I cannot abide this bulls**t lovefest for Crofts. He's been on the job for what, a year? Did he get SFT out RIGHT NOW? No. Did he change the funding formula so that USM gets its fair share? No. Did he force SFT to publicly rapair the town/gown rift? No. Does USM have a real provost? No. Does USM have a real plan for SACS? No. Does USM continue to spend money on garbage projects like new light poles, the Powerhouse, and paving every square foot of green space in sight? Yes. Crofts did a somewhat capable job, but he's not worthy of canonization or even lionization. Some of you are so used to USM that you don't remember what it's like other places. Crofts would have been an average IHL commissioner in another state. Let's not lower our standards just because our IHL and population don't understand the way that university systems are supposed to work.
Puke,
Can you realistically expect one man, who does not even have the support of the entire board (I am thinking of Roy and his cronies), to solve every single problem in one year on the job?
Half empty glass wrote: Some us remember all too well what it's like other places. But look at it this way, Puke: Even if Crofts was only "average" (and I'm not qualified to judge that), USM was lucky to have something "average" for a change. Assuming a normal distribution, that mean we'd be at the median. Being in the top half of anything good wouldn't be so bad. Most schools don't scramble to be "average," but that seems to be par for the course here.
The USNews ratings didn't say we are average. The average university isn't on SACS probation. Our salaries are not average. Our glass is half empty. Oh to be just average!
Meredith: Adequate funding top priorityBy Reuben Mees http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050722/NEWS01/507220302/1002
Critics of Dr. Crofts performance should pay attention to this quote from the H.A. article. Commenting about Meredith and SACS, Crofts said, ""I hope he doesn't have the same kind of surprise I got." said Crofts, who was hired on an interim basis just weeks before the SACS probation was announced."
Critics of Dr. Crofts performance should pay attention to this quote from the H.A. article. Commenting about Meredith and SACS, Crofts said, ""I hope he doesn't have the same kind of surprise I got." said Crofts, who was hired on an interim basis just weeks before the SACS probation was announced." Don't forget this was only 7 months ago.
I missed that quote. What do you think he meant by "the same kind of surprise?"
I missed that quote. What do you think he meant by "the same kind of surprise?"
SFT didn't tell the board about the two letters he received from SACS warning of the problems. The IHL and Crofts were only informed of problems sometime around December '04 about the problems and probation.
After six weeks on the boats (fishing & incommunicado, not gambling), I return to find a broohaha about Meredith. He's good. Let him run with the line. During his tenure at USG, he fired 5 presidents.
someone asked whether Meredith had ever risen through the ranks. he has been president at Western Kentucky or some such, where he hired Carl Matray as dean.