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Faculty react
to Sendek's departure
 |
Sendek |
Much discussion during the Faculty Senate meeting on April 4 – with Chancellor Jim L. Oblinger and Athletics Director Lee Fowler in attendance – centered on the departure of men’s basketball coach Herb Sendek.
Nina Allen, chair of the faculty, opened the meeting by stating she was “very sorry” to see Sendek leave NC State and accept the head coaching position at Arizona State.
“We’ve been well served by [Sendek],” Allen said. “We hope Lee Fowler and Chancellor Oblinger will select a coach who has the same level of integrity, character and commitment to academics as Sendek.”
Oblinger echoed Allen’s sentiments.
“ Coach Sendek and his staff and players represented NC State during the past 10 years with integrity, discipline and hard work,” Oblinger said.
Among Sendek’s accomplishments at NC State were his 191 wins, graduation rate and five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament – an achievement shared by only 15 schools in the nation, Oblinger said.
“Arizona State’s gain is our loss, and we wish Sendek, his staff and his wife and children nothing but the best,” Oblinger said.
Fowler said a commitment to academics, such as the graduation rate, is “high on the list of priorities” in finding NC State’s next basketball coach.
“I want you to know that every prospective coach will know what we expect in regards to academics, and what we demand,” he said.
During the meeting, Oblinger also provided an update on the university’s priorities for the upcoming state budget, including operating funds for the Biotechnology Training and Education Center, various economic development initiatives, and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
Susan Nutter, vice provost and director of libraries, followed Oblinger with a presentation on the source of funding for NCSU Libraries.
She said NCSU Libraries was dealing with a “nibble-away environment” in which public funding has remained constant while demands have increased. She said, for example, about 7,500 people use the D.H. Hill Library every day. About 10 years ago, the library had about 5,000 seats; today, she said, the library has about 1,500.
Nutter closed her presentation by stating Sendek was a strong supporter of the Friends of the Library, a group of community members, students, NC State alumni, corporate partners and others who support the NCSU Libraries.
“ He was a very good man, and he will be missed,” she said.
Allen closed the meeting saying the Faculty Senate’s executive committee will draft a resolution of commendation for Sendek.
Posted April 7, 2006
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