<p>This ia a problem publics have with dealing with underpaid newspaper types who do not understand spending money to hire the best as being better than hiring some nobody. If Gee can deliver as he has he is worth many times over what he gets paid. There are not many around who can do what he does that well.</p>
<p>And he managed not to get fired by the football coach, in spite of his fears.</p>
<p>Obviously the University of Illinois has no such problem in having either good football or good university leadership.</p>
<p>Nope, it’s pretty sorry on the leadership front, which fits in quite well with the rest of the state government. I don’t keep up with football, so I guess I’ll just have to take your word on it.</p>
<p>Are they going to play football or basketball in any of those countries? Uganda? Seriously? Geez.</p>
<p>This ia a problem publics have with dealing with underpaid newspaper types who do not understand spending money to hire the best as being better than hiring some nobody. If Gee can deliver as he has he is worth many times over what he gets paid. There are not many around who can do what he does that well.</p>
<p>I agree.</p>
<p>The point that many of these highly paid people (college presidents, football coaches) often “pay” for their salaries by bringing in a LOT more money than some lower-paid person. I’d rather pay someone $3M and have them bring in X times more…than pay someone $500k and have them bring in little or nothing.</p>
<p>Ms. Mom2collegekids,</p>
<p>Your description sounds more like a Goldman Sachs executive than a public servant.</p>
<p>^^
In order to be a successful university system president you have to BE like a Goldman Sachs executive. Fact is, if you don’t bring in $$, you won’t be in the president’s office very long.</p>
<p>For all those of you who question academic travel: foreign students, and the opening of foreign campuses, is among the most common (and successful) ways for universities to generate income. And if you think you can strike a deal overseas without the president making at least one, but usually more, trips - with a full retinue of assistants - you’re dreaming. That’s how things are done overseas. If you don’t pay, you don’t play. As simple as that.</p>
<p>“Public servant”–terms that need to be removed from discussion. Elected officials might be termed public servants to an extent but professionals doing a job are not your or anyone else’s servant and the term is an insult.</p>
<p>Gordon Gee is to the college president profession what Urban Meyer is to college football coaching. You can be sure that Meyer’s fringes at Ohio State include courtesy cars, maybe a courtesy plane, country club memberships, a house, etc. It’s what you pay to hire at the most elite level. Dr. Gee used to be the OSU president, then was the prez at Brown and Vandy, then OSU hired him back. To get him back they probably had to come up with a compelling array of fringes, one of which is a generous budget for global travel. The fact that he manages to use that investment to raise funds for the university may just be gravy.</p>
<p>The term “public servant”, to me, refers to someone who serves the public interest above self interest. It was once a term of respect, not an insult.</p>
<p>“above self interest” ?? what does that mean?</p>
<p>It means you will take lower pay because you are a chump and don’t believe you should be paid what you are worth.</p>
<p>This comment board is quite startling; I think I should have left it at the presidents who are giving, maybe it would have turned out better. </p>
<p>The comments have caused me to look much more closely at President Gee, the man. As far as I can read, there is a twist to an earlier comment someone else made; calling President Gee a “Public Servant” is an insult to real public servants. He is no more or less a politician of the average ilk, pushing his agenda as being behind some greater good while insuring their pockets are lined appropriately to the tune of two and half million dollars a year. Like all of his kind, he will have the “yes” people around him, those who blind themselves with an “ends justify the means” rationalization as it pertains to their emperor’s clothes, eager to attack a reporter’s credibility if she dare act like the child in Mr. Andersen’s story. Justifying a salary five times the US President’s as necessary to get even more money shouldn’t be a public institutions goal, or at least what most of the taxpaying public would believe is the goal of a university. </p>
<p>Yes, maybe President Gee is above the chumps like the Sisters of the Poor he so easily used as a euphemism for being weak. I do know from being a US Navy veteran that if a bunch of real public servant chumps hadn’t put there lives on hold and put there self-interests aside some 70 years ago, this free speech comment board may not even exist.</p>
<p>Tuition is rising at double the rate of inflation and our children are being bankrupted before they even really start their lives. I think we could learn a lot from those chumps and less from adored politicians like Gee.</p>
<p>I do not believe anyone ever characterized the military as public servants. It is a unique job. And at times much more than that.</p>
<p>Alexis de Tocqueville distinguished between “self-interest properly understood” and “unenlightened self-interest”. The latter (roughly synonymous with “selfishness” or “greed”) is what I meant above.</p>
<p>[Enlightened</a> self-interest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_self-interest]Enlightened”>Enlightened self-interest - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Historic models of public service include the ancient Roman Cincinnatus and our own George Washington.</p>
<p>(His immediate resignation of his absolute authority with the end of the crisis has often been cited as an example of outstanding leadership, service to the greater good, civic virtue, lack of personal ambition and modesty. As a result, he has inspired a number of organizations and other entities, a number of which are named for him. - [Cincinnatus</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnatus]Cincinnatus”>Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus - Wikipedia))</p>
<p>You must have only hung around Officer’s country, Mr. Barrons. A Marine Sergeant will tell you his rank means one who serves in latin. I considered myself a public servant while on active duty. That’s at least two exceptions to anyone.</p>
<p>Actually my father was a 33 year enlisted man and a Master Sergeant who is now buried at Arlington. There is a difference in connotation between public service and public servant.</p>
<p>Mr. Barrons,</p>
<p>My thanks for your father’s service and my condolences regarding his loss. One can agree that the best word is patriot for a man like him.</p>
<p>I don’t want to belabor the point, the dictionary defines Public Servant as such: [Public</a> servant - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary](<a href=“http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20servant]Public”>Public servant Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster)</p>
<p>You can your view and I can have mine. I must say again that after reading up on the man, a politician is definitely the most appropriate description.</p>
<p>At least some positive news regarding the university president poverty pledges is out there:</p>
<p>[Valparaiso</a> University president pledges 5% of pay to poverty - 13 WTHR Indianapolis](<a href=“http://www.wthr.com/story/18160487/valparaiso-university-preisident-pledges-5-of-pay-to-poverty]Valparaiso”>http://www.wthr.com/story/18160487/valparaiso-university-preisident-pledges-5-of-pay-to-poverty)</p>