February 2009 Archives

In the midst of budget crises and other depressing events, it is difficult to find good news.  I would like to direct your attention to a great honor awarded the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.  Yesterday, Dr. Jay Dean accepted the 2009 Governor's Award for Leadership in the Arts on behalf of the symphony.  It was a great occasion (I was there) and the hall was filled with important people from around the state.  Dr. Dean shared the dais with artist, Andrew Bucci, Grammy-winning jazz singer, Cassandra Wilson, and author, John Grisham, among others.  (Not bad company, I'd say.)

If you see Jay or any of his fine staff and orchestra members, please give them your heartiest congratulations.

Our students are off for a couple of days and the campus is kind of lonesome, but those of us on duty are enjoying the quiet and plentiful parking. 

It's nice to work at a place that gives the kids a two-day holiday for Mardi Gras.

Today, at IHL Board meeting, I will take great pride in introducing the IHL's Black History Month Educator of the Year, our own Dr. Eddie Holloway.

 

As a young man growing up in the Hattiesburg community, Dr. Holloway first came to the Southern Miss campus in 1968 to find a part-time job.  Thank goodness we have been able to keep him at Southern Miss for the past forty years.   Dr. Holloway has a driving passion to help others and to uphold the honor and dignity of our University.   He is truly a friend and a valued colleague for me and my entire Executive Cabinet.

 

Dr. Eddie Holloway currently serves Southern Miss as Dean of Students and Assistant Professor of Psychology.  He has earned a baccalaureate degree, two Master's degrees as well as a Ph.D. in Educational Administration at The University of Southern Mississippi. 

 

As a young man growing up in Mississippi in the 1960's, he was an eye witness to the historic Civil Rights movement and Freedom Summer activities that swept the nation that decade.  Drawing on those experiences, he has made numerous presentations for schools, churches, and organizations throughout the country as a consultant and in-service trainer on the topic of cultural diversity.   

 

Dr. Holloway emerged as a leader on our campus and in our community.  He served the City of Hattiesburg as a councilman for 16 years, and he has served on numerous community boards including the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, the American Red Cross, the BancorpSouth Community Advisory Board, Wesley Medical Center, and the Hattiesburg Public Schools Foundation Board.

 

Dr. Holloway has been steadfast in his philosophy of inclusion and information for all students and co-workers.  He has worked tirelessly to develop and maintain strong relationships across racial, gender and economic boundaries.  At Southern Miss, he provides training annually in the area of diversity to our University Police and various student groups, and he teaches a Student Affairs Diversity course in our Student Personnel graduate program.  Southern Miss takes great pride in our diverse student population, and Dr. Holloway has been instrumental in Southern Miss' success in this arena.

 

As the Dean of Students, Eddie Holloway exhibits a phenomenal understanding of the needs and the looks of frustration that are often found in college students today.  He has helped hundreds of students adjust to life on our campus.  His calm yet firm approach, coupled with his fair and equitable philosophy, has given him a wonderful position of respect on our campus and in the greater Hattiesburg community.

 

Thank you, Eddie, for all you have done for all of our students. 

 

 

 

 

I do not believe misery loves company, but it sometimes helps to know we're not alone in our troubles.  See below for budget reductions occurring in neighboring states:

 

It was gratifying to see so many people turn out for Thursday's town meeting.  I will be referring to my notes many times over the next few weeks as we navigate the all-too-familiar sea of budget cuts.

My remarks included some thoughts I think bear repeating:

"This is a time for candor and for realistically facing conditions in our university budget.  But it's not a time for hand-wringing or retreat.  Frankly, I'm not the hand wringing type.  This university has weathered worse challenges in its 100 years of service to education and we will, no doubt, face others over the next century.  When compared with the trials of our predecessors - The Great Depression, a time when salaries could not be paid, and even an attempt to close our doors - our present troubles seem small.  We are still living in a land of plenty.  As a nation, we are suffering because of the actions of the stubborn, the incompetent and the unscrupulous.  We don't know who to believe and we don't know who to trust.  But here at Southern Miss,  I hope you will take heart, as I do, that smart people can solve problems and we are, in fact, smart people.

I hope you will take heart, as I do, that the problems before us today are only about money.  Take heart, as I do, that the essence of this university remains in tact.  We are still a place characterized by a spirit of humanity:  kindness, compassion, respect and support for others.  We are still people who believe in our ability to produce necessary or desired results.  We are still a university that can find the balance between the collective good and the good of the individual.  We still enjoy traditions passed from previous generations.  We celebrate our diversity and know the importance of respecting differences in race, culture, ethnicity, interests, thought, socio-economic background and beliefs.

Take heart, as I do, that we have strong and able leadership at the department levels and much improved communication between executive leadership and the governance groups.

Take heart, as I do, that we are a productive campus with much to celebrate.  Just this past week I learned that we have doubled our number of NSF career award winners.  Previously, we held two of these prestigious awards.  Today we hold four, thanks to the efforts of Paige Phillips and Doug Masterson from the department of chemistry.  David Butler, professor of political science, won $800K from the Department of Homeland Security.  Gordon Cannon, Robert Bateman and Frank Moore received $700K, $500K and $320 from the NSF for their work.

Just this past week we learned that our outstanding honors college senior, Paul Saputo, has already been accepted to law school at the University of Virginia and Duke.  Paul is a great young man who has benefited from the boost our Honors College has given him.
 
Just this past week we learned that our student leader, Bentley Anderson, has obtained a summer internship in Senator Wicker's Washington office.

Just this past week we were able to sell the bonds for our new residence halls at a favorable rate and will break ground for this much-needed 900 bed facility on the Hattiesburg campus in within the next 30 days.

Just this past week, I accepted the first gift for our Centennial scholarship campaign and we will soon kick off fund raising for that very important project.

Just this past week I learned that the master plan for the new Southern Miss Gulf Coast campus at Cross Creek is ready for IHL approval in April and a production crew from Animal Planet spent time taping and filming to do a segment on Dr. Robin M. Overstreet at GCRL.

Just yesterday I learned that our Dean of Students, Eddie Holloway, has been named the IHL Board's Black History Month Educator of the Year.

We have set February 12 as the date for a town meeting to discuss the current and anticipated cuts to our appropriated budget.  We are making every attempt to structure this meeting so that we can address, in a comprehensive and meaningful way, these and other issues facing the campus.

 

The meeting will be held at the Thad Cochran Center Ballroom from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.  Offices may be closed for this event but classes will be held.