A&T board rescinds honor to Renick

[Aggie One]

Dooms, you ask why would they do what they did in a public forum with such a move and embarrass the university? Because they don't think in those terms. You have to factor in this one important fact.

They have the mentality of entitlement because some of them, like Speight, are as old as the bricks in the original Dowdy building, have been there forever, and feel they have "squatter's rights" which they feel gives them the final say on what happens in the decision making process in all matters, both big or small. Micro managing at its finest.

Talk about interference? More like like let's sabotage the whole deal until a group of us get our way, elitist rule by a exclusive club who serves their own self interests and egos, first and foremost.

Dr. Battle would be best served by asking Bowles to give him a new board right off from the start or least replace certain individuals who believe "that they alone are A&T."

[trues]

I still believe that a$$ hole Hackley had a lot to do with this. He hated Renick. I believe Dr Speight genuinely thought the best for Renick. But she got influence by that a$$ hole Hackey and now she have flip flop. I think she has made a mockery of A&T and need to resign. I did know that Gerald Truesdale had retired.

Trustee: A&T decision 'shameful’

www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/NEWSREC0101/70523033/-1/NEWSREC0201

By Lanita Withers
News & Record

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GREENSBORO — A member of N.C. A&T's Board of Trustees said Wednesday that personal agendas drove the decision to rescind the naming of the university's new School of Education building after former Chancellor James Renick.

"Some board members have personal agendas and saw it fit to use the opportunity of the audit as a way to take the naming of the building away from Dr. Renick," Steve Watson said, referring to internal audits of the university that began in late 2006.

"I think it's tacky, and it's shameful," Watson said. "I think the board members who are responsible really did a great disservice to N.C. A&T."

The university's governing board voted Monday in closed session to take back the honor it gave Renick in February 2005. Board Chairwoman Velma Speight-Buford said Tuesday that proper procedure wasn't followed when the designation was made.

Attempts to contact Speight-Buford on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Renick resigned from A&T last year to take the position of senior vice president for programs and research at the American Council on Education. Messages left Wednesday at his Washington office were not returned.

Renick's name was removed from at least two large signs near the construction site of the new education building, which is scheduled to be completed in December. The signs were removed altogether late Wednesday afternoon. It was unclear whether the signs had been targeted by vandals or altered by official order.

The issue was raised during the April board meeting, Watson said, the same time the board first reviewed the results of the internal probe into financial irregularities and poor internal controls.

The audit reports contained "no information that would implicate the chancellor or anyone on his staff," the trustee said.

Watson, who was unable to attend Monday's meeting, said some board members disagreed with Renick's vision for the university and the direction he led the school in during his tenure of almost seven years.

"Jim Renick was a great chancellor for N.C. A&T," Watson said. "We were fortunate to have him for the seven years he was there. His accomplishments were self evident."

Former Board Chairman Gerald Truesdale said Wednesday that his board bestowed the honor correctly.

"It was very appropriately done in the case of the naming of the building and passing the resolution," Truesdale said. "It passed unanimously by some of the same board members who have now rescinded it."

Truesdale said his board used procedures it inherited from previous boards and The Code, the governing document for the UNC Board of Governors, as guidelines.

The board used the same standards, Truesdale said, to name Craig Hall after Quiester Craig, the dean of A&T's School of Business and Economics, in 2004.

The Code gives naming authority to the boards of trustees at individual campuses.


Watson supported the 2005 resolution to name the building after Renick.

"It was overwhelmingly supported for all the right reasons," he said. "We wanted to honor Dr. Renick for all his hard work and accomplishments, and I think we can all agree that his seven years at A&T were probably the best seven years our university has ever had."

Truesdale and Watson said Renick is still deserving of the honor. Other members of A&T's board contacted this week either declined to comment or could not be reached.

[Aggie77]

A&T alumni: Your thoughts on Renick decision

N.C. A&T Alumni: What do you think of the Board of Trustee's decision to rescind the naming of the new School of Education building after former Chancellor James C. Renick?

Comments may be used in the News & Record, so please include your full name, home town and a way we can reach you for verification purposes.

Send your comments to Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or [e-mail].

[TOPPDOGG]

aggie77 said:

A&T alumni: Your thoughts on Renick decision

N.C. A&T Alumni: What do you think of the Board of Trustee's decision to rescind the naming of the new School of Education building after former Chancellor James C. Renick?

Comments may be used in the News & Record, so please include your full name, home town and a way we can reach you for verification purposes.

Send your comments to Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or [e-mail].

Aggies do not fall for this. The News & Record is THE ENEMY. Please do not be fooled. I know many of us are disgusted, but we do not need to use the News & Record as a forum to air that disgust.

[DOOMS]

I was thinking of sending an e-mail to state my disgust with the News & Record's coverage of A&T.

[aggiejazz]

aggieone said:

Dr. Battle would be best served by asking Bowles to give him a new board right off from the start or least replace certain individuals who believe "that they alone are A&T."

I think A&T has hired another person, Battle, who is just one step ahead of the posse. Battle is leaving a university that has a lot of problems to another problem school. If Battle couldn't get Coppin State straight what make you think he can do it here with this mess. You can't believe everything printed in a newspaper but this week the Baltimore Sun gave a "no confidence" to Coppin State administration due to recurring problems that were sighted by an audit four years ago. I have no confidence in the BOT and this hiring looks like another fiasco.

[DOOMS]

He has no choice. Besides, Bowles will give him a lot of assistance.

[Aggie One]

I didn't say he could but I not ready to say he can't until he gets in here and gets his feet wet. All HBCUs have similar problems, but they also have problems that vary a great deal in both depth and scope. None of us have a crystal ball on how the new chancellor will approach his new post.

I'm taking a wait and see approach the same way I did with Renick.

[Aggie77]

toppdogg said:

aggie77 said:

A&T alumni: Your thoughts on Renick decision

N.C. A&T Alumni: What do you think of the Board of Trustee's decision to rescind the naming of the new School of Education building after former Chancellor James C. Renick?

Comments may be used in the News & Record, so please include your full name, home town and a way we can reach you for verification purposes.

Send your comments to Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or [e-mail].

Aggies do not fall for this. The News & Record is THE ENEMY. Please do not be fooled. I know many of us are disgusted, but we do not need to use the News & Record as a forum to air that disgust.

I disagree. The N&R is no more the "EMEMY" than the leadership or lack there of at A&T. The total mishandling of one PR opportunity after the other is the problem not the N&R. It appears to me that it's time to for Alums to be heard. What’s your recommendation, write to BOT, Hackley or the Alumni Assoc., which of these has shown the ability to do anything without public embarrassment to the University. Granted the N&R may not have our best interest at heart, but half the time we do stupid stuff and the other half we don’t call them on their reporting. So, what I’m hearing you say is stand by idly by while they rake the University over the coals, while the leadership supplies the gasoline. I cannot see how you can argue in this case that N&R reported anything untrue or is bias against A&T.

This says it all;” GREENSBORO — A member of N.C. A&T's Board of Trustees said Wednesday that personal agendas drove the decision to rescind the naming of the university's new School of Education building after former Chancellor James Renick.

"Some board members have personal agendas and saw it fit to use the opportunity of the audit as a way to take the naming of the building away from Dr. Renick," Steve Watson said, referring to internal audits of the university that began in late 2006.

"I think it's tacky, and it's shameful," Watson said. "I think the board members who are responsible really did a great disservice to N.C. A&T."

The university's governing board voted Monday in closed session to take back the honor it gave Renick in February 2005. Board Chairwoman Velma Speight-Buford said Tuesday that proper procedure wasn't followed when the designation was made.

Attempts to contact Speight-Buford on Wednesday were unsuccessful.”

Why is she unavailable for comment now? She needs to be out front with full disclosure for this decision. I'll tell you why, this was an unnecessary action that is probably undefendable, yet we should blame the N&R for reporting it.

[TOPPDOGG]

The last thing we should do is stand idle. I suggest contacting members of the Board directly to let them know our displeasure with their actions. The News & Record has proven time and again to be biased with their coverage of A&T. I have no doubt that they will use this opportunity (served nicely on a platter by the Board) to further embarass us.

We need to act, but we do not need to involve the newspapers in our business.

[Aggie77]

toppdogg said:

The last thing we should do is stand idle. I suggest contacting members of the Board directly to let them know our displeasure with their actions. The News & Record has proven time and again to be biased with their coverage of A&T. I have no doubt that they will use this opportunity (served nicely on a platter by the Board) to further embarass us.

We need to act, but we do not need to involve the newspapers in our business.

I understand where you are coming from, but that implies 1.) the BOT gives a crap and 2.) that they will do the right thing. Two things that they have not yet displayed.

[truthseeker]

i have no problem with the n&r... they are trying to sell newspapers.... i have problems with the ones who called the n&r as soon as the votes were tallied.... seems like there are some benedict arnolds around!!!!

[Aggie77]

NC A&T Board of Trustees officers
1.) Dr. Velma R. Speight-Buford

2.) Carole Bruce, vice chairman, Smith Moore LLP (partner)

3.) Joseph A. Williams, secretary, Joseph A. Williams and Associates (president).

Other Board Members
4.) John J. Becton, senior vice president and Eastern Region Service Director, Wachovia
5.) D. Hayes Clement, retired managing partner, Arthur Anderson, LLP (Greensboro)
6.) Eunice M. Dudley, chief financial officer, Dudley Products Inc.
7.) Michelle Gethers-Clarke, senior vice president of Card Operations, American Express
8.) Henry H. Isaacson, partner, Isaacson Isaacson and Sheridan

9.) Anita Floyd Moody, president, A&T, Student Government Association

10.) Albert S. “Al” Lineberry Jr., Hines Lineberry Funeral Service;
11.) Franklin E. McCain Sr., retired corporate administrator
12.) Michael L. Suggs, chairman, Goler Community Development Corporation

13.) Steven C. Watson, vice president for Government Affairs, Loews Corporation

[Aggie One]

You know even if there was some peculiar quirk in procedure still doesn't explain why take Renick's name down altogether. The correct course would be to address the error in the procedure in the proper manner and leave the naming of building intact.

If anyone doesn't believe this was not a personal vendetta then there truly is no hope for you.

We as alumni must now take the next step - burn down the barn to drive these snakes out into the open and expose Speight and her minions who were all a party to this midnight back door high jacking of the university for what they truly are - pure cowards.

[DOOMS]

I mean, it clearly reads like a personal vendetta but for the life of me my logic refuses to believe somebody would risk major embarassment and an all-out revolt by alumni and students over some dumb vendetta.

If that is the case it really explains a whoooole lot about the current state of the school. It's only going to be as good as its leadership. If the leadership is busy naming buildings after people (waaay too early in my opinion) and then jumping back on the naming (which is twice as dumb) due to a vendetta then we might as well go back to giving out broom-pushing and bricklaying degrees.