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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> Why don't we have a "U-of-MS" SYSTEM?
Post Info TOPIC: Why don't we have a "U-of-MS" SYSTEM?
late night musings

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Why don't we have a "U-of-MS" SYSTEM?
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Many other states (Texas and North Carolina come to mind first, but even places like Alabama) have a comprehensive, site-based university system?

I'll illustrate what I mean by using North Carolina as an example. The school has a flagship school (UNC-Chapel Hill), but equally respected regionalized universities such as UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Greensboro, and UNC-Charlotte. Those schools each offer their own complement of full undergraduate and graduate programs (so it's not like you go to Wilmington for biology, Greensboro for creative writing, Charlotte for econ, and Chapel Hill for history, i.e. the Gulf Coast method at USM). The strongest (and rival) school in the state is NC State in Raleigh; there are also other schools such as Appalachian State in Boone, Eastern Carolina University, and Western Carolina University, et. al.

Would USM faculty ever be happy being "UM-Hattiesburg"? It may not be as bad as you think! North Carolina's statellite universities, such as UNC-W, are just as large as USM in terms of student enrollment, have quality academics, and pull strong faculty. I could see UM-Hattiesburg (USM), UM-Jackson (JSU, although Ayres may make this an impossible proposition), UM-Gulf Coast, UM-Delta (Delta State), whatever....

I think the problem in MS is the assumption that multi-site universities must A) be solely governed by the original site (there's a chancellor of the UNC system, but believe you me that Wilmington has a different president, board, and administration than Greensboro or Chapel Hill) and that B) the sites' programs should add up to a well-rounded curricula as a whole, but must be disparately different (i.e. only marine bio programs would be offered at GC, only Lit in Oxford, etc.).

I know it will never happen, in light of the rate that IHL makes meaningful decisions, but why hasn't it been proposed?

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Choices

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quote:
Originally posted by: late night musings
"but why hasn't it been proposed?"
Delta Dawn mentioned that model as one of several alternatives for Mississippi. The general feeling of who discussed this on the message board was that political rather than academic considerations would determine such matters.

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Invictus

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After a fashion, something like this was proposed about 15 years ago. IIRC, the proposal was to merge MUW with State, DSU & Valley with Ole Miss, Alcorn with USM. (I may have some of this mixed up -- it's been a long time). The alumni from the smaller schools (the "W" & DSU in particular) effectively blocked that idea.

Also, there were rumblings that the community colleges (which are loosely under the SBCJC but have separate boards of trustees) would also be placed under IHL. Public hearings were held. As a community college faculty member at that time, I spoke publicly against the idea because the plan never specified whether community college faculty would be made tenure track or which salary scale (Ole Miss or Valley) they would be on.

When I'm in full conspiracy theory mode, I think that the present efforts to reduce USM to more-or-less JSU status became "plan B" for cutting costs when consolidation efforts failed.

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Miles Long

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Louisiana actually did this exact renaming thing last decade. USL became UL-Lafayette. Same with UL-Shreveport.

However, the stepchild, SLU is still SLU. (and no, I'm not going to call it "Slow Learners University")

The IHL would probably try to do something like that with its stepchild, USM.

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a rose by any other name

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"Renaming" by itself will not do it unless there is an attitude adjustment within the IHL.



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Across the border

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quote:
Originally posted by: Miles Long
"Louisiana actually did this exact renaming thing last decade. USL became UL-Lafayette. Same with UL-Shreveport. However, the stepchild, SLU is still SLU. (and no, I'm not going to call it "Slow Learners University") The IHL would probably try to do something like that with its stepchild, USM."
I wouldn't surprise me if SLU (Southeastern Louisiana University), located in Hammond, got some of the spillover from USM. After all, SLU is not all that far away. There has been lots of talk about U. of South Alabama in this respect, but I've seen nothing said about SLU serving a spillover function. I'm surprised.

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ram

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quote:
Originally posted by: a rose by any other name
""Renaming" by itself will not do it unless there is an attitude adjustment within the IHL."
I am not sure how the change has been received in Louisiana.  Is there any substantive difference in how the various or collective universities are administered?  Also, if we adopted such a model, would some public universities opt out?  You'll remember there is no UL - Baton Rouge.

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