#rick altizer

[wutbju]

So Rick wants to show off his meetings with BJU admins, wants to dangle the prospects of a 501c3 in front of well-intentioned people, with his idea of "Fundamental Board Reform."

And collect $$. Don't forget the $$.

There's only one path forward for "board reform," Positives. I laid it out for you weeks ago.

If Rick is not doing that, he's just finding a new way to collect dues.

Be as wise as serpents, friends.

[wutbju]

+++Positive+++ BJU grads, you need to slow down.

Rick Altizer has been peddling this positive schlock for a long time. In May 2015, he delivered a TEDTalk called "Rebellion of One."

It's meaningless, neo-liberal nonsense full of glittering generalities. Just like he's peddling to you in exchange for your emails and dreams of IPTAY-like fundraising.

Since this recording, he's been in the upper echelons of three other corporations.

In this speech, Rick is "positive" seven times. Check it out.

One positive way we rebels rebel is to constantly push to persistently challenge to strive for change.

We BJU alumni can look askance at the "rebel" persona. I mean, come on, Rick. We know you. Being the president of Omega is not really a "rebel" move.

He goes on to talk about the need for "requisite variety" -- the basic idea of getting outside your comfort zone.

They illustrate the positive personal impact of requisite variety in its simplest most practical terms by intentionally seeking out and embracing personal positive experience.

Positively!

But then he goes into describing his alma mater, Bob Jones University. He's so positive about the place that he doesn't name it. Even while his son and namesake, Ricky Altizer of BOJE.us fame, had transferred out of the school just a few months before this speech after his sophomore year.

I first came in contact with the convey a concept the requisite variety back in college I heard the term in an undergraduate psychology course but I experienced requisite variety in the way my university went about the educational process.

It was a small liberal arts college and their mission was and is to educate the whole person. So as a result we were required to attend opera and Shakespeare and religious Vespers, and we were required to take public speaking even though you might not be able to tell at the moment.

We were challenged to take a required to take physical education courses. I once took a class in fencing. That's my wife judging in the background there. She's a cutie. I've never been so sore in all my life. If you haven't ever fenced, it's very demanding physically, but it was a great experience. Though I admit at the time I didn't fully understand or appreciate the breadth of the experiences I was having when I was essentially getting in addition to my accounting degree was a double minor in requisite variety. They were intent on educating me as a whole person so that I could go out into the world and hopefully make a positive difference.

Oh good grief.

Perhaps we should think of the whole planet as one extended postgraduate program in requisite variety. Course after course of potentially interesting and meaningful new experiences that build potential and had positive new perspectives to improve the quality of our experiences over time.

And we can't forget the humble brags.

Now I’m a CEO, and as I mentioned even this last year as CEO almost every day some new and important experience most of them positive had added to my perspective.

He'd leave Elevation Burger two months later. Three years before this he had to leave Jiffy Lube for fraudulent business practices. You can watch that video here.

That's who is in charge of this +++Positive+++ group, friends.

Beware.

[wutbju]

Is Bob Jones Facing Closure? – MinistryWatch

Did e'er such love and understanding meet as they did in this Ministry Watch article?

Brian Fuller, a leader of “BJU-New Contract” described the campus atmosphere under Pettit as a “culture of grace” and a place where alumni would consider sending their children.

Rick Altizer, who is a BJU alumnus and served on the associate board from 2012 to 2019, said the current board of trustees doesn’t represent the overall constituency of BJU, but is an echo chamber for Jones. They don’t accept input from BJU graduates, Altizer said, and put too much value on secondary and tertiary matters.

Camille Lewis, a BJU graduate who also taught there 1992 to 2007, has been tracking the faculty cuts in what she calls the “BJU brain drain.” She has counted 70 out of 267 “reduced” or otherwise departing faculty members, about 40% of whom have terminal degrees — the highest degree in their academic discipline. “The scholars that made BJU credible are leaving,” Lewis told MinistryWatch, adding that not only is it a blow to the faculty who lost their positions, but some of the faculty have had their class load tripled.

[wutbju]

Rick Altizer announced in the Positives that they have whittled down the candidates for BJU's next president to "3-5."

We all know the candidates. One (above) is Balan Bertson.

Second is Jalan Jenson:

And third is Schmalan Schmenson:

And, of course, Jacques Souvenier:

Which one will they choose? It's a mystery.

[wutbju]

One parent of a member of the BJU Class of 2027 is skiddish about next year:

I guess I'm already seeing some signs that make me regret that our son has decided to attend this fall. He will be a freshman. Since school starts soon, our attitude is stay the course . . . go and see what they reveal of their true intent. I believe I'm already seeing some writing on the wall and I'm sure the first few days of school wil be telling, as the handbook is explained from the viewpoint of the new leadership. I'm weary.

But Rick Altizer is still +++Positive+++!

Praying for him! The faculty and administrators remain the same this coming year so hopefully things remain positive. While there may be some minor adjustments in policy enforcement, I don't really expect any significant policy shift until the new president is named. Hopefully, not then either but time will tell. I hope he has a great experience!

We're still waiting on the Summer Orientation numbers. That should give us a glimpse.

[wutbju]

The +++Positives+++ finally popped up after several weeks of silence.

Dear positive BJU grads and friends, As you have noticed, the volunteer organizers and admins at Positive BJU have taken some time off from Facebook. Like you, we are enjoying a restorative break from the debates and dramas of the last school year at BJU. I know you have missed us like we have missed you. We hope the break has been a healthy time of healing and positive reflection for you. It has been for us! We will pick up the conversation again in September but for now: We are praying. We are praying for Dr. Alan Benson. We are praying for Dr. Sam Dawson. We are praying for the board that they will fully understand their role and serve the University with honor, integrity, and great wisdom. We are praying for the administration and the faculty/staff that they will have joy in their vocation and visible fruit for their loving labors. We are praying for new and returning students that they will continue to grow in grace and humility. We are praying for alumni everywhere to know the unsearchable breadth and depth of God's love, to experience His peace, and to continue to grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ by His Word and through His Spirit. We are praying for Dr. Steve Pettit and his wife Terry as they continue serve the Church with their unique gifts in their new evangelistic and discipleship ministries.

We are waiting. We believe that the choice of the next president this coming year is critical. We believe that the training and strengthening of the BJU board is essential. We have no direct input or influence with Dr. Dawson or the Executive Committee. And while we have a good relationship with the faculty and administration, even their influence over next steps in the choice of the new president and the much-needed evolution of the board is very limited. We are committed. We are here for the long haul. We are not weary in well doing. We are taking the long view. Some of the core realities at BJU have been 96 years in the making. We do not expect sustainable biblical change to happen quickly. It may take another half-generation for some of the root causes to expire, retire, or reform. We are the loving and loyal alumni, and we are not going anywhere! We believe the world needs BJU more now than ever! Have a great summer and please pray with us and stay with us! Happy 4th of July! Suzanne Ramsey Altizer, Eric Hutton, Margaret Stegall, Mike Myers Becky Custer (Clay), Dave Deets, John Lane

[wutbju]

Rick Altizer, President +++Positive+++, posted this this morning at 7:45am on Friday, April 7, 2023 -- Good Friday.

But now it's deleted.

Since WutBJU, too, “has a duty to disclose confidential information," I include it here for the record. This shows the +++Positives+++ agenda:

Before we pause to meditate and worship our Risen Lord, a few clean up notes from yesterday:

First, we are thankful that John Lewis did the right thing (finally) yesterday and resigned. Based on the facts of the situation, we believe there are at least two other board members who also need to resign--Joe Helm and Hantz Bernard. They were in league with John Lewis throughout the leadership crisis of the last year. This was a completely avoidable and intentional campaign on their part to unseat a much loved and effective university president before his final term. They need to resign immediately so the board can begin the process of moving forward.

Secondly, we were surprised and offended by the "official" Dear Alumni post yesterday around 5pm. While positive bju is not the only Facebook group and certainly not the only Facebook group who needed to hear their oddly timed message, we are the only alumni and friends group who confronted the unethical behavior of the BJU board and single-mindedly defended Dr. Pettit. No good deed goes unpunished, comes to mind.

For those of you who have followed the action closely and consistently (most of you) we have defended and praised the BJU Alumni Association and supported the student recruitment team consistently. We will continue to do this, though with less enthusiasm perhaps until we have an opportunity to discuss with them the purpose and intent of their public letter to all alumni.

With regards to the letter itself. We agree that name calling including wishing harm to anyone has no place in social media. We agree that outside groups like FBI should refrain from trying to exert undue influence over the board at BJU. We are alumni and friends. We have only advocated for maintaining good executive leadership (Steve Pettit) and removing unethical and ineffective board leadership.

Unlike the FBFI, we have never advocated for any specific policy. We trust the administration to decide what is best for the operations of the school itself. As we have said, we are not "progressive". We are not advocating for more liberal or more lax anything. What we cannot accept is a divided and dysfunctional board that opposes its own board approved policies and bullies and intimidates the administrators. It is not only wrong, but also counterproductive to the growth and success of the institution.

Finally, with respect to confidential information we have shared. When a board member, administrator, or alumni (one of us) becomes aware of wrongdoing, we have a duty to disclose it. With respect to board members in SC, the duty of care and duty of loyalty to the institution is a statutory requirement in the law. The duty of confidentiality is not. While there may be policies and best practices that govern confidentiality on private boards, these are superseded by the statutory and fiduciary duty of care and loyalty to BJU when wrongdoing happens on the board. Positive BJU celebrates and salutes every courageous source who helped to expose the details of the bad decisions and actions of Lewis, Bernard, and Helm. While it has been messy at times, these men are being held to account by the off campus and on campus stakeholders for the first time in nearly 100 years and that historic first naturally resulted in defensive backlash.

We didn't expect a defensive backlash from the university, but we accept the points of agreement even while we reject the tone and timing of it. In any event, we can forgive and to forge ahead with this historic fundamental board reset leading to a very bright future for BJU. Thank you!

[wutbju]

Bob Jones president resigns, accuses board chair of thwarting Title IX complaint

(RNS) — President since 2014, Pettit had helped soften some of the school’s rules while maintaining its conservative beliefs. That did not s

Randy Page, Rick Altizer, and WutBJU all in the same article!