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| University of Miami President Donna Shalala(Photo Credit: University of Miami) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
University of Miami President Donna Shalala has announced that she will retire in May. Shalala, who took over for Tad Foote in 2001, has overseen a golden era at the University. The Momentum fundraising campaigns have been very successful, raising over two billion dollars. The University, which was once known as "Suntan U" has become one of the better schools in the country under Shalala, rising through the US News and World Report rankings. It's obvious to students and alumni that Dr. Shalala's retirement is a big blow to the University, but to fans of the football program, this news has been met with glee. Following the announcement, fans were all over message boards, lampooning a woman who is arguably the best leader this school has ever had. Why? Why is this woman so disliked by people who allegedly love the University? The answers to this question are not sensible, in fact most of the complaints are based on rumor and innuendo. It's time to put these foolish notions to rest, and honor Dr. Shalala for her contributions to The U.
"Our admission standards for student-athletes are too high, and puts us at a disadvantage against other schools"
This statement has been consistently used by fans to denigrate Dr. Shalala and the University administration. While it is true that Miami has a higher standard for athletes compared to most FBS schools, there isn't a nefarious conspiracy to deny coaches elite talent. The reason why the standard is slightly higher at UMiami is because of demographics. Miami is a small private school, and lacks the "Jock Majors" to hide unqualified student-athletes. For this case study, I'm going to use LSU* as an example. If one goes and looks at the majors offered at LSU, you will see a ton of majors that serve little purpose, and most likely house athletes who are barely qualified for university level coursework. Miami** on the other hand, due to its size and lack of state funding, has fewer majors available, and most of those majors require a semblance of effort. Even the easier majors, still have requirements that ask that a student athlete be able to read, and write at a decent level. If you listen to the typical fan, you would think that the University requires that student-athletes have an academic record that matches the typical undergraduate student. That just isn't the case, the standard for athletes is significantly lower. Where a student athlete can get away with only taking algebra and geometry to fulfill the math requirement, the typical undergrad took trigonometry, and calculus in high school. The overriding theme of the process is simple: Can the student-athlete be expected to consistently navigate college level coursework, if he had access to tutoring and academic support? If the answer is no, he is unlikely to be admitted.
Even if the student-athlete isn't admitted, he can still find his way to The U. Miami, unlike some other FBS schools will take athletes from junior colleges, and preparatory schools. Even if a student athlete is deemed an academic risk, there's ways for that student to find their way in as a true freshman. The invention of academic road maps by Ice Harris and former head coach Randy Shannon, gives at risk recruits a plan to follow that will lead to admission. Therefore, not only is the academic standard sensible, there's ways for athletes to be 'Canes, if they show initiative and discipline. The school does more than enough to reach at risk student athletes, and this hasn't affected the talent pool available to coaches. If you want to look at a school that has crippled programs, SMU is a perfect example. Following the "Death Penalty" era, SMU made it impossible for a student athlete who didn't qualify to ever find their way to SMU. No Juco players, no prep school athletes, any borderline recruits were automatically rejected. Compare that to Miami. It's illogical to think that Dr. Shalala and the administration are truly out to "get" the athletic department, when it's obvious that they have done the exact opposite.
"Dr. Shalala does not do enough fundraising for the athletic department"
Once again, a statement founded on rumor, and not on tangible fact. Yes, Dr. Shalala isn't the shill that most FBS presidents are, she has done plenty of fundraising for the University. Dr. Shalala can't take the earmarked funds from Momentum/Momentum II and apply it to athletic department needs. That's a majority of the funding, and that's why the athletic department has been on an individual fundraising campaign. This campaign, Building Champions has resulted in the building of the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence, a sorely needed facility. Under Dr. Shalala, the University has not only opened the BankUnited Center, but has extensively renovated Mark Light Field. That's not the record of someone who isn't active in furthering the goals of the athletic department
Why is this a consistent complaint? Fans see the opulent facilities at large schools, and expect to see the same at Miami. Fans have to realize that Miami will never have the athletic facilities of other elite institutions. Compared to the traditional football factories, Miami is undersized with a small alumni base. Combine that with a fanbase that only supports the program when things are going well, it's borderline insane to expect Miami to have the facilities of Oregon, Alabama or even Southern Cal. The goal of the administration has been to have facilities that allow Miami to compete with those schools, provided Miami makes the correct coaching hires, and takes advantage of the deep well of talent available in the area. It's a sound rationale, but it remains to be seen if the Golden hire will be a viable long term solution. In the other revenue sports, we've seen trips to the College World Series and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Donna Shalala has been a great mentor, teacher, and leader at the University of Miami. The U is in the middle of a renaissance, and that renaissance goes beyond the football field. Fans should be proud that their beloved U is striving for excellence in everything, and will not settle for anything less. Dr. Shalala has not only followed in the footsteps of a visionary, she added to that vision and leaves a University that is light years away from what it was when she arrived.
*http://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/majors/lsu-majors-a-z/
**http://www.miami.edu/admission/index.php/undergraduate_admission/academics/majors_a-z/
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