Comparison With Ole Miss and State - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Mar 25, 2005

Comparison With Ole Miss and State

Date: Mar 25, 2005

Excellent post. The sad thing is that I suspect that many people who instinctively support his management style would like to see it imposed EVERYWHERE, not just in MS but everywhere.

Date: Mar 25, 2005

While USM Sympathizer is probably (and unfortunately) correct, I believe Cossack's right. What has happened at USM would never be permitted to happen at MSU or UM. At the very least, the alumni of State & Ole Miss would have been up in arms!

Date: Mar 25, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Cossack
"I do not think it has been made clear to the community that USM faculty are not asking for something that differs from the faculty governance at State and Ole Miss, or other comparable universities."

Cossack, your analysis is probably the best one I have seen thusfar on this particular issue. I do believe that a large segment of the community thinks that the USM faculty is asking for some sort of "special treatment." I don't think that they realize that the faculty is asking only to be treated in the same manner as faculty are treated at other major universities.

Date: Mar 25, 2005

I think the differences with how the communities perceive Ole Miss and State as compared to how Hattiesburg perceives may have something to do with the beginnings of the communities of Starkville and Oxford. Remember, Oxford was a small town that happened to have little going for it in 1848 when the university was founded. Oxford stayed a small town until the recent boon of Ole Missers wanting to go back and relive those college days. Thus the community totally supports the university because they have the mind set that they are still students. Starkville, on the other hand, was established as the land grant institution and brought industry to the area. Ag school and engineering schools -- men's technical areas -- vet school, same thing. Ole Miss and State sustained the towns of Oxford and Starkville. My point is that USM (and I will never refer to it as anything but USM) has not been viewed as the "savior" or sustaining industry in Hattiesburg. As such, community members are not necessarily educated on what a university does and how different it is from industry that IS located in Hattiesburg. Many posters refer to the fact that what is happening at USM wouldn't happen at Ole Miss or State, the people wouldn't let it. Well, there isn't a town/gown conflict in Starkville and Oxford as the apparently is at Hattiesburg.

Just my opinion, which, with a dollar will get you a good ole Pepsi cola!

Date: Mar 25, 2005

The reasons this mess would not occur at State and Ole Miss are many. First, they would never have hired a president with this particular history. Secondly, the IHL board is stacked with State and Ole Miss alums who actually care about their schools. They would have sorted this out a year ago. Thirdly, many State and Ole Miss grads have the money, clout, and sophistication to get things done at the state level. They would have stopped the destruction a year ago, and you wouldn't even know who fixed it.

Now we are faced with a situation wherein most academic programs at State and Ole Miss are light years ahead of USM. Some believe that was the plan all along. It's no accident that the biggest boosters at IHL have been State alums, but the biggest critic from day one has a degree from USM.

Date: Mar 25, 2005

Following up on "bystander," I observe that both Starkville & Oxford are small enough that a very high percentage of the residents have at least one family member who is employed in some capacity at their local university. Many businesses are directly dependent on students & faculty for their livelihood. Hattiesburg is just large enough that most folks don't have a family member employed at USM & businesses can easily forget the impact the university has on their profit margins.