We were reminded of the economic boost the University provides to our community. Orginally posted by HBM.

Thank you for your post.  I'm sure the meeting was an interesting one.

Did you also think about what will happen to this ecomonic boost if the Univeristy were to close? Yes, the University brings in dollars to the Hattiesburg community, from administrators, facutly, staff, students. What is going to happen if, and I use the word if, accrediation is lost, and more and more people leave the area?

You are bussiness men and women, you understand the bottom line, research what has happened to communities where military bases have closed and all of those dollars went elsewhere.  Look at cities where companies have pulled up stakes and left, what happened there?  If I were one of you, which I'm not, I would be looking to get a new president into USM to save those dollars from leaving.

Maybe Thames has done some good, but he has done more harm to the ecomonic status of your fair city, and I have been there, than he has done good for it.  Consider that.