ASU Says "We Blew It," Alumni Rescind Donations

The Arizona State University community is expressing anger and embarrassment in response to ASU's decision not to award President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he gives the commencement speech there next month. An ASU spokesperson now confesses, "we blew it," and concedes that the university likely would have conferred the honorary degree, but once it became a controversy, ASU administrators were too worried about appearing insincere.

When the news hit last week that ASU would not honor Obama with a customary honorary degree when he addresses the graduating class, the Huffington Post asked for people with ties to ASU to email their reactions. A couple hundred members of the university's community (students, alumni, staff, and faculty) submitted their personal thoughts.

Nearly every email expressed shame over the decision made by their alma mater. One alumnus, Dr. Neil Francis, wrote from Thailand to say he will no longer wear his Arizona State University ball cap -- even halfway around the world. Several said that they did not believe the story when they first heard it: they thought the story was a satirical news piece or a holdover from April Fool's Day.

Many Huffington Post readers wrote in to say that they would be withholding donations. Some said they would even remove endowments from their wills. The detrimental effect that this debacle will almost certainly have on fundraising could not come at a worse time, since the state legislature has recently enacted major funding cuts.

Dianne Safford writes:

I have given to the school every year since graduation--and planned to bequeath money upon my death. All that has changed. In fact, I have asked for credits for money I gave to two scholarship programs just last month. I won't resume giving until [university President] Michael Crow resigns.

Bridget Quinsley says:

My husband earned his doctorate from ASU and has been making regular financial contributions throughout the years. We are both very upset that ASU is snubbing our President in this way. My husband has emailed the President of ASU to let him know that we will not be making any further financial contributions to the University and eliminate a legacy in our wills. We believe this was a politically motivated action and totally out of line.

Susan Trueblood, who also has two degrees from ASU, had a similar message for the university:

This decision has humiliated me personally and embarrassed the State of Arizona and the faculty and students of the university. It is shocking and actually absurd to say that the sitting President of the United States and a man who has authored two best sellers, been President of the Harvard Law Review and has broken a racial barrier that I never believed I would see in my lifetime, is not accomplished enough to receive an Honorary Degree when he speaks at the 2009 commencement. I will not donate to ASU until Michael Crow is gone. I will continue to donate to Arizona Higher Education but will shift my donations to the University of Arizona.

Among a couple hundred submissions to the Huffington Post, those in support of ASU's decision not to award the honorary degree were in the single digits -- and about half of those voiced conspiracy-related complaints about Obama.

Even Republicans wrote in to say that ASU should give Obama the honorary degree. The theme centers around fairness. Those who are not Obama supporters say that ASU should not have invited Obama to address the graduating class if they were not prepared to give him the traditional honorary degree. Some even said they disagree with the tradition of giving honorary degrees but argued that if the university gives them to anyone, then Obama must surely qualify.

Darlene Treese, who has three degrees from ASU (a bachelors and two masters) wrote:

From looking over the list of past recipients, it's apparent that "your rules have changed" and you have politicized the university into a laughing stock of true academia and belittled the efforts of your alumni. I am totally embarrassed to be affiliated with ASU and find after examining "your body of work" that all future support of ASU is - to use your words - "totally inappropriate".

Some questioned the motives of Saturday's announcement that ASU would honor Obama by renaming the ASU Advantage program, a scholarship for low income students, the President Barack Obama Scholars program. Carl Schuh, a doctoral candidate in the ASU Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, says renaming an existing scholarship program is good but not enough.

ASU and the state's other two universities are politically progressive, unlike Arizona itself. Unfortunately, once again, because of ASU's bureaucratic ineptitude, Arizona is perceived as racist and ignorant. It is the responsibility of ASU President Michael M. Crow to make a dramatic speech reversing what appears to be the university's stance on not honoring the President of the United States.

Although the ASU community is angry and embarrassed over the brouhaha, there is also a consensus that -- whether snub or snafu -- the incident will not affect Obama. Even so, students, staff, faculty, and parents want Obama to know that they honor his presidency. Quite a few alumni wrote to Huffington Post to say they are mailing copies of their diplomas to university President Michael Crow and asking him to give them to Obama. A local columnist reportedly heard the same. A few are emailing diplomas directly to the White House. According to well connected student politicos at ASU, this is not a concerted effort, but rather independent activity on behalf of a large number of like-minded individuals.

ASU now says they have not yet made a decision whether to confer an honorary degree on Obama, but he may receive a diploma (or several) when he gives the commencement address at ASU regardless -- the diplomas will just have other people's names on them.

Comments

[pandag]

ASU isn't the only source of those who would foster division and intolerance. Witness this email I got the other day from someone in Arizona:

Subject: Fwd: Senior Health care

Let the old folks die, don't waste money on treatment, let's run a
little lethal injection thru the veins of D.C. Most of you know by now that the Senate version (at least) of the "stimulus" bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for
senior citizens. The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle was credited today by Bloomberg with the
following statement. Bloomberg: "Daschle says health-care reform "will not be
pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come
with age instead of treating them." If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that
Senators and Congressmen have their own healthcare plan that is first dollar
or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed the remainder of their lives and
are not subject to this new law if it passes. Please use the power of the Internet to get this message out. Talk it up at the grassroots level. We have an election coming up in one year and
nine months. We have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration and it allies have begun and in the interim, we can make their lives miserable. Let's do it! If you disagree, don't do anything

[angel718]

I bet you ASU leadership would have given Sarah Palin that degree...hands down. This was definitely a lack of common sense...you don't need a bunch of degrees to figure that out. I believe there were some personal bias' in this decision...they didnt take into consideration how this would affect the alums, faculty, and students...or probably some big backdoor donors were controlling the decision....what a disgrace

[Brian Laesch]

I'm an ASU alum. You people claiming "hatred" and "racism" are absolutely nuts. While I will admit that I am embarrassed that we did not offer Obama an honorary degree, based on the history of commencement speakers who received them, I can't believe the conversation going on here. You guys watch too much Keith Olbermann, and read too much Huffington Post. Go do something in the real world. Stop going on websites, calling the entire state racist, and trying to figure out ways that the federal government can conspire to take ASU down. It's absolutely insane. People are not perfect. Mistakes are made. Get over it--just like Keith Olberman should get over his beef with the Bush administration and look forward. Get a life!

[CeeAyy]

What was the mistake that was made? This was not an accident. It was a conscious choice not to give an honorary degree. It was definitely a political choice. From what I've seen of Arizona and a small number of the students of ASU it may be related to race as well. I don't know, but it's possible. Don't say that it's nuts... it's definitely possible and some would say likely. You may not like to admit it but racism is alive and well. While I am sure that it was political, again, it my have been related to race as well. You're Republican and apparently you believe that all Republicans are colorblind. If only... Most of the racists I know are Republicans, not that all Republicans are racist.

[Stuart Lindsay]

So who is the unnamed "ASU spokesperson" who "now confesses, "we blew it," and concedes that the university likely would have conferred the honorary degree"? It is the policy of the University not to award honorary degress to US political figures in office or to potential donors. Your mystery spokesperson is etiher not a real "spokesperson" or is unaware of university policy (or both).

[Debra White]

Why donate to a university that has a poor history of mistreatment against African Americans? ASU won't fess up but it's easy to uncover the truth about Crow's bad boy behavior.

[Z-Liberator]

Arizona in general is a backward state (R) bet you anything Crow supported McCain. He has to step down ASU is highly advanced in technology however Crow is holding it back!

[swe123]

You're right. Crow donated 2,000 to McCain's campaign.

[motoGpifupleez]

ASU is in Arizona, the LAST of the 50 States to recognize MLK day. Their actions were no "accident". Their "apology" came only after being shamed by the entire nation. I can handle bigotry, as long s the bigot is willing to "Man Up" and own their bigotry in the public square.
Hold your "Clenched Fists" high ASU, and chant along with Rush, "We hope America Fails"!

[J G H]

I think that no honorary degrees should be offered to sitting presidents. I voted for Obama and feel he has done a fantastic amount in a short time, but he has at least more than three, hopefully seven more years to go. Honorary degrees, especially from institutions with no connection to the President, smack of a publicity stunt at best and seeking tfavorable treatment at worst. If Obama can achieve his goals, there he will deserve all the honors that can be awarded, and that will be the time to award them.

[psbintl]

You are way off target!

Bestowing an honorary degree for President Obama should be based on what he has already accomplished, even prior to being elected POTUS!

If he was not good enough to merit the same honorary degree other commencement speakers have merited then he should never have been asked to speak in the first place!

[rob2007]

I take it then you were among the hundreds protesting Yale's decision in 2001 to bestow G.W. Bush with an honorary degree?

[azwildcat78]

He should come to Tucson..The Uof A would proudly give him an honorary degree!

[blindjester]

If degrees were conferred by vote, I think we Sun Devils would have already awarded him one without all this fuss. Unfortunately, they didn't ask my opinion.

As too often happens with our leaders, they let us down.

Your unstated point is well-taken, though: Arizona would be better off if Phoenix were as blue as Tucson.

And my beautiful neighborhood might be less creepy...

[1differentdrummer]

I wonder what an audit of federally funded ASU programs would show. Maybe the feds had better look a little more carefully at ASU proposals and applications, they seem weak academically.

[1differentdrummer]

Actually that was a cheap shot and I apologize. ASU must be a fine university but it has a prez who needs to find another field of endeavor. He must truly embarrass intelligent students, faculty and alums.

[Compgeek]

I just found out through the campaign donation site that President of ASU, Chair of the Foundation, and senior administrators at ASU have given money to the campaign of John McCain, Sen John Kyle R-AZ, and Congressman Jeff Flake R-AZ. Crowe, under his wife name gave the max to John McCain for $4600 and also $25,000 to the Victory fund at the RNC.
In August 2007, Sept 2007, President Crowe even hosted a fundraiser for McCain and John Kyle at his university home, which is owned by ASU and the state of Arizona, which is a big no no, since as a state employee and state property, you cannot hold fundraisers.
Most of the Board of Regent are big donors to the RNC, and Freedom Work (the Dick Armey franchise and tea bagger funders).

According to press reports, the ASU student govt invited Obama (which all student gov do) and he chose ASU out of the bunch...it is the administration that is doing all of this, because they are big time Republicans, and with a Republican governor, it won't be investigated.

As a former ASU student leader, we are working on getting a website up and the documentation that we have found (in matter of fact, my girlfriend has one of the invitations for the John Kyle party)

The website should be up soon...www.asuagainstobama.com

Cheers

[citizensrus]

Good for you. Continue to investigate and you will unearth a pandora's box of Republican corruption and influence in Phoenix. But, be careful, there's a lot of power.
I believe you will be shut down based on stories from others who have tried to do the same. Good luck.

[DontBeFoolish]

Why do people think that everything can be brushed under the rug with I'm Sorry. This was a no brainer, and ASU's denial was derived from hatred. It's ok though ASU, we'll give you the pass that you’re looking for. Your true sincerity is already noted.

[1differentdrummer]

Tempe JC?

[Independent voter]

Where is the evidence of hatred?

[weatherwaxx]

"ASU administrators were too worried about appearing insincere."

Being sincerely sorry that their president did something stupid is nothing to be ashamed of. They can't appear any worse than they already do.

[rucognizant]

Don't blame it all on the President of the University. He answered to the BOARD. or is replaced.......... SEN JON KYLE! vCOUNTERPRODUCTIVE OBSTRUCTIONIST SENATOR! On the board!
Maybe this incident will cause Arizonans to vote him out in the next election. That's what is needed!
Thanks for the onfo compogeek!

[veracity88]

We should all look forward to the day when a person's race is an afterthought & when things don't go in their favor it doesn't "smack of racism". One's accomplishments and abilities should be the primary consideration, not the accident of a person's ancestry. Nobody should receive special treatment because of their ethnicity.

[wordvarc]

Obama is internationally loved and admired.
He's no silver spooned legacy child or bought and paid for sycophant of the wealthy which orchestrated the now burst trickle down balloon.
Our current issue is whether or not he and our hopes for change will be overwhelmed by the haters who despise his skin color and his achievements.
ASU made a polarizing choice in their series of statements about Obama.
ASU is forever the state and university that embraced then spurned The President.

[weatherwaxx]

That's absolutely true.

On the other hand - no one should be unfairly discriminated against, either. If ASU thought the first Black Governor of Virginia deserved a degree, how much more the first Black President!

Yes, we SHOULD look forward to the day it doesn't matter - but until that day, we should NOT ignore this kind of insult.

[Independent voter]

Who then should not get an honorary degree? THere's only an insult because you make it so.

[danonchalant1]

And there are few in the world who are as accomplished as President Obama.

[1differentdrummer]

And your point is what?

[johannesrolf]

the point is very clear. it is you that is obtuse.

[Wild West]

ASU president Crow must resign and the leadership group that passed judgment on Obama should be replaced, as an ASU Alumni, this is the only way to remove the doubt of the Universities intolerance, Change we can believe in.

[Fergie1]

No doubt about it, ASU blew it big time. Michael Crow should resign as the buck stops with him.
However, if he resigns before President Obama speaks at the Commencement, this presents a possible embarrassing situation for th POTUS. He should not be put in that position, but ineptitude has its consequences and that's why Michael Crow should "resign" effective say about July 2009. It was a dumb and insulting decision and people should not be in these positions, collecting a comfortable salary and benefits, making large dumb decisions.

[weatherwaxx]

Why should President Obama be embarrassed if Crow resigns because he screwed up? He's not there to talk to Crow, he's there to address the graduating class.

[Fergie1]

Try to think laterally on this and put yourself in the following situation.

By invitation President Obama arrives to address the graduating class (I think I know what a Commencement address is!)
Now pretend that the president (small p) of ASU, Michael Crow, has just resigned, because he made a complete hash of the invitation by his ineptitude. Honestly, how comfortable do you think that whole thing would be? I'm quite sure that President Obama would not want to be the person in the middle of this. Can't you get the picture?
It has nothing to do with "talking" to Crow. Jeesh, think outside the square!