2001-2002 Presidential Search - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: May 23, 2005

2001-2002 Presidential Search

Date: May 23, 2005

This is pretty interesting.

So Newton Headed the Board Search Committee

And the timeline on Shelby's announcement and his knowlege of the other candidates is critical to understanding whether he had "special knowlege" that other, later candidates did not have? Leaving that aside, his early position on the Board could certainly be interpreted as his being in a position to get inside knowlege of the process that other candidates could simply not obtain because they had no connections to the Search Committees. At the very best, it raises the spector of avoidable conflict of interest ----

Date: May 23, 2005

don't forget a search firm was used--bill funk who i think is out of the dallas area.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Presidential historian
" I don't recall the exact make-up of the advisory committee, but I believe less than half of the committee members were faculty/staff. There were a couple of students and the majority was alumni, foundation members, donors, and community members."

Do you know who determined the composition of the advisory committee?

Date: May 23, 2005

The faculty senate organized the faculty/staff meetings with each of the candidates--each meeting was about 45 minutes and there were evaluation forms with space for hand-written comments. The SFT meeting was packed with his graduate students who all filled out interview evaluations.

Date: May 23, 2005

I attended the staff interview. I recall having to show an ID, but maybe I'm thinking of something else? In any case, after his disgraceful perfomance, which I won't bore you with again, the mood of the staff was grim and glum.

Date: May 23, 2005

the IHL formed the advisory committee.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"the IHL formed the advisory committee. "

There were recommendations of names from campus bodies--faculty senate, staff council, sga. Not sure how SFT got on the committee. He was not recommended by any faculty body.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Magnolia
"There were recommendations of names from campus bodies--faculty senate, staff council, sga. Not sure how SFT got on the committee. He was not recommended by any faculty body."

Now THAT's an interesting piece of information. Do tell!

Date: May 23, 2005

The deans voted against him--almost unanimously. I think everyone except one voted for the female candidate who took the New Hampshire job, but I'm not sure. So he went in with a grudge against them.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Search year
"The deans voted against him--almost unanimously... So he went in with a grudge against them."

of repeating itself.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Search year
"The deans voted against him--almost unanimously. I think everyone except one voted for the female candidate who took the New Hampshire job, but I'm not sure. So he went in with a grudge against them."

Was the vote taken by secret ballot or was it open?

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Search year
"The deans voted against him--almost unanimously. I think everyone except one voted for the female candidate who took the New Hampshire job, but I'm not sure. So he went in with a grudge against them."

Don't forget the photo of Anthony Harris escorting the female candidate (anyone remember her name?) to her car on the cover of the Hattiesburg American, directly above an article in which Trent Lott stated he thought Shelby would be a good president.

Date: May 23, 2005

I was told it was a secret ballot, but when 99% vote against you, you can sort of guess who didn't--especially when Dean Hudson was appointed provost.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
"

Don't forget the photo of Anthony Harris escorting the female candidate (anyone remember her name?) to her car on the cover of the Hattiesburg American, directly above an article in which Trent Lott stated he thought Shelby would be a good president."

Ann Hart. I'll bet he REALLY couldn't stand the idea of a female president.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Search year
"I was told it was a secret ballot, but when 99% vote against you, you can sort of guess who didn't--especially when Dean Hudson was appointed provost."

So it was a secret ballot. Then how did SFT or anyone else except the IHL know that 99% voted against him?

Date: May 23, 2005

We've been round this mulberry bush before. According to some inside media people (who will not go on the record) her LDS affiliation was calculatingly used against her.

Date: May 23, 2005

Because the deans in the meeting were told the result of the balloting. Ask any of them that are left around.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: History has this habit...
"of repeating itself."

So now we have a president with essentially no support from the faculty or from the deans locked in for two years. Knowing this, the IHL Board made it happen. Surely, they don't expect us to believe that they give a rats patooty about USM.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Search year
"Because the deans in the meeting were told the result of the balloting. Ask any of them that are left around."

How about the 39 member Campus Advisory Committee. Was their vote secret or open?

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Search year
"The deans voted against him--almost unanimously .......So he went in with a grudge against them."

If SFT knew the deans didn't support him, couldn't that create real problems now? They are tenured now and surely want to look good to the faculty. What a mess.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: All Knowing Aye
"If SFT knew the deans didn't support him, couldn't that create real problems now? They are tenured now and surely want to look good to the faculty. What a mess. "

Wait a sec--aren't we talking about the Deans that were there when Shelby became president? Remember he fired them all. The current deans are his replacements, with varying degrees of loyalty.

Date: May 23, 2005

We are talking about the deans that Shelby fired, and though I wasn't a dean, I know the report given above is true. The vote was close to unanimous against SFT, and Ann Hart was the beneficiary of most of the votes. Jay Grimes spoke affirmatively about her, but after the meeting Hudson told people he thought Thames would be okay/good. exhiliarating. I don't know the adjective he used, but he was guardedly positive.

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
" Wait a sec--aren't we talking about the Deans that were there when Shelby became president? Remember he fired them all. The current deans are his replacements, with varying degrees of loyalty."

Yes, we are talking about the current deans. Isn't SFT aware that they blew the whistle with Crofts, and they know he knows?

Date: May 23, 2005

All Knowing Aye and Fly on the Wall,

You are both right. We were talking about both -- history repeats itself means the opposition of the old deans has reappeared with the new deans.

Henry Clay

Date: May 23, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Henry Clay
"All Knowing Aye and Fly on the Wall,
You are both right. We were talking about both -- history repeats itself means the opposition of the old deans has reappeared with the new deans.
Henry Clay"

Maybe so. But the new deans are compromised in a way that the old deans never were and never would have become.

Date: May 23, 2005

Talk about your rock and your hard place! Their faculties don't trust them and now their President doesn't trust them. Does anyone know what they actually told Crofts?

Date: May 26, 2005

After our meeting of the candidates (lead by Jay Grimes), Grimes said something to the effect of "I don't think we need to bother discussing Thames qualifications" because Dr. Thames had made such a poor impression when he answered our questions. Most of the staff people were for Ann Hart. Then, after the meeting and in front of television cameras, Grimes talked about how wonderful a president Thames would make. Suck-up. Maybe he knew the fix was in.

Date: May 26, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: GC staff member
"After our meeting of the candidates (lead by Jay Grimes), Grimes said something to the effect of "I don't think we need to bother discussing Thames qualifications" because Dr. Thames had made such a poor impression when he answered our questions. Most of the staff people were for Ann Hart. Then, after the meeting and in front of television cameras, Grimes talked about how wonderful a president Thames would make. Suck-up. Maybe he knew the fix was in."

Grimes spoke very strongly for Ann Hart in front of the deans council. If I remember correctly, Thames appeared on the coast after his Hattiesburg "interview." Someone must have held Grimes' head under water.

Date: May 26, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Third Witch
"Talk about your rock and your hard place! Their faculties don't trust them and now their President doesn't trust them. Does anyone know what they actually told Crofts?"

Each dean found his own way to blast SFT. He knows, and they know he knows. They're now waiting uneasily for the first real cue as to how Thames will react (so far he's been subdued, brief and "businesslike"). The fear is that he will launch painful, beneath-the-radar assaults on each in turn; the hope is that he will be content to prettify the campus and feather his nest for a supersoft landing back in Polymer Science. Unfortunately, they don't seem to recognize that Thames is in a very tight box, and that if the deans were to act collectively and with backbone, they could nail the box lid down once and for all.