Bonfire of the Humanities

He likes them, he really really likes them.

Background info on the School:

http://www.brookhavenms.com/arts/default.htm

 

Gosh, I wonder if anyone has thought to notify Pood, or the chairs of art, music, and theater and dance. Prof. Judd? Is this a surprise to you?

The President, Dean Pood and the representatives visited T&D late last Spring. They indicated that they were looking at our space in order to determine what it takes to run a theatre and dance program and that they were interested because they were trying to figure out how to support the MSA wich was in serious trouble via the legislature. It is possible that Frank Kuhn knew what the deeper intentions were but I learned them from the board.

Having said that -- I certainly view this as a positive thing for us and MSA if it comes off. I do not see them moving out of Brookhaven where they have a very nice setup -- at least for the present. We have not yet developed a plan of action but we will certainly look seriously at what we can do.

While I'd have liked to have had a better sense of what is going on a bit earlier, the truth is we haven't been in a position to do much planning until now anyhow -- so the timing actually works out. And I'm certainly aware that given the political sensitivities at the legislative level the administration might have had some good reasons to keep this under wraps (I don't mean to sound like an apologist - the truth is I just don't know).

I am curious if art and music know anything, since MSA is a comprehensive arts school (except for dance)

Very exciting -- many people thought the school should have been associated with us all the way along. After all, we are the preeminent arts university in the state . . . .

As critical as I have been of the President on my perception that the status of the arts as an area of excellence within the university has been deemphasized,  I also have to in fairness point out the following:

1. The acquisition of the High School downtown for the art department, although seemingly completed with minimal input from the art department itself, potentially not only gives the USM arts a new space but a downtown presence.

2.  The President and his wife are patron contributors to The Partners of the Arts.

3.  Both Dean Pood and the President have been very helpful and supportive in for both T&D as a program and SAT -- as wonderful as our donars are, as our patrons are, and the Partners of the Arts are -- we could not survive easily w/o reasonable funding from the university. That support has continued even though a number of T&D folks have been pretty visible in the AAUP and particularly in the continuing controversy.

That does not mean that I do not believe that we have a major task to continue to educate the administration that the arts, while they may have some instrumental purposes, are still worthwhile programs in themselves for the ineffable contributions they make to the university and the community at large. I'd also include not just the performing and fine arts, but the literary arts as well -- I'd like to see a stronger linkage made between writing and the other arts if only because we all face the same kinds of struggles of continually having to justify ourselves. Speaking as a theatre person -- writing is critical to our work because without writers we don't have plays and lyrics and I'd be left making designs for industrials and theme parks.

 

 

 

 

 

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Originally posted by: One right, innumerable wrongs
"All of this may be true, Stephen, but one move in a right direction does not undo the many moves in the wrong direction. There will invariably be a few good things happening at USM and higher-level administrators will invariably try to take credit for whatever appeals to the university community or to the public. But until the tooth of USM's problems is extracted from its roots, even a school for the arts as large as life itself will be of no consequence."

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To say that the efforts and accomplishments of faculty, students, and staff are of "no conseqeunce" unless and until the next head honcho arrives at the Dome is just crazy. Let Stephen and others do their jobs, and give a round of applause for any successes they achieve. Their work is meaningful and of consequence, irrespective of who is on the throne.  

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Originally posted by: Rabid Dog Alert
"To say that the efforts and accomplishments of faculty, students, and staff are of "no conseqeunce" unless and until the next head honcho arrives at the Dome is just crazy. Let Stephen and others do their jobs, and give a round of applause for any successes they achieve. Their work is meaningful and of consequence, irrespective of who is on the throne.  "

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Rabid Dog, the "tooth" of USM's problems is not whether it has a school for the arts, or a doctoral program in economic development, or a cadre of nationally visible faculty members in English. The tooth of the problem is shared governance, due process, academic freedom without which it will not be possible to develop and retain an outstanding school for the arts, a doctoral program in economic development (or in any other discipline for that matter);  or regain the prominent position in held in English. My reading of Stephen Judd's previous posts leads me to believe that he is in agreement.  I was, and still am, a strong supporter for bringing the school for the arts to USM in the first place. But no program - and I mean no program - can remain academically viable given the existing problems at USM.  Read my lips, Rabid Dog, I agreed with Judd in my very first six words: "That may be true, Stephen." It must be the remainder of my post that disturbs you. Whether you agree or not, I believe that one positive event can't undo the innumerable horrible things that have happened here. Now that you bring me back into this thread, I will add that USM's education faculty are big time stakeholders in any high school, arts or otherwise, affiliated with USM. They should have been consulted from the git go.

quote:

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Originally posted by: One right, innumerable wrongs
"Rabid Dog, the "tooth" of USM's problems is not whether it has a school for the arts, or a doctoral program in economic development, or a cadre of nationally visible faculty members in English. The tooth of the problem is shared governance, due process, academic freedom without which it will not be possible to develop and retain an outstanding school for the arts, a doctoral program in economic development (or in any other discipline for that matter);  or regain the prominent position in held in English. My reading of Stephen Judd's previous posts leads me to believe that he is in agreement.  I was, and still am, a strong supporter for bringing the school for the arts to USM in the first place. But no program - and I mean no program - can remain academically viable given the existing problems at USM.  Read my lips, Rabid Dog, I agreed with Judd in my very first six words: "That may be true, Stephen." It must be the remainder of my post that disturbs you. Whether you agree or not, I believe that one positive event can't undo the innumerable horrible things that have happened here. Now that you bring me back into this thread, I will add that USM's education faculty are big time stakeholders in any high school, arts or otherwise, affiliated with USM. They should have been consulted from the git go. "

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I wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts about shared governance, due process, and academic freedom. I disagree with your overgeneralizations, however--in the most recent post that no one of us can have a viable program unless and until SFT exits. There is nothing that SFT can do to repair the damage associated with his behaviors that set in motion the events that led to to the catastrophe of last year. And he continues to make mis-steps (including the one you cite). However, I can't see the value of faculty (I assume you are also faculty) saying that our work is of "no consequence" or that we should announce to the world that we can't have viable programs here until SFT is gone. Sure, it's much, much more difficult to do what we need to do in the current climate, but what message do we want to convey?:

1. "My program is trash because of Thames, and my work is of no consequence, so I'm just drawing a paycheck and biding my time until Thames leaves" or   

2. "Thames's miscues and behaviors make working here extremely difficult. But my program is pretty good and I have some good people. We can try our best to stay viable and productive until the guy goes."

One Right-you make me, a world-class curmudgeon, look like a Pollyanna.        

 

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Originally posted by: One right, innumerable wrongs
"Many years ago, when public institutions such as prisons, mental hospitals, and other specialized facilities were established, the Mississippi legislature saw fit to place most of them where land was the cheapest. Parchman penitentiary was placed in rural Sunflower County, Mississippi State Hospital was placed at Whitfield in what was then rural Rankin County (after the North State property in Jackson, where it existed previously, became too economically valuable), Mississippi's tuberculosis hospital was placed at Boswell (now a developmental disability facility). Similar stories could be told for other public facilities, including some educational institutions. Of more recent vintage, as indicated in the Brookhaven newspaper article, Mississippi's School for the Arts was placed in vacant buildings at the now defunct Whitworth College in Brookhaven. Puting immediate economic considerations above other considerations has not been without human and financial cost to the citizens and taxpayers of Mississippi. Those facilities should have been placed where supporting professional personnel were readily available. The same pertains to a specialized public boarding school such as the school for the arts being considered for USM. It should have been placed here initially in order to take advantage of USM's strong arts resources and its teacher training resources, just as our state penitentiary should have been placed elsewhere "

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Agree 100%. Jackson has always been penny wise and pound foolish. Hence the current fiscal time bomb ready to bite us in the behind in this state. Also, what many folks don't realize is that the "truth-in-sentencing" laws that the tough on crime crowd voted in as other states were repealing these Rockefellar type statutes (due to big hits on state budgets, aging prison populations, and no significant effect on crime) increased the Miss DOC budget at almost the same rate as Higher Ed cuts.

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Originally posted by: One right, innumerable wrongs
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My apologies. I interpreted the metaphor in your original post, that is, the "tooth" that "must be extracted," as  (pretty clever) code for Dr. Thames. USM played Nebraska yesterday? Only kidding...

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Originally posted by: RDA2
"One Right-you make me, a world-class curmudgeon, look like a Pollyanna.          "

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RDA2, I smiled when I went back and read our little interactions on this thread. I suppose that is what a message board is for: to inform, to explain, to clarify, and to communicate. None of that has really been feasible at USM prior to this message board. I believe this board is the just about the best thing that has happened in Hattiesburg  since the time USM beat Alabama back when Bear Bryant was coaching.  In any case, reading the board has sure been good for me and I've learned a great deal from my colleagues - colleagues I have never met - who have posted from across campus. This seems to be the place for me to make one more point: I believe that even prior to two years ago USM's big problem was its relatively low level of aspiration as an institution. Many departments had and still have a very high level of aspiration, and many have excelled and accomplished much with limited resources. Nonetheless, regaining 3rd tier status is not enough. I trust that our level of aspiration is higher than that. Back in the big band era there was a phrase common among some musicians: "I knew Doris Day before she became a virgin." Well, I knew USM before she became a virgin. She was not always a pretty sight. We don't want to go back to those days - we want to go far beyond that. It will take time, and it's already cost dearly, but I honestly believe that USM can position itself for doing doing better than its former 3rd tier status if given the proper administrative leadership and the fundamental characteristics which I believe are essential if USM is to become a really great university: shared governance, due process, and academic freedom. 

quote:

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Originally posted by: One right, innumerable wrongs
"RDA2, I smiled when I went back and read our little interactions on this thread. I suppose that is what a message board is for: to inform, to explain, to clarify, and to communicate. None of that has really been feasible at USM prior to this message board. I believe this board is the just about the best thing that has happened in Hattiesburg  since the time USM beat Alabama back when Bear Bryant was coaching.  In any case, reading the board has sure been good for me and I've learned a great deal from my colleagues - colleagues I have never met - who have posted from across campus. This seems to be the place for me to make one more point: I believe that even prior to two years ago USM's big problem was its relatively low level of aspiration as an institution. Many departments had and still have a very high level of aspiration, and many have excelled and accomplished much with limited resources. Nonetheless, regaining 3rd tier status is not enough. I trust that our level of aspiration is higher than that. Back in the big band era there was a phrase common among some musicians: "I knew Doris Day before she became a virgin." Well, I knew USM before she became a virgin. She was not always a pretty sight. We don't want to go back to those days - we want to go far beyond that. It will take time, and it's already cost dearly, but I honestly believe that USM can position itself for doing doing better than its former 3rd tier status if given the proper administrative leadership and the fundamental characteristics which I believe are essential if USM is to become a really great university: shared governance, due process, and academic freedom. "

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Mr. Wonderful, I hereby tender my first nomination for the new week!

Two contiguous nominations for one post! That has to set a record. To paraphrase Johnny Carson's introduction of Dolly Parton when she appeared on his show, "Hello and Hello." I will just say to Invictus and to DZA2, "duly noted and duly noted." (Vict, I hope your Miss Information has not been assigned to monitor this thread).