SUNY Maritime presidential search update

There was a faculty meeting this month, with a head hunting firm, about the presidential search.

The most common point mentioned by faculty was that they did not want another retired Navy admiral. They said that the admirals have no experience running a college and don’t know anything about the job of college president.

Maritime had 2 bad admirals in a row, Craine and Carpenter. Craine was just a pompous ass who thought everyone should bow down to him. He also did not care about academics. However, he was smart enough to stay away from messing with the tenured faculty. Carpenter was not pompous but decided that faculty were equivalent to Navy ensigns. She was very wrong and got canned. Before Craine, Maritime had Ryan. He was very good, but had experience running a college. He’d run Annapolis. He knew that maritime was not a version of Annapolis. Unfortunately for Maritime, SUNY recognized his ability and promoted him to Chancellor.

On a related note, there still seems to be an incredible amount of unhappiness in the regiment. The kids seem to be afraid to do anything for fear of lousy treatment. We feel sorry for them. It seems that the regiment people still think that Maritime is Annapolis North. They can’t get it through their heads that the kids are paying a lot of money to attend Maritime. They are not a bunch of Navy recruits.

Rick Smith 2014!!

Good time to Californicate the over-the-top Regiment.

[QUOTE=Smee;126598]Rick Smith 2014!![/QUOTE]

I’ve heard that Cappeto, the interim president, has said some very unflattering things about Smith. One administrator told me that, in a meeting, Cappeto said that Smith did not do a very good job as either regiment leader or caption of the ship.

I met the head hunter while I was in the admissions office, nice guy. He waited in the office all day for students to show up and voice their concerns and hopes for a new president and no one showed up.
I talked to him for a while and he seemed keen to the idea that one of their priorities should be getting their simulator updated with DP. He was also really interested in how students pay for the school for some reason.

[QUOTE=“Starboard Ten;126613”]Good time to Californicate the over-the-top Regiment.[/QUOTE]

Oh yeah, let’s just go to the other lousy extreme…

The extreme joy of going to Cal or Great Lakes then easily getting the same degree, same license and same job opportunities as Schuyler grads is nothing to condemn. Cadets are really happy there. No bullshit. You go, you learn, you have fun, you test and you graduate. It really doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.
My son at Cal has nobody to fear on campus. He meets the school President or Captain of the training ship in the “dining hall” sometimes, they eat with the cadets and shoot the shit. The cadets respect them. Good mentors. There is no need to fear the staff or anyone.
That doesn’t mean they are less respectful as a potential merchant vessel officer at all.
Anyway, tradition can be fun and if the students want to be in a Schuyler style regiment, they can make the most out of it. But I’ve been listening to hundreds of complaints about this system for over 30 years and I can’t identify a useful difference between the mates and engineers from a strong regiment and those from the hawsepipe, union schools, and maritime academies with almost no regiment.

Such an informed opinion. I am sure it is based upon your vast knowledge of maritime training/education and the maritime industry as a whole.

These positions are tough to fill. You need a person with a strong academic background and regimental experience beyond being a cadet or midshipman.
The short list is probably full of outstanding people who don’t want the stressful job after a demanding career that made them a candidate. Can you imagine this as a “retirement” job after 30+ years of military service? It takes a strong person truly devoted to service.
I’m sure there are military faculty at service academies that would make good candidates. SUNY might have to accept a retired O6 in lieu of a Flag officer. Probably unlikely though.

I wouldnt say we respect Capt. Bolton he is kinda arrogant, He is the type of guy where you tell a story and he has 5 better than yours. He does eat in the Mess deck sometimes though. Admiral Crooper has been good except that he is forcing community servitude on us without setting up the program, we dont know what counts for hours and what doesnt and this has been going on for a year and a half. He only ate at the mess deck the first day it opened. Since our commandant just left we have one of the asst commandants in charge of the corps now and they chose the chillest of the asst to take over some we may get even more relaxed.

Cali deckie,

You are right about the Captain’s over the top pride at times. He has that reputation in industry. But that energy is contagious and and he channels it in a very positive way for the school. In other words he makes the perfect cheerleader. When old dudes like me field a phone call from him asking favors, he can persuade and entertain us with those stories until we donate time and money. It must get old to hear him brag though. Good luck!

Community servitude should be voluntary. My son hasn’t been asked to do any yet. But even if he has to put a couple of hours in over the year, that isn’t so bad. It would be better to have it organized correctly. I don’t know why it isn’t. Getting the relatively new program on track shouldn’t be insurmountable.

But just listen to us here: if these are the big issues with attending a maritime academy, compared to the crazy situations at some of the other schools… We should count our blessings.

[QUOTE=“tasteless;126641”]I met the head hunter while I was in the admissions office, nice guy. He waited in the office all day for students to show up and voice their concerns and hopes for a new president and no one showed up.[/QUOTE]

You know why nobody showed up?

Because for years, we’ve tried to speak up, we’ve tried to instill change, all for it to fall on deaf ears. One now-retired pipe-smoking reg officer once told me, “It’s the apathy factor. Just bend over and take it”. So why would we come take time out of our day to voice our opinion, when it has never made a damn difference…EVER.

SUNY will pick who they want, just like they did with carpenter, with no input from the school, and everything well be flowers and roses…because that’s what they tell us.

[QUOTE=flyboy14295;127591]You know why nobody showed up?

Because for years, we’ve tried to speak up, we’ve tried to instill change, all for it to fall on deaf ears. One now-retired pipe-smoking reg officer once told me, “It’s the apathy factor. Just bend over and take it”. So why would we come take time out of our day to voice our opinion, when it has never made a damn difference…EVER.

SUNY will pick who they want, just like they did with carpenter, with no input from the school, and everything well be flowers and roses…because that’s what they tell us.[/QUOTE]

There are some differences this time. For one, the faculty was not happy with the last 2 admirals and have expressed opposition to another admiral. That’s important because the presidential selection committee is made up mostly of faculty. No, they don’t have final say, but they do have input.

Another factor is that Maritime does not have an admiral running the place now. Craine really lobbied everyone he could in order to prevent the job going to one of the civilian applicants last time. Carpenter’s in was that she had been a pilot, like Craine. Of course, there was also the affirmative action factor, with Carpenter being a female.

Since Cappeto is only an interim president, it’s unlikely that he’ll have much sway with selection. That’s a good thing because he’s never managed anything of any size in his life and his tenure, since November, has been anything but exemplary. Employee morale is even worse than before.

I don’t know too much about Dr Cappeto, but I figured I’d give him the benefit of the doubt and figure he’d be much better than Carpenter. Especially since she wouldn’t (or wasn’t allowed to) stay 'till her replacement came. What negative things has Cappeto done though.

[QUOTE=LI_Domer;127623]I don’t know too much about Dr Cappeto, but I figured I’d give him the benefit of the doubt and figure he’d be much better than Carpenter. Especially since she wouldn’t (or wasn’t allowed to) stay 'till her replacement came. What negative things has Cappeto done though.[/QUOTE]

One doozy was that he made an employment agreement about one well liked and respected employee and then went back on his word 3 days later, firing that person. To make matters worse that person was told that they were expected to compose a statement about “leaving” Maritime, as if it was voluntary. They were also told that they were expected to work for the next 3 days, as if everything was peachy keen. To ice the cake, they tried to time the firing so the person would get screwed out of about $40,000+ in accumulated benefits. Luckily that person had contacts who put a stop to that.

When that person did not agree to the statement about leaving and did not go back to work for the next 3 days, Cappeto’s goons told people the the person had left voluntarily. Of course, that person had talked to many at Maritime, so everyone knew the administration was lying. Then they changed tack and told people that Carpenter had fired the person, another lie. Maritime’s a pretty small place, The stunts I described actually prompted a meeting or two, off campus to discuss the vile behavior. Now nobody will believe a word Cappeto says, and they don’t know if they’ll be next to get axed.

Cappeto also hired some consultant to study athletics. Everyone over there is on pins and needles about their jobs. Remember, this clown is just “interim”, yet he seems to be looking to make major changes that will effect the school long term. That is not proper.

He seems to be relying on two particularly odious people for advice. Both are generally disliked and thought of as back stabbing self promoters. Both were hired by Carpenter, with no experience in their management areas. Neither has accomplished one thing since they’ve been at Mariitme. One got the nickname “Needle Nose” because everyone saw how far he had his nose up Carpneter’s ass, BUT, when things went south for Carpenter, he immediately extracted his nose from Carpenter’s ass and put it up Cappeto’s. Then he proceeded to make disparaging remarks about Carpenter. Cappeto even seems to think the guy is an “expert” on the maritime industry even though he’s never spent on minute in the industry or even had any contact with the industry.

Another person who seems to have gotten power is also known as a thoroughly arrogant autocrat. According to reports, she recently fired one employee because “she did not like the employee”.

I could go on. but you get the idea. Thing’s ain’t good at Maritime.

That’s sad to hear he always seemed like a pleasant person the few times I’ve met him in passing. Craine and carpenter were also guilty of screwing people out of retirement benefits. It seems to happen to a lot of people. I could be wrong but I believe one pipe-smoking reg officer, a certain one-eyed nurse and a facilities worker(who I don’t actually know personally) all got pushed out before they could’ve received their full retirement benifits. I’m sure there’s more.

You’re right about him trying to do to much though, as an interim it’s your job to just be a place holder and not actually change or accomplish anything. The only thing you should really be doing is tidying up so that the transition to the new president is as seem less as you can make it.

I love how no one ever actually gets fired either, they’re all just told to leave. I always liked the faculty that talked openly about what’s going on with the schools management, the students should know what happens. At bigger universities it’s the kind of stuff that’d be in the student papers.

[QUOTE=“LI_Domer;127657”]That’s sad to hear he always seemed like a pleasant person the few times I’ve met him in passing. Craine and carpenter were also guilty of screwing people out of retirement benefits. It seems to happen to a lot of people. I could be wrong but I believe one pipe-smoking reg officer, a certain one-eyed nurse and a facilities worker(who I don’t actually know personally) all got pushed out before they could’ve received their full retirement benifits. I’m sure there’s more.

You’re right about him trying to do to much though, as an interim it’s your job to just be a place holder and not actually change or accomplish anything. The only thing you should really be doing is tidying up so that the transition to the new president is as seem less as you can make it.

I love how no one ever actually gets fired either, they’re all just told to leave. I always liked the faculty that talked openly about what’s going on with the schools management, the students should know what happens. At bigger universities it’s the kind of stuff that’d be in the student papers.[/QUOTE]

Nah, smoking pipe got his benefits.

Yeah, wouldn’t it be nice if we had a student paper… Oh wait, how many times have they thrown cadets out for voicing their opinion…

Sometimes I have to remind myself that I didn’t just join the military…

[QUOTE=“flyboy14295”] Nah, smoking pipe got his benefits. Yeah, wouldn’t it be nice if we had a student paper… Oh wait, how many times have they thrown cadets out for voicing their opinion… Sometimes I have to remind myself that I didn’t just join the military…[/QUOTE

Ohh ok I thought he got a severance of partial benefits but not the full amount. Good for him.

GOOD FUCKING LORD! Why can’t one of the state schools be run as a true “maritime” academy by a retired merchant ship master with 40 years at sea? Imparting industry and trade knowledge, wisdom and leadership skills to all? Certainly there is one man out there with the industry experience and even perhaps an master’s degree willing step up to the plate ready to hit a home run and change the face of maritime academy training in this country?

They want a schmoozer who can fundraise and talk the talk. Brennan at Maine is a good guy, as was his predecessor. Not a seaman by trade but someone who spent a good deal of time around the business both in his family and in his career. I Don’t hear the current thoughts, but as of last year he was well respected there. No need for goddamn admirals and shit to run a school this day in age. Have met him a few times, so I can say my opinion is more Than just from heresay.

I would love to see a crabby old bastard shipmaster at the helm though!

http://www.mainemaritime.edu/the-president/presidents-biography