February 21, 2005

Dear Colleagues,

It has been my practice throughout my tenure as a faculty member and administrator at The University of Southern Mississippi to focus on the positives and to continue to move our university forward no matter what negative factors swirled around me. Some may perceive this thought process as naïve, but I see it as a necessary practice that keeps me from losing focus, which would negatively affect progress.

Our university has faced some significant challenges over the past few years. I hope you will carefully read this letter as I recap some of those challenges and share with you what we are doing to make our university a better place to work and a better place for our students to be educated.

We have faced major financial challenges as we have experienced continued decreases in state funding for the last several years. However, we cannot allow the lack of state support to change our focus and diminish progress. We must constantly find ways to become more fiscally responsible and do more for ourselves. Efforts to acquire external funds for contracts and grants have been exceedingly helpful in offsetting the loss in state funds. The Southern Miss faculty has continued to increase the number of proposals for external monies being submitted and the number being funded. This fiscal protocol has been very successful, and I am grateful to our fine faculty and staff who have made it possible. Because of operational efficiencies, tuition increases, and increases in federal dollars, we have continued to advertise for and fill needed faculty and staff positions. We have also been able to award pay increases to all faculty and staff during these tight financial times. Again this year, we face the very real probability for additional and significant funding reductions. I assure you that we will use every opportunity to manage budget cuts, should they come, so as not to result in a loss of personnel.

Our work environment plays an important role in how we feel and in our attitudes, and I want you to enjoy your work. Consequently, much has been accomplished to create physically attractive campuses at all Southern Miss teaching locations. Lighting, paving, landscaping, and building projects are ongoing, and more and more people are taking notice of the positive changes when they visit our campuses. Construction of the Student Life Center is on schedule, and the International Center is now fully operational. The official groundbreaking for the Trent Lott Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship facility is scheduled for Thursday, February 24, at 2 p.m. I hope you will join Sen. Lott, a host of other dignitaries, and me for this celebration. Even though the building will not begin to take shape for several months, you can't help but notice the change on the east side of campus where the former Sports Arena was located.

The recent special session of the Mississippi Legislature ended in the passage of a bonding bill that awarded The University of Southern Mississippi approximately $22 million for capital improvements. Among those items to be funded are a new health and science facility at the Gulf Park campus, an oceanographic support facility at Stennis Space Center, a research office and laboratory facility at Cedar Point and the general repair and renovation of our current facilities in Hattiesburg and on the Gulf Coast. Preplanning monies were approved for the construction of a new College of Business facility. We will work aggressively to utilize these funds as promptly and efficiently as possible.

An additional campus improvement project is now operational with the creation of our new and exciting dining choices. With options such as Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Quiznos, Einstein Bros. and Bene Pasta and Pizza, more and more of us are remaining on campus for lunch, which creates a strong community spirit. The Gulf Park faculty, staff and students are looking forward to a new coffee shop, which will afford a much needed and comfortable place to gather without leaving campus. I am confident that such amenities make a difference in our working and learning environment.

We are currently addressing the issues that led to our university's probation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. I have included the specific citation from SACS herein in the event you are not familiar with the specifics of this issue or may not have read my last letter, in which it was also included.

The institution is requested to submit a Third Monitoring Report due August 2, 2005, addressing the following referenced Principles:

CS 3.3.1 (Institutional Effectiveness)
The institution was asked to evaluate its distance education activities in the Monitoring Report reviewed by the Commission. Although the institution did evaluate one activity in this report, it is clear that more such activities exist, including those operated by the Center for International and Continuing Education and by the institution at sites distant from the home campus. The institution must now provide a list of all distance learning activities, regardless of location or delivery mode, and evidence of evaluation of all these activities and of use of results of the evaluation to improve them.

Dr. Joan Exline is in charge of managing the accreditation process and is doing a remarkable job. Our faculty members understand the significance of this endeavor and have responded in a very positive way. I am very proud of their cooperation and their significant efforts. Clearly we have made much progress toward removing the probationary status, and to those of you who have been involved, thank you. I know many of you are spending valuable time in assessment meetings, which are in addition to your daily responsibilities. You are making a difference, and your hard work is noticed.

In an effort to provide and improve communication to the University family and friends, I established monthly meetings with the Faculty Senate officers, and those meetings continue today. I also meet weekly with Cabinet members (unless a major conflict arises), which include the Faculty Senate president, Staff Council president, vice presidents, chief financial officer, provost, Alumni Association director, USM Foundation director, athletic director and marketing and public relations director. I meet monthly with the President's Council, which includes faculty, staff and students, and I meet monthly with students for "Tuesdays at 2 with Thames." This informal meeting is held in Seymour's and allows students the opportunity to ask me questions or give me suggestions for ways to improve the campus or their learning experience. I meet quarterly with the President's Community Advisory Committee. I also write approximately two letters a month to faculty and staff in an effort to keep news current based on daily and weekly activities. I met this week with five faculty members who serve on the President's Council to continue discussion about some issues raised in the last President's Council meeting. I also wish to begin meeting more informally with faculty and staff in a way that is similar to my meetings with students. As always, I welcome the opportunity to meet with anyone who needs to see me personally. I have an open-door policy, and anyone who wishes can call and make an appointment to see me.

There has been much debate this past week in the newspaper about miscommunication between Provost Jay Grimes and Dean Harold Doty regarding the College of Business. It is unfortunate that this issue has been moved into a public forum. Sadly, it seems, in more and more instances, easier to take matters to the media than to seek productive dialogue which could have much greater opportunity for a positive resolution.

As you know, one of the goals of this administration is to expand offerings on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as it is our responsibility to meet the educational needs of our South Mississippi citizens. Nationally, the demand to meet the higher education needs of nontraditional students is increasing, and the Gulf Coast is no exception, as more professionals are seeking an alternate education delivery that adapts to their career and family demands. Through discussions with employers and employees throughout the Gulf Coast service area, we have determined the greatest need for academic programs is in education and business. We have seen firsthand the toehold being established by William Carey College, the University of Phoenix, South Alabama, Troy State and Tulane through their MBA programs offered on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Students cite the accommodating academic delivery options these institutions provide as a major reason for their choice to enroll.

In an effort to meet the needs of the Gulf Coast community, we started discussions approximately 12 months ago about an alternate delivery of our current MBA program for Gulf Coast residents. Thus, we are awaiting a proposed delivery mechanism from the College of Business for the MBA. While we have a vision for growth, a plan must be developed in order to achieve program expansion. Clearly any academic program should be the work of the faculty and should be reviewed to determine whether IHL Board or SACS approval is required long before implementation. Through a memo I wrote and sent to Dean Doty and the department chairs in the College of Business, I made clear my support of their faculty and their academic pursuits. To read my memo in full, please click here.

Our successes have been the outcome of many people's hard work. It takes more than me, more than the administrative team, and more than any one of us to continue our successes. Even though there are those who do not approve of the way I manage, I am obligated to do what is best for our students, faculty and staff collectively. It is my hope that we can become a Southern Miss community that puts personal feelings aside for the greater good of Southern Miss. Let's merge our efforts, work together and advance our university to the level of greatness we desire and Southern Miss deserves.

Several exciting opportunities will come our way in the next few weeks. First, the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre, in cooperation with The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, will present a special FREE faculty and staff appreciation performance of Carlisle Floyd's music drama Susannah Friday, February 25, at 2 p.m. in the Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium. It will be up to department directors and managers to determine staffing needs for offices, but I do hope that many of you will take advantage of this terrific opportunity. Our thanks are extended to Dr. Jay Dean and the College of Arts and Letters for bringing this event to our faculty and staff.

You also still have time to purchase tickets to attend "The Concert Event of a Lifetime." The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra will perform with Placido Domingo at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum April 2. I hope you will be able to attend and enjoy this wonderful event while supporting our world-class orchestra. This event will put Southern Miss on the world stage, and I know you will want to be a part of this exciting occurrence.

Finally, I am regularly informed of campus rumors circulating among our faculty and staff. The majority of these rumors have no basis in fact. Please help Southern Miss become a place of productive conversation, productive work, and positive outcomes. I ask you now, and in the future, to please gather and verify facts when questions arise and make sure you have all pertinent information from which to draw conclusions. Whether the rumor is about me, a colleague, or a specific situation, please do not judge prematurely. If you need or desire information about an issue of which the Office of the President would have knowledge, call or write this office and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Thanks for reading my letters and for your support of our great university.

Very truly yours,

Shelby F. Thames