E Gordon Gee became the president of Brown University in 1998. In his own words, “I see myself staying at this university for 8 to 10 years and then retiring.”
Bullshit! Earlier this spring, E. Gordon Gee announced that he was leaving Brown to become the head of Vanderbilt Unviersity.
Why? Good old Gee claims that Brown, “Isn’t the right fit.” Oh really?!?!?! Or is it that the (prepare to insert Austin Powers voice) $1,000,000 salary, a raise of several hundred thousand dollars, and a tenured professorial position for his wife could be a frickin’ better fit.
What a schmuck. I am just sickened. Where I grew up, if you give your word, you keep it. If not, there had better be a damn good reason.
You know what the worst thing is? He’ll still get job offers after Vanderbilt even though he has crappy ethics.
Based on your quote, it doesn’t sound like he gave his word to anything. Sounds like Brown screwed up pretty royally, underpaying him, then not doing anything to retain him.
Hell, it wouldn’t be the “right fit” for me either. (Or, I suspect, for you either).
He was in the middle of his contract. My understanding is that when you sign a contract, you are giving your word.
And his salary at Brown wasn’t anything to sniffle at. He got more than $500,000 dollars in salary and benefits. The first month he was here, Brown allowed him to put a $100,000 addition onto the kitchen in the Presidential House…at Brown’s expense.
Maybe I didn’t explain this well. No, I definitely didn’t.
This all started when Gee was serving as a special outsider on the Presidential Search committee for Vanderbilt. In the course of working with them, he somehow became the focus of their pursuit. When Brown learned of this, they asked him to stop. He agreed, but then continued to negotiate with Vanderbilt in secret, all the while telling his fellow administrators at Brown that he was staying. Liar. Pure and simple.
I said he left in the spring. I should have added on that he left in the middle of the semester. By doing this and giving no warning, he screwed Brown over. Most presidential committees take a year to finalize their chocie for that position. High and dry folks…
Oh, and during the interview in which he announced this (at Vanderbilt and not at Brown I might add) he uttered the words, “I have a rendevouz with responsibility.”
Grendel69: I don’t know any particulars beyond what you’ve provided, but based on what you’ve said, I agree.
Sure, more money was dangled in front of him. But in business or the academy, integrity is the same. It’s understandable that he was bought out, but it sure isn’t admirable.
Very loosely paraphrasing the old Winston Churchill chestnut, now the price of his virtue is known.
I was already out of OSU before Gee came in, around 1990 I think, so I have to admit I really didn’t pay much attention to him. From what I can remember reading in the papers, he was fairly popular. I’d agree with you and Grendel69: “He comes off as a politician.”