IHL's press release - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Dec 17, 2004

IHL's press release

Date: Dec 17, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: info
"Board President Roy Klumb issued the following statements: “In order to assure the Board that USM can solve their probation problems within the 12-month time frame, we have authorized the interim commissioner to step in and monitor the university’s progress throughout the year. We felt it would be best to have someone from outside the university to work in this capacity. Though the new interim commissioner, Dr. Richard Crofts, is relatively new to Mississippi, he has considerable experience in higher education issues, so we felt he would be the appropriate person to monitor USM’s progress. He has also been authorized to hire a consultant experienced with SACS criteria and processes to assist in that monitoring......”

Evidently somebody has concluded that USM is not capable of handling the accreditation defrocking by itself. We will have both a "monitor" (Dr. Crofts) and a yet-to-be-appointed outside consultant." It this were a "business," I would suspect this might be a first step toward putting the university into receivership. Following this business model to its logical conclusion, maybe they will "spin off" some of our various parts to the other universities in Mississippi as part of the reorganization plan. But will they give the unneeded employees who remain an opprortunity to be transferred to another factory? Let's hope the bankruptcy court is friendly and compasionate.

Date: Dec 17, 2004

Originally posted by Watchdog

Evidently somebody has concluded that USM is not capable of handling the accreditation defrocking by itself. We will have both a "monitor" (Dr. Crofts) and a yet-to-be-appointed outside consultant." It this were a "business," I would suspect this might be a first step toward putting the university into receivership. Following this business model to its logical conclusion, maybe they will "spin off" some of our various parts to the other universities in Mississippi as part of the reorganization plan. But will they give the unneeded employees who remain an opprortunity to be transferred to another factory? Let's hope the bankruptcy court is friendly and compasionate.

Thank heaven our retirement funds are portable. If you're vested. But I don't want to move to Water Valley!

Date: Dec 17, 2004

At first I thought the above press release by the IHL was a hoax. But I went to the IHL web site and shore 'nuf, it's accurate. The IHL has full faith and confidence in Thames.

How many lives can this guy have? This is amazing. Professors from USM submitting CV's to other universities and colleges should be hired and granted political asylum.

Date: Dec 17, 2004

"We have reviewed today Dr. Thames’ plan to rectify this probationary status. The Board feels confident that he will be able to pull USM through this period and be taken off probation at the end of 12 months."

I love the phrasing here; it sounds as if Shelby alone will do the job. No acknowledgment at all that he will need the cooperation and hard work of the faculty and staff he has abused for so long. No acknowledgment that faculty and staff will have to work their butts off to pull Shelby out of another self-created mess. I bet Roy typed this one up himself.

Date: Dec 17, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: USM Sympathizer
""We have reviewed today Dr. Thames’ plan to rectify this probationary status. The Board feels confident that he will be able to pull USM through this period and be taken off probation at the end of 12 months." I love the phrasing here; it sounds as if Shelby alone will do the job. No acknowledgment at all that he will need the cooperation and hard work of the faculty and staff he has abused for so long. No acknowledgment that faculty and staff will have to work their butts off to pull Shelby out of another self-created mess. I bet Roy typed this one up himself. "

Nuts! I say let Shelby fix it himself. Are you going to help above and beyond your normal under-paid duties? Not me.

Date: Dec 17, 2004

That's standard bureaucratic boilerplate. If they really believed it, they would not have assigned a monitor.

Date: Dec 17, 2004

I am not sure that even I have any confidence in what I am about to say, but in many years at USM, I have noticed the pattern to publically express support of someone who has totally blown it only to remove them not too much later. This is exactly what happened to SFT in the 1980s: the woman was gone the next day, SFT "returned to his first love"--teaching (HA)--several months later. Just an observation, but it would great if I were correct.