columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/othercities/phoenix/s -
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Published on: 2/27/2009
Last Visited: 2/28/2009
Jeff Coles, head of the Finance Department at ASU, said he canceled the program for lack of sponsorships, but he also acknowledged an element of controversy.
The event was created by ASU Professor Crocker Liu after he came to the Valley from New York University in 2006.
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Coles confirmed that he received "a little bit of flak" from the real estate community for having Wolfswinkel as a speaker last year.
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"I can't tell you where the line is drawn," Coles said.
"Some people will want to give arm's length to that lineup.
On the other hand, we had some sponsorships lined up that were with fine, stand-up firms."
Coles defended Liu's intent of inviting controversial real estate experts to the table, along with other national experts including Doug Duncan, vice president and chief economist for Fannie Mae, and Gordon DuGan, president and CEO of W.P. Carey & Co.
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"If a university has any duty, it's to be in a position to penetrate (issues) more deeply," Coles said.
Liu, meanwhile, believes both the economy and his choice of speakers played a role in the demise of the conference.
He's concerned what kind of message that sends to those looking at ASU as an educational beacon, and how it might impact the reputation of the university's real estate finance program.