According to the USM Alumni Newsletter I just received yesterday:

Southern Miss Plans for Rapid Enrollment Growth

[excerpt]

In an earlier announcement on January 7, a record 112 faculty searches among all colleges and teaching sites university-wide had been approved.  Southern Miss filled 44 tenure-track faculty positions last year.

[end excerpt]

Don't you just love how they can try and spin ANYTHING??!!  Can you believe that they are BRAGGING that they are without 112 faculty members (almost a sixth of the entire faculty??).

It boggles the mind...