[Meet Robin Robinson]

HA, 4/15/04

Robinson, director of organization development and corporate communication at Sanderson Farms and a USM graduate, also will represent the southern district.

"She's a very deliberate person, thinks through issues very deliberately," said Mark Boyles, associate director of the USM Alumni Association. "She's on our alumni board. She's very intelligent and seems to be well liked by all the people who know her. She's a very organized person."


HA, 5/24/04

"The College Board's gain is the Gaming Commission's loss because she was really a good member," said Gulfport attorney Len Blackwell, who served with her on the commission. "She's very knowledgeable and has a good head for business. She will also appreciate the academic side of what board members do. I could always rely on her to be pragmatic."

Robinson, director of organization development and corporate communication at Sanderson Farms Inc. in Laurel, begins her 11-year College Board term at a time of unprecedented dissension at Southern Miss following President Shelby Thames' attempt to fire two tenured professors.

Before sociology professor Frank Glamser and English professor Gary Stringer settled with the university last month, the USM faculty voted no confidence in Thames by a 430-32 margin. The Faculty Senate sent a resolution to the board asking the members to request Thames' resignation.

Last week, Thames reported to the board on recent changes at USM and his vision of the university's future.

Robinson cites her experience as national president of the Business and Professional Women/USA, service on numerous boards and her job "growing people" at Sanderson Farms as good preparation for stepping into the on-going Southern Miss situation.

"We're at a point where the board of trustees has to make a decision about the University of Southern Mississippi," she said. "I hope that the board of trustees, which they've already stated, will move forward and work now to help the University of Southern Mississippi move on from this."

In the month since Gov. Haley Barbour appointed Robinson, she has received about 75 letters, telephone calls and e-mails about USM. They are overwhelmingly positive for Thames, she said.

"Even faculty at USM have called and expressed their support of where the university is going and they believe that Dr. Thames is on the right track," she said. "The sad part of it is normally those people who are working hard and doing well and providing a learning environment for their students don't have time to be as vocal. We all know bad stuff travels a lot faster than good stuff."


HA, 5/25/04

New College Board member Robin Robinson didn't wait long before proposing action during her first meeting last week.

Robinson asked that the board immediately implement a policy for post-tenure review of all faculty.

"I feel it's critical that our students have the opportunity for a learning experience," she said. "I would like to make sure it's implemented with the summer session — whatever it takes to make it happen."

The board already requires each of the eight universities to have policies linking post-tenure reviews with annual reviews. Action on Robinson's request was delayed until June to give the board staff and university staff time to provide copies of the policies.

Robinson's request concerned Southern Miss faculty who attended the meeting last week in Jackson.

"I have questions about what's motivating this and why it has to be done right now," said Amy Young, associate professor of anthropology and sociology, president of the USM chapter of the American Association of University Professors and chair of the Academic Council.

Robinson said she wants to make sure the policy is being followed in a very structured way.

"I think it's a transparent attempt to manipulate the tenure process by people who have an agenda," said associate theater professor Stephen Judd.

USM already has annual reviews for every faculty member, said Myron Henry, Faculty Senate president.

"I think all board members want to look at all policies, but I hope we're not going to re-create the wheel here," Henry said.

But College Board President Roy Klumb praised Robinson's request.

"I will take your challenge because you are reading right out of my playbook," Klumb said, "and I didn't even send it to you."


CL, 8/18/04

But the retreat in Alabama is expected to cost more than some held before 2003. The board spent $10,735 on its 2001 retreat at Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point and $15,518 at its retreat on the Gulf Coast in 2002, reports show.

"In the context of the budget .... it's an irrelevant amount of money," he said. "Anytime anyone wants to cut Roy Klumb loose with a free hand on any budget of any university, I can find millions of dollars of money that can be saved with a snap of a finger."

College Board member Robin Robinson said she would have preferred to stay in Mississippi for the retreat. Twenty-one people are going to Alabama, including the 12 board members and staff.

"The bottom line is that I think we need to support our facilities here in Mississippi," Robinson said.

Klumb noted that Beau Rivage is not a Mississippi corporation. "I thought we'd move past the days where we were so concerned about Mississippi businesses that we had to feel like we had to do business with them," he said.

Robinson, a former Mississippi Gaming Commission member, said it's unnecessary for the casino to be a state corporation. "If those businesses don't have the business, our Mississippi citizens don't have a job or benefits that come along with that job," she said.


CL, 4/21/05

A state College Board member wants to find a way to give more money this year to universities that recently experienced significant enrollment growth.

The board is expected to decide today whether to approve the use of a funding formula for fiscal 2007, regardless of Legislative funding. University chief financial officers did not recommend using the formula in fiscal 2006, which begins July 1, because they do not know how much money lawmakers will appropriate.

Robin Robinson of Laurel said the board is wrong to continue to use a funding formula that penalizes some universities. "It's not good stewardship. It's not the right thing to do for us to leave the meeting with it being OK that we know something is wrong and we chose not to do anything about it," Robinson said during the board's meeting at Jackson State University on Thursday.

In November 2003, the board approved a formula to be used when lawmakers award new money.

Under the existing formula, Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Mississippi rank sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, in the amount of money they receive for each full-time student.

However, enrollment at Valley has increased 50.3 percent between fall 1999 and fall 2004, from 2,409 to 3,621 students, state College Board figures show. At Southern Miss, enrollment has grown 7.2 percent during the same time period. Ole Miss has seen a 24.5 percent increase, board figures show.



HA, 12/16/05

Klumb, however, was absent during this year's tuition vote and several others in recent months.

His resignation also leaves a vacancy on the five-member board Search Committee, to which the board president appointed trustees to help select a new president for Mississippi State University.

Board member Robin Robinson volunteered to replace Klumb on the committee, and Newton agreed.


Commercial Dispatch, 8/16/06

“Those are critical needs,” Assistant Higher Education Commissioner Frank Alley said of the 22 top projects he ranked in order of importance.

However, college board member Robin Robinson of Laurel questioned Alley's recommendation to put the state's smallest university - MUW - so high on the list. She said more weight could be given to the size of a school's population in deciding what construction projects get funded first.

[Meet Virginia Shanteau Newton]

CL, 3/9/04

Garrett said a couple of tenured professors have been fired during the nearly 12 years she has served on the board, "but there were very definite grounds for that."

Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton, who earned a master's degree from USM, said the issue could affect the university's efforts to attract and retain faculty.

Of the 871 faculty at USM during fall 2002, 20 percent, or 174, were not employed during the fall 2003 semester, according to the College Board.

"I'm certainly dismayed at the disarray that we have there and the current climate of unrest that is obvious," Newton said. "I'm obviously very concerned about the students in the midst of all this."


SH, 3/10/04

"I think it's really unfortunate for the university," said Virginia Shanteau Newton, who represents Gulfport on the board. "This climate is one that's really difficult to be effective in. This is a crisis situation."

The USM issue isn't on the board's agenda for the March 18 meeting, but Newton said members likely will talk about it.

"This is a serious issue and I think it will be discussed."


HA, 3/12/04

In a new development, state College Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton of Gulfport said on Thursday the board needed to "determine what resolution can be made" in the Glamser/Stringer case so USM can return to being an "institution of higher learning," The Clarion-Ledger reported.


SH, 3/19/04

"We're in a very delicate situation because we have to rule in the appeal process," said Virginia Shanteau Newton, who represents Gulfport on the board. "But the unrest has everyone concerned, and a no-confidence vote of that magnitude makes a significant statement about the state of affairs on the campus."


CL, 3/26/04

Larry Payne of Hattiesburg said he's impressed that Eustachy said he's been dry about a year.

"I've known some alcoholics. Some never went to rehab. Some never tried to do anything," said Payne, past president to the USM Alumni Association and USM Foundation. "I think he is sincere. He's got that behind him in his history, and I think he will be a great asset for our university."

Under College Board policies and bylaws, all personnel appointments of employees earning $50,000 or more must be submitted for approval before appointments have been finalized or announced. Some board members said Thursday they were not informed.

"We always like to receive advance notice directly from the university rather than reading it in the press," said board member Virginia Shanteau Newton of Gulfport, who earned a master's degree from USM.

"Sometimes they notify us, sometimes they don't," said board member Carl Nicholson Jr. of Hattiesburg. "I'm not going to question their decision because I don't have any of the information."


HA, 5/1/04

Nine members of the College Board unanimously approved the settlement on Friday, saying it's in the best interest of the university. But they don't expect it to resolve the conflicts that have marked Thames' first two years as USM president.

"I don't know that the resolution of this one issue will bring about healing," said board member Virginia Shanteau Newton of Gulfport, who holds a master's degree from USM.


HA, 5/1/04

"This is a real unique case. I think the precedent that's set here is the board will take whatever action it has to in a case to see that due process is followed and that there's a just process and a just result. This case is more rare than common." - Virginia Shanteau Newton


SH, 5/1/04

"At this time, we're glad to have the settlement, but I'm still deeply disturbed by the turmoil," said Virginia Shanteau Newton, who represents Gulfport. "It's something that will take a great deal of time to resolve.

"Since I've been on the board, we've not had a vote of no-confidence of that magnitude," she added. "I hope (Thames) sees the message from the vote of no confidence."


CL, 5/1/04

Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton said she's still "deeply disturbed" about USM's turmoil.

"I'm not sure that this moves us forward to resolving the turmoil there, so that still remains," she said.


HA, 5/6/04

At least two state College Board members are considering calling a special meeting by Friday to discuss faculty unrest at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton said Wednesday she had discussed her concerns about the university's leadership with "four or five" other board members Wednesday. A meeting had not been called as of 8 a.m. today, a board spokeswoman said.

At least one other board member, Ricki R. Garrett, said she supported having the meeting.

"I think that, obviously, that the situation between the administration and the faculty has escalated," Newton said. "I think it's created a dreadful environment and climate on campus, and I think we need to resolve that situation."

Newton said she could not speak specifically about asking for USM President Shelby Thames' resignation, but said: "I think that's why this board needs to meet and discuss the situation."

Newton is the lone USM graduate on the current board and was the only member of the College Board to vote against appointing Thames as president two years ago. On Saturday, four new board members appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour will begin their terms.

Newton said she was especially concerned about university risk manager Jack Hanbury's e-mail to five deans on Friday, the day the settlement was approved by the College Board.


HA, 5/7/04

Hanbury's resignation was made public about the same time it became clear the state College Board would not hold a special meeting today. Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton of Gulfport had tried to muster enough support to hold a special meeting to discuss tensions at USM before four members' terms expired today.


HA, 12/16/04

Also at the meeting Klumb and Virginia Newton questioned why Southern Miss wants approval from the board to retain the Adams & Reese law firm at $175 an hour to fulfill "a series of public records requests" from its faculty. They brought up how Southern Miss recently retained attorney Rick Lambert.

Board attorney Maudine Eckford told members she understood that Southern Miss' in-house counsel Lee Gore faced "massive" public records requests but she wanted to learn more information about it by today's meeting.


HA, 12/16/04

USM President Shelby Thames appears for an hour before the state College Board; Newton says accrditation situation is "deploreable."

State College Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton harshly criticized University of Southern Miss President Shelby Thames Thursday, saying he should have taken a stronger leadership role in monitoring the school's accreditation.


CL, 12/16/04

"I'm embarrassed for the University of Southern Mississippi," Newton said today as board members met with Thames in Jackson to hear details of USM's accreditation problems.

"I'm embarassed for the state of Mississippi ... I find it deplorable."
Board members also voted to hire an outside consultant to help USM and the College Board monitor USM's progress in correcting deficiencies found by SACS. USM will foot the bill.


HA, 12/17/04

Board member Virginia Shanteau Newton, a Southern Miss graduate and the lone commissioner to vote against hiring Thames in May 2002, made the harshest assessment of the situation.

"I'm deeply disturbed that we find ourselves in this position," Newton told Thames. "I'm embarrassed for the University of Southern Mississippi. I'm embarrassed for the state of Mississippi. This is the core business that we're in - academics - and the responsibility stops with you."

"Yes, ma'am," Thames replied softly.


CL, 2/28/05

The degree, which has been on probation by the state College Board since March 2002 for a low number of graduates, was part of a group of nine various degrees at Southern Miss, University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University slated to be deleted. All but Southern Miss' master's degree in physics was cut - and only after a last-minute intervention from board vice president Virginia Shanteau Newton.

Newton asked for a 30-day extension before a final decision is made.



HA, 3/17/05

But Sullivan gave high marks to her experiences at Southern Miss so far: "From a professional point of view, I have never been treated as well at an institution and never before have I ever gone through the number of committees that I have without one negative remark about anything on the campus."

Asked by board vice president Virginia Shanteau Newton how long she had been on the campus, Sullivan said she had been to the campus five days.


CL, 3/17/05

Mississippi's eight university presidents soon no longer will report
directly to state College Board members.

Instead, they will report to the board's future commissioner of higher
education, who in turn will report to the board.

College Board members today approved the change.

"This is a significant reform in higher education in Mississippi," said
Virginia Shanteau Newton of Gulfport, the board's vice president and
chairwoman of the commissioner search committee.

"Our goal is to be a more effective board and again recognize that we're
lay people."


HA, 3/18/05

Mississippi's public universities must inform the state College Board of any accreditation-related action taken against them as a result of a new policy adopted by the board on Thursday.

Both interim commissioner of the Institutions of Higher Learning Richard Crofts and College Board vice president Virginia Shanteau Newton said the policy was prompted by the announcement in December that the University of Southern Mississippi was being placed on a one-year academic probation.


HA, 12/16/05

Klumb could not be reached for comment. But a news release the board issued said he cited business and personal reasons and indicated he no longer has the time required for the appointed position.

"Roy has often presented a different point of view, and his voice will be missed in our deliberations," said Board President Virginia Shanteau Newton of Gulfport.

"He has served the state well for nearly a decade as a champion for a quality education at an affordable price."


HA, 1/29/06

Virginia Shanteau Newton has advice for new College Board member Roy Estess: Find a letter opener.

"You have no idea of the vast amount of correspondence you receive on a daily basis," said Newton, president of the state College Board....

But, she said, there should be no illusions about the job.

"Frankly, it does take some time to get your arms around all the issues facing higher education," Newton said. "This is a tremendous undertaking. It's certainly an honor to be named to the board, but it's a huge commitment to public service in Mississippi."


SH, 6/15/06

Tom Meredith, state commissioner of higher education, and several board members met last week in Gulfport with community leaders and elected officials to announce the plans, which seemed to please everyone who attended.

"We had some very productive sessions with members of the community," board member Virginia Shanteau Newton said. "We looked at the facilities, and I think we're on the right track. These two in conjunction were seen as a win-win situation for the Gulf Coast and where we are in Long Beach."

[Meet Bob Owens]

HA, 4/15/04

Bob Owens of Jackson, an attorney and a graduate of Jackson State University.


CL, 6/17/04

Board member Bob Owens said during the meeting he thought it was unfair to allow some universities to raise tuition by more than they requested, while the smaller universities would not get what they wanted.