H.A.--Saunders begins USM presidency - USM Forum -- Message Board

Reporter · Status: Offline

H.A.--Saunders begins USM presidency

LVN · Status: Offline

Also in the HA online gallery is a set of pictures of this lunch. All those sweet young faces -- sometimes we who are not on campus forget what this is all really about.

-- Edited by LVN at 09:18, 2007-05-22

truth4usmAH · Status: Offline

"I really want to spend a lot of time focusing on how we recruit and treat the people who teach here - students come and go, but faculty stay," Saunders said. "I want this to be a place known as somewhere you want to work, where you want to earn tenure and spend your career."

Now THIS sounds like a real president...can anyone imagine Shelboo EVER saying this? I feel better already...

Truth

Cossack · Status: Offline

"I really want to spend a lot of time focusing on how we recruit and treat the people who teach here - students come and go, but faculty stay," Saunders said. "I want this to be a place known as somewhere you want to work, where you want to earn tenure and spend your career."

Occasionally, USM faculty also engage in research as well as teaching; although many of our best faculty who did both well have found more hospitable places.

Incredulous · Status: Offline

Dr. Saunders was speaking to a student group who think of the faculty as their teachers. Her recognition of the need for a supportive workplace and faculty retention is spot on in light of recent history. Bitter, cynical criticism is hardly the proper faculty response on day two. Lighten up.

Cossack · Status: Offline

"Dr. Saunders was speaking to a student group who think of the faculty as their teachers. Her recognition of the need for a supportive workplace and faculty retention is spot on in light of recent history. Bitter, cynical criticism is hardly the proper faculty response on day two. Lighten up."

Interestingly, you use the word faculty (twice) as do the preponderance of posters. If you wish to think of yourself as a teacher in your chosen field rather than a faculty member, that is your choice. It is fine to be a cheer leader and to be optimistic, but there also is nothing wrong with commenting on acts or speech that is at odds with the expectations that faculty have about the new President. Shelby was new to the job once upon a time also. Most of those who thought it a good choice at the time lived to regret it. No one will be happier than me if she turns out to be a half-way decent president.

Godless Liberal · Status: Offline

Cossack wrote:

Interestingly, you use the word faculty (twice) as do the preponderance of posters. If you wish to think of yourself as a teacher in your chosen field rather than a faculty member, that is your choice. It is fine to be a cheer leader and to be optimistic, but there also is nothing wrong with commenting on acts or speech that is at odds with the expectations that faculty have about the new President. Shelby was new to the job once upon a time also. Most of those who thought it a good choice at the time lived to regret it. No one will be happier than me if she turns out to be a half-way decent president.

T-

I have a good pub record in A journals, and have been funded by the NIH for most years that I have been here. I am not at all offended or worried by the use of the term "to teach." It is perhaps a scholar's highest calling. I teach master's and doc students as well as undergrads, folks in the community, and I mentor junior faculty in the little bit I have learned along the way. Teaching is intertwined with scholarship from my perch.

I get more creeped out when the noun "educator" is applied to all profs. Too Hardy-High and too much from the P-12 cult of Spelling (though nurse-educator and teacher-educator are accepted terms). Students come to USM (I hope) for an "education." I teach.

M

Polyonymous · Status: Offline

Saunders said she will focus on ... increasing philanthropic giving.

This is a President's job and it's music to my ears to hear it finally stated publicly at USM. For the past five years, it's been "there's only three sources of university funding - state appropriations, tuition, and grants".