Interview With President Assanis

[bluehenbillk]

Actually I can speak for Cluck - he’s probably more in the know about UD from a non-sports angle than anyone on the board. I’ve asked him a few questions over the years that he was able to easily and thoroughly answer.

One challenge for UD indeed will be the “cliff” that was brought up. Colleges are going through a time of a smaller student pool to choose from as A: there are less college age kids out there and B: those same kids going to 4 year colleges are at the lowest percentage in maybe a generation. Schools, both private and public have become more aggressive to compete for students with aid offers than they have maybe ever.

I hope it continues for at least two more years selfishly speaking so my HS sophomore has a lot to choose from.

[UDan]

A shock? An unnatural fit? To meet people with different opinions? Very disappointing, Dan. Don’t fall into that ignorant view of the world…be better.

I don't mean to unnecessarily "other" the political climate that the CUSA footprint occupies vs. what's popular around here. I don't think I vilified them/those leanings in CUSA. To ignore the (seemingly distinct) probability that there's some shock involved in pregame-Lift-Every-Voice-and-Sing-playing Delaware joining up with more right-leaning states in the future league, that would be ignorant. That doesn't mean it's conference-membership-defining when you look at differing politics; it's just an interesting part of how new everything in CUSA will be to UD. It's not taboo to mention as part of the 'institutional fit' equation. In 2025, UD doesn't have to change its pregame anthems or its public progressive stances on things, but it won't be the same cultural fit or political one among league mates, and that can, just as well, be for the better due to reasons you mentioned and the demographic diversification for addressing the college-aged cliff. Differing state laws on NIL and on social issues that matter to college students and to young women and men -- they could have some eventual competitive bearing in recruiting and the rest. I am not gonna just leave that subject matter out of bounds and then get obliquely labeled as ignorant for acknowledging that an athletic department that celebrates pride month is gonna adjust when the opponents hail from simply different locales that don't lean into those kinds of recognitions.

Yeah, it's superficially a little unnatural when Delaware's closest future CUSA rival is Liberty. With whom you associate matters in branding the school. I'm on record saying it's smart of Delaware to maybe just deal with Liberty and all its extra competitive resources in the near term for the sake of long-term benefit that being in the new-look FBS brings. Chrissi just sealed a HoF resume by getting Hens into the FBS via CUSA. Nothing in my objective observations of the off-field sociopolitical fit (or disconnect) takes away from that. Getting into southeastern households and TX is a win for the university even if CUSA is not the perpetually, feet-up, indefinite answer over x years, full-member-status-wise, for Hens. The ambition is there for upward mobility from CUSA. There's that foot in the door.

I meet people with different opinions all the time; I attend an institution of higher ed. That institution is part of, right now, the whole "CAA Family: United For Change" https://caasports.com/tournaments/?id=145 social advocacy campaign. It's not really that much of an accident that CUSA's equivalent platform at https://conferenceusa.com/sports/2020/9 ... hange.aspx hasn't even been updated with the exodus of members from that time.

The catch is that I don't view the obvious off-field differences as any real practical, long-term drawback to CUSA move. Some could, I am guessing -- that's why it's part of the story. It's part of prosecuting the president's extolling of CUSA virtues objectively. It remains totally strategically proper for Delaware to move up and to this conf IMO. The exposure and revenue are way more important. I was just not about to bury the elephant in the room when it comes to alignment of these universities, but nor is it an existential threat to success of the move by Hens.

Not intending to derail the thread, either. Guilty as charged or won't contest if it's deemed too politically explicit, but I don't think I injected my own opinions outwardly haha. It's just an evaluation of CUSA school profiles. It's part of realignment and the lumping of schools.

[jd of de]

The “enrollment cliff” is real and it’s a concern for a huge segment of the higher education community as a whole. Reuters and the WSJ have both covered the issue.

UD is dependent on New Jersey, the Mid-Atlantic and to a lesser extent the Northeast. A “enrollment cliff” combined with the migration that is taking place to southern states from the areas UD traditionally draws from makes it imperative that the way they have always done things change.

Adapt or die.

[BlueHenBill]

How many students from outside UD's region are going to want to come to UD and pay out-of-state tuition with limited financial aid?

You are going to have to explain why a student from Texas or Tennessee would have more limited financial aid, than the students from New Jersey currently do.

jd of de, You misinterpreted my post. Students in UD's region who are somehow able to swing UD's out of state tuition with usually limited (at best) financial aid are more likely IMO to come to UD than similarly situated students outside UD's region who have a great number of colleges to choose from between their home state and all of the other states between their home state and UD.

[BlueHenBill]

How many students from outside UD's region are going to want to come to UD and pay out-of-state tuition with limited financial aid?

You are going to have to explain why a student from Texas or Tennessee would have more limited financial aid, than the students from New Jersey currently do.

i think the question is more why would they want to travel that distance at the cost of UD out of state.

+1

[Hens79]

>>“The catch is that I don't view the obvious off-field differences as any real practical, long-term drawback to CUSA move. Some could, I am guessing -- that's why it's part of the story. It's part of prosecuting the president's extolling of CUSA virtues objectively. It remains totally strategically proper for Delaware to move up and to this conf IMO. The exposure and revenue are way more important. I was just not about to bury the elephant in the room when it comes to alignment of these universities, but nor is it an existential threat to success of the move by Hens.”<<

Nice response Dan, especially this part as well as the part about “ignorant”. The off-field differences are obvious and growing wider by the year. And they go to the core of basic value systems. I don’t view the differences, right now anyway as having any drawback to the essential move to FBS with CUSA being the landing spot. But if the extremism continues to grow on such basic core values, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of an impact in the future on a variety of levels.

And just to be crystal clear. I am not both siding things. Celebrating Pride Month and singing Lift Every Voice before games is not extremism.

Finally, I find it a little perplexing that Assansis is postulating on an “enrollment cliff” as UD is at least midway through a plan to increase undergraduate enrollment by 5-6 thousand. But I am all for it if he used it to help convince the BOT of the need go to FBS.

[Cluck U]

The “enrollment cliff” is real and it’s a concern for a huge segment of the higher education community as a whole. Reuters and the WSJ have both covered the issue.

UD is dependent on New Jersey, the Mid-Atlantic and to a lesser extent the Northeast. A “enrollment cliff” combined with the migration that is taking place to southern states from the areas UD traditionally draws from makes it imperative that the way they have always done things change.

Adapt or die.

This.

The thing is, a lot of schools will whither and die (consolidation isn’t just for banks anymore) while other schools, especially those similar to UD, will most likely thrive.

Why?

Government money.

UD is in a sweet spot. Not private, yet not public. They will get their money from the state (and feds) because they have everyone (at least everyone with controls over the magical bags of money) believing the quad-state area won’t survive without them. Happens every year come budget time. The details will change, but the overall direction won’t change much.

Plenty of grant money out there…funneled into the path of certain universities.

UD will survive. It is a business with enough connections to ensure their income flow while others will fold.

[Cluck U]

And again Cluck, after throwing up on the keyboard yet again, you provided ZERO facts.

But the laptop and Russian reference were a chuckle.

And a question for you. If you dislike so much about UD, why do you continue to support them?

Anyway, hope UD’s venture into bigger time football works out.

Oh … tell me again what I “got for free”????

Two silly questions…and a lack of seeing the forest through the trees.

And, in this case, this discussion impacts athletes and students.

UD’s spending sprees, for things not directly related to student teaching, IS impacting tuition. That means that any student, and in this case, athlete, that isn’t on scholarship is going to be paying more moolah, which can potentially impact whether we get talented walk-ons…especially those that would pay out of state tuition.

We have the largest employer in the state, and an institution that receives many tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, crying poor and demanding that everyone (fans, alumni, students, businesses and taxpayers (and more)) give even more money to feed the university’s self-serving ravenous appetite…and there isn’t one single in-depth article that would investigate the university’s spending habits? Why is that?

Curiosity dies in darkness.

Now, to your questions.

1) UD does a lot of good…and I mention a lot of those things on here. Pointing out the bad things doesn’t cut off relations. Funny thing, there is a certain group of people that quickly cut off discussions/relations with people they don’t agree with. Multiple studies, always the same results. Closed minds. Reminds me of the recently defeated mayoral candidate who said that the thing he couldn’t have predicated was how friendly and engaged our community was. It is amazing when people get out of their bubble and actually talk with folks instead of listening to partisan rhetoric spewed by our media and political class.

2) You got facts. You just can’t see them. Won’t spoon feed you. Millions (many) are wasted on non-productive things, poor budgeting, frivolous expenses and an inability to understand infrastructure costs. Say, that reminds me…did UD do any due diligence into the expenses to be incurred by acquiring the apartments a decade or so early? Pssst…the answer is…surprise!…no.

As mentioned, the real story is the non-story.

In the meantime, UD will beg everyone for money to support their student athletes while deciding whether to spend $100,000 on a set of glass doors (another fact).

[Cluck U]

A shock? An unnatural fit? To meet people with different opinions? Very disappointing, Dan. Don’t fall into that ignorant view of the world…be better.

I don't mean to unnecessarily "other" the political climate that the CUSA footprint occupies vs. what's popular around here. I don't think I vilified them/those leanings in CUSA. To ignore the (seemingly distinct) probability that there's some shock involved in pregame-Lift-Every-Voice-and-Sing-playing Delaware joining up with more right-leaning states in the future league, that would be ignorant. That doesn't mean it's conference-membership-defining when you look at differing politics; it's just an interesting part of how new everything in CUSA will be to UD. It's not taboo to mention as part of the 'institutional fit' equation. In 2025, UD doesn't have to change its pregame anthems or its public progressive stances on things, but it won't be the same cultural fit or political one among league mates, and that can, just as well, be for the better due to reasons you mentioned and the demographic diversification for addressing the college-aged cliff. Differing state laws on NIL and on social issues that matter to college students and to young women and men -- they could have some eventual competitive bearing in recruiting and the rest. I am not gonna just leave that subject matter out of bounds and then get obliquely labeled as ignorant for acknowledging that an athletic department that celebrates pride month is gonna adjust when the opponents hail from simply different locales that don't lean into those kinds of recognitions.

Yeah, it's superficially a little unnatural when Delaware's closest future CUSA rival is Liberty. With whom you associate matters in branding the school. I'm on record saying it's smart of Delaware to maybe just deal with Liberty and all its extra competitive resources in the near term for the sake of long-term benefit that being in the new-look FBS brings. Chrissi just sealed a HoF resume by getting Hens into the FBS via CUSA. Nothing in my objective observations of the off-field sociopolitical fit (or disconnect) takes away from that. Getting into southeastern households and TX is a win for the university even if CUSA is not the perpetually, feet-up, indefinite answer over x years, full-member-status-wise, for Hens. The ambition is there for upward mobility from CUSA. There's that foot in the door.

I meet people with different opinions all the time; I attend an institution of higher ed. That institution is part of, right now, the whole "CAA Family: United For Change" https://caasports.com/tournaments/?id=145 social advocacy campaign. It's not really that much of an accident that CUSA's equivalent platform at https://conferenceusa.com/sports/2020/9 ... hange.aspx hasn't even been updated with the exodus of members from that time.

The catch is that I don't view the obvious off-field differences as any real practical, long-term drawback to CUSA move. Some could, I am guessing -- that's why it's part of the story. It's part of prosecuting the president's extolling of CUSA virtues objectively. It remains totally strategically proper for Delaware to move up and to this conf IMO. The exposure and revenue are way more important. I was just not about to bury the elephant in the room when it comes to alignment of these universities, but nor is it an existential threat to success of the move by Hens.

Not intending to derail the thread, either. Guilty as charged or won't contest if it's deemed too politically explicit, but I don't think I injected my own opinions outwardly haha. It's just an evaluation of CUSA school profiles. It's part of realignment and the lumping of schools.

Ooof. Elephant in the room?

We just had Iowa versus S. Carolina and UConn versus Purdue.

No one died.

Liberty played Oregon in Arizona on New Year’s Day.

The Earth is still on its axis.

People cram into multiple 100,000 capacity stadiums across the country and enjoy a college football game between schools with different backgrounds from across the country…and somehow there isn’t a bloodbath.

People attend colleges in….checks notes…all 50 states. Each of those states have multiple colleges with different offerings, different sizes, different finances, different people…and yet somehow, those schools don’t implode. And all of those people eventually leave the schools and go out into the real world.

How is all ^^^that ^^^that possible?

“I don’t vilify THOSE people”…but… C’mon, Dan.

Some people are going to be “shocked” about a song. On the other hand, some people will walk out during the national anthem. And then the game will be played…and some small number of folks will be offended on both sides. Funny world, isn’t it? I am sure there is some student protest going on right now….someone upset about someone doing something that someone doesn’t like.

Lots of little elephants.

[Caribbean Hen]

Back in the day college was mostly for the intellectually gifted, the best and brightest of the lot. Over many decades the college pool was infiltrated by too many that were never told the truth….. trust me when I say ole Caribe heard the truth … Johnny, you’re just not cut out for college… you should consider another route and there are several so don’t you cry

Colleges created a universe of unnecessary jobs, an unpopular thought in Newark Im sure, lowering the high standard of the typical “college boy”. I say this confidently relying on decades of observation meaning back in the 80’s the college degree holders were definitely a cut above, but over the years it was becoming more and more blank stares from college kids…. The dumber they got, the more they waived their degrees around for everyone to see.

I would never hold the old “college boy” with the same high regards as I once did…. Gee what happened? Government happened

After reading many comments from the college elitist, One quote from a true intellectual that needs to be said

“In a democracy, we have always had to worry about the ignorance of the uneducated. Today, we have to worry about the ignorance of people with college degrees.”

Thomas Sowell

[Hens79]

And again Cluck, after throwing up on the keyboard yet again, you provided ZERO facts.

But the laptop and Russian reference were a chuckle.

And a question for you. If you dislike so much about UD, why do you continue to support them?

Anyway, hope UD’s venture into bigger time football works out.

Oh … tell me again what I “got for free”????

Two silly questions…and a lack of seeing the forest through the trees.

And, in this case, this discussion impacts athletes and students.

UD’s spending sprees, for things not directly related to student teaching, IS impacting tuition. That means that any student, and in this case, athlete, that isn’t on scholarship is going to be paying more moolah, which can potentially impact whether we get talented walk-ons…especially those that would pay out of state tuition.

We have the largest employer in the state, and an institution that receives many tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, crying poor and demanding that everyone (fans, alumni, students, businesses and taxpayers (and more)) give even more money to feed the university’s self-serving ravenous appetite…and there isn’t one single in-depth article that would investigate the university’s spending habits? Why is that?

Curiosity dies in darkness.

Now, to your questions.

1) UD does a lot of good…and I mention a lot of those things on here. Pointing out the bad things doesn’t cut off relations. Funny thing, there is a certain group of people that quickly cut off discussions/relations with people they don’t agree with. Multiple studies, always the same results. Closed minds. Reminds me of the recently defeated mayoral candidate who said that the thing he couldn’t have predicated was how friendly and engaged our community was. It is amazing when people get out of their bubble and actually talk with folks instead of listening to partisan rhetoric spewed by our media and political class.

2) You got facts. You just can’t see them. Won’t spoon feed you. Millions (many) are wasted on non-productive things, poor budgeting, frivolous expenses and an inability to understand infrastructure costs. Say, that reminds me…did UD do any due diligence into the expenses to be incurred by acquiring the apartments a decade or so early? Pssst…the answer is…surprise!…no.

As mentioned, the real story is the non-story.

In the meantime, UD will beg everyone for money to support their student athletes while deciding whether to spend $100,000 on a set of glass doors (another fact).

Well, just tell us Cluck what you consider “self serving” and “non-productive things, poor budgeting, frivolous expenses, and an inability to understand infrastructure costs”. You continue to talk in generalities but nothing even close to any specifics. But you do what you do. Almost sounds like the cranks and conspiracy theorists who get worked up over kids that supposedly identify as cats and require pee pads in school bathrooms because they read about it on Facebook but can never identify a single case where it actually happened.

Anyway, I wonder how come UD doesn’t use you as a consultant on … well …. literally everything. It seems like Carty, Assansis, Rawak, heck even down to the Department Heads and even the BOT could benefit from your expansive knowledge on …. Everything.

But hey, UD and Newark, while far from perfect are pretty great places. Glad I live here. To use Dan’s term, “the other politics” are in the minority and don’t cause much trouble or even speak up much, except of course on message boards and social medial.

My bottom line is, I don’t care how the sausage is made. But I am starting to worry about the football infrastructure upgrades and even competing in CUSA right away with this crying poor. If it is important enough for UD, they will make it happen.

[Bluewyn Gold]

We have the largest employer in the state, and an institution that receives many tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, crying poor and demanding that everyone (fans, alumni, students, businesses and taxpayers (and more)) give even more money to feed the university’s self-serving ravenous appetite…and there isn’t one single in-depth article that would investigate the university’s spending habits? Why is that?

Curiosity dies in darkness.

So well stated. As you know, the university's cozy relationship with Delaware media via corporate interests goes back generations. At one point in the not-too-distant past, the university, like much of the state, was owned (or at least heavily invested) and operated (or at least heavily influenced) by members of the extended DuPont family...as was Wilmington's news media. It was the company line in Company State or no line at all. Not much has changed since Christiana Securities sold out to Gannett in 1978, and there are a lot of reasons for that. Look at the makeup of the Hullihens since 1978, and I think you'll have the answer as to why UD's business isn't subject to any serious scrutiny. Examine how Herman Holloway's original "sunshine bill" (FOIA) of 1977 was undermined by corporate interests that eventually inserted the provisions that allowed UD and DSU to skirt public examination.

[Hens79]

The “enrollment cliff” is real and it’s a concern for a huge segment of the higher education community as a whole. Reuters and the WSJ have both covered the issue.

UD is dependent on New Jersey, the Mid-Atlantic and to a lesser extent the Northeast. A “enrollment cliff” combined with the migration that is taking place to southern states from the areas UD traditionally draws from makes it imperative that the way they have always done things change.

Adapt or die.

This.

The thing is, a lot of schools will whither and die (consolidation isn’t just for banks anymore) while other schools, especially those similar to UD, will most likely thrive.

Why?

Government money.

UD is in a sweet spot. Not private, yet not public. They will get their money from the state (and feds) because they have everyone (at least everyone with controls over the magical bags of money) believing the quad-state area won’t survive without them. Happens every year come budget time. The details will change, but the overall direction won’t change much.

Plenty of grant money out there…funneled into the path of certain universities.

UD will survive. It is a business with enough connections to ensure their income flow while others will fold.

We agree actually agree on this. UD is and has been perfectly situated on many levels to thrive including being a public private or private public. That’s why I am somewhat skeptical the “enrollment cliff”, an obviously fashionable term today, won’t be as negatively impacting to UD as to many schools. But I don’t view “government money” as some bad thing or some high level conspiracy. Public education, even public privates like UD are close to public goods that benefit society, despite being a “business”. They should get public money. With all that said, UD certainly should be more transparent about their funding and spending. They have played both sides of the public, private to their advantage forever.

[77HEN]

And again Cluck, after throwing up on the keyboard yet again, you provided ZERO facts.

But the laptop and Russian reference were a chuckle.

And a question for you. If you dislike so much about UD, why do you continue to support them?

Anyway, hope UD’s venture into bigger time football works out.

Oh … tell me again what I “got for free”????

Two silly questions…and a lack of seeing the forest through the trees.

And, in this case, this discussion impacts athletes and students.

UD’s spending sprees, for things not directly related to student teaching, IS impacting tuition. That means that any student, and in this case, athlete, that isn’t on scholarship is going to be paying more moolah, which can potentially impact whether we get talented walk-ons…especially those that would pay out of state tuition.

We have the largest employer in the state, and an institution that receives many tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money, crying poor and demanding that everyone (fans, alumni, students, businesses and taxpayers (and more)) give even more money to feed the university’s self-serving ravenous appetite…and there isn’t one single in-depth article that would investigate the university’s spending habits? Why is that?

Curiosity dies in darkness.

Now, to your questions.

1) UD does a lot of good…and I mention a lot of those things on here. Pointing out the bad things doesn’t cut off relations. Funny thing, there is a certain group of people that quickly cut off discussions/relations with people they don’t agree with. Multiple studies, always the same results. Closed minds. Reminds me of the recently defeated mayoral candidate who said that the thing he couldn’t have predicated was how friendly and engaged our community was. It is amazing when people get out of their bubble and actually talk with folks instead of listening to partisan rhetoric spewed by our media and political class.

2) You got facts. You just can’t see them. Won’t spoon feed you. Millions (many) are wasted on non-productive things, poor budgeting, frivolous expenses and an inability to understand infrastructure costs. Say, that reminds me…did UD do any due diligence into the expenses to be incurred by acquiring the apartments a decade or so early? Pssst…the answer is…surprise!…no.

As mentioned, the real story is the non-story.

In the meantime, UD will beg everyone for money to support their student athletes while deciding whether to spend $100,000 on a set of glass doors (another fact).

Well, just tell us Cluck what you consider “self serving” and “non-productive things, poor budgeting, frivolous expenses, and an inability to understand infrastructure costs”. You continue to talk in generalities but nothing even close to any specifics. But you do what you do. Almost sounds like the cranks and conspiracy theorists who get worked up over kids that supposedly identify as cats and require pee pads in school bathrooms because they read about it on Facebook but can never identify a single case where it actually happened.

Anyway, I wonder how come UD doesn’t use you as a consultant on … well …. literally everything. It seems like Carty, Assansis, Rawak, heck even down to the Department Heads and even the BOT could benefit from your expansive knowledge on …. Everything.

But hey, UD and Newark, while far from perfect are pretty great places. Glad I live here. To use Dan’s term, “the other politics” are in the minority and don’t cause much trouble or even speak up much, except of course on message boards and social medial.

My bottom line is, I don’t care how the sausage is made. But I am starting to worry about the football infrastructure upgrades and even competing in CUSA right away with this crying poor. If it is important enough for UD, they will make it happen.

there is a kid now in the WC PA school district that identifies as a dog. New study though says most kids grow out of this silliness as they mature. What a surprise. We also know of some students who identify as FB players. Some are good,others should find a new identity.

BTW, all UD has to do is look for some more money from a certain Asian country and all problems will be lifted up.

[Hens69]

If anyone desires a context for what is happening at the University and College level, I refer you to "The End of College" by Kevin Carey 2015. (Obviously I forgot Turabian). It does not address every current issue, but provides an excellent review of the evolution of education. It is well written and exxtremely well edited.