New President's Update - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: May 6, 2005

New President's Update

Date: May 6, 2005

This is the book Lisa made for the Warren Paving meeting. We need an accounting of how many taxpayer $ went into making it.

Date: May 6, 2005

Have not read through the whole publication, but the photos are excellent and the layout is very attractive. If our website looked like that, then we'd be in better shape! I can remember what it was like to be a prospective freshman, looking at mailed materials to see what I could see about a college, and I think that, visually, this will go over well. But, I have yet to actually read it! I hope things are fairly represented.

Date: May 6, 2005

http://www.usm.edu/president/WorkinProgress.pdf

Link to the document I was writing about.

Date: May 6, 2005

It is a beautiful book and a shame that they didn't use it for the webpage. I looked over it briefly and it does the usual job of presenting Thames as the perfect president with half-truths, omissions a downright lies. The title "A Work In Progress" just lost the election for the Jackson mayor. I hope that it will do the same for Thames. People want to see results that would justify half of the outstanding professors leaving and if this document was closely examined there is nothing but wishful thinking that looks good on paper. Thames "work in progress" has a long way to go.

Date: May 6, 2005

I hope the people who say nothing positive is ever said on this board will read this thread.

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: In the News
http://www.usm.edu/president/WorkinProgress.pdf

The document is brain numbing and mind boggling. This sentence in particular is screaming for attention:

"Since Shelby F. Thames assumed the office of president on May 1, 2002, the university has scaled new and unimaginable heights."

I agree with the sentence in full.

It is unimaginable that the university is the first in Mississippi to be placed on SACS probation since 1930.

It is unimaginable that the university has dropped to fourth tier status in the USNews ratings.

It is unimaginable that the university has lost over 200 faculty members in such a brief period.

It is unimaginable that the Nursing's NCLEX pass rate is so poor.

It is unimaginble that I have been affiliated with this university so long.

I suggest that viewers who access this website not stop with the beautiful and colorful first page. Read on, my lovelies, read it all. Read it sentence by sentence. I didn't know we were that good. Goodness gracious.

Date: May 6, 2005

The partitioning of the research funding between "Previous Administration" (06/2001) and "Thames Administration" (06/2002) is blatantly misleading.

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: lie detector
"The partitioning of the research funding between "Previous Administration" (06/2001) and "Thames Administration" (06/2002) is blatantly misleading."

But. But. But. But. But. But. No buts about it. The University of Southern Mississippi has risen to new heights in academic excellence in a very short period. Look at the document. Evaluate the data that are presented.

Date: May 6, 2005

New heights of academic excellence at Tier four and on probation? Could I have some of whatever's in your glass?

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Late night toddy
"New heights of academic excellence at Tier four and on probation? Could I have some of whatever's in your glass? "

I'm only going by what I read in that website document.

Date: May 6, 2005

Then for God's sake, man, don't read anything else! We want you to stay happy. Get off this board right away. There's way too much information on here and it will destroy your world view. Flee! Run for the hills!

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Late night toddy
"Then for God's sake, man, don't read anything else! We want you to stay happy. Get off this board right away. There's way too much information on here and it will destroy your world view. Flee! Run for the hills! "

The document is convincing. A public agency would not knowingly publish such statements if they were not true and could be refuted.

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Late night toddy
"Then for God's sake, man, don't read anything else!"

You can tell me not to read it but you can't tell that to prospective students, their parents, or the community. Distribution is out of your hands.

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Data Doo Data Does
"The document is convincing. A public agency would not knowingly publish such statements if they were not true and could be refuted."

There's true and there's true. Remember, this is the same university that recently had to destroy thousands of brochures after somebody (somebody on this board in fact) discovered that they were plagarized. By a professor. Who still works here. It's all in who's in control.

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Late etc.
"

There's true and there's true. Remember, this is the same university that recently had to destroy thousands of brochures after somebody (somebody on this board in fact) discovered that they were plagarized. By a professor. Who still works here. It's all in who's in control."

Not a regular professor. A henchcrew buddy.

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Late etc.
" There's true and there's true. Remember, this is the same university that recently had to destroy thousands of brochures after somebody (somebody on this board in fact) discovered that they were plagarized. By a professor. Who still works here. It's all in who's in control."

If a student enrolls here based on statments the university makes in an official document, it seems to me that the student should have some recourse over and beyond refund of tuition.

Date: May 6, 2005

They just don't want you to find out the truth Data Do Do. It would be too upsetting for you. Most people would have gotten the true picture just knowing that we are on SACS probation and have dropped as low if not lower than 3rd tier. Probably best that you keep your head in the sand. But post away if you wish you are not bothering anyone. Actually you are amusing.

Date: May 6, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: disgusted student
"Probably best that you keep your head in the sand. But post away if you wish you are not bothering anyone. Actually you are amusing. "

It is not my head that is in the sand. Just today a very upstanding, honest, and responsible member of the community told me that the SACS problem has been mended as the problem was a minor one. Whether you like it or not, the statements contained in that publication are convincing. Perhaps they are not convincing to you, but they are convincing to many members of the community and to others uninitiated in data interpretation. But be amused if you like. My smile disappeared last Spring.

Date: May 6, 2005

you will not be the first person that he has fooled data do do. But he is getting low on people who will believe him. I couldn't believe that a person in his position could be so dishonest but ...well you will just have to find out the hard way. Good luck to you.

Date: May 6, 2005

"9 new faculty join COB in 2004-05". On the positive side, it sounds like this might be an accomplishment SFT can top during the '06-'07 academic year.

Date: May 7, 2005

It's beautifully done.
But on the cover the logo is used illegally, according to graphics standards. Why is it used this way on an offical document if the rest of the university cannot use it this way? These are the things that used to drive me crazy.
But it IS beautiful, though most of the photos are really, really old. (But love that tortoise one!)

Date: May 7, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angela Cutrer
"
... most of the photos are really, really old. .."

... because no one has smiled at USM in a long, long time.

Date: May 7, 2005

I just had time to read through this very long document. It is filled with truths (yes, there are still a lot of people who go to work every day and do lots of stuff), half-truths, and lies. It looks very impressive to anyone who doesn't read it closely, doesn't know much about what actually goes on at the university, and who doesn't think too much about what they read.

Date: May 7, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: What an accomplishment
""9 new faculty join COB in 2004-05". On the positive side, it sounds like this might be an accomplishment SFT can top during the '06-'07 academic year."

Whoopdie frakin' do! Big deal. Let's talk about how many faculty have left or how some departments can't fill positions after being advertised multiple times or how dean's take away lines from departments with high FTE's or how dean's reject perfectly acceptable (for that matter highly desirable) faculty recommendations for new hires. Sounds like they took all the stuff that was screwed up on this campus and rotated it 180 degrees. I am not impressed.

Date: May 7, 2005

The very first sentence is misleading. It is as if Carnegie "honored" USM, rather than categorized them.

Date: May 7, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: lie detector
"The partitioning of the research funding between "Previous Administration" (06/2001) and "Thames Administration" (06/2002) is blatantly misleading."

I've been told this is true by folks who should know. Can anyone on the board document it, post the figures, and release them?

Date: May 7, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Legal eagle
" I've been told this is true by folks who should know. Can anyone on the board document it, post the figures, and release them?"

What is true legal eagle? Your post confused me.

Date: May 7, 2005

He/she seems to be referring to research $ claims made by SFT and Co. that actually are the result of work done by Cotten. True, Legal Eagle?

Date: May 7, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: lie detector
"The partitioning of the research funding between "Previous Administration" (06/2001) and "Thames Administration" (06/2002) is blatantly misleading."

It has also been pointed out numerous times (some with supporting data) that the rate of growth in research funding has actually slowed since Thames took over.