TAKING CUE FROM BUSH, THAMES DECLARES HE’S USM’S DECIDER

HATTIESBURG—Apparently taking a cue from President George W. Bush’s defense of his secretary of defense last week, USM President Shelby Thames yesterday declared himself “the decider” at Southern Miss who decides what is best for Southern Miss.

The comment came in response to renewed accusations from faculty representatives over the last few weeks that Thames’ management style leaves input from others out of decision-making at the 16,000-student university. 

“I’m the president, I’m the public face of this institution, my signature is on all policy decisions, I present proposals to the IHL,” said Thames.  “No faculty signatures appear on anything except change-of-grade forms and advising sheets.  I’m the decider and I decide what is best for Southern Miss.”

Thames’ comments come as the USM Faculty Senate mulls another no confidence vote.  A no-confidence vote following the firing of two tenured faculty members in 2004 showed that an overwhelming majority of the faculty had no confidence in Thames at that time.  However, that no confidence vote resulted in no action from the state’s Board of Trustees for Institutions of Higher Learning.

“We are the deciders for the Institutions of Higher Learning in Mississippi,” said then IHL board member Roy Klumb, “not faculty, not staff, not the presidents.  We are.”

Thames’ management style has been under fire since the 65-year old took the reigns of power at Southern Miss from Horace Fleming, who resigned in 2002 after being offered a one-year contract by the IHL instead of the expected four-year contract.  “That was our decision to make,” said Klumb.

Despite the myriad controversies that have plagued Thames’ tenure as president, in 2005 the IHL granted Thames a one-year contract extension.  Thames will serve as Southern Miss president until May 2007.  “That was also our decision to make,” said Klumb, who resigned from the IHL Board of Trustees in December 2005. 

“We might could have spared the university some major embarrassment had Thames shared some of his decisions with the faculty,” said USM Faculty Senate President Bill Powell.

“We are a world-class university and we are forging a bright future for south Mississippi,” said Thames.  “Mississippi State may have its general, but I’m the commandant of this camp.”

In another matter, the university announced today that it will impose a 15 percent surcharge on all USM office pools for who the next USM president will be.  “We know these office pools will begin to pop up,” said USM Chief Financial Officer Greg Lassen.  “This is another creative revenue generator that can add to the university coffers.” All USM administrative offices will be expected to hand over 15 percent of the take on office pools as administrators, faculty and staff attempt to predict who the next USM president will be.

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