Davenport Fired

[FiremedicVOL127]

Yep. I hope Dr. Joe's replacement is this guy...

President's Bio

and he will name UTK president.

I agree, I hope Noland takes or is offered the job.

 

[Behr]

Yeah...we’ll go with that. Everything’s cool. Nothing to see here.

Aight, smartass. Lulz.

I was just trying to piece it all together in my mind and making sure I understood you.

It still doesn't make sense to me, but carry on.

 

[jpope9]

well regardless on the reasoning, one thing in that letter thats true is her piss poor communication/public speaking skills.

 

[give_him 6]

well regardless on the reasoning, one thing in that letter thats true is her piss poor communication/public speaking skills.

Has it been confirmed that the unsigned letter posted on Saturday Down South is actually legit?

As someone who works in the public this just seems poorly written and without a signature, I have a hard time believing this is the final version that he signed.

 

[fryeguy93]

You don't issue that sort of scathing termination letter unless it's well deserved.

A few conspiracy people will lay this at the feet of the Haslams (I'm hardly a defender) but there's NOTHING political about the DiPietro letter and the timing of this.

She seemed over head after the announcement of her hire and it appears now her major qualification was having two X chromosomes. I'm not against hiring a woman as a chancellor, but that woman should never have made it past the headhunter stage.

I really don't think she did anything well. Public relations, legislative relations, athletic management, facilities management, cost cutting, etc.

There is a small group of protesters today demonstrating against the firings, but it appears to be the same sort of 'usual suspects" that protested the outsourcing, sex weeks, Pride Center issues. In other words, it appears she only appealed to the malcontents.

 

[UTP69]

Hats off to her for rejecting Schiano and getting rid of Currie. Hope this doesn't mean Haslam is taking back control.

Please verify date and time that he wasn't in control.

 

[treecejc]

I fear it’s just a matter of time before Haslam fires Fulmer.

 

[05_never_again]

You don't issue that sort of scathing termination letter unless it's well deserved.

It is scathing. It is also vague and boilerplate.

Executive-level people don't get fired because they have poor communication skills. Stuff like that would have gotten identified in the vetting/interview stage. It sounds like BS to me, and she's getting fired because she lost a power struggle with, let's just say, certain important people.

 

[njvols]

I bet she got a nice severance

It's the Tennessee Way!

 

[austin_vol]

I think that freak is using his new found money to cause all this drama. Slip someone a couple of G's to cause mass ciaos to start in order to make more money. I mean lets be real with all the craziness he has to be in it a couple hundred thousand this year already lol.

 

[reecetn]

So let me get this straight.

1. A State University Fires a President because of poor "Communication Skills"
2. Said President is given a tenured faculty position in.... (get ready for it)
3. The School of "Communication" at same college of said termination.... (it is about to get even better)
4. for 485,000 dollars per year for 5 years!!!!


Where could this possibly happen? (skittle university of la la land?)

nope

at the University of Tennessee

here we go again.

 

[NeverWe'llSever]

Fired for poor communication skills, made a professor in the communications college with tenure. Wow.

 

[fryeguy93]

got my email from UT:

UT Knoxville Leadership Change

I am disappointed to have to tell you that earlier today, I informed Dr. Beverly Davenport of my decision to terminate her administrative appointment as chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, effective immediately. She will assume her faculty appointment in the College of Communication and Information on a full-time basis on July 1.

My responsibility as UT president is to ensure the success of every campus, beginning with the leadership of every campus. A great deal is at stake in these hires, including and especially at the flagship campus, given its importance to fulfilling the UT system mission and to that mission's impact on the lives of all Tennesseans.

Since April of last year, Dr. Davenport and I have had multiple meetings in which I laid out performance expectations and concerns, attempted to assist and coach her, and suggested she seek advice from other experienced leaders. Unfortunately, my concerns about her performance have not not been resolved. As the person who selected Dr. Davenport to lead the flagship campus, I am taking responsibility to do what is in the best interest of the University by making the leadership change.

An interim will be named soon.

All the best,
Joe

 

[Smokey X]

Not sure if true but hearing there was an internal struggle over sex week with Big Donors. They wanted it gone and she wanted it to stay.

This would not surprise me at all.

Remember that major news networks made a really big deal of the sex week thing and I'm sure that embarrassed a lot of people especially politicians.

Politicians don't like to be embarrassed. And if she bowed up to those pressures also, then she is not a "team player" to those who want it eliminated.

Couple that with the other stuff and here we are.

 

[Behr]

You guys hear..she was fired for poor communication skills and made a professor in the communications college with tenure?

Siap.

 

[allvol123]

She was an idiot. Unfortunately, they are still loaded up on idiots over there.

 

[njvols]

Could be an "it is what it is" deal, where she really didn't "fit"...there are certain skills needed for the position...or could be likely that this is cover for "wouldn't do what Haslam and crew wanted". Dysfunction still exists at the top.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

So Di Petro said she had poor communications skills and sent her to be a professor in the "College of Communication and Information?" That just drips of irony!

I wonder which coach she refused to "engage with?"

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Sounds like Joe D needs to be fired

 

[05_never_again]

I wonder which coach she refused to "engage with?"

Not a coach. James Arthur Haslam, Jr. and son.

 

[fryeguy93]

Not sure if true but hearing there was an internal struggle over sex week with Big Donors. They wanted it gone and she wanted it to stay.

If accurate, it would be an insane reason to fall on a sword.

Sex Week is an uneducational, intentionally controversial, freak fest that accomplishes not but prove to many that higher education is a monumental waste of money.

Why this would be a big enough issues to draw a line in the sand would prove she had higher interests than running an institution in the public's interest.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

She obviously boned up the Currie hire and looked lost and awkward with the firing/Fulmer hiring. And when the emails and texts were released, they didn't paint a good picture for her and her actions. Fulmer calmed things down and made what appears to be a superb hire in Pruitt or she probably would have been canned right after Currie.

I pity the gal, how's she gonna make on a meager $438,750 annually after taking that $146,250 pay cut. No more Calhoun's and PBR unless she can find a sugar daddy. lol

 

[zeppelin128]

I received an email from UT that someone posted above.

If you have a back a Haslam has a knife for it.

 

[jctenn1]

Well if I remember correctly during the coaching search and the Schiano fiasco a lot of people on her wanted her fired..
no matter what..this stinks to high heaven..
There has to be more to it...
We have become a real life soap opera now...

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Not a coach. James Arthur Haslam, Jr. and son.

Maybe Phil wanted to can Holly and she intervened?