long column from Carl Nicholson - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: May 30, 2004

long column from Carl Nicholson

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: tvscene
"There is a lengthy editorial page column by Carl Nicholson in today's HA, extolling the many accomplishments of Thames. I don't believe it's on the online version however. Could someone scan it in? "

I have not seen that article, but I presume these must have been included on the list of accomplishments in today's HA:

1. Confiscated computers

2. Read emails

3. Skirted the Faculty Senate, and other established vehicles of communication, by establishing the PUC.

4. Refused to recognize the legitimate role and importance of AAUP

5. Issued termination letters to two loyal and capable faculty members

6. Wrecked faculty morale

7. Embarrassed the university nationally

8. Engaged in actions which inspired faculty leave the institution

9. Circumvented national searches in some major hirings

If any of these are inaccurate, and should be stricken from the list, say so. All I know is what I read on the message boards and in the media reports, and I may have misinterpreted them. On the other hand, perhaps there are other items which could be added to this list. I look forward to reading the HA item, and I hope somebody will be able to post it here. I receive only the Internet edition.

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: tvscene
"There is a lengthy editorial page column by Carl Nicholson in today's HA, extolling the many accomplishments of Thames. I don't believe it's on the online version however. Could someone scan it in? "

Wonder if he actually "wrote" it, or if it was "written for him" by someone else (i.e. Lisa Mader, etc.)? Sounds like an inside PR job to me.

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Wonder if he actually "wrote" it, or if it was "written for him" by someone else (i.e. Lisa Mader, etc.)? Sounds like an inside PR job to me."

Why shouldn't a former trustee be extended the same professional courtesies that any trustee or CEO should expect? Remember, if nobody had to ask other people to write their correspondence, proposals & position papers, there would be a lot less work for secretaries, PR hacks & grant proposal writers!

<SERIOUSLY>
There is no reason to suspect that Mr. Nicholson didn't write his own editorial, is there? Are there any tell-tale signs?
</SERIOUSLY>

Off to dig the editorial section out of the bottom of the bird cage...

Date: May 30, 2004

There is an inro and a brief conclusion by Nicholson with a press release of accomplishments in the middle(you are exactly right about who wrote it) and a screaming headline GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT SOUTHERN MISS

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: First Ant at the Picnic
" I have not seen that article, but I presume these must have been included on the list of accomplishments in today's HA: 1. Confiscated computers 2. Read emails 3. Skirted the Faculty Senate, and other established vehicles of communication, by establishing the PUC. 4. Refused to recognize the legitimate role and importance of AAUP 5. Issued termination letters to two loyal and capable faculty members 6. Wrecked faculty morale 7. Embarrassed the university nationally 8. Engaged in actions which inspired faculty leave the institution 9. Circumvented national searches in some major hirings If any of these are inaccurate, and should be stricken from the list, say so. All I know is what I read on the message boards and in the media reports, and I may have misinterpreted them. On the other hand, perhaps there are other items which could be added to this list. I look forward to reading the HA item, and I hope somebody will be able to post it here. I receive only the Internet edition. "

Please let me add two more items to the above list:

10. Implemented annual raises on a system which appeared to be based on other than merit.

11. Established clumsy and in some cases an inappropriate academic "reorganization" within the university.

I can't image that any positive accomplishments which may have been cited by Mr. Nicholson in today's HA article could overcome what has happened to USM. It will, from myt perspective, be years before things can get back to normal again. From what I read on the message board, all members of the USM family want is "to be like other children."

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: tvscene
"There is a lengthy editorial page column by Carl Nicholson in today's HA, extolling the many accomplishments of Thames. I don't believe it's on the online version however. Could someone scan it in? "

Well, I'd have to go to campus and misuse university property in order to scan anything, but the article is on the top of the "Perspective" section--apparently an offshoot of the opinion section. It basically blames everything on "deteriorating economic conditions." Everyone at USM should, according to Nicholson, "put the univerisity first and attempt to resolve their differences." Nicholson says that he wrote the letter in order to highlight the "many positive activities at both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Coast Campuses" that the media has "failed to cover"--presumably in the wake of the controversy, though he fails to actually say that. Then a bulleted list of accomplishments follows that does look suspiciously like a PR release.

Among the items included: highest ever average ACT for fall 2004 luckyday and leadership scholars, record # of presidential scholars in the honors college for fall, record number of national merit finalists for fall--definitely 7 and possibly 10, creation of the Center for Tourism and Economic Development Research on the coast in 2003, creation of first student stock trading room in the state, first excellence in teaching and research awards given at USM in 2003, July 1 2003 partnership with Hybrid Plastics, the soon-to-be created Innovation and Commercialization Park, Moving art to old HHS building, record year for research funding--$67 million as ofJuly 21 2003, USM featured in Sept. 1, 2003 issue of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, ground broken on the new international center--that's the building going up by LAB.

Nicholson ends with a line about how he knows and trusts that everyone is proud of these accomplishments, and then concludes with "I support Dr. Shelby Thames and I know we can work together to achieve the goal of a world-class university."

Yeah, right.

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: AmLitChick
"
highest ever average ACT for fall 2004 luckyday and leadership scholars, record # of presidential scholars in the honors college for fall, record number of national merit finalists for fall--definitely 7 and possibly 10,. . . first excellence in teaching and research awards given at USM in 2003, . . . the soon-to-be created Innovation and Commercialization Park, Moving art to old HHS building,"

Note that many of these things have not actually happened yet or are only predicted will happen in the fall. Wonder how many will actually pan out? (I can say I'm planning to win a Pulitzer some day too!) As for the awards, we have had awards for a long time before 2003. Thames's awards were just added to reward his cronies (I've got one undeserving winner in mind, but am actually feeling polite and won't name her/him.)

Date: May 30, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
"many of these things have not actually happened yet or are only predicted will happen in the fall. Wonder how many will actually pan out?"

Yeah, it definitely smells like spin to me. I've heard, for example, that there's no way it will be "cost effective" to renovate the old HHS building so that art can relocate there.

Date: May 30, 2004

Here are some quotes previously posted about the content of Nicholson's letter, interspersed with a few qualifying observations.

1. highest ever average ACT for fall 2004 luckyday and leadership scholars...

OK. How long have the luckyday scholarships even been available on campus? Not more than two or three years. So it's not as if we've achieved a 50-year high here, is it? Also, what is the actual ACT score? If it's gone up from 12 to 13, that ain't much to brag about. AND, if it has gone up from 34 to 36 (anyone believe that?), then what about the average ACT score of the common student? I've heard that THAT has dropped by a couple of points during Shelboo's watch, down to around 18 or so.

2. record # of presidential scholars in the honors college for fall, record number of national merit finalists for fall--definitely 7 and possibly 10...

Again, what was the previous high? This is a way to get cheap credit for a "10" that has not yet materialized and which Nicholson can never be held accountable for. And, if it should turn out to be 10 in fact, how does that compare to the numbers at other institutions? If we're getting 10 and Miss. State is getting 35, the 10 (if that's in any way a real number) wouldn't look so hot.

3. creation of the Center for Tourism and Economic Development Research on the coast in 2003

What IS this? Does it actually exist? Has it actually achieved a single thing? There was also allegedly the creation of a Trent Lott center for economic development ON THE HATTIESBURG CAMPUS. According to Bobby Chain, Shelboo and Angeline G. Dvorak have totally botched this.

4. creation of first student stock trading room in the state....

If true, is this good? Why is this different from some professor creating a new Power Point demonstration to teach a particular block of material? Is it a real achievement, in other words?

5. first excellence in teaching and research awards given at USM in 2003

Someone else has already pointed out that this is just an outright lie.

6. July 1 2003 partnership with Hybrid Plastics

Does anyone know anything about the terms of this partnership? How is this going to help the university? Who is really going to benefit here?

7. the soon-to-be created Innovation and Commercialization Park

At the expense of losing the golf course. I don't play golf, but I know that many universities have golf courses--both for the pleasure of faculty and staff and in support of a university golf team. Once this golf course is gone, USM will NEVER have another. Should Shelboo be selling or trading off our assets like this without a very serious investigation into the long-range ramifications of such a move.

8. Moving art to old HHS building

Costs of renovation here will likely keep this from ever happening. And then the Art faculty and students will be facing the same thing the nursing faculty and students were going to face--trying to be part of a campus while also being 3 miles away from everything else that is going on. There are universities that have vastly spred out campuses, I realize, but they also have fully developed transportations systems. What are our chances of having that?

9. record year for research funding--$67 million as of July 21 2003

The faculty who write the grants should get the credit here, to the extent that there's credit here to be taken. A lot of the money Shelboo and crew want to take credit for, though, came in from grants written under the watches of Don Cotten and Horace Fleming and Aubrey.

10. USM featured in Sept. 1, 2003 issue of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition

Wasn't this a paid-for "feature"? I believe I saw it and remember that it was an ad we had bought in this magazine.

11. ground broken on the new international center--that's the building going up by LAB.

No question, ground has been broken. They've even laid some bricks and have a crane in operation. But this was in the works long before the current administration came into power.

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: margeaux
"Here are some quotes previously posted about the content of Nicholson's letter, interspersed with a few qualifying observations. 1. highest ever average ACT for fall 2004 luckyday and leadership scholars... OK. How long have the luckyday scholarships even been available on campus? Not more than two or three years. So it's not as if we've achieved a 50-year high here, is it? Also, what is the actual ACT score? If it's gone up from 12 to 13, that ain't much to brag about. AND, if it has gone up from 34 to 36 (anyone believe that?), then what about the average ACT score of the common student? I've heard that THAT has dropped by a couple of points during Shelboo's watch, down to around 18 or so. 2. record # of presidential scholars in the honors college for fall, record number of national merit finalists for fall--definitely 7 and possibly 10... Again, what was the previous high? This is a way to get cheap credit for a "10" that has not yet materialized and which Nicholson can never be held accountable for. And, if it should turn out to be 10 in fact, how does that compare to the numbers at other institutions? If we're getting 10 and Miss. State is getting 35, the 10 (if that's in any way a real number) wouldn't look so hot. 3. creation of the Center for Tourism and Economic Development Research on the coast in 2003 What IS this? Does it actually exist? Has it actually achieved a single thing? There was also allegedly the creation of a Trent Lott center for economic development ON THE HATTIESBURG CAMPUS. According to Bobby Chain, Shelboo and Angeline G. Dvorak have totally botched this. 4. creation of first student stock trading room in the state.... If true, is this good? Why is this different from some professor creating a new Power Point demonstration to teach a particular block of material? Is it a real achievement, in other words? 5. first excellence in teaching and research awards given at USM in 2003 Someone else has already pointed out that this is just an outright lie. 6. July 1 2003 partnership with Hybrid Plastics Does anyone know anything about the terms of this partnership? How is this going to help the university? Who is really going to benefit here? 7. the soon-to-be created Innovation and Commercialization Park At the expense of losing the golf course. I don't play golf, but I know that many universities have golf courses--both for the pleasure of faculty and staff and in support of a university golf team. Once this golf course is gone, USM will NEVER have another. Should Shelboo be selling or trading off our assets like this without a very serious investigation into the long-range ramifications of such a move. 8. Moving art to old HHS building Costs of renovation here will likely keep this from ever happening. And then the Art faculty and students will be facing the same thing the nursing faculty and students were going to face--trying to be part of a campus while also being 3 miles away from everything else that is going on. There are universities that have vastly spred out campuses, I realize, but they also have fully developed transportations systems. What are our chances of having that? 9. record year for research funding--$67 million as of July 21 2003 The faculty who write the grants should get the credit here, to the extent that there's credit here to be taken. A lot of the money Shelboo and crew want to take credit for, though, came in from grants written under the watches of Don Cotten and Horace Fleming and Aubrey. 10. USM featured in Sept. 1, 2003 issue of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition Wasn't this a paid-for "feature"? I believe I saw it and remember that it was an ad we had bought in this magazine. 11. ground broken on the new international center--that's the building going up by LAB. No question, ground has been broken. They've even laid some bricks and have a crane in operation. But this was in the works long before the current administration came into power. "

This sounds like the material for an excellent rebuttal letter -- (hint hint!)

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: margeaux
"Here are some quotes previously posted about the content of Nicholson's letter, interspersed with a few qualifying observations. 1. highest ever average ACT for fall 2004 luckyday and leadership scholars... OK. How long have the luckyday scholarships even been available on campus? Not more than two or three years. So it's not as if we've achieved a 50-year high here, is it? Also, what is the actual ACT score? If it's gone up from 12 to 13, that ain't much to brag about. AND, if it has gone up from 34 to 36 (anyone believe that?), then what about the average ACT score of the common student? I've heard that THAT has dropped by a couple of points during Shelboo's watch, down to around 18 or so. 2. record # of presidential scholars in the honors college for fall, record number of national merit finalists for fall--definitely 7 and possibly 10... Again, what was the previous high? This is a way to get cheap credit for a "10" that has not yet materialized and which Nicholson can never be held accountable for. And, if it should turn out to be 10 in fact, how does that compare to the numbers at other institutions? If we're getting 10 and Miss. State is getting 35, the 10 (if that's in any way a real number) wouldn't look so hot. 3. creation of the Center for Tourism and Economic Development Research on the coast in 2003 What IS this? Does it actually exist? Has it actually achieved a single thing? There was also allegedly the creation of a Trent Lott center for economic development ON THE HATTIESBURG CAMPUS. According to Bobby Chain, Shelboo and Angeline G. Dvorak have totally botched this. 4. creation of first student stock trading room in the state.... If true, is this good? Why is this different from some professor creating a new Power Point demonstration to teach a particular block of material? Is it a real achievement, in other words? 5. first excellence in teaching and research awards given at USM in 2003 Someone else has already pointed out that this is just an outright lie. 6. July 1 2003 partnership with Hybrid Plastics Does anyone know anything about the terms of this partnership? How is this going to help the university? Who is really going to benefit here? 7. the soon-to-be created Innovation and Commercialization Park At the expense of losing the golf course. I don't play golf, but I know that many universities have golf courses--both for the pleasure of faculty and staff and in support of a university golf team. Once this golf course is gone, USM will NEVER have another. Should Shelboo be selling or trading off our assets like this without a very serious investigation into the long-range ramifications of such a move. 8. Moving art to old HHS building Costs of renovation here will likely keep this from ever happening. And then the Art faculty and students will be facing the same thing the nursing faculty and students were going to face--trying to be part of a campus while also being 3 miles away from everything else that is going on. There are universities that have vastly spred out campuses, I realize, but they also have fully developed transportations systems. What are our chances of having that? 9. record year for research funding--$67 million as of July 21 2003 The faculty who write the grants should get the credit here, to the extent that there's credit here to be taken. A lot of the money Shelboo and crew want to take credit for, though, came in from grants written under the watches of Don Cotten and Horace Fleming and Aubrey. 10. USM featured in Sept. 1, 2003 issue of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition Wasn't this a paid-for "feature"? I believe I saw it and remember that it was an ad we had bought in this magazine. 11. ground broken on the new international center--that's the building going up by LAB. No question, ground has been broken. They've even laid some bricks and have a crane in operation. But this was in the works long before the current administration came into power. "

This sounds like the material for an excellent rebuttal letter -- (hint hint!)

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: margeaux
"2. record # of presidential scholars in the honors college for fall, record number of national merit finalists for fall--definitely 7 and possibly 10... Again, what was the previous high? This is a way to get cheap credit for a "10" that has not yet materialized and which Nicholson can never be held accountable for. And, if it should turn out to be 10 in fact, how does that compare to the numbers at other institutions? If we're getting 10 and Miss. State is getting 35, the 10 (if that's in any way a real number) wouldn't look so hot.

You're right on here, margeaux. Presidential Scholars stood steady at 10 for the longest time (at least when I was at the HC, 95-00). All that is required to offer more of these is to find more donors willing to set one up OR to change the terms of the scholarship (make the money go further by offering less-than-full scholarships). Again, this is another one of those variables that *they* actually control.

As for National Merit Finalists, I can't remember the exact numbers, but State and Ole Miss *always* beat us out in this category when I was recruiting for the HC (probably by a margin of 2 to 1). Also, as I have pointed out before, it is MAY for crying out loud! Many students change their minds over the summer or make late decisions. It is crazy to say how many NMF you will have coming in the fall at this time. You simply don't know until the first day of school.

5. first excellence in teaching and research awards given at USM in 2003 Someone else has already pointed out that this is just an outright lie.

This is an outright lie. One check of the USM website will show you that this is wrong, wrong, wrong. Heck, David Berry just destroyed his three Excellence in Teaching awards...how could have done that if they didn't exist prior to 2003????

6. July 1 2003 partnership with Hybrid Plastics Does anyone know anything about the terms of this partnership? How is this going to help the university? Who is really going to benefit here?

If I remember correctly, Hybrid Plastics was going to get some lab space in the new wing of the Polymer Science Bldg. Someone on campus needs to look into this. Hybrid Plastics is moving to MS from CA. I imagine the cost of doing business in MS is a lot cheaper than CA. Also, Hybrid Plastics will offer internships to PSC students. So, everyone in PSC will benefit--not sure how that will translate to other areas at USM.

10. USM featured in Sept. 1, 2003 issue of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition Wasn't this a paid-for "feature"? I believe I saw it and remember that it was an ad we had bought in this magazine.

Yep, this one's kinda sad (if it was an ad). Again, another variable controlled by SFT. Not fair to count that as an "accomplishment."

Someone needs to write a letter to the editor refuting these "accomplishments."

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Someone needs to write a letter to the editor refuting these "accomplishments.""

AH:

Just some clarification about the excellence in research awards. These have been around for years. I won one in 1998. I received a cheesy plaque and about $700 I think (this amount of money doesn't go far to advance research). I was later on the the university research council, and a bunch of us malcontents thought that USM scholars deserved better. Awards are now in line with other universities, and financially meaningful ($5,000). We also developed a life-time achievement award, graduate student awards, and a community partnership award. These are good things. Support for these awards comes from F&A in the VPRE office, and not from general funds (so the admin does get kudos on this one--but not for starting research awards in general). Amazing how Jackson folks can make a good effort by faculty and admin to honor and recognize our scholars into a controversy! Geez.

Mitch

Date: May 31, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: margeaux
"10. USM featured in Sept. 1, 2003 issue of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition

Wasn't this a paid-for "feature"? I believe I saw it and remember that it was an ad we had bought in this magazine."

I remember that USM was listed in the USN&WP in the category "top 50 graduate schools of music" at one time. This was earlier-- probably 2000 or 2001, and I didn't check later lists. However, it might be more informative to note how many categories we made listed pre- vs. post-Shelby.

Date: Mar 9, 2005

kick from May, 2004

Date: Mar 9, 2005

someone is getting desperate! HA HA HA. Why go back a year? Why not go back to the middle ages where you belong?

Date: Mar 9, 2005

This is the column that Gene Saucier replied to, point out all of the lies in it. It was a great, great piece.

Date: Mar 9, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: saucier fan
"This is the column that Gene Saucier replied to, point out all of the lies in it. It was a great, great piece."

Below is Saucier's original response [HA, June 4, 2004] to the GREAT THINGS HAPPENING puff piece. Does the HA not realize it used most of Nicholson's column before?

Column filled with half-truths

Carl Nicholson's recent column ("Great things are happening at Southern Miss," May 30), plays with the truth. USM was not "featured" in U.S. News & World Report, but was the subject of a paid ad. Excellence in teaching and research awards are not a first under USM President Shelby Thames; they have been awarded for years. Projects and programs begun under previous administrations - the international center, increases in externally generated dollars - are coming to fruition or continuing to pay off while several of Thames' much touted projects - the Gulf Coast Tourism Center and moving the Art Department downtown - are either pie in the sky or would cause unnecessary problems.

Under Thames' leadership the nationally recognized School of Nursing has had to limit enrollment and may lose accreditation of its graduate program.

His claim that USM is the largest university in the state was proven bogus. He is squandering the opportunity to have the first national center for economic development by his foot-dragging.

A record number of faculty have left, the majority of those remaining are demoralized, and trust in his administration is gone.

Half-truths, like foul balls, don't count.

Gene D. Saucier,

Hattiesburg

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Originally published Friday, June 4, 2004