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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> President's Update
Post Info TOPIC: President's Update
The Pillsbury Doughboy

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RE: RE: President's Update
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quote:
Originally posted by: Emma
"We are not a cookie cutter institution that expects our graduates to be or act a certain way."
I don't know what the term "cookie cutter institution" means, but expecting our graduates to "act in a certain way" is not such a bad thing. I expect our graduates to act as responsible citizens who can make informed choices. That is important to me as a parent and as a taxpayer, even if those values and ways of acting are not incorporated into the philosophy of the institution itself.

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Fly on the Wall

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Rumor has it that the ED part of CBED will be migrating to another college or colleges where they will be more appreciated. Stay tuned.

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Call Me Madame

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And just when we had figured out the acronym...

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CBED Grad Faculty Member

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I've heard they are moving ED because the CBED protested the sham programs in ED.  ED was admitting students that scored in the lowest 25% of the population on the GRE and didn't meet the graduate school requirements.  The CBED graduate committee was rejecting too many ED applicants.  ED was trying to have courses taught by instructors who didn't meet SACS standards and qualifications.  CBED wanted to create a high quality program but the adminsitration wanted a high volume program (60 PhD students and 2 faculty members -- give me a break).  Given the quality of the ED program, it will be hard to find a place where it is appreciated (unless they call the U of Phoenix).

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SACSually Harassed

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quote:
Originally posted by: CBED Grad Faculty Member
"IED was trying to have courses taught by instructors who didn't meet SACS standards and qualifications."


I've wondered about this, since SACS requires 18 graduate semester hours beyond the masters, or a master's, in the teaching discipline as a minimum. And they must hold as a minimum the degree at which level they teach. (Not sure how to word this, but doctoral faculty have to have doctorates.) If USM's economic development program were the first & only one of its kind, how would it ever find qualified faculty?

The "out" is that the faculty can be justified on a case-by-case basis using portfolios to demonstrate outstanding contributions to the discipline.

My experience is (a) that SACS evaluators don't like to have to deal with "justifications," & (b) they often define "outstanding contributions to the discipline" quite differently from those who write the justifications.

Yes, I realize that SACS has changed it's criteria & the new regulations are much less prescriptive. But rest assured that the "18 graduate hour rule" is firmly entrenched.

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The Pillsbury Doughboy

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quote:




Originally posted by: SACSually Harassed
"If USM's economic development program were the first & only one of its kind, how would it ever find qualified faculty?"


 



Good question. I believe I have the answer which is . . . the same way that deparments of computer science were staffed in the early days when that field was first emerging into a discipline unto itself.Thus, faculty members skilled in computer technology, but whose degree was in other disciplines (such as various fields of engineering, mathematics, etc.) comprised those departments in the early days. That was the case at some of the very best institutions. For instance, I am aware of a respectable major university whose computer science department was headed in its early days by a person whose terminal degree was in industrial engineering.

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Pillsbury Doughboy

Date:
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quote:
Originally posted by: The Pillsbury Doughboy
"Good question. I believe I have the answer which is . . . the same way that deparments of computer science were staffed in the early days when that field was first emerging into a discipline unto itself.Thus, faculty members skilled in computer technology, but whose degree was in other disciplines (such as various fields of engineering, mathematics, etc.) comprised those departments in the early days. That was the case at some of the very best institutions. For instance, I am aware of a respectable major university whose computer science department was headed in its early days by a person whose terminal degree was in industrial engineering."

A more pressing question is why would USM want to be the first to establish a degree program in any new discpline when it is having a difficult enough time keeping its head above water with some of its current academic offerings?



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Applied Economist

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It seems that many of you have fallen victim of the "big lie".  Economic development is not a new field.  If you search the journals you will find some good ones that have been around for years.  Many economics departments (indluding ours) have been teaching economic development topics for years.  There are plenty of well trained PhD's around to build a quality program and maintain SACS standards. 

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SACS, Not on Fifth Avenue

Date:
Permalink Closed


quote:

Originally posted by: SACSually Harassed
" I've wondered about this, since SACS requires 18 graduate semester hours beyond the masters, or a master's, in the teaching discipline as a minimum. And they must hold as a minimum the degree at which level they teach. (Not sure how to word this, but doctoral faculty have to have doctorates.) If USM's economic development program were the first & only one of its kind, how would it ever find qualified faculty? The "out" is that the faculty can be justified on a case-by-case basis using portfolios to demonstrate outstanding contributions to the discipline. My experience is (a) that SACS evaluators don't like to have to deal with "justifications," & (b) they often define "outstanding contributions to the discipline" quite differently from those who write the justifications. Yes, I realize that SACS has changed it's criteria & the new regulations are much less prescriptive. But rest assured that the "18 graduate hour rule" is firmly entrenched."


Question-- has there been a SACS review at Southern Miss since the implementation of the doctoral program in international development?



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stinky cheese man

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no.  our accreditation was last reaffirmed in '95.

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Pillsbury Doughboy

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Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Applied Economist
"It seems that many of you have fallen victim of the "big lie".  Economic development is not a new field.  If you search the journals you will find some good ones that have been around for years.  Many economics departments (indluding ours) have been teaching economic development topics for years.  There are plenty of well trained PhD's around to build a quality program and maintain SACS standards.  "
Applied Economist, you say that many have fallen victim to what you call the "big lie?" My reading of this message board has led me to believe quite the opposite: many are irritated that USM has claimed to have the "first" academic program in economic development. If you had followed this message board, you would have seen that quite a few programs in economic development have been identified by posters on this message board - USM does not seem to have the first. My particular posting was simply a response to someone who was wondering how an academic program could be developed when no other such degree programs exist elsewhere. I cited the manner with which computer science programs developed in the early days when there was no formal discipline of computer science. I do wonder, however, how USM can afford to establish a new programs in any discipline. USM would be best advised give priority to some of its its basic programs which are not viewed too favorably nationally. A 4th tier school is most definitely not the place to establish new programs. Chapel Hill can do it. USM can not. 

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Invictus

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: The Pillsbury Doughboy
"Good question. I believe I have the answer which is . . . the same way that deparments of computer science were staffed in the early days when that field was first emerging into a discipline unto itself.Thus, faculty members skilled in computer technology, but whose degree was in other disciplines (such as various fields of engineering, mathematics, etc.) comprised those departments in the early days. That was the case at some of the very best institutions. For instance, I am aware of a respectable major university whose computer science department was headed in its early days by a person whose terminal degree was in industrial engineering."


Methinks that "SACSually Harrassed" probably should have enclosed ""If USM's economic development program were the first & only one of its kind, how would it ever find qualified faculty?"" in <SARCASM> tags...

But since the Doughboy brought up computer science, a few of my own remaining brain cells started jiggling & I remembered that my first computer science class (FORTRAN) at USM was taught in Business Administration. Does anyone know when computer science was moved to CoST? I don't seem to still have that brain cell...

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Following the Situation from the East Coast

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quote:
Originally posted by: Applied Economist
"It seems that many of you have fallen victim of the "big lie".  Economic development is not a new field.  If you search the journals you will find some good ones that have been around for years.  Many economics departments (indluding ours) have been teaching economic development topics for years.  There are plenty of well trained PhD's around to build a quality program and maintain SACS standards.  "


Take this link to see what a real program in economic development looks like.

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/GPED/

I looked USM's program a few months ago and I remember that there's no economics in it. The mathematics requirement is non-existentent. How can one understand economic modelling without a firm foundation in calculus?

It seems to be more a program in how to work at a local chamber of commerce, lobby a local municipality for a business-friendly tax break or bond issue. Maybe they should rename it a Ph.D. in Chamber of Commerce. I can only conclude that this is geared towards busy professionals who want a vanity degree. I guess there's nothing wrong with that in principle just as long as the your university is upfront and honest about what it is doing.

Since we're talking real economics here, anyone willing to make a prediction on the economics Nobel next week. My money is on Jagdish Bhagwati. Any other predictions?

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Namely

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote: "
Originally posted by: Following the Situation from the East Coast
"Maybe they should rename it a Ph.D. in Chamber of Commerce."
What a splendid idea for a university that prides itself in being first and foremost.

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BBB

Date:
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And with a minor in Better Business Bureau!

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Also on the East Coast

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Following the Situation from the East Coast
" Since we're talking real economics here, anyone willing to make a prediction on the economics Nobel next week. My money is on Jagdish Bhagwati. Any other predictions?"
My prediction is that the next Nobel Laureate in Economics will be Dr. Ray Perryman.

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hot link

Date:
Permalink Closed


quote:

Originally posted by: Following the Situation from the East Coast
" Take this link to see what a real program in economic development looks like. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/GPED/ "


http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/GPED/



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