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Tigress
(24.205.109.42) on 12/24/2003 - 12:19 a.m. says: ( 5 views
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"No change at AUBoT=death for Auburn"
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Sports Columnist John Pruett
Second of two parts
Blizzard says sweep away AU board's tangled web
12/22/03
Huntsville Times
ATHENS - Retired circuit judge Henry Blizzard claims he's no expert in the matter. But many of his friends, neighbors and fellow Auburn University alumni beg to differ.
When it comes to analyzing Auburn's recent problems in athletics and the school's 12-month probation handed down by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, they say the judge's counsel is as good as anybody's, and better than most.
While Blizzard quietly demurs in the face of such lavish praise, he has no hesitation in expressing his opinions on the subject, even if they carry no legal weight.
The reason: "I care about Auburn,'' he said, "and I'm concerned about what has happened in the past and what might happen in the future.''
Blizzard's primary concern is the widespread perception, whether real or imagined, that the Auburn board of trustees - despite its persistent denials - is guilty of micromanaging the university, including the athletic department, thus usurping the traditional role of the school president.
"It occurs to me that most people like myself - interested observers - believe there's at least an appearance of impropriety by some members of the board,'' Blizzard said, "and sometimes appearances are more important than anything else.''
For the record, Blizzard said he believes the problems go much deeper than mere perception.
He, like many others, pins much of the blame on the most wealthy and powerful trustee, Montgomery banker Bobby Lowder, who has served on the board - ruled, some claim - for the past two decades.
"One of the SACS charges was that a majority of the trustees do not have independence and that the board is controlled by a minority of members,'' Blizzard said. "In athletics, they say there's no documentation that athletic funds are controlled by the president.
"The president (William Walker) and the athletic director (David Housel) are perceived as being controlled by the board of trustees and not able to exercise independent judgment. Their credibility has been called into question.
"How do you function in that environment?''
You don't, he said. And when that happens, you make changes.
Auburn's changes, Blizzard says, need to begin with the resignations of Walker and Lowder, followed by several others.
"SACS is saying there should be a separation of powers, that the board should make policy and the president should implement it,'' Blizzard said. "The problem comes when the board crosses over from policy making into administering.''
The problem, or the perception of it, is nothing new, of course. Former Auburn football coach Terry Bowden went out kicking and screaming halfway through the 1998 season, blaming Lowder. Three years later, former Auburn president William Muse complained publicly about micromanagement by the board, particularly by Lowder, after resigning under fire.
In 1996, Muse was widely praised by the board and given a five-year contract and a sizable raise for his previous four years of work in the presidency. Toward the end, several of the trustees let it be known that Muse had become a weak and indecisive executive. Muse countered that Lowder and others on the board thwarted his plans at nearly every turn.
Judge Blizzard sides with Muse.
"As I see it, the best evidence of what's going on is that Dr. Muse apparently saw what was happening and was unable to do anything about it,'' he said. "Dr. Muse, as I recall, was so highly regarded that he once had an opportunity to become the president of the University of Minnesota, but turned it down to stay at Auburn.''
After leaving Auburn, Muse served for two years as the president of East Carolina University, but stepped down earlier this year when accounting irregularities were uncovered at the school. Muse was not personally implicated.
Blizzard said he believes Lowder and several others should follow Muse's example.
"There's such an intertwining web on the board of trustees, with several people bound financially to Bobby Lowder's Colonial Bank,'' Blizzard said.
"One of the other problems is that Mr. Lowder has said some very critical things about the faculty. He seems to perceive the faculty as pampered and overpaid and lazy. In turn, they perceive him as being a tyrant and a dictator.''
In fairness, Blizzard said, it should be noted that Lowder has been "very generous'' to Auburn University over the years.
"But his generosity has become smothering,'' the judge said. "He has stepped over the line - or if he hasn't, a large number of people certainly believe he has.
"I don't doubt Mr. Lowder loves Auburn. But he's smothering Auburn with his love.''
Some argue that forcing Lowder out, if that's possible, might do more harm than good. Who, they ask, would replace him, especially if he should withdraw part or all of his personal financial support to the university?
Blizzard does not seem alarmed at such a prospect.
"Auburn has more than 100,000 graduates, and there are over 4 million citizens of this state,'' he said. "Certainly, there are lot of people who could ably serve and contribute in many ways while not putting themselves in conflict-of-interest situations, or even the appearance of conflict-of-interest situations.''
Looking to Riley
Judge Blizzard also is critical of board member Lowell Barron, president pro tem of the Alabama Senate. Barron is scheduled to rotate off the board by the first of the year.
"Mr. Barron has done millions and millions of dollars of construction on the campus,'' Blizzard said. "Is that a conflict of interest? It may not be a legal conflict of interest, but it just doesn't look right. And when the public no longer has confidence in the way business is being conducted, that's a huge detriment.''
This is not to say that everything has been all bad on the Auburn board of trustees, Blizzard hastened to add.
"We've had some good trustees over the years,'' he said. "I'm speaking of men like the late Jim Tatum, who was an attorney in Huntsville. Jim was a very excellent trustee, a man who truly loved Auburn and would've never done anything to hurt it. I never heard anybody say anything negative about Jim.
"But too often, being a trustee is a prestigious position gained through politics. We need to de-politicize it. A lot of people who've been very successful in business and who're used to giving orders don't seem to be willing to compromise with those whose views may be different.''
A prime example, he said, is the SACS ruling.
"We desperately need leaders who'll sit down with the SACS people and start cooperating with them rather than fighting with them,'' Blizzard said. "We've sued 'em, taken 'em to court, won in court, and where has it gotten us? It was a case of winning the battle and losing the war. Tactically, it wasn't a good move. In the long run, it turned out to be a very bad move.''
As for the future, Blizzard sees two possible scenarios.
"One, several people resign - enough people so that the pattern of abuse is broken,'' he said. "Then we bring in some people who're willing to comply with SACS rules.
"The other option is to continue the present situation, not make any changes and go along with status quo. We know the accrediting agency is in control. We have to believe they would take the ultimate action and remove the school's accreditation. That would mean the loss of federal funding and also, as I understand it, suspension of athletic competition under NCAA rules.
"While that is almost unthinkable, I don't believe any reasonable person wants to gamble on that possibility.
"Is there a third option? If there is, I can't see it.''
Asked if he is optimistic, Blizzard frowned and said: "I don't know. I'm very concerned that people are being stubborn, hard-headed and not willing to do what is necessary.
"I see nothing to indicate that anything has changed. I don't see anything to indicate that the board of trustees is operating any differently.
"I think there's a lot going on that we don't know. Maybe there are some good things going on that we don't know about yet. Let's hope so.''
Blizzard, a lifelong Democrat, believes Bob Riley, Alabama's Republican governor and an Alabama graduate, is the one person who can generate a breakthrough and eventually resolve the crisis.
"I have a lot of confidence in Bob Riley,'' Blizzard said. "I think he's a real leader and a fair man. It's going to be difficult, even for the governor, to get some people's attention. But I hope he'll be persistent.
"The governor is the head of the board of trustees of the largest university in the state. I really believe Gov. Riley cares about Auburn and is concerned about Auburn. I think he really wants the best for the school. I think he'll make a difference.''
To which thousands of Auburn alumni around the world might say: "Judge, here's hoping you're right.''
Contact John Pruett at johnp@htimes.com
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