Director of Campus Recreation Eric Maki resigns
The Heskett Center on Aug. 5, 2013. (file photo)
The day after the student senate voted down a proposed YMCA on Innovation Campus, which many said would threaten the jobs of employees at the Heskett Center, the director of Campus Recreation, Eric Maki, left his position at Wichita State, according to university sources.
Maki has worked at Wichita State since 2012. Campus Recreation, located in the Heskett Center, provides programs, activities and services that promote the health and well-being of the WSU community.
Maureen Dasey-Morales, associate vice president for wellness, confirmed Maki’s resignation. She said that she could not speak to the details of his departure as it pertains to personnel records.
John Lee, associate director of campus recreation, said Maki “loved what he did.”
“(Maki) resigned his position as director after looking at the direction of the university and chose to take on a different career path,” Lee said. He said he received that information from an email from Teri Hall, vice president of student affairs.
“It’s hard because we worked with him for almost five years,” Lee said. “It’s been a tough two weeks between the Y thing — and not the concept of the Y, whether it should be on campus — as just the unknown that that brought.
“Are we gonna have a role there? Are we gonna have a job? Then Eric resigns and so that’s a double dip of a whammy in the same week. But we are a resilient bunch and he set us up for success,” Lee said.
Maki’s primary duties as director were “to shape the student life experience outside of the classroom” and “budget creation and administration, collaborating with various university departments on programs or events, and facilitating large-scale construction projects specific to Campus Recreation,” according to a university news story from when he was first hired.
“The programs and services we provide the Wichita State community are intentionally designed for all those we serve,” said Maki at the time. “Everything we do is with the WSU student in mind.”
Part of Maki’s responsibilities included evaluating renovations for the Heskett Center and enhancements to the outdoor playing fields.
“We do not want to just maintain,” Maki said in 2012. “We want to continually exceed the expectations of our students in providing programs focused on excellence and in complementing the academic mission of Wichita State University.”
Jenna Farhat was the news editor of The Sunflower. Farhat majored in creative writing.
Chance Swaim was the Editor in Chief of The Sunflower from fall 2017 to spring 2018.
Swaim was a graduate student in the English Department working...
WSU • Mar 17, 2017 at 10:12 pm
What happened to Eric Maki was KARMA – he treated multiple people in his department terribly by always focusing on their flaws, rather than encouraging them and appreciating their strengths. The same thing that “supposedly” happened to him was the same thing he did to countless people in Campus Recreation, which is why in the past 3 years there has been such an overturn of Professional Staff. Maki only appreciates individuals that do not think for themselves and he can control their every move. If you had an opinion or wanted to share an idea within that department automatically placed you on Maki’s blacklist. Eric Maki is a tyrant leader and a micro manager that needs to learn that his way is not the only way. That department is much better off with Maki – all he ever wanted to do was replicate Mizzou and Disney. Every success that Campus Recreation executed or experience, pretty much had nothing to do with Eric Maki’s leadership.
Mike Logan • Mar 14, 2017 at 9:32 pm
I know nothing about the current situation @ WSU. But I sure have a lot of respect for Eric Maki. He welcomed me as a stranger in his office 2 years ago while I was visiting friends in Wichita, and talked to me at length about collegiate recreation (when I was still fairly new to the profession and trying to figure things out). He struck me as a visionary who cared a lot about the students, and he seemed to have great rapport with those who worked for him. Am sure that he will be successful wherever he goes. Eric, if you’re reading this, thanks again for your time and best wishes to you.
WSU • Mar 17, 2017 at 10:17 pm
Eric Maki did not care about you or the rest of the student body. All he was worried about was furthering himself and pleasing the administrative staff above him. He created a tremendous sense of fear in the student staff of Campus Recreation, that they were afraid to even say hi to him. What supposedly happened to Eric Maki was complete KARMA ause he did the same thing to countless people he oversaw. He forced them into deciding to quit, mostly because they had an opinion or different outlook of him. Campus Recreation is no longer walking on egg shells and can finally reach new levels of success.
2 Degrees From WSU • Mar 10, 2017 at 7:35 pm
SCREW this administration!!! I hate Bardo so much and I hate lying to students. Staff are at risk if they do not say ‘Yes’ to this man. STUDENTS and FACULTY must stand up to this tyrant! Thank goodness the SGA has balls to counter this reckless administration; I can only hope they are as fervent when Shepard is gone. WSU has been completely lied to and bamboozled by Bardo – the university is on the path to being a complete corporate entity with no allowance of independent thought. Go to hell “Dr” John Bardo.
Lucky • Mar 10, 2017 at 3:48 pm
Unbelievable. Good, no make that great, people just continue to be forced out of the university and there’s one common denominator, they stand for what’s right and therefore stand in the way of a bully bent on personal accolades.
Shane • Mar 10, 2017 at 11:47 am
Teri Hall was quoted in the Wichita Eagle – her statement essentially said that even though the SGA and students don’t want the YMCA, their opinion really doesn’t matter. The voice of the students is only a recommendation, not a mandate. This statement was made by the VP of STUDENT Affairs.
Shane • Mar 10, 2017 at 11:43 am
Another victim of Bardo’s desire to transform WSU into a playground for large multi-national corporations. They aren’t even pretending to care about the students anymore.
Real Shocker • Mar 10, 2017 at 10:19 am
Eric Maki is a tremendous professional. Are we really expected to believe he resigned? Is WSU rewriting the definition of “resigned”? You need the qualifiers liked “Forced Resignation”. Honest and transparent communication with students claims another WSU victim. Who will be next to “resign”?
WSU • Mar 17, 2017 at 10:18 pm
Eric Maki did not care about you or the rest of the student body. All he was worried about was furthering himself and pleasing the administrative staff above him. He created a tremendous sense of fear in the student staff of Campus Recreation, that they were afraid to even say hi to him. What supposedly happened to Eric Maki was complete KARMA ause he did the same thing to countless people he oversaw. He forced them into deciding to quit, mostly because they had an opinion or different outlook of him. Campus Recreation is no longer walking on egg shells and can finally reach new levels of success