Dean Harper's letter to the American was cut by the editor.  Here is the full text:

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As one of the deans summarily dismissed on an early January morning in 2003, I have remained silent regarding the continuing controversies at USM, determined to avoid doing or saying anything that could be construed as "sour grapes." But I can no longer permit my silence to abet in even the smallest way the efforts of those individuals who seem determined to destroy what had truly become a fine university.

Building on a strong foundation laid during the tenure of President McCain, USM had by the mid 1980s and certainly by the 1990s become an institution of which faculty and students were proud. Working in a close partnership characterized by mutual respect, administrators and faculty built strong programs across the campus and in doing so earned for the university an outstanding regional–and in some cases national–reputation. How pleased we all were when external consultants, brought in by the IHL Board to evaluate programs throughout Mississippi, ranked USM’s programs in virtually all disciplines at or near the top. And how absolutely delighted we-- especially those of us in Liberal Arts--were when the consultant evaluating English departments insisted that ours had to rank within the top 10% across the nation! Unfortunately, I fear, such ranking are a thing of the past.

For the last two years, USM has been an institution in turmoil. And the turmoil was so unnecessary. What a contrast between the academic reorganization carried out by fiat in 2003 involving literally no faculty input with the even greater reorganization of late 1980s (successfully reducing the number of degree-granting units from eleven to six) during which faculty and staff had every opportunity to express their views! What reputable institution in this day and age would fire senior tenured professors for legitimately questioning the credentials of a senior administrator? And the embarrassments experienced by the university–the sham enrollment figures (announced naturally at a football game), the SACS probation, the drop to tier four, among others!

And now what appears to be a calculated assault on the liberal arts, orchestrated no doubt by the central administration and apparently supported by a group of self-appointed "community leaders"! What I ask is a university without strong programs in the humanities, the social sciences, and the basic sciences? Are not critical thinking and effective communication skills essential to an individual’s well-being? Are not a fundamental knowledge of history, an appreciation of one’s cultural heritage, and a basic understanding of contemporary institutions among the hallmarks of an educated person? Does a university exist solely for the purposes of "economic development"? I think not–not a real university.

USM will survive this present dark period. But the cost of rebuilding will be long, arduous, and costly. Let’s hope that the downward spiral will soon come to an abrupt halt.

Glenn T. Harper