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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> Alumni Association, Please Speak
Post Info TOPIC: Alumni Association, Please Speak
First Ant at the Picnic

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Alumni Association, Please Speak
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The Faculty Senate, the AAUP, the media (local, state and national), and community leaders (e.g., Bobby Chain, Gene Saucier, and Jeff Hartwig, to name only three) have publicly documented the debacle at USM. As far as I can determine, the middle-level administration (chairs, deans, vice presidents, provosts) have been publicly silent. Perhaps their silence may be because they are terrified that their jobs may be in jeapordy if they speak out. But surely the Alumni have no jobs at stake if they speak out. The Alumni Association must be alarmed about what is happening to their university. The Alumni Association must be embarrassed that people all over the nation are talking about this. The Alunmi Association must know that the USM faculty is right in its defense of the established and nationally accepted principles of shared governance and other important academic principles which help make a university great.  Professors Stringer and Glamser received strong support from the faculty, from the Faculty Senate, from the AAUP, from respected community leaders, and from the national media. The Alumni Association, comprised of large numbers of legitimate and very important stakeholders, has yet to speak out in defense of the faculty's continuing endeaor to preserve essential academic principles at USM. I hope that such support will be forthcoming very soon, before things deteriorate any further.  

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Googler

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quote:
Originally posted by: First Ant at the Picnic
"But surely the Alumni have no jobs at stake if they speak out."

I agree that the Alumni Association as a body has been silent. Individually, USMAA board member Becky Montague authored one of the first (and finest) letters that appeared in the HA: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/stories/20040310/opinion/51468.html


Keep in mind the administrative leadership of the USMAA are staffers who are even more vulnerable than faculty. You won't see those guys publically rocking any boats out on Lake Byron. Also remember, "our" new college board member Robin Robinson is/was a USMAA board member (she might have resigned from this board at the time of her appointment, but not sure). I think we know where she stands.


It would be interesting to find out if the USMAA has seen a decrease in alumni membership renewals this year, particularly since it has been rumored that football season ticket renewals are down.



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First Ant at the Picnic

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quote:
Originally posted by: Googler
" I agree that the Alumni Association as a body has been silent. Individually, USMAA board member Becky Montague authored one of the first (and finest) letters that appeared in the HA: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/stories/20040310/opinion/51468.html Keep in mind the administrative leadership of the USMAA are staffers who are even more vulnerable than faculty. You won't see those guys publically rocking any boats out on Lake Byron. Also remember, "our" new college board member Robin Robinson is/was a USMAA board member (she might have resigned from this board at the time of her appointment, but not sure). I think we know where she stands. It would be interesting to find out if the USMAA has seen a decrease in alumni membership renewals this year, particularly since it has been rumored that football season ticket renewals are down."

Thanks for calling my attention to this.  I read Becky Montague's good letter when it first appeared, and I fully intended to mention her name, along with Chain, Saucier, and Chain, among the responsible persons speaking out.


 



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First Ant at the Picnic

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quote:
Originally posted by: First Ant at the Picnic
" Thanks for calling my attention to this.  I read Becky Montague's good letter when it first appeared, and I fully intended to mention her name, along with Chain, Saucier, and Chain, among the responsible persons speaking out.  "
Correction to above posing: In addition to Montague, the posting should have read ". . .  Chain, Saucier, and Hartwig." All of their letters were excellent.

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ram

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quote:
Originally posted by: Googler
"  It would be interesting to find out if the USMAA has seen a decrease in alumni membership renewals this year, particularly since it has been rumored that football season ticket renewals are down."
The short answer is yes, but I do not have specifics.

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Invictus

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quote:
Originally posted by: ram
"The short answer is yes, but I do not have specifics."


I know that I received a letter from USMAA a couple weeks ago literally begging me to disregard the "turmoil" at the University & re-up my membership. If they bothered to check their records, they'd note that my membership lapsed at the same time SFT was hired. I plan to renew it when he leaves.

USMAA doesn't represent alumni. I learned that a long time ago. It represents a small group of donors who buy their way into an officer's job with the association. It's very similar to the "big money donors" that are trying to gain control of the athletic program. And it's the same mentality that makes big political contributions so they can get a seat on the IHL board. I think it's some kind of mental illness, actually, but I wasn't a psych major.

I have nothing in common with the officers of USMAA except the institution named on my diplomas. Past that, I have more of those #$%& diplomas than most of them...

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Stitch

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Do not worry about the Alumni Association speaking out for the betterment of the university. Bob Pierce, the USMAA Director, has his lips sewn to Shelby's tush. He likes it there.



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kicker

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kick

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