USM PR chief wants clean slate - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Oct 12, 2005

USM PR chief wants clean slate

Date: Oct 12, 2005

$100K a year!

Date: Oct 12, 2005

How much did Mader make?

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Didn't Mader make ca. $75,000? $100 is quite a raise.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

100 grand is chicken feed in today's post-Katrina world.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Maybe $100 is what it took to get somebody to jump into that particular alligator pond. Still, that's a huge jump.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Apprentice wrote:

100 grand is chicken feed in today's post-Katrina world.

If that's true then there are lots of talented faculty members scratching around in the soil of Nitchamburg.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Purina wrote:

Apprentice wrote: 100 grand is chicken feed in today's post-Katrina world. If that's true then there are lots of talented faculty members scratching around in the soil of Nitchamburg.

I really love this -- every time we hire a new administrator they get a raise coming in. THEN within a year they get a raise for merit performance . . .

I'd love to know what the aggregate pay of administrators is NOW compared to three years ago and compare the inevitable percentage of higher salaries to faculty.

I also notice the sudden proliferation of associate deans in the colleages -- they have now, finally, begun to figure out that you need MORE people and support to run a mega-college.

Sheesh.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Could someone tell me what experience in higher education our new PR chief has which might enable her to understand a little bit about the nature of universities? Does she have a degree from a place other than Southern Miss which might give her some insight as to what things are like in normal academic environments? A salary of $100,000 seems awful steep for somebody just learning those things.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Follow the "who do you know" syndrone.

Who or Whom does she know?

Let's give her a chance. She's here and I am sure that she has more skills than the last PR person. We need to make SFT look as good as possible. Maybe a "silk purse out of a sow's ear." She has a medical background. Hopefully, no cloning.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

USM's new PR director is already well known for the cheer she penned for the university: "S - OU - THERN, Southern Mississippi, USM!" I still remember the day she was rushed to the emergency room after breaking her arm as a cheerleader. Margie's blood runs black and gold. She is also a very dynamic and energetic person.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

eagle backer wrote:

We need to make SFT look as good as possible.

Say what? Why, exactly?

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Margie Fan wrote:

USM's new PR director is already well known for the cheer she penned for the university: "S - OU - THERN, Southern Mississippi, USM!"

A very factual cheer! Let's hope her press releases are as factual as the cheer.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

stephen judd wrote:

I really love this -- every time we hire a new administrator they get a raise coming in. THEN within a year they get a raise for merit performance . . . I'd love to know what the aggregate pay of administrators is NOW compared to three years ago and compare the inevitable percentage of higher salaries to faculty. I also notice the sudden proliferation of associate deans in the colleages -- they have now, finally, begun to figure out that you need MORE people and support to run a mega-college. Sheesh.

Stephen, did you forget the huge "savings" the administration accomplished with the reorganization? Surely this is the reason for the large salaries.

Date: Oct 12, 2005

LeftASAP wrote:

stephen judd wrote: I really love this -- every time we hire a new administrator they get a raise coming in. THEN within a year they get a raise for merit performance . . . I'd love to know what the aggregate pay of administrators is NOW compared to three years ago and compare the inevitable percentage of higher salaries to faculty. I also notice the sudden proliferation of associate deans in the colleages -- they have now, finally, begun to figure out that you need MORE people and support to run a mega-college. Sheesh. Stephen, did you forget the huge "savings" the administration accomplished with the reorganization? Surely this is the reason for the large salaries.

oh right -- I forgot to look through my microscope . . .

Date: Oct 13, 2005

Remember that Mader got one of the infamous early midyear raises (Jan 03?) which a FOIA request revealed was something like 14%, taking her to somewhere around the mid $70s if I recall it all correctly. My guess is that she left making near $80K or so, but probably not more.

Hell, my own guess is that even Mader is pissed today hearing about the $100K the new PRD is making. It's quite possible that more than Wesley is paying Mader, if not probable.

These folks are real good at taking care of mid-level administrators.

Date: Oct 13, 2005

I believe Lisa Mader was making $80K when she left, and, yes, she did get an ~14% raise.

I agree with eagle backer, let's give her a chance. She's got to be better than LM, and she most certainly must be more pleasant to work with.

Date: Oct 13, 2005

However, Mader said her time at Southern Miss "was not difficult at all." Mader said she hopes Jepson feels the same way during her time.

"I certainly wish her the absolute best of luck," Mader said Tuesday.

_________________________________________________________________________

"Not difficult at all."

How gracious. Perhaps her time was more difficult for others.

I have heard another quote attributed to Ms. Mader: "I don't make the (excrement); I just make it smell good."

Date: Oct 13, 2005

Oh, to be Frank, My Dear! wrote:

Unrelated to this thread, but much as I admire Dr. Glamser, I don't think anyone at USM would want to be Frank. Not the way he was treated!

On the other hand, if you mean you'd like to be teaching for Tulane or riding a fine BMW motorcycle, yeah, I can understand...

Date: Oct 13, 2005

Invictus wrote:

Oh, to be Frank, My Dear! wrote: Unrelated to this thread, but much as I admire Dr. Glamser, I don't think anyone at USM would want to be Frank. Not the way he was treated! On the other hand, if you mean you'd like to be teaching for Tulane or riding a fine BMW motorcycle, yeah, I can understand...

Speaking of Tulane, how did its facilities on the MS Gulf Coast fare during the storm? What about the other colleges down there (e.g., William Carey)? I don't recall having read anything about those other schools.

Date: Oct 13, 2005

USM Sympathizer wrote:

Speaking of Tulane, how did its facilities on the MS Gulf Coast fare during the storm? What about the other colleges down there (e.g., William Carey)? I don't recall having read anything about those other schools.

Tulane's Edgewater Mall location will be open for business on the 15th with classes beginning on the 24th.

Carey-on-the-Coast has relocated its classes to a Baptist Church & Gulfport High School.

Date: Oct 13, 2005

USM Sympathizer wrote:

Speaking of Tulane, how did its facilities on the MS Gulf Coast fare during the storm? What about the other colleges down there (e.g., William Carey)? I don't recall having read anything about those other schools.

We have some students displaced from Wm Carey Nursing in New Orleans who are living near me. Their facility is near Charity so I don't imagine it fared very well.

Date: Oct 13, 2005

Overpaid wrote:

$100K a year!

With that kind of salary there must have been scores of applicants. Other than possibly an announcement posted outside the main door of Human Resources, I'd like to know how the position was advertised and how many applicants made the final cut.

Date: Oct 13, 2005

"Clean Slate"???? It'll never happen until the door slams shut on SFT for good.

Date: Oct 14, 2005

The Book wrote:

Overpaid wrote: $100K a year! With that kind of salary there must have been scores of applicants. Other than possibly an announcement posted outside the main door of Human Resources, I'd like to know how the position was advertised and how many applicants made the final cut.

I highly doubt that salary was advertised. It was an after-the-fact decision that they hoped would be a downpayment for the loyalties of the Thames' new eagle gal.

Date: Oct 14, 2005

Who here thinks that Jepsen being such a hottie (see HA 10/12) played no role in the little red-blooded American male's decision to hire her?

Date: Oct 14, 2005

I don't think that is fair. But, to jump on to your inappropriate bandwagon, it could hardly be said that the inner circle of the administration is composed of "hotties".

Date: Oct 14, 2005

Arnold wrote:

Didn't Mader make ca. $75,000? $100 is quite a raise.

I don't know anything about Mader's compensation or what USM administrator signed off on Jepsen's deal, but I do know that $100K is a helluva lot more than she was making in Denver with MGMA. Considering the differential cost-of-living in Denver vs. Hattiesburg, her increase in compensation is mind boggling. Either she's a superb negotiator, or USM isn't.

Date: Oct 14, 2005

thatcher wrote:

Who here thinks that Jepsen being such a hottie (see HA 10/12) played no role in the little red-blooded American male's decision to hire her?

Is she a hottie? How do you know? Was there a photo published in the HA piece? Which re-blooded USM administrator would have been responsible for this hire? I have trouble buying into the proposition that a PR flack, even a good one, at a relatively small cash-strapped public university would merit compensation higher than any full professor on the faculty.

Date: Oct 15, 2005

Overpaid wrote:

$100K a year!

I heard there was a time when spouses of some higher level usm administrators found employment in the development/alumni offices. Does that occur at the present time?