What would you like to see me, or the other 9 ALUMNI ELECTED members of Alumni Council tackle as JOB ONE? What would you MOST like to see us fight for as our three year terms start? Secondly: what is your #1 pet peeve about the Alumni Association / Penn State leadership right now? What needs to be fixed ASAP?
Job one for Alumni Council members?
- Thread starter SueWilson4AlumniCouncil
- Start date
Sue -
1 - Good for you....to make the effort to communicate openly and honestly with other Penn Staters! (what a novel concept)
2 - I am not sure if most folks have a real good idea wrt just what the PSU AA Council CAN do. So you might want to throw out some ideas/concepts that will give folks a better idea of the types of things you and your co-horts might have on your agendas.
3 - I expect that most would feel that - as currently constructed - most Council actions would likely focus on "internal items" (which most of the general public would not be really in tune with), or items that might be considered to be primarily "ceremonial". ie The PSU AA Council is unlikely to have any impactful effect on things like University budgets, processes, structures, etc.
Along those lines, one item that might generate a LOT of interest among the Alumni base - and that should "fit" within the purposes of the AA - would be some proposal coming from the AA Council members to restore some type of "memorial" wrt the football program.
Personally, I think the whole "statue" thing has gotten a lot of discussion, and everyone kind of knows what the response would be from the powers-that-be (and would therefore be likely to be a non-starter at this time). On the other hand, a proposal to rename a portion of the roadway in front of the stadium "Paterno Way", or some sort of recognition for the "409" record.....something that is NOT exactly the statue deal, but expresses similar sentiments, and can reasonably be promoted by the AA...doesn't cost any significant amount of $$$,...something that would be hard for the AA Leadership to NOT get behind.
I expect that the large majority of Alumni (the folks the PSU AA is supposed to represent) would be in favor of some type of memorial.....and bringing it up through the Council membership - and seeing how the AA Leadership deals with it - might be something that the Alumni base would like to see from their representatives on Council.
Anyway....folks - hopefully - will chime in with their thoughts.
To me the 1st priority has to be transparency & fairness in the workings of the Alumni Association and the Penn State leadership. Right now both are run like some third world dictatorship. That would also be my #1 pet peeve. I'm not sure how you accomplish that as neither is amenable to change. Public pressure? Legal action? Involvement by the folks in Harrisburg? It's a daunting task.
I agree. The most startling thing for me is the '3rd world dictatorship' mentality up there. I don't get how they can select 5 of their 10 AC members from people who lost an election. They were fairly put up for those positions and rejected by the alumni- but the AC reappointed these 5 incumbents who were thrown out...........despite the wishes of the alumni. And the AC claims to represent the alumni?
Then add to it that even if you accept they can do that (over ride a free election)- they didn't appoint the highest vote getter who didn't make the 10 person cut but they did reappoint those who got less votes than him. Of course he was a reform guy so we know why they didn't pick him but it should be demanded that they explain how and why they did this. This is seriously a 3rd world country way of doing things. It's embarrassing that they think this is appropriate.
I would like to see alumni elected representation on the Exec Comm and (expanded) on other committees and for one to ultimately become VP.
This would take some strategizing that is only closely discussed and some schmoozing that requires some serious patience and lip biting. Without outside intervention, I'm not sure how else we can take back our Alumni Association.
This would take some strategizing that is only closely discussed and some schmoozing that requires some serious patience and lip biting. Without outside intervention, I'm not sure how else we can take back our Alumni Association.
Meetings should be open to all members. Robers rules of order should apply. That's just basic good government. Even folks who don't know that much about running an organization are familiar with both.
With regard to selecting 5 of the 10 appointed council members from people who lost their election, in the past, three could be appointed and they typically picked three who came in with a large # of votes, such as 11th, 12th place under the 10 who won a seat, or someone who was chairing an important committee but lost reelection. Sometimes someone who ws on the ballot would be appointed to fill a 3 year term when someone died unexpectantly, too (as happened during one of my spouse's terms on Council). My issue was in selecting folks who did not place 11 (Bill Cluck), 12, 13th in ballots cast, and more than that - the 5 who were NOT EVEN ON THE BALLOT at all. Actually, I have problems with anyone being allowed to "handpick" 10 friends in direct counterbalance to the ELECTED council members. I did not have an issue with three appointments- but ten is out of control.
I have posted this question in other venues, and on my own Facebook personal page and am hearing that Alumni want the Freeh Report openly debated, refuted and Paterno/ his legacy honored. In next place so far is rolling back the changes to the PSAA Bylaws that allow the President to now appoint 10, removed Nominations from the Alumni, etc. SOme have suggested a survey of what we Alumni want - and then making the new Alumni Trustee chair, joined with the Alumni Elected 9 to press it forward at the BOT Meeting. I am grateful to all who are giving me input here and elsewhere- I am a representative of the alumni and I want to know what you - the ALUMNI - want.
I get what you're saying but there is a differentiating point. From what I understand the five that were appointed were incumbents. Second, they didn't just appoint people who came in 11th 12th and 13th like you said but people who came in lower on the list. Let's just be totally blunt, they reappointed their incumbent friends.
One other point for the next time they talk about how they should get rid of alumni elections because the alumni voting is "too low"- why would alumni vote in any high numbers? Given the gerryrigging of the election process from the Board of Trustees through the alumni Council over the past few years, the incentive for alumni is to not vote because it doesn't matter anymore. You can elect whoever you want but they will reappoint people that you voted out anyway (and now they've rigged it so alumni can vote 10 but the powers in charge can now appoint 10 to cancel out any alumni gains). Why would alumni bother to stay involved in that process?
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I do believe you hit "low voter turnout " on the head. I believe the number of those of us who remain engaged to any degree with our University is a direct result of the actions you point out, plus their refusal to implement anything we state in a survey. We are considered to be a "small vocal minority" out of over 600,000++ alumni, but we are the ones who have NOT walked away, the ones who care.
As an alum & member of the PSAA, my top 3 concerns are as follows (in no particular order):
1. Critical analysis of the Freeh Report
2. Critical analysis of the Freeh Report
3. Critical analysis of the Freeh Report
And candidly, the priority should actually be characterized as "complete repudiation of Freeh's unsubstantiated & defamatory findings", but let's just make sure everyone reads it first.
Keep in touch on this forum. This is one way we people who don't live in Pa. anymore can get information. I don't get active in PSU politics because I live in Tennessee and don't have access to the minutia required to make intelligent input. This forum has gone a long way to help out in that area.
Thanks for asking this, Sue.
My request is that you all consider ways to help increase membership at the local chapter level. That doesn't mean getting anyone to join - like the most recent PSAA mailings are pushing for - but really helping local clubs generate buzz and create a feeling of community among Penn Staters who might be very, very far away from campus.
I think they've had it the roughest of all of us; I know membership numbers dropped off dramatically in 2012 and many areas of the country have only been exposed to the BOT's version of what happened. But they are the key to changing the perception of Penn State - by showing everyone the reality of who WE ARE.
I'd also like a full-flavor fat-free potato chip while you're at it.
My request is that you all consider ways to help increase membership at the local chapter level. That doesn't mean getting anyone to join - like the most recent PSAA mailings are pushing for - but really helping local clubs generate buzz and create a feeling of community among Penn Staters who might be very, very far away from campus.
I think they've had it the roughest of all of us; I know membership numbers dropped off dramatically in 2012 and many areas of the country have only been exposed to the BOT's version of what happened. But they are the key to changing the perception of Penn State - by showing everyone the reality of who WE ARE.
I'd also like a full-flavor fat-free potato chip while you're at it.
