Reports for September 25, 2012 - October 15, 2012
usmnews.net
September 25, 2012
Editorial What to expect . . . Here we are again looking for a
president at the University of Southern Mississippi. This
report will not discuss the recent "Listening Sessions" or other
of the IHL's "twenty step process" of selecting new presidents.
Visitors We will, from time to time, report who visits
usmnews.net. State organizations like the Institutions of
Higher Learning visit, daily. We'll review their habits in a
future report. Today, let's look at a visitor from University of
West Florida, Pensacola, Florida. This particular visitor was
interested in reviewing reports about Lee P. Gore.
September 26, 2012
Updated The CoB’s Brain Drain Compilation, 2003-Present,
An Illustrated Account There is little argument with the notion
that the College of Business at USM has been severely
diminished by the faculty flight that has occurred since former
CoB dean, Harold Doty, assumed the reins of management.
Doty’s tenure began in 2003, when he was hired by former
USM President, Shelby Thames, to lead the newly
reorganized College of Business & Economic Development.
September 28, 2012
Updated Will 2012-13 be a Banner Year? During the 2011-12
academic year, USMNEWS.net staff followed the progress of
USM's athletics. As you can see, the Golden Eagles sports
units won only 42.0% of their contests
October 1, 2012
USM’s Sports Woes Continue ATHLETICS DIRECTOR EVEN
MORE EMBATTLED AFTER WEEKEND After Saturday’s
(29-Sept-2012) loss in Hattiesburg to Louisville by a score of
17-21, new USM athletics director Jeff Hammond is even more
embattled than he was heading into the weekend. With the
loss, USM fans are beyond furious at the performance of both
Hammond and new head football coach Ellis Johnson, whose
record slipped to 0-4 with the UL loss.
Dear usmnews.net: I have been told that Russ Willis has
resigned from the USM Foundation. I have not confirmed this,
but believe it to be true. You should check it out for sure.
October 2, 2012
Tricks of the Trade A September 30, 2012 article in The
Chronicle of Higher Education, Fake Peer Reviews, the Latest
Form of Scientific Fraud, Fools Journals, is interesting. Initially,
consider a quote from the article, which reads like a script for a
Saturday Night Live skit:
Fun with Ellis by Duane Cobb With his disastrous 0-4 start as
the new head football coach at USM, disgruntled USM fans
are seriously upset with Ellis Johnson. Like anything that is a
source of pain, however, many are now turning to humor in
order to deal with what they believe is only the beginning of a
nightmare in terms of USM’s football future, at least for the
near term.
October 3, 2012
Come here. Go far. Stay here. Go far. Guest Editorial I was
driving to Biloxi a few days ago and there it was a huge black
and gold billboard with a USM advertisement inviting
students to "Stay here. Go far." I had just read usmnews.net's
report about the Martha Saunders and idgroup "creative"
slogan which was a near replica of one found on the
Saunders'/idgroup era strategic plan at the University of
Wisconsin Whitewater -- "Come here. Go far."
October 8, 2012
. . . breaking news . . . Lucas: Rules Don’t Apply to USM
Administrators HATTIESBURG – Ed Kemp’s 6-Oct-2012
story for The Hattiesburg American entitled “Thames’
New Title Causes Stir at USM” has the Hattiesburg
campus buzzing, and not because it has something do with
USM’s controversial former president, Shelby Thames,
who is mentioned in the title. No, Kemp’s latest
masterpiece has the USM campus abuzz over comments
made by USM’s current (interim) president, Aubrey Lucas.
Members of the USM faculty senate, and faculty senator
David Beckett in particular, learned recently that retired
USM scientist Thames was awarded emeritus status by
Lucas without first submitting Thames’ application for
emeritus status to faculty and administration in USM’s
College of Science and Technology.
eLLLLLoss! Golden Eagles Football Sinking Fast With
the 6-Oct-2012 loss in M.M. Roberts Stadium to Boise
State University by a score of 14-40, the Ellis Johnson
regime at USM is off to a disastrous 0-5 start. And, with
each successive loss, Eagles supporters all over
cyberspace who have taken to referring to “Ellis” as
“Elloss” add yet another “l” to their chosen name,
leading to the current version – “Ellllloss.”
October 9, 2012
Is Lucas a Thamesian? Interim President Looking More
Like Controversial Former President Every Day A Guest
Column When USM faculty were, in the eyes of many,
being terrorized by the Shelby Thames administration of
USM (2002-07), current interim president Aubrey Lucas sat
on the sidelines, occupying the paid title of emeritus
president, and did virtually nothing, again in the eyes of
many, to blunt the pain being felt across USM’s two
campuses.
Dear usmnews.net, I don't know why anyone is surprised
to hear that [interim President] Lucas believes that Rules
Don't Apply to USM Administrators. Since when did
anyone think the concept of shared governance meant
anything at "Southern Miss"? I can't remember the last
time any administration cared what the faculty senate or
faculty thought? The faculty handbook and the concept of
share governance have been little more than window
dressing for a series of imperial administrators.
October 10, 2012
Our Everyday Visitor Why does the IHL visit
usmnews.net every day, often several times a day? As
reported in the past, the editors and reporters at
usmnews.net are pleased the IHL is hearing from
someone other than university presidents.
Dear USM News, Your recent guest column about how
[current USM interim president Aubrey] Lucas is a
Thamesian is pretty much how I feel. Except your columnist
forgot to mention anything about the “secret raises” that [The
Hattiesburg American’s Ed] Kemp reported on in the
newspaper [on 7-Oct-2012]. Kemp’s article points out that
after hiring 80 new faculty for the coming year (Wow! That
number is huge! Think USM has a faculty turnover
problem?), USM administrators recognized a large “salary
lag” problem
October 11, 2012
Editorial Shocked?! USM administrators not following
the Faculty Handbook? Mr. Lucas was the
administrator, this time? I'm shocked! Shocked! Let's
put this in perspective. If the USM administrators/IHL
members had to decide between continuing the
football team, expensive losers that they are, or the
faculty senate...adios, sayonara, bye-bye faculty senate.
October 4, 2012
Dear usmnews.net, Why wasn't Chuck Scianna put on
the committee to select the new College of Business
dean? He didn't seem terribly happy with the direction of
things at USM. As you recently quoted Mr. Scianna,
"[w]hen I made the investment [in the CoB], the
investment was made based on negotiations with
individuals [Saunders and Nail] who made certain
commitments to me, and, in my opinion, they're in
breach...".
October 12, 2012
Duhon and Lambert and University of Phoenix All too
often visitors to USMNews signal intentions. The above
got our attention. The first question that came to mind,
are Dave Duhon and John Lambert looking to "move up"
in the academic ranks? From University of Southern
Mississippi to University of Phoenix?
October 5, 2012
October 15, 2012
The Farm News Briefs from Southern Miss
15-October-2012 Plaintiff’s Attorney Slams USM Jesse
Bass’ 13-Oct-2012 story for The Hattiesburg American
updates the USM community on the lawsuit filed
against USM by Bonnie Gerald, a former USM
professor. Gerald’s lawsuit alleges violation of federal
law prohibiting discrimination, and is summarized in a
recent USMNEWS.net report (see link above).
updated HELP WANTED A Look at Business Dean
Openings from Around the Country With four
current/former CoB deans moving around in the
academic world, some USMNEWS.net readers have
requested an ongoing report that tracks current
b-school dean openings. Long-time readers of
USMNEWS.net are aware that Joseph Peyrefitte is the
current interim dean of the CoB, having replaced Lance
Nail, who is now the business dean at Texas Tech
University. Other former CoB deans, Harold Doty
October 30, 2012
Dear usmnews.net, Take a look at the attached email.
Before every football game I get pretty much the same
invitation. (I guess anyone who has donated money to the
Foundation gets one.) I'm almost tempted to go to see
who, if anyone, shows up. I wonder if Interim-President
Lucas will bother to play host. Maybe he will spend his
time campaigning with the folks at the University of
West Florida trying to get Martha [Saunders] gone and off
his payroll.
