Neal Smatresk: Year One in Review

Harry · January 6, 2015

I think given the circumstances he has done a nice job. No incoming President should have to face the type of situation with the accounting fiasco we made him face when arriving here. He took it head on, he accepted it and did the best he could to correct it.

Ultimately, he and all of us will have to rely on the mercy of the State of Texas to forgive the accounting blunders that occurred over the past decade. Once we determine how much we have to pay back and how long we have to pay it back we can budget for the future appropriately. I am frankly embarrassed that we left him such a mess to clean up and I have been very clear that I felt like the ones who allowed this to happen got off way too easily.

There seems to be a sense in acadmia that mistakes - no matter how big - are ok so long as there was no intentional fraud or ponzi scheme tied to them. With the advent of online degrees and low cost alternatives Universities including UNT will no longer have the luxury of having a different standard than the rest of the real world. Those of us who have worked in corporate America know that there would have been a MUCH different outcome in terms of firings and house cleaning given the magnitude of this situation.

I find Smatresk to be very friendly and engaging in person. He has jumped right into the social media which has become so important, especially for a school with our size and profile. He seems to be very focused on taking UNT to the next level and I appreciate his efforts. In watching his UNT Strategic Plan video he seems to understand where we have strengths and where we can improve.

In terms of sports he is seen at the games and tweets a lot during the games. He cheers on the team good or bad and wears green, does the claw/talon and really seems to have embraced the spirit of being Mean Green. His spirit seems sincere. He also seems to show pride in all areas of the school, including academics and alumni. He seems to have a very positive, optimistic persona which is exactly what we need.

I think that UNT made a real nice hire with Dr. Smatresk. I appreciate all of his efforts and look forward to see what he can accomplish in the future for UNT. GMG!

FirefightnRick · January 6, 2015

What else COULD he do? Don't get me wrong, he seems like a nice guy but I haven't seen any sweeping changes and improvements to start planning the naming of our next building after him just yet? Oh wait, never mind. The last guy didnt have to do a thing to get his building. What was I thinking?

When Pres. Smatresk starts to clean house and does make those changes I'll be on board for giving him credit.

Rick

Edited January 6, 2015 by FirefightnRick

ColoradoEagle · January 6, 2015

Being away from the campus, I haven't noticed much other than that horrible "Above the rest for thousands less" campaign.

Since sports is my main view into the university now, I'll judge him based on what happens this Spring with RV and Benford. Athletics may be a small part of his job, but when it's embarrassing the school this badly, it's up to him to step up and make changes.

Harry · January 6, 2015

Look, you apparently didn't read all of my original post. His hands are tied in terms of any buyouts or capital expenditures. The decision looming on the payout of our accounting situation is a BIG DEAL and has everyone sitting on pins and needles. In the end, if the state slaps us on the hand and allows us to lower the amount and gives us adequate time to pay it off it will allow us to move forward with very little impact. if they decide to make an example of us then it could have larger implications. Either way decisions you would like to be made are being impacted by this circumstance whether you like it or not. 83 mil ain't chump change. http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20140619-university-of-north-texas-regents-get-tough-about-fiscal-woes.ece

ColoradoEagle · January 6, 2015

I did read the original post. If it turns out we can't make changes within the athletics department until $83m in accounting errors is paid off, that will be the last straw for me as a UNT fan. I'm not going to put up with Benford-ball, Mac-isms, and RV making incredibly bad hires for the next 10 years. For me, and I feel like an increasing number of fans from the 00's are reaching the end of their ropes with this AD.

I'm sure KRAM1 will be around any minute to say how me and anyone else on the fence isn't a fan and kick us in the ass on the way out, but I'm tired of UNT and RV's excuses.

ChristopherRyanWilkes · January 6, 2015

How long until the state decides what to do with us? I thought the state was going to work with us and that it wasn't going to effect athletics? Or was that just the administration's hope?

Ben Gooding · January 6, 2015

Not to jump on your points here but setting up an excuse (budget) for another poor year in athletics is the last thing that anyone needs to be doing. If the university does not invest in its athletics then we will never have elongated success. Legitimately invest. Not just throw bullshit scraps at the athletic department and hope for the best. A new stadium is a step in the right direction, but its only a step.

VideoEagle · January 6, 2015

Saying lack of budget is an "excuse" is like saying gravity is an "excuse" for not being able to fly. Sometimes there are actual reasons why thing simply can't be done.

ChristopherRyanWilkes · January 6, 2015

By trying to be cheap with our contract buyouts, aren't we losing money? This is what I think people are pointing out and have been pointing out but this has just recently been really frustrating me a lot. They've lost money I know from at least attendance to athletics events, not sure what the other effects there have been as far as donations(which is probably hard to calculate). This is not an area to be cheap with in Texas. Otherwise, why would schools like TCU & Baylor, who already had good academic programs invest in athletics so significantly in recent years?

ChristopherRyanWilkes · January 6, 2015

TCU applications reach record high after Rose Bowl... have been steadily increasing since. http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/01/13/tcu-seeing-spike-in-admissions-after-rose-bowl/

Ben Gooding · January 7, 2015

Saying lack of budget is an "excuse" is like saying gravity is an "excuse" for not being able to fly. Sometimes there are actual reasons why thing simply can't be done.

The Wright brothers say hello...

Excuses, I'm tired of them.

UNT90 · January 7, 2015

Saying lack of budget is an "excuse" is like saying gravity is an "excuse" for not being able to fly. Sometimes there are actual reasons why thing simply can't be done.

Ok RV.

Sad that anyone truly thinks this way.

NorthTexan95 · January 7, 2015

What else COULD he do? Don't get me wrong, he seems like a nice guy but I haven't seen any sweeping changes and improvements to start planning the naming of our next building after him just yet? Oh wait, never mind. The last guy didnt have to do a thing to get his building. What was I thinking?
When Pres. Smatresk starts to clean house and does make those changes I'll be on board for giving him credit.
Rick

Have you been paying attention? Multiple people were let go and replaced due to the financial problems. Our financial software has been revamped and updated. Financial procedures have been changed and updated. These are huge changes where were desperately needed and has consumed his first year on the job.

ChristopherRyanWilkes · January 7, 2015

Have you been paying attention? Multiple people were let go and replaced due to the financial problems. Our financial software has been revamped and updated. Financial procedures have been changed and updated. These are huge changes where were desperately needed and has consumed his first year on the job.

I don't fault the president at all for focusing on more important things than athletics in his first year coming into a mess. However, that's why there's a person who focuses specifically on athletics, and when that person doesn't perform (easily quantified by win-loss ratio of the programs he operates), then it's time to move on.

wardly · January 7, 2015

My fear is that Rick Perry will make an example out of us. On another note, all of us have worked under budget restraints, whether personally or professionally. What part of "we don't have the money" is hard to accept? Just asking.

MeanGreenTexan · January 7, 2015

My fear is that Rick Perry will make an example out of us. On another note, all of us have worked under budget restraints, whether personally or professionally. What part of "we don't have the money" is hard to accept? Just asking.

I highly doubt he's going to be doing much of anything for the next 13 days.

untjim1995 · January 7, 2015

Smaestrek will do some fine things to get this turned around and going in the right directioin, from an administration standpoint, for the budgetary issues. But I have no doubt on two things--the BOR will cut the budget even more for athletics to help cover this accounting fiasco--whether it is stated or not--and Neal Smaestrek will get hailed as a hero for turning this around, especially as he gets introudced as the President at a P5 school somewhere else. Smaestrek is a nice guy, but this will all eventually weigh on him to move somewhere else--I have the feeling that Austin is going to make us a nice scapegoat for how higher education costs have soared and that it is these types of scandles that have to be addressed sternly. Without any decent representation down there in Austin, its going to hit us hard. Oh, the university itself will be fine, just because we are so big and continue growing, so they will absorb these costs and eventually move forward. But I just think if Smaestrek is smart, he will use this as a springboard to a great job and a big raise...

wardly · January 7, 2015

It's hard to control cost in education when you build an unneeded school of law.

Aldo · January 7, 2015

What else COULD he do? Don't get me wrong, he seems like a nice guy but I haven't seen any sweeping changes and improvements to start planning the naming of our next building after him just yet? Oh wait, never mind. The last guy didnt have to do a thing to get his building. What was I thinking?
When Pres. Smatresk starts to clean house and does make those changes I'll be on board for giving him credit.
Rick

Have you been paying attention? Multiple people were let go and replaced due to the financial problems. Our financial software has been revamped and updated. Financial procedures have been changed and updated. These are huge changes where were desperately needed and has consumed his first year on the job.

'xactly.

The VP of Finance and Administration was recently replaced, Rick, surprised you didn't know that.

KRAM1 · January 7, 2015

Pres. Smaestrek has done a very nice job of getting his hands around the financial mess, and that has pretty much consumed his first year and put him back a bit on the projects he really wanted to work on in his first year. In addition to the facts that NorthTexan95 pointed out...which are BIG and very significant...he has been hiring some very important people in high level positions. This would include the search for our new Vice President for Development...in my opinion pretty much the second most important and critical position on the UNT campus. Second only to the president. In addition, he has initiated the first university and community generated plan for the next several years going forward. By involving the local community and its leaders for the first time in University history he has demonstrated the willingness to work with the Denton community instead of against it as many of our past presidents have done. If folks who have actually attended sporting and academic and community events this year have noticed...the guy is everywhere building relationships across the campus, within the student population, within the Alumni population and within the community. This is BIG and done during a period of financial crisis of which he had no clue was looming prior to setting foot on campus. Oh, and did I mention he was a catalyst in moving forward with the sale of beer at Apogee and the Super Pit? Hey, that's a biggie right there! :-)

To say anything other than he has accomplished a great deal in his first year is to simply not be aware of what's actually happening across the university. If what he has accomplished in the first year is any indication of what the future holds, I would say that the future looks very bright indeed for UNT under his leadership and direction.

Green P1 · January 7, 2015

I highly doubt he's going to be doing much of anything for the next 13 days.

I think he meant Wheelchair Perry. Edited January 7, 2015 by Green P1

FirefightnRick · January 7, 2015

My fear is that Rick Perry will make an example out of us. On another note, all of us have worked under budget restraints, whether personally or professionally. What part of "we don't have the money" is hard to accept? Just asking.

He better make it quick cause he's down to roughly 8 days to do it.

Rick

FirefightnRick · January 7, 2015

'xactly.

The VP of Finance and Administration was recently replaced, Rick, surprised you didn't know that.

Are you kidding me? You actually think they would have tried to stay on had Smatresk not been hired?

Someone was going to take the fall for it before Dallas Lee did. This was no great move on Smatresk's part. It was a necessary one. Nothing more.

I'll reserve my praise till I see something done with the athletic department. I'm hearing he may have been the one to tell RV to get their numbers up, which may be why you can join the MGC for 3 pennies and a bubblegum wraper, or whatever the going rate is now. But till I see significant changes I'll take a wait and see position. What I won't do is sit around and seal clap over nothing really of great importance like three accountants who can't count resign.

Rick

forevereagle · January 7, 2015

I'll reserve my praise till I see something done with the athletic department. I'm hearing he may have been the one to tell RV to get their numbers up, which may be why you can join the MGC for 3 pennies and a bubblegum wraper, or whatever the going rate is now. But till I see significant changes I'll take a wait and see position. What I won't do is sit around and seal clap over nothing really of great importance like three accountants who can't count resign.

So all you want the president of the university to concern himself/herself with is Athletics?

FirefightnRick · January 7, 2015

So all you want the president of the university to concern himself/herself with is Athletics?

No. I just don't see the reason for the sudden dripping of praise for him simply doing his job? So he's doing his job, good. We'll see if things change in the future. If so, great!

Rick