The pattern has become all too familiar – a five-year president departs Southern Miss under a cloud of controversy, and we start anew the process of searching for a leader who can help us “move to the next level.”

The past three presidents (not counting Aubrey Lucas’ one-year caretaker turn) – Horace Fleming, Shelby Thames, and now Martha Saunders – share this disappointing storyline, despite their striking differences of background, vision and style.

Many are quick to point out that the tenure of university presidents these days isn’t much longer than five years anyway (actually, I think it’s currently running better than eight years), so maybe our experience is fairly “normal” after all.

Baloney.  

Will university life go on at a fairly steady pace?  Of course.  Faculty will teach and research and participate in the processes of shared governance.  Staff will manage offices and provide essential quality services.  Students will attend classes and progress toward degree completion and  graduation.  But the pattern of short-term presidential turnover is ugly and damaging.  The result is a setback to the strategic direction, momentum and morale of the Southern Miss community.

Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking otherwise.

In a single day last week I got two very different perspectives on the challenges of “building community resilience” in the process of long-term disaster recovery. 

The RAND Corporation’s Gulf States Community Resiliency project is developing a web-based course on the subject, and developers invited me to participate in a review session in downtown New Orleans.  Though the RAND session shot most of the day, I had a chance that afternoon to visit a small community-based organization, “lowernine.org,” that helps residents of the Katrina flood-devastated Lower Ninth Ward rebuild their homes – mustering volunteer labor to assemble owner-purchased materials.   

Each organization might rightfully claim to anchor one end of a continuum – RAND on the side of high-flying analytics and conceptual rigor, lowernine.org on the side of roll-up-your-sleeves, get-down-in-the-dirt-and-do-it practicality. 

Both ends of the spectrum are not only useful, but doubtless essential, to the myriad challenges of long-term disaster recovery and community strengthening.  But to see them juxtaposed, as it were, so starkly in so short a span of time was a rare eye-opening experience for this social work educator.

I am looking forward to meeting with students today at our annual College of Science and Technology Meet the Deans event. 

This annual event is put on by dean’s office staff with help from the College of Science and Technology Student Ambassadors.  The ambassadors do a great job hosting this event and helping us greet our students. 

Come on out to the Johnson Science Tower between 12:15 – 1:30 today to enjoy pizza, drinks, and meet the deans.  I will be there along with our associate deans Dr. Patricia Biesiot and Dr. Dale Ledford. 

On Thursday I joined social work colleagues at Mississippi Valley State University for the first day of their 32^nd annual social work conference, offering a presentation on “aging and the new austerity.”  A long and favorable reputation makes the conference an impressive event with a very good draw for the tiny Delta town of Itta Bena.

Mississippi District 13 state senator Willie Simmons was on hand to provide a well-received keynote address, featuring the disparity between the vital work done by social workers and the generally poor pay they earn.  Perhaps the problem, the senator mused, half (but only half) in jest, lies with the title of “worker.”  Workers in America, and maybe especially in Mississippi, he offered, just don’t come in for much respect – or remuneration – these days.  Perhaps a name change would help – how about social “engineers”?  Social “technicians”?  Social “therapists”?  Engineers, technicians, and therapists all seem to command more professional respect, and with respect, more money, than lowly “workers.” 

Ah, if only it were as easy as a title change, Senator, if only it were that simple.

We’ve expanded our use of Twitter in the Honors College over the last few weeks. I’ve learned from visiting with students that many of them closely follow Twitter, so the service seems to be a good way to get the word out about HoCo events and activities.

Our twitter handle is @HonorsAtUSM. So far we’ve tweeted about our students’ research presentations, student awards, and College activities. Student reaction seems good. I’ll keep you posted. On Twitter, of course! (But also here.)