The Alumni Association - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Feb 17, 2005

The Alumni Association

Date: Feb 18, 2005

You need to subscribe to the A. Association's email list and its monthly magazine. You also need to start checking its website at least every other week. I assure you the A. Association has not been silent about this conflict. What you really meant to say is you hoped that the A. Association would take a position against Thames. It has not done this; in fact, it has consistently called on the community and faculty to stop its negative campaign against Thames. It is just not doing it in the only media you are apparently reading: this bulletin board, the Independent, and the Hattiesburg American.

Date: Feb 18, 2005

Albert,

Exactly how will most USM alumni benefit from keeping Shelby Thames in office?

Robert Campbell

Date: Feb 18, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Albert
"You need to subscribe to the A. Association's email list and its monthly magazine. You also need to start checking its website at least every other week. I assure you the A. Association has not been silent about this conflict. What you really meant to say is you hoped that the A. Association would take a position against Thames. It has not done this; in fact, it has consistently called on the community and faculty to stop its negative campaign against Thames. It is just not doing it in the only media you are apparently reading: this bulletin board, the Independent, and the Hattiesburg American."

The reason that the Alumni Association won't take a position against Thames is because most of them are booty buddies with him. I talked to several alumni in my home county; you wouldn't believe the Thames-propagated spew they gave me. Put a bald head, a fat gut, and a pair of 1980s glasses on them, and I would have thought that I was talking to the evil munchkin himself.

They want to be endeared to Thames, so they just repeat his excuses. They are useless now and have been since Fleming left. All they care about is that they have reserved places to partk their SUVs for the tailgate parties before the football games.

Date: Feb 18, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Albert
"You need to subscribe to the A. Association's email list and its monthly magazine. You also need to start checking its website at least every other week.."

In order to receive their monthly magazine, one must join the Alumni Association. Mrs. Invictus & I (representing four degrees from USM) dropped our Alumni Association memberships after over 20 years with the first renewal after Shelby Thames was appointed president.

Guess what? I cannot determine that I have "lost" a single benefit. Most months, the magazine didn't contain anything but advertising for alumni trips, ballgame tickets & logo merchandise, a glowing story about somebody I'd never heard of & a bunch of baby announcements. The few Alumni "functions" we attended as paid members did more to alienate us than to "connect" us to the university.

I don't miss it a bit.

And I don't expect the Alumni Association to do anything but support the administration, because that's the sort of person who's attracted to Alumni Associations ... at least at universities like USM.

Date: Feb 18, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Albert
"You need to subscribe to the A. Association's email list and its monthly magazine. You also need to start checking its website at least every other week. I assure you the A. Association has not been silent about this conflict. What you really meant to say is you hoped that the A. Association would take a position against Thames. It has not done this; in fact, it has consistently called on the community and faculty to stop its negative campaign against Thames. It is just not doing it in the only media you are apparently reading: this bulletin board, the Independent, and the Hattiesburg American."

Albert,

Can you tell how how to subscribe to the e-mail list? Do they have a board similar to this in which alumni -- other than members of the board -- can express their opinions? It's hard for me to believe that many alumni are happy with the way Thames has shredded the values of their degrees. I think you have no idea how much damage he has done to the good name of USM in the eyes of the rest of the country.

Date: Feb 18, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: USM Sympathizer
"Can you tell how how to subscribe to the e-mail list? Do they have a board similar to this in which alumni -- other than members of the board -- can express their opinions? It's hard for me to believe that many alumni are happy with the way Thames has shredded the values of their degrees. I think you have no idea how much damage he has done to the good name of USM in the eyes of the rest of the country."

Sympathizer, the Alumni Association board doesn't care what rank-and-file members think as long as they pay their dues. In the 20+ years we were members, we never voted on the board members, never saw a ballot. Seems to be an invitation-only party.

That's one reason we didn't feel any different being former Alumni Association members.

THE USM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IS A JOKE, SO DON'T WORRY WHAT "THEY" THINK

Date: Feb 18, 2005

The alumni association has not taken an active stance against Thames because it is associated with the school and under Thames' control. Otherwise, I seriously doubt an independent alumni association would have put up with this, even though, admittedly, a few support Thames but they have been in my experience, frankly, ignorant.

Date: Feb 19, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Albert
" I assure you the A. Association has not been silent about this conflict. What you really meant to say is you hoped that the A. Association would take a position against Thames. It has not done this; in fact, it has consistently called on the community and faculty to stop its negative campaign against Thames."

Albert's post in reference to the USM Alumni Association warrants a kick up to the top of the board. Is there any Alumni Association Board Member out there who can refute Albert's assertion?

Date: Feb 19, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by: Albert
" I assure you the A. Association has not been silent about this conflict. What you really meant to say is you hoped that the A. Association would take a position against Thames. It has not done this; in fact, it has consistently called on the community and faculty to stop its negative campaign against Thames."

quote:
Originally posted by: No No Nanette
" Is there any Alumni Association Board Member out there who can refute Albert's assertion? "

I cannot refute Albert's assertion, but I can question it. I am still a member of the Alumni Association and totally agree with all that Invictus said: the only enduring benefit is a sense of affiliation that grows rapidly dim.

I agree that Albert is correct when he says, "What you really meant to say is you hoped that the A. Association would take a position against Thames." But I question Albert's claim that the Association "has consistently called on the community and faculty to stop its negative campaign against Thames." My perception is that the Association has consistently tried to walk the fine line between its purported constituency, the alumni, and the source of its support, the administration. I do remember the Association saying things "in code" that could be interpreted as Albert is wont. Things like, It is time for everyone to start working together to move Southern Miss forward into the future. True, "everyone working together" could be heard as "Support President Thames" but it could also be interpreted as "Stop being such a pig-headed bully, you jerk." (I find both expressions somewhat offensive, but that is primarily because I hold pigs in some esteem.)

I do know that at least two Alumni Association board members are vehemently opposed to the policies and tactics of SFT. One of them told me of the substantial number of membership solicitation cards that were returned by both former and prospective association members-- without dues-- but with notation indicating that dues would not be paid until SFT left office.

I will try to speak privately with a board member and get a "minority report" for readers of this board.

Date: Feb 19, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: ram
I will try to speak privately with a board member and get a "minority report" for readers of this board.

Please do.

Date: Feb 19, 2005

ram, do you feel comfortable naming the two alumni association board members opposed to Thames? These two need to get together. If you don't want to name them publicly, then please at least try to get them in touch with each other.

Date: Feb 19, 2005

The USM faculty has done a terrific job over the years, educating many first generation college students, doing important research in the face of heavy teaching loads and miniscule funding, etc., but it has fallen short in one area.

Students are rarely told about the history of the university in society and about the ideals that though now under attack, are essentail, not just for the university itself but for the intellectual health of society. How many students have learned the importance of academic freedom, of faculty governance, of the tenure system?

Ignorant alums often are just that: ignorant of the way a first class institution should work. Perhaps its not too late for many of them?

Date: Feb 19, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: far away alum
"How many students have learned the importance of academic freedom, of faculty governance, of the tenure system?"

This clearly should be formally incorporated somewhere in the student's four years at USM - but taught by only faculty members who themselves understand and can accurately communicate the concepts of academic freedom, governance, and the tenure system. Evidently some alums have not been exposed to these essential notions.

Date: Feb 19, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: far away alum
"The USM faculty has done a terrific job over the years, educating many first generation college students, doing important research in the face of heavy teaching loads and miniscule funding, etc., but it has fallen short in one area. Students are rarely told about the history of the university in society and about the ideals that though now under attack, are essentail, not just for the university itself but for the intellectual health of society. How many students have learned the importance of academic freedom, of faculty governance, of the tenure system? Ignorant alums often are just that: ignorant of the way a first class institution should work. Perhaps its not too late for many of them?"

Thank you for this post. What often comes across as disdain by the academic community is not targeted at alums or at a state populace that is relatively uneducated. It is disdain for the administrators and officials who should know better and who are supposed to be in charge of protecting the public education trust - in other words, those who have let us down. I'm out of words right now. Perhaps someone else can give you the explanation you deserve.

Date: Feb 19, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: far away alum
"The USM faculty has done a terrific job over the years, educating many first generation college students, doing important research in the face of heavy teaching loads and miniscule funding, etc., but it has fallen short in one area.

Students are rarely told about the history of the university in society and about the ideals that though now under attack, are essentail, not just for the university itself but for the intellectual health of society. How many students have learned the importance of academic freedom, of faculty governance, of the tenure system?

Ignorant alums often are just that: ignorant of the way a first class institution should work. Perhaps its not too late for many of them?"

KICK!