A few calls to associates in COH nets this:

Oshrin ran afoul of two women with the president's ear -- Dana Thames and Joan Exline.  He sparred with Dana over space in his building, and with some frequency frustrated Joan when she did her stint as interim dean of the college following the reorganization (Oshrin applied to the deanship, by the way, and got passed over in favor Joan, who did not apply but was appointed after serving as chair of the search committee).  When she left the deanship, Oshrin was already a marked man.  The new dean, Fos, stunned the faculty in Oshrin's department when he told them bluntly that the president said Oshrin had to go as chair, or the department would suffer a freeze on filling vacant positions -- extortion, pure and simple -- and that he (the dean) was powerless to do anything about it. 

The bigger picture is that Thames is steadily replacing strong chairs with weak/compliant ones so that he can rape and pillage COH at will.  Kinney, who wanted to raise standards in the pathetically weak coaching and sports administration program, was knocked off last year in Human Performance in favor of Marciani, who will hustle outside money and provide a reliable haven for academically hopeless athletes.  Nugent, the new kid in Nursing, is struggling to keep her head above water, saddled with a pseudo-associate deanship (binding her more closely to the administration) on top of massive migraines within the School itself.  Yadrick, a faculty veteran but new to administration, passively and quietly chairs Nutritional Sciences.  McGuire sits in an interim post as director of Community Health, under Joan's watchful eye.  Hudson, who chairs Medical Tech, is a good soldier who follows orders and served happily as Joan's associate dean.  When Joan passed the baton to Fos, Oshrin and Forster, director of Social Work, were the only strong chairs in the college.  Now Oshrin is out -- apparently willing to depart quietly rather than risk damage to his unit.  Forster will feel the big heat next, if he isn't already, probably in the form of the same kind of extortionist play made against Oshrin, i.e. step down or your unit will lose positions.  Reports are mixed on this, but some are betting that Forster will never go quietly; he's reportedly been squawking loudly about not being able to fill open positions, despite strong student growth and a good record of external funding.

The book is still out on Dean Fos, who's been in low gear after suffering a heart attack less than six months into the job.  Is he simply toothless, or did he take the job on agreement to do Thames' bloody bidding?  In either case, he's apparently all too willing to bend over for the screwing Thames means to give the college.  

Someone in the know told me that Oshrin's department desperately needs 2 new faculty members.  SFT's deal was "if Oshrin resigns the chair and goes back to the faculty, I'll let you hire a new chair."  Note that this provides only one new faculty member.

I have also heard that Fos is a fighter with Doty.  One of 2 decent deans (out of 5).

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Originally posted by: freedom4usm
"(Oshrin applied to the deanship, by the way, and got passed over in favor Joan, who did not apply but was appointed after serving as chair of the search committee).  When she left the deanship, Oshrin was already a marked man.  "

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Interesting little detail.

Wasn't SFT "coronated" after serving as chair of the search committee for a new president?

Robert Campbell

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Originally posted by: Magnolia
"No he wasn't chair of the committee, but he was on it."

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He was on the committee for about 2-3 meetings until he decided to put his name into the mix.  About the only thing he did while on the committee was to be a part of the subcommittee that decided what information would go into the brochure that was sent out to prospective candidates.  I don't know the exact timeline, but I think he dropped out before any applications came in, or at least only a few.  The rumor I was told by a VP was that he put his name in to block Tim Hudson who really wanted the job.  Since he made Hudson provost, I don't know if that was a case of keep your enemies closer or if his feelings toward Hudson was exaggerated.

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Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"And the rumor I heard was that he put his name in to block Don Cotten.  Rumors are like that!"

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Freedom4USM:  nice job of collating the COH history.  Fos is not well, has had heart problems, maybe two MIs, had three stents, not really that visible nor "involved" with day to day  Nugent working hard as Associate Dean/Dir son with little to no resources, shrinking faculty in a very limited market of nursing faculty, bad building situation (too small, "sick" building, vanishing Albertson's, Gulf Coast runaway train growth), serious problems with worst nursing shortage in recent history, local hospitals providing minimal support due to university administration, UMC doctoral program now moving as separate program, limited graduate offerings due to few tenured graduate faculty (less than ten all campuses), very few staff, the list grows daily with nothing but worse news in sight. If we have the faculty positions, doesn't do us much good, can't recruit them with doctorates with any success.  Why would they come here, they have so many other choices?  Very different than other disciplines, we are hiring mainly Masters instructors.  With pressure to increase enrollment, we have so many more qualified admissions than we can even admit now but have to turn them away.  Administration (USM) wants us to increase admissions, GP will double admissions, twice per year now. 

Jane Hudson a very find person and scholar, a good department.  Unsure how she made it with Exline that year.  She is loyal to USM, perhaps to a fault.  Perhaps an exception to my sentiment about present adminstrators, have known her for 20 years and respect her without question.  Forster, also a fine and dedicated activist for social work and academic freedom, and an exception to the rule for adminsration.  He most likely will stick it out, unsure why he is still in position, maybe Fos is afraid to touch him due to AAUP office?  Articulate and puts his money where his mouth is, great respect for him among faculty.  Kinney was a real loss, that firing was a sham, tried to raise standards, what a mistake, tangled with the wrong person we heard (former beau of associate vp?) and made disparaging remarks about paint in one of the PE buildings (this could be rumor mill but sounds possible), he was well thought of, has a national reputation in recreational sports and very popular in HPR.  Kathy Yadrick is also good and decent person, loyal and trying hard to hang on; won't rock boat; some of these programs are trying hard not to be targeted; tragic that we are all pitted against each other.  And with GP and COH, we don't know what the future is but we seem to be losing ground as the Coh slips southward down 49. 

Steve Oshrin should have made the cut for Dean.  The entire debacle was shameful and those who were invovled know who they are and the evidence they left.  This is not heresay, this was witnessed.  An entire search committee was witness.  Remember that the "staff" person assigned to Search committee was none other than A. Dvorak.  Agenda set at first meeting.  Some of us naively thought there would actually be a process followed.

But that was then, this is now. 

And look who is in charge, STILL.  I am sorry but I do not support the notion that there are good deans, good chairs, etc.  Any one who is in this administration is PART of the Thames regime.  There is no way to be "above" the fray.  You are part of it or you resign. You sleep with dogs....get ready to assume the position whenever needed.  And don't be surprised that your faculty and staff don't "trust you".  Those of who have stayed have given some of those in authority the benefit of the doubt and wow, have we been burned.  Fool me once, shame on you.....

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Originally posted by: Fool's Black & Gold
"Fool, I concur. This has also been my belief from the very beginning. At the risk of getting blown out of the water on this message board, I would like to say that I flinch each time I read statements in defense of a compromise position in this matter. That strategy hasn't worked yet. "

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