Title significance of VP in title?

[untcampbell]

(Apology if this was discussed elsewhere)

I can't recall previous NT athletic director's holding a Vice President title. If Wren Baker is the first VP AD at North Texas, this appears to be an outwardly visible advance in the commitment the University is making to Athletics. Am I mis-reading it's significance?

Either way, this is an overwhelmingly positive hire for North Texas at a crucial time in the evolution of CFB, from the view of this unapologetically positive NT fan.

Welcome Wren Baker and family.

GMG

[FirefightnRick]

I was wondering the same thing Scott.

 

Rick

[GMG24]

8 minutes ago, untcampbell said:

(Apology if this was discussed elsewhere)

I can't recall previous NT athletic director's holding a Vice President title. If Wren Baker is the first VP AD at North Texas, this appears to be an outwardly visible advance in the commitment the University is making to Athletics. Am I mis-reading it's significance?

Either way, this is an overwhelmingly positive hire for North Texas at a crucial time in the evolution of CFB, from the view of this unapologetically positive NT fan.

Welcome Wren Baker and family.

GMG

No you aren't.

[bstnsportsfan3]

to me it really feels like Smastrak is making it known that Athletics really is apart of the university. all the departments have a VP and now Athletics does too

[UNT 90 Grad]

The only way this is a title of signignificance is if it leads to other titles of significance, and those are national titles.  

 

This is Ed Carter. 

[drex]

It gives Baker a seat at the table with all other VP's.  It gives him equality to other VP's...that's a good thing.

[SilverEagle]

3 minutes ago, drex said:

It gives Baker a seat at the table with all other VP's.  It gives him equality to other VP's...that's a good thing.

....but just as importantly, every time he sits at the table (and he should avail himself of every opportunity to do so) he can schmooze with the other department heads. The more they see him as intelligent, energetic, sincere, and competent, the sooner our on-campus culture will start changing. 

[TreeFiddy]

What makes some think RV was not a VP?  He was a direct report to the president and all the other direct reports are VP's.  I feel like I saw RV listed as a VP on prior org charts.  I guess it doesn't matter too much.  Glad to see the new AD has at least the same and maybe even more status than before.

[untcampbell]

TF, that was really my question. I took a cursory look at prior RV bios and his obituary (from NT) and they never listed him as VP. Let us know if you find something different.

GMG

[UNT90]

6 minutes ago, untcampbell said:

TF, that was really my question. I took a cursory look at prior RV bios and his obituary (from NT) and they never listed him as VP. Let us know if you find something different.

GMG

You can believe that if RV had the title of VP, it would have been listed in his bio/resume. It wasn't.

This appears to be a trend with the big boys (new Baylor AD is VP) and I'm surprised it wasn't done sooner.

It will be interesting to see if schools start separating the VP of athletics and AD positions in the future, hiring a person for each position. 

[TreeFiddy]

16 minutes ago, untcampbell said:

TF, that was really my question. I took a cursory look at prior RV bios and his obituary (from NT) and they never listed him as VP. Let us know if you find something different.

GMG

I could be mistaken, especially with several folks that have been around a while not remembering RV being a VP.  I just thought I remembered that he was but might have just been an assumption on my part.

Either way, good to see the new AD officially with VP next to his name.  If this is a new thing, hopefully it is a signal to the rest of the university that athletics is an equally important aspect of the university to our other important areas.

[Mean Green 93-98]

17 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

It will be interesting to see if schools start separating the VP of athletics and AD positions in the future, hiring a person for each position. 

I really don't think so.  In all likelihood, the VP title is intended to give added weight, and perhaps added salary, to the AD position.  Splitting those into two separate positions would have the opposite effect.

[UNT90]

Just now, Mean Green 93-98 said:

I really don't think so.  In all likelihood, the VP title is intended to give added weight, and perhaps added salary, to the AD position.  Splitting those into two separate positions would have the opposite effect.

Are the jobs split for other departments within a university? 

[Christopher Walker]

1 hour ago, TreeFiddy said:

What makes some think RV was not a VP?  He was a direct report to the president and all the other direct reports are VP's.  I feel like I saw RV listed as a VP on prior org charts.  I guess it doesn't matter too much.  Glad to see the new AD has at least the same and maybe even more status than before.

In the past few years the title of Athletic Director has been included as being a member of the President's Cabinet, but not an official VP. This will be the first time that the VP title is made official. I love it; sends signals that this is Smatresk's own and that his influence over the AD is ever-present.

[eagle-eye]

3 hours ago, drex said:

It gives Baker a seat at the table with all other VP's.  It gives him equality to other VP's...that's a good thing.

Exactly. It has to do with leadership and governance. The VP title puts him at the table with the executive leadership team. Doing so, incorporates athletics into the strategic decisions/conversations for entire university. Improves opportunity for communication across all divisions. Helps AD to see things from a broader perspective operationally, which hopefully will build strong relationships.  Although he reports to the Prez, the VP appointment makes him a part of the team and may minimize the age old criticism of athletics operating completely independently. Definitely the way to go IMO. 

Things are looking up for the MG! 

[Cerebus]

2 hours ago, Christopher Walker said:

This will be the first time that the VP title is made official. I love it; sends signals that this is Smatresk's own and that his influence over the AD is ever-present.

Just to play Devil's Advocate:  VP's usually have to have a post graduate degree.  RV only had a BA.  Wren Baker has a Masters.   It could be as simple as that.  

 

[MCMLXXX]

40 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

Just to play Devil's Advocate:  VP's usually have to have a post graduate degree.  RV only had a BA.  Wren Baker has a Masters.   It could be as simple as that.  

 

Most Chancellors have a PH.D, MD, or JD and ours has a Masters. Perhaps someday we will get a Chancellor who will deserve the title. Glad to hear that Baker has been focused on improving his skills.  I do like pizza though.

[EagleMBA]

1 hour ago, Cerebus said:

Just to play Devil's Advocate:  VP's usually have to have a post graduate degree.  RV only had a BA.  Wren Baker has a Masters.   It could be as simple as that.  

 

I usually accept your posts without question. However, you raised my suspicions so I checked the USM site. As I have suspected for a long time, old what's-his-name had a B.S. !

[Mean Green 93-98]

4 hours ago, UNT90 said:

Are the jobs split for other departments within a university? 

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "departments."  There's not anything comparable in the different colleges.  Each college (music, business, arts and sciences, etc.) has a dean overseeing it with assistants and associates under him.  The different vice presidents are assigned responsibilities directly under the president, and they each serve as "directors" over those offices.

If someone separate from the A.D. was V.P. of athletics, it would very much put in doubt as to whether the A.D. was actually in charge.

[TheWestie]

7 hours ago, Cerebus said:

Just to play Devil's Advocate:  VP's usually have to have a post graduate degree.  RV only had a BA.  Wren Baker has a Masters.   It could be as simple as that.  

 

This.

RV was a member of the president's cabinet, alongside all the VPs such as Deborah Leliaert, Finlely Graves, Elizabeth With etc. If you go look at the cabinet web site it lists Hank as Acting Director of Athletics. He was the head of a division which is a VP level position.

[Aquila_Viridis]

I think there is significance to it and I am encouraged by the hire though I would like to have seen NT hire someone else's not interim AD. I do not know about the limitations of what NT could do for compensation though. It is getting very tiresome watching our giant university limp through limitations that much smaller universities don't have. I can only hope that our new AD has it in him to finally move NT past this frustrating and enduring era.

[untcampbell]

My apology for the redundancy title to this thread title.

I don't recall doing it that way, but I had probably had my glass of wine when I posted.

GMG Go Mean Green