Excellent Letter in HA 4/4 - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Apr 4, 2005

Excellent Letter in HA 4/4

Date: Apr 4, 2005

This is a wonderful letter; my hat is off to all the signers. This letter will have much more public impact than another single-author letter. Thanks very much to those willing to step forward and defend colleagues under attack.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

Thanks for an excellent letter. The only negative thing I can say about the letter is my name isn't on it.

Thanks to Charles Bolton, Stephen Bushardt, Michael Forster, Eddie Lewis, James Lindley, Karen Lundy, Mary Lux, Lawrence Mead, Maurice Meylan, John Pojman, John Rachal, Patricia Sims.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

just echoing Ray's praise and thanks--
Bravo!!

NO QUARTER
Anne Wallace

Date: Apr 4, 2005

One of the persons listed as an author/signatory is a prof at William Carey.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: checker
"One of the persons listed as an author/signatory is a prof at William Carey."

Do you want to be more specific? (Otherwise, you sound a mite trollish.)

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Excuse me?
"Do you want to be more specific? (Otherwise, you sound a mite trollish.)"

I believe he/she is talking about Eddie Lewis, a stats professor at William Carey.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

Thanks. You all are super heroes.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: answer
"I believe he/she is talking about Eddie Lewis, a stats professor at William Carey. "

Carey on the Coast

http://www.wmcarey.edu/faculty/gpfaculty.shtml

It's still a damn fine letter.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: answer
"I believe he/she is talking about Eddie Lewis, a stats professor at William Carey. "

Eddie Lewis is listed in the current USM directory as a Professor of Economics, Finance, and International Business.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: mistaken identity?
"Eddie Lewis is listed in the current USM directory as a Professor of Economics, Finance, and International Business. "

She left USM 2 (or 3) years ago, or so.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: answer
"I believe he/she is talking about Eddie Lewis, a stats professor at William Carey. "

Please clarify. I did a Google on the USM website & turned up a CICE Newsletter from 2002 that mentioned Dr. Eddie Lewis, Professor of International Business at USM. However, I don't see this name listed on the faculty in the corresponding CoB department.

Has this person since gone to WCC? Different person altogether?

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: o-town
"She left USM 2 (or 3) years ago, or so."

Posts must've crossed on the wire. Thanks.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: o-town
"She left USM 2 (or 3) years ago, or so."

If this person left USM during the reign of Shelby, perhaps she is speaking as a former faculty member who knows dang well of what she speaks.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

This is an awesome letter...why didn't we think of this sooner?? There is strength in numbers and diversity (of program areas). Thank you, thank you, thank you to the brave souls who signed this letter. Let's have more of these types of letters!

Truth

Date: Apr 4, 2005

Thanks to all the courageous faculty who signed this wonderful letter.

Date: Apr 4, 2005

Great letter guys! Every bit counts.....

Date: Apr 4, 2005

May I add my thanks to all of you.

Date: Apr 5, 2005

Many, many thanks to those who composed and signed this impressive letter!

How about a similar letter from a large number of the many who have left USM during Shelby's reign of terror? Any suggestions regarding the logistics of contacting the scores of former USM faculty and staff scattered across the country and collecting their signatures?

Date: Apr 5, 2005

Great idea, Michael. I can think of folks from every one of the former colleges who most probably would sign.

Date: Apr 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Michael Kimber
"Many, many thanks to those who composed and signed this impressive letter!

How about a similar letter from a large number of the many who have left USM during Shelby's reign of terror? Any suggestions regarding the logistics of contacting the scores of former USM faculty and staff scattered across the country and collecting their signatures?

"

I'll be glad to serve as point person for collecting names/email addresses of former faculty/staff. Michael, do you want me to forward them to you? My email address is: truth@FireThames.com...I'll be waiting to hear from all of you!

Date: Apr 5, 2005

Please add my thanks to the writers! It was a terrific letter and spoke with even-handedness and commitment.

Michael K, a letter from the dearly departed (in the figurative sense, of course) is a great idea--and thanks Truth for being willing to serve as point-person on this. We appreciate those of you who continue to fight on behalf of USM even from the land of far, far away!

No quarter!
Ellen Weinauer

Date: Apr 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
" I'll be glad to serve as point person for collecting names/email addresses of former faculty/staff. Michael, do you want me to forward them to you? My email address is: truth@FireThames.com...I'll be waiting to hear from all of you!"

Great idea. If you do this please give up a specific cut-off date (month and year of departure). That has not been made clear in the past.

Date: Apr 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Michael Kimber
"How about a similar letter from a large number of the many who have left USM during Shelby's reign of terror? Any suggestions regarding the logistics of contacting the scores of former USM faculty and staff scattered across the country and collecting their signatures? "

EXCELLENT idea! Thanks to the indefatigable Truth (as usual) for being willing to help make it happen.

Date: Apr 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Over the edge
"
Great idea. If you do this please give up a specific cut-off date (month and year of departure). That has not been made clear in the past.
"

If you mean a cut-off date for receiving responses, I'll wait to hear from Michael and others to see if there is interest. If there is, I'll post a "call for signers" on the message board with a cut-off date.

Truth

Date: Apr 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Over the edge
" Great idea. If you do this please give up a specific cut-off date (month and year of departure). That has not been made clear in the past. "

You guys -- this is really brilliant. I think the Prinz article today on David and Anne shows how powerful a statement can be made by outgoing people or those who are departed. A letrter from a group of those who have left has to be powerful -- it can counteract the picture the administration is creating of those departures --

Date: Apr 5, 2005

Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
" If you mean a cut-off date for receiving responses..."

No. Not a cut-off date for receiving responses. That doesn't present a problem A specific cut-off date (month and year of departure) when the appointment ended. Some leave at the end of the fall semester, some leave at the end of the summer term, and a few even leave at the end of the first semester. Giving a cut-off date in terms of month and year of departure would be unambiguous.

Date: Apr 5, 2005

Andrea,

Thank you for volunteering to be point person for:
1) collecting names of former faculty/staff willing to sign a letter to the HA and
2) posting a call for signers on the AAUP/USM message board.

Could those of us in contact with other Thames-regime refugees who might not be currently reading the message board ask them, if interested, to e-mail you, Andrea?

People ought to be able to see the text of the letter before agreeing to sign their names to it. Do we have anyone out there willing to write the letter? I'm afraid that a letter written by me would contain too much venom. Perhaps a group of soon-to-depart (current Babbs' list) faculty could jointly draft a letter?

Yes, there needs to be a cut-off date for people to agree to sign. I think it would be important to get the letter in the HA before classes end in early May.

As for the suggestion of a cut-off date (month and year of departure), may I suggest that signers indicate when they started and ended at USM? It should be clear from context that this is a letter from people who have left USM because of the Thames administration. Why not also include people who are definitely leaving after this academic year (i.e., are currently on Babbs' list) because of Thames?

Finally, I think it the letter could have even greater effect if signers would also indicate the rank or position they held and in what department they were employed prior to leaving USM. (This information can be gleaned from Babbs' lists if necessary.)

So, I'll start by telling Andrea that I will definitely sign such a letter, even before seeing the letter.

Meanwhile perhaps someone will offer us a draft of a letter?

Should we perhaps start another thread for this? And keep it kicked up until the job is done?

Michael Kimber
former Professor, School of Music
5 years at USM (1999-2004)

Date: Apr 6, 2005

Wonder if any of those competent staffers who left would be willing either to sign a letter or to write a staff letter of their own. Many of them may still feel vulnerable at their new jobs, but it might be worth an ask.

Dana Keith--an extraordinary fiscal officer

Candy Santell

Sam Thomas

Cheryl Mowdy--with board now I think so probably couldn't

David Anderson

etc. etc.

Date: Apr 6, 2005

Congratulations to Lawrence Mead and John Pojman, two signers of the letter who received research awards from President Thames last night at the Hattiesburg Country Club.