Good luck finding a seat next week at the termination hearings for two tenured professors at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Incredibly, university officials are providing seating for only about 200 people - 50 to 60 seats in the hearing room itself, and another 150 seats in a second room where viewers can watch a live video feed of the proceedings.

This is unacceptable - especially given the intense university and community interest in this event.

Ever since USM President Shelby Thames suspended - and began termination proceedings against - professors Gary Stringer and Frank Glamser on March 5, USM faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as the larger Hattiesburg community, have followed this story with great interest.

Granted, university officials may not be able to accommodate all of the spectators who desire to attend this highly publicized event.

But surely they could do better than 200 seats!

And then there's this: It turns out USM won't be able to provide Internet coverage of the April 28 hearings because, according to USM spokeswoman Lisa Mader, the wiring in the R.C. Cook Union is old and incompatible.

All of which leads us to ask: Why are the hearings being held in the Union building? (Note: Updates on the hearings are planned every 15 minutes at www.hattiesburgamerican.com.)

The suspensions of Stringer and Glamser, who say they are being targeted by Thames for questioning the résumé of Angie Dvorak, USM's vice president of research and economic development, have attracted local, statewide (and even national) media coverage. The suspensions have also sharply divided both the USM and Hattiesburg communities.

Given the facts that: 1) USM is a publicly funded institution; and 2) the public has a vested interest in this case, we're at a loss to understand why public access is being limited so severely.

The process/procedures outlined by the state College Board call for the hearings to be transcribed in writing and by videotape. Once the hearings are completed, transcripts of the testimony will be provided to both the University Advisory Committee (which is composed of six USM faculty members) and Thames. These two parties, along with former state Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson (who is presiding over the hearings) will each make independent recommendations to the College Board, which will then make the final decision regarding the professors' case.

However, given the potential magnitude of this event, it's a shame more of the public won't be allowed to attend.