I think that immediately after the Glamser/Stringer suspensions, people were so unhappy with the Thames administration that some thought "any port in a storm" would do.  To some, Tim Hudson looked like that port.  For that reason, there were not many criticisms directed at him in the beginning.  As readers of the website have become more thoughtful, more involved, and more educated about goings on in the dome, people are realizing that "the enemy of my enemy is not my friend".  The struggle for power between Angie Dvorak and Tim Hudson to become Shelby's heir apparent is widely known.  As they have slung their mud at each other, they have become less and less effective.  The only place where they seem to find a meeting of the minds is in economic development.  It is rumored that Tim Hudson has been actively lobbying the board to take over if Shelby goes down next week.  He has been trying to stage a coup but can't command enough support to pull it off and has been too cowardly to resign in protest and force a decision.  Speculation is that the game plan now is to try and get the offers from UTPA and/or Slippery Rock to leverage with the board.  The mysterious "3rd job" that a troll alluded to a few days ago is probably none other than USM.  Hudson has his supporters, maybe even some on the IHL Board (keep in mind Tim has been trying to get the presidency here for years) but, more importantly, he has made some strong enemies.  These are people he has burned over the years.  He has reneged on side deals.  He has been caught in more half-truths and lies than can be counted.  He is co-opting people even now.  Who has he promised the Provost's job to if he becomes president; how many people has he promised that job to?  There are elephant-like memories all over campus.  The many mis-deeds have not been forgotten, they are just not being discussed in the hope that Tim Hudson will be offered and will accept one of the jobs for which he has applied.  As far as the daughter's position, the reporting relationship, and nepotism...draw your own conclusions.

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Originally posted by: They've all got to go
"I think that immediately after the Glamser/Stringer suspensions, people were so unhappy with the Thames administration that some thought "any port in a storm" would do.  To some, Tim Hudson looked like that port.  For that reason, there were not many criticisms directed at him in the beginning.  As readers of the website have become more thoughtful, more involved, and more educated about goings on in the dome, people are realizing that "the enemy of my enemy is not my friend".  The struggle for power between Angie Dvorak and Tim Hudson to become Shelby's heir apparent is widely known.  As they have slung their mud at each other, they have become less and less effective.  The only place where they seem to find a meeting of the minds is in economic development.  It is rumored that Tim Hudson has been actively lobbying the board to take over if Shelby goes down next week.  He has been trying to stage a coup but can't command enough support to pull it off and has been too cowardly to resign in protest and force a decision.  Speculation is that the game plan now is to try and get the offers from UTPA and/or Slippery Rock to leverage with the board.  The mysterious "3rd job" that a troll alluded to a few days ago is probably none other than USM.  Hudson has his supporters, maybe even some on the IHL Board (keep in mind Tim has been trying to get the presidency here for years) but, more importantly, he has made some strong enemies.  These are people he has burned over the years.  He has reneged on side deals.  He has been caught in more half-truths and lies than can be counted.  He is co-opting people even now.  Who has he promised the Provost's job to if he becomes president; how many people has he promised that job to?  There are elephant-like memories all over campus.  The many mis-deeds have not been forgotten, they are just not being discussed in the hope that Tim Hudson will be offered and will accept one of the jobs for which he has applied.  As far as the daughter's position, the reporting relationship, and nepotism...draw your own conclusions."

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Yes, you make a lot of points that make many of us uncomfortable, but they merit more consideration.  (Although I have to wonder if Dvorak is really Hudson's competition -- at least Hudson has made some real contributions to USM over the years.  What contribution has Dvorak made?)

In the past Hudson has used apparent offers from not particulary great schools like NW Louisiana as leverage for raises to his already substantial salary.  This time he himself probably leaked the news of his interviews at other schools to convince the Board that he's a hot commodity whom they should work to keep.  At the very least, he wants the Board to name him interim VP if ST falls

i've heard dvorak was hired to eventually become president.

also, is it possible the IHL board will go against the faculty, again and not have a national search (a real one) for the next pres.

the best thing Hudson could have done for his career was resign a month ago. it is too late for him now, and i hope he goes down with the rest of them

Dana Gay Thames -- are ya listening?????

Don't ask for permision, just forgiveness.

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Originally posted by: They've all got to go
"Ree, I have heard the same rumor you have.  I don't think it is possible for Angie Dvorak to ever become president at USM now after this debacle but, yes, I think it was the original plan.  Given Tim Hudson's well-known aspirations to be the next USM president, that must have been his greatest fear.  Shelby put Tim on the coast to get him out of the way.  Tim found a way back and managed to neuter Jay Grimes on the coast as well (save that story for another time).  Then...the enrollment fiasco which had Tim's name all over it.  Then, surprise, surprise, the Dvorak resume gets slipped under Frank Glamser's door.  Like reading All the President's Men (for those of you old enough to remember).  Shelby's a horrible manager and a vindictive, short-tempered man but never fool yourselves, he has surrounded himself with power-hungry, dishonest individuals who are doing as much to run this university into the ground as he is .  Present Professor, read all the background information on the IHL website - looks like it could have been written by Angie."

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OK -- thanks for the advice. I'll check it out.

If we can actually get evidence that the Board or members of the board conspire to set these things up we need to use it to discredit the board and force its hidden agendas to the surface. The greatest obsticle  facing the eight universities and Southern Miss speciifically are those elements of the Board who, despite being idiot podunks seem to think they know how higher education should be run.

I have felt since I got here that the IHL isn't USM's friend -- I've moved to thinking significant elements are actually the enemy.

I think we need to force a fight and expose how bankrupt these people really are. But I think we can only do that if we can get the public on board -- it needs to be convinced that their children are being ripped off.

 

God. Glad I got that off my chest. Thanks FS.

I firmly believe that if the disaster that is unfolding at USM were happening at State or Ole Miss, the IHL would have stopped the bleeding by now.

The more recent messages on this thread are convincing me that Tim Hudson needs to be added to the list of adminstrators that USM would be better off without.

I hadn't really thought about the anonymous individual who slipped the envelope under the door...but, yes, Hudson looks like a prime candidate for that.

From what I have seen at Clemson over the past decade, it's best to hire presidents and provosts from the outside.  If you hire inside candidates you end up with  top administrators who play golf with various unsavory individuals and have past knowledge of various messes that they need to make sure do no become publicly known while they run the institution.

Robert Campbell

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Originally posted by: dismayed
"I am amazed there has been nothing written about the Assistant Provost Cynthia Moore, a classic example of cronyism. Her level of power is incredible and yet her past administrative history is (I hear) one that should be a concern. "

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I'm with you on this one...she needs to go PRONTO!  I think people just assume that she will go when Shelby goes.  No thoughtful and intelligent president would keep her on in any capacity.

Just watch - if Hudson leaves, who do you think will replace him? Not Grimes....he's already proven himself inept. Cynthia will be Shelby's obvious choice - another cronie for sure, and a sure way to punish the campus protestors.

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Originally posted by: present professor
"No way. She simply doesn't have the academic credibility-- she barely has enough credibility for her present job."

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Academic credibility is not a requirement for a job with Shelby University. Those who knew the two of them from the checkered past had no doubt whatsoever that she would be handed a top level administrative post. In the unit she came from she had NO academic credibility. I know several folks from her former school, and they all say she was a joke intellectually and not to be trusted to take out the trash (without stopping to go through it).

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Originally posted by: dismayed
"Is anybody documenting her past and present behaviors? Some investigative work would prove very interesting."

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Be assured that some folks are working very hard to do just that. You have to find people who care enough to do something with the documentation, though. So far that's been the barrier. There will be more about this later.

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Originally posted by: present professor
" The documentation I have seen involves something that occured quite a long time ago

but Moore is so clearly not qualified that I have to believe even the Board would see the move as the last gasp of a dying administration.

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There is newer stuff in the same vein. Old habits are hard to break, especially when they pay well. Some folks have documentation they aren't letting go of just yet, and others have sent things forward.

On the other thread of your post, I admire your optimism but wonder how you maintain it. I haven't seen any evidence in the distant past or in the current situation that would cause me to believe the Board would look more closely at Moore for Provost than they did Hanbury for Risk Manager. Didn't a couple of Board members say that they would pretty much approve anything Shelby did? I have long been of the opinion that the Board does not provide leadership or even minimal oversight into the performance of the university presidents under its domain. I would say that gross financial mismanagement (which may have been Fleming's doom), publicized sexual misbehavior, or violation of law are the only things that would force their intervention. We have Scott Farris lauding Dvorak for being the most attractive presenter at some conference; do you really think the likes of Klumb will object to Moore's meager credentials? I hope you are right, but I have great fear of the future if Thames remains at USM as president. Moore will be a major part of the resulting nightmare.

The discussion about Cynthia Moore as future Provost seems like another red herring and here's why.  It assumes that Shelby is going to stay in power and that is debatable.  Next, it assumes that Tim Hudson is going to leave if Shelby stays and that is also debatable. Tim is not likely to get the UTPA job as the only non-hispanic candidate of 8 and he is also only 1 of 5 or 6 at Slippery Rock.   He wants to be President of USM.  Finally, it assumes that Cynthia Moore's paucity of academic credentials won't become a stumbling block and that would be extremely surprising after all of the attention paid to Angie Dvorak's credentials.   Not impossible given the history, but surprising.

I think that the bigger issue is what the Board will do if its members are finally convinced that the Thames presidency is irreparably damaged. Take Otherside's approach for a minute and look at it from the Board's perspective (if they buy into a regime change)..Thames is a problem, Dvoraks are a problem, Hanbury is a problem, Lassen's a graduate student, Hudson's dishonest, Moore is not competent, Paul's already in the right job, Mader has reached her zenith... They appear to have no replacement options.  This is likely to be their biggest dilemma right now.  Everyone is correct in talking about national searches to fill these top slots but, meanwhile, the university has to operate. 

We can't expect the Board, especially this board reluctant to make operational decisions, to remove Shelby and not have a succession plan in place.  One can only sincerely hope that Aubrey Lucas is in discussion with senior faculty now, preparing an interim cabinet that can be presented to the Board as an option.  There is a great deal of weight to be thrown if the right candidate for interim would ask for some help.  The issue of Aubrey's daughter muddies the water a little but it's hard to see how he could not be an effective healing ambassador for a year while the university conducts a national search.

This is no Bonfire of The Vanities segue, but another less spoken "outing" of this website is the fact that the 3rd name in the pool of potential Deans of the COEP (and the Prez's obvious choice) was none another than the author of The Tale of 2 Tales ----- if this website hadn't alluded to the talks of her becoming that third - last minute triumphant crusador (much like her Daddy's ascension 2 years ago)she had a great chance of cashing in, right along with her misspent Merit Pay, by being one of the 5 Deans. That dream went down the tubes when suddenly their political clout was being questioned. Ask anyone in that particular area about it - if they have the guts - they'll tell you. You won by default, Pierce - and you know it. How much do you owe Shelby (and by virtue of playing along - Dana) now?

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Originally posted by: Crystal Ball
"wouldn't you agree, however, that Cynthia Moore as potential Provost is only an issue IF Shelby remains as President AND Tim Hudson leaves as Provost?"

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I would certainly hope so, but she's been out before and been able to come back. It would be a big misake to underestimate the reach of her tentacles or the the deeds of which she is capable.