OU President Gallogly

[soonerheart]

He is wealthy and ran private corporations... of course it makes him an expert on higher education.

And yes, Boren did clash with the tea party like citizens of this state. Thank God. We and Mississippi will be the last two states turning out that ultra red light.

JG was hired by like minded people who in many cases have very significant business experience of their own… They were appointed by the states governor who was elected by the people….This is a direct reflection of the views and opinions of a significant majority of this state’s population… Like it or not.

Gallogys desire to double OU’s research and to make OU an economic engine for the state is supported by many in state government and by many key OU donors.

Fiscal responsibility and accountability of any state agency and its employees is a very fundamental core value of good management… As you can see OU is nearly one billion in debt. Boren’s debt and poor management will hinder OU for some time to come?

[mugofbeer]

There will never, ever, be a person who can come in as a University President and make everyone happy. Changes were apparently necessary regarding the financial oversight of the school and this probably is rubbing some of the good ol' boys the wrong way. Donors will be gained and donors will be lost. lts inevitable. lf there is truly a problem, like with Trump, it will be very apparent before long. He was hired to bust some butts but this will soon stop once the finances are under control.

[Pete]

JG was hired by like minded people who in many cases have very significant business experience of their own… They were appointed by the states governor who was elected by the people….This is a direct reflection of the views and opinions of a significant majority of this state’s population… Like it or not.

Yes, because all elected and appointed officials are infalable and perfect for their jobs.

No mistakes are ever made, no sense in keeping tabs on them or continuing to monitor their activities or even having an opinion. Just go along with the rich and powerful once they are in place.

[Pete]

Fiscal responsibility and accountability of any state agency and its employees is a very fundamental core value of good management… As you can see OU is nearly one billion in debt. Boren’s debt and poor management will hinder OU for some time to come?

And you think this because one man with zero experience in this field told you.

Did you know that OSU has almost the same amount of debt? Did you know that this debt amount is common among universities of a similar size?


ALL businesses carry debt. That in itself is not a bad thing, especially at historically low interest rates. And again a reminder that Boren also built a $1.65 billion endowment and has tons of new buildings and assets to show for the spending. It's not like he just irresponsibly squandered it.

It's completely disengenuous to only talk about debt without any sort of context.


I agree it was time for Boren to go and to do things differently. But bashing Boren after 23 years of great accomplishments over these few points -- without giving him credit for all the great accomplishments -- clearly indicates an agenda and people should at least be honest about it.

[OKCretro]

During the realignment talks Boren did not look out for what was best for the university of oklahoma, instead he went into politician mode and now OU is stuck in a junk conference.

I will definitely critize Gallogy if/when he gives Steve Russell a high paying job at the health science center like Boren did for a political who lost their respective election

[Rover]

JG was hired by like minded people who in many cases have very significant business experience of their own… They were appointed by the states governor who was elected by the people….This is a direct reflection of the views and opinions of a significant majority of this state’s population… Like it or not.

Gallogys desire to double OU’s research and to make OU an economic engine for the state is supported by many in state government and by many key OU donors.

Fiscal responsibility and accountability of any state agency and its employees is a very fundamental core value of good management… As you can see OU is nearly one billion in debt. Boren’s debt and poor management will hinder OU for some time to come?

What a spin. Smh

[jonny d]

Hopefully some of the more recent spending sprees Boren endorsed pay off! But the residential colleges need to get more kids!

[Rover]

Hopefully some of the more recent spending sprees Boren endorsed pay off! But the residential colleges need to get more kids!

Gallogy looks as the residential colleges like he would an apartment complex. Completely fails to see the values. It is p&l and short term... like a business.

[soonerheart]

Yes, because all elected and appointed officials are infalable and perfect for their jobs.

No mistakes are ever made, no sense in keeping tabs on them or continuing to monitor their activities or even having an opinion. Just go along with the rich and powerful once they are in place.

As is the case with you… and anyone reading this thread and it was also the case with OU’s BOR who were often handpicked Boren yes people who seldom ask the tough questions of accountability.

We are dealing with humans who are in a powerful public position. Of course they should held accountable, receive scrutiny and be transparent… that is already occurring far more so than Boren ever was until his last few years .

The coddling days are over. This reflects the will of the OU BOR… Do your job well and they will keep you…. or find something else for you.

Yes everyone knows about the OSU debt. Key difference is their BOR are kept well informed and apparently have a sound easy to decipher accounting system which would make a lot of sense since they have a banker in charge.

The OU accounting system under Boren was reported to be very convoluted even to very experience eyes. It’s why Gallogly fired the people in charge of it in his first hours on the job. There has been speculation that it was operated in a way that deliberately made it hard to figure out for the OU BOR.

Again the OU BOR is fully on board with Gallogly…They anticipated and are well prepared to accept the types of reactions that you and others have had over these changes…They know they will led to long term OU improvement.

[soonerheart]

During the realignment talks Boren did not look out for what was best for the university of oklahoma, instead he went into politician mode and now OU is stuck in a junk conference.

^This is true in the eyes of many OU people... that Boren would not do what was best for OU in conference realignment. The question remains why?

Boren spoke publicly about his affinity for OSU and his personal OSU connections….But his job was to put these feelings aside and position OU in its best possible place, independent of OSU, yet he would not do that it when matted…This caused further harm to Boren and OU and left OU stuck in a self-admitted disadvantaged conference that he had a very large hand in creating. Plenty of OU people feel like Boren was coddling the pokes at OU’s expense…when OU could have basically moved to any major conference it desired.

Boren also very publicly embarrassed OU when the PAC refused to take OU with OSU…the folks in Texas had a great laugh at this.

It seems likely that OU will be moving in a few years either to the SEC or Big Ten.

[soonerheart]

Gallogy looks as the residential colleges like he would an apartment complex. Completely fails to see the values. It is p&l and short term... like a business.

Just as it should be when you’re nearly a billion dollars in debt and its still growing….
What are your solutions?

I have wondered if eventually some of the space could not be turned into condos or hotel space. IDK

[Rover]

Just as it should be when you’re nearly a billion dollars in debt and its still growing….
What are your solutions?

I have wondered if eventually some of the space could not be turned into condos or hotel space. IDK

So apparently you don’t understand either.

You keep quoting the billion without any understanding or context. Just like Trump... keep promoting a misconception or lie and hope if you say it enough everyone starts believing. Pete tried to correct you misrepresentation but you are relentless. Borden must have stolen you cookie and milk.

[jonny d]

Saw where OU is going to be paying the fees for OHLAP students. So a lot of them are going tuition and fee free! I think this is awesome, and a much better use of OU resources. The article was a NewsOK exclusive, so I do not think linking it will do much good.

[Dob Hooligan]

^This is true in the eyes of many OU people... that Boren would not do what was best for OU in conference realignment. The question remains why?

Boren spoke publicly about his affinity for OSU and his personal OSU connections….But his job was to put these feelings aside and position OU in its best possible place, independent of OSU, yet he would not do that it when matted…This caused further harm to Boren and OU and left OU stuck in a self-admitted disadvantaged conference that he had a very large hand in creating. Plenty of OU people feel like Boren was coddling the pokes at OU’s expense…when OU could have basically moved to any major conference it desired.

Boren also very publicly embarrassed OU when the PAC refused to take OU with OSU…the folks in Texas had a great laugh at this.

It seems likely that OU will be moving in a few years either to the SEC or Big Ten.

OU is bound to OSU and that is the will of the people of the state of Oklahoma. University of Texas is bound to OU and that is the will of both states and ESPN/Longhorn Network. OU has done very well in Playoff qualifying since the realignment craze. OSU has done much better than UT in football since realignment.
I would argue that the schools that fled OU (Nebraska and Missouri) have done poorly since leaving, and the school that fled UT (Texas A&M) has stayed the same. It pays to link with the Crimson and Cream.
All powerful UT couldn’t join the Big 12 until they promised Texas governor Ann Richards they would take Baylor with them.

[Pete]

When you receive a ton of money from the state legislature, you don't want to piss them off by kicking the other state school to the curb.

Boren was a Rhodes Scholar and by all accounts a brilliant man. He also held very high national positions and was universally respected.

That doesn't mean he was always right but it's ridculous to assume that he wouldn't act in what he thought was in the best interest of the university just because you don't understand all factors involved.

[Geographer]

David Boren completely transformed the University for the better. He was a master at cultivating interest in the University and it translated into a MUCH higher endowment figure and new infrastructural investments on campus (and, frankly, throughout the City of Norman).

It's amazing that so many of you are wanting to throw him under the bus. Give me D-Bo every day of the week. As a (recent) OU alum, I was inspired by his leadership that I donated (a little) on a regular basis to my College at the University. Now? Not so much - no longer inspired by the person in the office. If you don't think Gallogly's rhetoric and demeanor isn't having a negative effect on the University and its alums, you're sadly mistaken.

[Rover]

So now we are getting to the source of the “outrage” re Boren. It isn’t about the state of finances(which are not accurately portrayed), or about academics, but rather FOOTBALL. The anger is about not joining the SEC. LOL.

As a state, we will only be taken seriously when we get as angry about academics as we do about sports. While sports has certainly been good for OU, it is still just a game, whereas cultivating our next generations of leaders is LIFE.

[dankrutka]

I'm just going to add that there is a long, long history of business people thinking they know better than everyone else how to do education... and there's a long history of failure. If you come in thinking you can rule by decree at a university, you're going to fail. It's really important Gallogly is a clear communicator and good listener. From my understanding, beyond any disagreements, Boren always had a good relationship with faculty. He understood the work and actually taught a class once a year. People really underestimate how important all this is because if faculty lose faith in the adminstration, see them as cutting university resources, or feel out of the loop - they'll either fight back or leave. Either is really bad for a university. There are universities across the country and retaining and recruiting your best faculty is largely dependent on the direction of the university. Has Gallogly considered how bad it looks for retention and recruitment to state that the university is in a financial crisis? That's not the headlines a university wants and I would argue as big of a mistake as any Boren ever made. I am not on the inside and I don't know enough to know how Gallogly is handling this, but coming in an not being "afraid to offend" people is not the ways people at universities tend to work.

[soonerheart]

OU is bound to OSU and that is the will of the people of the state of Oklahoma. University of Texas is bound to OU and that is the will of both states and ESPN/Longhorn Network. OU has done very well in Playoff qualifying since the realignment craze. OSU has done much better than UT in football since realignment.
I would argue that the schools that fled OU (Nebraska and Missouri) have done poorly since leaving, and the school that fled UT (Texas A&M) has stayed the same. It pays to link with the Crimson and Cream.
All powerful UT couldn’t join the Big 12 until they promised Texas governor Ann Richards they would take Baylor with them.

By state law and our states constitution OU and OSU are not bound as far as CR goes. This was changed in the early 1940’s to prevent political interference with our states universities. Our state laws prevent what Ann Richards and other Texas politicians did to force Baylor and Texas Tech on the Big 12. OU is not legally bound to UT or the Big 12 past the grant of rights. All that is legally required for OU to leave the Big 12 is the universities presidents’ approval and a simple majority vote by the OU BOR.

It’s becoming increasingly clear the new TV contracts would likely put OU at a significant money disadvantage if OU stayed in the Big 12 when compared to the Big Ten and SEC and their much larger fan bases and TV viewers.

At one point Boren indicated this would be one of the items that would cause OU to leave the Big 12. Boren indicated OU could not stay nationally competitive over the long term if the difference in conference distributions became too great….It looks like that’s where this is headed….?

There are other factors to consider such as stability and increased academic / research collaboration opportunities.

[soonerheart]

So apparently you don’t understand either.

You keep quoting the billion without any understanding or context. Just like Trump... keep promoting a misconception or lie and hope if you say it enough everyone starts believing. Pete tried to correct you misrepresentation but you are relentless. Borden must have stolen you cookie and milk.

I ask you for solutions. It doesn’t appear you have any….but to deride the efforts of those who have great track records of success… Boren did a very good job of operating and advancing OU IMO until his last 10 years or so…..

You do know that Boren had never been a university president before he became OU’s president. Yet you and others won’t give this guy time enough to see how he transforms the university. This IMO is exceptionally closed minded!!!!!

Very clearly the OU BOR and other key people who have track records of success believe this is the correct long term path for OU and for our state.

There are very real economic reasons why these very successful business minds see a need for OU research to become an economic engine for the state. This also includes key people in state government. They want to build a more innovative state economy.

It will require the correct asset allocation of limited resources

[jonny d]

I ask you for solutions. It doesn’t appear you have any….but to deride the efforts of those who have great track records of success… Boren did a very good job of operating and advancing OU IMO until his last 10 years or so…..

You do know that Boren had never been a university president before he became OU’s president. Yet you and others won’t give this guy a chance to see how he transforms the university. This IMO is exceptionally closed minded!!!!!

Very clearly the OU BOR and other key people who have track records of success believe this is the correct long term path for OU and for our state.

There are very real economic reasons why these very successful business minds see a need for OU research to become an economic engine for the state. This also includes key people in state government.

It will require the correct asset allocation of limited resources

Scared money don't make money. If OU wants to become a major research institution and help the economy, they will have to spend money.

[Rover]

I ask you for solutions. It doesn’t appear you have any….but to deride the efforts of those who have great track records of success… Boren did a very good job of operating and advancing OU IMO until his last 10 years or so…..

You do know that Boren had never been a university president before he became OU’s president. Yet you and others won’t give this guy time enough to see how he transforms the university. This IMO is exceptionally closed minded!!!!!

Very clearly the OU BOR and other key people who have track records of success believe this is the correct long term path for OU and for our state.

There are very real economic reasons why these very successful business minds see a need for OU research to become an economic engine for the state. This also includes key people in state government. They want to build a more innovative state economy.

It will require the correct asset allocation of limited resources

Research money is great when it comes with no strings. When corporations use it to advance narrow agendas that benefit their shareholders it is an appropriation of state resources to do what they should do themselves ... invest in R&D. Gallogy will turn OU into a university for hire. That is way different than developing academics and leadership. This naive radical right belief in the purity of corporate type governance is just silly.

Boren’s Understanding and passion for academics was understood from the start. Gallogy’s political leaning and profit seeking is also understood from his start. He has no plan for academic excellence because he doesn’t understand it nor is it a real priority.

BTW, the BOR IS political, so if the law is supposed to shield that, it fails.

Sorry the football thing rubs you wrong. Maybe you and Gallogy will just try to spin the team off as a pro franchise. Could probably get money for it. Forbes says it is worth $1 billion or so. That would retire your debt issue. Lol.

[bluedogok]

How the debt is structured is more important overall than how much debt they or any corporation has, cash flow is king. If it is mainly long term debt like bonds and such with reasonable pay back terms then it isn't as huge of a concern as short term debt and balloon payments. That is what has killed many corporations, they finance expansion like mergers/buyouts with short term debt and underestimate the time to generate enough revenues to satisfy the payment structure.

[David]

From the response to the debt excitement that Boren put out:

"While true that OU's indebtedness is large, it is bonded indebtedness for physical facilities," Boren said Wednesday.

"Bonds are used very carefully to finance facilities that are needed for our core mission and to avoid deferred maintenance on aging facilities. Private gifts have been raised to cover a substantial part of the cost of these projects," he said.

"OU's required annual debt service payments represent only approximately 6 percent of its total operating revenue. Neither its total debt outstanding nor its underlying funding sources are unusual."

Which is why I consider Gallogy to be basely unethical in how he is conducting himself.

[soonerheart]

I haven’t been told anything but my thought is Gallogly will be OU's president for about 5 to 7 years.

After that OU may hire a more traditional president….?

In that time OU will be put on a path of sound financial management.

There are several projects and ideas in various stages of development that will go a long way toward OU’s goal of doubling its research. Gallogly has indicated that doubling OU’s research was about the only thing standing in the way of OU becoming an AAU like quality university.

STEM education will be further enhanced everywhere in our state…This will help OU and the state with the goal of building a more innovative diversified state economy.

There are time limits on how long we can depend on the oil & NG production in our state….In the not too distant future its production numbers will begin to decline and become a less and less important factor in our state.
We all know we need to invest in our state for time when we can no longer depend on our states oil & NG for jobs and tax revenue. Nobody knows this better than people who have been directly involved in our states oil & NG industries.

Over the decades this industry has been a huge source of OU donations and of OU fan attendance. It is very fortunate that we now have leaders at several levels who fully understand this and are willing to act in visionary long term ways.

I have heard when compared to AAU universities there are currently far too few OU professors by percentage active in research and that this number will be going up….Making people produce more has been a huge source of many gripes & complaints about Gallogly….My bet is OU will see many professors retiring and a few resigning while making a lot noise.

Gallogly has indicated OU will prioritize high end human capital by hiring and retaining researches with great ability….and that they will eventually become much better compensated.

The payoff are the spin offs that we see in the private economy….The private development that has sprung up near OU’s HSC serves as an example… To Boren’s great credit he helped create what we now see at and near the OUHSC and with the weather industry in Norman.

I believe the odds are fairly high that OU moves to a new conference. My guess is since it’s a belter fit for academia and those interested in research they will want OU the Big Ten. The Big Ten also has the largest athletic distributions that appear to be headed in a direction that will make their distributions many millions more than what OU could ever hope to make in the "disadvantaged Big 12" even with the Fox third tier deal. Some of this additional money could eventually easily find its way to OU academic programs.

Amazon with its deep pockets are now becoming involved with sports which will likely be a big driver of TV contract prices.