Extending an olive branch???

Date: May 13, 2004

Extending an olive branch???

Date: May 13, 2004

What an a--hole. Wasn't it SFT "hisself" who earlier was refusing to respond to legitimate FacSen requests, dismissing them as so much empty paperwork supposedly intended merely to make life difficult for the Office of the Prez? My humble suggestion - make the #1 goal in reaching all of those aims the unseating of SFT, with monthly updates on all the ongoing reasons to so do. Isn't it all obvious? WHEN WILL PEOPLE GET THE REAL DEAL ON THAMES? It is financial - follow the money (or rather, the missing money).

Date: May 13, 2004

And what happens if they fail to comply? Did Dr. Fleming or Dr. Lucas ask for anything similar from FacSen? Does anyone recall or have a copy of one of their letters? Who else got letters like this?

For crying out loud, if FacSen could do anything to bolster salaries, would they have done so by now?

Date: May 13, 2004

That is not really the point, dear friend. It is simply to step up pressure on M. Henry and the FacSen. Same old game - SFT can never quite leave well enough alone. The gall! Especially since SFT no longer has a gall-bladder. Actually, this is good, very good, since SFT will soon shoot hisself in the derriere as can be expected. What a hoot!

Date: May 13, 2004

Note how he asks for their "goals" and tells them what their goals should be at the same time.

Date: May 13, 2004

Oh it is rich, too rich for words. Perhaps he will direct a similar missive to the SGA, the Staff Council, the boy scout troop in Oak Grove. Ah, what about the USM Foundation and the $9 million that are missing, er, are "written off" because they are "unaccountable." And why the h--- hasn't anyone done the digging into SFT Part I when he was the Exec. VP, back in the 80s? Perhaps we need a string just for "Old Boy Stories"; everything that people tell walking around but which has not been to print. Whaddaya say?

Date: May 13, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Beemerphile
"Oh it is rich, too rich for words. Perhaps he will direct a similar missive to the SGA, the Staff Council, the boy scout troop in Oak Grove. Ah, what about the USM Foundation and the $9 million that are missing, er, are "written off" because they are "unaccountable." And why the h--- hasn't anyone done the digging into SFT Part I when he was the Exec. VP, back in the 80s? Perhaps we need a string just for "Old Boy Stories"; everything that people tell walking around but which has not been to print. Whaddaya say?"

Beemer, that's been tried on here a couple of times. Everybody has heard the same stuff, but the people who know aren't talking. As to your question on the other thread about forcing an audit, it would take one or more major donors, preferably Repbulicans who are big contributors to the Governor, to demand to know what happened to their money. Or somebody to come up with some real data.

Date: May 13, 2004

Okay, LVN, but someone, somewhere, sometime is going to crack this nut, or rather both. Will work on both. It has got to be the $. g'nite.

Date: May 14, 2004

As chair of Academic Council, and as incoming president of AAUP-USM, I did not receive a letter. I am so disappointed!

I find the timing of the letter, like the timing of PUC, to be another ploy at convincing the IHL board members that Thames is doing something to "improve" the situation here at USM.

I am sure our facsen colleages are busy debating the response to the outrageous demands of Thames. I hope they return the olive branch coated with poison ivy.

Date: May 14, 2004

WARNING! Dear friends be cautious with this one. There seems to be a move nationwide for university presidents to use the strategic planning 'excuse' to do what they want. My suspicion would be that Thames will demand the 'plan' and then find a way to prove that the goals were not met. Might lead him to disband the 'ineffective' FS in favor of the much more productive PUC.???

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Okie Eagle
"WARNING! Dear friends be cautious with this one. There seems to be a move nationwide for university presidents to use the strategic planning 'excuse' to do what they want. My suspicion would be that Thames will demand the 'plan' and then find a way to prove that the goals were not met. Might lead him to disband the 'ineffective' FS in favor of the much more productive PUC.???"

From FacSen's Constitution:

Article 1 Name and Purpose

Section 101
The name of this organization shall be the Faculty Senate, hereafter referred to in this document as the Senate.

Section 102
The Senate shall provide for the faculty both a forum and a voice and so allow it to assert for the general welfare of the University its distinctive viewpoint and principles.

The "goals" Dr. Thames refers to are not the business of the Senate. In addition, the Senate is having elections and the new Senate and new officers will discuss the Senate's goals in August, when the faculty return for fall semester. Unlike a dictator, the officers do NOT dictate the goals.

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Newgirl
" From FacSen's Constitution: Article 1 Name and Purpose Section 101 The name of this organization shall be the Faculty Senate, hereafter referred to in this document as the Senate. Section 102 The Senate shall provide for the faculty both a forum and a voice and so allow it to assert for the general welfare of the University its distinctive viewpoint and principles. The "goals" Dr. Thames refers to are not the business of the Senate. In addition, the Senate is having elections and the new Senate and new officers will discuss the Senate's goals in August, when the faculty return for fall semester. Unlike a dictator, the officers do NOT dictate the goals. "

Right on, Newgirl! Why should the Faculty Senate's job be to increase student enrollment? That sounds like SFT trying to get someone else to do HIS work. This is a gauntlet that has been thrown down by SFT, and another example of him "framing" the discussion. Don't let him get away with it, Faculty Senators! Re-frame this and put the blame back where it belongs (sqaurely on SFT's head!).

Date: May 14, 2004

If I was on Faculty Senate, I'd agree to provide SFT a monthly progress report only if he agreed to provide FS with a monthly progress report on his own actions. Wouldn't that be fun to read??

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Okie Eagle
"WARNING! Dear friends be cautious with this one. There seems to be a move nationwide for university presidents to use the strategic planning 'excuse' to do what they want. My suspicion would be that Thames will demand the 'plan' and then find a way to prove that the goals were not met. Might lead him to disband the 'ineffective' FS in favor of the much more productive PUC.???"

My reading as well . . . set up something ambiguous enough that you can claim it wasn't met. Or, in this case, set it up so that it is due in such a short time (and during a period when the faculty is technically is not working) that it will be difficult to produce in time -- at the every least you force faculty to work beyond their contract time.

I am quite sure the senate is working on a very "special:" response to this. I'd lay odds on it.

Date: May 14, 2004

Thames is demanding stuff from the Faculty Senate that isn't part of the Senate's job.

And the Senate needs to call his bluff and say so.

Of course, the Senate leadership should ask for progress reports from SFT, as Truth4USM suggested. Thames hates being accountable--that will drive him nuts.

Come to think of it , the Senate could make some suggestions about increasing revenue and reducing expenditures. How about a detailed plan to cut administrative positions, with estimated savings from eliminating each position? That would also be constructive...and guaranteed to drive Shelby completely crazy.

Robert Campbell

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"Come to think of it , the Senate could make some suggestions about increasing revenue and reducing expenditures. How about a detailed plan to cut administrative positions, with estimated savings from eliminating each position? That would also be constructive...and guaranteed to drive Shelby completely crazy. "

This is a wonderful idea.

Date: May 14, 2004

"I ask that the new president provide me with a written monthly update regarding the Faculty Senate's progress in meeting their goals."

Goal #1: Removing SFT from office.

Progress: Substantial effort but no final outcome as of yet.

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: dismayed
" "I ask that the new president provide me with a written monthly update regarding the Faculty Senate's progress in meeting their goals." Goal #1: Removing SFT from office. Progress: Substantial effort but no final outcome as of yet. "

HA! Thanks for the laugh, Dismayed!

Date: May 14, 2004

From Robert Campbell's post on Shelby's Vision for USM
"If Angie Dvorak controls 50% of the indirect cost return money, she could be steering it all kinds of places.
Kickbacks to Shelby Thames are a virtual certainty.
How about Jack Hanbury's gold-plated salary and benefits? Were they paid for entirely out of indirect cost return money?
We can be reasonably sure that none of it is going to liberal arts departments...
Another item on the Faculty Senate's to-do list over the summer: Ask for a detailed account of where the indirect cost return dollars controlled by the VP for Research are going--and cc Phil Bryant on the request."

What's important here is the last statement concerning the FS's to-do list, If STF is going to allow FS to come up with a way to save $ and increase Faculty salaries, Do they not have a right to review a complete accounting of expenditures of the university including administrative costs/salaries, etc. STF may have handed FS the means to find out where the money is going......just a thought

Date: May 14, 2004

Faculty Senators,

I have watched with interest the communication style within Faculty Senate and between Faculty Senate and Shelby F. Thames over the last two arduous and painful years. Clearly there is a crisis at USM. As an anthropological linguist, though not an expert in “redneck” talk, I might just be of service to the university community. I offer the following reply with redneck translation to Shelby F. Thames. Bear in mind that I am not a Faculty Senator, so I am only supposing what your reply might contain. I mean no disrespect to Faculty Senate. I have observed over the last two years some very effective communication among senators of varying backgrounds, disciplines, and political agendas and must say I admire you all. In the reply that follows, I try to state what you might be thinking, and then present the redneck version. You will note that this is not a word-by-word or even a sentence-by-sentence translation since all good anthropological linguists know that culture doesn’t always allow such a smooth translation. Some things just do not translate easily across cultures, and it is increasingly obvious, that Faculty Senate and Shelby F. Thames occupy separate cultures.

Here goes: (in draft form!)

Dear Shelby Thames,
We received your letter of 13 May 2004. Concerning your command to be provided with the mission, goals, and strategies of Faculty Senate, one would think that after two years in the Office of President and decades at USM, you would understand what the Faculty Senate is. We understand that you have never been elected as a faculty senator, and therefore have a limited access to its mission, goals, and strategies. This is likely due to the lack of trust and regard on the part of your colleagues to elect you to such a position.

Dear Shebby,
You’re nothin’ but a bully. Your mama shoulda brought you up better. AND, you done show’d your ass again. Cain’t 24 hours go by without you makin’ another dumb mistake and embarrassing USM? You sure is stupid, boy. Not only that, them you work with don’t like you. By now you should know what stuff like “tenured at” and faculty senate means.

You asked how Faculty Senate planned to work to increase salaries of University employees, how we would implement a more equitable funding formula, and how we would maximize student recruitment efforts. You may recall that Faculty Senate has made numerous requests for information regarding faculty salaries, necessary information to address salary issues. You have repeatedly denied our requests for information. You may also recall that Faculty Senate has asked on numerous occasions over the last two years for information about the budget. For example, how exactly is the reorganization providing two million dollars in the academic budget? You denied all of the requests for information necessary to participate. In fact, you have consistently shut down anything resembling participatory governance at this university Concerning student recruitment, you already have our opinion of the recent enrollment scandal.

You just keep showin’ yer ass! You lead with yer chin! You just gotta stop showin’ yer ass and being a big ol’ bully!

As you should know, since you sign all contracts, faculty are typically on 9-month appointments. Therefore your deadline of July 5 is laughable. Concerning your command for Faculty Senate representatives (they are called “executive officers”) to report to your cabinet, we have been trying to do this for two years. At first you only let Don Cabana talk, then you and other members of your cabinet have refused to meet with us. Clearly your actions toward Faculty Senate and the entire university community are not only ridiculous, but destructive.

You just keep on showin’ yer ass. By now you should know what stuff like “tenured at” and faculty senate means. Yer just dummer than dirt! We’re circling the bowl here, bud.

Faculty Senate
The heart and soul of the university and your unrecognized prized possessions

Date: May 14, 2004

Dear AL,

This is great! In the interests of enhancing communication on all sides, I took the liberty of running SFT's letter through the infamous Dialectizer, which is online at the URL that follows Shebby's letter.

========================

Dear Dr. Henry:

Wif th' end of th' sprin' semester nearin', ah knows th' Faculty Senate is makin' plans fo' th' upa-comin' academic year. As yo' make them plans, ah's requestin' thet yo' develop an' provide me yer misshun, vishun, goals, an' strategies fo' th' upa-comin' year. Please include witcher goals an' strategies how yo' plan t'assist th' Unyversity in wawkin' wif th' Board of Trestees of th' State Insteetooshuns of Higher Larnin' an' th' Legislature t'increase salaries of Unyversity employees, t'implement a mo'e equitable fundin' fo'mula an' t'maximize our student recruitment effo'ts. Knowin' th' Faculty Senate's goals an' objeckives as fine as plans t'retch them will aller us t'pool our resources an' inhance our effeckiveness, tharby inablin' timely an' improved results in th' execushun of our Unyversity misshun. Please haf this info'mashun t'me no later than Monday, July 5, 2004. As th' noo fiscal year begins, ah ax thet th' noo president provide me wif a writ monthly update regardin' th' Faculty Senate's progress in meetin' their goals. Addishunally, th' Faculty Senate representative will be axed t'give an update at all Cabinet meetin's so thet th' entire Unyversity community kin be info'med of yer successes. Eff'n yo' haf enny quesshuns o' need enny clarificashuns regardin' mah request, please feel free t'call me at 266-5001.

Shelby F. Thames

President

http://rinkworks.com/dialect/

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: USM Sympathizer
"Dear AL, This is great! In the interests of enhancing communication on all sides, I took the liberty of running SFT's letter through the infamous Dialectizer, which is online at the URL that follows Shebby's letter. ======================== Dear Dr. Henry: Wif th' end of th' sprin' semester nearin', ah knows th' Faculty Senate is makin' plans fo' th' upa-comin' academic year. As yo' make them plans, ah's requestin' thet yo' develop an' provide me yer misshun, vishun, goals, an' strategies fo' th' upa-comin' year. Please include witcher goals an' strategies how yo' plan t'assist th' Unyversity in wawkin' wif th' Board of Trestees of th' State Insteetooshuns of Higher Larnin' an' th' Legislature t'increase salaries of Unyversity employees, t'implement a mo'e equitable fundin' fo'mula an' t'maximize our student recruitment effo'ts. Knowin' th' Faculty Senate's goals an' objeckives as fine as plans t'retch them will aller us t'pool our resources an' inhance our effeckiveness, tharby inablin' timely an' improved results in th' execushun of our Unyversity misshun. Please haf this info'mashun t'me no later than Monday, July 5, 2004. As th' noo fiscal year begins, ah ax thet th' noo president provide me wif a writ monthly update regardin' th' Faculty Senate's progress in meetin' their goals. Addishunally, th' Faculty Senate representative will be axed t'give an update at all Cabinet meetin's so thet th' entire Unyversity community kin be info'med of yer successes. Eff'n yo' haf enny quesshuns o' need enny clarificashuns regardin' mah request, please feel free t'call me at 266-5001. Shelby F. Thames President http://rinkworks.com/dialect/ "

That is TOO hilarious! What fun!

Date: May 14, 2004

Sympathizer, are you a Southerner? If yes, then ok, you can make fun of your own. If no, then you are on very thin ice here and I caution you to take care. You could turn up in a dark alley with your mouth stuffed with cornbread! There are multitudes of Southern accents, quite distinctive, and people are jealous of their own. "effn" for example, is East Tennessee or thereabouts. There are distinct accents within Mississippi, including a Delta one which is almost gone (they say "oy-eth" for "earth"). So take care. Besides, if you ever saw Robert McNeils's The Story of English, you would know that ours is the most directly descended from Shakespeare's, so there!

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: LVN
"Sympathizer, are you a Southerner? If yes, then ok, you can make fun of your own. If no, then you are on very thin ice here and I caution you to take care. You could turn up in a dark alley with your mouth stuffed with cornbread! There are multitudes of Southern accents, quite distinctive, and people are jealous of their own. "effn" for example, is East Tennessee or thereabouts. There are distinct accents within Mississippi, including a Delta one which is almost gone (they say "oy-eth" for "earth"). So take care. Besides, if you ever saw Robert McNeils's The Story of English, you would know that ours is the most directly descended from Shakespeare's, so there!"

I think this is all in good fun (and I take your reply as all in good fun, too, LVN). Speaking as a Southerner who purposefully lost her Southern accent as a teenager, I find some Southern accents to be quite beautiful and some to be downright horrible. I still have fun "passing" as a non-Southerner, and then coming out of the magnolia-scented "closet," so to speak. And, even though I've lost of most of the accent, I still can't say "ruined" worth a darn!

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"I think this is all in good fun (and I take your reply as all in good fun, too, LVN).

Oh, of course. The only time I ever went abroad, to London, my sister and I walked into the lobby of the Rembrandt hotel. I was beside myself to finally be in ENGLAND and to meet ENGLISH people. There was a lovely family in the lobby, and I though, upper-class ENGLISH people. Then they opened their mouths, and they were from somewhere between Jackson, MS and Birminham, AL. (that central south accent). I crossed the ocean for that! Actually I love accents, and I think it a shame they get lost or watered down becasue of TV. That Delta accent, for example, is one that I have not heard in years, I remember it from people of the pre-WWI generation.

But, saying that, I don't blame anyone who can tone theirs down. I went to Northwestern for my first two years of college, and got so tired of "let me hear you say something"-- and it did make a difference in class. When I opened my mouth my IQ dropped twenty points in some professor's eyes. (On the other hand, both my native-southern profs gave me A's.)

Date: May 14, 2004

I find all of this discussion about accents quite interesting because I've acquired a Southern accent (on purpose) and when people ask where I'm from I tell them that my home is in Mississippi!

Date: May 14, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Green Hornet
What's important here is the last statement concerning the FS's to-do list, If STF is going to allow FS to come up with a way to save $ and increase Faculty salaries, Do they not have a right to review a complete accounting of expenditures of the university including administrative costs/salaries, etc. STF may have handed FS the means to find out where the money is going......just a thought

Good point, Green Hornet.

Of course, the Faculty Senate would need to know where the money is going, in order to be in a position to make informed suggestions about improving the university's finances.

So the proper response to Thames' letter is... a bunch more requests for data that he's been withholding!

Robert Campbell

Date: May 14, 2004

To Robert Campbell:

Let me quote two parts of previous posts and then I'll make my point:

Quote from STF's letter to FS: "Please include with your goals and strategies how you plan to assist the University in working with the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Legislature to increase salaries of University employees, to implement a more equitable funding formula and to maximize our student recruitment efforts"

quote:

Originally posted by: Okie Eagle
"WARNING! Dear friends be cautious with this one. There seems to be a move nationwide for university presidents to use the strategic planning 'excuse' to do what they want. My suspicion would be that Thames will demand the 'plan' and then find a way to prove that the goals were not met. Might lead him to disband the 'ineffective' FS in favor of the much more productive PUC.???"

My viewpoint:

Someone would think that STF is giving the FS a task geared for failure. This could very well be true and give STF reason to replace the FS with the PUC (or at least show-up FS via media-spin-mader. STF could claim the FS failed. BUT if the FS is not given the tools (information on budgets, salaries, etc.) for the job, HOW can they accomplish their task. FS can turn this around and show that STF was withholding the vital information to get this accomplished.

Anyone out there with comments?

Date: May 14, 2004

Sorry for the mistakes in my previous note:

It's late and I'm tired and I put STF instead of SFT

Hope you all understand what I mean.

GH

Date: May 14, 2004

And why does SFT not know the goals of Faculty Senate, or the many steps it has taken over the years to improve conditions here? Why does SFT not acknowledge (since he exploits it all the time) the fact that Faculty Senate is an advisory committee with no policy making power?

Thames is the one with the power. And if he doesn't know what Faculty Senate has been doing or what its goals are, it's because he can't--or won't--read the Faculty Senate minutes online on the University's own website, can't--or won't--attend Faculty Senate, can't--or won't--read open letters, resolution, and other direct communications from Faculty Senate, and won't communicate at all except on his own terms.

I agree: Goal One: remove Thames. Goal Two: rebuild.

NO QUARTER.
Anne Wallace

Date: May 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Green Hornet
"To Robert Campbell: Let me quote two parts of previous posts and then I'll make my point: Quote from STF's letter to FS: "Please include with your goals and strategies how you plan to assist the University in working with the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Legislature to increase salaries of University employees, to implement a more equitable funding formula and to maximize our student recruitment efforts" quote: Originally posted by: Okie Eagle"WARNING! Dear friends be cautious with this one. There seems to be a move nationwide for university presidents to use the strategic planning 'excuse' to do what they want. My suspicion would be that Thames will demand the 'plan' and then find a way to prove that the goals were not met. Might lead him to disband the 'ineffective' FS in favor of the much more productive PUC.???" My viewpoint: Someone would think that STF is giving the FS a task geared for failure. This could very well be true and give STF reason to replace the FS with the PUC (or at least show-up FS via media-spin-mader. STF could claim the FS failed. BUT if the FS is not given the tools (information on budgets, salaries, etc.) for the job, HOW can they accomplish their task. FS can turn this around and show that STF was withholding the vital information to get this accomplished. Anyone out there with comments?"

Green Hornet,

I think you are giving Thames credit for diabolical cleverness, when in fact he is frothing and thrashing.

In my experience, university presidents don't ask Faculty Senates to contribute to strategic planning. They don't want Faculty Senates to take an interest in strategic planning. That is a prerogative that they reserve jealously for themselves (or that the governing Board, if it is inclined to micromanage, reserves for itself).

At Clemson, mission and vision statements (and "implementing concepts") have simply been imposed by the Board of Trustees, in the teeth of efforts by the Faculty Senate to get the Board to stop living in the "cow college" era and designating non-A and M disciplines as inferior. (Hint: A reader of the current "implementing concepts" would not expect there to be a graduate program in Psychology at Clemson, or even a Psych major, since the Board has pronounced the Humanities and Social Sciences worthy of providing "service courses" only.)

By asking the Faculty Senate to do strategic planning for him, Thames isn't being crafty. He's being desperate. It's up to the Faculty Senate to expose his desperation.

Robert Campbell