The Independent 3/31/05 - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Mar 31, 2005

The Independent 3/31/05

Date: Mar 31, 2005

Sounds like it's going to be a hoot for Shelby if Dr. Tom Meredith becomes the permanent replacement for Dr. Crofts as the Mississippi Commissioner of Higher Education.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Graffiti
"Sounds like it's going to be a hoot for Shelby if Dr. Tom Meredith becomes the permanent replacement for Dr. Crofts as the Mississippi Commissioner of Higher Education."

Is there any real chance of this happening? I don't remember this possibility being mentioned before.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Graffiti
"Sounds like it's going to be a hoot for Shelby if Dr. Tom Meredith becomes the permanent replacement for Dr. Crofts as the Mississippi Commissioner of Higher Education."

The candidates for commissioner have not been announced AFAIK.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

No inside info about it USM Sympathizer but if I were in Shelby's position the very thought of it would make me short of breath!

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
"From the Faculty Senate listserv: The Independent has an article on the recent IHL Board retreat with Dr. Tom Meredith. "College Board goes behind closed doors to discuss management style" Here are some interesting comments concerning his recommendations. ""The most important thing the Georgia Board of Regents does, Meredith said, is hire the Chancellor and give him wide latitude to do his job." At the same time, Meredith stressed that neither the Board nor the Chancellor could allow a university president to continue in office when the university is plagued with either internal or external problems. "You don't hire a president and give him the institution," he said. "You hire a president who fits an institution at a particular time." "No president is more important than the institution,” he continued. "If an institution is plagued with internal or external issues and no corrective results are achieved between the system head and the president, the president must go." "And the longer you put it off, the more damage done to the institution."" "

These quotes have an uncanny resemblance to those of Alan Greenspan. One can make anything out of them that one chooses.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

Why would the actual replacement of Crofts by Meredith be necessary? If the IHL Board has adopted the suggestions that Meredith made at the Special meeting on February 21, why would it matter who was in the position of commisioner? It could be Crofts, Meredith or some third party.

If this new "strong commissioner" policy is going to be work, it seems to me it will be because it is a better plan, not just because it is a different plan the success of which is dependent upon how capable a person occupies the position.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

You're absolutely right, Ram, and I apologize for starting the tangential discussion.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
"You don't hire a president and give him the institution," he said . . . . "No president is more important than the institution"

Today I read an artcle in an out of state newspaper describing the search for a dean at a major upper tier university. One of the finalists, who is currently at a major upper tier university, made this statement which I believe is worth sharing with viewers of this board:

"Micromanagement is the path to micro-accomplishments."

Date: Mar 31, 2005

Why would Meredith want to give up the Georgia Chancellor position for the IHL Commissioner position in Mississippi? I haven't looked up the total budget of the Georgia system but it must be several times the size of the total budget for the IHL; there are universities in the Georgia system above Tier 3, etc. etc.

There are a quite a few people who could carry out the job of IHL Commissioner as Crofts and Newton are seeking to redefine it.

Robert Campbell

PS. Alan Greenspan is far more adept at making Delphic pronouncements than Tom Meredith is. While not naming any names, Meredith does create a presumption in favor of getting rid of presidents who perform poorly, and for attributing conflict within a university to poor fit between the president and the institution. In the recent past, the IHL Board seems to have operated with the assumption that presidents are there for 4 years at a pop, getting another term is easy, and any conflicts that arise are the faculty's fault.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

More excerpts:

"Meredith was critical of the present system under which the Mississippi College Board conducts university business.

"It's prety heady", said Meredith, for Board members to have eight university presidents reporting to 12 Board members."

...Meredith further commented that Board members "spend too much time thinking for yourselves" because of their failure to empower the Commissioner of Higher Education , who is appointed by the Board, to manage the university system."

...actions of the Board "send a message to the public, to university presidents and to faculty members and students. You need to be sure you are sending a good message rather than a bad message", he emphasized."

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
"...." At the same time, Meredith stressed that neither the Board nor the Chancellor could allow a university president to continue in office when the university is plagued with either internal or external problems. "You don't hire a president and give him the institution," he said. ... "No president is more important than the institution,” he continued. "If an institution is plagued with internal or external issues and no corrective results are achieved between the system head and the president, the president must go." "And the longer you put it off, the more damage done to the institution."" "

Now we see clearly that the IHL Board has been schooled it what they should have been doing. If they have read even a fraction of what the Faculty Senate has sent them and a fraction of the Letters to the Editors, they have the information to act as responsible caretakers. They can't play ignorant any longer either of the situation at USM or their responsibilities to the citizens of this state. If they can't remove SFT soon, then at least start the search for the new president. Enough already!!!

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: ram
"Why would the actual replacement of Crofts by Meredith be necessary? If the IHL Board has adopted the suggestions that Meredith made at the Special meeting on February 21, why would it matter who was in the position of commisioner? It could be Crofts, Meredith or some third party. If this new "strong commissioner" policy is going to be work, it seems to me it will be because it is a better plan, not just because it is a different plan the success of which is dependent upon how capable a person occupies the position."

Seems to me like the capability and stregnth of the person occupying the position is the point. The commissioner in the new system would have a great deal of power vis a vis the Presidents. In fact, the commissioner is in the role of insulating the board from the Presdients (or particular presidents) - and vice versa. But this will only work if the commissioner has the respect of both and can fend off attempts by either (I am thinking of Klumb) the board members or the Presidents to do an end run around him/her. This sytem will only work as well as the commissioner who is at its nexus.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
"Seems to me like the capability and stregnth of the person occupying the position is the point. The commissioner in the new system would have a great deal of power vis a vis the Presidents. In fact, the commissioner is in the role of insulating the board from the Presdients (or particular presidents) - and vice versa. But this will only work if the commissioner has the respect of both and can fend off attempts by either (I am thinking of Klumb) the board members or the Presidents to do an end run around him/her. This sytem will only work as well as the commissioner who is at its nexus."

Another excellent analysis by Stephen. You must be an excellent administrator, besides the stud that the female Board members fall in love with.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
"Another excellent analysis by Stephen. You must be an excellent administrator, besides the stud that the female Board members fall in love with."

And reporters?

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Lois Lane
"And reporters?"

Yes, Lois, Clark was a reporter, but Judd is superman.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Clark Kent
"Yes, Lois, Clark was a reporter, but Judd is superman."

How about me?

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"Why would Meredith want to give up the Georgia Chancellor position for the IHL Commissioner position in Mississippi? "

I though he was a Mississippi native because of his long tenure with the IHL and the University of Mississippi but his bio says he was born in Kentucky. He must certainly have additional credibility with the IHL, however, due of his in-state experience in addition to his stellar professional credentials.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: D.C. Comics
" How about me?"

Sorry, D.C. Comics, but Batman is no Stephen Judd.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

Once Crofts is gone, Klumb and Ross and Co. will replace him with a weak commissioner, thus ensuring their continued control of the IHL and USM, Newton or no Newton. Everyone who has been clamoring for Newton's presidency of the Board will sorely disappointed when she turns out to have much less power than Klumb had due to the rearranging of the heirarchy that requires SFT to report to the commish. Klumb has done it again. SFT will be at USM for the centennial. And there's more...

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reality Check's Lunch Buddy
"Once Crofts is gone, Klumb and Ross and Co. will replace him with a weak commissioner, thus ensuring their continued control of the IHL and USM, Newton or no Newton. Everyone who has been clamoring for Newton's presidency of the Board will sorely disappointed when she turns out to have much less power than Klumb had due to the rearranging of the heirarchy that requires SFT to report to the commish. Klumb has done it again. SFT will be at USM for the centennial. And there's more..."

Klumb and Ross are in the descendent -- there is no evidence that they have this kind of power. Klumb's power was brief -- and it came because of the combination of an assertive personality and his one year Presidency at a time when it was politically advantageous for many rreeasons for members of the Board to engage in alliances with him. This is not only no longer the case -- but Newton was so clearly in command at the last Board meeting and also seemed to have managed (with Croft's help I am sure) to have wrestled the genie back in the box. I don't want to go too far out on the limb and say the tide has turned -- but Klumb and Ross no longer have any particular leverage on anyone. And there are four new Board members, at least two of whom seem to have formed an alliance with Newton on the commissioner search and one of whom appears to be having a change of heart.

I think you are just wrong about the "new commish." This thing was like an carefully staged palace coup -- there is no way Klumb and company wanted this arrangement at this time- it could only spell trouble for Shelby. Or to be precise, it adds a degree of uncertainly to the Board's power equation that wasn't there before.

This is a change engineered by Newton, Crofts, and to a lesser extent Patterson and Blakeslee. Crofts is clearly involved in this - and the Board is clearly relying on his expertise. There is no way he is going to allow them (even if if he has to work through surrogates) to put in a figurehead commerssioner. It would undo all the work he has done, all the campaigning within the board he has spent.

Stay tuned but I think your prediction is less than accurate.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

It's amazing how posters are so positive on some topics and so negative on others...realism fails on most efforts.

Keep drinking that Kool-Aid, especially if you're in PERS. Tell yourself it's going to get better.

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Reality Check's Lunch Buddy
"Once Crofts is gone, Klumb and Ross and Co. will replace him with a weak commissioner, thus ensuring their continued control of the IHL and USM, Newton or no Newton. Everyone who has been clamoring for Newton's presidency of the Board will sorely disappointed when she turns out to have much less power than Klumb had due to the rearranging of the heirarchy that requires SFT to report to the commish. Klumb has done it again. SFT will be at USM for the centennial. And there's more..."

RCLB,

Further evidence in support of Stephen's analysis:

Klumb was not at the March Board meeting. He was not behaving like a happy camper after the February Board meeting.

Thames' other diehard supporters, Ross and Colbert, weren't at the Board retreat in February, when Meredith gave his pitch.

Sure, I'd like to see Klumb resign, and the Board take a public vote to fire Thames at the April meeting. But things are not going Klumb's way, or Thames'.

Robert Campbell

Date: Mar 31, 2005

I'm with Stephen here. Reality should not be confused with cynicism, nor thermostats with thermometers. There are many, many, many, many people resisting the bad administration at USM, and, historically, even one person in the right position has been known to turn the tide.

Take, as one rather cantankerous example of determination, the Presbyterian reformer John Knox of Scotland, whom I raise here purely as an example of determination. He fell afoul of the Catholic government and was sent to the galleys for two years, ordinarily a death sentence. But he came back from that punishment alive and even more determined. According to tradition, Mary Queen of Scots said she feared the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe. And with good reason, apparently. Eventually she fled and left him the country.

No quarter.

Jameela

Date: Mar 31, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Jameela Lares
"I'm with Stephen here. Reality should not be confused with cynicism, nor thermostats with thermometers. There are many, many, many, many people resisting the bad administration at USM, and, historically, even one person in the right position has been known to turn the tide. Take, as one rather cantankerous example of determination, the Presbyterian reformer John Knox of Scotland, whom I raise here purely as an example of determination. He fell afoul of the Catholic government and was sent to the galleys for two years, ordinarily a death sentence. But he came back from that punishment alive and even more determined. According to tradition, Mary Queen of Scots said she feared the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe. And with good reason, apparently. Eventually she fled and left him the country. No quarter. Jameela"

Jameela -- how wonderful that you cite John Nox. I studied him when I was a theology student and was captured by his story if not his theology in toto. I'm so pleased to hear his name uttered ourside Presbyterian convocations . . . .