memo from Grimes - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jan 6, 2005

RE: RE: RE: RE: memo from Grimes

Date: Jan 6, 2005

my child and my money go to USM--i have colleagues at auburn. they don't think their governing board has its head screwed on any better than ours. i do believe we'll emerge from this. as someone said, we've got some wounds to heal around here. i still believe that one thing we have here is a world class faculty--my children have experienced them.

Date: Jan 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"my child and my money go to USM--i have colleagues at auburn. they don't think their governing board has its head screwed on any better than ours. i do believe we'll emerge from this. as someone said, we've got some wounds to heal around here. i still believe that one thing we have here is a world class faculty--my children have experienced them. "

A hearty amen to that last sentiment, SCM! If it weren't for the faculty I've experienced here, I'd be suicidal about the SACS business.

Date: Jan 6, 2005

While I fully agree that there are many good faculty members at USM, there must have been some good ones among the 227 who left in the last couple of years, many of whom went to very good schools. Some departments and programs are on life support.

Date: Jan 6, 2005

Amen to that Curmudgeon! Why have we all scattered so swiftly? Yet, isn't it a blessing that we were marketable? Serve under the tyranny of Shelboo Thames? Thank God I escaped with minor damage done.

For those of you left who really care - leave as soon as possible.

Date: Jan 6, 2005

emma--i really care, but i can't leave right now. don't make it the bifurcation of "if you care, leave" and implicitly "if you don't care, stay." i'm staying. i plan to make this the best education my students can get.

Date: Jan 7, 2005

A careful reading of the memo discloses volumes about the character of USM and its “leaders,” and explains more on why USM has been put on SACS probation. One example: A "wurl" class institution does not constantly make up the rules (to suit the pleasures or political purposes of its leaders) as it goes along. There is no standard of quality, or honesty, or fairness, or anything else here. As there are no standards, chaos rules everywhere, and we will continually jump from fire to fire.

Date: Jan 7, 2005

Unfortunately, doing the dirty work of others is likely to cause Provost Grimes some pain. An upcoming lawsuit may paint him as the prime villain when cowardice and administrative ineptitude are probably his greatest sins.

"Treat me good and I'll do anything"

Date: Jan 7, 2005

Readers of this thread might be interested to know that a contact of mine close to the customer service department told me that students in over-enrolled classes are being called by customer service representatives and offered $100 to either shift to another class or drop the over-enrolled one. Because of the source, I believe this. Can anyone else confirm?

People at Gulf Park also tell me that Dana Thames is at it again this term: refusing to approve the hiring of more than a dozen adjuncts for classes that have no instructors, and not returning the calls of the secretaries who are frantically attempting to avoid a reprise of last semester, when about 20 Education classes met without an instructor the first week because none had been hired by the inestimable Professor Thames.

On the rumor front, I've also heard that Dr.Thames is known to spend much of her time at Gulf Park playing computer solitaire in her office! Has anyone else witnessed this? I swear, I'm not making this up!

Date: Jan 8, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: off the plantation
"Readers of this thread might be interested to know that a contact of mine close to the customer service department told me that students in over-enrolled classes are being called by customer service representatives and offered $100 to either shift to another class or drop the over-enrolled one."

My word! Very similar to the way airlines overbook and then offer their customers something in return for taking a later flight. USM has indeed adopted a business model! Those airline overbooking practices are designed for the benefit of the airline and not for the benefit of the customer.

Date: Jan 8, 2005

There are several USM administrators who rule various areas in the university that I would not trust to baby-sit my pet rat, yet they mess with human lives every day, derive great pleasure in making people jump, and get paid high salaries.

Date: Jan 8, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: off the plantation
". . . On the rumor front, I've also heard that Dr.Thames is known to spend much of her time at Gulf Park playing computer solitaire in her office! Has anyone else witnessed this? I swear, I'm not making this up! "

if that is all she is doing.

It could be worse!

Date: Jan 8, 2005

Got a great idea. Tell her it's a fun game. Teach her to type c: / format and stand back!
(OH, somebody did that already . . .)

This is referencing a story on the old board for all you newbies. The names are with held to protect the brilliant & gutsy woman who will be one of my heroines forever.