Finger Pointing - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Dec 11, 2004

Finger Pointing

Date: Dec 11, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: Magnolia
""lost years."

This tendency of the administration to blame everybody in sight is probably the most disgusting thing, in my opinion, about this whole stinking mess. "

Yes it is - not something a "red-blooded American male" ought to do.

Regarding the "lost years" - don't let them get away with it - smoke and mirrors by the cover your a$$es crew. If you understand the SACS process, then you know this is normal. If you don't understand the SACS process, then you turn the university upside down looking for the "missing files" on day one two and a half years ago. Implicated or incompetent is the only relevant question and either answer is unacceptable for the president of a university that we all love.

Too late to cover your a$$, you've already shown it.

Date: Dec 11, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Magnolia
"[ This tendency of the administration to blame everybody in sight (emphasis added) is probably the most disgusting thing, in my opinion, about this whole stinking mess. "

Not to quibble, but I am more disturbed by the tendency to blame people who are now out of sight. It' not that they cannot defend or explain themselves (as Fleming has done), but their credibility in public perception may be lessened because THEY are not with US anymore.

Date: Dec 11, 2004

I was terribly offended by the remarks in the Hattiesburg American about David Beckett not letting Exline in the FS meeting. First of all, FS meetings are open (except for executive sessions). I was at FS and I am not a senator. I sat next to a student. Visitors can and often do talk in FS meeetings.

Secondly, the request was made by Dr. Exline immediately after Beckett was briefed about the probation. I know, I was there. Presumably we were called into the meeting at 2:30 in order to get communications from the administration so we could pass them along to various faculty groups and to students. Beckett had just received (presumably) a full accounting in order to pass that information to FS. Was Dr. Exline holding back?

To have faculty accused of not communicating is absolutely offensive. What in the world have we been screaming about for morethan two years but shared governance with an open discussion and exchange of ideas for the good of the university? Good grief!

Date: Dec 11, 2004

There's also the culminating comment that (approximate quotation) "Dr. Thames was not blaming the Fleming administration" in yesterday's story that aired on WDAM at both 6 pm and 10 pm. This is the rhetorical move of occultatio (aka occupatio), in which the speaker insists on something while seeming to pass over it. Example, "I will not mention my honorable opponent's three jail terms." Dr. Thames's PR machine is nothing if not rhetorically schooled.

Occultatio is the classic passive-aggressive move. Any "I won't mention" is best countered by, "You just did."

Jameela

Date: Dec 11, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Jameela Lares
"There's also the culminating comment that (approximate quotation) "Dr. Thames was not blaming the Fleming administration" in yesterday's story that aired on WDAM at both 6 pm and 10 pm. This is the rhetorical move of occultatio (aka occupatio), in which the speaker insists on something while seeming to pass over it. Example, "I will not mention my honorable opponent's three jail terms." Dr. Thames's PR machine is nothing if not rhetorically schooled. Occultatio is the classic passive-aggressive move. Any "I won't mention" is best countered by, "You just did." Jameela"

This is great Professor Lares!

Kinda like "have you stopped beating your dog?"

Date: Dec 11, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Spittin' Fire
" Too late to cover your a$$."

I felt I was "mooned" by the USM administration.

Date: Dec 11, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Amy Young
"I was terribly offended by the remarks in the Hattiesburg American about David Beckett not letting Exline in the FS meeting. First of all, FS meetings are open (except for executive sessions). I was at FS and I am not a senator. I sat next to a student. Visitors can and often do talk in FS meeetings. Secondly, the request was made by Dr. Exline immediately after Beckett was briefed about the probation. I know, I was there. Presumably we were called into the meeting at 2:30 in order to get communications from the administration so we could pass them along to various faculty groups and to students. Beckett had just received (presumably) a full accounting in order to pass that information to FS. Was Dr. Exline holding back? To have faculty accused of not communicating is absolutely offensive. What in the world have we been screaming about for morethan two years but shared governance with an open discussion and exchange of ideas for the good of the university? Good grief!"

Amy -- that is great -- I hope that David (or perhaos you as I know that David isn't always eager to speak to the press) will correct the accusation with Kevin. And I agree that once again we see exactly how things are going to work. The head executive takes a non-specific and very generalized resposibility for everything -- but then procedes to blame everyone else not only for past misdeeds but also begins to create a trail of blame the covers future failure by planting seeds of doubt in the present.

Some lapsed (and unlapsed) Catholics might remember that it isn't good enough to simply say you have sinned.when confessing. Everyone knows that -- we are by definition all sinners. Genuine confession means citing specific sins for which you take blame and for which you can get absolution. You can't be absolved for a sin you don't specifically acknowlege and seek forgiveness.

Modern administrators, when they take responsibility, almost never cite specific misdeeds of their own. (I.e. I was a bad manager and did not closely enough follow this person's work" Or "he was my friend so I took him at his word when he told me he had done the job." )

The connection is clear. If you manage then the people operating under you are your responsbility. If they screw up, it is because you have misjudged their competence, have not provided them with the resources they needs, have provided a bad management environment, etc. At some point having a few people who fail in a system is par for the course for any manager -- no management system is perfect. But when the level of management failure is too close to the chief manager, the chief manager cannot avoid direct responsibility. When the distribution of failure throughout a system reaches a critical point (as in the failure of enough mid-level managers to impair "instititional effectiveness" through loss of reputation, a perceived erosion of integrity, or placing the company in direct financial peril -- the head manager has to take responsibility for specific actions or non-actions.