Remember, Pood tried to fire him.

quote:

---

Originally posted by: Kudzu King
"If Dr. Polk's social skills had matched his teaching prowess, I suspect that he would still be here."

---

 

Uh...his social skills and teaching prowess got him a job at MSU...not on probation...fully accredited...many more doctoral programs...a little up the food chain from USM. 

PS:

I have never met Professor Polk.  He is not even in my "field" of study, but I had certainly heard of him long before I ever heard of Shelby Thames.  Polk had helped win international respect for USM.  I just went to the Library of Congress catalogue and noticed that he has been involved in the production of 38 separate books -- an incredible figure (see below).  The number of his articles is, I am sure, even greater.  THIS is the kind of "non-productive" faculty member Shelby Thames has succeeded in running off.  If he had done nothing ELSE besides run off Noel Polk, he would have done incomparable damage to USM.  My disdain for Shelby has just sunk to an even lower level after looking at this list, and I did not think it was possible for my disdain to sink any lower.

[1]  Polk, Noel   Anthology of Mississippi writers / edited by Noel E. Polk and James R. Scafidel.  1979    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 2 ]  Polk, Noel   Intertextuality in Faulkner / Michel Gresset and Noel Polk, editors.  1985    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 Z848 1985
  
 
 [ 3 ]  Polk, Noel   Mississippi's Piney Woods : a human perspective / edited by Noel Polk.  1986    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 4 ]  Polk, Noel   Natchez before 1830 / edited by Noel Polk.  1989    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
F349.N2 N28 1989
  
 
 [ 5 ]  Polk, Noel   New essays on The Sound and the fury / edited by Noel Polk.  1993    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 6 ]  Polk, Noel Anastas´ev, Nikolai Arkad´evich. Vladelets Ioknapatofy / Nikolai Anastas´ev ; [predislovie Noela Polka ; perevod predisloviia M.L. Terakopian ; khudozhnik, A.K. IAtskevich].  1991    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 Z575 1991
  
 
 [ 7 ]  Polk, Noel Easterby, J. H. (James Harold), 1898-1960. Guide to the study and reading of South Carolina history : a general classified bibliography / by J. H. Easterby ; with a supplement, A selected list of books and reprints of books on South Carolina history published since 1950 by Noel Polk.  1975    
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HOLDINGS INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE
 
 
 [ 8 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference (28th : 2001 : University of Mississippi) Faulkner and war : Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha, 2001 / edited by Noel Polk and Ann J. Abadie.  2004    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 Z7832117 2004
  
 
 [ 9 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Absalom, Absalom! : typescript setting copy and miscellaneous material / introduced and arranged by Noel Polk.  1987    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511 .A86 1986 vol. 13
  
 
 [ 10 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Intruder in the dust : typescript draft, typescript setting copy, and miscellaneous material / introduced and arranged by Noel Polk.  1987    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511 .A86 1986 vol. 17
  
 
 [ 11 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Pylon : typescript setting copy and miscellaneous holograph pages / introduced and arranged by Noel Polk.  1987    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511 .A86 1986 vol. 12
  
 
 [ 12 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Requiem for a nun.  1987    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511 .A86 1986 vol. 19
  
 
 [ 13 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Rose for Emily / William Faulkner ; contributing editor, Noel Polk.  2000    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 R6 2000
  
 
 [ 14 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Sanctuary / introduced and arranged by Noel Polk.  1987    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511 .A86 1986 vol. 8
  
 
 [ 15 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Sanctuary : the original text / William Faulkner ; edited, with an afterword and notes, by Noel Polk.  1981    
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 [ 16 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. Sound and the fury / introduced and arranged by Noel Polk.  1987    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511 .A86 1986 vol. 6
  
 
 [ 17 ]  Polk, Noel Faulkner, William, 1897-1962. These 13 : holograph manuscripts and typescripts / introduced and arranged by Noel Polk.  1987    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511 .A86 1986 vol. 9
  
 
 [ 18 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Absalom, Absalom! : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1989    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 A6765 1989
  
 
 [ 19 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Children of the dark house : text and context in Faulkner / Noel Polk.  1996    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 Z94635 1996
  
 
 [ 20 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Collected stories of William Faulkner : concordances to the forty-two short stories, with statistical summaries and vocabulary listings for Collected stories, These 13, and Dr. Martino and other stories / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1990    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 Z459 1990
  
 
 [ 21 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Editorial handbook for William Faulkner's The sound and the fury / Noel Polk.  1985    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 22 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Eudora Welty--a bibliography of her work / Noel Polk.  1994    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
Z8964.86 .P65 1994
  
 
 [ 23 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Faulkner's Requiem for a nun : a critical study / Noel Polk.  1981    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 24 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Hamlet : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1990    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 H47 1990
  
 
 [ 25 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Intruder in the dust : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk ; with an introduction by Patrick Samway.  1983    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 I536 1983
  
 Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Literary manuscripts of Harold Frederic : a catalogue / Noel Polk.  1979    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
Z6616.F842 P64
  
 
 [ 27 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Mansion : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1988    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 Z94637 1988
  
 
 [ 28 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Outside the southern myth / Noel Polk.  1997    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
F349.P5 P65 1997
  
 
 [ 29 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Pylon : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1989    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 30 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Reivers : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1990    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 31 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Requiem for a nun : a concordance to the novel / edited with an introd. by Noel Polk.  1979    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 32 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Sanctuary : corrected first edition text, Library of America, 1985 : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1990    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 33 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Sanctuary : the original text, 1981 : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1990    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 34 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Sound and the fury : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and Kenneth L. Privratsky ; with an introd. by André Bleikasten.  1980    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 35 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Town : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and Lawrence Z. Pizzi.  1985    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 T699 1985
  
 
 [ 36 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Uncollected stories of William Faulkner : concordances to the forty-five short stories / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1990    ACCESS:
Jefferson or Adams Bldg General or Area Studies Reading Rms
 CALL NUMBER:
PS3511.A86 Z94638 1990
  
 
 [ 37 ]  Polk, Noel Polk, Noel. Unvanquished : a concordance to the novel / edited by Noel Polk and John D. Hart.  1990    
SELECT TITLE FOR HOLDINGS INFORMATION
 
 
 [ 38 ]  Polk, Noel Ross, Stephen M. Reading Faulkner. The sound and the fury : glossary and commentary / by Stephen M. Ross and Noel Polk.  

 

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by: USM Sympathizer
" KK, Since you have identified yourself as a businessperson on another thread, let me try to address this issue in those terms.  Imagine that you are the chairman of the board of a major corporation.  Imagine that the person appointed by the board to manage the corporation has thrown the corporation into complete turmoil, and that surveys of the employees repeatedly show that 90% of the employees cannot stomach the idea of working for the manager.  Imagine that some of the most talented employees -- the ones who are most respected by other, similar companies throughout the world -- are so disgusted by the manager that, after waging a valiant effort to convince the board to replace him, they leave for much greener pastures.  Imagine that their departures are noticed by all the other companies in the field and by those whose job it is to rate corporations.  Imagine, too, that the manager has "managed" to get the company into trouble with the SEC, and that more and worse such trouble is looming on the horizon.  Now, as chairman of the board, do you continue to stick with the incompetent manager?  Do you say that those who leave for better positions elsewhere would have been able to stay if only their social skills were better?  Do you continue to watch your stock fall, your best employees leave, and your profit share dwindle, all in the name of sticking with a manager who has proven over a period of several years that he cannot manage successfully?  Do you continue to insist that he MUST be a competent manager because he once performed well in the lab?  Such a business model makes absolutely no sense to me.  I really, honestly, cannot understand it; I BEG someone to try to explain to me how it makes sense. By the way, it is obviously Shelby who lacks social skills.  I have never heard of another college president who has managed to turn so many of his colleagues against him and to do it again and again and again.  He may be great in a polymer lab, but recently his only inventiveness has been in inventing fiascos for himself and USM."

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Excellent post USM Sympathizer...very logical...but these folks aren't  looking for logic and facts...they're simply trying to force their position on others, just like SFT is forcing his position on the faculty at USM...and for the same reason..,they personally benefit

Kutzu King: Please read my post on "four more years." What has happened to USM's English department is unbelievable and a crime against humanity. I can't believe that the business community has not only done NOTHING to stop the bleeding of USM, but is defending their actions and actually helping its downfall. Does any thinking individual really believe that retirees or businesses will move to Hattiesburg now with out the advantages of having the outstanding Liberal Arts programs.

One of the first things that any corporation looks for in choosing a new location is good schools, cultural environment and community spirit. You may get a few new small businesses but Hattiesburg, had it remained a thriving city would have gotten those anyway. It was unnecessary to destroy a university to get them. As for the students, it is easy to understand why most have gone elsewhere and the rest will be going now because of no longer being able to get the classes that they need and it is unnecessary for them to go to a school with such a bad national reputation.

I could write much more on this subject but time is short - I must finish packing.

quote:

---

Originally posted by: Rumor Heard
"That Dr. David Wheeler, current chair of English, is leaving."

---

It is on the Babbs updated list, so it must be true.

quote:

---

Originally posted by: Never Mind
"It is on the Babbs updated list, so it must be true."

---

 It is true.

USM Sympathizer: Yes, but reputable businesses, retirees and students no longer moving into or staying in Hattiesburg will be only half of what is going to happen. The business people in their greed to get some of the USM pie (or should I have said pork) have not understood that this first warning of SACS will probably be patched up - missing papers could be fixed.

But next year when SACS comes at their regular time to look at academics and the rest of USM's programs they will have to shut the school down because all the professors have gone and none will come into this devestated area. The good students will have gone because of reasons I stated above. No SACS = no Federal Money = no more pork = no more customers = closed business and hungry families. Both commercial and professional people will have to close their doors and they will be unable to get any more "special contracts" from USM because the buildings will be empty with weeds growing over them. The business leaders as well as the professional leaders of Hattiesburg have let their people down. And the people of Hattiesburg have followed the Pied Piper over the cliff.

I'm feeling inspired.  USM Sympathizer and DS, would you two mind if I took the points made in your posts and submitted them as a letter to the editors of the HA, CL, and maybe even SH?  If you wouldn't mind, I might quote them almost verbatim.  Would that be okay with you two?

To Robert Evans: I would be honored for you to use any of my post. You of course have my permission to use any part of them that you wish to use.

Just have to say . . . I miss Noel Polk. I sincerely hope he is very happy. I also hope he is telling the saga of USM to all at MSU who will listen, so that they too will contact the IHL board. It is in all Mississippi faculty's interests.

Kudzu King:
Noel Polk's social skills are just fine. He is a gentleman and a scholar -- among the best of both.

USM Sympathizer and disgusted student:
Bravo!

I gave up a tenured professorship at USM for two reasons: 1) USM was becoming a place I could not, in good conscience, encourage students to attend, and 2) Hattiesburg was on its way to becoming a place I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the rest of my career. All of this thanks to Shelby Thames and his supporters (i.e., those who think Shelboo will "develop" their "economy").

Noel Polk and many other fine scholars in the English department could have stayed, but it would have been tantamount to intellectual self-imprisonment. I could have stayed, too, but you can be sure I would have found another dentist!
(smiling teeth)

I think the fact that Noel hasn't posted on the board lately speaks to his social skills- he is far more gracious than anyone in the admin