Here is the text of the news release:


GRIMES TO SERVE AS INTERIM PROVOST, VP FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS



HATTIESBURG -- Dr. Jay Grimes has been named interim provost and vice president for academic affairs for The University of Southern Mississippi’s dual campuses and seven teaching and research sites by university president Dr. Shelby Thames.

“Dr. Grimes has now served as provost on both the Hattiesburg campus and the Gulf Coast campus and knows the academic inner workings of the university,” Thames said. “I appreciate Jay’s willingness to increase his workload while we are undertaking this national search for a provost.”

Grimes was named provost of the Hattiesburg campus in July 2002 by Thames. Prior to this position, Grimes was appointed dean of the Institute of Marine Sciences in 1997, which became the College of Marine Sciences in 2001. He is also a professor of coastal sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi and serves as director of the university’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. In July 2001, Grimes returned to the Gulf Coast as provost of the Gulf Park campus and the other Gulf Coast teaching and research sites.

Grimes received his doctorate in microbiology from Colorado State University in 1971. He received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in biology from Drake University in 1966 and 1968, respectively.

“Faculty members from all of our sites know me, and most have worked with me over the last two years, which I believe will facilitate a seamless transition in continuing the academic operations of Southern Miss,” Grimes said. “I welcome this opportunity and know it will be a big undertaking. I enjoy working with all of the deans and will look to them for their valuable input and assistance with the administration of academic policy, procedures and operations.”

A national search for the position of provost will be conducted. Dr. Joseph Paul will serve as chair of the committee. “This is an important position for our university,” Paul said. “I am confident that we will facilitate a process that is inclusive, thorough and yields the right academic leader for our university.”

The following individuals are being asked to serve on the committee: Dr. David Beckett, associate professor of biology and Faculty Senate president; Dr. Joe Whitehead, associate professor of physics and astronomy and assistant dean of the College of Science and Technology; Dr. Desmond Fletcher, associate professor in the School of Engineering Technology; Dr. Charles McCormick, professor of Polymer Science; Dr. Peter Fos, dean of the College of Health; Dr. Katherine Nugent, director and associate dean of the School of Nursing; Dr. Sue Hubble, associate professor and assistant director of the Department of Human Performance and Recreation; Dr. Alvin Williams, chair and professor of marketing and management; Dr. Jon Carr, assistant professor of marketing and management; Dr. Gwen Pate, associate professor in the School of Accountancy and Information Systems; Dr. Chuck Bolton, professor/chair of history and co-director of the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage; Dr. Martina Sciolino, associate professor of English; Dr. Thomas Fraschillo, professor in the School of Music and director of University Bands; Dr. Stan Kuczaj, chair and professor of psychology; Dr. Ann Blackwell, associate professor and chair of family and consumer sciences; Dr. Carolyn Reeves-Kazelskis, professor of curriculum, instruction, and special education; Walt Cain, president of the Student Government Association; Karen Schulze, president of the Honors Student Association; Dr. Melanie J. Norton, director and associate professor of the School of Library and Information Sciences; Dr. Kristi Motter, director of the Office of Financial Aid and Dr. Jay Grimes, provost.

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Originally posted by: Reporter
"Jay Grimes was chosen as Interim Provost today.  Joe Paul will chair a national search team for a new Provost.  Here's some of the committee: Tom Fraschillo, Jon Carr, Charles McCormick, Pete Fos, Joe Whitehead, Stan Kuczaj, Desmond Fletcher, Carolyn Reeves-Kazelskis, Walt Cain, and Jay Grimes. .... Looks like Cronies-R-Us...."

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You missed David Beckett (FS President), Chuck Bolton (chair of history), Ann Blackwell, and so on. This committee is populated by solid people, Reporter. I suspect that if you poll our faculty, most would be very comfortable with this group heading the search.  

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Originally posted by: Mitch
".........This committee is populated by solid people, Reporter. I suspect that if you poll our faculty, most would be very comfortable with this group heading the search.  "

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I doubt it.  Don't feel too bad, though, Mitch, you're not any more out-of-touch with the pulse of the people as any other administrator on campus.

Angeline--care to share who those 3 are in your judgment?

Angeline, right on.  Why do we do a national search, at all that time and expense, and bring in another person that no one will pay any attention to?  Let's just hire Grimes or another local pol and move on.

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Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"I disagree...I think it's important to have all schools/colleges represented as much as possible.  Most national search committees have at least this many members on it, in my experience.  Of course, typically, they make a *recommendation* to the president and he (in this case) then does what he wants.  It will be interesting to find out how that goes (whether SFT bows to the will of the committee or not), if we get to find out.  "

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This is in response to Rudy Kazootie's post above.

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Originally posted by: Lilo and Stitch
"I doubt it.  Don't feel too bad, though, Mitch, you're not any more out-of-touch with the pulse of the people as any other administrator on campus."

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L&S:

Brilliant! All "administrative" types are just so out of touch with the pulse of the little people (watch out Stephen, it's endemic!). 

Mitch

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Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Or, at the very least, better communication between administration and faculty.  I doubt the deans were even consulted on this one...looks like an SFT/LSM production entirely."

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the admin gets the goldmine and once again the faculty gets the . . . . SHAFT

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Originally posted by: Mitch
" L&S: Brilliant! All "administrative" types are just so out of touch with the pulse of the little people (watch out Stephen, it's endemic!).  Mitch"

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Thanks Mitch. Fortunately the theatre faculty and students have already taken some significant steps to making sure that I don't spend too much of my time in the rarified air of management . . . Plus I sort of look at chairs and directors as sargeants and chiefs (sorry, military family)  -- we are the top echelon of the non-com (read non-admin) corp. I rate my job 70% to help my faculty and students achieve the best we can do together and that includes representing them UP . . . . 30% representing the admins wishes DOWN.

I actually think the geometry of management ought to be that the people who are really producers (teachers, researchers, students) are the center and the management/administrative types orbit around them -- instead of trying to make those folks be little managers the managers need to try to see themselves are people who serve the people who really MAKE THINGS.

I've been in this program director job a couple of weeks and I'm real clear that all I produce is logisitical -- there isn't much time or interest from the top of developing a vision except the one that says bigger classes, more students, higher FTE's. The real production isn't in a chair or director's office -- and definitely not in a deans office.

There might be some production in the office of someone in admin who raises money  . . .

Otherwise, we (the 30% admin part of my director job) basically moves shells around the board.

 

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Originally posted by: educator
"Stephen Judd, I admire the heck out of you.  Your colleagues are quite fortunate to have you on board and at the helm.  Thank you for all of your wonderful posts!!!!   "

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When I first arrived here, I thought the administrative philosophy Stephen Judd expressed on this thread was par for the course at most doctoral granting institutions. I quickly learned that such did not seem to be the case at USM. USM will be fortunate to retain Stephen Judd. My prediction is that it won't be long before he will be fair game for any distinguished university looking for a chair or dean in his discipline. I'm not talking about a university whose primary aspiration seems to that of growing big. I'm talking about a university which has outgrown it's immature fantasies of being big and has become distinguished.

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Originally posted by: N d'A Nominator
" Mal, Invictus, and Miss I take note - this is a good one."

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It is probably easy for me -- I'm in this as an interim position and I have no ambitions at all to keep the job or get another chair or directorship. But I have been really fortunate that almost all of the chairs I've ever been lucky enough to work with have thought of themselves in this way and generally my perception has been that that view has been supported from the top . . . 

I agree -- I think the "vision" at USM is to move any real authority or autonomy away from the department chair. There are lots of problems with this -- but a big one is that in so doing any possibility that a department might become truly great (as opposed to superficially in vogue) is lost.

Great programs are based on individuality, on the distinctiveness of a program that distinguishes itself and manages to carve iut its own unique identity that students and potential new faculty find exciting or intriguing.  That can only happen when the distinctivenss of the faculty is accepted, embraced and encourged. Quality of teaching and research is joined with a program's unique vision (often articulated by a chair who is smart enough to capitalize on his/her program's strengths) in a way that can be marketed by an administration who is, after all, paid to do just that.

Of course, a department can best do that and at the same time serve the university most directly if it understand's what the university's vision for itself is .  . say what you will  . . . under Horance and Myron there was at least a statement of vision and a mission that you could use to help guide some of your department's choices for itself . . . . I have no idea right now how to tell my department to align itself with the university (except "grow the numbers" or to "excel" or to go "to the top" -- whatever the hell any of those things mean).

"We are a world class university" just isn't a vision . . . or a mission . . . . or even a set of criteria against which I should try to measure my department (or my own) performance . . .

We're at sea. Three years and we are completely adrift . . . . .

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Originally posted by: Mitch
" Bingo Stephen! In my LONG tenure (11 month; 9 of these as interim) as a dark-side "administrator," I found this that this is just more service, different day. The best part of this gig is when you can make good things happen for your (my) people.  . . . . .Nah, just follow the rules above. P.S. Share the joy. Come to the next DAPPER meeting (ah yes, you are now the busy administrator)."

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Mitch -- thanks SO MUCH. Those are really great guidelines and I appreciate your taking time to pass them on.

Did I miss the announcement on thenext Dapper meeting? I know I missed Aug 2 . . . . I remember a certain air of discouragement from you about it . . . please let me know . . .

Mitch, another point to remember is to:

not have a chair of a dept. in your college who has nepotimistic ties to the Dome - it diminishes your credibility in the position that you now have. Be careful out there.