AASUNYMC

PO BOX 509

OAKDALE, NY 11769

(631) 536 2252

 

May 20, 2004

 

Fellow Alumni,

 

We have become aware of the following exchange of e-mail between Mr. Ken Healy, College Development Officer and Executive Director, The Maritime College At Fort Schuyler Foundation, Inc., and Mr. Fred West, class of 1950, that was widely distributed in the Hampton Roads area.

 

The office(s) held by Mr. Healy do, or must be presumed to speak for the college. Unfortunately, Mr. Healy's reply to Mr. West contains many inaccuracies that cannot be left unanswered. The tone and content of his reply should indicate to you, the Alumni, the extreme level of difficulty your Association continues to encounter in coming into a constructive working relationship with the college.  

 

Please see original email exchange between Mr. Freddy West and Mr. Ken Healy quoted below:

 

-----Original Message-----
From: freddy west [mailto:freddywest@cox.net]
Sent: Mon 5/3/2004 5:50 PM
To: Healy, Ken
Cc: Hynes, Sue
Subject: Alumni Pres, Joe Gerson

Information please...

The Hampton Roads chapter is having a diinner next week with Joe Gerson as the guest speaker...Apparently he is coming from a recent meeting with the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association and the Trustees of the Foundation (?).

Has anything changed between the old AA, and the College? I think everyone is hoping this can be resolved, but...

Anything you can tell me about the above would be appreciated. I plan to attend the dinner.

Fred West '50

 

 

 

 ----- Original Message -----

From: Healy, Ken

To: freddy west

Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 7:30 AM

Subject: RE: Alumni Pres, Joe Gerson

 

Mr. West:

 

Thanks again for your continued interest. Unfortunately, there is nothing good to report. The AA has tried to strong arm an agreement with the College by going through several state legislators and trying to hold the College's budget at risk if we don't capitulate. Fortunately, we were able to cut this off at the pass and now even several legislators who were trying to work on behalf of the AA, see that they are just being uncooperative and disingenuous.

 

Three interesting questions to note and possibly ask Mr. Gerson are:

 

1. If the AA voted for "independence" and now has no ties to the College, why do they so desperatly cling on? I've suggested to several of them in passing that they should look up "independence" in the dictionary. Perhaps they should be careful of what they asked for.

 

2. Why did the AA refuse to support the Admiral's Scholarship Dinner, the college's primary fundraiser? They continue to claim they will support the Cadets and the Regiment but they have clearly walked away.

 

3. The AA has no standing at the College. They will not be able to host Homecoming, give awards on campus, hold meetings on campusor represent Maritime in any offical way. They are preparing to change their name and are now incorporated in Delaware. At Student Awards Night this Thursday, the AA will not be sponsoring any awards for the first time in decades.They are now relegated to awarding scholarships in the back of some diner on Tremont Ave., instead of on campus in the quadrangle. Is this an organization to be proud of? I can't for the life of me figure out why graduates who care about Maritime are letting your tremendous organization go this way.

 

The plan here at the College is to continue going forward. Although we will hit a few bumps in the road from time to time, life here is better than ever and it is unfortunate that the AA no longer has a college to call its own....Consider this....

 

We had over 500 parents at our recent Parents Day. Our entering class will be as large as last year's with better academic quality. There are over 700 students going on summer cruise. This will be the last cruise of this length because next year we will have to have two summer cruises to accommodate all of the students. We have a new tug and will accept delivery on a diesel ship next week. The regiment will most likely grow to 1100 students next year, the largest in Maritime's history. Our Accepted Student's Day had over 300 incoming students come to campus last month with their families. Does it sound like we miss the AA at all? It is unfortunate that they have chosen to walk away from Maritime at the most successful time in our history but we'll not only survive, we are going to thrive.

 

We will also have Homecoming at the College next year and we will work with any and all potential employers who want our graduates. Hopefully our alumni will come to the conclusion that a professionally run College, staffed by trained educators, not "SUNY bureaucrats" as we are often described, really know what they are doing and we are prepared to work with any and all individuals who want what is best with the College.

 

Perhaps some day this will change but it is going to take graduates who believe in the College and what it stand for to force this change of course.  It is really too bad it has come to this.

 

Perhaps in the interest of fairness you can invite myself or Adm. Ryan to present the truth about the situation at this meeting or another.

 

Thanks,

 

Ken Healy

 

The Executive Committee's reply to Mr. Healy's reply follows:

 

“Mr. West:

 

Thanks again for your continued interest. Unfortunately, there is nothing good to report. The AA has tried to strong arm an agreement with the College by going through several state legislators and trying to hold the College's budget at risk if we don't capitulate. Fortunately, we were able to cut this off at the pass and now even several legislators who were trying to work on behalf of the AA, see that they are just being uncooperative and disingenuous.”

 

Mr. Healy’s choice of words is interesting. The term “strong arm” is generally understood to mean to bring force to bear in a dispute.

 

It was SUNY that tried to strong arm a contract on a reluctant membership then summarily kicked it off campus when it refused to accept SUNY’s terms. The Association then took the only option available-- to seek help in the legislature to mediate the dispute. This is an ongoing effort at reaching an agreement that maintains our independence. We are currently in the second round of proposals and counter-proposals with SUNY that are being conducted under the auspices of two New York State Senators. Either Mr. Healy is misinformed, out of the loop or just plain disingenuous. The vituperation of Mr. Healy notwithstanding, we will follow the mediation road to its logical end.

 

Mr. Healy’s criticism of our communicating with the legislature is instructive for two reasons. 

First, our contention has always been that the purpose of the SUNY Guidelines and Contract were an attempt by SUNY and the College to preclude the Alumni Association’s communicating with elected officials regarding matters that are in our interest. The College and SUNY's response has been “nothing could be further from the truth.” They repeatedly state our contention is unfounded; the Alumni Association’s communicating with elected officials does not concern them, and they welcome such communication.  Now, Mr. Healy has let the truth be known. He and SUNY want to "cut" the right of the Alumni Association and its members to petition our elected leaders "off at the pass."  In fact, Mr. Healy is proud of his colleagues’ apparent success at doing this.

 

Second, it is apparent Mr. Healy and his colleagues have forgotten they are public servants, and ultimately they work for the people, and not the other way round.  One wonders what Mr. Healy and SUNY think our legislators are in Albany for.   As a government employee, he really has no business denigrating the legislative process.

 

 

“Three interesting questions to note and possibly ask Mr. Gerson are:

 

1. If the AA voted for "independence" and now has no ties to the College, why do they so desperately cling on? I've suggested to several of them in passing that they should look up "independence" in the dictionary. Perhaps they should be careful of what they asked for.”

 

We took Mr. Healy’s advice and found the following. Independence: not subject to control by others; not affiliated with a larger controlling group”—Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. Perhaps Mr. Healy should take his own advice.

 

Mr. Healy's first sentence is a nonsequitur and is false, although constantly repeated by SUNY and his associates over the past six months.  Why does a vote for "independence" go hand and hand with, or result in, having "no ties to the College?"  Mr. Healy never tells us. Mr. Healy also never explains when and exactly how the AA severed its ties to the College, or who was the first to say this was the case.   We would appreciate Mr. Healy providing specific information on this point.

 

To answer Mr. Healy's question as to "why do they so desperately cling on," the answer is simple. We are graduates of the college and have a stake in the college, and a stake in the value of our diplomas, which directly depend upon how Mr. Healy and his colleagues manage the college.  Also, many of us work in, or are leaders in, the industry the Maritime College is part of. Perhaps the most important point is for many of us the college was a major positive factor and turning point in our lives. We want others who follow to have the same opportunity as we did.

 

Mr. Healy should also explain what are his or SUNY's problems with an independent Alumni Association.  Other independent Alumni Associations and "auxiliary organizations" in SUNY have not signed the proffered contract, but none have had the slightest sanctions raised against them, let alone the drastic ones directed against us. 

 

“2. Why did the AA refuse to support the Admiral's Scholarship Dinner, the college's primary fundraiser? They continue to claim they will support the Cadets and the Regiment but they have clearly walked away.”

 

The Association did NOT refuse to support the Admiral’s Dinner. The Association President did, in fact, urge support of the dinner in a mailing to all members. Mr. Austin Dooley and Mr. Jim McNamara, past Presidents and current members of the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association and Mr. John Reynolds, President Delaware Valley Chapter of the Alumni Association, are all Co-Chairmen of the Admiral’s Ball. Perhaps Mr. Healy is unaware of who these gentlemen are. 

 

 

“3. The AA has no standing at the College. They will not be able to host Homecoming, give awards on campus, hold meetings on campus or represent Maritime in any official way. They are preparing to change their name and are now incorporated in Delaware. At Student Awards Night this Thursday, the AA will not be sponsoring any awards for the first time in decades. They are now relegated to awarding scholarships in the back of some diner on Tremont Ave., instead of on campus in the quadrangle. Is this an organization to be proud of? I can't for the life of me figure out why graduates who care about Maritime are letting your tremendous organization go this way.”

 

The Association is incorporating in Delaware because “incorporation” is a SUNY requirement as part of the contract conditions for affiliated alumni associations. The name change is a part of the requirements pertaining to registration of corporate names. It is incorporating in Delaware because, as anyone familiar with corporate registration knows, Delaware law is the most accommodating to corporate needs. As Mr. Healy has forgotten to mention, in SUNY Council’s letter of January 30, 2004 (the Edward’s letter), it was demanded that we cease using our current name. In addition, the SUNY Guidelines require that we incorporate the Alumni Association. We have therefore taken the precaution of incorporating under the name “Fort Schuyler Maritime Alumni, Inc.  This may be temporary depending on SUNY negotiations and whether or not we decide to adopt a new name or continue using our present name. The Association will continue doing business under its current name until further notice.

 

Scholarships were indeed awarded to almost 30 cadets. The awards were made without the cooperation of the Administration that ignored the needs of the cadets and actively put roadblocks in their path. Our photograph of May 5, 2004, taken in the Quadrangle, graphically proves that Mr. Healy’s remarks about where we are "relegated" to giving our scholarships are totally inaccurate. We gave twenty-six scholarships totaling $30,000 at the college and directly to the Bursar (At Capt. Smith’s request, three Cadets were awarded an additional $6050 in scholarship grants or interest free loans in order to make the Summer Sea Term. In addition, Mr. Robert Franzblau and Mr. Joe Gerson contributed the sum of $10,000 to the Captain’s Discretionary Fund to be used for Cadet cruise enrichment and enhancement expenses.)

 

The Association continues on in this manner because of a commitment to the Alumni, cadets and school. Only an independent Association can maintain its dedication to its mission. As for pride, Alumni Association members should be, and are proud of their unwavering support of the Maritime College and its valued traditions that have endured for over one hundred years, often under some of the most trying conditions. Of course, this rich history would be unknown to recently arrived state employees like Mr. Healy. They have no business questioning our loyalty when theirs only extends to their next paycheck.

 

Mr. Healy should answer why "the AA has no standing at the College”. Moreover, he should tell us exactly who says "the AA has no standing at the College."  He doesn't say  "the AA will not be sponsoring any awards for the first time in decades...at student awards night." because we were not invited!.  Mr. Healy should explain why this is, and who makes the policy and who gives the orders.  Some candidness is in order here; who is driving the policy toward the Alumni Association and why?

 

“The plan here at the College is to continue going forward. Although we will hit a few bumps in the road from time to time, life here is better than ever and it is unfortunate that the AA no longer has a college to call its own....Consider this....

 

 We had over 500 parents at our recent Parents Day. Our entering class will be as large as last year's with better academic quality. There are over 700 students going on summer cruise. This will be the last cruise of this length because next year we will have to have two summer cruises to accommodate all of the students. We have a new tug and will accept delivery on a diesel ship next week. The regiment will most likely grow to 1100 students next year, the largest in Maritime's history. Our Accepted Student's Day had over 300 incoming students come to campus last month with their families. Does it sound like we miss the AA at all? It is unfortunate that they have chosen to walk away from Maritime at the most successful time in our history but we'll not only survive, we are going to thrive.”

 

We are glad things are going well at the College. We do not wish it any harm. We do wish Mr. Healy had recognized the valuable contribution of the Association to the recruiting effort that helped the College reach this level of enrollment. He should have also mentioned its contributions to scholarships, mentoring and, lest we forget, maintaining the Regiment, ship and license in the face of SUNY’s attempt to shut it down.

 

As to not "missing the AA at all", Mr. Healy should define who “we” are.   Maybe Mr. Healy doesn't miss us, but we know many on campus that would like to see the old relationship between the Alumni Association and the college reestablished and maintained.

 

“We will also have Homecoming at the College next year and we will work with any and all potential employers who want our graduates. Hopefully our alumni will come to the conclusion that a professionally run College, staffed by trained educators, not "SUNY bureaucrats" as we are often described, really know what they are doing and we are prepared to work with any and all individuals who want what is best with the College.“

 

We would remind Mr. Healy that it is the Alumni who will employ the cadets upon graduation. We also agree that “a professionally run College, staffed by trained educators” is in the best interests of the College and we will stand by and assist in any way possible.

 

However, we recognize that this has not always been the case and we must retain the right to disagree and to take appropriate action when we do not. That is the essence of the dispute we now find ourselves in.

 

“Perhaps some day this will change but it is going to take graduates who believe in the College and what it stand for to force this change of course. It is really too bad it has come to this.”

 

We could not agree more.

 

“Perhaps in the interest of fairness you can invite myself or Adm. Ryan to present the truth about the situation at this meeting or another.”

 

If this is a request to debate the issues, we accept. Please contact us to arrange a suitable time and place.

 

“Thanks,

 

Ken Healy”

 

In closing, we appreciate your time spent in understanding the issues. We suggest that individual Alumni and Chapter Officers not attempt to act as "unofficial intermediaries" with college officials. We understand their sincerity but such attempts are being used to "divide and conquer" or as conduits to spread SUNY propaganda.

 

Fraternally,

The Executive Committee