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Fire Shelby Thames -> Fire Shelby Thames -> Fire Shelby Thames -> Rebecca Hollingsworth Quinlivan speaks out
Post Info TOPIC: Rebecca Hollingsworth Quinlivan speaks out
Fire Shelby


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Date:
Rebecca Hollingsworth Quinlivan speaks out
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May 2, 2004


 


Dr. Shelby F. Thames


Office of  the President


118 College Drive


Hattiesburg, MS 39406-001


 


CC: Board of Trustees of The Institutions of Higher Learning


 


Dear Dr. Thames,


 


 


I am a 1968 graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi. While at the university I served as an officer on the (at that time) Women’s Affairs Board, as President and V-President of my dormitory and as an officer in my professional fraternity. I graduated with pride from USM.


 


While at USM, one of my roommates was a Marine Biology major. Needless to say she had several classes with Dr. Thames and each day I had to listen to her sing his praises. She thought he was a god.


 


I have kept up with Dr. Thames’ career over the years and felt pride in USM for all his accomplishments and the prestige he and his staff brought to the University. So, it was with great excitement that I learned of his selection as President.


 


When Dr. Thames began his total overhaul of the staff at the university, I listened to complaints that he was ruining the university. I expressed optimism that he had the best interest of the university at heart and that perhaps USM could be more fiscally sound with some of his changes. The complaints continued and I began to see ( what was to me) a disturbing pattern in Dr. Thames’ agenda.


 


My daughter is currently enrolled at USM. She is Rachel Quinlivan. Rachel is an outstanding student and an outstanding person. She, as Executive Editor of The Student Printz, has reported a number of controversies involving Dr. Thames and all that began to happen with his administration. She wrote articles on the termination, by Dr. Thames , of prominent faculty members. And again, she reported on the firing of two tenured professors with outstanding credentials, Drs. Glamser and Stringer, without justifiable cause. I kept informed through her reporting and through her personally.  I could not agree with his actions.


 


I have kept silent until now. Dr. Thames has personally attacked the integrity of my daughter. He has accessed her personal Email. He attempted to draw her into the hearing process regarding Dr. Stringer and Dr. Glamser. Dr. Thames there is such a thing as freedom of the press. As a staff member of the student newspaper, Rachel had a duty to report to the student body what was going on. As you found out, Dr. Thames, the students were interested.  You owe her a written apology. This is an outrage Dr. Thames. I take it personally.


 


I no longer feel excitement over your rise to the presidency. In the end you have brought disgrace to The University of Southern Mississippi. And sadly, you have disgraced yourself.


 


It is my sincere hope that those who have the power and responsibility will ask for your immediate resignation in the interest of The University of Southern Mississippi. Maybe I was wrong about my roommate. Maybe you were the one who thought you were a god.


 


 


With great outrage,


 


 


Rebecca Hollingsworth Quinlivan



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usmstudent

Date:
Permalink Closed



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concerned for Southern Miss

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Permalink Closed

We need more parents and/or guardians to speak up!


Way to go!!!!


 



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foot solider

Date:
Permalink Closed

GO MOM!

Dear Mrs.Quinlivan,

Happy Mother's Day! You deserve the best!

Thanks for everything.

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cindy

Date:
Permalink Closed

Guess writing runs in the family, huh?


Thanks, Mrs. Quinlivan. And thanks to Rachel for all she's done for this university. You will be missed next year. 



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Rachel Quinlivan

Date:
Permalink Closed

Thanks Mom! You are the best!



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Miles Long

Date:
Permalink Closed

Defamation of character, invasion of privacy...

I say you have grounds to sue Shelby.

Personally, I think that we have a nauseatingly overlitigious society...but we need to get rid of Thames (thanks to Malcolm X) "by any means necessary".

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Robert Campbell

Date:
Permalink Closed

Great letter!


Thames ought to be ashamed of himself--but of course he won't be.


Robert Campbell



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Brandie

Date:
Permalink Closed

Sorry to say this, but when you say "personal email," if you're talking about ANYTHING accessed via University computers, it actually is Dr. Thames' property and he has a written, legal right to view it that your daughter signed off on.


If University property is used, therefore he can legally look at it.


If this is Hotmail, etc, and it was viewed through her own computer over her own network, take the jerk to court for invasion.  If it was mail sent via a usm.edu address, she actually signed off on an Acceptable Use policy that signed away all rights.


I know this because I was the tech that set up the fine machines the Paper uses to create the paper.  He used the system legally to view her email IF and ONLY IF she used government machines and government networking (as in, if she was in the dorm, then she still gave away her rights to have him access anything over that network.)


Clarify where the email was accessed before pursuing anything legal.  If you need help with traceability, my email is listed on here.  Dr. Thames has no way to hurt me and my husband.



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usmstudent

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Brandie
"Sorry to say this, but when you say "personal email," if you're talking about ANYTHING accessed via University computers, it actually is Dr. Thames' property and he has a written, legal right to view it that your daughter signed off on. If University property is used, therefore he can legally look at it. If this is Hotmail, etc, and it was viewed through her own computer over her own network, take the jerk to court for invasion.  If it was mail sent via a usm.edu address, she actually signed off on an Acceptable Use policy that signed away all rights. I know this because I was the tech that set up the fine machines the Paper uses to create the paper.  He used the system legally to view her email IF and ONLY IF she used government machines and government networking (as in, if she was in the dorm, then she still gave away her rights to have him access anything over that network.) Clarify where the email was accessed before pursuing anything legal.  If you need help with traceability, my email is listed on here.  Dr. Thames has no way to hurt me and my husband."
Do students have to sign something saying that they understand their e-mails may be monitered?  I do not remember because it has been several years since I opened my account.

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Brandie

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: usmstudent
"Do students have to sign something saying that they understand their e-mails may be monitered?  I do not remember because it has been several years since I opened my account."

 


Yup.


Maybe faculty didn't realize this was in effect for them, too--it allowed me and all of IT to do an immediate seizure when I found child pornography or other objectionable material on University equipment.



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Brandie

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: usmstudent
"Do students have to sign something saying that they understand their e-mails may be monitered?  I do not remember because it has been several years since I opened my account."

 


Yup.


Maybe faculty didn't realize this was in effect for them, too--it allowed me and all of IT to do an immediate seizure when I found child pornography or other objectionable material on University equipment.



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Brandie

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: usmstudent
"Do students have to sign something saying that they understand their e-mails may be monitered?  I do not remember because it has been several years since I opened my account."

 


Yup.


Maybe faculty didn't realize this was in effect for them, too--it allowed me and all of IT to do an immediate seizure when I found child pornography or other objectionable material on University equipment.



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Invictus

Date:
RE: RE: RE: RE: Rebecca Hollingsworth Quinlivan sp
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Brandie
"
Maybe faculty didn't realize this was in effect for them, too--it allowed me and all of IT to do an immediate seizure when I found child pornography or other objectionable material on University equipment."


Child pornography is a crime. I don't think a person on this board would say that email can't be monitored or a computer seized in the investigation of a bona fide criminal act. As the hearing showed, SFT couldn't show that a criminal act had occurred, because what G&S did simply wasn't against the law.

Like I said, nobody here would argue about seizing equipment used to download & store child porn. But what is "other objectionable material?" Copyright violations? Stolen A-bomb plans? Hacker t00lz & warez? Material critical of the school administration?

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foot soldier

Date:
RE: Rebecca Hollingsworth Quinlivan speaks out
Permalink Closed

And there are scholars whose legitimate research involves "sexual" topics that might be construed as otherwise by witch hunters. Several months ago there was an interesting piece in the AAUP Magazine, Academe, by a prof whose computer was seized because a campus agitator sent her an e-mail. When she finally got the computer back, it was clear her research (which did involve sexual topics of some kind) had been examined, not just her e-mail. She has since moved on to other university.

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LVN

Date:
Permalink Closed

I think the lesson here is that people need to get their own laptops as much as possible (not possible for some, I realize.)


But hell, I know people over there who are running businesses on their USM computers.  It's still who you are, and who's mad at you.



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Brandie

Date:
Permalink Closed

Exactly, LVN--Dr. Thames doesn't have to show any bona fide criminal activity--he just has to know your name and your computer name.  He has every right to read anything going over his network, whether it involves child porn, or just saying something ugly about him that he can use to fire you for insubordination.


That's why I'm urging people to notice where they are saying or writing something--if it is on Dr. Thames' spy network-err, computer network, he has access to it, and you're crazy if you don't think he will use it if he wants to.


Remember instant messaging also goes across his network if you do it from or to someone on the USM network.



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ram

Date:
Permalink Closed

First, on topic--


This is a wonderful letter; I hope the addressees take heed.


Second, re the digression--


The fact that someone "signed something" does not always determine whether the alleged agreement is enforcable.  There may be questions of what each party reasonably understood the terms to mean, which side drafted the agreement, the relative bargaining positions of the two, whether one was acting under duress, and other issues, I have certainly forgotten. (These recollections are 25 years stale. Take all with two grains.) 


Signed documents are most useful as powerful tools of negotiation.  We all tend to fold like wet cardboard when asked, "But, isn't this your signature?"



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glumalum

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Brandie
"He has every right to read anything going over his network, whether it involves child porn, or just saying something ugly about him that he can use to fire you for insubordination.
Remember instant messaging also goes across his network if you do it from or to someone on the USM network."


His network?!? Does Shelby Thames now OWN the University? I guess students go to classes in HIS buildings, study in HIS library, are taught by HIS professors, eat HIS food.







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stephen judd

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: Brandie
"   Yup. Maybe faculty didn't realize this was in effect for them, too--it allowed me and all of IT to do an immediate seizure when I found child pornography or other objectionable material on University equipment."

I am faculty and have never signed a release on my email content. The technology security policy as implemented was actually in dispute with faculty Senate -- as far as I am concerned the faculty did NOT sign on willingly to its provisions. The Thames administration implemented it anyway (like so many things). The only reason there wasn't a bigger hue and cry was that so few faculty really believed that this is an administration venal enough to utilize email monitoring for its own (and not necessarily university) purposes.


One of the great advantages of tyrants is how many of us are reluctant to believe that such people actually exist.



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