HA: Becky Woodrick out of a job - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Aug 24, 2004

HA: Becky Woodrick out of a job

Date: Aug 24, 2004

Heavens to Betsy. USM is becoming an industry. Efficiency effort. Workflow. Workload. Functions. This sounds like the lingo of time-and-effort personnel that big business hires to increase the bottom line:

"Mader said. "As a part of the efficiency effort university-wide, the EEOC office is being reviewed, looking at workflow, workload and functions."

Let's hope they begin at the top and work their way downwards.

Date: Aug 24, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Time-and-Effort Person
"Heavens to Betsy. USM is becoming an industry. Efficiency effort. Workflow. Workload. Functions. This sounds like the lingo of time-and-effort personnel that big business hires to increase the bottom line: "Mader said. "As a part of the efficiency effort university-wide, the EEOC office is being reviewed, looking at workflow, workload and functions." Let's hope they begin at the top and work their way downwards."

I could snap my fingers and get rid of about $227,000--just fire Lisa and Angie D. I'm sure their jobs could be snowballed into someone else's job. How efficient!

Date: Aug 24, 2004

We may be missing something something here. The following quote from the article suggests to me that the matter of what to do with Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity at USM is still in the "planning stages." The quote says that the EEOC office is being "reviewed". If the review is not yet complete, how do they know the current EEOC officer is not needed? Is there another reason? Is it financial? Is it personal? Other? I remain discombobulated.

"The office may be merged with the human resources department," Southern Miss spokeswoman Lisa Mader said.

"But it's too early to make that decision," Mader said. "As a part of the efficiency effort university-wide, the EEOC office is being reviewed, looking at workflow, workload and functions."

Date: Aug 24, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Discombobulated
"We may be missing something something here. The following quote from the article suggests to me that the matter of what to do with Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity at USM is still in the "planning stages." The quote says that the EEOC office is being "reviewed". If the review is not yet complete, how do they know the current EEOC officer is not needed? Is there another reason? Is it financial? Is it personal? Other? I remain discombobulated. "The office may be merged with the human resources department," Southern Miss spokeswoman Lisa Mader said. "But it's too early to make that decision," Mader said. "As a part of the efficiency effort university-wide, the EEOC office is being reviewed, looking at workflow, workload and functions." "

Again, no probing from the HA. Just report what is given to you verbatim. Unless the online edition didn't print the full story, that is.

I'm with you, DiscomBOB (hmmm...Disco M. Bob?). This is a slip-shod, 4th tier answer (by LSM) to the question. Here' the real answer : "Becky Woodrick's office has actually been effective, thereby making us go through all sorts of hoops to make job searches legal, to make us participate in mediation concerning disputes, and to give faculty and staff some protection at their jobs and a voice in shared governance. Frankly, Dr. Thames thinks that this time could be better spent finding new ways to promote economic development at our "world-class unversity, which is a Carnegie 1 Research University, SACS-accredited and just plain perfectly great, by the way."

Date: Aug 24, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Discombobulated
"We may be missing something something here. The following quote from the article suggests to me that the matter of what to do with Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity at USM is still in the "planning stages." The quote says that the EEOC office is being "reviewed". If the review is not yet complete, how do they know the current EEOC officer is not needed? Is there another reason? Is it financial? Is it personal? Other? I remain discombobulated.

Surely, everyone realizes now that decisions are made in the Dome (in other words, this decision to eliminate the EEOC Office has already been made) and that it is up to PR to make it look like a deliberative process is taking place and all options considered, even though that is not true. The only time a Dome decision is reversed is when hell is raised because information about an impending change is leaked and the Dome is forced, as in this HA article, to provide cover and perhaps reconsider.

Date: Aug 24, 2004

Yes, truth4usm, you are exactly right. The problem is that Becky Woodrick WAS doing her job and doing it well. The AA/EEO position used to be subsumed in a different office because no one wanted that work done, and so there was no need for a real fulltime position with a trained and energetic person.

Back when Shelby Thames was first at USM--excuse me, Mississippi Southern--and for a long time after that, people "knew their places." Things were "simpler" then. It seems clear to me that Thames would like to reinvigorate that fine old tradition of silence and submission.

NO QUARTER.
Anne Wallace

Date: Aug 24, 2004

Okay, please tell me. Are lawyers circling the dome, getting ready for the lawsuits that will happen when it isn't clear how USM is meeting EEO guidelines?

(P.S. Anne Wallace--I read Chloe Chard's _Pleasure and Guilt on the Grand Tour_ this summer and she cites you! Page 204. You obviously ARE world-class.)