Whose University is it? - What is the role of Alumni?

Submitted by UMdad on

This is a public University, so the easy answer is that the University of Michigan is the State of Michigan's.  In reality, though, I think that the University belongs to those of us who have attended or are attending.  The University is a body of people, past and present, a history and future as well as the buildings on campus.  Having said that, I want to object to the people here who continually argue that David Brandon needs to ignore the old, out of touch alumni.  I don't want this to degrade into a cc discussion, so I am going to remind everyone that there are pro-RR and anti-RR alumns.  I think that it would be an arrogant travesty for the 20 thousand kids attending the University currently and the people on staff at the present time to disregard the opinions of the hundreds of thousands of people who were there before them.  Why shouldn't the opinions of all alumni, former players, major boosters, etc. weigh heavily into any coaching decision?

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Ed Shuttlesworth

December 3rd, 2010 at 11:44 AM ^

It's not the Regents' University any more than GE is the GE board's company. 

Unlike a private corporation, there are no explicit "owners" of the University or the University's football team.  (**) My thoughts on the true "owners" of the football program were spelled out in the earlier post.

Dave Brandon is an employee of the University with the authority to manage the athletic department.  He does not "own" the athletic department.  He answers to MSC in his role as a non-owner employee of the University.   As you note, he's free to consult with any faction he deems to have an interest, or ones he doesn't.

 

(**) Although, hell, who knows -- maybe "ownership" of college athletic programs will one day be "privatized."  It isn't a huge step from where we are to seeing an Oklahoma State simply turn over effective title to the football team to a Boone Pickens, who would get a return on capital for his efforts, whether that be indirect and psychic, as today, or direct. 

Joined: 11/09/2009

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Derek

December 3rd, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^

My bad if it seemed like I did. The Regents do have control of the University and its expenditures (in addition to owning its copyrights), though. As for the Athletic Department, I agree that Dave Brandon doesn't own it. He does direct it (hence the job title), as I said in my comment.

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markusr2007

December 3rd, 2010 at 12:07 PM ^

have a say and can express their views to an AD about coaching candidates in writing.

But alumni will not know the details of any agreements, etc. or all of things (costs and benefits) that may hang in the balance.   They can pretend to know, but they really don't.

So the alumni have a say, but I don't think they' ever have a seat at the table with the AD glancing over for a thumbs up or thumbs down vote. 

I've been a Michigan fan since I was born, but today I'm genuinely disappointed with the caustic environment around Ann Arbor these last 3 years, especially with former players and alumni conspiring against RR.  Very disappointing from my perspective.

The good news is that this organizational strife rarely continues on forever. Things will, and do, get resolved.  If Rodriguez is fired, he will land a very, very good job elsewhere and find success. Rodriguez's replacement at Michigan will probably be one of the top caliber coaches in the nation.

Eventually things get back to good.  See Nebraska, Ohio State, Alabama, USC. Even Baylor, which got "Baylored", is playing decent football again.

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