nj.com, 1/9:
"The second-largest public college in the state is facing some criticism from students and graduates after agreeing to spend more than $200,000 on a 12-foot bronze statue of its mascot.
According to school officials, trustees at Montclair State University approved the purchase of a large sculpture of a Red Hawk at their October meeting. The commissioned statue will cost $210,000, and be installed in front of the Panzer Athletic Center before the start of the fall semester this year, school officials said in a statement.
School officials say about half of the cost of the statue will be paid for by the Student Government Association, which it says initiated the idea for the statue. The rest will be paid for by the school and private donations, they said.
In a statement released to the media, Montclair State said that the statue is meant to foster a greater sense of community on campus, raise school spirit, and generate excitement around its Division III athletics program.
"The Red Hawk statue...will go a long way toward helping the University to develop an even greater sense of pride and identity," the school said in the statement. "The creation of such an identity can be particularly challenging on a campus, such as Montclair State’s, that has a significant commuter population. Symbols like the Red Hawk statue will help to solidify the ties between the University and our students, providing both a stronger sense of community and a greater sense of obligation to future students."
“It’s disappointing. I don’t understand the administration’s priorities,” graduate student Leah Stone told NorthJersey.com.
Some students also took to social media to express their displeasure.
Montclair State is spending a quarter million on a Red Hawk statue... Let me hurry up and graduate so they can't waste any more of my money
So Montclair is spending $210k on a statue of a red hawk.... Seriously .....
"Montclair State University has committed to spending nearly a quarter of a million dollars for the creation of a 12-foot bronze statue depicting the school’s red-tailed hawk mascot.
The statue, a symbol of courage and determination, is designed to reinforce a sense of community and to raise school spirit on the largely commuter campus, top administrators said.
But some students said it also raises questions about spending at the university.
“You know what could really help school spirit? If tuition weren’t so high, if there were parking spots for everyone, if everyone actually knew who their academic adviser was, and if the administration actually listened to students like they say they will,” said student Jo Landau.
Montclair is the second-largest of the state’s public universities after Rutgers University. Costs and enrollment have risen steadily at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities over the past decade — tuition and fees average 40 percent higher than the national norm — as they have embarked on high-profile capital projects and acquisitions.
Critics have complained of a lack of fiscal oversight from Trenton as the largely autonomous schools pursued projects large and small designed to raise their profiles, from a $102 million football stadium expansion at Rutgers to a $219,000 Chinese-made conference table recently purchased by Kean University for a new conference center.
Trustees at Montclair approved spending up to $225,000 for the sculpture at their October meeting, and the statue is expected to be installed in the plaza in front of the Panzer Athletic Center by the start of the fall semester, school officials said.
The sculpture of the Red Hawk, the school’s mascot, is expected to cost about $210,000, said university spokeswoman Suzanne Bronski. At Montclair, the Red Hawk is used as a symbol on brochures and ID cards, and even the campus diner is named for the mascot.
Bronski said symbols are important in society at large and on campus, noting the historic bell tower that she said is “making the days and evenings brighter for thousands of members of this community.”
The Red Hawk has “come to stand for the determination of our students to make something important of their lives and for the courage it takes to challenge oneself to truly fulfill one’s potential,” Bronski said. “When freshmen come to campus, they become Red Hawks, and we hope that helps them find their new identities as independent young adults.”
The Student Government Association – funded by mandatory student fees – is contributing $100,000 to the project, and the rest will come from university funds, Bronski said. About $4,000 in private donations has been raised for the project.
The Red Hawk is being crafted by Hanlon Sculpture Studio, which has done other school mascots, including the Seton Hall Pirate and Florida International University’s Golden Panther.
The studio, based in Toms River, also created the statue of Yogi Berra that sits outside the Yogi Berra Museum on the Montclair campus and the Miss America statue in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
In soliciting sculptors for the project over the summer, the university stipulated that “the statue should exhibit an emotion consistent with a strong, intimidating, fierce, imposing and athletic sense of school spirit.” The statue is to be lit and feature “exposed talons, an open wingspan that a person could travel under” and a “graspable” beak. The statue will be 10 to 12 feet tall, excluding its base, said Bronski.
Clearly the university is going for a different, more iconic depiction than that offered by Rocky the Red Hawk, the giant-headed furry red mascot who shows up at athletic events.
The university said the bronze statue would help generate enthusiasm for its Division III athletics program, which comprises 17 varsity sports. Formerly the Indians, Montclair adopted the Red Hawk, which is indigenous to the area, in 1989. The school also has a Rising Red Hawks program that “works with high school students from urban areas to inspire and prepare them for college,” Bronski said.
Officials say the statue will provide a focal point and instill a sense of pride and tradition on the campus, which has been transformed by a building boom over the last decade and now has 20,000 students.
“It’s a celebration and as an institution what it does is to help teach students about community and commitment,” said Karen Pennington, vice president for student development and campus life. “Just as you have iconic figures in Washington, D.C. – we have the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C.”
Bronski offered a similar perspective: “Symbols have an important place in the world with public monuments a part of the fabric of this nation. This statue will reconfirm a sense of community for the university.”
Pennington said the idea was initiated by students nearly eight years ago and is finally coming to fruition. George Juzdan, who graduated in May, was president of the Student Government Association last year when the group decided to fund the project. Each full-time student at Montclair pays $97.80 annually in mandatory fees to provide the SGA’s funding.
“Most of the students were onboard with the decision,” Juzdan said in email responses in which he noted that the group also spent money on scholarships, programming and events during his tenure. “It will leave a long-lasting impact and build a school spirit that should promote the university and its student/alumni retention.”
But Leah Stone, a graduate student who was a member of Student Government at the time, said she remembers the group bowing to administration pressure to fund what amounts to a “vanity” project to promote athletics.
“It was presented to the SGA as a way to raise school spirit because we’re not a Division I school,” Stone said. “I know at the time a lot of people in the SGA didn’t buy it.”
She noted that Montclair, and the other public colleges and universities, perennially complain that waning state support requires tuition increases, and that many of the school’s working-class students struggle to pay the $11,000 in annual tuition and fees.
“If cutbacks have to be made, how do we have $200,000 to spend on a friggin’ chicken statue?” Stone asked. “At the very least it’s disappointing. I don’t understand the administration’s priorities.”
Trustees voted for the expense in October, with little public comment or discussion. At their meeting, Professor Rich Wolfson, who heads the union representing faculty, librarians and professional staff, questioned the move.
“I think when they make an expenditure that large on things that are not academic, there needs to be more explanation,” Wolfson said later."
"Students and alumni on Friday debated whether Montclair State University should spend $210,000 on a 12-foot bronze statue depicting the school's red-tailed hawk mascot, which school officials said will reinforce a sense of community on campus and bring greater support for its athletic programs.
"It's unnecessary. They can use that money for other things,'' said Daniella Barquet, 18, a first-year student from Fairview who stopped by College Hall on Friday. "They can use it maybe to help students more financially, or to renovate buildings."
Reggie Curry, who graduated in December, said he didn't see a problem with the sculpture or the expense, as long as the university didn't have to raise student tuition to pay for the figure.
"It doesn't matter to me and if the statue will give the university more presence in the future, that's a good thing,'' he said.
Trustees at Montclair State approved spending up to $225,000 for the sculpture at their October meeting, and the statue is expected to be installed in the plaza in front of the Panzer Athletic Center by the start of the fall semester, school officials said.
The sculpture of the Red Hawk is expected to cost about $210,000, said university spokeswoman Suzanne Bronski earlier this week. The school will use capital plant funds accrued over time and used for campus improvements to pay for the statue, according to a statement sent out by the university on Friday.
Nearly half of the cost of the statue will be paid by the Student Government Association, which voted last year to contribute $100,000 of its discretionary budget toward the cost of the bronze figure, according to school officials. The association, funded by mandatory student fees, also conducted fundraising around homecoming and other activities to raise an additional $4,000 for the project.
"As additional donations are received for the project, they will be used to offset the amount of the University-provided contribution,'' the statement reads.
At Montclair, the Red Hawk is used as a symbol on brochures and ID cards, and even the campus diner is named for the mascot. When driving around campus, banners that read "This is Red Hawk Country" can be readily seen.
The Red Hawk is being crafted by Hanlon Sculpture Studio, which has done other school mascots, including the Seton Hall Pirate and Florida International University's Golden Panther.
The studio, based in Toms River, also created the statue of Yogi Berra that sits outside the Yogi Berra Museum on the campus and the Miss America statue in Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Brian Hanlon, the sculptor, said the bronze statue "should be an awesome image on the campus and long overdue."
The university said in its statement that the idea for a Red Hawk statue began eight years ago with a group of Montclair State students who wanted to create an iconic symbol to be placed prominently on campus. The university said that for centuries physical symbols, such as public monuments and town square statues, have played an important role in the life and traditions of communities around the world.
"The Red Hawk statue is a student-initiated project that will go a long way toward helping the University to develop an even greater sense of pride and identity,'' reads the statement.
"The creation of such an identity can be particularly challenging on a campus, such as Montclair State's, that has a significant commuter population,'' it added. "Symbols like the Red Hawk statue will help to solidify the ties between the University and our students, providing both a stronger sense of community and a greater sense of obligation to future students."
But raising school spirits and strengthening ties was not good enough reason for some students who said the university shouldn't embark on such a costly project. On Friday, some students turned to social media to express their displeasure over the expenditure.
"msu is spending 200k on a redhawk statue to promote school spirit lol,'' reads one tweet. "how about some better heating in the art building tho"
Even though students are on winter break until Jan. 20, a few students who were on campus on Friday had mixed reactions to the statue.
An MBA graduate student, who declined to give her name, said that the university is generous with scholarships and has waived the tuition of some students, including hers, that she said she couldn't criticize them for wanting a statue.
"It's a lot of money, but at the same time they help me a lot, the university gives a lot,'' she said. "If they are still giving back to the community with scholarships then I would be fine with the statue."
"This is not necessary whatsoever,'' said Amanda Schreiner, 21, a senior, as she waited for a bus with a friend, Katie Delaney, 21, of Plainsboro. They said the money would be better spent on adding more parking spaces to the campus.
April Vargo, 18, a first-year student from Point Pleasant, said the money could be used to fix older dorms. "I know the Red Hawk represents us, but it's placed all across the campus on banners and posters. I don't think we need a big Hawk and to spend that much money," she said.
Sharonda Wilson, from Jersey City, who was on campus on Friday with her 20-year-old son who was transferring from Monroe College, disapproved of the expense.
"As a parent, I think the money should be spent on something else, something that will help the students,'' she said. "Maybe on their education, on athletics."
University officials said that the statue will help generate "greater support and enthusiasm for our Division III" athletic programs, which include 17 varsity sports in which over 500 students participate annually."
In a statement sent to "members of the university community," President Susan A. Cole said the idea of the Red Hawk statue originated eight years ago as "an iconic structure on campus that would represent the university's spirit and ideals."
"For centuries, physical symbols, such as public monuments, statues, plaques, and architectural and artistic creations have played an important role in the life and traditions of communities around the world, including university communities," Cole said in her statement. "College is a transformative experience for young adults, and they take their identities as students and alumni of a particular institution with them through life."
Cole said in her statement the development of the statue "has been quite transparent," and that the university agreed to match the Student Government Association's contribution of $100,000 toward the cost. The SGA raised $4,000 at homecoming and other activities toward the statue, she said.
Some students and alumni have chafed at the expense in light of rising tuition costs and because the SGA is funded by mandatory student contributions, according to The Record.
“It’s disappointing. I don’t understand the administration’s priorities,” graduate student Leah Stone told the newspaper.
The statue will be installed in front of the Panzer Athletic Center before the start of the fall semester this year, school officials have said.
School officials defended it, saying the table benefits students, and is in line with the school’s strategic vision for its future."
Even more absurd is MSU president Susan A. Cole's defense of the statue, in an e-mail:
"Dear Members of the University Community:
I am writing to you about the Red Hawk statue that has been the subject of some media coverage today.
The idea for a Red Hawk statue originated about eight years ago with a group of student leaders who wanted to create an iconic structure on campus that would represent the University’s spirit and ideals. The Red Hawk, adopted by Montclair State as its symbol about twenty-five years ago, is a mythological bird closely based on the actual Red-Tail Hawk that can be seen frequently on campus. At the University, the Red Hawk has come to stand for the determination of our students to make something important of their lives and for the courage it takes to challenge oneself to truly fulfill one’s potential."
Not always... The university only adopted the hawk as its official mascot in 1990, & became a university in 1996, a shorter time than I've been on this planet...
"For centuries, physical symbols, such as public monuments, statues, plaques, and architectural and artistic creations have played an important role in the life and traditions of communities around the world, including university communities. College is a transformative experience for young adults, and they take their identities as students and alumni of a particular institution with them through life. The symbol of the Red Hawk, like similar symbols on campuses across the country and in the larger society, will help engender and support a sense of belonging to a community, a sense of the spirit and values of the University, a sense of obligation to future generations of students, a deeper sense of pride in students’ academic efforts and achievements, and a stronger commitment to the purposes of education in a democratic society. Symbols speak to people in ways that are different than words, and in ways that are distinctive to the human experience."
...
when in Rome...
"The development of plans for the Red Hawk has been quite transparent at Montclair State. After years of discussion and the generation of various concepts, in 2014, the Student Government Association (SGA) voted to approve a contribution of $100,000 of its discretionary budget and investment earnings towards the overall cost of the Red Hawk statue. The SGA also did fundraising at Homecoming and other activities to raise an additional $4,000 for the Red Hawk statue. Because the University wanted to be sure that the statue would be well-constructed, permanent, and virtually indestructible, the University’s Board of Trustees, in public session in October of 2014, approved a match to the student contribution from capital plant funds that have been accrued over time for the purpose of various campus improvements. As additional and expected donations are received for the project, they will be used to offset the amount of the University-provided contribution.
The Red Hawk statue is being designed and fabricated in Toms River (NJ) by Hanlon Sculpture Studio, which has created similar mascot statues for other universities, including the Seton Hall University Pirate, the Rowan University Owl, and the Florida International University Golden Panther. The Red Hawk statue will be installed in time for the fall 2015 semester at the main entrance to the Montclair State campus, near the Panzer Athletic Center and the John J. Cali School of Music. It will be a symbol of pride for the more than 500 students who participate each year in the University’s 17 varsity sports and for our talented student musicians and it will reflect the determination and courage of all of the University’s students."
...why, then, did these headlines just make the headlines? ...why now, not earlier?
As you can tell from those transcripts of those 4 articles above, as well as that e-mail, there's some
serious self-idolatry in the executive ranks of 2 of the main public universities here in the Garden State: Kean University, in Union, & its $219,000 multimedia conference table, &
my "home" campus, Montclair State University, which is
technically in 3 municipalities (Bloomfield, Clifton, & Montclair), not just a single municipality, & its $210,000 "bronze hawk"... Notice I put
both of those
glorified construction projects' names in "
quotes", since that's what they
deserve, quite frankly, with the
continued squeezing of
everything else in college life up against what I believe is the
next major financial "bubble", the higher education bubble, which I
personally believe
should'
ve "popped"
before pushing
above $10,000 for the
national average! As
absurd as I think that
whole situation is, & as
certain as I am at the
certainty of this
massive "reset" of the higher education/post-secondary education system,
these projects are just
absolutely indefensible,
regardless of where you
currently stand in the whole system - whether you know somebody who
somehow stands to
benefit from
either of these
monstrosities, or whether or not you
also oppose (& rightfully so) those
wastes of
everything... Even on just an
individual basis, you know what
could'
ve happened
instead of
these things?
KU: $219,000 total for table / $11,000 per semester: approximately 20 students' worth
/ $22,000 per academic year: approximately 10 students' worth
MSU: $210,000 total for statue / $10,000 per semester: 21 students' worth
/ $20,000 per academic year: approximately 11 students' worth
combined: $429,000 / $21,000 per semester: approximately 21 students' worth
/ $42,000 per academic year: approximately 11 students' worth
Keeping those figures in mind - that the funds could
easily see a few
dozen students through an
entire either semester or academic year, I thought it would be
even more pointed to point out what Kean, in
particular, has done
in defense of its actions regarding that
junk table:
1st, its "Vision 2020" initiative:
"Faculty
Attracting world-class teacher-scholars to Kean is the first strategic goal of Vision 2020. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we will hire between 20 to 30 new full-time faculty every year for the next five years.
We also will create five new centers of academic excellence by 2015, in addition to the five we already have. We will invest heavily in creating programs for careers of the future, in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century."
That table won't help matters much in terms of getting new people through the doors on campus...
"Communications
At Kean, we need to embrace technology and communicate our information faster. We need to take our expertise and accomplishments, and provide a better platform to tell our story.
To this end we created Kean Xchange. This is the place where people go to find out what you’re doing in the classroom, what research you are pursuing, and the insights you can provide on breaking news stories.
This is the place where people go to find out what’s happening on campus today, tomorrow and next month.
This is where our students get a chance to tell the world what they love about Kean.
This is what Kean Xchange does. It allows us to tell the story of Kean University in real time - across multiple platforms and on the devices that you all use all day long. Whether on campus or off, using your PC or smartphone, Kean Xchange will connect you to what is going on at Kean."
That part has already been implemented:
"Applied Research
Another strategic objective of Vision 2020 is to focus on applied research. Kean already does well in this area, particularly in occupational and speech therapy. But we have an opportunity to be a national leader. We will do this by leveraging our experience, and by investing significant support for applied research to faculty and students alike."
...through what...? Building state-of-the-art learning buildings? Updating existing buildings &/or programs? Making sure as many students as are willing to move on up from their post-sec education do so? Many unanswered questions remain here...
"Partnerships
The next ten years at Kean University also will be characterized by successful, strategic partnerships. Kean University is ahead of the competition in this area. Our Drexel partnership gives Kean students a place in Drexel Medical School. Our Vo-Tech partnership brings 40 to 50 students to our Theatre program each year. Our nursing agreements with five county colleges channel hundreds of nursing students into our undergraduate and graduate programs, and our new initiative with the New Jersey Institute of Technology gives Kean students a brand new opportunity to pursue engineering degree programs at NJIT.
We pursue these partnerships for two reasons: first, to ensure that Kean University secures its future in a competitive, changing environment. Second, because it is part of our mission. These partnerships will redefine the future of Kean University—and secure our leadership moving forward."
"Academic Standards
Raising our academic standards is our fifth strategic area of focus. We have already started this work with general education. In fall 2012, we will require all students in our College of Education to have a GPA of 3.0 for graduation. We want to ensure that Kean is not only the largest producer of teachers in the state, but also the best. We will continue the process in all of our colleges during the next decade."
...why not "more than 3.0"...?
"International University
By 2020, Kean University will be an international university. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths. In the next decade, the University will be a destination of choice for students, executives and government leaders around the world. Already, we have established exchange programs in places such as France, India, China and Spain. In the future, we will welcome students from other nations around the globe and we will send our students to their native countries. Ten percent of our students within the next ten years will study abroad for a semester. The School of Global Education and Innovation will lead this effort, and the University will invest significant resources in supporting this international effort."
****... They're on to me... I actually support a part of this "initiative"... ... INITIATE SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE
Seriously, though, in the continued aftermath from the massive Wall Street-forced bailouts of 2008, & the continued higher education "rate shock", why keep pushing these stupid projects on everybody, when helping students with their education would help even more with lessening the future effects of this totally predictable tuition "bubble" "popping", & the resulting college/university enrollment crisis resulting from same?
...meanwhile...
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