From a letter signed by eighteen faculty:
Lois B. DeFleur’s two-decades-long tenure as president of Binghamton University has ended in real harm to the university’s reputation and pride… Withdrawal from membership in Division I is in the interest of this university that aspires to be a ‘premier’ public research institution… It will send a strong message to Chancellor Zimpher, our students and alumni that we intend to end the spirit of cover-up that was encouraged from the top, raise our academic standards, and restore BU’s reputation.
For the last ten years, Dennis Lasser, a finance professor, has been faculty representative to the NCAA. So he’s done a terrific job of monitoring things at his institution… I guess that’s why the New York Times reporter thinks it’s worth his while to interview Lasser about a situation he did a good deal to help bring about.
Lasser’s comment is contemptible.
The basketball program is a disaster, but if you look at the regular sports and look at the performance before this change in regime, we were doing things the right way… The only reason I would say leave Division I is if we didn’t learn our lesson. If we self-assess properly, I think we can get back on the right track.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:36AM
Sounds like a bureaucrat… Ethics, what? The problem is a faulty process.
March 12th, 2010 at 4:01PM
hmm. Self assessment has its place, but there are also times when one needs outside supervision and accountability. Since the NCAA does not really offer either of these things when administering Division I sports, it makes sense for SUNY B to step back to division III, where students really are students first and athletes second.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:17PM
only 18 profs signed? wt?
March 12th, 2010 at 9:03PM
I think this is an early stage in the process. I got the impression from the article that they are expecting to get more signatures.