President's Update Page..! A Must See!!! - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jul 19, 2004

President's Update Page..! A Must See!!!

Date: Jul 19, 2004

Note: no representative from Faculty Senate.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

The whole thing was a little strange. I am reminded of a rule my inlaws have about cooking: if it doesn't turn out right, change the name. Also intrigued that it fell to Jay Grimes to contact the city of Ocean Springs (? I forgot) about hanging banners. That's a Provost function?

Interested to hear what the rest of you think.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: LVN
"The whole thing was a little strange. I am reminded of a rule my inlaws have about cooking: if it doesn't turn out right, change the name. Also intrigued that it fell to Jay Grimes to contact the city of Ocean Springs (? I forgot) about hanging banners. That's a Provost function? Interested to hear what the rest of you think. "

Stream of consciousness here...The one I liked was Jay Grimes "rolling out the marketing strategy" - roll out the barrels, we'll have a barrell of fun - and what about the new head of customer service - week of July 5 we talk about the search - July 16 letter we have a body - from Japanese fishing docks to Gulf Coast administration - sorry I missed the qualifying link...and then there's all the meetings with the casino folks - the ones who will place their own industry person in the academic position of department chair - sounds like someone ought to read the Chronicle more!

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: LVN
"The whole thing was a little strange. I am Interested to hear what the rest of you think. "

I thought the one of the most significant things was the statement that the board is concerned about the use of the term "engineering. "Hence, the changes in program names at USM, removing the word "engineering." What concerns me here is that the IHL evidently doesn't seem to understand that the term "Engineering Technology" is a standard part of academic momenclature. Use of that term on no way implies that an engineering technology program is one in "engineering" any more than a program in "medical technology" is a program in medicine. Why would IHL be concerned about USM's use of a term which standard academic nomenclature? I don't know whether or not this supports the widely touted "conspiracy theory," but I do know that the decision to change those program names at USM does not appear to be well thought through. Was it the IHL who initiated this action, or was the action originally initiated by USM. Did the IHL lean on USM to do agree to this? What position did the involved departments at USM say about this? Somebody out there surely knows the answer to one or more of those questions.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

Nomenclator = "A slave who accompanied his master to tell him the names of people he met."

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Nomenlator
"Nomenclator = "A slave who accompanied his master to tell him the names of people he met." "

Are you angling for that board moniker award?

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Are you angling for that board moniker award? "

"Labeling makes it so."

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Nomenclator
"Why would IHL be concerned about USM's use of a term which is standard academic nomenclature?"

Herein lies the problem...you may have captured it better than anyone to date...perhaps without meaning to. The IHL board members are not academics; increasingly, the dome administrators are not academics; increasingly, the middle and lower level administrators who are academics are being marginalized in favor of the non-academic advisors and decision-makers; the faculty governance committees are being deliberately sidetracked on controversial, but ultimately less important, issues than strategic direction.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

According to the most recent letter from the president, USM has requested IHL to make these name changes:

"Regarding academic issues for the board agenda, Southern Miss requested . . . renaming our Software Engineering Technology Program to the Information Technology Program and our School of Engineering Technology to the School of Construction."

Those requests, coupled with the Cabinet statement that IHL is concerned about USM's use of the word "engineering," prompt me to continue this thread.

Nobody has responded to my questions, so I will shorten and rephrase them: (1) Were these name changes initiated by USM in response to IHL pressure? (2) What position did the respective departments take with regard to these name changes?

I stated in my previous posting that Engineering Technology is standard academic nomenclature. It is no more a program in a traditional engineering than medical technology is a program in traditional medicine. Subsequent to my post, I went into the accreditation site and found that encluded among the schools using the term engineering technology are Texas A&M, UNC-Charlotte, University of Memphis, University of Houston, North Texas State University, Oklahoma State University, and Texas Tech, to name only a few. The University of Southern California has an Engineering Technology Transfer Center. There is even a National Honor Society for Engineering Technology (Tau Alphi Pi).

I really don't care whether USM changes the names of those programs or, for that matter, even keeps the programs. It matters not to me personally. However, I am concerned about the possibility that USM might be succumbing to some uninformed pressure from IHL. Is that the case? I recall that USM once wanted to tack on the moniker "engineering" to its polymer program. Doesn't anyone out there who was involved in this know the answer to at least one of my questions? Is this not a legitimate question? Is there something secret about this? Are mine questions which are not supposed to be asked? Please help! Somebody! Anybody!

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Nomenclator
"
...
Nobody has responded to my questions, so I will shorten and rephrase them: (1) Were these name changes initiated by USM in response to IHL pressure? (2) What position did the respective departments take with regard to these name changes? ...
"

The name changes were initiated at the department/ college level (without pressure from the Board afaik). The departments were generally IN FAVOR of the changes afaik.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Newgirl
" The name changes were initiated at the department/ college level (without pressure from the Board afaik). The departments were generally IN FAVOR of the changes afaik."

Newgirl,

Thanks for the information! It will be interesting to see how, if at all, those changes in program names (e.g., from School of Engineering Technology to School of Construction) affect admissions applications. In any case, "truth in packing" is what counts, so if the new name fits best, I'd say use it.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

RE: RE: RE: RE: President's Update Page..! A Must

Date: Jul 19, 2004

RE: RE: President's Update Page..! A Must See!!!

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: KISS Principal
" I also gave you an answer of sorts."

Indeed you did, KISS Principal. And I took your response seriously. It was something that someone far more knowledgable than am I postulated some time ago (before there was a message board).

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Nomenclator
""

There was life before the message board????

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: KISS Principal
"There was life before the message board????"

Not really, Kiss. Not much of a life at all. I have never been at a university where there has been so little meaningful discussion of academic issues - issues which would normally be legitimate matters of faculty discussion. Even if the AAUP message board in the future is restricted to AAUP members, it will no doubt be an important vechicle of communication.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Are you angling for that board moniker award? "

Please Truth4USM, we do NOT refer to the highly prestigious Nom d'aplomb honor as "that board moniker award".

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: KISS Principal
"There was life before the message board????"

My vote for Quote du jour.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Malapropism
" Please Truth4USM, we do NOT refer to the highly prestigious Nom d'aplomb honor as "that board moniker award"."

Mal: So sorry...I've never been a fan of French (now, don't all of you radical conservative types start saying that I'm secretly a fan of the "W" and his Freedom Fries). If you'd named it something in Spanish or even Italian, I might be able to remember how to spell it!

I'll try harder.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Nomenclator
" Even if the AAUP message board in the future is restricted to AAUP members, it will no doubt be an important vechicle of communication. "

Restrict the AAUP message board to AAUP members? What a great incentive to increase AAUP membership! Are you on the Customer Service team?

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"My vote for Quote du jour."

Sorry, truth4usm, that name is under license. Economic development, you know.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mr. Wonderful
"Sorry, truth4usm, that name is under license. Economic development, you know."

I misunderstood your posting, truth4usm. Ignore the above repsonse. Your nomination has been duly noted.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Nomenclator
" According to the most recent letter from the president, USM has requested IHL to make these name changes: ...... "

Please post this message on the Varsity Voice bulletin board when it goes up next month. I have a feeling Thames will be checking that one more regularly than this one. Thanks.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Little Seeker
"Please post this message on the Varsity Voice bulletin board when it goes up next month. I have a feeling Thames will be checking that one more regularly than this one. Thanks."

Little Seeker, wouldn't the president already know about this? Presumably, he wrote it since it appeared in his letter. I wonder why it should be posted on the Varsity Voice bulletin board if the purpose is for him to read it. In any case, here is the entire paragraph which contains that information and other related information:

"Both Wednesday and Thursday were full days of IHL committee meetings and presidents' meetings followed by the official board meeting on Thursday. Regarding academic issues for the board agenda, Southern Miss requested the establishment of a bachelor of science degree in entertainment industry and a bachelor of science degree and master of science degree in forensics. These requests will be acted on in October 2004. We also requested renaming our Software Engineering Technology Program to the Information Technology Program and our School of Engineering Technology to the School of Construction. We asked to change the name of the Center for Child and Family Studies to the Department of Child and Family Studies; to change the name of the doctorate in scientific computing to a doctorate in computational sciences; to change the name of the Department of Criminal Justice to the Department of Administration of Justice; and to change the name of the bachelor of arts in criminal justice to a bachelor of arts in administration of justice. Additionally, we requested the deletion of the Center for Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design and the School of Mathematical Sciences. Finally, we requested a merger of the Interior Design Program with the Department of Art and to relocate the Fashion Merchandising Program in the Department of Marketing and Management."

Date: Jul 19, 2004

RE: RE: RE: RE: President's Update Page..! A Must

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by: Invictus
"Shouldn't that be a master's of science degree in forensic science."

Perhaps forensic science is what it should be, but the president's letter said forensics. Somebody posted a hotlink to that letter earlier in this thread. Maybe they plan to have a debate team over there. Or maybe somebody somewhere betwen here and the board doesn't know the not-so-subtle difference between forensics and forensic science. USM has had so many "reorganizations." Maybe one day they will get it right.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

RE: President's Update Page..! A Must See!!!

Date: Jul 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"from dictionary.com fo·ren·sics The art or study of formal debate; argumentation. The use of science and technology to investigate and establish facts in criminal or civil courts of law. "

Suppose a member of an out-of-state high school debate team who has never actually visited the campus but who has applied and gains admission into what he/she believes is a forensic (speech) program - but discovers after arrival that the program is actually one in forensic science. Let's hope such a student would be able to adjust.

Date: Jul 19, 2004

i can pretty well assure you that those students won't make such a mistake. have had children in hs forensics and worked with others. they know the difference.