Stop a Second Term for SFT - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Oct 30, 2004

Stop a Second Term for SFT

Date: Oct 30, 2004

WHile I could not agree with you more, I am tired. IHL was barraged with letters, phone calls, visits, carrier pidgeons, you name it--for MONTHS (and daily) regarding the College of Nursing and absolutely nothing got through to board members. If the firing of two fine professors, resulting negative press on a daily basis, a zillion letters to the editor, vote of no confidence and public battles, steady stream of senior faculty leaving, ad nauseum, wouldn't budge the Board, hard to imagine what will. As long as THESE members are willing to sit and watch our comprehensive university slowly come apart along with the community and State, what will further "reminders" about our unacceptable adminstration do? Sometimes it is just time to say, no more. We lost. But sometimes, eventually, when you lose, you win. I fear that it will take years, new blood, and new visions to get USM back on track...someone else's visions and someone else's efforts. Sorry to be so cynical

but two years of fighting is enough, I am not much of a foot soldier.

Date: Oct 30, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: lonesurvivor
"WHile I could not agree with you more, I am tired. IHL was barraged with letters, phone calls, visits, carrier pidgeons, you name it--for MONTHS (and daily) regarding the College of Nursing and absolutely nothing got through to board members. If the firing of two fine professors, resulting negative press on a daily basis, a zillion letters to the editor, vote of no confidence and public battles, steady stream of senior faculty leaving, ad nauseum, wouldn't budge the Board, hard to imagine what will. As long as THESE members are willing to sit and watch our comprehensive university slowly come apart along with the community and State, what will further "reminders" about our unacceptable adminstration do? Sometimes it is just time to say, no more. We lost. But sometimes, eventually, when you lose, you win. I fear that it will take years, new blood, and new visions to get USM back on track...someone else's visions and someone else's efforts. Sorry to be so cynical but two years of fighting is enough, I am not much of a foot soldier."

To paraphase Winston Churchill..... "we will fight them in the trenches, we will fight them on the beaches", ..."but we will NEVER give up"

It's time we took a lesson from our American Patriots, we must fight an undeground war, a quiet war yes, but a war never the less. Using whatever means we need to (letter writing, letters to the editor, letters to alumni) we must continue to foster faculty support and show what this administration has done (and failed to do). YES, it will take years, but we must NEVER give up.

Date: Oct 30, 2004

Shelby Thames would be 70 years old at the beginning of a hypothetical 2nd term. With all due respect to political correctness, this is too old for a person who is supposed to lead a forward-moving, progressive enterprise.

As I've said many times before, if the IHL board seriously considers extending SFT's contract, then it should be up front about it's long term "agenda" for the University of Southern Mississippi. No more platitudes. If they extend Thames, they must admit that USM really doesn't count as a major player in the future but is being relegated to a bit role.

Date: Oct 30, 2004

And oh yeah, before I forget the obligatory BDC, here it is. I'm typing the lyrics from memory rather than bobdylan.com, because it's one of my all time favorites. I think Truth's boyfriend may have heard me do it as declamation in 9th grade...

As I went out one morning
To breathe the air around Tom Paine,
I spied the fairest damsel there
That ever did walk in chains.
I offered her my hand.
She took me by the arm.
I knew that very instant
She meant to do me harm.

"Depart from me this moment,"
I told her with my voice.
Said she, "But I don't wish to, sir."
Said I, but you have no choice."
"I beg you, sir," she pleaded
From the corner of her mouth
"I will secretly accept you and
Together we'll fly south."

And just then Tom Paine himself
Came running from across the field
Shouting at this lovely girl
And commanding her to yield,
And as she was letting go her grip,
Up Tom Paine did run.
"I'm sorry, sir," he said to me,
"I'm sorry for what she's done."

- "As I Went Out One Morning" (1968)

I've lately thought the "lovely girl" was what Dr. Dylan later called "the hoax of free speech," which should not be confused with freedom of speech, but this thread isn't about literary analysis & this isn't rec.music.dylan...

Date: Oct 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Invictus
"With all due respect to political correctness, this is too old for a person who is supposed to lead a forward-moving, progressive enterprise. "

Sorry, Invictus, but you're off base on this particular statement. Age qua age is irrelevant. Performance is what counts. Ronald Reagan was elected to his second term as President of the United States at the age of 73. Winston Churchill served as Prime Minister of England until the age of 80. USM needs a statesman as its leader, regardless of age.

Date: Oct 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Lessons from History
" USM needs a statesman as its leader, regardless of age. "

Or a stateswoman. NO QUARTER.

Date: Oct 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Lessons from History
"Sorry, Invictus, but you're off base on this particular statement. Age qua age is irrelevant. Performance is what counts. Ronald Reagan was elected to his second term as President of the United States at the age of 73. Winston Churchill served as Prime Minister of England until the age of 80. USM needs a statesman as its leader, regardless of age. "

If I thought for a New York second that Shelby Thames was Winston Churchill, y'all would have me locked up in an upholstered room.

Ronald Reagan proves my point, BTW.

Date: Nov 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: lonesurvivor
"WHile I could not agree with you more, I am tired. IHL was barraged with letters, phone calls, visits, carrier pidgeons, you name it--for MONTHS (and daily) regarding the College of Nursing and absolutely nothing got through to board members. If the firing of two fine professors, resulting negative press on a daily basis, a zillion letters to the editor, vote of no confidence and public battles, steady stream of senior faculty leaving, ad nauseum, wouldn't budge the Board, hard to imagine what will. As long as THESE members are willing to sit and watch our comprehensive university slowly come apart along with the community and State, what will further "reminders" about our unacceptable adminstration do? Sometimes it is just time to say, no more. We lost. But sometimes, eventually, when you lose, you win. I fear that it will take years, new blood, and new visions to get USM back on track...someone else's visions and someone else's efforts. Sorry to be so cynical but two years of fighting is enough, I am not much of a foot soldier."

This post captured the essence of what I and many associates believe. There is an agenda that is bigger than the university, the ADP, the IHL... Someone has serious political aspirations and some major backers. Who is it? Where's the support? How have the toils and tribulations at the university played into it? What's the next step?

I believed last spring that it was "fixable" and I no longer believe that.

Date: Nov 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Tom Paine
........ You can hear the whispered chant of the president's boosters already -- "Four more years, four more years...." And why not? For six months the patriotic opposition has been asleep. The IHL is hearing nothing but spin: The president is now a great communicator; he engages his President's Council, he follows advice of the Faculty Senate. He is, through financial vision, dexterity and monumental "efficiency," the faculty's and staff's great benefactor, providing the first substantial raise to the vast majority of employees in years. He's doing so well! Faculty are so quiet! Why shouldn't he be allowed to continue this steady march of progress to world class status for "his" university? ....

Tom,

I agree, and would remind all that your argument (cited above) was made earlier in a post by Dr. Goebbels, who lamented the sleepy USM atmosphere of "faculty tranquility".

Least V.

Date: Nov 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Blast from the Past
"I believed last spring that it was "fixable" and I no longer believe that."

USM is a much safer place to work than it was last spring. Relentless efforts, many changes. Count them. NO FRICKIN' QUARTER.

Date: Nov 2, 2004

It's not like there's a dearth of vulnerablities: lawsuits, AA/EEOC concerns, departmental holdbacks, public criticism of faculty, continued campus unrest, inability to lead and resolve conflict, enrollment growth below projections and below other state universities, looming accreditations, caustic style, scorned ex-supporters, temper, health, attention span, media spin, false starts, academic fundraising, inability to deliver on promises, cost of correcting mistakes, faculty flight, administrative turnover, super secret economic development raises...

Date: Nov 2, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: Choose your poison (dart)
"It's not like there's a dearth of vulnerablities: lawsuits, AA/EEOC concerns, departmental holdbacks, public criticism of faculty, continued campus unrest, inability to lead and resolve conflict, enrollment growth below projections and below other state universities, looming accreditations, caustic style, scorned ex-supporters, temper, health, attention span, media spin, false starts, academic fundraising, inability to deliver on promises, cost of correcting mistakes, faculty flight, administrative turnover, super secret economic development raises.."

_____________________________________________________________________

They kill people here who stand up for their rights

The system's just too damned corrupt.

It's always the same, the name of the game

Is who do you know higher up.

--Bob Dylan, Band of the Hand (It's Hell Time Man), 1986

Date: Nov 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Choose your poison (dart)
"It's not like there's a dearth of vulnerablities: lawsuits, AA/EEOC concerns, departmental holdbacks, public criticism of faculty, continued campus unrest, inability to lead and resolve conflict, enrollment growth below projections and below other state universities, looming accreditations, caustic style, scorned ex-supporters, temper, health, attention span, media spin, false starts, academic fundraising, inability to deliver on promises, cost of correcting mistakes, faculty flight, administrative turnover, super secret economic development raises... "

But things would be much worse if it were not for the efforts AAUP, the Faculty Senate and some outspoken and courageous faculty members such as Stringer, Glamser, and Polk to name only three.

Date: Nov 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Forward Movement
"But things would be much worse if it were not for the efforts AAUP, the Faculty Senate and some outspoken and courageous faculty members such as Stringer, Glamser, and Polk to name only three. "

It's important to remember that those people as well as others who did some heavy lifting for the faculty like Susan Malone and Marian Wilson Kimber are no longer on campus. It is essential that faculty members who are still on campus step up to take up the slack in representing the best interests of the university community.

Date: Nov 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: The Shadow
" It's important to remember that those people as well as others who did some heavy lifting for the faculty like Susan Malone and Marian Wilson Kimber are no longer on campus. It is essential that faculty members who are still on campus step up to take up the slack in representing the best interests of the university community."

I fear that as more and more capable faculty members are driven away from USM, and more and more seasoned senior faculty members retire, fewer and fewer of those who remain will have a base of comparision. In other words, many of the new faculty members who have no academic experience at other universities, and those whose academic experience is limited only to the past two years here, might mistakenly come to believe that the way things currently exist at USM is the way things are at other universities. Thus, as you say, it is important that those who are still on campus "step up to take up the slack in representing the best interests of the university community." I would like to add that this should be done in a timely manner lest more and more of the institutional memory be forgotten.

Date: Nov 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Choose your poison (dart)
"It's not like there's a dearth of vulnerablities: lawsuits, AA/EEOC concerns, departmental holdbacks, public criticism of faculty, continued campus unrest, inability to lead and resolve conflict, enrollment growth below projections and below other state universities, looming accreditations, caustic style, scorned ex-supporters, temper, health, attention span, media spin, false starts, academic fundraising, inability to deliver on promises, cost of correcting mistakes, faculty flight, administrative turnover, super secret economic development raises...
"

Hey Mr. Wonderful. Add this one to my other suggestion.

Date: Nov 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
" Hey Mr. Wonderful. Add this one to my other suggestion."

I was only going for the nom de plume award; it never crossed my mind that I would be recognized for substance! Thank you, thank you, thank you Foot Soldier.

btw, it was your keyboard post!

Date: Nov 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
"Hey Mr. Wonderful. Add this one to my other suggestion."

Mr. Wonderful is unavailable today, foot soldier, but your nomination will be passed on to the selection committee prior to this week's deliberations.

Date: Nov 5, 2004

I agree with Invictus (and others) that complaints to members of the IHL Board will not be effective in forestalling a second term for Shelby Thames.

At least 7 out of 12 on the Board want Thames to damage the University of Southern Mississippi. Providing evidence that he is harming the university will further convince them that Thames is successfully carrying out his mission. Those who object to the damage that Thames is doing are in the minority.

As far as I can see, there are two alternatives--both of them dicey.

One is to keep up such a pitch of protest on campus and such a spate of letters and op-eds in the media that the Board becomes embarrassed and starts looking for a new president who will do their dirty work without bringing on such a barrage of negative publiciity. But most faculty members cannot operate in full-tilt protest mode for long periods of time while getting their work done. All indications are that the IHL Board's threshold for embarrassment is set pretty high. And even if they are prevailed on to jettison Thames they'll probably settle for someone like Tim Hudson.

The other is to rally political opposition in the southern third of Mississippi against the Board in general and Roy Klumb in particular. But this means convincing a lot of people that (a) the Board is using Thames to tear down USM and (b) they and their communities will be better off with a strong USM, not a Jackson State equivalent or nothing at all. Even if enough people support the movement, it could fail because of the Board's limited accountability and the lack of interest in higher education being shown by the governor and the legislature. But negative publicity could become more prolonged and intense than is possible under the first option.

What if the only way to save USM is to get it out from under the Board's control by making it a private institution? Governor Sanford, here in South Carolina, made such an offer to Clemson in December 2003. CU's president and Board of Trustees rejected it; it could not have been implemented without enabling legislation; and many think that it was Sanford's way of telling the national universities in the state system that going private was their only alternative to submitting to stricter control by a new System Board of Regents. Still, I think that many state universities will eventually have to either go private or face repeated rounds of cuts, until they are so weighed down by state control in return for so little funding via state appropriations, that they can scarcely function any more. (Unless, of course, the legislature and the governing Boards allow them only the second alternative.)

Robert Campbell

Date: Nov 5, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"What if the only way to save USM is to get it out from under the Board's control by making it a private institution?Robert Campbell"

Someone wise on the "Southern Miss" team may already have this idea in mind and may, in fact, be setting it in motion...

Of course the privatization involves losing some of our traditional ideas about the mission, culture and atmosphere of a traditional university and relying on a more Phoenix-like model.

If successful (or at least presented as successful), it will make for one heck of a political springboard though, don't you think?

Date: Nov 6, 2004

Blast,

The University of Phoenix (an institution that takes advantage of the overproduction of Ph.D.'s in many disciplines) is hardly the only model for a private university. But I suppose it might appeal to some administrators at USM because the institution is already so short on resources, and a U of P type of operation could be run fairly cheaply.

If the IHL Board is really determined to tear USM down, it will do everything it can to keep USM under its control. A private USM could go any of several directions--it could even fail and end up closing its doors--but it could also grow and become a more serious competitor to Ole Miss and Miss State.

Robert Campbell

Date: Nov 6, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"The University of Phoenix (an institution that takes advantage of the overproduction of Ph.D.'s in many disciplines) is hardly the only model for a private university. But I suppose it might appeal to some administrators at USM because the institution is already so short on resources, and a U of P type of operation could be run fairly cheaply. Robert Campbell "

You're right, of course, but it's the only one being pursued here...for reasons including the one you have identified.

Great post to you from Dr. Judd on another thread; please don't take umbrage when there is necessary clarification.

Date: Nov 8, 2004

"I did not go to his funeral, but I wrote a nice letter saying I approved of it."

Date: Nov 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Choose your poison (dart)
"It's not like there's a dearth of vulnerablities: lawsuits, AA/EEOC concerns, departmental holdbacks, public criticism of faculty, continued campus unrest, inability to lead and resolve conflict, enrollment growth below projections and below other state universities, looming accreditations, caustic style, scorned ex-supporters, temper, health, attention span, media spin, false starts, academic fundraising, inability to deliver on promises, cost of correcting mistakes, faculty flight, administrative turnover, super secret economic development raises... "

Scatter shot or high resolution precision? Diminishing resources spread ever thinner...

Date: Nov 15, 2004

It seems I recall that many years ago unspent departmental allocations reverted "upstairs" at the end of the budget year. That policy was later changed so that unspent funds could be carried over to the next year and remained with the department. But I don't recall who was president when that sensible policy change was made to allow departments to "carry over" the funds. Was it Horace Fleming? Some of you oldtimers will probably remember.