L and P on staying in the 4th tier - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Aug 19, 2005

L and P on staying in the 4th tier

Date: Aug 19, 2005

Now I can say this and not be ridiculed for it.

Its good to see you Robert, stop by again when you can.

Date: Aug 19, 2005

Agreed. A nice post from a person of exceptional quality and wisdom that always adds thought and objectivity to the board.

Date: Aug 19, 2005

Does anyone know how long USM had been in the third tier before its recent two-year plunge into tier four? Also, does anyone know what its numerical ranking was in years past? I believe this year its numerical ranking is something like 198 out of 240-something.

Date: Aug 19, 2005

Beelzebubba wrote:

Does anyone know how long USM had been in the third tier before its recent two-year plunge into tier four? Also, does anyone know what its numerical ranking was in years past? I believe this year its numerical ranking is something like 198 out of 240-something.

I just double-checked the numerical ranking. This year it is 198 out of 248. Does anyone know what it was in years past? Thanks.

Date: Aug 19, 2005

come on back Robert....we need you.

you really can't be that busy...can you?

Date: Aug 19, 2005

Beelzebubba wrote:

Beelzebubba wrote:
Does anyone know how long USM had been in the third tier before its recent two-year plunge into tier four?

In the 2001 edition, USM was 4th tier, but with the note "School refused to fill out U.S. News survey." Information from other years was reported. The "Academic reputation" (now Peer Assessment Score) was 2.2

Date: Aug 19, 2005

Excellent job Robert - - - it is so good to "hear" you again.

As usual, you have caught the spirit of the times and tied several themes together agin for readers. Glad to know you are paying attention, even as things have been quiet.

I'd say the motto for the moment is we are "quietly watchful." The Senate and grad council meet in Monday and I suspect the pace and the discussions will begin to pick up again.

Date: Aug 19, 2005

anyone able to confirm festus's claim? in all of my 20+ years here i never thought about our "tier" or "peer ranking." frankly didn't care, and really don't care now. but curiosity has gotten the best of me.

Date: Aug 19, 2005

Some of the promoters of reconciliation are still here, though we do not all think that all criticism of the administration must stop. However, this is not the best venue for discussion of reconcilitation now is it? And by this I do not mean reconciliation with the present administration, I mean moving forward toward a new one.

Date: Aug 19, 2005

stinky cheese man wrote:

anyone able to confirm festus's claim? in all of my 20+ years here i never thought about our "tier" or "peer ranking." frankly didn't care, and really don't care now. but curiosity has gotten the best of me.

SCM,

The score assigned to a school by USN&WR is a function of several varibles, each of which should be of concern to faculty members. And, of course, our ranking is a function of our score. So why the smug indifference to our ranking?

Date: Aug 20, 2005

Fly wrote:

However, this is not the best venue for discussion of reconcilitation now is it?

Well...given that other "venues" have been effectively blocked by admin & chums, it has become the best option. If a coherent academic conscience survives the wrecking ball of SFT, it will be in no small part because of the spirit of community and common purpose sustained on this board. Even when (perhaps an excessively hopeful word) constructive dialogue starts taking place among various "stakeholders" in the USM enterprise, this board will continue to serve as fertile turf for ideas and defense of principles.

Date: Aug 20, 2005

Voter wrote:

Well...given that other "venues" have been effectively blocked by admin & chums, it has become the best option. If a coherent academic conscience survives the wrecking ball of SFT, it will be in no small part because of the spirit of community and common purpose sustained on this board. Even when (perhaps an excessively hopeful word) constructive dialogue starts taking place among various "stakeholders" in the USM enterprise, this board will continue to serve as fertile turf for ideas and defense of principles.

Excellent post!

Date: Aug 20, 2005

Robert Campbell wrote:

I've put an entry on Liberty and Power about the new US News rankings.

You can see it at

http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/14432.html

A tiny bit of damage control is going on at Clemson today, because CU has slipped slightly in the rankings, though it remains in the 2nd tier. CU's engineering programs have yet to crack the top 50 (they are currently ranked 57th). And if engineering can't do it for Clemson, other programs will need time to grow before they can make the difference.

Still, the excuse making is quite mild, compared to the stuff that Joan Exline is putting out.

Robert Campbell

PS. I see that the alleged promoters of reconciliation between faculty and administration at USM--the ones who insist that there will never be "healing" unless the board shuts down, and all criticism of the administration comes to an immediate stop--have all been absent from this board about as long as I have. Even Seeker, whom I took to be genuine, has disappeared.

Thanks Robert. Please come back when you can stay a little longer.

Date: Aug 20, 2005

from Campbell--"Now the talking is being done by the single member of Thames' henchcrew who still retains some hope of exercising power at USM after he is gone:"

Is this true? Does Exline have ambitions to stay on and move up? Will the faculty tolerate that?

Date: Aug 20, 2005

Gone, gone, gone wrote:

Is this true? Does Exline have ambitions to stay on and move up? Will the faculty tolerate that?

What has Exline really done? She is in charge of the accreditation process and she has put a positive spin on her job. What do you expect her to say to the HA? "I'll never be able to get this SACS report done because of the idiots in the Dome." I haven’t been on campus lately, so I am ready to be corrected, but I just don't see anything big that she has done wrong.

Date: Aug 20, 2005

Welcome back Robert! Love this bit:

"USM remains under the misrule of one of the worst university presidents in American history. .
"