Staff Concerns

Date: May 5, 2004

Staff Concerns

Date: May 5, 2004

After seeing what happened to Frank and Gary, I can see why USM staff members are reluctant to come forward with information or to say one cross word against SFT. I still have friends at USM who are staff members who are scared to death to say ANYTHING, esp. on USM phones. It's madness! And it makes me so sad...

Date: May 5, 2004

An acceptable alternative to complete silence is to post anonymously on here messages describing what the pressures and threats are. I can promise you they will be read sympathetically, and it would help round out the picture of the oppression on this campus.

Date: May 5, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: noel polk
"An acceptable alternative to complete silence is to post anonymously on here messages describing what the pressures and threats are. I can promise you they will be read sympathetically, and it would help round out the picture of the oppression on this campus."

If every staff and faculty member who has received a stupid request or an order obviously not in the best interests of education or who has been targeted by a clearly punitive action would describe that situation here in as much detail as possible, the outside could see the extent to which the camput community has been undermined.

I think a chronology of all the campus office moves and an estimate of how much each one of them cost would be enlightening as well. I know from past experience at USM that relocating phone numbers and physically moving furniture costs is expensive.

Anita Stamper

Date: May 5, 2004

I was a staff member who left about a year and a half ago, partly for personal reasons. But I could see what was coming, having worked in various other institutions and having worked for people like Dr. Thames in the past (not exactly like, but power-mad, etc.) I was very fortunate that I was able to leave -- I had other health insurance and other resources. But most of the people I left behind were not that lucky. Many I knew were desperately looking for other jobs, some went back to school, some just left anyway. I cannot adequately express the level of fear among the staff. There are not that many jobs in Hattiesburg, and few with the good things that come with working at a university. As I said in another thread, many staff are either also students, or have scholarly interests of their own. But we do not have much protection that I am aware of. I never knew anything about a thirty-day contract; my understanding was than my employment was "at will" -- and people don't have to be fired, their lives can be made a living hell in other ways. On behalf of silent staff, I appreciate your concern. On behalf of USM, I urge any staff who can, to "speak or leak"