Open Letter to the Citizens of Hattiesburg - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Mar 14, 2006

Open Letter to the Citizens of Hattiesburg

Date: Mar 15, 2006

And you have no "open letter" for the Citizens of the Gulf Coast? Sob, sob..

Date: Mar 15, 2006

Why are there so many wannabe movie script writers that post on this Board? I hope they keep their day jobs.

Date: Mar 15, 2006

Meredith's Polly (for TM) wrote:

14 March 2006 Dear Citizens of Hattiesburg: I know that since the installation of Shelby F. Thames as President of The University of Southern Mississippi in May of 2002 there has been turmoil and unrest on the Hattiesburg campus. In addition to these troubles, Hurricane Katrina caused massive devastation throughout USM's Long Beach campus. Many continue, after these trials, to wonder about the future of Southern Miss. Let me assure you that the institution has a future. It will, however, be a different one than some may have envisioned. Soon, Ole Miss will take leadership in the State in business, the arts, psychology, english, history and number of other disciplines, too many to enumerate here. Southern Miss has done yeoman's work in advancing the state of knowledge and the practice of pedagogy in these areas. By giving Ole Miss leadership in these areas, Southern will be free to focus more on the latter of these two pursuits. Students in South Mississippi will still have access to undergraduate courses in these, and other, areas. On that you have my word. I also want to assure the citizens of Hattiesburg that in now way does the change that is coming threaten the viable of your little institution. In many ways, it will become more accessible, as some of you will be able to work in management and other administrative positions there. These opportunities may not have existed if the institution remained on the course of its past. I know you will do your part to make the transition to support status smooth for the institution you love so dearly. As always, Southern Miss . . . To the Top! Thank you.

There will still be graduate programs at USM and very robust ones at that. Most of the posters on this board are not from the CoST. What you are seeing is the predicted shift of resources from programs (even excellent programs) in areas where outside funding is less likely and into science /engineering where the big buck reside. If your program can concentrate less on scholarship output and more on funding input then you will receive resources also. Most in CoB, EdPsy and CoAL still concentrate on scholarship instead of funding.

Date: Mar 15, 2006

Small Correction wrote:

If your program can concentrate less on scholarship output and more on funding input then you will receive resources also. Most in CoB, EdPsy and CoAL still concentrate on scholarship instead of funding.

I must be missing something. This comment was filtered right through the bizarre compartment of my cortex before it reached my visual receptor.

Date: Mar 15, 2006

So I guess scholarship is a thing of the past at USM? No more contribution to the body of knowledge. Wow.

Date: Mar 15, 2006

I can't believe Commissioner Meredith is going to do this. It's terrible and will set the South part of the state back decades.

Date: Mar 15, 2006

Retiree 3 wrote:

So I guess scholarship is a thing of the past at USM? No more contribution to the body of knowledge. Wow.

No hopes of ever getting a Phi Betta Kappa chapter like Millsaps and Ole Miss has? No hopes of rising beyond our current tier level? No hopes of the Southern part of our state having a major comprehensive university?

Date: Mar 15, 2006

Dear Commissioner Meredith:

After the Vietnam era unrest at my alma mater back in Illinois, the president decided that the new home of the ROTC Program would be in the same building as the troublesome College of Liberal Arts, which was, as is only fit, the epicenter of the unrest. Such a move would serve to quell future unrest at USM too. Perhaps the Police Academy that used to be at Gulf Park could also be relocated to the LAB. It could facilitate seminars in wiretapping and e-mail spying: good job skills to have, apparently, both at USM and in the post-Patriot Act USA.