Just a general question about President Leath

[carvers4math]

I feel sort of like better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

Actually, unlike everyone else, the only decision that irked the hell out of me was giving those former politicians cushy jobs without doing a search for the best person to fill the positions. Of course, he did the exact opposite with the basketball search and I feel like he has handled the athletics department well.

I have a severe distrust of all politicians at the moment, and he always seemed in Rastetter and Branstad's hip pocket, especially by giving their pals high paying jobs. On the other hand, those same people will be picking his successor, so we might get even worse political patronage in university positions.

I am pleased with the increase in both enrollment and strength of the research park during his tenure, but am not sure how much of that is because of him or maybe just him not getting in the way. I don't want to wind up with some Boston Chicken president without an academic background however.

 

[isufbcurt]

You actually can't disagree with something more than 100% I would expect an accountant to know that.

I like to use creative accounting

 

[MeowingCows]

What I see from current students like myself is mostly VEISHEA outrage. The plane thing didn't help, but that's more of a funny story than a point of anger. Most new students haven't even hardly heard of Palo before, so I don't attribute much to that.

Primarily, when you talk Leath, you talk VEISHEA (for students). However, hiring a new President isn't going to magically bring it back (unless the Admin. uses it as a cover to pass something else through quietly that is more malicious). There's also some groups that are angry at Leath for the whole immigrant travel issues, but personally, I don't understand their anger because he has quite literally no say in those matters.

 

[mj4cy]

Question, guys ... I have noticed on social media and here for the most part that it appears like the overwhelming reaction to Leath moving on is happiness ...

Is this just about the plane thing? VEISHIA? What's the biggest reason for this in your opinion?

I never really got to know him. I tried but he never seemed interested, which is fine. Just curious as to how fans/alums feel about this.

Also, what are you hoping for from here?

For me, it was his handling of Veishea as well as the Bubu issues.

I totally get Veishea needed some reform, but why get rid of things that affect kids (future ISU students?). Was there any reason to get rid of the daytime activities such as displays/vendors on campus and the parade? It just seemed very short sighted. He acted like they would bring about a new celebration and maybe they did, but I never heard about it.

 

[Cycsk]

The things I worry about most in Leath's departure are the ongoing development of the research park and the massive fundraising campaign he launched. Hoping there are good people in place there and that the new president can sustain those efforts.

 

[jsb]

I'm ok with the move. I don't like leath. The land deal was shady. And plane gate was annoying. He didn't seem trust worthy.

Maybe only concern about him leaving is how they ****** up the Iowa president search.

 

[rdtindsm]

My recollection is that some how Hoiburg pointed the hiring process toward Prohm, but that doesn't make too much sense considering Otz.

 

[SpokaneCY]

Question, guys ... I have noticed on social media and here for the most part that it appears like the overwhelming reaction to Leath moving on is happiness ...

Is this just about the plane thing? VEISHIA? What's the biggest reason for this in your opinion?

I never really got to know him. I tried but he never seemed interested, which is fine. Just curious as to how fans/alums feel about this.

Also, what are you hoping for from here?

The appearance of impropriety is enough for me. Time for all parties to have another whack at the cat. A thought - how many whacks at a cat does one need? I'm a cat lover so I think 1 is too many.

 

[SpokaneCY]

Gene Chizik.

*drops mic*

They DID get their championship trophy from that short term proposition if that's any consolation.

 

[SpokaneCY]

CW refuses to recognize Home Economics as a college

Is it now more than an extracurricular? Club sport at best.

 

[rdtindsm]

from CR Gazette:

“So during our discussions,” Pollard said, “I said to Fred ‘OK, so if you leave, who’s out there that I ought to be thinking about?’ The first person out of his mouth was Steve Prohm.

“The reason was ‘He runs everything that I run, he’s a man of character, he will fit your style.’ ”

Case closed? It was more like the case for Prohm had simply been opened.

“That didn’t mean Steve Prohm was getting the job,” said Pollard. “I did not meet Steve Prohm until Sunday morning for the first time.

“I knew about Murray State being good, but I did not know Steve Prohm.”

Prohm was placed on a list of 20 coaches Pollard submitted to Parker Executive Search in Atlanta. The list was pared to seven, all of whom flew to Atlanta for 90-minute interviews. Two were Saturday night, the other five Sunday.

When that process was over, Pollard and Iowa State President Dr. Steven Leath didn’t feel the need to pick finalists for another round of interviews. They decided on Prohm, and Pollard flew to Kentucky to finalize the deal on Monday.

 

[runbikeswim]

To me, him wanting to be at good old-boy SEC school like Auburn tarnishes him even more in my eyes than his questionable issues.

 

[SpokaneCY]

You actually can't disagree with something more than 100% I would expect an accountant to know that.

Accountants can tell you the cost of anything but never the value. I'm a recovering CPA myself.

 

[SpokaneCY]

from CR Gazette:

“So during our discussions,” Pollard said, “I said to Fred ‘OK, so if you leave, who’s out there that I ought to be thinking about?’ The first person out of his mouth was Steve Prohm.

“The reason was ‘He runs everything that I run, he’s a man of character, he will fit your style.’ ”

Case closed? It was more like the case for Prohm had simply been opened.

“That didn’t mean Steve Prohm was getting the job,” said Pollard. “I did not meet Steve Prohm until Sunday morning for the first time.

“I knew about Murray State being good, but I did not know Steve Prohm.”

Prohm was placed on a list of 20 coaches Pollard submitted to Parker Executive Search in Atlanta. The list was pared to seven, all of whom flew to Atlanta for 90-minute interviews. Two were Saturday night, the other five Sunday.

When that process was over, Pollard and Iowa State President Dr. Steven Leath didn’t feel the need to pick finalists for another round of interviews. They decided on Prohm, and Pollard flew to Kentucky to finalize the deal on Monday.

Nononono. Doesn't fit with what I want it to be in my head so you're wrong....

 

[Tornado man]

The things I worry about most in Leath's departure are the ongoing development of the research park and the massive fundraising campaign he launched. Hoping there are good people in place there and that the new president can sustain those efforts.

Jonathan Wickert will sustain and accelerate those efforts. Also, WIckert has tremendous support from faculty and alumni. "He will be a superstar" - comment from a department head today.

 

[19clone91]

The riot during Veishea was a disgrace, but as others have alluded, Veishea did way more good than bad. 99.9% of students weren't at that riot. By breaking up those house parties at the same time near campustown on a Thursday when the police were understaffed, the police were asking for angry students to congregate in Campustown. Not saying that it was the cops fault, but I am saying that there are measures the university and law enforcement could have taken to keep this from happening, rather than just cancelling one of the greatest college-run events in the nation.

While I haven't liked Leath since that decision, Planegate really put me over the edge with distaste for him. I guess i never really felt like he was here for the long term or cared about ISU overall. ISU always seemed like a stepping stone for him. He has definitely done some great things for the school overall, but you could tell his relationship with the ISU community was getting more and more sour since Planegate and the Bubu thing.

 

[isu83]

From what I remember from the coaching search megathreads, Jeremy said something to that effect.

I don't believe that Pollard would just hand the job to TJ, but I'm sure that he was JPs favorite. Leath also had that quote about doing a full search.

Some probably think TJ could have beaten Purdue.

 

[SpokaneCY]

The riot during Veishea was a disgrace, but as others have alluded, Veishea did way more good than bad. 99.9% of students weren't at that riot. By breaking up those house parties at the same time near campustown on a Thursday when the police were understaffed, the police were asking for angry students to congregate in Campustown. Not saying that it was the cops fault, but I am saying that there are measures the university and law enforcement could have taken to keep this from happening, rather than just cancelling one of the greatest college-run events in the nation.

While I haven't liked Leath since that decision, Planegate really put me over the edge with distaste for him. I guess i never really felt like he was here for the long term or cared about ISU overall. ISU always seemed like a stepping stone for him. He has definitely done some great things for the school overall, but you could tell his relationship with the ISU community was getting more and more sour since Planegate and the Bubu thing.

I remembers riots making national news back in the 80s when I was stationed in Alaska. To think VEISHA was 1 riot is not correct.

In fact - who on here remembers when VEISHA was a week long event?

 

[ImJustKCClone]

I do. I also remember more good stuff than bad over the 30+ years I've been here...and the riot complaints never touch on the fact that the rioters weren't punished...the kids who spent time building displays, preparing foods, setting up programs and performances, etc, were punished.

 

[carvers4math]

I do. I also remember more good stuff than bad over the 30+ years I've been here...and the riot complaints never touch on the fact that the rioters weren't punished...the kids who spent time building displays, preparing foods, setting up programs and performances, etc, were punished.

They weren't? My son knew one whom he competed with in sports in high school from a neighboring town who was expelled.