Today's (Friday, February 18, 2003) print edition of the Wall Street Journal has a front page article on Harvard's president, Lawrence H. Summers. The article contains the following passage: "Angered by a lack of input and other issues, the faculty senate at the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, Miss., recently asked state officials to replace Shelby Thames, the university president." The article continues, "Observers say such battles reflect broader changes in higher education. State legislatures are demanding more efficient use of tax dollars at public universities, and universities, both public and private, are increasingly complex operations."
My take on the article is that it casts faculty as obstructionists. Thus, I fear that some, perhaps including the IHL Board, will read the article and be inclined to conclude that Shelby Thames is merely attempting to push the institution into the 21st century and that faculty are more concerned with preserving their power and perquisites than in helping modernize the university. In winning the hearts and minds of the public, the turmoil at Harvard and the University of Colorado is probably not helpful to our cause.
Oh well, on the bright side, USM did make an appearance in a national publication.
And, USM is mentioned in the . . . Wall Street Journal (yeah, that's the ticket) . . . in the same article where they mention Harvard (yeahhhhhh) . . . time to go have lunch with my best friend Morgan Fairchild.
quote: Originally posted by: Stranger Than Fiction "Today's (Friday, February 18, 2003) print edition of the Wall Street Journal has a front page article on Harvard's president, Lawrence H. Summers. The article contains the following passage: "Angered by a lack of input and other issues, the faculty senate at the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, Miss., recently asked state officials to replace Shelby Thames, the university president." The article continues, "Observers say such battles reflect broader changes in higher education. State legislatures are demanding more efficient use of tax dollars at public universities, and universities, both public and private, are increasingly complex operations." My take on the article is that it casts faculty as obstructionists. Thus, I fear that some, perhaps including the IHL Board, will read the article and be inclined to conclude that Shelby Thames is merely attempting to push the institution into the 21st century and that faculty are more concerned with preserving their power and perquisites than in helping modernize the university. In winning the hearts and minds of the public, the turmoil at Harvard and the University of Colorado is probably not helpful to our cause. Oh well, on the bright side, USM did make an appearance in a national publication. "
quote: Originally posted by: Stranger Than Fiction "Peggy, When you return from lunch, please translate--your post sounds like you are figuratively "out to lunch.""
Stranger, I have no time for this now - I am meeting with Bill, Kitty, and Orson trying to discover the Real Robert Evans.