"If you have a question to ask me, come to my office," Thames said. "How many times am I going to have ask y'all to do that?"

I called your office 5 times during the summer of 2002, and I came by there twice. Even though you were there - you never met with me. None of the questions I asked were ever given an attempt of a response. I never saw you, and you never answered my requests to meet with you. Don't take us for idiots. We aren't. We see through you.

And, apparently, if you look on the thread about the PUC report from Myron Henry, you'll see that when Shelboo doesn't want to answer questions, he closes that door right in your face (metaphorically speaking, for the metaphor-impaired).

What an absolute joke this man is as a university president.

Back when I was working, I wrote a letter to SFT, expressing my displeasure about something the administration had done. I was called into the office of one of his underlings and chewed out. I left in the midst of the tirade. It was not exactly the kind of "open-door policy" I was looking for.

One of the aspects of this that is very funny is that Shelby basically says let's discuss these matters of importance one on one in my office rather than in this public forum designed to improve communication.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Third Witch
"I think one of two things is true:

a. He knows he is on the way out, so doesn't have to "communicate" anymore and doesn't care.

b. He knows he has been extended, so doesn't have to "communicate" anymore, and doesn't care."

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I've not seen solid evidence that SFT is on his way out. In fact I would not be surprised if SACs is used to "keep" SFT at USM. I expect his annual evaluation will take place and no word out of IHL about a presidents search, SFT will get renewed.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Green Hornet
" I've not seen solid evidence that SFT is on his way out. In fact I would not be surprised if SACs is used to "keep" SFT at USM. I expect his annual evaluation will take place and no word out of IHL about a presidents search, SFT will get renewed. "

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Cheer up, depressed.  I don't think we'll get much warning about SFT's departure.  As someone told me, the tree being chopped down is still standing until the second that it falls.

Things looked really gloomy over the original Easter weekend, too.  Right up to early on Sunday morning.

No gloom and doom in my opinion based on the meeting at Warren paving; self annointed "community leaders" having to take out an ad in the HA, which irrespective of any other reason given was solely to show support for Thames (note that the faculty, students, supporters or alumni have not had to resort to such tactics to explain Thames' incompetence, it's become evident); Klumb is less verbal in his support of Thames; Crofts called Thames out on the CB fiasco; the college board is in the midst of changing it procedures based on Thames' shenanigans and Klumb's blatant redneck stupidity; V. Newton will be the president of the college board shortly; and some very hard working faculty, staff, students and alumni (including very prominent ones that you will never hear about) who care very much for the academic reputation of the university working on the front line and behind the scenes to get rid of this idiot (this could be seen as a violent threat, but it is not).

All this points, IMHO, to a man that is on the defensive, and I think that anyone who is trying to infer from Thames' actions at the PUC meeting that his contract will/won't get extended is in error.  I think anyone who really knows Thames will agree that he was simply being Thames.  He hates being questioned, especially when he is wrong.  By open door policy he means (the posters above apparently know first hand) that he has a chance to freak out on you in his own environment with out ever answering your questions.  For me, his actions at the PUC were reminiscent (sp?) to those actions that he took when the person (student I believe) questioned him on the coast during the so called interview process, and he lost his cool.  This was reported in the Sun Herald I think.  Anyway, happy Easter!

quote:

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Originally posted by: USM Alum
"No gloom and doom in my opinion based on the meeting at Warren paving; self annointed "community leaders" having to take out an ad in the HA, which irrespective of any other reason given was solely to show support for Thames (note that the faculty, students, supporters or alumni have not had to resort to such tactics to explain Thames' incompetence, it's become evident); Klumb is less verbal in his support of Thames; Crofts called Thames out on the CB fiasco; the college board is in the midst of changing it procedures based on Thames' shenanigans and Klumb's blatant redneck stupidity; V. Newton will be the president of the college board shortly; and some very hard working faculty, staff, students and alumni (including very prominent ones that you will never hear about) who care very much for the academic reputation of the university working on the front line and behind the scenes to get rid of this idiot (this could be seen as a violent threat, but it is not).

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Thanks for a post that made me feel a lot better; it sums up many of the recent reasons for feeling optimistic, and there are indeed many.

Thanks USM Alum, I may try to find it because it was pretty interesting - even more so in retrospect.  Hindsight is 20/20, after all.

quote:

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Originally posted by: USM Alum
"No gloom and doom in my opinion based on the meeting at Warren paving; self annointed "community leaders" having to take out an ad in the HA, which irrespective of any other reason given was solely to show support for Thames (note that the faculty, students, supporters or alumni have not had to resort to such tactics to explain Thames' incompetence, it's become evident); Klumb is less verbal in his support of Thames; Crofts called Thames out on the CB fiasco; the college board is in the midst of changing it procedures based on Thames' shenanigans and Klumb's blatant redneck stupidity; V. Newton will be the president of the college board shortly; and some very hard working faculty, staff, students and alumni (including very prominent ones that you will never hear about) who care very much for the academic reputation of the university working on the front line and behind the scenes to get rid of this idiot (this could be seen as a violent threat, but it is not). All this points, IMHO, to a man that is on the defensive, and I think that anyone who is trying to infer from Thames' actions at the PUC meeting that his contract will/won't get extended is in error.  I think anyone who really knows Thames will agree that he was simply being Thames.  He hates being questioned, especially when he is wrong.  By open door policy he means (the posters above apparently know first hand) that he has a chance to freak out on you in his own environment with out ever answering your questions.  For me, his actions at the PUC were reminiscent (sp?) to those actions that he took when the person (student I believe) questioned him on the coast during the so called interview process, and he lost his cool.  This was reported in the Sun Herald I think.  Anyway, happy Easter!"

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Thanks USM Alum. That is what I needed to hear. Now I can enjoy my weekend.

See Green Hornet, that wasn't very hard. 

Muddled Memories is muddling two different events. There was an altercation with a student questioner that was reported in the Sun Herald.
However, I was present at the "interview" with staff. I had previously attended the interview with Dr. Hart. The format was that the president of Staff Council read questions to the candidate, which the candidate then answered. We were very impressed with Dr. Hart. When Dr. Thames was interviewed (different day) after the first or second question, he strode over to the moderator, plucked the sheet of questions from her hand, saying something about "efficiency" and proceeded to ask himself the questions he wanted to answer. This was in front of an audience of several hundred staff members. Those I was sitting with were aghast at the sheer effrontery and rudeness of it. I've posted my recollection of this prophetic incident earlier, and anyone else who was there can please amend, or add their own recollections. We left a sad and sorry group, I can tell you that.

quote:

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Originally posted by: LVN
"Muddled Memories is muddling two different events. There was an altercation with a student questioner that was reported in the Sun Herald. However, I was present at the "interview" with staff. I had previously attended the interview with Dr. Hart. The format was that the president of Staff Council read questions to the candidate, which the candidate then answered. We were very impressed with Dr. Hart. When Dr. Thames was interviewed (different day) after the first or second question, he strode over to the moderator, plucked the sheet of questions from her hand, saying something about "efficiency" and proceeded to ask himself the questions he wanted to answer. This was in front of an audience of several hundred staff members. Those I was sitting with were aghast at the sheer effrontery and rudeness of it. I've posted my recollection of this prophetic incident earlier, and anyone else who was there can please amend, or add their own recollections. We left a sad and sorry group, I can tell you that."

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The mind is the first thing to go.  Yes, this is the story I was thinking of.  Thank you, LVN.

I was surprised to see, the other day, how many connections Dr. Crofts has to higher education in Mississippi; I had assumed he was simply brought in from Montana.  His experience with MS would make him a great interim president for USM, although I guess that would be a step down from his current position.  Plus, I pity whoever has to clean up after Shelby.

My favorite idiot moment from Thames's "interview" with the faculty during the search was when he he told us that he was a "polymer scientist" - well, duh - and that "poly means many and mer refers to molecular structures" (or something like that).  We knew right away that he had absolutely no respect for the collective intelligence in that packed room.  Also when asked during that "interview" how he would support the liberal arts he answered that he had worked with the English Department in the past to set up a technical writing program to teach his polymer science students how to write.  That was ALL that he knew about liberal arts programs.  Shelby's performance in the whole interview process was amateurish, boorish, myopic, and third-rate.  He knew he was going to get that job regardless.