Comments on: Faculty Pass Vote of No Confidence in McShane

By: Palestine Legal and CCR Sue Fordham Over SJP Ban

Palestine Legal and CCR Sue Fordham Over SJP Ban — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 14:04:13 +0000

[…] including Catholic clergy and professors, and over 100 Fordham professors. Last week, faculty voted no confidence in the leadership of Fordham President Rev. Joseph M. McShane by a margin of 431 to […]

By: Deborah

Deborah — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 07:48:07 +0000

From article, ”However, Marcia Flicker, associate professor of marketing and vice president of Fordham’s AAUP branch, said this comparison was misleading since Fordham faculty is not offered the same salary nor the same benefits as the institutions mentioned in the board’s email”. Whoa when I saw Flicker’s name I went into convulsions, having briefly had her class and escaped she is lucky to be working let alone be at Fordham, why would anyone ever offer her the same salary as Columbia ? Her PHD in marketing is from Wharton, however one would think she would be at a place like Columbia or be department head until you get her and it. Say no more (see Rate My Professor), however I will attest that GSB’s marketing department is on par with Pace’s and not much will change and this is a huge ongoing problem with Fordham. Adjuncts to deadwood going thru the motions, finding a star prof is a huge challenge given what we pay. It seems Flicker is spending more time complaining as opposed to researching which is scary stuff at GSB. She came on faculty decades ago with a Wharton PHD and is still an associate professor, say no more.

By: Jim N.

Jim N. — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 04:17:16 +0000

Thanks Randall for that ranking, my lord we are ranked #196 when they throw in all the colleges. I honestly do not think that Fordham gets it, they rely solely on the US News ranking while others like Times Learning and the WSJ are extremely important. Good schools have consistent rankings regardless of what ranking they appear in, Fordham not. It is like whipping a dead horse when one comes to the administration, there is so much one see’s that could be improved. Often sheer lower admin laziness is what it is all about. President McShane is accountable for what goes on, having losers going thru the motions of their jobs cost us all in the long term. Too many basic staff are from the Bronx and do not give a rats ass about anything other than 9-5, they actually hate us yet we pay their salaries. There needs to be a full time ranking committee that looks after ALL the rankings, they need to monitor and submit on a timely basis. Much of Fordham’s admin staff have a horrible attitude, McShane has allowed this culture to exist way beyond what any president should allow. He needs removed as he is not really running the university rather just fundraising, his underling Freedman is lost in the Bronx and has added nothing to Fordham other than photo ops.

By: Head in Sand Just Tickle Them

Head in Sand Just Tickle Them — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:53:22 +0000

Why is it that everything is always so difficult at Fordham ? My recommendation for any future student is to go to a known entity, one that is recognizable throughout the world. Also, one with a strong endowment that can support research and expansion and you are not guilted every minute of the day to give. Meritocracy is great but be intuitive in one’s choices. Fordham needs to get it’s act together, how hard is it for the president to step down after 14 years so we can all move on ! The administration and trustees are doing what they do best, that is circling the wagons and trying to wait us out.

By: Frustrated alumnus

Frustrated alumnus — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 22:56:48 +0000

Message to the Chair of the Board of Trustees:

I got your email. Everything is not great at Fordham. Fordham is not progressing — it is losing ground as compared to its peer and aspirant group. You need to cut tuition, not just think about ways to not increase it.

I think you understand now that a lot of people don’t believe that the academic offerings and the facilities make Fordham worth the money it is charging. Does the Board have any plans to address the 9% yield?

I have donated to the university regularly since I graduated. I will not be donating any longer until I see the Board take concrete steps to improve the experience for the students. A new influx of talent and leadership is needed across the board, notably the Board of Trustees, including getting people involved who have experience running universities.

By: Randall

Randall — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 22:00:30 +0000

Find Fordham on this 2017 ranking of all colleges and universities in the US, hint beaten by Loyola Marymount University in LA. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/united-states/2017#!/page/7/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats

By: Robert Smith

Robert Smith — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 18:51:49 +0000

I think this issue is one of many that has sunk the president, freedom of speech and assembly at Fordham is not a right and they cherry pick who has that right. The Palestinian group denial was outrageous, I am sure the president and the administration had their finger in that one. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/opinion/what-liberal-snowflakes-get-right-about-free-speech.html . We must always be challenging what many believe to be our birthright as a nation. Keep on asking good questions, it is your money and degree not theirs !

By: Hornless Ram

Hornless Ram — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 02:16:48 +0000

The Jesuits are great con men, they act out a role while stealing your money and delivering a constant sermon, one you could get for free at church instead of a real education. The Core suits them as they can lay in fluff that saves money. John C. nails it, Fordham’s days of quietly stealing your money are nearing an end, parents should wake up to Cuomo’s deal being offered. People pay to get an academic education not morality forced upon them while someone is picking their pocket. Someone tell me what the heck is a Jesuit education and what makes them so great ? I look around and the classrooms are from the 40’s, Go Rams should mean wake up and ask questions ! The faculty adjunct issue gets to the core of a university, the quality of teaching is what makes a great university. If 50% of Harvard’s faculty were adjuncts I doubt it would have any prestige, especially if they are teaching at LIU on the side with no doctorate, Fordham New York’s Jesuit University needs investigated, while nowhere near as bad as Trump University it has a similar deceitful style.

This also is a large farce, a planning committee gamed by McShane https://fordhamram.com/2016/04/06/university-strategic-plan-drafted-released/ .CUSP says they want to expand STEM yet there is no representation from anyone in science on the committee. The committee is steered by department heads from religion, social services and enrolment. This in my opinion is grounds to have McShane removed, he has manipulated academic planning to align with his social justice initiatives which are all encompassing, why should people pay huge money to learn morals (parents teach it for free) ? For another why would anyone study religion or social work for 45k a year. Also education, you can take it for much cheaper at a state school, it is all about getting a teaching certificate.

Fordham does not care if students leave with massive debt or that they have stripped parents of hard earned college savings for things that cost much less elsewhere, or that adjuncts have actually been teaching your kid. The grounds are nice and fool the parents but so is the Botanical Garden and one can simply buy a membership, what is desperately needed is facilities plus other programs developed other than arts. Sell Lowenstein and build in the Bronx ! Time is not on Fordham’s side here, it needs to act and get it’s management structure replaced, dormancy and a wink wink everything is ok facade doesn’t cut it anymore, we have watched that movie for too long. Sorry to all the Jesuit lovers here but your hiding reality is no longer accepted.

By: John C.

John C. — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 23:51:55 +0000

Tuition at Fordham keeps going up each year, so the quality should go up as well. Not so apparently! Look at all the adjuncts running around campus teaching (apparently) upwards of half the classes, some of whom are grad students without PhDs. If students wanted to be taught by grad student, they would save the 50K and go to their local community college! This whole adjunct/faculty dispute incident has exposed something very unpleasant about the educational approach at Fordham under McShane. Paying top dollar for an education they could get basically for free (Thanks to Cuomo, ironically a FU grad).

By: Ralph Nadar Should Have Gone To Fordham

Ralph Nadar Should Have Gone To Fordham — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 23:16:07 +0000

Dear Ramsters,

It is unfortunate that we have to put up with nuts like the person who wrote this madness below, and it is madness! He must be from Fordham Prep, for sure let’s just find people to exploit for the greater good of god and Fordham ! McShane no mas ! Fordham has been running a mini Ponzi scheme with 50% adjuncts teaching, sort of like substitute teachers running an expensive private high school. Fordham has a 9% acceptance yield for a reason, students want a quality education for a decent price at a known national brand or they get way better financial aid. Fordham’s revenue sources are simply tuition and dorms. It saves massively on expenses by hiring temporary adjuncts to teach for busboy wages. Also the undergrad Jesuit educators are essentially working for free having taken a vow of poverty. Where is the money coming from budget wise for the rebuilt football program for one ? The basketball team gets their degrees now in three years, the mens coach is paid what a new president should get and all we do is lose!

Honestly I think the days of all these Catholic colleges are nearing an end, there should be consolidation. Fordham should merge with Manhattan for one, at least Manhattan has an engineering program. Fordham is in perpetual faking it mode, anyone questioning what is going on gets silenced or intimidated. Security at Fordham has a ominous feel with all these ex. NYPD types cow towing to the president.

If Fordham wants to start getting real show where the revenue is coming from department wise, let’s see where the money comes in and goes !!

This diatribe below is offensive to say the least, sheer lunacy when we seek sanity and clarity, certain people want to live in the past and hate questions !
”Uphold the mission. Stay strong for the students. Deliver to the community.

If you want better wages, leave. I know a lot of great teachers looking for a $40k-100k+ job, regardless of geography. Empassioned educators lead to empassioned students. Which leads to engaged alumni.

A vote of no confidence means McShane hasn’t advanced the University. Look at the maps of campus, and the student base and their starting salaries, and you mke
the decision.

Once more the ol maroon,waves on high…..

We Do, or Die”.