Campus Redesign - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jun 1, 2005

Campus Redesign

Date: Jun 1, 2005

I think SFT just wanted more pathways for his golf cart. Plus it gives his boys in town more pork. Pigs all.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

I think the improvements to the student union/commons/library area have been positive. The removal of traffic from the area has created a place for students to congregate, set up tables for their clubs and causes, and interact. It gives a focus to campus.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

yes, qwerty, I agree -- what's with closing the street west of the dome, though? And are they still going to move that guard shack (or kiosk) out towards Hardy?

Date: Jun 1, 2005

qwerty wrote:

I think the improvements to the student union/commons/library area have been positive. The removal of traffic from the area has created a place for students to congregate, set up tables for their clubs and causes, and interact. It gives a focus to campus.

This was done prior to Shelby Thames as president!

Amy Young

Date: Jun 1, 2005

From what I understand of the plans the changes will be excellent. Ped only campuses are rather nice. The obstacles can be overcome.

I also like the new lamps - much better than the former lamps - they were horrible.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

The plans for the pedestrian only campus, moving the guard kiosk across the street toward Hardy and all the paved bicycle paths go back to the Fleming administration. There was a large campus master planning committee involved in the decision making. I believe there was a Miss. Dept. of Transportation grant for the bicycle paths. Also the decision to close and brick the street by the dome. All started by Fleming and worked on by that committee.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

Moving the kiosk will be a huge improvement, since you can't turn by the chapel anymore. The biggest improvement will be the street realignment of 28th. It'll be a mess till it's done, but that ought to really be a plus. (And let me throw in a plug for University Florist, who had to give up their building there. Their new shop over by Cloverleaf is gorgeous.)

Date: Jun 1, 2005

I do agree that a pedestrian campus is good for us health wise. We could all use a little bit more exercise in our daily routine. Now, that being said, when a particulary strong storm strikes campus I rethink that thought as I have to traverse from class to the parking lot in nasty weather with nothing between me and a lightening bolt except a lightening rod errrrrr I mean an umbrella. This is at the same time I am having to cross Hardy River aka Hardy Street to the "Pit" parking lot as WDAM sets up their cameras to film the poor unfortunate souls having to wad knee deep to get to their vehicles!

Date: Jun 1, 2005

Magnolia wrote:

The plans for the pedestrian only campus, moving the guard kiosk across the street toward Hardy and all the paved bicycle paths go back to the Fleming administration. There was a large campus master planning committee involved in the decision making. I believe there was a Miss. Dept. of Transportation grant for the bicycle paths. Also the decision to close and brick the street by the dome. All started by Fleming and worked on by that committee.

really? why do so many here complain about the changes then?

Date: Jun 1, 2005

new student wrote:

Magnolia wrote:
The plans for the pedestrian only campus, moving the guard kiosk across the street toward Hardy and all the paved bicycle paths go back to the Fleming administration. There was a large campus master planning committee involved in the decision making. I believe there was a Miss. Dept. of Transportation grant for the bicycle paths. Also the decision to close and brick the street by the dome. All started by Fleming and worked on by that committee.
really? why do so many here complain about the changes then?

Complaining? I thought it was a discussion.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

new student wrote:

All started by Fleming and worked on by that committee. really? why do so many here complain about the changes then?

Because, it's what we do darlin'.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

sorry, I meant previous complaining - light poles, paving, walls, etc.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

so many complaining? I haven't heard any more complaining here than I've heard students complain about parking.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

I also think the parking is more than adequate. If I am on time and smart I never have a problem. Of course I can't park in front of the door of JG if I get out of bed at 7:50 before my 8am. It's better than when I went to State at least.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

new student wrote:

I also think the parking is more than adequate. If I am on time and smart I never have a problem. Of course I can't park in front of the door of JG if I get out of bed at 7:50 before my 8am. It's better than when I went to State at least.

Not really such a new student!!!

Date: Jun 1, 2005

Please remember not all students have the option for early classes whether it be because of class scheduling conflicts or work etc. By the time my classes start (after 10 a.m.) there isn't adequate parking. I dont mind the walk however, except in inclement weather. It's a small price to pay for an education, which I hope will be worth something someday.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

??? I'm rather new here ???

undergrad or grad - figure that one out for yourself - but new all the same.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

Silence Dogood wrote:

Please remember not all students have the option for early classes whether it be because of class scheduling conflicts or work etc. By the time my classes start (after 10 a.m.) there isn't adequate parking. I dont mind the walk however, except in inclement weather. It's a small price to pay for an education, which I hope will be worth something someday.

agreed. the parking really isn't bad. there will never be adequate anything for everyone.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

LORD, please! Take me back to that Fleming era. When there were committees that were actually worth a damned, because they were heard. When the faculty and the staff and the students had somebody they trusted and would talk to them! God, I can remember such times! Lucas, too! What went wrong? How did we allow all that to be taken from us?

Date: Jun 1, 2005

new student wrote:

"... why do so many here complain about the changes then?"

new student--

You are apparently new to this board, too. Welcome.

Some folks complain about things that others of us like. We are not all in agreement about much of anything, except that most of us honestly believe that the presidency of Shelby Thames has been a disaster for the university.

I personally like the pedestrian mall aspect to the campus. I also like the appearance of the new lamps. I like the cheap sushi at Agora (except get it fresh -- the stuff in the packages can be nasty.)

As I have mentioned before, I also like Volkswagens, but that doesn't mean I think Adolph Hitler was a pretty decent chancellor of Germany.

On the other hand, I hate to think of what was ignored in order to buy the lampposts, etc. For example, the budget at Cook Library has stagnated to the point that current subscriptions can barely be maintained. No money has been available for new subscriptions in more than a year. I think someone on here mentioned that things don't look any better for next year.

Some people honestly don't think a library is important. The president of your university has bragged (yes, bragged!) that he has not used a library in years. That may not bother you, but it gives some of us cold chills.

One of the nice things about this board is that different perspectives are presented. For example, although I am a fan of the plan to decentralize parking, I had not thought about the inconvenience to folks who can't get around as well as I can. Perhaps someone has already anticipated this problem and is planning a shuttle to move people from remote parking to central locations. (Hey, maybe the city of Hattiesburg could loan USM some trolleys!)

Most of the time on this board, conflicting ideas are couched in civil terms. Not always. But then, anyone can post here and assume false characteristics. That can lead to a certain amount of provocation or baiting. That's just one of those things that has to be tolerated.

BTW-- What has happened to the format on this board? Why the compression of multiple former-quotes-within-quotes? I don't like it. I am conservative and opposed on principal to any change that cannot be adequately justified to my complete satisfaction. I am an inmate in this asylum and I demand my say.

So there.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

ram wrote:

BTW-- What has happened to the format on this board? Why the compression of multiple former-quotes-within-quotes? I don't like it.

It's bugging me too. But, heck, I want to go back to the early FireShelby days.

Date: Jun 1, 2005

ram wrote:

...On the other hand, I hate to think of what was ignored in order to buy the lampposts, etc. For example, the budget at Cook Library has stagnated to the point that current subscriptions can barely be maintained. No money has been available for new subscriptions in more than a year. I think someone on here mentioned that things don't look any better for next year. Some people honestly don't think a library is important. The president of your university has bragged (yes, bragged!) that he has not used a library in years. That may not bother you, but it gives some of us cold chills.

ram - the subscriptions issue rears its head almost daily. How embarrassing is it to have to get co-authors to search their university libraries for you, and then send the articles in PDFs?!? Most of these co-authors are amazed when I request a piece from a journal that every typical University library has. We can put in lampposts, but can't fund library subscriptions? This is a question of priorities, pure and simple. I would bet that the administration is swimming in money. They just don't care.

I have even gone to the trouble of trying to see if I can pay (gladly out of my own pocket) to get "visitors access" from a library that is worth a d*mn. What message does that say about working here? In fact, if anyone on this board knows of a library that will let me do that, I would love to here about it.

Count

Date: Jun 1, 2005

"Democracy is the theory that the common man should get what he wants. And he deserves to get it good and hard."

H. L. Mencken

In a local referendum on books vs. lightpoles, the former might lose to the latter.

Date: Jun 2, 2005

Counting the days wrote:
They just don't care. I have even gone to the trouble of trying to see if I can pay (gladly out of my own pocket) to get "visitors access" from a library that is worth a d*mn. What message does that say about working here? In fact, if anyone on this board knows of a library that will let me do that, I would love to here about it. Count

Call one of the USM librarians. They can help you.

Date: Jun 2, 2005

Counting the days wrote:

"I have even gone to the trouble of trying to see if I can pay (gladly out of my own pocket) to get "visitors access" from a library that is worth a d*mn. What message does that say about working here? In fact, if anyone on this board knows of a library that will let me do that, I would love to here about it."

If you teach a course as an adjunct for Tulane on the coast, you will have full access to the main Tulane library, including electronic access.

Date: Jun 2, 2005

Magnolia wrote:

so many complaining? I haven't heard any more complaining here than I've heard students complain about parking.

Comment #1: I have been analyzing student opinion surveys for closing on 20 years at multiple institutions. Without fail, the most common complaint is parking. Interestingly, the most commonly-cited "good thing" about institutions is usually library services.

Comment #2: For those who haven't had it drilled into their heads, building projects are funded out of capital budgets, which cannot be used for salaries & instructional expenses. (Those are paid for out of Education & General, or E&G, funds.) Administrators love to repeat this mantra when budget times are tough -- nobody gets raises, supplies & equipment budgets go south while new light poles, sidewalks, buildings & streets appear. I think this misses an important point: Those guys doing the building projects, the contractors, the workmen, the guys on the paving crew, are taxpayers & they think, "Hey, they are just wallowing in money over there at the college, so why do they want to raise taxes?"

I think when budget times are tough, universities ought to cut back on capital projects just to get the message over to the vendors. If our budgets are tight, yours are gonna be tight, too, bubbasatva, so think about your low tax rate.