Regarding the Silvis book delivery stunt:

[demlion]

Expectations of Membership. In exercising the responsibilities of trusteeship, the Board of Trustees is guided by the expectations of membership, each of which is equally important:
.......
13. Extend goodwill to one another and to all members of the University community.

Seems pretty clear that Silvis' stunt violated this section of the Standing Order. This is not an extension of goodwill by Silvis, it is a breach of that rule. He did it to antagonize his fellow board members and for no other reason. It was an "in your face" move. He could have privately sent that book to anyone he wished. As others have noted, this may actually harm the University, since it is a promotion of the very false narrative over which Spanier is suing the University.

Note that the Standing Order says each of these 13 Expectations is equally important. Thus, by the terms of the standing orders of the University (which have been waved in the faces of our Trustees ever since we first got decent ones, in 2012) Paul Silvis has committed, at least, a breach of the Expectations equivalent to a breach of these other, equivalent Expectations:

1. Understand and support the University's mission, vision, and values
2. Act in good faith at all times and in the best interests of the University in a non-partisan manner
8. Disclose promptly and fully any potential or actual conflicts of interest, and personally maintain exemplary ethical standards;
10. Maintain confidentiality without exception

So, is it now appropriate for the Alumni Trustees to deliver every Bill Keisling column, every story about Mark Dambly testifying before a public corruption GJ in Allentown, and every story about Dambly having forgotten about his jail time, and every piece of written dirt and slime about any of the OG and their recent clone replacements to the full board, regardless of truth?

If Expectation 13 is out the window, are all of them out the window? Can everyone commence talking about confidential matters? Can they all commence openly soliciting profitable business deals for themselves and their companies and their friends' and families' companies from the University? As opposed to secretly?

By the way, are the values referenced in Expectation 1 above the same "Penn State Values" E. Barron told us about a few weeks ago? I forget, do they include making a public promise then doing nothing in furtherance of it and not explaining it?

 

[demlion]

In all seriousness, as we get closer to the release of docs, depositions and such, we will most likely see much more ethically questionable actions by or on behalf of the OG BoT.

Let's face it, this whole mess is due to ethically questionable behavior by the OG, Tommy, and their minions.

Agree. It is a sign of desperation that Silvis has done this, and it is likely their desperate actions will become more frequent over time.

 

[5b99MNCs]

No matter the level of miscobduct, I support pitchforks and torches.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

In all seriousness, as we get closer to the release of docs, depositions and such, we will most likely see much more ethically questionable actions by or on behalf of the OG BoT.

Let's face it, this whole mess is due to ethically questionable behavior by the OG, Tommy, and their minions.

Let's not forget OAG Prosecutors and LE as well as the Pennsylvania Judiciary on this list.

 

[Marshall30]

This is another BoT obfuscation move. The dirt on them has to be great to be so desperate. Why don't they invite that idiot Bernstein to speak on campus?

 

[lionlurker]

The question is, what did he think he was going to achieve? Convince Anthony to give up his quest for the truth? I mean, it was just plain stupid and meaningless.

 

[psuro]

No matter the level of miscobduct, I support pitchforks and torches.

And tureens of hot oil. Don't forget the tureens of hot oil.

 

[Keyser Soze 16801]

If Coach Silvis is so fond of Ron Smith's ideas, then surely he must agree with the points made in this CDT op-ed by Smith: LINK

Here are a couple of excerpts:

"Professor Emeritus Charles Snow wrote a reasoned piece (“ Move Forward with Barron,” June 10, CDT) about the Jerry Sandusky scandal and problems in crisis management at Penn State. Using his longtime study of management while at Penn State, he noted four major problems of crisis management and how knowledge of the literature in the field would have helped Penn State better manage the biggest crisis in its history. The four included “Lack of preparation,” “Rush to judgment,” “Ignoring fiduciary responsibility” and “Lack of courage.” While Professor Snow notes effective management by Penn State when he considers it appropriate, he takes Penn State to task for lack of any kind of crisis plan, mismanagement when the crisis occurred and a lack of courage in signing the NCAA consent decree that gave Penn State the harshest penalties ever by the national body."

"The problem for Penn State came when a new president, Erickson, naïve of NCAA rules and with almost no knowledge of or previous interaction with the NCAA, plainly did not ask enough informed people what might happen if he did not sign the NCAA consent decree. He rationalized his decision, but he missed the mark. With something as important as the consent degree, Erickson should have been brought in a team of experts and forwarded recommendations to the policy makers at Penn State, the board of trustees. Time should have been taken, no matter how rushed the NCAA seemed to be and how great Emmert’s illegal threat of a “Death Penalty” seemed eminent. The Penn State president and the trustees failed in their attempts to put behind them a crisis that would not go away. A problem that is not going away is no more clearly seen than among every trustee member up for re-election. Overwhelmingly, every trustee who voted to get rid of Joe Paterno and president Graham Spanier has been overwhelmingly defeated. Due process was lacking both on the part of the NCAA and Penn State."

 

[demlion]

Perhaps that column, along with the Mark Dambly stories, ought to be handed out by the Alum trustees today, to be folded up and placed inside the dover of Smith's book. The chance that people who could not be bothered to read The Freeh Report or the consent decree are not going to read an actual book.

 

[Marshall30]

Perhaps that column, along with the Mark Dambly stories, ought to be handed out by the Alum trustees today, to be folded up and placed inside the dover of Smith's book. The chance that people who could not be bothered to read The Freeh Report or the consent decree are not going to read an actual book.

They didn't have to because they had a hand in constructing the BS narratives. They knew what was in both.

 

[Keyser Soze 16801]

Perhaps that column, along with the Mark Dambly stories, ought to be handed out by the Alum trustees today, to be folded up and placed inside the dover of Smith's book. The chance that people who could not be bothered to read The Freeh Report or the consent decree are not going to read an actual book.

Anthony seems to be the only one that is willing to 'fight fire with fire.' IMO that is part of why change has been so slow: the alumni-elected trustees are too nice and polite. Some of them also naively believe that some of the OG trustees will come around, despite a steady stream of evidence to the contrary.

 

[demlion]

Anthony seems to be the only one that is willing to 'fight fire with fire.' IMO that is part of why change has been so slow: the alumni-elected trustees are too nice and polite. Some of them also naively believe that some of the OG trustees will come around, despite a steady stream of evidence to the contrary.

Well, no one has ever accused me of being "too nice and polite."

 

[Keyser Soze 16801]

Well, no one has ever accused me of being "too nice and polite."

You have my vote. I think we need fewer diplomats and more ball busters.

 

[lionlurker]

It sounds more like an arrogant, ballzy, taunt than anything else. Like he was trying to say,"Hey, we still control the narrative".

Except, of course, that they don't anymore.

This is going to be fun, when the curtains finally come off the windows. We keep expecting these guys to position themselves to get on the right side of what we know to be inevitable, and yet, they keep doing shit like this. It's mind-boggling.

 

[Black Elmo 2]

What better demonstration of "extend goodwill to one another" than the giving of gifts? Seems to me its actually complying with the rule the OP noted.

 

[lionlurker]

C'mon Seth. You're really reaching now, even for you.

 

[Misder2]

C'mon Seth. You're really reaching now, even for you.

Is that really Seth ? This guy is the DA ?

 

[lionlurker]

Who knows? Someone suggested it a few weeks ago, and I found it amusing. They ARE both black.

 

[dwiz]

Is that really Seth ? This guy is the DA ?

You'd be surprised how many "high and mighty" troll the free boards on the public dime when they are supposed to be working, aiming to convince the unwashed masses that everything they are doing is correct.

 

[Misder2]

Who knows? Someone suggested it a few weeks ago, and I found it amusing. They ARE both black.

Okay, I was just wondering. I would find it very funny if he was.

 

[jjsocrates]

Who knows? Someone suggested it a few weeks ago, and I found it amusing. They ARE both black.

If I was going to make a parody/novelty Seth Williams account, Black Elmo would be my first choice too.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

The question is, what did he think he was going to achieve? Convince Anthony to give up his quest for the truth? I mean, it was just plain stupid and meaningless.

BTW, who made this Smith @sshole the arbiter of the truth - especially when he is hopelessly conflicted in attempting to make $$$ off of a scandal at Children's Charity that has zero to do with PSU or PSU Athletics, other than PSU alumni donating to the charity, yet he barely even mentions the fraudulent charity that provided Sandusky with not only the victims, but unlimited, discreet access to the victims in VIOLATION of their duties as a state-licensed charity, or its multiple State REGULATORS, as being RESPONSIBLE or AT FAULT??? Go figure - it's all PSU's, PSU Football's and the legendary coach's fault because that's what will put the most $$$ in Mr. Smith's pocket and create the most "sensationalism" for his book tour. Again, go figure!!! BTW, shouldn't @sshat Silvis think twice about his little stunt here since he is named as one of the propagators of this slander, libel and false narrative in the credits of the slanderous book?

 

[Misder2]

You'd be surprised how many "high and mighty" troll the free boards on the public dime when they are supposed to be working, aiming to convince the unwashed masses that everything they are doing is correct.

This whole case broke open because of message boards and I have a strange feeling that it will mostly be settled on message boards. The high and mighty need to troll these boards in order to figure out how close we're getting.

 

[lionlurker]

The small lunatic fringe turned out not to be so small, and not all that lunatic, either.

 

[bkmtnittany1]

Guys relax...Silvis knows that this board gives out an "Asshole of the Year Award." He's just making his push to win it. He certainly has my vote!

 

[demlion]

What better demonstration of "extend goodwill to one another" than the giving of gifts? Seems to me its actually complying with the rule the OP noted.

Ok, so it is not a violation, and therefore no problem with handing trustees all sorts of articles, the Thornburgh Report, the Spanier complaints, little statues of Joe and other things tending to show the OG sold this University down the river. Ok to give those same gifts to the press at the same time, and tip them off so they can record the reaction of such worthies as Silvis and Masser to receiving these insulting mementos? I am good with it.

Other people here say you are Seth Williams, but I do not believe it. You have far too often cakewalked into a barrage (just as you did here) to be the DA of a major American city. I mean there is nothing in your record to suggest you are this blind to how things look...wait. Never mind.

 

[baircub1!]

Expectations of Membership. In exercising the responsibilities of trusteeship, the Board of Trustees is guided by the expectations of membership, each of which is equally important:
.......
13. Extend goodwill to one another and to all members of the University community.

Seems pretty clear that Silvis' stunt violated this section of the Standing Order. This is not an extension of goodwill by Silvis, it is a breach of that rule. He did it to antagonize his fellow board members and for no other reason. It was an "in your face" move. He could have privately sent that book to anyone he wished. As others have noted, this may actually harm the University, since it is a promotion of the very false narrative over which Spanier is suing the University.

Note that the Standing Order says each of these 13 Expectations is equally important. Thus, by the terms of the standing orders of the University (which have been waved in the faces of our Trustees ever since we first got decent ones, in 2012) Paul Silvis has committed, at least, a breach of the Expectations equivalent to a breach of these other, equivalent Expectations:

1. Understand and support the University's mission, vision, and values
2. Act in good faith at all times and in the best interests of the University in a non-partisan manner
8. Disclose promptly and fully any potential or actual conflicts of interest, and personally maintain exemplary ethical standards;
10. Maintain confidentiality without exception

So, is it now appropriate for the Alumni Trustees to deliver every Bill Keisling column, every story about Mark Dambly testifying before a public corruption GJ in Allentown, and every story about Dambly having forgotten about his jail time, and every piece of written dirt and slime about any of the OG and their recent clone replacements to the full board, regardless of truth?

If Expectation 13 is out the window, are all of them out the window? Can everyone commence talking about confidential matters? Can they all commence openly soliciting profitable business deals for themselves and their companies and their friends' and families' companies from the University? As opposed to secretly?

By the way, are the values referenced in Expectation 1 above the same "Penn State Values" E. Barron told us about a few weeks ago? I forget, do they include making a public promise then doing nothing in furtherance of it and not explaining it?

Silvia confuses me...on one hand a Pitt Grad ( PSU MBA) on another seems to have worked with Joe Battista in donating $1 million towards the Pegula Arena...

Seriously these guys just seem so misdirected...

 

[excattyguy]

The question is, what did he think he was going to achieve? Convince Anthony to give up his quest for the truth? I mean, it was just plain stupid and meaningless.

This is his way of saying, "EFF you , Anthony, and the rest of the alum trustees."

 

[drblue1977]

Since the BOT most definitely failed in every metric that former Prof. Snow outlines in his book, shouldn't they ALL resign. To date, only Garban...........slinked away with his eyes glued to the ground. What kind of people would attend meeting after meeting knowing they disgraced the University by requiring 119 recommendations to update their governance standards, obfuscated at every stage (perhaps even lied regarding their knowledge of JS and criminal charges since they don't read much) along with an epic mishandling of their fiduciary duty (PMA will get this). Those with.............No Honor. Note to all 11/09 BOT members......please step down. I know, they haven't even given it a thought. That can only mean they are in it for the perks (cash) or to hide.............mischief.

Calling Sen. Yudichak..........please dissolve the PSU Charter and start over with a new cast of characters.

 

[elvis63]

I bought the book to see what's up. To me he seems to be a self important , academic blowhard.

Boy does he love himself . My personal impression .

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Anthony seems to be the only one that is willing to 'fight fire with fire.' IMO that is part of why change has been so slow: the alumni-elected trustees are too nice and polite. Some of them also naively believe that some of the OG trustees will come around, despite a steady stream of evidence to the contrary.

That's flat-out inaccurate. Anthony is by far the most public in challenging the OG. He is by no means the only alumni-elected trustee that battles the OG. To claim otherwise shows a lack of knowledge about how many of the alumni-elected trustees operate, or how some of the other trustees operate.

As for why change has been so slow, I really don't think you can blame that on the alumni-elected trustees, especially the current group. They've been pretty united in fighting the OG.

The alumni-elected trustees number 9. They could all be flame-throwing types, or could all be "too nice," and it's doubtful that it would have made much of a difference. They have accomplished what they can while being in the minority. They've been handcuffed by the former Governor backing the OG (with his Gov-appointed trustees and the 3 Secretaries), as well as the A+ BOT revision that was enacted in Dec. of 2014 (which increased the size of the BOT).

None of the current alumni-elected trustees are under the belief that being nice and polite will convert the OG trustees. Many of them have made efforts at trying to swing some of the newer members of the BOT, but the OG makes it so that anybody that aligns with the alumni-elected trustees is marginalized.

How change can be effected in an environment like this is a challenge. It will take several more years of changes to the Governor Appointed trustees, and the OG trustees running into term limits, to even have a chance to be in the majority, and even then it depends on some of the other trustees joining with them -- something that is unlikely to happen if the alumni-elected trustees are non-stop flame throwers.

 

[Art]

And tureens of hot oil. Don't forget the tureens of hot oil.

Skip the oil and go straight to the horses, as in drawing and quartering.

 

[Art]

What better demonstration of "extend goodwill to one another" than the giving of gifts? Seems to me its actually complying with the rule the OP noted.

Gifts? Texture is probably too rough for its most useful purpose, although one could take it on a camping trip to use in emergency situations.

 

[Keyser Soze 16801]

That's flat-out inaccurate. Anthony is by far the most public in challenging the OG. He is by no means the only alumni-elected trustee that battles the OG. To claim otherwise shows a lack of knowledge about how many of the alumni-elected trustees operate, or how some of the other trustees operate..

Respectfully, what I said was that AL is the only one who fights fire with fire. I did not say that he was the only one who battles the OG. Those two thoughts are quite different.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Respectfully, what I said was that AL is the only one who fights fire with fire. I did not say that he was the only one who battles the OG. Those two thoughts are quite different.

And respectfully, you're still incorrect.

 

[demlion]

That's flat-out inaccurate. Anthony is by far the most public in challenging the OG. He is by no means the only alumni-elected trustee that battles the OG. To claim otherwise shows a lack of knowledge about how many of the alumni-elected trustees operate, or how some of the other trustees operate.

As for why change has been so slow, I really don't think you can blame that on the alumni-elected trustees, especially the current group. They've been pretty united in fighting the OG.

The alumni-elected trustees number 9. They could all be flame-throwing types, or could all be "too nice," and it's doubtful that it would have made much of a difference. They have accomplished what they can while being in the minority. They've been handcuffed by the former Governor backing the OG (with his Gov-appointed trustees and the 3 Secretaries), as well as the A+ BOT revision that was enacted in Dec. of 2014 (which increased the size of the BOT).

None of the current alumni-elected trustees are under the belief that being nice and polite will convert the OG trustees. Many of them have made efforts at trying to swing some of the newer members of the BOT, but the OG makes it so that anybody that aligns with the alumni-elected trustees is marginalized.

How change can be effected in an environment like this is a challenge. It will take several more years of changes to the Governor Appointed trustees, and the OG trustees running into term limits, to even have a chance to be in the majority, and even then it depends on some of the other trustees joining with them -- something that is unlikely to happen if the alumni-elected trustees are non-stop flame throwers.

I do not think Anthony Lubrano, any current alumni Trustee, nor anyone on the ballot at this time, is a "non-stop flamethrower," as you put it, so why is that even an issue you would address? I am all in favor of a mix of styles on our BoT. That said, I am also in favor of picking up the speed at which we change the BoT. AL led wonderfully when he and the other Alum Trustees sued the University for access to the Freeh documents. It is no coincidence that pushing back aggressively won that fight.

I agree that the current trustees do not believe being meek will gain them much. But I believe we can do better.

 

[Keyser Soze 16801]

And respectfully, you're still incorrect.

Fair enough, just because we are on the same side does not mean we have to agree on everything

 

[Bob78]

And respectfully, you're still incorrect.

Tom, any insight on how Bob Capretto is acclimating to his role on the BOT? For example, is he partnering with the Alumni BOT members in this battle? Thanks.

 

[demlion]

Spot on Tom. We're in this predicament in large part because of a serious flaw in the structure of the BOT. Our university is not necessarily run for the benefit of alums or the school itself. It can be/has been run for the benefit of those who select the members. In today's political climate and with a governor as bad as Corbett was, it really exposed just how serious that flaw is.

The PA legislature really needs to take a serious, serious look at correcting this situation to protect ALL of our public universities from the vagaries of politicos.

Agree 100% that the Legislature needs to fix this. However, it does not seem they are going to, so what do we do in the meantime?

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Tom, any insight on how Bob Capretto is acclimating to his role on the BOT? For example, is he partnering with the Alumni BOT members in this battle? Thanks.

He's been a great addition to the BOT. He's been partnering with the alumni-elected trustees.

Wolf's first two appointees, Capretto and Weinstein, are excellent. If they are indicative of what we can expect from Wolf, things will definitely improve in future years.