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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> Carpetbaggers?
Post Info TOPIC: Carpetbaggers?
Snake Oil Salesman

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Carpetbaggers?
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Is the educational industry in Mississippi just modern day carpetbaggers? We have more educational institutions for our population than most states. The state can’t support these institutions financially and yet we seem to be developing another university on the gulf coast.

The population doesn’t seem to need the large number institutions and enrollment can only be increased through 099 classes and the increase of nontraditional students. I heard that when President McCain was made president of Mississippi Normal College, he was specifically instructed NOT to try to make it into another university. But that is just what the people (business people?) wanted and that is what he did.

We are now engaged in a great struggle to see if our institution can keep the name University in its title while dramatically changing what this institution is. Again the people (business people?) seem to want this, (maybe they invested in rental property) even though they have very little knowledge of what a university does.

We are located in a very conservative section of our country and yet a University opens debate, questioning, and the importation of outside ideas. Is a Real University a threat to this culture? Is it all just *local* economic development?




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J.M. Brown

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Bingo, SOS.  You hit the nail square on the head.  The tenets of most universities (including those stated by USM) are Teaching, Research, and Service.  Nowhere in the definitions of those words does the term 'economic development' appear.  TH, KM, and others have found a way to build a little empire within USM and are using their influence both within and without USM to make sure that ED is at the forefront of all USM activities.  Did you see the press release this week citing the ED impact of the gifted studies program?  Almost no mention was made of the real impact the program, just its ED ramifications.  If we were to $#!t-can that garbage (ED) and focus on our tenets, we would make real progress in those areas.  Instead we focus on ED and continue to fill out endless faculty activity reports for raises that will never be merit-based.  SFT & Co. just want to fill their own coffers, receive more gold golf carts, and continue the nepotism.

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Enron Accountant

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quote:
Originally posted by: J.M. Brown
...  Did you see the press release this week citing the ED impact of the gifted studies program?  Almost no mention was made of the real impact the program, just its ED ramifications. 

I found the ED numbers for the gifted studies program to be even beyond belief, even for Enron Accountant.


Who ever came up eith those numbers really has no shame. And no grounding in real numbers either! Do you think anyone actually believed that poppycock?!?!



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Kick

Date:
Permalink Closed

It's time to punt this ball.

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CISEinsider

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Remember that the Gifted Studies is housed in the CISE Dept. The CISE Dept is (ineptly) chaired by Dana Thames daughter of Shelboo. See the connection???????


Follow the Dots:


Carolyn Reeves Kazelskis and Hubby Richard to Dana Thames to Frances Karnes to highest merit raises to highest MIDAS awards to Shelbymandias (Insider likes that term).



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Googler

Date:
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quote:
Originally posted by: Enron Accountant
" I found the ED numbers for the gifted studies program to be even beyond belief, even for Enron Accountant. Who ever came up with those numbers really has no shame. And no grounding in real numbers either! Do you think anyone actually believed that poppycock?!?!"

Maybe they used MaderMath. 


 



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Invictus

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Googler
"
Maybe they used MaderMath. 
 "


Maybe they used "standard" economic development methods, which involve multipliers based on crude estimations. With no animosity directed toward economists in general, what other discipline can take an estimate, apply a multiplier based on a set of estimates & proclaim the result "definitive?" It always blows my mind that policy decisions at all levels of institutional & governmental management are based on multi-layered estimates, while "hard data" are often totally ignored or proclaimed "unuseable."

Now, I said "no animosity directed toward economists." I myself have had to construct similar systems for reports in my career. One should try to use standard multipliers & fully document the estimates that are used to modify the other estimates. But it's also very easy to tweak some multiplier or formula in the system to produce the desired a priori result.

I think the ED numbers might be funny, but Dr. Karnes' program is good for kids. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

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