This was a response I wrote to a friend about the current situation. As this is my first post I dug way back for the posting name.

I am afraid you have missed the point. Their concern is the academic integrity of the institution, not a desire to work less and not a witch hunt against certain individuals. To maintain that integrity they must have qualified people in all positions. The only way to assure people are qualified is to provide documentation. At this point I am not sure what Dvorak's credentials are and if they have been checked out. That is what Glamser and Stringer were trying to do and they did ask the administration for help, without result.

If USM is to be run like a business then business rules apply to all sides, and cannot be applied selectively. One of the principles in business is to recognize the needs and contributions of all stakeholders. In the case of a university that means that faculty share governance with the administration. When the faculty abides by the rules and procedures of the university and the administration admonishes them for that action it flies in the face of any business/organizational principles.

With regard to athletics, you are correct. Division 1 college athletics is big business, but it costs a lot to be in that game. Even the revenue producing sports must support other sports required to meet Division 1 status. Net revenue for most schools is a zero sum game. That does not mean athletics doesn't help the university in name recognition and alumni participation, but it is not the purpose of a university. If it were we could trade in the university for a minor league football and basketball team and all the questions about academic integrity would be moot.

By the way - a few questions about funding the stadium expansion and the golf course. 1. Is USM getting the same share of state funds that State and Old Myth got when theirs were expanded? 2. Were Oxford and Starkville asked to contribute to the stadium as Hattiesburg has been asked? 3. Is expansion of a small restricted stadium really the right choice for the long-term health of the institution or is a new stadium what should really be pursued. 4. Why is the golf course, a place out in the middle of a growing residential area with no easy truck access (winding roads) and no rail access being turned into a development park? Why couldn't there have been a land swap with land in the existing industrial park? We know that by the time the commercial park takes off there will be at least one more golf course built in Hattiesburg.

With regard to the faculty I think you may want to do a little checking before you start using terms like anti-Mississippi and anti-South. Many of the faculty are originally from Mississippi and the South. Those not from the South have made a decision to be a part of USM. They have all chosen USM for many reasons and non of those include bashing Mississippi and the South. Many have forgone other opportunities both financial and academic to live and work in Hattiesburg. They do not speak out to degrade the university but to improve it. The whole idea that they want to destroy their place of employment and the place on which they build their own academic and professional reputations is ridiculous.

The problem at USM is not the university it is the State of Mississippi, and the Old Myth crowd that continues to control everything as if it were their private plantation. The state has decided that it cannot afford three major universities so the mandate to 'clean house' under which Thames was appointed is the means to achieve this purpose. This may not be a malicious act on the part of the board, just a recognition of the realities of educational funding in a poor state. It does however deny the 'business' reality of the situation. Growth in the state is in the south and USM is the logical place to grow and expand. The battle for control of the coast and the growth there has started and at this point USM is loosing. When Old Myth and State get branches on the coast it will be clear where we stand and then we will just be the west side branch of Carey College.

This matter is not settled. I hope it will be at the next board meeting, but I will not hold my breath. The board and most of the people of Mississippi have a misguided concept of what a university is and what it should do. It is first and foremost a place people go to get an education. That was the original charge of State Teachers College in 1910 and should remain the purpose first and foremost. A university also has the responsibility to preserve and enhance knowledge through research. It should serve the community by bringing something unique to the area like high caliber athletics, exposure to cultural activities, and intellectual pursuits. It can be a catalyst for economic development, but it is not the engine of economic development. The engine for economic development is business and the innovative ideas for business come from those people that use their backgrounds, both educational and experiential, to enhance the community.

What can the faculty do at this time? They can have a plan ready if the IHL board has the courage to act and remove the obstacles to progress. What is needed to get each department(including athletics) back to the best it has ever been? What is needed to ensure each department is fully accredited and not in danger of losing that accreditation? This is not asking to be the best in the world, just to be the best we have seen at USM. This will involve money and in asking for the money the board must answer the question do they want USM to be less than everyone knows it can be, and if so why is that their intention. The plan should then have a second step to bring each area up to the level of the other universities in the state so USM is the best in everything it does.

What can I do? As an expatriate Mississippian I can continue to do what I have been doing for the last 25 years. I will continue to be a member of the alumni association will continue to contribute as much as possible to an endowed scholarship I set up more than 10 years ago.

One of the proudest moments I ever had in my lifelong association with USM was during the broadcast of a game on ESPN. The commentator said of USM, "They do more with less than any other Division I school in the country." This is our legacy, this is our challenge, and this is our strength. This should be our motto and all of the university community should strive each day to do just that.