quote:

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Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"No one on EagleTalk asks SOB to defend his opinions.
No wonder he likes it better there
Robert Campbell"

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Robert, my guess is they, like 99% of the public, couldn't care less about the AAUP.

SOB seems to be rather preoccupied with it for someone who doesn't care.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Invictus
"

Just as 99% of the public couldn't care less about whatever national organizations real estate agents, truck drivers, supermarket managers, or asphalt contractors belong to.

What does bother me is that (presumably) a fair number of EagleTalkers are in fact graduates of the University of Southern Mississippi -- my guesstimate is around 65-75% of them -- yet so few have very much appreciation of the professors who taught them. Is it a rule that most folks remember only the lousy teachers they had?

Maybe USM faculty maybe need to adopt that famous maxim from Pogo Possum: "We have met the enemy & he is us." Maybe. Maybe not.

Truthfully, I think a lot of USM graduates have a very deep inferiority complex regarding the "Southern" that is inserted between "of" and "Mississippi" on their diplomas. It's a big love-hate thing & athletics is about the only area that year-in & year-out gives them something to lord over the MSU & Ole Myth folks they work with."

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I think you are reaching for this one. If your "inferiority complex" is true, I am not sure it is as evident in my generation. Maybe you have this complex that you are teaching at USM and not UM. I suspect, you just can not figure out why such a large number of your former students, are unconcerned about what you see as a very personnel attack on you. The truth is that in reality most students only really care about 2-3 professors they had while at any University.

Many studnets do have a great appreciation for a select few professors, but I will tell you I had a number of professors at USM, who I could care less if they were at the welfare office applying for foodstamps tomorrow. You guys know I think Noel is one of those, but there are a few others. Professors like that make the whole very easy to dislike. One of my best friends had a professor attempt to fail him after the professor had signed a drop form. Do you think this guys is going to run to the defense of the AAUP?

Couple this with the fact that most people, do not see the work of academia as you view the world of academia. Weather you beleive it or not, the Ivory Tower preception is alive and well, and when you have cases where a professor can write to the local newspaper and tell the President of the University "You are not my boss.", what do you expect the public to think? Despite the problems you are currently having, compaired to what most alumni deal with in work, it's not all that bad. If you disagree, join the private sector for a while, and you'll see why most alumni have so little pity for your situation.

Back to this, EagleTalk has hundreds of members, about about 5-8 spend more than a passing glance talking about the AAUP, so I would say that 99% of them couldn't care less, SOB seems to be the exception.

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Originally posted by: LVN
"Seeker, have you really paid so little attention all this time? Invictus does not teach at USM. He teaches elsewhere, but his degrees are from USM. He's an alum just like you."

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Well that explains not a whole lot, but I would like to know why he feels so inferior about his USM degree.

Seeker, you are the biggest baby I think I've ever encountered, and I have children.  Ever since you started visiting this board, you've always acted like a spoiled frat boy that got a B from a "mean" professor. Then you connect all of that to your old USM family roots to try to make us give a cra*.  Grow up and get over it.  You're Virginia's problem now....

I don't care. It was pretty awful to see the President of the USM Foundation post on there about shooting innocent people, though. Scary. I noticed nobody did anything about him.

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Originally posted by: Seeker
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Come on what really bothers you about is this, I am what many of you hate, a frat guy from an old Hattiesburg family. I choose to go to USM; I did well, was a campus leader, had a lot of fun and did graduate as a B student. I never kissed up to the faculty; I simply did my work and went about my business. Now, I have everything I want, lovely wife, rising career, nice home. And, I am extremely mobile in my career. There is a level of jealousy there.
"

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Seeker, you assume too much. Many of the posters here also have lovely wives, rising careers, and nice homes. What we seek at USM is an environment where faculty can be campus leaders and do their work and go about their business and not have the entire University destroyed by an egotistical maniac. We have no time or energy to waste being "jealous" of any one. Don't assume hatred that isn't there.

Seeker: I have noticed that when you post you always say that you are a smashing success and way above the average person in most everything. I have known many great people and the majority of them have no need for that kind of bragging. They know their accomplishments and know that other people know them. You may or may not want to take a look at this from your old post on the board but it could be helpful to you.

quote:

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Originally posted by: Seeker
" ... But, what really bothers me is that I won't kiss up to your cause now, because a few have brought this problem on the majority and you sill hold them up as semi-gods. You are your own worst enemy and you still don't realize it, you blame the business community, the alumni, the College Board, but never take a look in the mirror. I'm here to point that out, that's why most of you don't want me around. "

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Seeker,

I'm relatively new here and I just don't get what is going on here.  So the management has made major mistakes.  At other universities a "No Confidence" vote of the faculty would have been enough for the governing board to step in and make changes, but not here.  Why?  I just don't get it. 

 Here the Board seems to be the enemy of the faculty with no way to communicate with the faculty, until the recent Commissioner Crofts visit with Faculty Senate, Academic Council and Graduate Council.  And that only occurred because the faculty had to go public to get everyone to realize the problems.  (Can you imagine if Crofts didn't come down and tell President Thames to back off of the CoB and Dean Doty.  By-by accreditation.)

But its worse that that, Seeker.  Even the alumni are attacking the faculty, as is the business community and the President of the Foundation.  I just don't get it.  No university where I have been would such crazy nonsense occur.  What's behind all of this?  There has to be an underlined secret hatred that is not being stated publicly.  I don't get it.

To an outsider like me it seems analogous to a hospital having doctors protesting the administration for not following approved medical practice and endangering the accreditation of the hospital.  In response the people of the city start attacking the doctors.  Why would the public even care about these technical guidelines, as Mr. Klum would say? Am I the only one that doesn't get it? Is there something in the water here?    

Finally, Seeker, I have read a lot on this board and you keep saying things like, "You are your own worst enemy and you still don't realize it, you blame the business community, the alumni, the College Board, but never take a look in the mirror.” but for the life of me I can't find any post where you actually say what faculty did that was wrong or what they should have done.  Could you please post it again if I missed it?   

All posters please reply soon.  I'm moving to another university and I'm sure they will ask me, "What’s going on at USM?  I just don't get it."

 

quote:

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Originally posted by: Seeker
"

Come on what really bothers you about is this, I am what many of you hate, a frat guy from an old Hattiesburg family. I choose to go to USM; I did well, was a campus leader, had a lot of fun and did graduate as a B student. I never kissed up to the faculty; I simply did my work and went about my business. Now, I have everything I want, lovely wife, rising career, nice home. And, I am extremely mobile in my career. There is a level of jealousy there.

Seeker:
You know far too little about the faculty to make such sweeping statements. Like many other faculty members, all of the above applies to me, including the fraternity (except that I was an A student). Hate to disappoint ya, but I doubt seriously that anyone on the faculty thinks anything at all about your circumstances, except to wish you well--certainly, jealousy ain't in the cards, much less hate; faculty are generally content with their lot--they knew what they were in for when they signed on. What bothers me and others is that far too many outside the academy give knee-jerk support to Shelby without grasping a fraction of the damage he is inflicting on the institution of USM. Hundreds of profs simply shook their heads and moved on to better positions (rising careers, nice homes, mobility, etc.) where they don't have to deal with megalomaniacs intent on hoodwinking "community leaders" and doing battle with an imaginary notion of what faculty members are. At the end of the day, those who suffer most are the state of Mississippi, the city of Hattiesburg, and, most disturbingly, academic traditions that go back centuries.