IHL controversy just reported on WDAM - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Aug 18, 2004

RE: IHL controversy just reported on WDAM

Date: Aug 18, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"stephen and truth--i agree with your assessment of klumb. but a letter-writing campaign?! to whom? the press? the board? the board knows klumb--i suspect some like him and others don't. put pressure on a governing board that ignored a vote of no confidence? controlling klumb is like trying to reign in a road lizard. the public--he speaks some of their populist thinking about the university system. "

SCM, I understand your reluctance with the letter-writing campaign, but what else do you suggest? Just ignoring him and hoping that he "goes away quietly?" I don't see that happening. How else should the public register their dissatisfaction with him?

Date: Aug 18, 2004

IHL Board members are political appointees of the governor and presumably cannot be removed once in office - at least, there is nothing in the policies and bylaws of the IHL to remove sitting members of the Board (available online at: http://www.ihl.state.ms.us/). It appears that only retirement or death will remove a Board member. As political appointees of Mississippi governors, IHL Board members will reflect the good, bad, and ugly of Mississippi generally - Klumb is one of the worst ever but hardly out of line with what we should expect. This is why faculty at all of the eight state-controlled Mississippi instiutions of higher learning should be scared by what SFT has been allowed by this Board to get away with. It will happen again either here at USM or elsewhere in the state.

Date: Aug 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"IHL Board members are political appointees of the governor and presumably cannot be removed once in office - at least, there is nothing in the policies and bylaws of the IHL to remove sitting members of the Board"

A good first leg of the search for information. Even university faculty handbooks (probably the bylaws and guidelines of the IHL) specify the conditions under which tenured faculty members can be removed. If this source and the legislation which created the board does not speak to the issue, perhaps IHL board members do have a rather unique type of insulation which no faculty member has. It may be that Klumb has the very thing he would deprive faculty members of having.

Date: Aug 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Blue Collar
"It may be that Klumb has the very thing he would deprive faculty members of having."

Isn't that ironic? Don't you think?

Date: Aug 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"What kind of wacky rabbit hole has MS fallen into????"

Mississippi has been in this hole as long as I can remember. It isn't a rabbit hole at all. We dug it.

When one finds oneself in a hole, there are two possible strategies: (1) stop digging or (2) get a bigger shovel. Mississippi always goes for option #2.

Then, we wonder why Mississippians have a bellignorant inferiority complex. <SIGH />

<OBLIGATORY DYLANISM>

John the Baptist after torturing a thief,
Looks up at his hero, the Commander in Chief,
Saying "Tell me, great hero, but please make it brief,
Is there a hole somewhere for me to get sick in?"
The Commander in Chief answers him while chasing a fly,
Saying "Death to all those who would whimper and cry!"
And dropping a barbell, he points to the sky,
Saying, "The sun's not yellow,
It's chicken."

</OBLIGATORY DYLANISM>

Date: Aug 19, 2004

The more interesting angle on this to me is the question of whether RK is a resident citizen of the State of Mississippi - is Point Clear a vacation home or his primary residence? Does he have a MS or AL drivers license? Where is he registered to vote? Are there any IHL requirements regarding residency? Of course, if he is a MS resident all this is moot. Anyone know?

Date: Aug 19, 2004

The Clarion-Ledger has an editorial about the Point Clear retreat: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040819/OPINION/408190336/1008

Date: Aug 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Refrigerator
"The Clarion-Ledger has an editorial about the Point Clear retreat: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040819/OPINION/408190336/1008"

Wow! Thank you Clarion-Ledger.

But like they holler when the ref makes the right call on an opposing player: "He's been doing it all day!"

Date: Aug 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"IHL Board members are political appointees of the governor and presumably cannot be removed once in office - at least, there is nothing in the policies and bylaws of the IHL to remove sitting members of the Board (available online at: http://www.ihl.state.ms.us/). It appears that only retirement or death will remove a Board member. As political appointees of Mississippi governors, IHL Board members will reflect the good, bad, and ugly of Mississippi generally - Klumb is one of the worst ever but hardly out of line with what we should expect. This is why faculty at all of the eight state-controlled Mississippi instiutions of higher learning should be scared by what SFT has been allowed by this Board to get away with. It will happen again either here at USM or elsewhere in the state."

However . . . they can step down. He has made himself look pretty ridiculous to many of us in higher ed . . . this is an excellent moment to drive that home to the public . . .

Words like "irresponsible . . ." "insensitive . . ." "elitist" and "silver spoon" come to mind

Date: Aug 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: stephen judd
to drive that home to the public . . Words like "elitist" and "silver spoon" come to mind.

Words like would, indeed, appeal to those of us who grew up in a normal environment with no silver spoon stuck forever in our mouths (or, for that matter, stuck anywhere else!) It's high time that the Mississippi public understand that, for the most part, faculty members are not much different than the general population.

Date: Aug 19, 2004

I'm going to post the text of the CL piece here because I think it's vitally important for everyone to read:

'Retreat' an unnecessary expense

For the state College Board to take a vacation . . . uh, "retreat" . . . out of state so it can — hmmm, do what? — at a cost of $18,874 — is an expensive arrogance the state can ill afford.

For example, it must seem horribly ironic to Alcorn State University students who just had a 7.9 percent tuition hike and 71 scholarships cut due to university belt-tightening, to find that College Board members will be eating high on the hog at state expense at a "retreat" at Point Clear, Ala.

For board members to do what? Raise tuition again? Tuition for residents has increased 58.7 percent since 1997 and 74.3 percent for non-residents. Now, scholarships are being cut, too? This on top of higher "fees" — not "tuition" — the board approved last year. And for what? So board members can go on vacation . . . uh, "retreat" . . . in Alabama?

And why go out of state? Why? Because Roy Klumb, the board president, grew up near there. He says he likes it and "it's a nice place to reflect." Don't taxpayers fund all these nice places to reflect, called universities, all over the state?

Why can't Klumb go to Alabama on his own dime? And if the state is going to spend money on a "retreat," why not spend it in-state, to provide jobs and, well, taxes to help fund such diversions? The board should "retreat" from this idea.

At least, it should be held in Mississippi!

Date: Aug 19, 2004

How is that a non-resident of MS can serve on the IHL board anyway? Governing state supported institutions? That would never happen in any of the 4 states in which I've taught.

Date: Aug 19, 2004

Is RK a legal resident citizen of MS or of AL??

Date: Aug 19, 2004

Let's hear it for the Sun Herald!!!!

As a professor, I claim, as always, "fair use".

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/news/editorial/9437302.htm

During his eight years as a trustee of the state's eight public universities, Roy Klumb of Gulfport has consistently pleaded for greater accountability from the state's higher education establishment.

So it was surprising to read his comments in The Clarion-Ledger on Wednesday concerning the trustees' retreat in Point Clear, Ala., this week.

As president of the College Board, Klumb decided that he and his 11 colleagues would gather at a resort on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay to, among other things, discuss how they conduct their business.

Why go out of state to discuss state business?

"I heard the usual list of petty reasons not to do it," Klumb told The Clarion-Ledger. "It's all petty, just petty."

The out-of-state getaway will cost an estimated $18,874, considerably less than last year's $32,947 retreat at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi.

But saving money does not appear to be one of Klumb's prime motivations.

"In the context of the budget," he said, "it's an irrelevant amount of money."

Irrelevant? Not to most Mississippians.

The cost of the retreat may be less than 1 percent of 1 percent of the more than $300 million that the state's eight public universities spend each year. But it will still be more than enough to cover four years of tuition at one of those universities. Given Klumb's laudable objections to the ever-increasing cost of tuition, he ought to be the last of the 12 trustees to dismiss such an amount of money as trivial.

Klumb says he chose the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear because he grew up near there and "it's a nice place to reflect."

But aren't each of Mississippi's eight universities also nice places to reflect? Couldn't each of them host the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning on an alternating basis?

Klumb boasted this week that "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."

Well, with a snap of their fingers, many Mississippians could find thousands of dollars that can be saved by Klumb and his fellow trustees retreating to one of the campuses they oversee.

Date: Aug 19, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Interested
"How is that a non-resident of MS can serve on the IHL board anyway? "

Isn't this the critical question, and a possible means of removing Mr. Klumb from his board position? What is his state of legal residence, and is Mississippi residency a requirement for appointment to the IHL? It's hard to imagine that residency wouldn't be a condition of service. But then again, we're talking Mississippi rules.....

AE

Date: Aug 19, 2004

Kicking this one up for Bamagate.

Date: Aug 20, 2004

MPR read the Clarion Ledger editorial on this topic this morning.

Date: Aug 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: The Shadow
"MPR read the Clarion Ledger editorial on this topic this morning."

A quote from the editorial: "Klumb said . . . freedom of speech is our basic right in this country."

Now you go wash your mouth out with soap, Roy.

Date: Aug 20, 2004

Klumb has an administrative office located on the property adjacent to The Grand Hotel at Point Clear, AL. I am not sure if the Hotel owns the property. This is a very exclusive neighborhood on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. I did not find a "Roy" Klumb listed in the phone book, but there are two Klumbs listed in addition to the Klumb Lumber Co and the Klumb Forest Products Center. He obviously has a lot of ties to the area.

I understand the frustration with him spending Mississippi money in Alabama. However, remember that USM gets a lot of students from Lower Alabama.

Date: Aug 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Rachel's Mom
" I understand the frustration with him spending Mississippi money in Alabama. However, remember that USM gets a lot of students from Lower Alabama. "

We get even more students from Louisiana. But I don't think we should turn school out for Mardi Gras or hold IHL meetings in Baton Rouge (except during football Saturdays so Roy can see LSU sink his alma mater Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium).

Date: Aug 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Geaux Tigers
"We get even more students from Louisiana. But I don't think we should turn school out for Mardi Gras or hold IHL meetings in Baton Rouge (except during football Saturdays so Roy can see LSU sink his alma mater Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium). "

Actually, we do close for Mardi Gras.

Date: Aug 20, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"Actually, we do close for Mardi Gras. "

I still think we should close the day after: hangover Wednesday.