VP questions AD Eric Sexton's dual role at Wichita State

[Shocker-maniac]

http://www.kansas.com/news/local/edu...e20110065.html

[Shocker Mama]

I think when I was in college (okay, it was a very long time ago) universities didn't even have a Vice President of Student Affairs. So I asked Shocker Son, who's getting ready to graduate in a couple of weeks, what the VP of Student Affairs has done for him at WSU. He said, near as he knows, nothing.

[AndShock]

Looks like someone is pissed they're being shown the door.

[wu_shizzle]

Looks like someone is pissed they're being shown the door.

Sounds like he's got an axe to grind, I'll take what he has to say with a grain of salt.

Anymore clichés I could throw in?

[Shocker1976]

Sour grapes from both Robinson and Colvin is a conclusion that can be drawn from reading this article.

[wufan]

Definitely sour grapes. He states that he was going to leave quietly until Sexton was named his successor...at which point Robinson is willing to "risk his severence" in the name of student safety. Why wasn't he reporting this alleged misconduct two years ago when it occurred?

[1972Shocker]

Wasn't there some thought or discussion that some of Dr. Bardo's lieutenants were perhaps not totally on board with his vision for Wichita State? Although I don't recall any comment on exactly what those objections may have been based on.

The issues surrounding Jody Adams certainly won't help the situation. Perhaps that had something to do with the timing of this coming to the forefront at this point.

This may be sour grapes but there were some concerns and questions about this move expressed on ShockerNet as well at the time it was announced.

[Shocker1976]

This topic has been discussed on ShockerNet and some posters have expressed concern and displeasure with Dr. Sexton. However, when asked to post details or information to support their displeasure none were posted.

I reached my sour grapes opinion after reading the Eagle article and conducting an internet search. A few relevant details from this search follow:

1. Dr. Robinson's complaint is centered around two points:

(1) Student Safety was threatened because he was not formerly notified in April 2013 of a Wichita Police Department investigation of an alleged rape of a non-student woman by a member of the WSU basketball team until four (4) days after the matter had been brought to the attention of ADES, HC3G, President Bardo and the Chief of WSU Police.

(2) WSU violated Title IX Federal Guidelines on Student Safety as sex discrimination charges require prompt investigation by the university's Student Affairs Office. Dr. Robinson provided no documents to the Board of Regents (and the Eagle) until April 2015. Dr Robinson brought these allegations/charges under the Kansas Whistleblower Act.

Dr. Robinson's CV informs of an IMO unremarkable academic career at Kearny State and UN-Omaha:

A. in July 2009 he joined WSU's Administration as Chief Student Affairs Officer.

B. in July 2014 President Bardo promoted him to Vice President of Student Affairs.

C. in January 2015 President Bardo informed Dr. Robinson that his contract as VP Student Affairs would not be renewed.

As for Deltha Colvin's comments, she appears IMO to be angry that she was neither asked to interview Dr. Sexton nor asked for her opinion regards replacing Robinson.

Please draw your own conclusions but my experience in such employment matters as this instructs that under-performing recently promoted employees resort to such behavior and tactics.

[1972Shocker]

Very well thought out and stated @Shocker1976. Of course, Jim Rhatigan also expressed some surprise at the appointment of Eric although he was more open to giving Dr. Bardo the opportunity to make this work. And then their is the current cloud of the WBB program issues hanging over Eric's head. I wonder if Robinson and Colvin decided to use that situation as an opportunity and a tool to advance their own agenda and, as Tony Vizzini said, the timing of the move just turned out to be bad.

I am not saying Eric can't handle the responsibilities of leading the Office of Student Affairs. He probably can. However, I do think the dual role structure is a little odd and perhaps not the best way to go. That would seem to make it tougher to do both jobs well and WSU acknowledged they had some concerns about the conflict of interest issues.

So while this may well be mostly sour grapes and those behind it are using a 2-year old incident that really endangered no students and a review of the WBB program that is ongoing and uncertain as to its outcome to advance their agenda I think there are some legitimate concerns about whether this dual role structure is the way to go.

[Shocker1976]

I bring no academic experience or expertise other than two years as a Graduate Assistant and one year as a junior faculty member so please read my posts on this topic with those facts in mind.

I saw Dr. Rhatigan's statement and immediately wondered what if any role he played in the initial hiring and subsequent promotions of Dr. Robinson? Dr Rhatigan was at WSU when I was an undergraduate student so I assume he must have considerable experience with Ms Colvin. Consequently I dismissed his comments as simply politically correct rhetoric.

To me Dr. Robinson play is all about money and "payback" for being dismissed. Clearly if his contract calls for a severance he has no risk in losing it as President Bardo did not dismiss him for cause. Given how President Bardo has handled this matter to date, I conclude that Dr. Robinson failed to demonstrate he possesses the skill sets required to function as a VP Administrator at WSU.

IMO President Bardo has elected to promote ES to this new "dual role" position until Boatright demonstrates he has requisite skills to functions as WSU's AD or VPES informs him that the responsibilities of the dual role VP position are beyond the scope of a single competent administrator and requests WSU either promote Boatright to AD or search for a new AD.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I thought Miz Colvin was spreading a little bit of common sense, regardless of her motivation.

Sometimes persons are promoted to high level positions in companies and their education and experience does not seem to justify the promotion. As an example, a vice president of finance is promoted to president of a major manufacturing company. At first blush, it might seem that a person with strong operations background would be a better choice. In IBM history, there was an extended period, where the presidents had a strong marketing background.

There is a lot of dancing going on in the article, but it is not uncommon in large bureaucracies. The least active dancer was Ms. Colvin. While her job is safe, her comments will not endear her and enhance promotion opportunities.

[Shocker1976]

To each his own regards your comment that Colvin was "spreading a little bit of common sense"; to me she was simply venting because she played no role in determining who would become her new boss. I tried to find her CV but was unsuccessful; all I could find on her is she has worked at WSU for a long time participating and managing federal entitlement programs called TRIO (an acronym for which I did not find a definition).

Given the "insensitivity" of her comments I can understand why President Bardo did not consult her.

[im4wsu]

To each his own regards your comment that Colvin was "spreading a little bit of common sense"; to me she was simply venting because she played no role in determining who would become her new boss. I tried to find her CV but was unsuccessful; all I could find on her is she has worked at WSU for a long time participating and managing federal entitlement programs called TRIO (an acronym for which I did not find a definition).

Given the "insensitivity" of her comments I can understand why President Bardo did not consult her.

Colvin: “It’s going to take him years to learn all the things he’ll need to know. Maybe he went to them and said, ‘I could do this.’ But if he did, he was stupid.”

That just doesn't seem to me to be the getting off on the right foot in a new boss/subordinate relationship.

[Ricardo del Rio]

To each his own regards your comment that Colvin was "spreading a little bit of common sense"; to me she was simply venting because she played no role in determining who would become her new boss. I tried to find her CV but was unsuccessful; all I could find on her is she has worked at WSU for a long time participating and managing federal entitlement programs called TRIO (an acronym for which I did not find a definition).

Given the "insensitivity" of her comments I can understand why President Bardo did not consult her.

Are spreading and venting mutually exclusive terms? Maybe she is shocked that a person with zero experience in executive management of student affairs has become VP of Student Affairs, while at the same time is the Athletic Director.

All of it does not matter, it is all political theater. It will go away soon.

[Ricardo del Rio]

To each his own regards your comment that Colvin was "spreading a little bit of common sense"; to me she was simply venting because she played no role in determining who would become her new boss. I tried to find her CV but was unsuccessful; all I could find on her is she has worked at WSU for a long time participating and managing federal entitlement programs called TRIO (an acronym for which I did not find a definition).

Given the "insensitivity" of her comments I can understand why President Bardo did not consult her.

Insensitive. Ah, an all purpose, derogatory, descriptive word, which is chosen for those, who disagree.

When I mind read, I am never right. It is pretty hard to do accurately.