Yeah, that's why they had to get somebody from Brandon to write this...because they've run out of Hattiesburg-based Thames supporters. Get real.

The letter to the editor and Albert's comments equate to nonsense. Seriously, I read that letter and thought "and your point is . . ."

The point is, Emma, that Shelby Thames is bulletproof! You faculty can't conceive how great he is in the eyes of those of us who used to watch you professors come in to work late, take long lunches, and leave early. It used to make me so mad when I would go to an office to get help and the prof would be gone. That's your job-to help the students. Shelby Thames wants you to work and you are so lazy that you would rather fight him than do the work, and the whole community sees it now.

Bonnie Parker Angie/Lisa/Dana: What would you do if some miracle happened and we could walk out of here tomorrow morning and start all over again clean? No record and nobody after us, huh?
Clyde Barrow Shelby: Well, uh, I guess I'd do it all different. First off, I wouldn't live in the same state where we pull our jobs. We'd live in another state. We'd stay clean there and then when we'd take a bank, we'd go into the other state.

They're clueless... they're in love with USM (supposedly)... and they kill people's careers.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Clyde
"Maybe if you treated your students better you'd have some support."

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The diplomas are stacked in the corner, Clyde, take one and leave by the back door.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Clyde
"The point is, Emma, that Shelby Thames is bulletproof! You faculty can't conceive how great he is in the eyes of those of us who used to watch you professors come in to work late, take long lunches, and leave early. It used to make me so mad when I would go to an office to get help and the prof would be gone. That's your job-to help the students. Shelby Thames wants you to work and you are so lazy that you would rather fight him than do the work, and the whole community sees it now."

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I know we ought not waste our time with trolls, but I'm fed up. People like you don't want your money's worth. You want something for nothing. State funding hardly pays for the full operation of USM or any other state university. But, you get a LOT of bang for the few bucks you give, Clyde.

In my school alone, MSW students are required to perform over 1000 hours of "field practicum," the vast majority of which are with no compensation whatsoever. Field instructors give their time and agencies give us a place to work and learn as we do it. I've been fortunate enough to have two of the finest. The program admits between 20 and 30 new MSW students each year, so you can figure, at a minimum, that's about 20,000 hours of work in various agencies across southern Mississippi for which the taxpayers pay next to nothing. And that doesn't even count the bachelor's level internships.Education puts student teachers in the field. Nursing (which OUGHT to still be a college) puts student nurses in the field. Office of Community Service Learning has students putting literally thousands and thousands of hours into this community. I could go on and on, but the point is sufficiently made.

Faculty guide this process and mentor it. Collectively, they themselves put hundreds and thousands of hours into service to this community, this state and the larger community outside Mississippi. Frankly, all we need to hear out of your mouth is 'Thank you very much." And if Shelby Thames and Roy Klumb had a grain of decency about them they'd both stand up, shoulder to shoulder on the steps of the dome, give you the facts about what USM puts back into this area and the state and tell you to sit down and shut up.

I've had the privilege of learning under some of the finest faculty I can even imagine. They have prepared me and helped me, at a late stage in life, to grow and learn and imagine a world of all new possibility. I've had the pleasure to meet, serve with and learn conversationally from many faculty and staff outside my school. You see what you see...lunches and closed office doors...you don't see what you don't even try to see... hard working, largely underpaid, dedicated people who truly love what they do, their students and their university. These are people who are suffering and still putting their shoulders to the wheel. If one of them happened to fail you and you think you are entitled to sit in their jury box, consider this my preremptory challenge, big boy. You aren't fit to judge a dog show, much less the fine faculty of the University of Southern Mississippi.

So, sit down and shut up!

quote:

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Originally posted by: Albert
"http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050223/OPINION03/502230320/1014/OPINION That took care of that. I guess you all were wrong about Robert Campbell. . . the editor, that is. How many more mistakes are you going to make? With each move you make, you increase Thames' support, not hurt it. With each PUBLIC move you make, you inspire more public sympathy for him. With each PUBLIC move you make, you make the whole faculty look bad. Never forget!"

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Albert,

Thames still doesn't rate a positive defense from you.  I'm going to quit asking, because it's so obvious that you can't provide one.

But you do need to get it clear that Rich Campbell edits the Hattiesburg American.  I don't know him, and we're not related.

By the way, you've yet to explain how USM's hometown newspaper turned against Thames editorially.  In the last month the Jackson newspaper has, too.  Do you have any idea how badly a university president has to perform, to alienate the editorial page editor of the hometown paper?

Robert Campbell

Yes, I have an axe to grind, but that's the way the world works. Your average American doesn't consult their Logic 101 notes when deciding how they feel about an issue. I posted my gut instinct. Maybe my problem could be that my Logic 101 teacher was a USM faculty member and sucked.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Clyde
" Maybe my problem could be that my Logic 101 teacher was a USM faculty member and sucked."

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One of the problems we have in higher education is getting students to accept personal responsibility.  As a faculty member I would like to apologize to Clyde.  It appears that we were less than successful helping Clyde develop personal responsibility.  Clyde, perhaps the problem was you failed to study and learn the material.  Typically, I find that poor student performance can be corrected by changes in a student's study habits and techniques. 

I am concerned that our failure to help Clyde learn personal responsibility will have a negative effect on his career.  Clearly, this is the type of employee who will blame poor performance on coworkers or a supervisor rather than accepting personal responsibility.

Clyde, perhaps you could return to the classroom and work with us to improve your potential for career success.  I highly recommend the business school.  We are actively engaged in enhancing students' professionalism, respect, integrity and discipline.  It appears that such development would be of benefit to you.  We would welcome the chance to help you develop your career.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Clyde
"Yes, I have an axe to grind, but that's the way the world works. Your average American doesn't consult their Logic 101 notes when deciding how they feel about an issue. I posted my gut instinct. Maybe my problem could be that my Logic 101 teacher was a USM faculty member and sucked."

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Clyde,

A wise old professor once taught me a most important lesson.  He taught me how to learn from someone I couldn't stand.  Anyone can learn from people they like, but an educated person can learn from people they don't like.  A true university student takes responsibility for their education.  No on can keep you from it.  It is junior high school mentality to blame your deficiencies on your teachers. 

Your statement "Yes, I have an axe to grind, but that's the way the world works." gives you away.  That is the emotional statement of an immature person.  Adults use logic.  You pull for Thames for emotional reasons.  Try the cold clear logic of a doctor doing brain surgery and you will see a different reality.

 

 

 

quote:

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Originally posted by: Clyde
"Yes, I have an axe to grind, but that's the way the world works. Your average American doesn't consult their Logic 101 notes when deciding how they feel about an issue. I posted my gut instinct. Maybe my problem could be that my Logic 101 teacher was a USM faculty member and sucked."

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There may be hope for you yet, Clyde. I, too, had professors (at another university) I thought were terrible. But that was while I was taking their courses and for quite awhile thereafter. Now that I have grown up, and am able to reflect on the past, I view those professor as the most valuable I had during all of my years in college. On the other hand, some of the professors I viewed as great. when I was an adolescent college student, I now realize were shallow. You will not be able to really judge your professors until you have been out of school for several years.

quote:

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Originally posted by: English teacher
"I taught a couple of courses this fall. One thing I taught, or tried to teach, was that plagiarism is wrong. I talked about it, I had students complete the library's plagiarism tutorial and email the results to a special account I set up just to correspond with them. Every time I assigned a paper, I talked about plagiarism again. I failed one student for ....you guessed it.
Is that student now "my jury"?? By what right does he judge me?? Teachers are not judged by people who fail to pay attention, fail to do assignments, fail to show up for class, and fail to do their own work.

Clyde, transfer to Ole Miss and see if the faculty are any different than here, ANY different at all. They all have the same degrees from the same institutions as USM's. Same with MSU, same with LSU, same with UT, same with . . . you will find that you take yourself with you wherever you go."

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I already graduated from Southern Miss. i transferred out of business after I went to see a prof for help. I asked him if he was busy and he said he was always busy with his research but that he would make a little time for me. Make a little time for me. What some balls that took. Its only your job, so dont worry about me. Same goes for those hippy-ass english profs. I got a good job and I majored in the only major that matters............polymers. Ill bet I make more money than most of those sorry hippy professors do. Guess your stuck-up literature didnt do so good for you.

But one of our regular board members used to write your department's grants and guess what SHE majored in??