CL, 1/2/06: Qualified profs in demand - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jan 2, 2006

CL, 1/2/06: Qualified profs in demand

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Never attribute to malice that which is a reality of the marketplace!

Date: Jan 2, 2006

It wasn't the marketplace that caused every new dean who came to campus after reorganization to look for positions off campus within a year or two of their arrival. It wasn't the marketplace that caused USM nursing faculty to go to William Carey. It wasn't the marketplace that caused four vice presidential level administrators to leave USM since the Thames administration took over. It wasn't the marketplace that triggered a raft of retirements among senior faculty. It wasn't the market place that caused Noel Polk to go to Mississippi State. It wasn't the market place that caused the Director of Residence Life and the University Comptroller to go to Ole Miss. It wasn't the marketplace that caused the former chair of Criminal Justice to go to Ole Miss. USM has lost almost half its faculty and many experienced staff members over the past three years. There has been no comparable exodus at USM in modern history. If State and Ole Miss have faculty vacancies, there are plenty of folks at USM who are available.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

info wrote:

http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060102/NEWS/601020349/1002/news Qualified profs in demand State budget cuts causing educators to leave Mississippi State, University of Mississippi OXFORD — Administrators at the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University say budget crunches have created a shortage of qualified professors at two of the state's major institutions of higher learning....

Funny, USM is not mentioned in this article. I guess USM didn't lose many faculty over the last 3 years, or some administrators don't want to discuss this with the press.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

LeftASAP wrote:

Funny, USM is not mentioned in this article. I guess USM didn't lose many faculty over the last 3 years

I noticed that also. USM was not mentioned in the article even one time. It was otally ignored. Ole Miss and State were grouped together as a twosome and presented as the state's two major universities. USM continues to move into the position as the state's red headed stepchild of higher education. What was once the "big three" is evolving into the "big two". And it doesn't require evolution or intelligent design to explain why this is occurring. We know why.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Agent of Change wrote:

LeftASAP wrote: Funny, USM is not mentioned in this article. I guess USM didn't lose many faculty over the last 3 years I noticed that also. USM was not mentioned in the article even one time. It was otally ignored. Ole Miss and State were grouped together as a twosome and presented as the state's two major universities. USM continues to move into the position as the state's red headed stepchild of higher education. What was once the "big three" is evolving into the "big two". And it doesn't require evolution or intelligent design to explain why this is occurring. We know why.

Some say this downward path of USM was by the "intelligent design" of certain factions in H'burg and on the IHL.

Some say we are in for another design change without proper input from faculty. We have a year to wait and see.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Agent of Change wrote:

What was once the "big three" is evolving into the "big two". And it doesn't require evolution or intelligent design to explain why this is occurring. We know why.

The Biologist can talk about the Theory of Evolution. The Theologian can talk about the Theory of Intelligent Design. But neither can explain the change that is occurring at USM as well as the Historian who has the "Not-So-Great Man" theory.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Joker wrote:

Agent of Change wrote:
Some say this downward path of USM was by the "intelligent design" of certain factions in H'burg and on the IHL. Some say we are in for another design change without proper input from faculty. We have a year to wait and see.

SFT has done the IHL board's bidding well. He has purposely presided over the marginalization of USM. I don't think the instutution will ever recover.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Just the facts 'mam wrote:

It wasn't the marketplace that caused every new dean who came to campus after reorganization to look for positions off campus within a year or two of their arrival. It wasn't the marketplace that caused USM nursing faculty to go to William Carey. It wasn't the marketplace that caused four vice presidential level administrators to leave USM since the Thames administration took over. It wasn't the marketplace that triggered a raft of retirements among senior faculty. It wasn't the market place that caused Noel Polk to go to Mississippi State. It wasn't the market place that caused the Director of Residence Life and the University Comptroller to go to Ole Miss. It wasn't the marketplace that caused the former chair of Criminal Justice to go to Ole Miss. USM has lost almost half its faculty and many experienced staff members over the past three years. There has been no comparable exodus at USM in modern history. If State and Ole Miss have faculty vacancies, there are plenty of folks at USM who are available.

I don't disagree with at all, Just the Facts. I simply thought it was interesting (and encouraging) that issues such as below average faculty salaries, trouble with faculty recruiting and retention, salary inversions, and quality/scope/mission differences between instructors and professors at Mississippi universities could be discussed intelligently without the undercurrent of malevolent intent always present at the University of Southern Mississippi. I thought the reporter did a good job.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Just the facts 'mam wrote:

It wasn't the marketplace that caused every new dean who came to campus after reorganization to look for positions off campus within a year or two of their arrival. It wasn't the marketplace that caused USM nursing faculty to go to William Carey. It wasn't the marketplace that caused four vice presidential level administrators to leave USM since the Thames administration took over. It wasn't the marketplace that triggered a raft of retirements among senior faculty. It wasn't the market place that caused Noel Polk to go to Mississippi State. It wasn't the market place that caused the Director of Residence Life and the University Comptroller to go to Ole Miss. It wasn't the marketplace that caused the former chair of Criminal Justice to go to Ole Miss. USM has lost almost half its faculty and many experienced staff members over the past three years. There has been no comparable exodus at USM in modern history. If State and Ole Miss have faculty vacancies, there are plenty of folks at USM who are available.

It wasn't the marketplace who sent Dana Keith to Bama or Stringer to Texas A&M either.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Roll tide wrote:

It wasn't the marketplace who sent Dana Keith to Bama or Stringer to Texas A&M either.

And it wasn't the marketplace who sent Frank Glamser to Tulane.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Joker wrote:

Some say this downward path of USM was by the "intelligent design" of certain factions in H'burg and on the IHL. Some say we are in for another design change without proper input from faculty. We have a year to wait and see.

Well, I think most of us could agree it was by "design," but calling it "intelligent"...I just can't quite get my head around that one.

Date: Jan 2, 2006

USM Alum in TX wrote:

Joker wrote: Some say this downward path of USM was by the "intelligent design" of certain factions in H'burg and on the IHL.

USM Alum in TX wrote: Well, I think most of us could agree it was by "design," but calling it "intelligent"...I just can't quite get my head around that one.

By using the word "intelligent" I think Joker meant USM's downward path has not been "random." It has been orchestrated. It sound like Joker subscribes to Invictus' conspiracy theory. Sometime ago I entered my own subscription to that theory

Date: Jan 2, 2006

Eyes Wide Open wrote:

By using the word "intelligent" I think Joker meant USM's downward path has not been "random." It has been orchestrated. It sound like Joker subscribes to Invictus' conspiracy theory. Sometime ago I entered my own subscription to that theory

If we choose to consider the "conspiracy" as a consistent effort by the IHL board to ensure that South Mississippi is served by a second-rate (or rather, fourth-tier) university, then we should call it "unitelligent design."

If we choose to focus on the SFT-as-dupe aspects of the "conspiracy," maybe it's better termed "ignorant design."

Date: Jan 2, 2006

I agree with you on this one, Vict. I've become a reluctant convert to the conspiracy theory. For one thing, I was told certain things in 2002 that I scoffed at and they've come to pass.

Date: Jan 3, 2006

LVN wrote:

I've become a reluctant convert to the conspiracy theory. For one thing, I was told certain things in 2002 that I scoffed at and they've come to pass.

LVN, don't say I didn't tell you so.

Date: Jan 3, 2006

LVN, what were you told in 2002 and what has come to pass?

Date: Jan 3, 2006

Nostradamus wrote:

LVN, don't say I didn't tell you so.

Just remember, Noz, that a prediction based on a data-supported theoretical framework is most emphatically not prophecy. Otherwise all those top-notch research scientists trotting around USM would be prophets ... Hmmm... Maybe we've been mis-hearing Shelby all these years ... Maybe we just thought he was saying "profits"...

Date: Jan 3, 2006

As the article appeared in today's Sun Herald, the following quote caught my eye (for obvious reasons):

Mark Goodman, associate professor of Communications at Mississippi State and president of the faculty Senate, said there is a significant difference between a university professor and a community college instructor. "With all due respect, community college instructors teach the book. We write the book," Goodman said.

Before anyone assumes my position on Goodman's statement, I happen to agree. Community college's are teaching institutions by definition. But I would insert one word -- "should" into the last sentence of his quote. University professors should write the book. Unfortunately, with the amount of experiential brain-drain that's been happening at all Mississippi universities over the past few years, there are many departments with faculty that simply don't have the teaching/research experience to "write the book" from which community colleges teach. And with the overarching emphasis on economical developmentation that's been happening, the universities aren't focussing as much on generating knowledge or advancing pedagogical practice. Rather, they're focussing on short-term monetary gain & assistance for bidnesses that may or may not be around in a decade.

Date: Jan 3, 2006

economical developmentation

My vote for phrase of the week!