He hates the salaries that are earned in business.  Simply can't understand it.  When told how far below market the biz profs are, and that they routinely lose faculty making $80K for 9 months to schools that pay them $110K for 9, he flies off the handle.  Just an example, there was a guy in finance at USM (assist prof) making $75K or $77K (one of the two) just 4 or 5 years ago.  Now he's at a higher tiered school making about $145K.  Let SFT hear this and you better duck 'cause a roundhouse left is coming your way.

Don't worry, humanities prof, he hates you too.

If the goal of the rumor about State is to increase the paranoia in the business school and to encourage interviewing faculty members to jump ship (which, btw, seems like a reasonable Shelby goal) then isn't it a riot that the rumor is having just the opposite effect because faculty might stick around waiting to play this one out.  Backfired...joke's on you Shelboo!

A bunch of us cornered Walt Cain this afternoon in the Union and pressed him on the MSU b-school takeover.  He wouldn't answer any of our questions without hesitating and stammering.  It was clear he had something to hide.  He knew more than he was letting on, and it was clear he was nervous.  He beat it out of there post haste. 

Concerned Alum, are you only concerned about how posters spend their time or are you concerned for your university?  Is SFT doing good for you?

What about my question about SFT?

Concerned alum's refusal to answer the SFT question leads me to believe he/she is quite possibly a Thames supporter, like many alums.  This is the disturbing part of it all.  Faculty are so very different, yet this issue has them united like you can't imagine.  Why should you faculty save a university its alums believe is heading in the proper direction? 

Concerned alum:

You are right -- this is a ridiculous idea and garbage on the face of it. Three years ago I'd have laughed at an idea like this as having NO credibility. Unfortunately, those of us who work here have learned that the most ridicuous and unthinkable ideas of three years ago aren't to ridiculous now. Three years ago I woldn't have believed that people could be fired and locked out of their offices; that a whole set of Deans would be removed from their positions without even a thank you for their service; that professors and students could have their email monitored; that two distinguished professors both acting in offical capacities as members of an established professional body and of a university governance body, could be accused of criminal activity, locked out of their offices and accused of "contumacious" behavior for raising questions about the credentials of an administrator.  I'd not have believed that faculty members could have their classes invaded by non-academics (who later apologized); I'd not have believed that faculty members asking legitimate questions about the planned use of a library, the spiritiual center of any university campus, would be officially reprimanded (later rescinded).

Sorry concerned alum -- don't know when you graduated but at present no idea seems to far fetched. Don't blame those who are the targets for talking among themselves to try to figure out how to dodge the next bullet. Some of us feel like were are trapped in a building with an armed maniac looking for targets to shoot. 

After over twenty five years and eight  institutions of higher education I'm entitled to speak from experience when I say no faculty anywhere else would accept what is going on -- and no governance board would either.

Its a wonder to contemplate contemplate why Missisippians, who priide themselves on fighting for the little guy and for being staunchly inedependent, always seem to fall into line behind the guy with the biggest title, the most money, and the most political clout -- even when that guy uses the title, money and clout against other little guys.

 

 

 

quote:

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Originally posted by: Leaving, finally!
" Cialis makes a good point. Give the people what they want. Like many faculty at USM, I'm bailing. USM and Mississippi are simply not worth the trouble. This is a big country with plenty of places where higher education is valued; where people enjoy prosperity, good health, good schools and positive futures. Let Mississippi sit at the very bottom in this endeavor, as it does in everything else. If I wanted to be a missionary, I would have signed on with a church."

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Don't you want to see if the b-school will become part of MSU...what future and promise that will hold, being a satellite school on another campus, and its so bad people are excited by the idea!!!...talk about losing even more athletic support...aww, schucks, you're right, this school seems done and over with.  I am really pessimistic...hopefully professors won't start jumping out of windows.  Heck, some are just leaving to leave...hope the org behavior people in management are doing their case studies...how not to run an organization...don't pray for a savior, it ain't coming til judgement day.  Bon voyage!  Send us a postcard from civilization!

quote:

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Originally posted by: stephen judd
"Concerned alum:
You are right -- this is a ridiculous idea and garbage on the face of it. Three years ago I'd have laughed at an idea like this as having NO credibility. Unfortunately, those of us who work here have learned that the most ridicuous and unthinkable ideas of three years ago aren't to ridiculous now. Three years ago I woldn't have believed that people could be fired and locked out of their offices; that a whole set of Deans would be removed from their positions without even a thank you for their service; that professors and students could have their email monitored; that two distinguished professors both acting in offical capacities as members of an established professional body and of a university governance body, could be accused of criminal activity, locked out of their offices and accused of "contumacious" behavior for raising questions about the credentials of an administrator.  I'd not have believed that faculty members could have their classes invaded by non-academics (who later apologized); I'd not have believed that faculty members asking legitimate questions about the planned use of a library, the spiritiual center of any university campus, would be officially reprimanded (later rescinded).
Sorry concerned alum -- don't know when you graduated but at present no idea seems to far fetched. Don't blame those who are the targets for talking among themselves to try to figure out how to dodge the next bullet. Some of us feel like were are trapped in a building with an armed maniac looking for targets to shoot. 
After over twenty five years and eight  institutions of higher education I'm entitled to speak from experience when I say no faculty anywhere else would accept what is going on -- and no governance board would either.
Its a wonder to contemplate contemplate why Missisippians, who priide themselves on fighting for the little guy and for being staunchly inedependent, always seem to fall into line behind the guy with the biggest title, the most money, and the most political clout -- even when that guy uses the title, money and clout against other little guys.
 
 
 "

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Thanks for your post and I can feel your pain. However, I will take much of what is posted on this board with a grain of salt and try to decipher the "real" issues. Good luck.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Concerned Alum
" However, I will take much of what is posted on this board with a grain of salt and try to decipher the "real" issues. "

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Don't we all? 

 

I concerned that Concerned Alum is so concerned that (s)he can't believe the things that are being posted on the board! It's concerning how unconcerned some are about the goings-on at their university(ies) until it gets slapped with probation of some sort.

This board is our water cooler, our beer after work, our faculty club where we always have our drink of choice, our comfortable chair, and an endless supply of privacy AND free expression, all in one.

This is my AAUP-USM message board.

CA, just sit back and watch a while. Don't post. You can think about it, just don't do it. You'll know when it's time to post or when it's time to leave.

We care about issues on this board that affect faculty. We care about issues that affect students. And staff. And alumni. And the community. And the rest of the state. And the world. Almost all of us have experienced life at another university, usually a larger university with more resources, more students, more prestige, and more political pull. We've seen how things can be -- good and bad -- and we have definite ideas about what a university should be.

Somebody posted the other day about how we should fight every issue Shelby proposes, especially those that could easily include faculty input but do not. I think that guy (or girl) was correct, and that's why every rumor is scrutinized, every whisper tracked down, and every movement logged. We're watching and waiting. We're keeping notes. We will not let our vision of a university (which works so well in so many other places that we cannot believe nobody else in Mississippi knows about it) be destroyed by one maniacal, Napoleon-complex having, kickback-loving, gold-golf-cart driving Dome Gnome.

quote:

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Originally posted by: 5 mg C11H17N2O2SNa
"This board is our water cooler, our beer after work, our faculty club where we always have our drink of choice, our comfortable chair, and an endless supply of privacy AND free expression, all in one."

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Oh, Mr. Wonderful, please note!

quote:

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Originally posted by: Concerned Alum
" It is a shame that the posters on this thread have nothing better to do. Enjoy your fun."

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Let me get this straight.  You demean people who post here for not making better use of their time, yet YOU just posted here.  That makes you one of us.