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Originally posted by: CoB Insider
"The fact is that he will float his name for almost any job that comes open, as long as it is higher in pay or prestige........Doty is out for himself."

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If applying for a job that is higher in pay or pretige is a sign of being out for yourself, there are many faculty members at USM and elsewhere who are out for themselves. So just what is wrong with looking at more attractive positions? USM needs more marketable people like this.

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Originally posted by: Me, Myself, and I
"If applying for a job that is higher in pay or pretige is a sign of being out for yourself, there are many faculty members at USM and elsewhere who are out for themselves. So just what is wrong with looking at more attractive positions? USM needs more marketable people like this. "

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Agreed. Anybody who can get a better position elsewhere is nuts to pass it up. Given the administration, the IHL, the Mississippi legislature, funding forecasts, and the local community attitude toward faculty, why would anybody stay at USM? That is not a trick question.
 
 
 
 

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Originally posted by: CoB Insider
"I'm not implying that anything is wrong with that attitude. I'm simply stating that the recent revelation of Doty's candidacy at several other schools is supporting evidence for my vita-building argument, which has been advanced on several other threads."

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But vita-building what academicians are expected to at all major universities. After all, vita-building is merely a formal recording of accomplishments. One doesn't put "jobs applied for" on their vita. They put teaching, research, and service activities. Tenure, promotion, and merit raises are based on ones vita (maybe not at USM, but at most good major universities).

I agree with CoB Insider. 

COB Insider,

Let me try to paraphrase you.  Modern acadmia is full of administrators moving up the salary ladder by moving to an institution, manufacturing "accomplishments", and then leveraging these into a better job at another place.  In general terms, this breed cares little about the institution they currently work for, the students who study there, or the faculty who teach there.  Within the bounds of legalities and ethics (loosely defined), their current position is just a vehicle for the next position up the ladder.  If successful, this activity leads to the march from dept. chair to President somewhere.  Ultimately, I think the operative term is self serving.

We are all self serving just the degree varies.  Self serving gets annoying when a certain line is crossed when one's self serving actions start damaging others.  Self serving to a point isn't a problem in research or teaching. Many good academic researchers are pretty self serving.  We've all run into them.  The difference is that a self serving researcher, or excellent teacher for that matter, produces a positive for society such as new knowledge or more knowledge disseminated.

On the other hand, the self serving academic climber often society worse off. Their drive to make themselves look "effective" in the short run makes the institution they currently work for worse in the long run.  The institution ends of backing and filling as the stream of presidents, provosts, deans proceeds.  Since no one running the place cares about it, things slip.

Does HD fit this description.  I leave that to you dear readers.  However, most of this breed are cautious educrats (see Dean Poodle) who would not get caught dead arguing with someone like SFT.  Luckily, HD is caught between SFT and AACSB and has to run with the latter and fight or he is cooked for future employment as a business dean.

If some wish to lionize HD, fine.  The enemy of the enemy is my friend and the stronger my friend is, the better off I am.

The fact remains that Fos, Pierce, Pood, and Gandy haven't taken on Shelby Thames in public when his decisions have harmed their colleges.

Robert Campbell

RC,

Yep, and they will probably end their careers at some bidirectional school.  For me, HD seems more shrewd mixed with a dose of natural pugnacity and a pinch of hot dog (love of the limelight).  His actions explained by a natural high mindedness?  Somewhat less likely.  Not a poll, just a personal opinion.

His motives are less important than having the smarts and cajones to do what he is doing.  The COB will probably move from medium to well done if he leaves.

 

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Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"The fact remains that Fos, Pierce, Pood, and Gandy haven't taken on Shelby Thames in public when his decisions have harmed their colleges."

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R.C., they are working "behind the scenes" perhaps?"

Me, Myself, and I is clearly outlining the problem with academics (and, in most cases, the world) today. Instead of focusing on doing the right things, many focus on "gaming" the system to achieve more money, etc. While understandable, this is not admirable. Putting emphasis on the number of accomplishments rather than the quality of those accomplishments leads us to a point at which the professors who get the best raises are the ones who get the highest teaching evals (which can be manipulated upward by "giving" grades), the ones who do a lot of research (although most of it may be in low-level outlets), and the ones who do a lot of visible service (because they want to make sure the "boss" sees all they are doing to help the cause). In this world, high-quality research is pointless, because it will not be highly rewarded, and quality teaching is pointless as well. Finally, those thankless service tasks fall through the cracks because they won't get you a raise either.

As for Robert Campbell's continued defense of Doty based on his one action that affected the university for the good, I will simply say again that if you don't work in the CoB, then you don't have a clue what's going on. You are willing to drink the Kool-Aid because Doty did one thing that you find admirable. Several others have agreed with my position on this thread. I guess those of us who work in the CoB are all wrong and those of you who only care about getting Thames out are all right. The problem is that Thames hired Doty, and Thames saw things in Doty that he liked. Don't ever forget that. Doty is one of Thames' hires, but it is my opinion that Doty and Thames are too much alike, which is why they conflict so often.

I (fortunately or not) do not know M. Doty, but I cannot help but notice that these discussions about him always become most ferocious. One thinks that perhaps the COB must be a most stressful environment, as the gentlemen are so angry and always so ready for the fistfight (metaphor or real fists, one cannot always tell.) Perhaps a new Dean should consider the installation of a boxing ring, so that these things may be resolved more directly and without injury to bystanders. (Not to diminish anyone's real pain.)

Well, m.d.g., one of the problems with these college of business threads is that everyone and his brother is speaking authoritatively, whether they work in the CoB or not.

Suppose, for instance, that you did not work at USM nor did you follow academia closely. If you knew nothing of Thames' ills and then read the "bragging points" from the full-page ad in the HA, you would think that Thames might be doing a decent job. However, knowing what you know, you wouldn't be fooled by that type of propaganda.

Now fast-forward to Doty. You know of one public action he took that positively affected USM as a whole. Do you know of the other actions he has taken that have not been so noble? Probably not! That's OK, as long as you don't make Doty the poster boy for right and good. If, on the other hand, you state that [paraphrasing] "It really doesn't matter what else Doty has done as long as he has stood up to Thames," then you are sorely missing the point. That is akin to saying that you like the stranger who changed your tire for you, even though he is a convicted felon who escaped from prison. You may actually like him, but he's probably not a good candidate for "citizen of the year."

I think the poster above hit the nail on the head -- Doty's building a vita to get a better job, and he doesn't give a rip about you or me or anyone else. As long as it helps him get a better job, then it's good, because he's not here for the long haul. He may not even be here through the summer if UNF comes through.

I have observed that for the most part strong vitas are already built when an appointment is made at a lst or 2nd tier university; but at a 3rd or 4th tier university vitas are built after arrival. There are exceptions, of course.

I am shocked at some of the stories I hear in the hall. He certainly isn't going to be remembered for his ability to increase morale.

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Originally posted by: Priorities
"A dean is not your important problem. You have far more things to be concerned about. "

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I hope that any internal college problems will be kept internal. Many of us probably have likes and dislikes at that level but we do not bring them to this board.