting Senators or our sitting Governors as many universities do. We have not invited them as university commencement speakers either.

In this case, the historic election of Barack Obama, we invited him as our university commencement speaker, the first in recent memory. We did that out of recognition of his unique achievements and his deep connection to our mission as a university committed to excellence and access.

From the beginning we intended to recognize and honor the President, and we will.

I ask all of you to stay focused on the event and honor our graduates and our President.

We are a young and emerging university in a new and politically complex state. We serve in the most critically important role in higher education in the country, the public focused university. We perform well in that role and we will continue to do that.

Let's all pull together to make this event successful.



Michael M. Crow
President

http://president.asu.edu

[lumberjack_jeff]

49. The dumbshitmobile pedals as quickly backwards as forwards. n/t