I know that there are other threads about this but I wanted to share with everyone the letter I just sent to Chancellor Dubois this morning. The full text is below and I would encourage everyone to do the same. Change will not happen if he and the other leaders are not concerned about the engagement of our fan base and alumni.
Dear Chancellor Dubois -
I hope that this email finds you well and that it is not the first of it’s kind you have received over the past few weeks. I am writing to you directly as a alumnus of UNC Charlotte and fan of the Charlotte 49ers to say that it’s time for a change. Our Men’s Basketball team has fallen to a level I once never thought possible. Especially not considering our past success and many advancements academically & athletically in recent years.
I came to UNC Charlotte as a Freshman in the summer of 1998 and it turned out to the be one of the best choices of my life and I will forever by a 49er at heart. Not only did this University shape me as a student and a man, but I met some of the most wonderful people while in school including my wife. Both of us are from North Carolina and grew up watching and attending games of the various ACC schools but as we found ourselves enrolled at UNC Charlotte, we did what any passionate student would do, we shunned those other schools and became Niners.
For several years after graduation we continued to attend basketball games as often as possible even after we moved over two hours away for my wife’s career. I remember driving down and back on Wednesday nights just to get a chance to see the Niners in action. As a 25 year old graduate I made sure I budgeted to give money to my school and the Athletics program to ensure I would be a part of all of the many great things to come.
Today, I am 35 years old and I fit perfectly into the sweet-spot for the Alumni Association and the Foundation:
a) I live and work in Charlotte
b) I am entering my peak earning years
c) I am involved in the community
d) I am still a loyal Charlotte alumnus & fan.
However, over there past five years I have watched our flagship program be driven into the ground and my concern is that there is no plan for correcting this or that the right people are in place to do that effectively. You know the facts, but it has been 10 years since we made an appearance in the NCAA tournament and the coaching change that seemed so promising in 2010 just hasn’t worked out. Coach Major has recruited local talent and dealt with player issues with an iron fist but on the court his teams have never fully matured or achieved the level of success that is expected at Charlotte.
It’s time for a change and that may mean more than replacing the head coach and his staff. The entire Athletics department should be under review for these failures and we cannot allow the addition of Football to paint a picture of success. The fact is that we have graduates of this University that spent four years on campus and have left without knowing the success that we experienced from 1995-2005. How engaged do you expect them to be? Do you think that any 25 year old graduate is buying tickets and coming back to campus? Do you expect them to be back at 35 or 45? Maybe they do come back for other reasons but it will not be for Men’s Basketball unless a change is made and the issues in our program are addressed quickly.
I know that you have many priorities for this University and I am so proud of the growth and expansion we have seen in the past decade but I hope that our Athletics department and specifically the Men’s Basketball program are a top concern for you and your staff this Spring.
You may be right Lew. I am not expecting a response from him or someone on his staff but the letter will be read and if he was to get hundreds of these it would only further the case that something needs to be done. My rank and giving levels are not astounding but not bad either.
Ironically the last time I sent a letter it was to Judy regarding all of the transfers. I was concerned about the direction of the program and shot off an email late one Friday. She called me directly before 5pm to discuss my concerns. She at least knows who I am so she took the time to call, but again, I did not right this looking for a response. I wrote this hoping to be one of many.
I assume you are saying this will be CHP’s response?[/quote]
it has been before[/quote]
I am aware of that, and it bothers me that he responds with crap like that instead of addressing the real issues.[/quote]
I decided to not add any statement of “this will be his response” or “he sent this to me” because literally, that was the response. Nothing more, nothing less.
Chancellors work for the school, which includes the students and the alum. If a chancellor was being as rude to donors at a school where the alumni had control of the school, like so many do, he would be gone. I’m not saying because of one instance.
The fact isz the repeated pattern yall have gotten regarding responses from the top official in the university is appalling and embarrassing.
He should either have a canned, no-response type response that is respectful, or forward all inquiries to the ad. How he is handling is juvenile and extremely unprofessional.
[quote=“Ninercentral, post:12, topic:29460”]Chancellors work for the school, which includes the students and the alum. If a chancellor was being as rude to donors at a school where the alumni had control of the school, like so many do, he would be gone. I’m not saying because of one instance.
The fact isz the repeated pattern yall have gotten regarding responses from the top official in the university is appalling and embarrassing.
He should either have a canned, no-response type response that is respectful, or forward all inquiries to the ad. How he is handling is juvenile and extremely unprofessional.[/quote]
Can you name even one Chancellor that has ever lost a job solely because of a snarky email? you asserted that “this would get a Chancellor fired at some schools.” Name one.
Sorry, but Phil has done a truly outstanding job as Chancellor of UNC Charlotte during a period of incredible turmoil in the system. The school is growing, raising money, and thriving when most of the other schools in the system are struggling to just stay afloat. To start implying that people should start going to the media because of a snarky email is just BS.
[quote=“Ninerdawg, post:13, topic:29460”][quote=“Ninercentral, post:12, topic:29460”]Chancellors work for the school, which includes the students and the alum. If a chancellor was being as rude to donors at a school where the alumni had control of the school, like so many do, he would be gone. I’m not saying because of one instance.
The fact isz the repeated pattern yall have gotten regarding responses from the top official in the university is appalling and embarrassing.
He should either have a canned, no-response type response that is respectful, or forward all inquiries to the ad. How he is handling is juvenile and extremely unprofessional.[/quote]
Can you name even one Chancellor that has ever lost a job solely because of a snarky email? you asserted that “this would get a Chancellor fired at some schools.” Name one.
Sorry, but Phil has done a truly outstanding job as Chancellor of UNC Charlotte during a period of incredible turmoil in the system. The school is growing, raising money, and thriving when most of the other schools in the system are struggling to just stay afloat. To start implying that people should start going to the media because of a snarky email is just BS.[/quote]
The snarky responses are not a fireable offense, but I think we should all be able to agree that they are a naive and unbecoming strategy for dealing with criticism. Let’s just leave it at that and move on.
I assume you are saying this will be CHP’s response?[/quote]
it has been before[/quote]
When was it before? To whom? Can you quote us the mail to which this was “CHP’s” response? Also, before I jump in to blister his a**, I’d like to have some proof that it was, in fact, a response from UNCC’s Chancellor rather than from some troll, especially if it were ‘published’ on here first. that article could have been resent from anyone.
com’on, guys. the guy might be a jerk. he might be incompetent. the entire AD might be so senile and completely incompetent they couldn’t hit re-dial, and the coaching staff might not know offense from defense, but doesn’t there have to be at least some semblance of reason and justice here?
i’ve come over to the “dark” side that thinks the evidence is in. but i was alive when the last lynching happened in my state. and i’m embarrassed.
got off on a tangent there. forgive me. my entire point is this: when you’re ready to mount your horse, make sure you have the real facts. and make sure your butthurt is no more than the sail and NOT the rudder!
Correction. I looked back at email. I emailed him, he responded, day later I got email with just link. I never meant for this to be upsetting, I’ve just found it odd. I’ve actually been a fan of his to be honest, he’ll go down as the #2 person in the history of this schoo behind Cone IMO.