BearMDJD said:LodeBear said:
Ok , will have to find that letter. i read the public one. did not know there was a more extensive letter.
Office of the Chancellor
Dear campus community,
As you may be aware, two more of our Pac-12 peer institutions, Oregon and Washington, have decided to leave the conference one year from now, and there are reports that additional universities may be considering similar steps.
These changes are just the latest developments in the ongoing realignment of the conferences around which intercollegiate athletics are organized; changes that raise serious questions and challenges for Cal Athletics.
We are not watching and waiting from the sidelines. Together, we are evaluating a variety of options that will ensure our student athletes can continue to thrive, and that our intercollegiate athletics program can continue to excel in a manner consistent with our institutional values and budgetary realities.
We recognize and deeply value the singular role Cal Athletics plays in terms of the participatory and educational opportunities it provides to our students, and the way in which it supports the strength, spirit and cohesion of our university's extended community of students, staff, faculty and alumni.
As we review the options before us, these are the attributes we are committed to protect and preserve.
At this point, as complicated conversations and negotiations continue, there is little else we can say without jeopardizing our interests. We are grateful for the continued support of the campus community and the extended Cal family, and will remain committed to sharing as much information as we can in the days ahead.
Fiat Lux and Go Bears!
Carol T. Christ
Chancellor
Jim Knowlton
Director, Intercollegiate Athletics
This message was sent to all UC Berkeley staff, students, and faculty.
Maybe I'm being a little bit too nitpicking here, but two things bug me about this, particularly vs the Washington State notice.
1) Cal's wording:
Washington State's wording:Quote:
We are not watching and waiting from the sidelines.
Washington State's wording indicates foresight and an active stance preparing for all possible outcomes. Cal's wording indicates a very reactionary stance. I have long said that the key to success is anticipation vs reacting. No matter how fast your reaction times are, you will always be slower reacting to something than someone who anticipated it as coming and had a plan for how to deal with it.Quote:
While we had hoped that our membership would remain together, this outcome was always a possibility, and we have been working diligently to determine what is next for Washington State Athletics.
While Washington State's wording is re-assuring that they have been doing everything they can and are prepared for this scenario, Cal's sounds like they got caught with their pants down and are trying to figure out *** to do now.
2) The use of the word "complicated":
There are two reasons to use complicated here, neither of which are very good. The first is they are talking down to us. "These things are really very complicated, you wouldn't understand." That is not very inviting, and given the audience is not a good look.Quote:
At this point, as complicated conversations and negotiations continue, there is little else we can say without jeopardizing our interests.
The second is that they themselves deem it very complicated (i.e. they don't know what they are doing). "Well gosh, this is really complicated, but we're doing our best."
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that they are stating why they cannot be more forthcoming about negotiations at this juncture...but there were better ways to say this.