Departures in English, 2002-present - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: May 1, 2006

Departures in English, 2002-present

Date: May 1, 2006

Holy Cow cece -- thank you! That was so fast.

Date: May 1, 2006

That's absolutely sickening.

Date: May 1, 2006

If I count right, English lost EIGHT Full Professors since 2002 (and only two to retirement-- and we know why Berry left since he made no secret of it).

Even discounting the issue of their individual standing as scholars/teachers, that is devastating.

Date: May 1, 2006

What a shame. What a cryin' shame. And look at some of the schools: Florida, Texas A&M, Colorado, NC State.

Date: May 1, 2006

It's very difficult for a department to rise above the university, but the USM Department of English did just that by recruiting a cadre of nationally visible scholars as well as some very productive junior faculty members. It took a clear departmental focus and decades of hard work and careful recruiting. But now, with this mass exodus, what was carefully built over a long period of time is being destroyed in less than four years. The academic job market is tight, but the USM English faculty members are marketable and they are moving to some very good schools. Even a finger-snapping IHL member would not be able to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Date: May 2, 2006

This reminded me of what Mrs. Drews said last year about this time when "Coke Plant meeting" was moved to the Paving Company. Recall they were trying to get SFT 4 more years. She let the "cat out of the bag" by saying SFT's plan was to reduce Liberal Arts and invest in Science and Technology to get the big grant money. Does anyone else remember the statement by Mrs. Drews? I seem to recall similar statement made by Roy Klumb. Maybe "Info" can post the exact news article for us.

Date: May 2, 2006

Wonder how long it will be before we lose Dr. Lares. She's such an active scholar that I'm sure she can/will/should leave if the right job comes along. And Barron and Weinauer. Surely they must only be here because they are a two job family.

Date: May 2, 2006

I don't have any plans to leave, actually. I am committed to the department and expect to see it do well in the future. As sad as I am about those who have left, I am excited about the great hires we've made in the last few years.

But thanks for the compliment to me, Jonathan and Ellen. The best part of my job is the people. JL

Date: May 2, 2006

The stellar reputation of the English Dept. will remain in spite of the Tiny Thames regime. You all do give an academic arm to the branches that seem to continue to die while SFT fiddles away.

Date: May 2, 2006

LeftASAP wrote:

This reminded me of what Mrs. Drews ...Does anyone else remember the statement by Mrs. Drews? I seem to recall similar statement made by Roy Klumb. Maybe "Info" can post the exact news article for us.

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HA, 3/5/05

Area leaders to discuss USM

By Kevin Walters

About 250 people, including University of Southern Mississippi supporters and Hattiesburg area business leaders, have been invited to a private meeting on Thursday to discuss issues facing the school.

The gathering was set up by a 10-person group of local business owners and supporters of president Shelby Thames, said Jan Lacy, owner of a local printing company.

"We're going to discuss a little about the past, a little about where are now, a little about where the direction is going in the future," Lacy said. "Yes, we are Shelby (Thames) supporters, and we just want to make sure that a broad base of the community is really aware of some of the great things that are happening."

The meeting will be held at the Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Bottling Co. on Hardy Street.

The media is not being invited in order for attendees to more freely express their opinions, Lacy said. However, area residents who have not been invited and wish to attend may obtain an invitation by contacting the event's organizers, she said.

Deciding on the guest list was difficult, Lacy said, but organizers wanted to "really make sure that this group of people is knowledgeable on exactly what Southern Miss means to the community."

Organizers have strong ties to the Area Development Partnership, including two past chairmen - Brad Brian and Lawrence Warren - and current ADP President Richard Jones.

Jones was not able to comment on the meeting.

The event is not being sponsored by the Area Development Partnership, said Layla Essary, ADP spokeswoman.

Who isn't invited, at least so far, is president Shelby Thames or members of the media to the invitation-only gathering.

Southern Miss Faculty Senate President David Beckett and others in the faculty group wanted to learn more about the meeting and a published report about it before releasing any official statement about it.

Beckett said Friday he would contact university spokeswoman Lisa Mader in an effort to learn more about the gathering.

Mader said the university is not involved in organizing the event.

"From what I understand it's business leaders in the community talking with other business leaders in the community," Mader said.

Mader said Friday that neither she nor Thames has been invited.

Mader said her role in the event's planning was minimal. She said she was contacted by Hattiesburg businessman Bobby Dews to provide him with some "positive information" about university trends, such as increases in research funding, enrollment and other accomplishments.

That information would be provided to anyone who asked for it, she said. Asked about the meeting, Dews said he had no comment.

Mader said she was asked for help to find a host for the event and she contacted Bonnie Drews. She is the wife of Fred Drews, who is a local dentist, chairman of the Forrest County Republican executive committee and a former student of Thames.

Bonnie Drews, a Southern Miss graduate as well, agreed to co-host the event. Bonnie Drews said Thames might be at the meeting.

Bonnie Drews related her own experiences and difficulties in the job market after graduating from Southern Miss with an education and psychology degree when she was younger. Focusing more on research instead of liberal arts may be the direction the university needs to go in the future for financial reasons, she said.

"I just think that's what Shelby's trying to do here," she said.

"So many people feel strongly one way or another," Bonnie Drews said. "Several of our friends feel very anti-Shelby Thames. Most of those are in liberal arts. I don't think the scientific-technology part of USM feels that way and it's the same way in the community."

Similar comments from Bonnie Drews in a published report earlier this week which also quoted College Board member Scott Ross drew criticism and a sometimes testy discussion among members of the Faculty Senate meeting.

"What makes you think Dr. Thames has anything to do with this meeting?" asked associate professor and director of the library and information science Melanie J. Norton.

"It's being organized by Lisa Mader," said associate political science professor Kate Greene.

"Well, then why doesn't somebody call Lisa Mader and ask her what the heck she's doing?" Norton replied. "And find out why the board member is involved?"

"(Thames) doesn't know what she's doing?" Peter Butko, assistant professor of chemistry said.

"Do you know what everyone who works for you does?" Norton asked.

During the meeting, associate professor of theater Stephen Judd called Mader's office from his cellular phone but could not reach her.

Hattiesburg businessman Carl Nicholson, a former College Board member, questioned the media coverage of Southern Miss. Asked about access to the meeting, Nicholson cited the Faculty Senate's holding closed-door executive sessions when media members must leave.

"I don't see anything wrong with us having a private meeting," Nicholson said. "We still have that right under the Constitution to assemble, don't we?"

Other issues would be discussed at the meeting aside from Thames' leadership, he said.

"It's not just about Dr. Thames," Nicholson said. "These are big issues. This is the most important issue our community has."

Originally published March 5, 2005

Date: May 2, 2006

2 of 3

HA, 3/8/05

Klumb: USM must add research projects
Board president says it would attract funding

By Kevin Walters

At issue

Some have said that the mission of the University of Southern Mississippi should be redefined and moved away from liberal arts and more toward research while others have disagreed saying that a comprehensive university must include liberal arts.

While research and science should co-exist with liberal arts studies, the University of Southern Mississippi must add more research projects in the future to attract more external funding, the state's College Board president said Monday.

"It must move in the direction of more research-oriented projects, more economic development projects as an enhancement to the liberal arts side of the university," said Roy Klumb of Gulfport.

The question of redefining the university's mission to focus on research came up as 250 business leaders plan to meet Thursday at the Hattiesburg Coca-Cola plant. The invitation-only meeting was organized by a group of 10 supporters and influential donors to the school who want to discuss the university's future.

Bonnie Drews, one of the meeting's co-hosts, said last week she favors seeing changes in liberal arts studies and said Southern Miss President Shelby Thames is redefining the university's mission.

Brad Brian, vice president of Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Bottling Co., said Tuesday the meeting isn't about redefining the university's mission or against faculty members who have spoken out against Thames and his leadership since he became president in 2002.

"I wish that had not been said because we've got enough friction now," Brian said.

Instead, the original intent of the meeting was to bring up accomplishments at Southern Miss such as its growing enrollment or increases in external funding, Brian said.

"It's not that we don't have things that the university should be proud of, but nobody knows about it," Brian said.

The media are not invited to Thursday's meeting, but information would be provided afterward.

"It's not anything that's intended to be this highly secretive thing that we're putting together," he said.

Brian said administration officials and Thames would not be invited to the meeting. Faculty members are not invited to the meeting either.

Southern Miss professor and former Faculty Senate President Myron Henry sought and got an invitation to the meeting from one of its organizers this weekend. But Monday Henry said he learned the invitation was rescinded because no faculty members were to be allowed to attend. He did not name the organizer who gave him the invitation.

"I think it says a lot," Henry said. "Even though faculty are neighbors and patients and customers of many of the organizers as well as taxpayers and supporters of community causes and attenders of community functions, to some of these organizers that doesn't count. It doesn't make us the kind of citizens of our community we think we are."

Brian said that faculty are vital to the university but he wanted to focus more on positive news from Southern Miss.

"They are stakeholders, but everything that comes out is negative about the university and negative about all phases of the university," Brian said. "This is not slanted toward them. We want to have a discussion of business people."

Klumb, who said he has not been invited to the meeting and would not attend if he were, said the College Board is "always working to define and redefine" the state's universities.

Board members must weigh the input from various groups all the time against a university's ongoing work, he said. As a comprehensive university, Southern Miss is serving the needs of a growing student population of more than 16,000 students, Klumb said, and will one day be the state's largest university as the population in South Mississippi grows.

Yet it and the state's other public universities could lose more state funding if Gov. Haley Barbour and lawmakers pare appropriations. So the mindset of how Southern Miss and other state public universities are run must change, Klumb said.

"The notion that we're going to run in that 1950s style liberal arts school, that just can't happen," he said.

Klumb said he learned of the meeting from a published report faxed to him by College Board staff last week, adding that the public scrutiny of Thames is "unprecedented."

Other U.S. universities are also redefining their missions and roles. Klumb drew a comparison between Thames and Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player.

"How do we move these universities forward? What set of ideas is going to win at the end of the day? As a university president tries to reshape a university and move it off in a different direction, I don't know who is the Jackie Robinson to sit in that presidential chair without having to fight through a mindset that doesn't want to (change)," Klumb said.

Thames was hired by the board to increase the Southern Miss enrollment and "refocus" its finances to make it financially stronger, Klumb said.

He said Thames has made positive steps but also mentioned the setbacks he's faced. But he stressed the need for change. "Is Dr. Thames our Jackie Robinson? I don't know," Klumb said.

Originally published March 8, 2005

Date: May 2, 2006

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The Independent, 3/10/05

Business Community Divided over future of USM, by Bob Pittman

While the ten hosts of a Thursday evening meeting in Hattiesburg have labeled the session as a "brief" meeting to consider "the future" of the University of Southern Mississippi, the 12-item agenda indicates the meeting will be anything but brief since most of the subjects involve highly controversial issues.

And, the most controversial of issues may be the growing division within the area's business community relating to the future direction of the University.

Even though the hosts for the meeting have labeled it as a session for the discussion of the "future of the University of Southern Mississippi," one of the group, Jan Lacy, has acknowledged that all the members of the group "are Shelby (Thames) supporters."

And Bonnie Drews, one of the sponsors of the meeting, has said a major issue is about the direction of the University, whether "liberal arts" will continue to dominate the campus or whether the University will focus on applied research and technology.

Also at issue is the role of the University leadership in the meeting. University spokeswoman Lisa Mader has said that USM is not involved in organizing the meeting but she acknowledged that she invited at least one of the sponsors to serve as a "host" for the meeting.

Meeting sponsors have said Dr. Thames has not been invited to the meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening at the Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Bottling Company offices just off U.S. Highway 98 west. Hosts for the meeting include Drews, Lacy, Brad Brian, Bobby Dews, Gwen James, Richard Jones, Bob Mixon, Carl Nicholson, Dr. Doug Rouse, and Lawrence Warren.

The agenda calls for "brief" discussions related to the accomplishments of Dr. Thames, a "brief" report on science and technology, and a "brief" discussion of economic development.

But the agenda also includes such highly inflammatory subjects such as "athletics and construction," a "new look" at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the institution that has placed USM on academic probation for a year; a "new look" at the most recent flare up on campus which related to the direction of the College of Business; and a discussion related to the "shaping of the media reporting."

Also, while the meeting was earlier described as a meeting of a few friends of the University, reports are some 250 "friends" have been invited to the session. And Lacy said others in the community who are interested in attending should contact one of the sponsors of the session.

Mader said she understood the meeting as a group of business leaders "talking with other business leaders in the community."

If business leaders are "talking to other business leaders," some expect strong words. Sources in the business community who were not invited to the meeting said the principal issues are whether "liberal arts" or "research and technology" are going to be the University's focus and whether Thames is going to continue as the leader of the University.

The fact that three presidents of the Area Development Partnership, the region's economic development arm, are hosting the meeting, one source said, is an indication that the group is attempting to move the University in the direction of technology at the expense of liberal arts.

"Few of them realize the value of liberal arts to the University and to the community," said one source who asked not to be identified.

Significantly, the agenda includes discussions on "science and technology" and the recent conflict between the University Provost and the Dean of the College of Business over the direction of the department. Dr. Harold Doty, the Dean, stood his ground as Provost Dr. Grimes ordered the College to turn its research and philosophical direction to a more technical curriculum. Doty resisted and Grimes was instructed to withdraw his demands on the College of Business.

Also of significance is the agenda which includes a discussion of "Shaping of the Media Reporting" while the media has been told it will not be admitted to the meeting.

Included as an item for discussion is the University's probation status with the SACS and a report on the institution's economic development efforts.

"Liberal arts" is not included on the agenda.

Athletics is, however, with Athletics Director Richard Giannini invited to speak. Giannini was one of the leaders in the University's campaign to win approval of a bond issue by Hattiesburg voters to provide funds for improving athletic facilities on campus. The proposal was soundly defeated last fall.

Indicating that the Thursday meeting is just the beginning of a campaign to control the direction of the University, the agenda closes with "plans and subcommittees" to be discussed by Dews.

The Senate faculty met last week to discuss the Thursday meeting but declined to make any statement after a sometimes heated session.

Date: May 2, 2006

Thanks Info. I thought you had all of the important articles. So we see that the subject of this thread and the general attack on Liberal Arts could have been predicted over a year ago. Also the general investment in CoST was predicted. This was SFT's game plan/IHL's Plan from day one.

Date: May 2, 2006

Chilling stuff. Wrong dept. to attack. SFT, back at ya, Dude.

Date: May 2, 2006

Mother Goose wrote:

Even a finger-snapping IHL member would not be able to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

I thought Roy Klumb had retired, and I didn't know the man had rhythm!

Date: May 2, 2006

Don't you remember? Mr. Klumb told us he could cut millions from any university's budget with the snap of a finger.