HA - Thames Puzzled - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Sep 2, 2004

HA - Thames Puzzled

Date: Sep 2, 2004

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/updates/8549.html

This is perfectly great...blame the guy who just left! Yes, that's the strategy!

Date: Sep 2, 2004

They dismantled the graduate admissions office and the grad school and sent some of those people over to Institutional Research, then they moved IR around and made a bunch of changes and generally made life hard for them. Then they wonder why a major questionnaire, which it was IR's job to complete, and which needed stats and info from the grad school, fell through the cracks.

IR is a career, it's not just some place full of numbers where you can stick people and expect them to know what to do the next day.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

From the HA article:

Speaking at the monthly President’s Council meeting, Thames said he was puzzled why USM would drop in its ranking when it is making gains in other areas such as enrollment and research funding.

Hmm...could it be that quantity doesn't equal quality, Shelboo? Could it be that endowments are just as important as (if not more than) research funding? Could it be that great universities care about their faculty (and I mean ALL of the faculty, not just those who are able to be economically developed)? Could it be that word has gotten out about how you have systematically waged war on your own faculty members in the English Department and other humanities depts.?

Ignorance is no substitute for real leadership, Shelboo. Leave the Dome now while there's still a shred of dignity left for USM. Please, for all of our sakes.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

He didn't support Stringer. He didn't support Glamser. Now see what he's saying about Hudson. When the chips are down, and when push comes to shove, do you really think he'll suppot YOU?

Date: Sep 2, 2004

Is the missing info really the cause for the drop? Be careful of this as a red herring. It seems USNWR had all the info they needed for the ranking of the university overall. This is a cop out by the admin and a subtle way to skirt the real issue. Don't fall for it.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Food for Thought
"He didn't support Stringer. He didn't support Glamser. Now see what he's saying about Hudson. When the chips are down, and when push comes to shove, do you really think he'll suppot YOU?"

He's only going to support himself and his family members (I'm doubting he even has many real friends at this point). A leopard doesn't change its spots and Shelboo's not about to change his method nor do anything about his madness.

NO FRICKIN' QUARTER!

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Caution: Missing Info
" Is the missing info really the cause for the drop? Be careful of this as a red herring. It seems USNWR had all the info they needed for the ranking of the university overall. This is a cop out by the admin and a subtle way to skirt the real issue. Don't fall for it. "

Yes, they are using this as part of the out-of-control spin. Shelboo and Mader's proverbial feet need to be held to the fire on this one. It's not Hudson's fault, it's not Stringer's fault, it's not Glamser's fault, it's SHELBY FRELAND THAMES' fault that the tier drop occurred.

He has made a laughingstock of my alma mater and it's a crying shame that a 70% no confidence vote has been so roundly ignored by the IHL. You reap what you sow, and here is the fruit of SFT's bitter harvest.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
it's a crying shame that a 70% no confidence vote has been so roundly ignored by the IHL.

I demand a recount. The figure 70% is surely too low.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Funny Numbers
"I demand a recount. The figure 70% is surely too low."

It is, in fact, HA spin. They ambiguously and recently said:

"69 percent of the faculty cast a 430-32 no confidence vote."

In other words 70% of the faculty voted. 93% of those voted no-confidence. Go figure.

Thank God no one can spin the unanimous FS vote as badly.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Tinctoris
" It is, in fact, HA spin. They ambiguously and recently said: "69 percent of the faculty cast a 430-32 no confidence vote." In other words 70% of the faculty voted. 93% of those voted no-confidence. Go figure. Thank God no one can spin the unanimous FS vote as badly."

Sorry to be ambiguous! Yes, T, you have it right. 70% of the faculty voted. Of that 70%, 93% voted no-confidence.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Sorry to be ambiguous!"

Oh no, I didn't mean you. The sentence I quoted (and objected to) was from that puzzling "Turnover Rate Steady at USM" article in the 9/26 Hattiesburg American.

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"Sorry to be ambiguous! Yes, T, you have it right. 70% of the faculty voted. Of that 70%, 93% voted no-confidence."

Not to mention that in fact it remains unclear exactly how many faculty there are at USM . . . and which faculty number is being used . . . .

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/updates/8549.html

'Thames said he was puzzled why USM would drop in its ranking when it is making gains in other areas such as enrollment and research funding."

Puzzled? Why would he be puzzled? His puzzlement might dissapate if took a look at what the US News used in their rankings: economic development and enrollment don't count are not among those. They do not count. These do count: peer assessment, class size, student-faculty ratio, faculty salaries, student test scores, alumni giving. What has the administration done about those variables (short of mounting that sign at dance and theatre)?

Date: Sep 2, 2004

The buck stops where?

Date: Sep 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Miles Long
"The buck stops where?"

At USM the buck stops with the $dough$