IF any of this (other than the obvious - that Shelby Thames despises the B-School) is true, what would happen to the coast business faculty? 

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Originally posted by: Just Heard This Last Night
" Ultimately, the "school" would be moved out of Green Hall and into the old Albertson's site in Cloverleaf Mall.  "

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Does the Albertson's building have air conditioning in the summer?

I'll bet the nursing school would like to be affiliated with Ole Miss. Ditto for fine arts and liberal arts.

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Originally posted by: "These are the times..."
"So if this goes through, will USM soon be a "hub university" where all other state colleges/universities will each control a department? "

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There was a lot of discussion several years ago about establishing a "universities center" on the Coast instead of expanding Gulf Park to "co-campus" status. In the Universities Center scenario, every university would have office & classroom space to allow a mix of majors that no single institution could provide.

For example, surveys conducted during the last year or so of Horace Fleming's presidency repeatedly showed that engineering (not "engineering technology") was a highly desired major on the Coast. This would mean that MSU, not USM, would need to have a presence on the Coast.

Similarly, all the brouhaha about a Medical School on the Coast would ultimately mean that Ole Miss (actually UMC) would have to have a presence on the Coast. (Anyone who seriously entertains the idea of a USM Medical School needs a reality check.)

Unfortunately, the main model for a Universities Center is the "campus" where the IHL offices are located. It has not worked out quite as it was originally envisioned...

I hearby volunteer the Liberal Arts core departments to become part of Ole Miss.!  That would be the happiest development in years, especially if they sent down their own dean.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Tarnished Eagle
" 
Only Thing World Class about this University
is
"A WORLD CLASS IDIOT IS RUNNING IT""

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Make that "a world class idot!"

After doing some investigating, the word I got is that this plan is for real, and may not quite be dead in the water.  There could be some movement on it this May (keep your ears to the ground).

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Originally posted by: Person of Interest
"When a unversity changes its name, its former graduates are typically given the opportunity to receive a new diploma under the new university name.  If Hattiesburg programs are transferred  to the jurisdiction of another state university. then former graduates of those departments should be given a similar opportunity. For example, if USM's Business School becomes Mississippi State's Business School, its former graduates should receive Mississippi State diplomas.  Former graduates should demand this. "

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If something like what is described here actually happens, IHL should offer every USM alumnus the option of getting a diploma from another of its institutions. Personally, I'm hoping to trade my USM doctorate for one from UMC.

I heard of this plan a week or so ago, and I also heard that there is a stack of about 45 new contracts in the dome that have MSU on them (for future signatures from business faculty) that were to be shown to the IHL for consideration.  Anyone else heard this part?

 

Why would MSU want a presence in Hattiesburg? It seems more likely if they are going to have to remodel space anyway that they would want to set up shop on the coast somewhere close to I-10. At the risk of suggesting Shelby might be on to something.... This actually sounds like a good idea for 1. The state of Mississippi 2. MSU 3. CoB faculty. Unfortunately, as is typical of most of Shelby's wild ideas, this actually doesn't sound like a good idea for USM.

This would be a quick way to move MSU up the academic rankings. USM business faculty has consistently outpublished them for years and by combining faculties they would have significantly more faculty to add research to the pile. Having a nationally recognized (tier 2) business school in MS would be great for the state. As far as faculty are concerned, being associated with a higher quality university and being out from under Shelby's reign of terror can't be a bad thing.

If State or Ole Miss got a presence on the coast, it would be the beginning of the end for USM on the coast. People would prefer degrees from those schools. If MSU could do business, why not science or liberal arts? The best deal for faculty, staff, and students on the Hattiesburg campus would be to become UM at Hattiesburg. It works for UNC- Charlotte and UT- El Paso.

School of Nursing in Hattiesburg appears to be part of a master plan also, unsure what at this point.  UMC School of Nursing has expanded to Oxford, all programs will be offered for first time on Oxford campus in Fall of this year, using Memphis hospitals,  this is historical and unprecedented.  And a great move for them.  Hattiesburg campus has been slowly ignored, allowed to die on the vine, little to no resources, ditched move to ANY building, Albertsons plan died without explanation after big money to architect for renovation, no mention for over a year as to what we will do with this "sick" building we are in (EPA designation for mold and asbestos, etc), we have outgrown building and it cannot be repaired, while Gulf Park is the golden child, VA "benefits"--use for classes, including pre-nursing for RNs as well as purchase of small private hospital on HWY90 (includes leased space for of all things Homeland Security?), money flowing down there, now will double enrollment, we are losing faculty at alarming speed without replacing, down to 8 tenured for entire School of Nursing (all three campuses, 500 plus students), doesn't look good?  So how does this fit into the University Center plan, Business School vision?  We are truly in the dark and sick due to the unhealthy living environment, living on antihistamines and air filters and trying to convince students that they have selected the best school of nursing.  Getting harder to do with part time instructors and such.  We try to limit admissions and administration forces us to go back to 60 per semester (we have close to 200 qualify), with worst nursing shortage in history, hard to justify. BUT we also have a national faculty shortage, and guess how that plays out at USM?  NO ONE will come here.  Just like the rest of the campus, except that we have around six openings and no one applies.  When they apply, time passes, candidate has time to review and, low and behold they withdraw.  How shocking.

Any thoughts?  We have very few veterans left.  So I fear the new faculty who have no history think this is "normal", they have little allegiance, no idea of professional ideology, what kind of vision are we creating?  Sister Harkins must be rolling over.

In the mid-to-late '80s the IHL Board investigated the possibility of reducing the number of colleges in Mississippi.  They sent up a trial balloon disclosing the possible closing of Mississippi Valley and merging the "W" with State, thereby reducing the number of colleges from seven to five.  Of course, the constituencies of those two schools went ballistic and were able to end discussion of closure and merger.

I think we are seeing "Plan B" unfold.  This time they were quiet about it.

i've never taken this rumor seriously. look at the original message--it was a dinner conversation. i immediately thought--and how many scotch and waters did you have at dinner?