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UM getting a CEO

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canefrank said:
Haven't seen this posted. The University of Miami is getting a new leader: a CEO. The idea came from the university's de facto chief executive, Julio Frenk, the president, who announced this month that he had tapped the CEO of the university's health system, Joseph J. Echevarria, to take on the new role: CEO of the broader university. The article in The Miami Herald goes on to say that all business units including athletics will report to Mr. Echevarria. Interesting news. Makes all departments accountable, I assume with their own P&L, responsible for each bringing something back to the larger entity where Frenk is still overall President (chairman). More of a top business hierarchy/perspective with education still being KEY, but understanding that the U has many other assets.
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Translation/Message:

I [Frenk] have no idea what it takes to successfully run day-to-day real world operations, but I am smart enough to know I'm a beta academic who needs Echevarria so I can do the big academic thinking like making UM into the Ivy League-esque school of choice for Latin America and overall international students.

Also, really weird inversion of titles between Frenk and Echevarria.

At least he is smart enough to know his limitations and put the right athletes on the field to help him.

BIG PROBLEM LOOMING: BoT ever fire Frenk...now we have an interesting discussion over what incoming President will tolerate Echevarria as sitting "CEO".

My/your beloved alma mater has just been adrift fromma strategic academic standpoint for too long now....
 
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Maybe he can start thinning out some of the useless administration that's developed, and cut some of the costs for tuition. Would make it easier for some of the sports like baseball where the kids have to pay a lot of their own costs.
 
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It's recognition by Frenk that they have very complimentary skillsets, they have work to do, and this also seems like a power sharing arrangement. On the face of it, this seems good for Athletics, but we shall see. The faculty who are complaining won't even report to Echevarria and are way out of line. This position is needed to monetize and drive cash flow so that we can put more money into academics and research. It's time for Miami to be back on the move again after many years on the decline. 10 Years ago if you told me US News would rank us equal with Florida State I would not believe it.
 
I feel like Shalala could have done this too but thought she could handle decisions like hiring Athletic Directors and other things.
 
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Lol @ people thinking Frenck had a say in this. Echeveria is forced on him by the Trustees. Can't fire Frenck because they recently renewed his contract or in the current climate because he's a recognized world health expert. Until COVID is in the rear view, it's a bad look. Frenck will wait out his contract and transition to the WHO after this is done.

For the most part Echeveria is an ******* but an effective ******* who follows what the board wants (after telling them what that is, of course). He's basically an interim CEO at UHealth until the doctor the Board wants there gets more experience for them to justify the transition. Prior CEO got canned following the whole Lamelas mess.

From an athletics perspective, football anyway, we want him there. He gets **** done. He's one of the few people Mario thanked by name at his first press conference. Holding the purse strings of the actual profitable UHealth and being at the helm at UM can only mean good things for athletics.

TL;DR: Board put him there to hold Frenck's hand, but that's good for athletics, too soon to see regarding academics.
 
TheOriginalCane said:
But what if the next president of UM doesn't want to work with the CEO that Frenk hired? This is crazy, we should have hired a new President first, and then let him hire his own CEO. Plus, how will Echevarria be able to work with Alonzo Highsmith looking over his shoulder? Too many alphas...
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It’s a good point
 
jakeman1 said:
Maybe he can start thinning out some of the useless administration that's developed, and cut some of the costs for tuition. Would make it easier for some of the sports like baseball where the kids have to pay a lot of their own costs.
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Even if you cut a ton of administration, tuition costs will NEVER DROP. Why? Because Miami isn't a state school and it costs a ton to run a world class University.

NIL has to happen for baseball, to help offset some of the costs of tuition. They would have to pay out of pocket, but it's better than nothing. That and baseball may be getting a scholarship increase, due to pending legislation. If baseball gets out to 20 scholarships, that would help Miami a ton, because they can start giving out more for each player, and combined with academic and need based FA, it would eliminate the gap.
 
TheEye said:
I feel like Shalala could have done this too but thought she could handle decisions like hiring Athletic Directors and other things.
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This fanbase just won't let these dumbass theories go. Dr. Shalala had a voice in the room in regards to hiring ADs, but it wasn't solely her call. Again, the BOT dropped the ball, they allowed Blake to do what he did, they could have put a stop to it whether Donna liked it or not. It's amazing how the BOT was able to escape accountability for allowing the athletic department to rot, but people that honestly are merely the middlemen(Or woman) in this case, got blamed. Could Dr. Shalala have taken a more active role in athletics? Maybe, but most University Presidents aren't running the athletic department they allow the boosters and administrator in charge(AD), to do what needs to be done, provided they aren't putting the University at risk. The BOT should have gotten with the big boosters and had a legit conversation about WHY Miami was falling behind and fixed it. Period.
 
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