Some of you may recognize my moniker, as I have posted on this board quite a few times.  I just wanted to write about some thoughts today pertaining to academic life at USM.

I have never seen a university in such troubled waters as USM is currently in, and the end doesn't seem to be anywhere near close.  With summer quickly approaching and the IHL refusing to gave any real indication that it cares about what's going on here --- assuming first they're not involved in a conspiracy to "clean house" at USM --- the deterioration that began shortly after President Thames took office is only going to continue.  I find it increasingly difficult to get any work (research) done at USM.  The environment is exceedingly gloomy and, at times, downright poisonous.  Many have responded be departing.  It would be my guess that turnover rates at USM look more like those at a typical Marriott Courtyard than a typical national, research-oriented 4-year institution of higher learning.  Obviously, I have not left, at least in the usual sense of the term, but soon may do so.

In another sense of the term, I am leaving.  By that I mean setting up a home-office environment that is more conducive to scholarly productivity.  Like the average consumer, I have all of the essentials --- a very good PC (better than the 10-year old one in my USM office), a laser printer, a copier, a scanner, a fax, cable Internet access, etc.  I will be much more assured that my e-mails are not being monitored and that my phone converstations are not being recorded.  Like many at USM, I usually work with more people from other universities than I do with people here.  My contact with them is not altered by the fact that I'm situated a few miles further down Hardy Street.

But, both parties (USM and myself) do lose something in the process.  I lose the opportunity for the "Eureka moment" regarding a research project that comes from impromptu, face-to-face discussion with quality scholars just down the hall from me.  USM loses the "academic culture" that such a process fosters, a culture that is the sine qua non of first-class institutions.  Like most faculty, my allegiance is to my discipline first, and my institution second (at best).  Having said that, let me be clear in saying that I have argued for restoration of normality when and where I could, and in my own way.  I will continue to do so.  Let me also say that, sadly, I am quite certain that those I'm (we're) up against --- Roy Klumb, Scott Ross, etc. --- care much less about USM than I do, and I'm not from the state nor do I have any degrees from a university in the state.  I would probably be willing to wager that I care more about USM than Robin Robinson, but I'm willing to wait for additional information before sounding more certain.  Lastly on this matter, I'm even willing to entertain the possibility that USM is dearer to me than it is to Shelby Thames, despite what most people say ("He really does love USM, though"), because I would never do to my own alma mater what he is clearly doing to his.  The way I see it is that USM is a money-making machine to him, and that's about all.

It is May 13th, and many departments are entertaining prospective candidates on campus even as I write, despite the fact that Tim Hudson claimed that the new class of 112 (more like 212 now) would be the most talented in USM history.  They even harped on the notion that "we would get out into the market early to get the best and brightest," though, as I point out, it's almost June and we're scrambling for adjuncts and instructors at this point.  Information is a wonderful thing, that is, unless you're USM's administrators having to field the questions that I suspect most of these candidates have been asking.

There is not much reason for cheer.  Yesterday's PUC meeting was an exercise in futility.  One thing I've heard 1,000 times if I've heard it once in the past 5 months is "you can't change people" (i.e., Dr. Thames, Tim Hudson, etc.).  It's up to the IHL Board at this time to "change" the people running this institution.  From where I sit, in my newly configured home office where I am once again working on a project I am excited about, there's little hope of that.