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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> Thames on Top?
Post Info TOPIC: Thames on Top?
Biz Prof

Date:
RE: Thames on Top?
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Myron (and some previous posters are) is correct.  The Stennis MBA is the same MBA that students get in Hattiesburg --- ie it is not an executive program.  The first cohort just completed the program, and all of their classes were taken on-site by USM business profs who drove down there on weeknights for the past 2 years.  Those that taught there will testify that the facilities were much better than those in Greene Hall, and the students were just as good if not better (though, like any with demanding careers, very tired by the last class night of the week).


Right now, there are only one or two people at Stennis in the MBA program.  They get their coursework by sitting in a room at Stennis and viewing the lectures via IVN from Hattiesburg or the Coast.



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Linda

Date:
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quote:
Originally posted by: Myron Henry
"Although I might take issue with the word "insistence," the first full paragraph of Linda's recollections is basically how I remember USM's initiative to offer the MBA at Stennis. We believed at the time that USM needed to be the primary provider for most Stennis programming, not just for Marine Science. In that spirit, we wanted to respond as best we could to offer the MBA on site. The MBA program was to be offered at Stennis in a cohort format so that enrollments would not be unduly small. This was not a new degree program and was not an Executive MBA. It was an attempt to offer the MBA at a major USM location. The Provost's Office certainly encouraged the CBA to offer classes on site at Stennis, but the final decision as to whether USM offered the program or we deferred to another provider such as Mississippi State University rested with the College leadership. As I recall, the program was to have been thoroughly evaluated after one cohort cycled through to see if it was viable to offer the MBA on a cohort basis at Stennis in future. I don't know if a thorough evaluation took place. I invite colleague Bill Gunther to share his memories with us on this topic if he chooses to do so. I would emphasis once again that this was not an Executive MBA program, and it was to involve courses already in place. Further, it did not involve any remodeling but would have been offered in existing classrooms at Stennis or through distance transmission (from Stennis and to Stennis) if the CBA decided that was a good idea. AACSB accreditation was not threaten by this approach. Hope these recollections, which are basically are congruent with those in Linda's first major paragraph, are helpful to our discussions. Thanks. Myron Henry "

 


Myron, I agree with your recollection. Insistence may be to strong of a word and should have said encouraged. The final decision rested with the leadership in COB and they made the decision. While some faculty may not have been enthusiastic over the decision to offer an MBA at Stennis, most appeared to understand the strategic need to do so. If Mississippi State would have offered the MBA at Stennis as opposed to USM, they would have had a foothold on the coast and would have threatened the MBA program at Long beach which was struggling to get students. To enter the Stennis market under these conditions was a no brainier. Myron was very supportive of the efforts of COB to develop the program and I agree with what he said.


As for an assessment of continuing the program after the first graduating class, this was done. The assessment indicated insufficient demand to continue the program at Stennis. Shelby Thames was entering his second year, COB had a new Dean and the Graduate Programs Director and his staff of one were removed along with the budget. The office was reinstated without a budget after the Dean Doty arrived in August of 2003. The budget was restored in the Spring of 2004.  When developing the Schedule for the 2004- 2005 year, the administration in COB decided to try to offer two 500 level courses by IVN as lack of demand existed to send a faculty member. It was not a good time to go and tell the President that we were withdrawing from the Stennis market and this was at best a defensive measure.


While Dean Gunther can explain the rationale for the program at Stennis and how it was developed by the graduate committee, he was no longer Dean after June 30, 2003. The initial group of cohorts did not graduate until May of 2004. The assessment to offer the program again would have occurred in late summer and fall of 2003. The finale decision would have been made in the Spring or summer of 2004.


While Biz Prof suggested that faculty drove to Stennis for two years, it was actually two years and two semesters. The first semester Dean Gunther and Professor Jim Crocket taught scourse at Stennis. The program was successful by most measures and reflected the commitment of people like Bill Gunther, Myron Henry, Keith Long. Tom Lindley and other faculty.


 

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Polyonymous

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
"  I'm still not comfortable that some slickery isn't going on here.  "
Be assured, it is.

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