Thames reprimanded by IHL Board - USM Forum -- Message Board

Rod Sterling · Status: Offline

Thames reprimanded by IHL Board

info · Status: Offline

[Possibly today...]

HA, 11/27/06 (update)

http://hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061127/NEWS01/61127008

Review planned of USM master plan
From staff reports

Students, faculty and staff on Tuesday are invited to review the University of Southern Mississippi’s campus master plan, ask questions and provide feedback.

Along with planning consultants, a diversified group of local and university leaders have been developing the 10-year plan for months. Planning principles include protecting historic buildings and open spaces, maintaining the campus’ architectural character in future construction projects, promoting designs that enhance energy efficiency and modern technology, improving traffic circulation and enhancing environments for learning, research and social interaction.

The forum will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Thad Cochran Center, Room 218.

Southern Belle · Status: Offline

Maybe he has friends at the American???

Jameela Lares · Status: Offline

HA has:

Along with planning consultants, a diversified group of local and university leaders have been developing the 10-year plan for months. Planning principles include protecting historic buildings and open spaces, maintaining the campus’ architectural character in future construction projects, promoting designs that enhance energy efficiency and modern technology, improving traffic circulation and enhancing environments for learning, research and social interaction.

So, is this entire meeting just about the physical plant? Does the ten-year plan not include any considerations of what is supposed to go on within these buildings and spaces? You know, like research and teaching?

Jameela

LVN · Status: Offline

Jameela Lares wrote:

HA has:

So, is this entire meeting just about the physical plant? Does the ten-year plan not include any considerations of what is supposed to go on within these buildings and spaces? You know, like research and teaching?

Jameela

Would that it were so, but no, these master facility plan thingys only concern the campus and buildings. I do hope they remember that some people who come to campus are not marathon walkers.
BTW, I looked at the link on the USM webpage, but it only led me to the websites of the two firms doing the plan. Is there an actual representation or outline of the plan anywhere?

HEST · Status: Offline

Rod Sterling wrote:

The following is from the October minutes of the IHL board. I wonder why the American hasn't picked up the story.....

On motion by Mr. Blakeslee, seconded by Mr. Estess, with Mr. Owens absent and not voting, the Board voted to have Commissioner Meredith send a letter of reprimand to Dr. Shelby Thames, President of The University of Southern Mississippi, for specific university personnel’s failure to obtain the permission of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History prior to demolishing Weathersby Hall and the ROTC building on the Hattiesburg campus. The Board also approved the development of a policy instructing the universities that the Mississippi Department of Archives and History must give approval prior to the demolition of any university buildings.

Darn. I got excited there for a minute. What about formally reprimanding him for all the other things he's gone and done without permission and input of relevant persons?

Reporter · Status: Offline

H.A.--Changes in store for USM campus master plan

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061129/NEWS01/611290334/1002

"A point of concern for committee members and forum attendees alike was how to make crossing busy West Fourth Street safer as Southern Miss acquires land north of that thoroughfare and attempts to incorporate its edges into the campus.

One strategy that has worked at institutions like the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Havens said, was to use hedges, gates and other elements to channel pedestrian traffic to mid-block and install traffic lights. Drivers that often whiz down the busy street ignoring posted speed limits would have to learn to recognize that artery as part of a campus, Havens and others said.

Physics professor Lawrence Mead said the only viable solution is a pedestrian overpass.

"The thing we need the least is more stoplights - we want traffic to flow on Fourth Street" instead of inching along like on Hardy Street, he said.

Havens said pedestrians often are unwilling to walk up and over such a structure, but that all ideas are still on the table.

James Flanagan, chair and professor of anthropology and sociology, and Mead pointed to the campus' pressing need for classroom space.

"I'd like to see priority placed on academics instead of yet more athletic fields," Flanagan said.

..."People reinforced the importance of the academic core of campus" and ensuring students can move easily from class to class within a 10-minute window, he said."

stephen judd · Status: Offline

LVN wrote:

Jameela Lares wrote:

HA has:

So, is this entire meeting just about the physical plant? Does the ten-year plan not include any considerations of what is supposed to go on within these buildings and spaces? You know, like research and teaching?

Jameela

Would that it were so, but no, these master facility plan thingys only concern the campus and buildings. I do hope they remember that some people who come to campus are not marathon walkers.
BTW, I looked at the link on the USM webpage, but it only led me to the websites of the two firms doing the plan. Is there an actual representation or outline of the plan anywhere?

Jameela:

I have been to a number of these events and there have been some very serious and detailed discussions about the academic side from any number of angles. Each chair was asked to submit needs assessments (I assume the chairs at least talked to their faculties but I know better). There have been college meetins (I went to one ) and a number of campus wide open meetings. Personally, although I am a little frustrated that I have been so busy I haven;t been able to get to all of them, I can't say it isn;t because the opportunities for input at many levels have not been there.

My biggest concern here is that whether or not the plan ends up being a good one it will land on the new President's desk and will impose either a further olbigation on a new administration or a potential waste of money if a new administration goes off in another direction.

Sometimes I feel as though what is currently going on is this administration is acting a lot like the Lilliputians tying down Gullivar. It feels a lot as though this administration, not content with rejecting the universty's past and, in essence, destroying our own history, not content with running the university with an iron fist for the past four years, has also decided to project itself into the future by creating so many plans and so many changes that a new administration will find itself in an extremely difficult position by either having to undo many changes that have been hastily enacted in the waning days of the Thames era or muddling through those changes because so much time and effort has been expended on them already.

LVN · Status: Offline

Thanks for the clarification, SJ. A former in-law is an architect who does a lot of institutional/educational work, and that's the source of what little I know about facility planning. Obviously my knowledge was incomplete.

ram · Status: Offline

LVN wrote:

BTW, I looked at the link on the USM webpage, but it only led me to the websites of the two firms doing the plan. Is there an actual representation or outline of the plan anywhere?

Try this LINK

If it doesn't work, go to the USM homepage. Click on "Campus Master Facility Plan" link. Go to top of page and click on "work-to-date" link. At the section entitled Work Session 3, click on the Analysis and Charrette Power Point Presentation link.

Good luck.

Reporter · Status: Offline

Printz--IHL, Meredith reprimand Thames

Brittany Brown

http://www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2006/11/30/News/Ihl-Meredith.Reprimand.Thames-2513479.shtml?norewrite200611300804&sourcedomain=www.studentprintz.com

-- Edited by Reporter at 07:19, 2006-11-30

LeftASAP · Status: Offline

Reporter wrote:

Printz--IHL, Meredith reprimand Thames

Brittany Brown
http://www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2006/11/30/News/Ihl-Meredith.Reprimand.Thames-2513479.shtml?norewrite200611300804&sourcedomain=www.studentprintz.com

Well, it looks like the old Student Printz scooped both the Hattiesburg American and the Clarion Ledger on this one. They must read this board.

Reporter · Status: Offline

H.A. Update--USM reprimanded for building demolition
Rachel Leifer
American Staff Writer

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061130/NEWS01/61130014

“There’s a process to get approval and concurrence,” Southern Miss Physical Plant Director Rusty Postlewate said. “We sent in the coordinating documents to do that, but while that was in, we started to get the actual demolition lined up and we lost track of where we were in the process.

“It wasn’t timely,” he said. “It wasn’t intentional. It was just an oversight.”

Read more in tomorrow’s print edition of the Hattiesburg American.

info · Status: Offline

WDAM at 6, paraphrased

USM's Thames "under fire" from College Board for failing to get go-ahead on campus demolition project...

Highlighted copy of Oct. board minutes shown as reporter reads from Executive Session text of reprimand...

Reporter: Thames responded that buildings torn down in Aug. "to make more attractive green space for students" ... Thames admits USM did "jump the gun, so to speak" ... "but workers were only trying to improve campus while trying to complete that project in a timely manner"...

Thames: "the request was made but unfortunately the execution of project got ahead of their approval paperwork"... "a mistake on our part" ..."we regret that"... "no, we did not intend to do harm or to bypass any authorizing body" ... "so we'll be very careful in the future to make sure that all the paperwork is done before our workers implement their work schedule"...

Reporter: At same board meeting, board members also approved developing a policy that instructs all universities to seek prior approval from Dept. of Archives and History before demolishing buildings. "An IHL spokesperson" says that new policy is "a direct result of USM's actions"...