financialissues24

(April 9, 2009) 31st & Pearl Chi Omicron Beta The fact that we weren't surprised to learn that untenured assistant professor of economics Deniz Gevrek is maintaining a residence in Austin, TX, shows just how "glike a Phoenix" USM's College of Business has become since 2003. The earlier finding that another untenured assistant professor of economics, Daniel Monchuk, is living in Washington, D.C. -- almost 1,000 miles from Hattiesburg's USM -- makes almost every other location seem nearby. The Gevrek news did, however, get us to thinking about some "economizing" opportunities in the whole commuter faculty trend. That is that the Monchuks, Gevreks, Jordans, Smiths, and Gunthers of the CoB should all band together and rent a large house, perhaps even one in Hattiesburg's tony Canebrake neighborhood complete with swimming pool, hot tub, billiards and wet bar, for their teaching fly-ins (or drive-ins).

(May 11, 2009) QPE Another Look at Teaching Quality in the CoB A number of reports here at USMNEWS.net have examined teaching quality in USM's College of Business. Many of these have used the data available at ratemyprofessors.com. The main statistic from RMP is "overall quality," which, in theory, should be a good measure of teaching quality. However, those familiar with higher education understand that good evaluations of teaching can be "bought" by "easy graders," which is a phenomenon that is, according to USMNEWS.net sources, prevalent in the CoB.

(May 12, 2009) The Wheels on the Bus Musical Chairs Malfeasance in the CoB, 2003-09 The turmoil caused by the D. Harold Doty administration (2003-07) of USM’s College of Business has been the subject of numerous studies, reports and editorials here at USMNEWS.net and elsewhere. One of the symptoms, if not also one of the causes, of such turmoil is the degree of turnover among the divisions of Doty’s administrative structure. That turmoil crept into the interim administration of Alvin Williams (2007-08), and plagued much of the first year of the Lance Nail administration (2008-09). To see what the turnover looked like, Table 1 lists the names of the individuals who held chairs, in sequence, from the first year under Doty (2003) through Nail’s first year (2009) at the helm of USM’s b-school.

(May 13, 2009) Klinedinst Has Highest Faculty Senate Absenteeism Rate HATTIESBURG – The USM Faculty Senate has just released its 2008-09 Faculty Senate attendance records and CoB professor of economics Mark Klinedinst shows up with the highest “absenteeism rate” on record.

(May 18, 2009) Save the Date In and Around USM’s College of Business Accounting instructor Patty Munn has three summer courses. Even though times are supposed to be tough, and total enrollment in Munn's three courses has yet to reach 70, she is, as an instructor, still being allowed 3 courses (a full load). Just what is it that MS taxpayers are supposed to take from this situation?