saunders23

(February 18, 2009) Town Meeting Highlights: Martha Re-Visits Herself Interesting comparisons... All Southern Miss constituents are seeking more and better information about what you are going to do about all this, Martha; posting excerpts from your Town Meeting is not helpful. Most were there or watched on a live feed; there are links to watch you in many locations. Leaders lead. Stop brooding about being questioned about your precious airplane. Take positive measures and stop being so aloof.

(February 19, 2009) Town Meeting Math A Review of Aunt Martha’s Speech on Student Retention and Faculty RewardsDuring the 12-Feb-09 Town Meeting at USM, a meeting to discuss the University’s 2009-10 budget crisis, president Martha Saunders told those assembled that the past year at USM has been dedicated to “strategic enrollment planning.”

(February 26, 2009) “a personnel issue” Documenting the Return to the Relationship Between Adams & Reese and USM The relationship between Mississippi law firm Adams & Reese and the University of Southern Mississippi dates at least as far back as to the Shelby F. Thames administration of USM (2002-07). The Thames administration often used the firm to supplement the legal work being done for the University by USM legal counsel Lee Gore and then-USM risk manager Jack Hanbury. The relationship has continued well into the Martha D. Saunders administration (2007-present), and it has dealt primarily with an anonymous “personnel issue” since Aug-07, if not before. The payments submitted to Adams & Reese from USM (through Mississippi’s IHL Board) since that time (Aug-07) are shown in Table 1 below.

(March 7, 2009) USMNEWS.net Readers Think "Major" by Duane Cobb On 6-Mar-09, the Martha Saunders administration of USM sent the following "Media Advsisory" to local/statewide media: Media Advisory: Southern Miss to Make Major Announcement

(March 10, 2009) (March 11, 2009 reader responds and a 31st & Pearl Bonus!) Wag the Dog Redux? A Reader’s Take on President Saunders’ Major Announcement of March 10, 2009 On March 10, 2009, USM President Martha D. Saunders called the USM community together, press included, for a major announcement. That announcement turned out to be a donation to the University of $6 million, $5 million of which will be devoted to student scholarships, with, according to staffers at The Hattiesburg American, the remaining $1 million “. . . going to strategic initiatives.” Saunders told those same THA staffers that the gift, which came anonymously, is “. . . the single largest cash gift ever received by the university.” Finally, regarding the anonymity of the donor, Saunders remarked: “We cannot answer questions about the motivations or interests of the giver.”

(March 16, 2009) Race for the NACDA Cup Which USM Administrators Fostered Success . . . and Diversity? Each academic year the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) sponsors a race between NCAA member institutions, wherein points are awarded for each institution's performance in male/female collegiate sports.