quote:

---

Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
" real outside observer, I started blogging about USM in March 2004, after Shelby Thames had already carried out one of his very worst actions as President of USM. Not only had he tried to fire two trusted, respected senior professors, locking them out of their offices and ordering them off the campus, but he had done it to protect one of his hand-picked administrators who had misrepresented herself on her vita. And it was obvious that he didn't care a hoot about the right or wrong of misrepresentations on an administrator's vita--he merely wanted to punish anyone who might deprive him of a loyal enforcer. I've been around academia long enough to see the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to administration. In the American system of higher education, Thames has set new standards for bad administration. When I describe samples of his conduct to professors at other universities who don't know about the USM situation, their jaws drop. Future students of management and organizational behavior are going to know about USM because their textbooks will feature case studies of Shelby Thames and what he did to the institution. If you review Thames' management record, I think you will realize that the contributors to this board are dealing with one of the worst university presidents in American history...and perhaps then you will be more inclined to sympathize with the folks here. If the tone of my blog entries on Thames is generally harsh, that's because he is truly world class when it comes to incompetence and malevolence. And to make matters worse, a significant faction on the IHL Board and many in the community have continued to support him despite the obvious evidence of incompetence and malevolence. Robert Campbell "

---

I concur with Robert Campbell, and I can attest from my experience at a recent conference that when other academics hear about Shelby Thames, they really cannot believe it.  I'm sorry to say, but Shelby's real legacy will have been to confirm all the worst impressions that most outsiders have about Mississippi.  All those Hollywood stereotypes seem to be embodied by SFT.  It's a shame, because I live in the south and admire the region in many ways and for many reasons, but Shelby is the kind of person who makes the whole region seem retrograde and bumbling.  He can't even operate his wrecking ball competently.

quote:

---

Originally posted by: Yahweh
"A Real outside observer, Instead of seeking for the truth on this board - here is some advice.  How about looking for truth in religion and leaving us alone?"

---