Leaving is not hard to do - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Nov 25, 2005

Leaving is not hard to do

Date: Nov 25, 2005

Speaking of leaving USM, how big of a faux pas is it for faculty to leave mid-year? If they already have their escape route mapped out, I mean.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

papillon wrote:

Speaking of leaving USM, how big of a faux pas is it for faculty to leave mid-year? If they already have their escape route mapped out, I mean.

In normal circumstances, it would be poor form to leave before one's contract is up. But in normal circumstances, that would be rare.

Faculty and staff welfare is not high on the priority list here at USM. If one of you took another position between semesters, and gave reasonable notice to your chair, few would blame or denigrate you. Best of luck in your new position.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

I pulled out a copy of a USM contract and found the following:

". . . The Board reserves the right to increase or decrease said salary at any time during the life of this contract . . . when and if necessary to keep expenditures of the University within that part of the legislative appropriation allotted to the University for the period covered by this contract . . ."

". . . The Board shall have the authority to terminate this contract at any time for the following: financial exigencies . . . reduction of programs or administrative units . . . etc."

". . . The Board whall then fix the time and conditions of termination."

These are statements contained in a contract of a tenured faculty member.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

papillon wrote: Speaking of leaving USM, how big of a faux pas is it for faculty to leave mid-year? If they already have their escape route mapped out, I mean.

Mitch wrote: In normal circumstances, it would be poor form to leave before one's contract is up. But in normal circumstances, that would be rare. Faculty and staff welfare is not high on the priority list here at USM. If one of you took another position between semesters, and gave reasonable notice to your chair, few would blame or denigrate you. Best of luck in your new position.

Mitch, I am quite a fan of yours but I believe this is bad career advice, especially for an untenured professor. Unprofessional behavior, like leaving mid-year or without proper notice, will follow a faculty member long after the extenuating circumstances have faded from memory. Few tenure track opportunities available in January will not be there in July.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

Unhappy camper wrote:

Faculty members leave other schools as happy campers. Faculty members just leave USM. Period.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051125/OPINION04/511250331/1014/OPINION

The original point of this thread was a comment on the generosity of two William Carey professors who have pledged their estate to the school.

USM has been favored with such generosity from faculty, too. I've been here long enough to have worked with John E. Gonzales, who passed away the day before Katrina hit. He began teaching at USM in the 1940s and only stopped teaching in 1999 when his health began to fail.

Dr. Gonzales left the bulk of his personal estate to USM to fund scholarships and stipends for history students.

He was dedicated teacher and valued colleague who deeply loved USM. His generosity to USM reminds me that the institution is much more than the cabal currently ensconced in the dome.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

qwerty wrote:

USM has been favored with such generosity from faculty, too.

I also was prepared to be generous until I uncovered the truth. No more. Not now. Not ever.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

qwerty wrote:

USM has been favored with such generosity from faculty, too. I've been here long enough to have worked with John E. Gonzales, who passed away the day before Katrina hit. He began teaching at USM in the 1940s and only stopped teaching in 1999 when his health began to fail.

Dr. Gonzales left the bulk of his personal estate to USM to fund scholarships and stipends for history students.

He was dedicated teacher and valued colleague who deeply loved USM. His generosity to USM reminds me that the institution is much more than the cabal currently ensconced in the dome.

And Dr. Golzales' service was touching and dear. And notably absent was Shelby Freland Thames, who didn't have time to attend the services of one of his whirl class university's truly world class teachers. And I shall not attend his.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

Long Memories wrote:

Mitch, I am quite a fan of yours but I believe this is bad career advice, especially for an untenured professor. Unprofessional behavior, like leaving mid-year or without proper notice, will follow a faculty member long after the extenuating circumstances have faded from memory.

A highly respected and honorable faculty member in polymer science, Gerald Mattson, left the university for Central Florida last January (mid-year). If there are circumstances of widespread faculty abuse, stealth raises for top administrators, and rampant cronyism, a departure ASAP would not be an unreasonable or unethical course of action.

Date: Nov 25, 2005

row_faster_ben_hur wrote:
And I shall not attend his.

You mean you're not coming to the dance at the graveyard?

Date: Nov 26, 2005

Years ago a really bad administrator retired. I was asked if I were going to attend his retirement party, and declined due to all the evil he had done. Another professor said he was going to attend, ?To make sure he was leaving!? One should always verify that evil will return no more.

Date: Nov 26, 2005

Correction: "To make sure he was leaving!"

Date: Nov 28, 2005

Old Money Bags wrote:

qwerty wrote:
USM has been favored with such generosity from faculty, too.
I also was prepared to be generous until I uncovered the truth. No more. Not now. Not ever.

I was prepared to do the same. Now....no. Maybe after the healing has begun.