Tom Stafford Retires!!!

NC State Administration37

You really know you’ve made an ‘impact’ in the fabric of NC State when a predominantly sports-related blog decides to highlight and celebrate the retirement of a Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

Link to announcement

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford has announced his retirement after more than 40 years with the University.

Stafford, who has been vice chancellor since 1983, will leave his post no later than July 1, 2012.

Nothing more to say other than admit that we had bad information on this move. We genuinely heard/thought that Stafford was (finally) being pushed out last year when Chancellor Woodson was joining NC State. We were wrong; we were 6-12 months too early.

We really encourage you to click here and do some reading.

Here’s to raising a glass to a significantly improved social and greek experience at NC State. (Unless all of the social fabric of the college experience has been 100% destroyed and is impossible to re-build).

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NC State Administration

37 Responses to Tom Stafford Retires!!!

  1. GAWolf 03/02/2011 at 9:47 PM #

    I wouldn’t lift that glass too high just yet… there is at least one more guy over there that needs to be eliminated from the Fun Police. Stafford pales in comparison to PC.

  2. devnooe 03/02/2011 at 11:46 PM #

    Paul Cousins has done more damage to the fun factor of NC State than any other individual in North Carolina. He single handedly killed Delta Sigma Phi’s Lawn Party, Sig Fest, Wolf Stock and Brent Road. If ever there was a person that needed to be fired and ran out of town on a rail, its that jack ass! God I hate that man.

  3. packalum44 03/03/2011 at 12:28 AM #

    I’ll call him out GAWolf: Paul Cousins. The hugest douche bag I have ever come across not only while at State, but in my entire life. He is one of the few people I truly despise, even many years later. He single handedly tried to dismember Greek Life because he’s never seen more than one vagina (his own) and drank more than two zimas in one sitting.

    Although he particularly despises Greek Life (not to mention his life and job), his unsympathetic and harsh punishments for trivial student misconduct extend far beyond to the entire student body. He’s seriously an evil and creepy dude. Its truly hard to see a school I love have such an awful administrator in a position of power over kids whom he hates.

  4. Wufpacker 03/03/2011 at 12:49 AM #

    “Stafford….will leave his post no later than July 1, 2012.”

    WTF? July 1, 2012? Is that date correct?

  5. MattN 03/03/2011 at 7:23 AM #

    I have, unfortunately, had dealings with both individuals mentioned here. Stafford was nothing but an empty suit. I have had slightly more positive dealings with Cousins when a rouge music department prof. tried to get me kicked out of school when I witnessed him assault a student, but that’s another story. I felt Cousins didn’t believe a word the prof said and was actually on my side. But that was over 15 years ago. Things may have changed…

  6. TopTenPack 03/03/2011 at 8:53 AM #

    As a student, I interacted with both Cousins and Stafford. I personally blame Stafford for the decline of Fraternity Court and wasting millions on renovating fraternity houses that now sit empty.

    Cousins, I think, serves his purpose. After all, he is the Director of Student Conduct.

    What scares me now: Timothy R. Luckadoo, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

    I do not think we have gained anything from Stafford’s departure if he is simply replaced by Luckadoo. My hope is Woodson fishes outside the NC State pond to replace Stafford.

  7. Lock 03/03/2011 at 8:57 AM #

    Yes, because all colleges need more insular, racist houses of rape and hate.

    Although admittedly, what I know of Greek life, most houses only fell into one or two of the above descriptors. If yours didn’t, 1) really? 2) more power to it then.

  8. ryebread 03/03/2011 at 8:57 AM #

    Woohoo!! Am I the only one who feels that we finally may be taking our school back?

    While I was at NC State, I watched Stafford turn the screws on fantastic traditions like the Lawn Party, Pig Stock (which technically wasn’t that old), Brent Road, camp out and anything involving alcohol and the campus. They really just didn’t get what they were doing to student life and how that could and does DIRECTLY IMPACT alumni giving. If students loved their experience, they’ll give to the school. That’s much more important predictor IMHO than whether or not the alum is actually successful as a result of their degree.

    What Stafford (and his bosses at NC State) failed to realize at the time is that their “fun police” actions basically killed a whole generation of donors. There’s going to be a massive gap in the giving of anyone who was on campus from about 1999 – 2010. As that group ages into prime earning and donating ages, the university is really going to suffer.

    The man can’t be gone quickly enough IMHO.

  9. ryebread 03/03/2011 at 9:01 AM #

    BTW, I forgot to mention that I wasn’t “Greek” and wasn’t even that heavy of a drinker while at college. Before the spin even starts, this isn’t “sour grapes” from a member of a “slighted” group. This was just a general observation of mine about what seemed to be a concerted effort of the school to stamp out any fun that didn’t align with the vision of the conservative, Christian coalition.

  10. Primewolf 03/03/2011 at 9:21 AM #

    The chancellor needs to here this. NCSU alumni don’t give back donations in any amounts approaching other schools. This has to be a factor in that.

  11. Classof89 03/03/2011 at 9:55 AM #

    If some of you had the legal training to recognize some of the liability (not to mention reputation) risks to the university from dubious “traditions” like the Brent Road party, you’d understand why Stafford and the University took the stand they did. I admire Stafford for his proactive approach to dealing with these problems, and wish him well in retirement. If you came to college to drink, maybe you should have selected ECU instead…

  12. devnooe 03/03/2011 at 10:21 AM #

    Good lord. Brent Road isn’t even on campus nor was it a sanctioned campus event. They coordinated with RPD to shut that down. Lawn Party was a huge drinking event, but also as Brent Road, an event that marked the start of the semester. There was a lot of money generated and donated to charities during the later years as it got larger and larger. Nobody is saying that we need the reputation of ECU or UNC-W, but having fun signature events where students can have fun is something that should be happening. From what I can tell from 70’s and 80’s alumni there used to be keg parties at the dorms paid for by the social budget of the dorm. Times have changed. There is no reason for the administration to be confrontational and standoffish with the student body. It creates divides that can last forever, hence the potential lack of giving back to the school.

  13. JEOH2 03/03/2011 at 10:48 AM #

    Its funny how people can have different perspectives on one man…

    In dealing with Dr. Stafford personally, many times we didn’t see eye to eye and had some pretty public disagreements over such things…

    But I grew to like Dr. Stafford, as he was always very helpful when I needed it towards the end of my college career. He was also a great storyteller who was very enjoyable to talk to.

    Despite many people’s feelings, I wish him all the best and hope that he doesn’t just disappear…

  14. packalum44 03/03/2011 at 10:48 AM #

    Brent Road used to be discussed by the upperclassmen of high schools. It was the premiere party of colleges, or at least had that reputation. If anyone has forgotten, high school kids are our recruits. We want positive buzz amongst them – we are, after all, marketing NC State to them. Moreover, whether you were Greek or not, having a strong Greek Life is another marketing tool because many young people like the social aspect of college.

    Imagine being a high school kid from a wealthy family (these are the ones who have money to donate as alumni whether they succeed professionally or not – a risk free investment if you will) and comparing two schools. Both are similar academically but one has a “perceived” lamer social life and then you tour our Greek Court. The other is “perceived” as the place to be and has nice traditional Greek housing………

    For those of you who don’t get this, please stay away from administering my school. Folks like you have had 25 years of rule and your lack of vision and insight has put State in a hibernation so deep that it might take Woodson the better part of his career undoing.

  15. wolfmans brother 03/03/2011 at 11:51 AM #

    Ok, I lurk about Statefans almost daily and thoroughly enjoy the commentary, discourse, and divergence of opinions on here. They are generally, well-reasoned and insightful. That’s why it’s surprising some of the emotional and ignorant venom that this thread has produced.

    “Lock” has given us his profound and, no doubt, thoroughly researched insight into the fact that all fraternities are populated by rascists and rapistis. Kudos Lock! You have represented the non-Greek community well. Clearly we should all strive to be as inclusive and open-minded as you.

    “Classof89” meanwhile has chastised us for not being familar enough with the law to recognize that getting rid of Brent Rd. was for our own good. Yes. This refrain sounds familiar.

    And still others have stepped in to voice support for Swofford, Paul Cousins and their efforts to rid the college experience of . . . well . . . the college experience.

    Rarely do I add my two cents, but I felt compelled to today as someone who 1) was greek; 2) is an attorney; 3) lived on Brent Rd.; and 4) has personally interacted with Cousins and Swofford and experienced what they have done to campus life.

    I will not drone on to point out all of the many faults with some of the arguments above. If you can’t plainly see the benefit of a university that offers a rich and diverse college experience, including – yes – fun activities that 18 to 22 year old kids want to engage in . . . well, you are not the personality type that is going to be convinced otherwise in the span of a paragraph.

    Academics and fun are not mutually exclusive. Look at the Ivy’s. Look at some of the premier institutions of higher learning around the country. They recognize this. Why our school can’t is beyond me. We have tried so desperately to turn NC State into a commuter tech school and it is thoroughly disheartening. The sooner the administration purges itself of risk-averse and fun-devoid ass-hats intent on populating NC State with only one type of student, the better. That type of school may appeal to some, but it will never have broad appeal and it will never have an endowment that will sniff anything like that of the Blues.

  16. JEOH2 03/03/2011 at 11:54 AM #

    Many of the best kids aren’t doing in-depth research on the various national rankings of colleges & universities to figure out what schools to go to…many know in general “State, GT, VPI etc are good for engineering, while UNC, UVA are good for liberal arts” therefore those schools are relatively equal in their mind…

    Ultimately, many students look at those factors but we can’t pretend they don’t look at athletics, Greek Life, etc to determine their final choice for a University…

  17. GAWolf 03/03/2011 at 12:11 PM #

    I opted not to go Greek due to a matter of time and money. Many of my friends did, and I attended parties at almost every house on or near campus from KA to Omega Psi Phi through connections to good friends. I see the utility and necessity of having a strong Greek system on campus, whether you opt to participate or not. It takes a pretty near-sighted group of academic administrators to not understand that it’s a necessary part of student life. And like most things on the resume of a University’s appeal, the better the individual item is the better the resume of the University is as a whole.

    There are still certain people in the administration at NC State that are one goose step short of being Nazi-like. As an alum and an attorney who greatly believes in the Constitution and our individual rights, that embarrasses me greatly.

  18. Lumpy 03/03/2011 at 12:27 PM #

    “I admire Stafford for his proactive approach to dealing with these problems, and wish him well in retirement. If you came to college to drink, maybe you should have selected ECU instead…”

    Well, you’re the kind of guy Stafford and Cousins wanted us all to be. Unfortunately for you and the youth ministers, the other 99 percent of college students everywhere since the 1940’s are gonna do three things while they’re in college. Drink, experiment with drugs, and f**k. All to varying degrees of course. And guess what? THAT’S THE TIME TO DO IT. When you are 18-23 is when you are finding out who you are, what you believe, and how to interact socially.

    A lot of Universities know this and choose to provide as much safety and security to events as possible to ensure a good time but that nothing gets out of hand. NC State chose to treat everyone who acted like a normal college student like an outlaw. Anything that was the slightest bit of fun at NC State was crushed. Not monitored, not fixed or changed to accommodate crowds, just cancelled.

    Trying to get a party permit, or a music permit to throw an event for students was tougher than getting top level security clearance at the Pentagon. They made it so difficult to attempt a campus event that most of the time you would just throw up your hands and say “Screw it”. And that’s how they wanted it.

    And they wonder why they have a donor gap in the 27-40. Newsflash: a top education will churn out successful and prosperous graduates. But those graduates will never become big boosters or donors through some half assed alumni outreach program. They become that way WHILE THEY ARE IN SCHOOL. If they make memories there, friends, join groups, have fun they will always have a place in there heart for the school that helped foster those memories. For a majority of college students that involves a vibrant social scene. Otherwise you’re just a glorified DeVry.

  19. codebrown 03/03/2011 at 1:52 PM #

    “Well, you’re the kind of guy Stafford and Cousins wanted us all to be. Unfortunately for you and the youth ministers, the other 99 percent of college students everywhere since the 1940′s are gonna do three things while they’re in college. Drink, experiment with drugs, and f**k. ”

    Winning!

  20. McCallum 03/03/2011 at 2:10 PM #

    I had limited contact with Cousins and somewhat limited with Stafford as well.

    However, if they were behind the university chasing students around town to keep them from drinking beer then they were the cause of much of State’s problem for a long time.

    FYI: Brent Road first got going in 1985-86 and it was started by some Sigma Chis that threw a big birthday party for Greg Williams, of Eagle Springs fame, in the early fall. At 3:00 there were 50 people there, at 6:00 there were around 200 people there and by 10 that night I believe there were 400 people milling around that first house on the corner. From that year forward it grew and grew until the university killed it.

    But why did it go to Brent Road?

    Because State chased the drinking out of the dorms. Owen had a bar at one time. As a result it went to fraternity court and when they chased it at fraternity court it went off campus. Not wanting to be denied a chance to dominate the lives of its students State then chased them on the off campus places.

    Not a dime to the general fund. Nothing, nada, zero, zilch because you KNOW it will be harnessed by some institutionalized yahoo for ends to which they have no business in pursuit after.

    Hope you are all well. Sid must go and God bless.

    McCallum

  21. ryebread 03/03/2011 at 3:13 PM #

    Lumpy hits the nail on the head. Alumni giving is established while a student is in school based on the experience they had with that school and ultimately the community that was created and fostered by it. Trying to generate goodwill and giving after the fact is an uphill battle and it will ultimately only be done begrudgingly, out of guilt or out of some weird desire to give back.

    Stafford and his Christian Coalition flunkies just didn’t get it and they ruined the college experience of countless alums with Gestapo like tactics. It’s like they thought that NC State should model BYU as opposed to the University of Texas. Both are workable models, but only one is a viable model for NC State. Hopefully Woodson gets it better than our glorious administrators over the past 15 years have.

    In contrast, my wife wasn’t a big partier, wasn’t a big drinker, played a D1 sport and worked while in school. She has a BA, MA and PHD from three of our nation’s premiere universities. Two of them are private, one is public and they’re all in the top 15 in the college rankings. She had almost no money along the way, didn’t come from a family of money and ultimately worked at jobs paying a fraction of what I make from my BS and MS from NC State in Engineering. Two of those schools fostered a community and let kids be kids while her PHD program was pretty isolated and didn’t come with any real attempt to build a community (and sadly came with a lot of the bureaucratic BS that I remembered from my days at NC State). She has given to those two of those schools from the day she graduated from them — and at a much higher percentage of her relative income than anybody I know that attended NC State during the same years. The endowments are huge at those schools and the money just keeps rolling in.

    Our endownment is pathetically small and we see valid comments like McCallum’s. Coincidence? I think not. If I were Woodson, fixing this would be one of my top 3 goals.

  22. JEOH2 03/03/2011 at 3:32 PM #

    GA Wolf…I’d like to hear about your experiences with Omega Psi Phi…I have mine own as well…hahaha

  23. Cardiff Giant 03/03/2011 at 4:06 PM #

    Just adding that Paul Cousins is a creepy, lying douchebag.

  24. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/03/2011 at 5:07 PM #

    I’m sure a lot of the heat Stafford takes is because he has been in charge of student life during a time when “risk management” and related insurance cost and the legal liability of universities has destroyed many of the freedoms students once had.

    It can be argued that Stafford is more conservative than others but at NC State being a little conservative isn’t all bad. Golly Gee, read the student code of conduct from a 50 years ago and Stafford’s tenure would be pretty liberal.

    Agree with Stafford on any one issue or not, you can not argue that he was not on the side of trying to protect the students he was responsible for.

    Dr. Stafford’s exit is another in a line of long serving administrators with strong ties to the state North Carolina and North Carolina State.

    It seems many of the new people have no connection to NC State or even NC.

    Also, I guess that Stafford’s replacement will make more in his first year than Stafford did his last. Stafford makes about $170K after 40 years. Recent new top administrators make $100K more in their first year.

    This means about 50 middle class people’s entire state income tax (@ $2K a year) will go to make up the difference between Stafford and his replacement. Not to mention the other 40-50 people people needed to pay Stafford’s pension.

    You do the math. 100 people’s income taxes just to pay for this change. This isn’t even counting the first 170K of the salary (or benefits) that already requires 80 people’s taxes to cover.

    NC State’s, and other UNC system schools, top administrative salaries have become so out of line with the rest of the public sector it could be criminal.

    I wish a N&O reporter would look into these salaries, club memberships, cars and almost unlimited expense accounts. Anyone else laugh at Woodson State of State when he talked about the need to watch the money, while the construction of the $5 million dollar house is being finished? What other public employee lives in a $5 million dollar house?

  25. McCallum 03/03/2011 at 7:34 PM #

    NC State doesn’t practice risk management. They practice risk avoidance so when something happens they go hawg wild. You must understand THAT to understand anything about the institution. There is no thought process generally speaking. Spend a few more thousand dollars per game to have a few additional cops around INSTEAD of having an incident then punishing the entire mass, never dawns on the fools.

    I’m not sure about Stafford and all the God Squad stuff. He was more inline with the faceless, emotionless response of the institution. No understanding of the human scale but a slow Borgish movement to make everything the very same.

    And yes, State’s endowment is dreadfully pitiful to be a school of its size. The way the place treated me and others during my time there assured that they’ll never get a dime out of me.

    Thanks for nothing you lousy bastards.

    McCallum

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