Dear Staff Council Members,

Tuesday night the Faculty Senate took a vote to send to the IHL Board of Trustees a resolution asking that they begin a search for a new president at Southern Miss.  I was shocked and saddened by their action.  I thought we had finally gotten beyond all the criticisms and negativisms regarding Dr. Selby Thames' administration.

I sent an email to the Faculty Senate leadership first thing Wendnesday morning asking for a list of their complaints and issues.  As an employee of this University, I have a right to ask, and as of this writing I have received no answer.  The majority of the Faculty Senate members dislikes President Thames and has made it their mission to get rid of him.

Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at actions and decisions made.  It's inevitable, if you are honorable.  Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity:  you'll avoid the tough decision, you'll avoid offering differnetial rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset.  Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally "nice" regardless of their contributions, you will simply ensure that the only people you will wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in an organization.

Good leaders don't wait for official blessing to try things out.  In most organizations if you ask enough people for permission, you will inevitably come up against someone who believes his/her job is to say "no."  You've heard the sloga "if it ain't broke, don't fix it;" well, this is an excuse for inaction.

The ripple effect of a leader's enthusiam and optimism is awesome--agung-ho attitude that says, "we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best."  This is Presiden tThames' attitude; he began his presidency wanting to make changes for the betterment of this University, and I believe that he has.

I don't wan t you to judge President Thames by the negative comments and/or statements made by a few disgruntled faculty.  I want you to make your own judgment.  One of the criticisms made earlier was his lack of communication.  President Tahmes invited the Deans to become part of his Executive Cabinet; he began "Tuesdays with Thames" to meet with the students in a relaxed setting at Seymour's; he began the President's Advisory Council made up of faculty, staff, and students; he has a President's Letter posted on the web recapping things happening at Southern Miss; and he meets monthly with the Faculty Senate leadership.  President Thames has repeatedly said that he has an open door policy.  Last year only two faculty members made appointments to see him, and I do not recall any staff requesting an appointment.

I want you to know that you are welcome to make an appointment to see your President.  You have a voice.  If you have issues and/or complaints, it is your responsibility to make them known and to make them heard.  I know that some of you may be afraid to voice your concerns for fear of losing your job; however, if President Thames doesn't know there is an issue he can't make it better.

I remember when the announcement was made in April 2002, that Dr. Shelby Thames was going to be the eighth President of The University of Sothern Mississippi--I was standing in the rotunda of the Aubrey Keith Lucas Administration Building, and after the announcement my knees began to shake and I became a little frightened because I had heard form other Dr. Thames was a tyrant and that he would be very hard to work for.  I can tell you firsthand that the rumor was and is untrue.  Dr. Thames is a kind, big hearted individual.  He enters the office very morning with a "good morning ladies," and he leaves the office every evening with a "thank you ladies for your work today."  He doesn't like laziness or excuses and nor should we.

Dr. Thames doesn't need to be President; Dr. Thames wants to be President.  He has been our President for three years now, and his contract will end April 30, 2006.  Four years isn't enough time to accomplish what has been started--to be the best!  I want IHL Board to extend his contract, and I want you to want him to continue as your President.

The following is a poem written by Edgar Guest in 1934, and it reminds me of President Thames and his desire to make Southern Miss the BEST:

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,  But he with a chuckle replied;  That maybe it couldn't but he would be one;  Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.  So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin on his face.  If he worried he hid it.  He started to sing as he tackled the thing.  That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed;  "Oh, you'll never do that; At least no one has ever done it;"  But he took off his coat, and he took off his hat  And the first thing we knew he'd begun it   With a lift of his chin and a bit of a girn  Without any doubting or quiddit  He started to sing as he tackled the thing  That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done. There are thousands to prophesy failure.  There are thousands to point out to you, one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you.  But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin  Just ake off you coast and go to it.  Just start to sign as you takle the thing That "cannot be don" and you'll do it.

You the Staff of Southern Miss, need to draw your own conclusins regarding the direction you want for your University.  In Ecclesiastes, we read"unto everything, their is a season."  Some principles are so powerful that they are always in season--the time always right to do right.

Respectfully submitted,

Polly Odom

Executive Secretary to the President