A couple of more letters about the N.C. State University situation that didn't make it into the paper:
With the media spotlight focused on regrettable events involving a handful of high-level administrators, it is easy to lose sight of what the other 99+ percent of us are doing at N.C. State, “the people's university." Among the UNC system universities, N.C. State is unique in its mix of education, research, extension and engagement, which reaches all 100 counties of this state.
With an enrollment of nearly 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students (the largest in the UNC system), N.C. State is integral to our economic recovery. During times of economic downturn, even more North Carolinians turn to N.C. State for a professionally oriented and well-rounded education, or for advice from top researchers and extension specialists on how to improve the economic and technical competitiveness of their businesses.
The entrepreneurship of N.C. State's faculty brings hundreds of millions of dollars of research funding into the state that supports students, advanced equipment, development of leading edge practices and technologies, and transfer of new knowledge into the classroom.
In the face of budget cuts nearing $100 million, we are facing difficult decisions in every department within every college about how much we need to cut back on our programs and employees, at precisely a time when our state needs us the most. The pending budget cuts will turn back decades of investment by the state in making N.C. State a flagship university. N.C. State needs your support.
H. Christopher Frey
Professor, Environmental Engineering
N.C. State University
Raleigh
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It is an outrage that James Oblinger and Larry Nielsen could be coming back to N.C. State as teaching professors drawing exorbitant salaries. I would not want my children to be taught by unethical professors and apparent liars. If N.C. State brings these two back to teach, or for any other reason, then they surely have no shame.
Robert Jones
Garner
Comments
Attending NCSU was one of
Sat, 06/20/2009 - 06:13 — gray_wolfAttending NCSU was one of the best decisions I've made. Keep up the good work, Professor Frey.
It's sad that Mr. Jones
Sat, 06/20/2009 - 06:09 — gray_wolfIt's sad that Mr. Jones feels that way. Coaches, especially in the high visibility sports, are "hired to be fired" often on whims of the alumni that have more to do with perceived performance, rather than actual performance. The buyouts are part of the contract and any lack of ethics would be in not honoring the contract. The buyouts differ only in amount from the severance packages many private sector employees get. I don't see anything unethical about a week's pay, month's pay or pay for a longer period that many of us get when we are terminated without cause.
Sports has no "deadly" effect on ethics any other activity.
Any school agreeing to a
Sat, 06/20/2009 - 07:16 — igliigliAny school agreeing to a contract with a multimillion payoff is an example of the deadly effect on ethics. Another example is how many athletes are arrested for violent crimes yet remain on the team and are not expelled from the school. One horrible example was the Georgia high-school athlete who was highly recruited by multiple universities while he was serving a sentence for rape. NSCU was NOT one of the schools recruiting the jailed athlete but NCSU has no reason for pride in its recruiting history. Sports has a very deadly effect on ethics at the high school, college, and professional level.
NCSU
Fri, 06/19/2009 - 21:25 — igliigliIt is sad that so many NC citizens are angry about Easley mess but say nothing about the multimillion dollar payoffs fired UNC coaches walk away with. Sports has a deadly effect on people's sense of ethics.