Eric Clark for IHL Commish? - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jul 14, 2005

Eric Clark for IHL Commish?

Date: Jul 14, 2005

I have no doubt that he has been a fine secretary of state and is a man of high integrity. Integrity is a sine qua none for the IHL commissioner's position. No one without integrity should hold the position. But that is only a starting point. Appropriate academic experience and knowledge of academic issues at the national and state level is also essential.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

qwerty wrote:

Clark has the most important qualifications: integrity and a belief in protecting and expansing the public's interest. What do y'all think?

I think that Clark does have integrity and that he is interested in the public good. If my choice was between somebody like that versus somebody with impeccable academic credentials and experience but whose integrity left something to be desired, I would take Clark in a heartbeat. But Mississippi should not be faced with such a choice. The successful candidate should have integrity as well as the academic credentials. After all, we are not Louisiana.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

About Secretary of State – Eric Clark's Biography

Date: Jul 14, 2005

Eagle with cajun accent wrote:

qwerty wrote: Clark has the most important qualifications: integrity and a belief in protecting and expansing the public's interest. What do y'all think? I think that Clark does have integrity and that he is interested in the public good. If my choice was between somebody like that versus somebody with impeccable academic credentials and experience but whose integrity left something to be desired, I would take Clark in a heartbeat. But Mississippi should not be faced with such a choice. The successful candidate should have integrity as well as the academic credentials. After all, we are not Louisiana.

Clark has faculty credentials, but not higher ed admin credentials, should it make a difference?

Date: Jul 14, 2005

qwerty wrote:

What do y'all think?

I think that Eric Clark is no more qualified for the job of IHL commissioner than I. (Heck, I manage a family tree farm, too!) But you don't see me applying for the job, do you?

I'm not contesting his integrity. But since you brought it up... "Honest politician" is part of the definition of oxymoron. (It's not a contradiction in terms; it's a contradiction in standards.)

I've said it before & I'll say it again: If IHL seriously considers Clark for this position, it has proved for the whole world that its recent public statements about changing the role of the commissioner, etc., were nothing but lip service. A Clark appointment would prove to us that IHL is looking for a way to "change" without changing. Sorta like putting on a clean shirt without taking a shower.

Someone upthread mentioned that Haley would love to replace a "D" with an "R" in state government. This is what I call the "Bubba Pierce Principle." You can bank on Haley being a big proponent of Clark's candidacy for commish.

This is Mississipppi. What do you expect? Intelligence? Foresight? Integrity? Common sense? ROTFLMFAO!

Date: Jul 14, 2005

Invictus wrote:

This is Mississipppi. What do you expect?

It is entirely possible that Mississippi's system of higher education has become so tarnished by the IHL's shenanigans during the past three years that qualified people from out of state are reluctant to apply for the position of commissioner.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

I accessed the IHL website in order to see what credentials were expected of commissioner candidates. In addition to listing the duties, this is what I found:

The next Commissioner must be an experienced and successful leader and an excellent communicator. The successful candidate is expected to be able to coordinate a united voice to the legislature for the universities.

An appropriate terminal degree, executive level experience, a record of substantive professional accomplishments, and academic credentials sufficient to engender respect from the academy and the community at large are preferred.

I see that the academic credentials component is given the once over lightly treatment.

Asking the current IHL to select its commissioner is much like asking the fox to watch the henhouse.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

I agree wholeheartedly with Invictus and Banty Rooster.

Querty's reasoning on behalf of Eric Clark might be true (although I tend to hold to Invictus' view of politicians). But the real issue is the principle: a politician should not hold this office. It is difficult enough to insulate the board from political pressure. Introducing a politican into this position is exactly like inviting a fox into a henhouse. Not only will members of the Board be highly aware of the politico's connections and political ideology . . . but they may also be aware of the fact that once that politician leaves the commissioner's job they may ery well end up in higher office again. Tangling with a powerful politician as a citizen working in a public service appointment will NOT encourage the Board to be disinterested and uninfluenced in its deliberations.

I also agree with the general sentiment -- the intent of this position as newly defined was to put it into the hands of an academic expert. Clark simply does not qualify. I wonder how many accreditations he has been through . . . or how many committees he has served on? I wonder how many professional academic organizations he has been a member of . . . or how much research he has produced? No way.

The fact that this guy could be seriously considered is worrying. I am hoping this is just a courtesy interview.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

His having degrees from both State and Ole Miss doesn't bother me in the least. The idea of having a politician in an office that has a terrible political history bothers me a lot.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

One thing the IHL can feel good about is Clark's apparent rejection of USM as his school of choice. He lives just up the road and yet his three academic degrees are from Milsaps, Ole Miss, and State. Maybe that's why he's getting an interview in spite of a total lack of higher education administrative experience.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

A matter of degree wrote:

His having degrees from both State and Ole Miss doesn't bother me in the least. The idea of having a politician in an office that has a terrible political history bothers me a lot.

Not living in Mississippi, and not knowing alot about Miss. politics, could you elaborate upon his terrible political history. Thanks.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

TarHeel Eagle wrote:

A matter of degree wrote:
His having degrees from both State and Ole Miss doesn't bother me in the least. The idea of having a politician in an office that has a terrible political history bothers me a lot.

Not living in Mississippi, and not knowing alot about Miss. politics, could you elaborate upon his terrible political history. Thanks.

I read that the OFFICE has the terrible political history, not that Dr. Clark does.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

Banty Rooster wrote:

I accessed the IHL website in order to see what credentials were expected of commissioner candidates. In addition to listing the duties, this is what I found: The next Commissioner must be an experienced and successful leader and an excellent communicator. The successful candidate is expected to be able to coordinate a united voice to the legislature for the universities. An appropriate terminal degree, executive level experience, a record of substantive professional accomplishments, and academic credentials sufficient to engender respect from the academy and the community at large are preferred. I see that the academic credentials component is given the once over lightly treatment. Asking the current IHL to select its commissioner is much like asking the fox to watch the henhouse.

It sounds like they want a lobbyist/politician who just happens to have a doctoral degree. This may be a whole new market for the IDV Ph.D. program-- pay the fees, we'll put Dr. in front of your name, and you too can become a candidate for IHL commmissioner!

Date: Jul 14, 2005

TarHeel Eagle wrote:

could you elaborate upon his terrible political history. Thanks.

TarHeel Eagle - I didn't intend to imply that he has a terrible political history, although looking back on the way I worded my post I can see why you interpreted it that way. Clark seems to have a stellar political history. He also seems to be a very nice person. What I meant is that having a commissioner with degrees from the other two major state schools would not present a problem for me, but having a commisioner with a terrible political history would present a great problem for me. I should go back and take English 099.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

The road less traveled wrote:

He lives just up the road and yet his three academic degrees are from Milsaps, Ole Miss, and State.

So you fault Clark for attending three Mississippi colleges that are generally regarded, even on this board, as being superior to USM in most respects? Thames is a USM grad but that hasn't rendered him a stellar academic administrator. I think your comment is a bit below the belt. Clark's an honest, classy individual. Whether he's the best candidate for IHL commissioner is another matter. He may not be the best. He may not even want the position if offered. Where he chose to attend college is totally irrelevant.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

College Bored wrote:

Where he chose to attend college is totally irrelevant.

Clark's choices of schools are to his credit.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

College Bored wrote:

So you fault Clark for attending three Mississippi colleges that are generally regarded, even on this board, as being superior to USM in most respects

CB, I don't think the poster was faulting Clark. He or she was calling attention to Clark's good judgment. Take a look at the poster's name. The road between Taylorsville and Hattiesburg is "the road less traveled."

Date: Jul 14, 2005

He's a politician, that is a huge problem.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

College Bored wrote:

I think your comment is a bit below the belt.

College Board, nothing negative was said about Clark. Some of us believe that the IHL sees Mississippi as having only two major state universities - UM and MS. That position is bolstered by the IHL's willingness to interview someone who is like minded, with or without administrative experience in academics. A conspiracy theory natural.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

Clark just looks like more of the same provincial backwater rigamarole. It is my understanding that Crofts was genuinely disliked up North, he was an outsider. The small timers at IHL can't seem to stand anyone with real credentials that might not bow and scrape appropriately.

This looks to me like HB "buying" a new secretary of state. IHL gets a "compliant" administrator as there is no way what's his name could get over $200k with his credentials. How many folks with a Ph.D. from MSU in a liberal arts discipline can pull down that much.

If he ends up with the job so much for integrity. How many of us faculty smucks would take say a provosts job at $150 that we knew we were incompetent to perform. Not many of us and the ones that would are known commodities.

Now if we can get another good ol' boy as prez of UM, then the taxpayers are getting hit for a cool mil supporting SFT, CL, and EC to do jobs that can't really do. Shouldn't bother either IHL or the legislature, they're all in the same boat.

Date: Jul 14, 2005

Two's company, three's a crowd wrote:

College Bored wrote:
I think your comment is a bit below the belt.

College Board, nothing negative was said about Clark. Some of us believe that the IHL sees Mississippi as having only two major state universities - UM and MS. That position is bolstered by the IHL's willingness to interview someone who is like minded, with or without administrative experience in academics. A conspiracy theory natural.

If the college board believes that Mississippi has two major state universities, they are, indeed, deeplyand profoundly in error. In fact, Mississippi has no major state universities.

Date: Jul 15, 2005

Actually, Mississippi has only two UNIVERSITIES, UM and MSU. The rest are glorified Junior Colleges.

Date: Jul 16, 2005

Who was the Assistant Commisioner with IHL in the 80's that wanted to hurt USM in the evaluation of programs in the system? Was it "Ole Miss" Tom Meredith?