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Tomorrow's BOT meeting

E

EagerEagle

Active member
If you all are bored and want to tune in tomorrow on the future of EWU here are the links. Let's hope they give their heads a shake and steer the ship! We need leadership. Lots of anticipation for a 30 minute spot on Athletics, 15 of which is an athletic update by Lynn.

May 20-21, 2021 – Regular Board Meeting
AGENDA
May 20, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: https://ewu.zoom.us/j/95822711101
May 21, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm: https://ewu.zoom.us/j/95968600428

Copy of the agenda
https://ewueagles.sharepoint.com/si...k1NDQ4ZkJNNi1Bd3hTYmc_cnRpbWU9OXBJeFBfa2EyVWc
 
Thanks EE, appreciate that info going to check that out. Anything to avoid looking at the price of bitcoin.
 
Today's conversations were fluffy and troubling to me. I'm not sure if anyone else listened. Tomorrow during the BOT meeting the president will give his recommendation for athletics. By the looks of things I would think that he will recommend we continue where we are, but I couldn't be to sure.

Lynn gave a report and the following were some key points

Only school in the nation with both a basketball and football team in FCS playoffs and NCAA Tourney

80% of our season ticket holders rolled tickets over for next year

over 200,000 covid tests have been given in our athletic department this year.

we're running at a near 2 mil dollar deficit this year with about 600 k above that amount retrieved from Cares money

most coaching hires will be filled by end of next week (football, girls basketball, asst basketball coaches, asst AD for Development) except Soccer which will be posted next week.

Coaches were let go in our programs due to "program direction and what is best for our student athletes"

The BOT seemed to eat out of her hand, commented her on a fantastic job and commented that they would like her to stay in her position as long as she is willing. Lynn also commented that we have had 6 record breaking months during covid with EAF giving. It was frustrating for me to hear at how well the BOT and Lynn feel we do to KEEP our athletes here on campus by offering the best experience and the best we have to offer. I continued to think about the turmoil that we are in at this time and how there hasn't been a steady direction. If anyone else was listening please chime in, this is just what I heard in the first go around. More to come I guess from Dr. May tomorrow.
 
"The BOT seemed to eat out of her hand, commented her on a fantastic job and commented that they would like her to stay in her position as long as she is willing."

I want some of whatever they were smoking before making these comments. It obviously gives you the good feelies and dissociates you from negative emotions.

I'd be hard pressed to think of a time in history where the AD felt in such disarray. Players are leaving, we were the only school in the league playing football without selling tickets, we lost a great coach to a middling program with no history of winning, and we just fired one of our most successful coaches for what appears to be no reason at all. I want Hickey and the entire university to be wildly successful, but it constantly feels like everything is moving the the exact opposite direction.

Curious, what does Eastern expect enrollment to be in the Fall? I believe the school was roughly 14k students at the peak of Arevalo. Where is it now? I have a hunch it'll be less than 10k. If so, it isn't the fault of the coaches and players that the university is a disaster.
 
Missed the front end when they must have done subject of sports. So thanks EE for your info...interesting. When hooked to end of zoom they started talking current enrollment and expected enrollment and that was depressing. They were throwing a lot of numbers out and was tough to absorb but think expected Fall enrollment may have been under 10k (thought it was 8k but that may have been just in Cheney not counting off site enrollment). Dont quote me on that.
 
Looks like some private session stuff this morning and Dr. May will give recommendations early this afternoon after a break. It's on the schedule for 1230, but times are a rough estimate I believe. I will try to tune in if there is time today.
 
Dr. May made a strong recommendation to the board of trustees to keep athletics where it is. However this line was included "EWU will have to make the decision to tier its sports array, stepping back from full support for some sports." Take that how you will. Lots of discussions about how much contribution there is from athletics to the diversity of the university and the classroom. There was talk of moving up the June BOT meeting to a special session about athletics in "early June" following a week window which starts today of seeking more information from Alumni, students, faculty etc. about the recommendations. This poll should be up somewhere and when I find it I will try to post the link here. Make sure that everyone and hops in on supporting the decision.

There was talk after his presentation in the questioning about how to make sure that this type of interruption and questioning doesn't occur again next time there are budget struggles at the University level. On a side note, assistant basketball coaches and a womens basketball coach announced today.
 
Here is the link for the feedback to the board about Dr. May’s recommendation.
https://www.ewu.edu/about/leadership/bot/
 
EagerEagle said:
Here is the link for the feedback to the board about Dr. May’s recommendation.
https://www.ewu.edu/about/leadership/bot/
Click to expand...

Thanks EE, I gave my 2cents and sent that link to everyone i know that thinks is an important isse then asked them to send to who they know.
Believe this is the biggest crossroad the future of athletics direction has seen since we went D1. Perhaps over reaction on my part.

best-injury-reaction-ever
 
So, in the photo of the Board of Trustees, who is the person on the bottom right? Y'know, just curious.

Maybe she'd like to take a meeting to hear me voice my concerns.
 
tenor.gif



I want to sold there's a commitement..a strong commitement. People want to sold so they will buy...buy the brand into the future. There is no future without a strong athletic program at D1.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/22/eastern-washington-athletic-director-lynn-hickey-g/
 
Obzerver said:
tenor.gif



I want to sold there's a commitement..a strong commitement. People want to sold so they will buy...buy the brand into the future. There is no future without a strong athletic program at D1.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/22/eastern-washington-athletic-director-lynn-hickey-g/
Click to expand...

A lot of the problem I have with these anti-athletics crusaders is that they seem to have no vision for the university. All they see is money being spent on someone other than them. With the pro-athletics crowd, we see our peer institutions as Montana and Idaho. The anti-athletics crowd sees our peer institutions as Montana State- Northern and Eastern Oregon. It's hard to negotiate and be understood by someone of that mentality. They simply don't view things through the lens we use.

And I could say this until I blue in the face... the athletics department may have issues, and they should work to solve those issues. Being budgeted deep into the red is bad policy. But the university, as a whole, is a disaster right now. And that's not the fault of athletics. If we're seriously talking about 8-10k students in the Fall, that's a massive enrollment problem. It didn't magically happen because of Covid; the trend line had been pointing that way for a few years now. I haven't seen any attempt at course correction other than terminating the last President.

What the university needs isn't a bunch of cutting. What the university needs is a very tangible growth and recruitment plan that starts now. It's amazing how that budget wasn't a problem with Arevalo in charge and 14,000 in enrollment. The leadership needs to understand this and work towards getting back to that figure.
 
LDopaPDX said:
Obzerver said:
tenor.gif



I want to sold there's a commitement..a strong commitement. People want to sold so they will buy...buy the brand into the future. There is no future without a strong athletic program at D1.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/22/eastern-washington-athletic-director-lynn-hickey-g/
Click to expand...

A lot of the problem I have with these anti-athletics crusaders is that they seem to have no vision for the university. All they see is money being spent on someone other than them. With the pro-athletics crowd, we see our peer institutions as Montana and Idaho. The anti-athletics crowd sees our peer institutions as Montana State- Northern and Eastern Oregon. It's hard to negotiate and be understood by someone of that mentality. They simply don't view things through the lens we use.

And I could say this until I blue in the face... the athletics department may have issues, and they should work to solve those issues. Being budgeted deep into the red is bad policy. But the university, as a whole, is a disaster right now. And that's not the fault of athletics. If we're seriously talking about 8-10k students in the Fall, that's a massive enrollment problem. It didn't magically happen because of Covid; the trend line had been pointing that way for a few years now. I haven't seen any attempt at course correction other than terminating the last President.

What the university needs isn't a bunch of cutting. What the university needs is a very tangible growth and recruitment plan that starts now. It's amazing how that budget wasn't a problem with Arevalo in charge and 14,000 in enrollment. The leadership needs to understand this and work towards getting back to that figure.
Click to expand...

What the University needs…is BOLD leadership.
 
What were the ideas for revenue-generation on the athletics’ side?

  • More money games?
  • Higher game attendance goals?
  • Higher ticket prices?
  • Sponsorship opportunities?
  • Anything??? :dunce:
 
Looks Like June 11th is special Session from 12-1. There is a link for public comment during the meeting on the following link
https://www.ewu.edu/about/leadership/bot/meeting-agendas-minutes

The presidents recommendations are at the link below, within those recommendations was this.

https://ewueagles.sharepoint.com/si...10c1RMM2Y5UXZhWGs5OHc_cnRpbWU9UnZmTm50c3AyVWc

A move away from Division I athletics or the ending of particular athletic sponsorships would be very damaging to the ability of the university to pursue fundraising opportunities and would most probably result in a failure of the comprehensive campaign to achieve the goals set by the institution and the Board.
Click to expand...

Based on the totality of the information and input available, the recommendation is that Eastern Washington University should continue to compete in NCAA Division I athletics and should remain in the Big Sky Conference. •To achieve this in a manner that is sustainable in to the future, EWU will have to make the decision to tier its sports array, stepping back from full support for some sports.
Click to expand...
 
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