Printz Letter 4/28/05 - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Apr 29, 2005

RE: Printz Letter 4/28/05

Date: Apr 29, 2005

YB, you are exactly right about administrative turnover. Don Cotten, Andy Griffith, Jim Hollandsworth, Linda McFall, Anthony Harris, all the deans, even ole Tim Hudson...I'm sure I'm missing more.

Add to the list...

Truth

Date: Apr 29, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"YB, you are exactly right about administrative turnover. Don Cotten, Andy Griffith, Jim Hollandsworth, Linda McFall, Anthony Harris, all the deans, even ole Tim Hudson...I'm sure I'm missing more. Add to the list... Truth"

At the risk of sounding like an oldster, but knowing that "institutional knowledge" is one of the casualties of the Thames administration, I must pass along the following information.

In the middle of the IHL "search" (?) for a USM President, when it became obvious that SFT had the "inside track" to the job, the "best case scenario" argument was that "We'll have Shelby as President, but at least Andy Griffin as Provost will moderate some of the Thames excesses." I guess it sounded good to the "appeasement group" at the time, but Andy quit and left for Georgia by the end of the first summer of the Thames presidency.

Date: Apr 30, 2005

If you can't spell 'amendment,' I don't think you even know what the Bill of Rights means.

Date: Apr 30, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: oldtimer
In the middle of the IHL "search" (?) for a USM President, when it became obvious that SFT had the "inside track" to the job, the "best case scenario" argument was that "We'll have Shelby as President, but at least Andy Griffin as Provost will moderate some of the Thames excesses."

Old timer, this is very important, and I heard this sentiment expressed many times just after the coronation. In my opinion, it shows that the faculty were willing to work with Thames if he was willing to work with the faculty. My feeling at the time was that if Thames was so good at fund raising and bringing in the big bucks, the best use of his time and influence would be doing just that.

Andy, or any other competent, academically oriented provost, could run the day to day operations of the university while the president did his thing to bring in the money. This was best case scenario and negates the anti-faculty critics who say the faculty was out to get Thames at all costs and that Thames didn't have a chance to succeed.

Date: Apr 30, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Magnolia
"Andy, or any other competent, academically oriented provost, could run the day to day operations of the university while the president did his thing to bring in the money. "

Use of the term "Provost" has obscured the fact that the person holding that office is the chief acdemic officer of a university. It was formerly called "Vice President for Academic Affairs." The VPAA is the chief acdemic officer, the president's primary role is that of fund raising. USM has confused the roles of those two titles.

Date: Apr 30, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Magnolia
" Old timer, this is very important, and I heard this sentiment expressed many times just after the coronation. In my opinion, it shows that the faculty were willing to work with Thames if he was willing to work with the faculty. My feeling at the time was that if Thames was so good at fund raising and bringing in the big bucks, the best use of his time and influence would be doing just that. Andy, or any other competent, academically oriented provost, could run the day to day operations of the university while the president did his thing to bring in the money. This was best case scenario and negates the anti-faculty critics who say the faculty was out to get Thames at all costs and that Thames didn't have a chance to succeed. "

This is an excellent post; in the words of the much-missed Johnny Carson, "I did not know that." The point you both have made is one I will be sure to remember.