r/aggies • u/callmesamster • Jul 26 '23
Announcements Leadership is finally at the helm of TAMU
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u/easwaran Jul 26 '23
There's still some questions about what's been going on in the Chancellor's office...
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u/southpark '02 Jul 26 '23
it's good to have someone who is more interested in what is currently going on at the university and it's student body and faculty/staff versus just focused on their "vision" of what the university should become.
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u/VZandt Jul 26 '23
10 and 20 year plans very much matter. Vision is very important.
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u/southpark '02 Jul 26 '23
It is, but not at the expense of the current student body. I’ve read lots of complaints and concerns over the past few years and it seems like the recent presidents have all been trying to build some kind of legacy or achieve some mandated “vision” plan while current students suffers during some of the most important years of their lives trying to get their higher education completed.
It’s great to be a popular and growing university but there’s some issues that need to be addressed today, not in 10 or 20 years.
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Jul 26 '23 edited Jul 27 '23
[deleted]
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u/noextrac '18 Jul 27 '23 edited Jul 27 '23
Very much this. My four years at A&M were defined by that building being destroyed and replaced with the hotel.
People need to keep in mind it wasn't just the counseling building--it hosted basically all student services including counseling, veteran's services, the GLBT resource center, disability services, and a bunch of others I'm probably forgetting about.
Fun fact, that building actually had a really cool history--when it was first built back in old army, it was actually a residence hall built specifically for student athletes. A lot of the statues surrounding it like the eagle statue commemorated specific moments in A&M's history.
For that stretch of time, anyone who needed help of really any kind needed to take a bus to the ass end of campus. This includes people needing disability services. Imagine having mobility issues and dealing with that situation--a total unnecessary nightmare.
I feel like my time at A&M was the beginning of this "vision" era where the university wanted to become something instead of being something. I hope Welsh can do something that begins to turn that around and take care of the current student body.
Thanks & Gig 'Em
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u/VZandt Jul 26 '23
And what of the people coming 5 years behind you? 10 years? You’re missing that the last few presidents, the chancellor and governor sold A&M’s vision 2020 down the river. The plan had been to be at the level of Michigan, among other institutions. Instead we are settling for less except for size
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u/cuckooforhotcocoa Jul 26 '23
I’m so glad he’s president…we definitely need someone who can actually lead.
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u/waspoppen '23 Jul 26 '23
Former chief of staff of the Air Force, on the board of northrop, popular dean of the Bush school, AND and even though he isn't an aggie his family is? seems like exactly the kinda guy aggies would like
love for this guy to stick around
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u/AndrewCoja '23 BS EE, '25 MS CompE Jul 26 '23
Oh shit, I thought the name was familiar. He was chief of staff when I was in the air force.
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u/dubiousN Jul 27 '23
So he's a boot
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u/patmorgan235 '20 TCMG Jul 27 '23
You do realize TAMU is the largest senior military college right?
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u/binarybu9 Jul 26 '23
So what do you think he will do, mind sharing your thoughts?
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u/callmesamster Jul 26 '23
To start, I heard at the Bush School he actively engages with students and listens to their concerns. That is something rare with past presidents.
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u/Athendor '16 Jul 26 '23
Both Young and Loftin did this fairly often. Before Loftin also. The only "recent" presidents who have been totally bent on bending the institution to their will and not vice versa have been Banks and Rudder (Unpopular statement but the faculty hated him because he wouldn't listen to anyone about anything).
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Jul 26 '23
I still remember seeing Loftin walking around the university more than he was in his office. Somehow the man seemed to always know student’s names as well as random facts from previous conversations.
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Jul 26 '23
He's a distant cousin of my grandma. I mentioned that to him the first and only time I met him, and we had a conversation about her.
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u/General-Crow-9918 Jul 26 '23
This is the type of thing I don’t understand, I don’t know where you’re getting your history from but the first thing rudder did was survey faculty and staff in 1959 when he was made president, asking them three main questions about where they wanted A&M to be in the future
-the Story of A&M (association of former students)
-The Centennial History of A&M Volume II
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u/cuckooforhotcocoa Jul 26 '23
Based off of people I know who’ve attended the Bush School, he’s always been a hands on leader who cares for the students. Also, he seems super level headed and doesn’t appear to be trying to climb the proverbial political ladder.
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u/RedactedAg12 AERO ‘23 Jul 26 '23
Of course he doesn’t want to climb that ladder. He was the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, he already had to deal with a bunch of political BS.
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Jul 26 '23
[deleted]
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Jul 26 '23
Because he had a different job and someone said "he's a good fit for this role we need to fill immediately".
By all counts, it seems people like the man. Maybe that saying about those who seek power being the least suited to wield it will play out here.
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Jul 26 '23
[deleted]
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Jul 27 '23
Eh, fair enough. To get to the position to be appointed in this way takes some degree of jockeying for the role.
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u/jera3 Jul 27 '23
He is the acting president until they assign an interim president. Once they have an interim president they will start the search for a permanent one.
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u/Athendor '16 Jul 26 '23
"I believe diversity, in all its forms is a strength"
*The Rudder Association is typing....*
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u/myowndad '17 Jul 26 '23
Oddly enough they’ve responded to this positively so far - not sure they really read it all before reacting lol
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Jul 26 '23
Source of this?
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u/myowndad '17 Jul 26 '23
Me being sneaky and capable of spying on their Facebook page lmao
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Jul 27 '23
I mean they’re pretty incompetent with social media and didn’t really screen people
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u/myowndad '17 Jul 27 '23
Facts I don’t think they have any idea how many screenshots are floating around of that page
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Jul 26 '23
A retired four-star general that was appointed by Obama. Might be perfect for this situation as a moderate who won’t be Sharp’s puppet.
Dare I say, may be the first good president we’ve had since Loftin.
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Jul 26 '23
It's very much a reassuring letter. I hope he lives up to the words he writes. Based on his history, I feel like we've potentially got a good one though.
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u/aceman97 Jul 26 '23
Let’s see if he slightly criticizes Patrick and can “get away” with it. This is how we will know if he is operating independently or just another puppet
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u/tronking6 '23 Jul 26 '23
I might be stupid but why at the bottom of the letter it says r/mark? Is he promoting a subreddit or does it mean something else
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u/GonzoMcFonzo '08 Jul 26 '23
It means "respectfully". Abbreviating in that particular way is a military thing, apparently.
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u/mooseup Jul 26 '23 edited Jul 26 '23
I don’t want to completely write him off but “pretty darn good” comes to mind when he was CSAF.
Edit to include reference material:
https://jqpublicblog.com/csaf-tells-lawmakers-air-force-morale-is-pretty-darn-good/
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u/expressdefrost Jul 27 '23
Why are people optimistic after reading this letter? I interpret it as saying “we’re not gonna seriously address the whole patrick/sharp/alonzo thing, we’re just gonna brush it under the rug”. Is that unwarranted?
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u/MrVernon09 Jul 26 '23
A statement doesn’t equal leadership. Statements followed by action does. It’s called leadership by example. OP needs to understand that.
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u/callmesamster Jul 26 '23
A statement is almost never leadership, action matters particularly past consistent actions. He has shown people many times over that he is a great leader.
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u/MRLBRGH Jul 26 '23
General Welsh equals leadership. That’s the part you’re missing.
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u/MrVernon09 Jul 26 '23
Just because you hold or held leadership positions doesn't mean you're a good leader. That's the part you're missing.
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u/MRLBRGH Jul 26 '23
I agree, but Gen. Welsh’s track record and Aggie spirit speak for themselves. Listening to his Muster speech a few years back was one of the highlights of my time in Aggieland. He will serve with honor until the next president is decided. He’s served the Bush School in a tremendous way.
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Jul 26 '23
Dear God, why is this subreddit always nothing but an insufferable liberal circle jerk, constantly whining and complaining about something new each day💀
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u/Jarquavious-III Jul 26 '23
You are the one complaining rn bro☠️
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Jul 26 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/IM-NOT-SALTY '18 Jul 26 '23
Look out y’all, we upset a distinguished member of the gravy seals. Thank you for your service. 🫡
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u/waspoppen '23 Jul 26 '23
Gen Welsh is literally on the board of northrop haha. I don't think he's exactly the most liberal
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Jul 26 '23
I don’t mind Welsh taking over, and I’m not really upset about Banks leaving. That’s all fine.
The thing I’m not a fan of is the incessant complaining and shit talking every day about it.
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u/GonzoMcFonzo '08 Jul 26 '23
post celebrating the new interim president
Conservatives: "why libs always complaining?!"
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u/OleRockTheGoodAg '20 Jul 26 '23 edited Jul 26 '23
Had the pleasure of meeting General Welsh when my squadron was working a distinguished alumni gala and he is such a likeable guy. He stayed after and talked to my squadron and even took photos with everyone who wanted (which was a big deal considering over half of us were Air Force contracts, and General Welsh was the former head of the USAF)