Raise to return to his alma mater. Gideon tested the waters and returned.
The program is not in perfect shape but much better than some might suggest with the creative math in your post.
Lowell is not part of your stated equation but influences your perception. It’s a natural bias, to be sure, but still a bias, nonetheless. Lowell was way too soft to ever deliver what high level programs need from his length and skill set. That’s my bias, admittedly.