Gulf Coast Early Childhood Center Closing - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: May 28, 2004

Gulf Coast Early Childhood Center Closing

Date: May 28, 2004

Does Malone get to add these employees to the list of those he has "fired?" I bet he hopes so. Also, isn't this move a great recruiting tool for new faculty (and students for that matter), especially in the fastest growing part of the state? Malone is a genius. We need a COO like him in Hattiesburg. Wait a minute. Can't he be the COO in Hattiesburg as well?

Date: May 28, 2004

Their enrollment was declining? At the H'burg campus the wait list is at least a year long.

Date: May 28, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: elliott
"Does Malone get to add these employees to the list of those he has "fired?" I bet he hopes so. Also, isn't this move a great recruiting tool for new faculty (and students for that matter), especially in the fastest growing part of the state? Malone is a genius. We need a COO like him in Hattiesburg. Wait a minute. Can't he be the COO in Hattiesburg as well? "

JOB SNOWBALL ALERT! Juggle those jobs, Kenbot!

Date: May 28, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"Their enrollment was declining? At the H'burg campus the wait list is at least a year long."

And I would think that would be the case at Gulf Park, since it has a huge nontraditional student population.

I know of community colleges with child care centers that have year-long wait lists.

Nontraditional students PREFER to have their children on campus where they are attending--this would be the case with Gulf Park, as it is with other universities with child care centers.

Someone's telling a story goose.

Date: May 28, 2004

It seems that there may be the work of another Thames afoot....hmmm. Hope USMCCD is safe.

Date: May 28, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: bloghead
"It seems that there may be the work of another Thames afoot....hmmm. Hope USMCCD is safe."

Nothing is safe at USM!

Date: May 28, 2004

Green Hornet posted this news item:

SOUTHERN MISS GULF COAST TO CLOSE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
LONG BEACH -- The University of Southern Mississippi on the Gulf Coast will close its Early Childhood Center on Sept. 1 to focus university resources on its primary mission of higher education, research and economic development.
"It became cost prohibitive to maintain the Early Childhood Center as it should be maintained," said Dr. Ken Malone, chief operating officer for Southern Miss Gulf Coast. "We don't want to compromise care for the center or divert resources from other important work of the university."
In the wake of declining childhood center enrollment and increasing operational expenses, the university elected to offer notice to parents and employees of the center this week that the center would conclude operations at the end of the summer term.
The Early Childhood Center opened on the Gulf Park campus in 1996. Approximately 20 children are currently enrolled in the center.
"We are truly sorry to see this happen. The staff members of the Early Childhood Center are hardworking, dedicated people who have given a tremendous effort in their attempts to make the program cost effective," Malone said.

The 'business' language in this news item appears to reflect a business model rather than an educational model. Call me naive if you wish, but I was unaware that universities used the term CEO. I wonder if that title is unique to USM, or if it is the wave of the future at all universities and USM is simply at the forefront once again. Further, the phrase "divert resources" to a primary mission which includes '"economic development" sounds more business-like than academic-like terminology. There is also reference to the "increasing operational expenses" of the Early Childhood Center. Moreover, the term "conclude operations" sounds more like a factory than a university. The news item ends with reference to attempts to make the program "cost effective." This news item, on balance, reads more like the Annual Report of a corporation, rather than of a university. With that said, I would like to make my point: The primary criteria for adding or dropping an ancillary program at a university should be whether it supports the academic mission. For instance, does it serve as a practicum facility for students in the basic or applied academic disciplines? Does it serve a research function for students in disciplines such as education, psychology, child developent? I wonder if each ancillary program on the Hattiesburg campus be similarly examined using a 'business' rather 'academic' criteria. If so, that might mean that 'low demand' or 'low enrollment' offerings would be shut down. Latin, Greek, and some other low-enrollment language courses, for instance. Those courses are essential to a major comprehensive university. I seriously doubt that they are 'self-supporting.' A basic premise in academics is that high-enrollment disciplines support the essential low-enrollment disciplines. Those low-enrollment programs are important and should be offered even if they must be subsidized. Similarly, I seriously doubt that the 'training clinics' offered by various departments on the Hattiesburg campus are 'self-supporting.' They probably generate a little income, but not nearly enough to support them fully. Nonetheless, they must be maintained because they are essential to the basic academic mission of the respective disciplines which maintain those clinics. The 'bottom line' (oops, there I go using a business term -- bottom line) is that 'academic mission,' not 'cost effectiveness' should be the criterion for adding or droping an ancillary support unit. Perhaps the Child Development Center should be closed, but I do not see an appropriate academic-based justification for that in this particular news item.

Date: May 28, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mississippian in Exile
" (lots of snippage) Perhaps the Child Development Center should be closed, but I do not see an appropriate academic-based justification for that in this particular news item."

Great post, MIE. My question is this: how much money are they *really* saving by cutting the USMGC CDC that only serves 20 children? Really, SFT, how much money did it cost to run? More than $140K/year? Perhaps funds could be diverted from the recently freed-up budget line for University Risk Manager.

Date: May 28, 2004

One more example of how little the concern is for the morale of people at USM. When you don't get raises for five years, live paranoid, and feel you can only talk freely by with holding your name, well, it's a set up for anyone who can to get the h*ll out of dodge. Those that can't just get to hope that they won't take something else away from us! (guess I"m not in a very good mood tonight....). At any rate, as always and more than ever, NO QUARTER!

Let Freedom Ring

Date: May 28, 2004

What is happening on the Gulf Coast overall brings to mind that song -- Burning Down the House

Date: May 28, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mississippian in Exile
"The primary criteria for adding or dropping an ancillary program at a university should be whether it supports the academic mission."

The criteria for justifying ancillary programs have never been clear, and they have never been administered evenly. I was Director of Family and Consumer Sciences for ten years, and we were constantly battling with the powers that be regarding the Center for Child Development. That facility was crucial to our major in Child Development. It served as a laboratory which was fortunate enough to recoup some of the expense of running it. The mission of the Center was academic; the service part was very much secondary, yet we were frequently treated as if we were trying to run a child care business. We could have charged a lot more for the service and been self-supporting, but we would not have had a diverse population of children with whom our students could work, because only the higher income parents could have afforded to bring their children there. To provide service for students, to include diverse populations of children, and to meet NAEYC accrediation requirements we had to have support from the University. Are chemistry labs self supporting? What's the difference, I wonder. Shelby didn't start this this divided way of looking at disciplines and their contributions, but he sure is "moving it forward."

Date: May 28, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Anita Stamper
"The criteria for justifying ancillary programs have never been clear, and they have never been administered evenly. I was Director of Family and Consumer Sciences for ten years, and we were constantly battling with the powers that be regarding the Center for Child Development. That facility was crucial to our major in Child Development. It served as a laboratory which was fortunate enough to recoup some of the expense of running it. The mission of the Center was academic; the service part was very much secondary, yet we were frequently treated as if we were trying to run a child care business. We could have charged a lot more for the service and been self-supporting, but we would not have had a diverse population of children with whom our students could work, because only the higher income parents could have afforded to bring their children there. To provide service for students, to include diverse populations of children, and to meet NAEYC accrediation requirements we had to have support from the University. Are chemistry labs self supporting? What's the difference, I wonder. Shelby didn't start this this divided way of looking at disciplines and their contributions, but he sure is "moving it forward.""

Great post, Anita! As a very grateful recipient of the services of the USM CCD (both of my children attended), I was always amazed at the level of service they provided with the meager resources they had. Talk about the true unsung heroes of the university...I'd just like to give a shout out to Cheryl Mueller, Judy Lee, Ms. Young, Ms. Sandra, Ms. Rethea, and all of the wonderful folks there (and the great student teachers, too!). I'm sure that there are equally wonderful and competent teachers at the USMGC CCD, and I can't imagine how much those parents will miss that service on the Coast.

<SARCASM> Maybe if they started teaching the kids to manufacture polymers, the USMGC CCD would become "cost-effective." </SARCASM>.

Date: May 28, 2004

I wonder if Ken Malone ever considered putting a commercialization and innovation park inside the USMGC CCD, and have the children put in a day's work for a day's pay for some company like Noetic. Here's probably what's going to happen: The resources used by the USMGC CCD will be split 50/50 between Kelli Booth and Vance Flosenzier.

Date: May 29, 2004

Today's Sun Herald has a bit more information in its story about the closing of the GC Early Childhood Center. Here's a link:

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/local/8790068.htm

According to the story, the Center, a learning lab and research facility, never received state funds (so closing the Center will not free up "state money" for other GC programs/services, as one might be inclined to believe based on Kenbot's "spin"). The Center's operation was funded by grants it received over the years and through the fees charged.

With USM-GC's primary market being nontraditional students, one would think Kenbot could see the value of such a Center as a recruiting tool to attract students who have young children, not to mention its role as a research facility and learning lab for child development majors.

Did Kenbot really consider all options before deciding to close this facility? Or, is this facility located in prime space on the Gulf Park campus that could be better used for Kenbot's economic development initiatives???

Date: May 29, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: Googler
"Today's Sun Herald has a bit more information in its story about the closing of the GC Early Childhood Center . . . . According to the story, the Center, a learning lab and research facility, never received state funds . . ."

Very perceptive of you Googler, to note this important difference in the initial report vs. this most recent SunHerald report. So the Early Childhood Center served as a learning lab and research facility but did not receive state funds. Somewhat odd to say the least, but as Pogo said back in the 50's, "Yours is not to reason why, yours is but to do or die."

Date: May 29, 2004

Thank you for the Sun Herald link, Googler. I am very interested to learn that the Gulf Coast Early Childhood Center is a learning lab. Are there any USMGC child development majors on this board? Isn't observation in a child development center mandatory for this major? (Like Andrea, I was lucky enough to have my children at the terrific USM Child Development Ctr, and I know that many USM students were required to do observations there.) What will the closing of the Gulf Coast Center mean for these students? Does anyone know?

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mary Villeponteaux
"Thank you for the Sun Herald link, Googler. I am very interested to learn that the Gulf Coast Early Childhood Center is a learning lab. Are there any USMGC child development majors on this board? Isn't observation in a child development center mandatory for this major? (Like Andrea, I was lucky enough to have my children at the terrific USM Child Development Ctr, and I know that many USM students were required to do observations there.) What will the closing of the Gulf Coast Center mean for these students? Does anyone know?"

Mary:

Ann Blackwell is director of the child and family program in our college, and their majors do make use of the 'burg CDC. At present, I don't believe that we have many (or any) majors in child development on the coast. Ann is the person to ask about this. The child census at the coast CDC is relatively small, however.

The CDC in the 'burg, as you know, is top flight. The staff on the coast are wonderful also, but the physical structure is not great. On one my first visits to the coast as interim associate dean, I took a look inside the structure--it's a problem for a number of reasons. The staff even complained of the occasional snake infestation. Despite the attentive and dedicated staff, as a parent, I had concerns about the physical infrastructure and facilities.

I wasn't part of the decision to close this "CDC" (I also did not give input on it), so I don't have a dog in this fight. If kept open as a service for our students with children, however, the university community would need to be prepared to attract additional state or federal funding for upgrading and maintaining the building and facilities (I can't see how the modest fees paid would cover these bricks and mortar costs).

Date: May 30, 2004

Originally posted by: Googler
"Today's Sun Herald has a bit more information in its story about the closing of the GC Early Childhood Center . . . . According to the story, the Center, a learning lab . . . ."

Originally posted by: Mitch Berman
" . . . . At present, I don't believe that we have many (or any) majors in child development on the coast. . . . ."

Lamont Cranston would like to know: If the USMGC Child Development Center served as a learning laboratory, as per the SunHerald posting by Googler, but there are few if any child development majors in the coast, as per the posting by Mitch Berman, then for what group of students did the USMGC Child Development Center serve as a learning laboratory?

Date: May 30, 2004

It might also be noted that they're closing down the USM conference center at Gulf Park. Another "un- profitable" venture, I gather? Who made the decision on that? No CDD, no conference center, no golf course. What's next?

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Merle
"It might also be noted that they're closing down the USM conference center at Gulf Park. Another "un- profitable" venture, I gather? Who made the decision on that? No CDD, no conference center, no golf course. What's next? "

next: no library! Kidding.

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mitch Berman
"On one my first visits to the coast as interim associate dean, I took a look inside the structure--it's a problem for a number of reasons. The staff even complained of the occasional snake infestation."

If there are structural issues (snakes, too? yikes), then it sounds like there's possibly been some neglect of the facility. Perhaps "neglect" is too strong a word. In any case, it's a shame Kenbot didn't consider this Center worth "rescuing" as a part of USM-GC's overall recruitment strategy to attract nontraditional students with young children. I'm sure there are grants that could be obtained to keep this Center in operation.

The cynic in me suspects Kenbot has designs on this space (snakes and all) for "other" initiatives.

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: Googler
" If there are structural issues (snakes, too? yikes), then it sounds like there's possibly been some neglect of the facility. Perhaps "neglect" is too strong a word. In any case, it's a shame Kenbot didn't consider this Center worth "rescuing" as a part of USM-GC's overall recruitment strategy to attract nontraditional students with young children. I'm sure there are grants that could be obtained to keep this Center in operation. The cynic in me suspects Kenbot has designs on this space (snakes and all) for "other" initiatives. "

Googler:

It should come as no surprise that the coast has needs! On one of my first visits to LB in an official capacity, I found that the only place to eat at 6 PM was a scary looking snack bar. In addition, psychology has no research/clinic space, making research, well, difficult.

To be honest, I don't know if the present CDC is a major draw for non-trad students. I am not familiar with the child care offerings in the community, and I have no data about how many students were attracted to USMGC because of the CDC facility. However, it does seem reasonable to assume that some students require safe and reliable child care to attend school.

You are right about space. Space availability on the GC is even tighter than at the 'burg. So, Ken Malone, if you are reading this, the CDC would make a GREAT psychology research and clinic space!

Mitch

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mitch Berman
"

I wasn't part of the decision to close this "CDC" (I also did not give input on it), so I don't have a dog in this fight.

This is the same phrase (no dog) that Machievelli used on FireShelby last week. Mitch, fess up. Are you Machievelli? If not, my apologies.

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Curious
" This is the same phrase (no dog) that Machievelli used on FireShelby last week. Mitch, fess up. Are you Machievelli? If not, my apologies."

Not me. But maybe I need a nickname like everyone else. After reading lots of posts on FS and here, maybe "Psycho Eyore" (those who know me would probably say this is a fitting name). Sorry about using the phrase. Having lived in MS for eight years, I've picked up some of the local colloquillisms. Probably better than the ones I learned growing up in the Bronx.

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mitch
""

Actually Curious was incorrect anyway, Machiavelli used the phrase "don't have a dog in that hunt" and your deviation only shows that you're not a native Mitch!

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mitch
""

Since you think the CDC would make a great psychology research and clinic space, maybe your nickname should be "Snake Charmer" (a tribute to the snake infestation you referenced in an earlier post).

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Googler
"Since you think the CDC would make a great psychology research and clinic space, maybe your nickname should be "Snake Charmer" (a tribute to the snake infestation you referenced in an earlier post)."

Well, we psychologists can't be very picky when it comes to space (look at OMH at the 'burg campus--offices that are closet sized with no windows, water leaks, HVAC that works some of the time, and the occasional rodent). Also, we have very effective treatments for snake phobias!

Date: May 31, 2004

We really need some treatments for Shelby phobia.