Jamall Walker hired as assistant at Grand Canyon

#51      
Josh Whitman deserves all the credit in the Walker/Gentry personnel move. He did a masterful job in a win/win for everybody. Walker will do well at GCU and Gentry has already proven his coaching worth. Kudos to Josh in spite of what some think on here.
I’m a big fan of Gentry but Josh had nothing to do with his hiring. BU got Gentry after he was forced to move Jamall.
 
#52      

sacraig

The desert
Interesting. A non-profit which shares its revenues and expense with a for-profit.

"Grand Canyon Education will continue to operate as a service provider for the university, in particular overseeing operations around the college’s online offerings. Grand Canyon Education, which will remain publicly-traded and headquartered in Phoenix, will offer “technological, counseling, marketing, financial aid processing and other support services” to Grand Canyon University, a press announcement says. It will also split revenue with the university. "

Right. Basically, they said "we would like to go non-profit" for property tax purposes. The catch was they were just going to contract with Grand Canyon Education, a for-profit, for many of their services. The university itself would be non-profit and tax-exempt but would still be wholly dependent on the "former" parent company, which could continue charging the same prices and making the same level of profits as desired. The university itself would have been little more than a non-profit shell company for the for-profit "contractor." That is why the Department of Education still classified GCU as a for-profit institution even after it officially switched to non-profit.

Shoot, even their motto, "Find Your Purpose," reeks of profiteering to me since it implies that they are seeking students who want to come take classes and explore what they want to eventually do, all the while paying the for-profit company while you sort out your own goals.
 
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#53      
I’m a big fan of Gentry but Josh had nothing to do with his hiring. BU got Gentry after he was forced to move Jamall.

Agreed Gentry and BU go way back to SFA/OSU days, but clearly Walker had to be "moved" aside to do that and the $ to hire both had to be approved by Josh.
Not sure what you mean "BU got Gentry after he was forced to move Jamal."
 
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#54      

sbillini

st petersburg, fl
Agreed Gentry and BU go way back to SFA/OSU days, but clearly Walker had to be "moved" aside to do that and the $ to hire both had to be approved by Josh.
Not sure what you mean "BU got Gentry after he was forced to move Jamal."

my understanding is that BU didn't want Jamall moved in the first place - JW did. To make that happen, JW agreed to let BU bring Gentry in and have an unofficial spot for Jamall (maybe just until he found something else)
 
#56      

illini80

Forgottonia
Interesting that their are very different takes on how it all went down and both versions are coming from people with ties of some kind to the program. Clearly there are people close to the program that saw it very differently, but I don't think it matters at this point. I'm happy that JW found a good landing spot and I'm happy we have Gentry on the staff.
 
#57      
my understanding is that BU didn't want Jamall moved in the first place - JW did. To make that happen, JW agreed to let BU bring Gentry in and have an unofficial spot for Jamall (maybe just until he found something else)

Not that it matters, but why did Whitman want Walker moved??
 
#58      

JJB

Chicago, IL
Interesting that their are very different takes on how it all went down and both versions are coming from people with ties of some kind to the program. Clearly there are people close to the program that saw it very differently, but I don't think it matters at this point. I'm happy that JW found a good landing spot and I'm happy we have Gentry on the staff.

Every poster with ties to the program that I've read on Loyalty has the same take: Whitman drove this decision against BU's wishes. It has been alluded to that it arises out of Whitman's discomfort w/ some of Walker's grey area recruiting tactics. It's doubtful you'll ever get specifics in this forum.
 
#59      
Every poster with ties to the program that I've read on Loyalty has the same take: Whitman drove this decision against BU's wishes. It has been alluded to that it arises out of Whitman's discomfort w/ some of Walker's grey area recruiting tactics. It's doubtful you'll ever get specifics in this forum.

Need to join premium to get additional rumors.
 
#60      
Agreed Gentry and BU go way back to SFA/OSU days, but clearly Walker had to be "moved" aside to do that and the $ to hire both had to be approved by Josh.
Not sure what you mean "BU got Gentry after he was forced to move Jamal."

I can't say what he meant, but I read it as Whitman shouldn't get credit for landing Gentry. And that Underwood is the one who turned lemons into lemonade.

Really hoping that circle gets a square here.
 
#61      

sacraig

The desert
Need to join premium to get additional rumors.

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#62      
I have zero inside information, but why would BU keep Walker around if he didn’t mesh with him? If that was the case Walker wouldn’t have spent the year in a role created to keep him around.
 
#63      
Not that it matters, but why did Whitman want Walker moved??
Oohhhh, contradictory gossip, the heart of message board delight: Who moved JW? BU or...the other JW? And why?

Personally I'm leaning towards "It was the professor, in the library, with an offer he couldn't refuse", but it's kinda cloudy beyond that. Was there an official reasoning given? It has the profile of "you did something wrong and are fired, but here's a soft landing in exchange for not suing us and signing this NDA."
 
#64      

sbillini

st petersburg, fl
Not that it matters, but why did Whitman want Walker moved??

I have no idea for sure. The theory I posited at the time (based on the way it went down and what comments those with more knowledge than me were making) was that there was something Walker was doing that was, perhaps, not above board. I have no idea if it was even professionally related or personal. But seemed like JW wanted to play it more conservatively (get him out) and BU was willing to let it slide (it may have been somewhat of a gray area and/or unproven).

Again, this is all speculation on my part. I'm not here to start rumors, but the pattern of facts and the commentary made at the time fit that notion.
 
#65      
I have zero inside information, but why would BU keep Walker around if he didn’t mesh with him? If that was the case Walker wouldn’t have spent the year in a role created to keep him around.

This kinda feels like Kaffee asking Jessup that if he had in fact ordered that Santiago wasn't to be touched, and his orders are always followed, then why would it be necessary to transfer him off the base. I think you just cracked the case.