From this morning's Clarion Ledger:

USM will pay for a consultant experienced with the SACS process, but the cost is unknown. Crofts wants the consultant in place by January. USM already has committed more than $500,000 to getting off probation....."We don't want to add to the university's burden by hiring an expensive consultant that may or may not get the job done," Crofts said after the meeting. "We'll find somebody at a reasonable rate who knows how to do this work and can tell us and assure us that we're on track."

Don't get me wrong--I'm glad we have somebody from the outside overseeing this and I will be grateful for a qualified SACS consultant, but don't you think if Ole Miss was in this situation (and I know the Board wouldn't let that happen, but bear with me), NO EXPENSE WOULD BE TOO GREAT to get them off probation?

Don't you think our administration could find whatever money is necessary to hire the best?  After all, didn't we just find $3 million in "unanticipated needs funds" to finish up the trent lott boondoggle?  And how many millions is our athletic dept. trying to raise for luxury sky boxes in the stadium?