This is not the end of the road for Shelby Thames....
...The January 2003 restructuring of the university's nine colleges into five stoked outrage and confusion. An effort to terminate two popular professors in 2004 sparked public turmoil between administration and faculty and staff, culminating in the Faculty Senate's unanimous vote of no-confidence. A period of academic accreditation probation imposed on the university by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ended in December 2005, but was followed the next year with unconditional re-accreditation. All these are among a faculty list of "top eleven negatives" for which "many believe the Thames Administration ought to be remembered," according to a draft document "based on the input of a number of USM faculty" provided by Faculty Senate President Myron Henry....
...But Thames said he had no regrets as he tooled around campus in his black-and-gold golf cart, pointing with glee at a freshly painted stripe of crosswalk and noting its thermoplastic polymer content....
..."Anybody who controls the gold controls the place," he is fond of remarking....
USM Sympathizer wrote:The comment about the person who owns the gold controlling the place is so typical of this man.
I got the impression he was talking about the crosswalks. He who controls the crosswalks at USM controls the place. Anyone who's tried to drive on campus at mid-day knows this is true.
__________________
"I used to care, but things have changed." (Bob Dylan)
This is Dr. Henry's reply to the HA postings, for those of you who have not read it.
Henry response to wish-long (post from wish-long appears below)
I too want to thank Stephen Judd for his post.Yes, I did target spring break to spend with my parents in South Florida.It is a time I have reserved to do their income taxes and other spring tasks they might need done.I also graded papers and built a study guide for a test while I was in South Florida.
The spring break date for the third round of interviews (for finalists) was announced after the second round of interviews (which actually involved finalists.)All members of the seven representatives of the Search Advisory Committee (SAC) were present for the first and second round of interviews, and none was aware of the date for the third round of interviews until the dates were announced during the second round.Three of the seven SAC representatives had prior spring break commitments and were unable to attend round three, but all three were involved in preparing questions for round three.All seven representatives of SAC attended the final session at which time the Board of Trustees BOTs determined the preferred candidate.Many hours were devoted to the search process by the seven SAC representatives as well as by other members of the SAC and by members of the BOTs and IHL staff.
To wish-long: You are entitled to your opinion about my service to USM and the Faculty Senate, just as I am entitled to believe that a style of leadership that has no regrets and no remorse, thinks stepping on some cheeks is required, and publicly states that anybody who controls the gold controls the place is not the right type of leadership for USM.In terms of accuracy wish-long, your remarks parallel those ofpowereagle when he mentioned in a previous post that I teach just one class but forgot to mention I have grant supported responsibilities that command a part of my time this fiscal year.To wish-long andpowereagle: We may not agree, but lets have a cup of coffee and discuss our various perspectives on issues facing USM and the new president.Thanks.
wish-long postIt is still amazing to me that people are still misssing the big picture. No body has a problem with Dr. Thames except some professors. The professors that he has held accountable for: office hours, grant writing, class room hours and other teaching responsibilities. He has had some hard decesions to make, but I do not think a better person was in place to make them. In my opinion Myron Henry has established himself as an embarrrassment to the university and especially the Faculty Senate. I was told that he asked to postpone some of the interviews for the president's job because they were going to be held during Spring Break and he does not work during Spring Break. That is who you have representing you!