TO: Selected Community Leaders;
The City Council;
The County Commission;
WSU Board of Trustees; WSU Foundation Board;
WSU Alumni Association Executive Committee
RE: President Beggs Preemptive
Surreptitious Political Intrigue Campaign
From: Shocker Black & Golds:
Lets see: the Mayor makes a major policy statement at a
Wichita Chamber sunrise Scrambler on January 18th, 2006, and four
months later the president of the university still has not picked
up the phone to say: "Carlos, what is it do you have in mind, and
how is it do you suspect we could fund this interesting idea that
would solve our 20 year old student loss problem, that is clearly
a function of our lack of a football program as it effects our
ability to attract traditional students from the Wichita area?"
No, instead, the president not only does not show leadership
on behalf of the university to find out what possibly could be
accomplished to the great benefit of the university, but rather for
an extended period of months, he buried his head in the
administrative sand of his disk drawer, and refused to return the
Mayor's phone calls.
It appears president Beggs instead of applying his promoted
slogan of "Thinkers, Doers, Movers & Shockers", to the solution of
the loss of student problem, rather, determined to conduct a
preemptive surreptitious political intrigue campaign of opposition,
prior to any discussion with Mayor Mayans. Rather than in the
exercise of leadership on behalf of the university, to take the
opportunity to substantially and rationally discuss the Mayor's
plan with the Mayor, and to then determine the university's course
of action, president Beggs' preemptive surreptitious political
intrigue campaign was designed to: unilaterally circumvent the
Mayor on the City Council; have surrogates falsely disclose factual
information to the press and the media; have surrogates whisper in
the Mayor's ear that he should mind his own business
(notwithstanding the expenditure of our taxpayer's money is the
Mayor and City Council business, and it is not the university's
money until we give the money to the university in the manner the
Mayor, City Council, and County designate); disclose no substantive
information to the student body or consult with the student body;
preclude reasoned debate of the issues; and to win his petrified
inflexible position without reasoned debate, but solely by
political manipulation and control of four or more ill-gotten votes
on the City Council.
At the first of our four meetings with president Beggs some
two years ago now, July 8th, 2004, we advised president Beggs that
we believed it was now time for a public debate on the issue of our
loss of students and the potential return of football, the cause of
our loss of students, with WSU the only state educational
institution with a failure of growth of students, since 1986 and
the Board of Regents decision to suspend football at WSU. In this
meeting that was also attended by Jim Meek of our group, the
discussion was too rapid fire to make notes. But a sample of my
notes made shortly after the meeting on the same day when the
meeting discussion was fresh, show the following:
Beggs is for football and is actively working on it.
The baseball stadium still has a $1.2 million debt due to
be retired by 2007.
He has an upcoming meeting with Carlos Mayans and will
talk to him re football.
I told him Carlos volunteered he would like the City to help
WSU bring back football, I didn't solicit the remark.
He meets with A.D. Schaus on a weekly basis.
He wants to challenge A.D. with another fund raising
project. I.e., what the university can do to lead the
charge for the program.
I advised the president has to provide the leadership.
Told him I was the one who identified $500,000 worth of line
items on the Mil-levy that should not be on the Mil-levy,
but more properly should be funded by the State. But said
you pick and choose. I.e. $ to renovate Cessna stadium.
(This comment related to a presentation I had given to the
City Council at the time of the Cessna stadium renovation,
but that I was using to express the fact that there are
still many items on the Mil-levy that should be funded by
the State, thus freeing up moneys that could be used to
solve our student loss problem).
Faculty honey pots have been taken off the Mil-levy. (Some
perhaps, but certainly not all).
More $ for scholarships – might think about athletic
scholarships.
Talked specifically about the 10 percent freshman class loss
of students as a major problem. He did not deny it. I
obviously put my finger on a sore spot. Cause of loss is
lack of image of a traditional university with a Division IA
football program.
I think the meeting was clearly worth while. We will see
what happens.
P.S. He says tuition waivers have to come by way of State
statute, B.O.R. can't do it unilaterally.
Clearly from our first meeting on July 8th, 2004, two years
ago, president Beggs led us to believe that he was in support of
football, and at subsequent meetings advised he would reinstate
football if we could just show him how to fund the scholarships,
including Title IX scholarships. There were never any comments
that it was too this or too that, or that he had other sports to
consider. The discussions were always specifically about funding
football as a stand alone project, independent of all other
existing sports. And, it was also specifically discussed that one
of the criteria for funding was that there would be no increase to
student fees or costs to students, as required by president Beggs,
to which we heartily agreed.
Now it is president Beggs does all that he can to politically
intrigue and preclude any open public debate, even failing to
substantially advise the students of the issues. We have been left
to try to fill the vacuum of fact by producing position papers to
the community, and by use of a internet site (Coming soon: visit
Alumnishockerblack&golds.com), attempt to make factual information
available to the students who will become alumni like ourselves.
It is after all, their and our university not the university of a
KU selected and approved intervener representative who upon
retirement will likely return to Illinois. And certainly, this
issue should be determined by the community who built the
university, and not unilaterally precluded by one man standing
alone, solely because he happens to occupy an appointed position of
leadership un-voted upon by the taxpayers who's money it is. It is
our money, and if we want for our university, a traditional
university with a traditional football program, so that our
students have an opportunity for a traditional university
experience at lesser food and lodging stay at home costs, it should
not be for one previously KU appointed and we believe previously
committed man on the issue, to preclude.
Why would president Beggs not be willing to look into the
possibility of solving the 20 year old loss of student problem of
WSU, the only state university or community college that has lost
students since 1986 and the B.O.R. suspension of our football
program, at the same time they were emphasizing KSU's football
program? We submit the answer can only be that president Beggs
committed to the KU monopolistic controlled B.O.R. at the time of
his retention as president of WSU in 1998, the year before we were
able to legally de-pack the B.O.R. with a state statute, not to re-
instate football at WSU. Nor we submit does the B.O.R. even have
subject matter jurisdiction over the issue of independently
supported athletic programs, including football. President Beggs
in championing his own personal interest and improper commitment in
order to obtain his position, is not in the best interest of WSU in
solving our 20 year old festering loss of student problem at WSU,
over a 1000 of which occurred on president Beggs watch, which he
effective off set with Mil-levy money buying over a 1000 students
with scholarships. In the spring semester of 1999, when president
Beggs took office on Jan. 1st, 1999, WSU's enrollment was 14,209.
For this last spring semester of Jan. 1st, 2006, our enrollment was
14,229, but more than 1000 students have been bought by president
Beggs with our Mil-levy money. President Beggs has lost over a
1000 students on his 7 year watch, and only breaks even by the
process of using our money to buy students.
President Beggs pretended solution of the expenditure of Mil-
levy moneys for cosmetic signs, ground work, and a new welcoming
center, will not substantively solve our lack of growth of student
problem for the last 20 years. The fundamental problem is not
being addressed or solved by president Beggs or even publically
admitted by the administration. It is axiomatic that if you do not
admit what the root cause of the problem is, you will never solve
the problem.
The next president of WSU will not be selected by KU alums,
but we should not have to wait for a president selected solely by
WSU folks who will stand up and plead the case in the best interest
of WSU. We need to start to solve the festering sore of our loss
of students problem now. If our university is to have any chance
to reach its potential or even grow back to where we were 20 years
ago, we need to solve this loss of student problem, with or without
president Beggs help, and with or without president Beggs
obstruction based upon improper past commitment, and/or unreasoned
present stubbornness and refusal to even properly consider the
issue.
Sadly, president Beggs preemptive surreptitious political
intrigue campaign of opposition, has been to unmeritoriously
corrupt the taxpayer's representatives to his own purpose.
Councilman Bob Marts who initially advised that he was a
football fan, would love to have football back at WSU, and would
vote for it if president Beggs just asked; now apparently is more
interested in maintaining his golf games with president Beggs, than
he is in representing his constituents and solving the WSU 20 year
old now 9000 festering loss of student problem.
Councilman Carl Brewer offers for his support of president
Beggs, at the City Council workshop on Tuesday the 13th of June, in
some manner of convoluted self perceived relevance, his view that
universities shouldn't give out athletic scholarships to black
athletes because black athletes go to universities, and the NBA,
and then the community doesn't give them a job when they finish
playing in the NBA, and "they end up poor". When we went to
college, we and our folks paid our own tuition, and we were only
promised a seat in a class with a professor and the opportunity to
learn sufficiently if we applied ourselves. And, if we passed the
exams for enough credit hours, the university promised to "confer"
upon us our degrees, not "give" us our degrees. No jobs were
promised. Further, minimum rookie salary for the NBA is some half
a million dollars. How any athlete could play in the NBA, let-a-
lone have a career, and come out poor after making millions, is
clearly not the fault or obligation of the university. Nor is the
issue even relevant, but for councilman Carl Brewer, it suffices as
an excuse for his committed vote for president Beggs' position,
prior to substantive discussion of the issues, except with
surrogates for president Beggs. We suspect that if we offered to
only recruit white football players to solve his concern councilman
Brewer would be the first to cry that we were prejudice, or worse.
Councilman and WSU student Paul Gray, in what can only be
described as his view of leadership, evidences his support of
president Beggs position, by: saying he doesn't want to take a
position or get involved in a controversial issue because he is up
for re-election; and by refusing to talk to his constituents on the
issue. Perhaps he should consider: the potential benefit to other
WSU students and the university; his constituents views; why he ran
for the leadership office in the first instance; and whether or not
folks should reelect him if he is unwilling to discuss substantive
issues with his constituents; prior to locking in his mind and
waiting for the vote of the issue in the hope that it will have the
least amount of negative affect upon his ability to be reelected.
President Beggs is a cordial man, and the Shocker Black &
Golds personally like him, but we believe he was just initially
personally misguided and committed by the KU B.O.R. We are only
interested in supporting Mayor Mayans' solving for our community
and our university the root cause of our loss of 9000 students 20
year old festering problem. Hopefully he will have a change of
heart when he finally discusses the matter with Mayor Mayans, but
presently president Beggs is the only man: standing like the great
wall of Hadrian athwart the path of the Scottish hordes; the path
of history; and the return of football to WSU, to reinstate WSU as
a traditional university this community agreed to allow into the
state system; thus refusing to allow the injustice to be corrected,
and the solution to our loss of student problem to obtain. But
then principled reason and logic apparently are not thoughts that
can flow freely upon a pre-committed mind, notwithstanding slogans
like "Thinkers, Doers, Movers & Shockers".
Respectfully submitted,
Shocker Black & Golds
By:
Fred Marrs
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