financialissues16

(February 2, 2008) Special Report Holes in the Core An Investigative Report on CoB Faculty Credentials A previous installment in the Special Report series entitled "Transient Independent Contractors . . ." pointed out that the CoB's faculty ranks are increasingly becoming concentrated with untenured faculty and instructors, adjuncts, and visitors. This installment in the Special Report series examines how the CoB students are being adversely affected, through staffing decisions involving the CoB core curriculum, by the unprecedented faculty turnover since 2003, the year that former CoB Dean Harold Doty arrived in Hattiesburg from Syracuse University.

(March 19, 2008) Anywhere but Here CoB Faculty Involvement in International Teaching Junkets During the regular 9-month year, some CoB faculty seem to work tirelessly to figure out ways to acquire teaching load reductions and/or "overload pay" for regular teaching loads. Another teaching program that seems to be growing in popularity has been the various international teaching junkets that usually occur during the summer months. From Tony Henthorne's (MKT) and Mark Klinedinst's (ECO) involvement in various Caribbean studies programs, to the legions of CoB faculty involved in USM's British Studies Program, some of USM's business professors have never seemed to show much interest in using the summer months to generate momentum in research programs.

(March 23, 2008) Special Report "Where All of 'the Magic' Happens" An Investigative Report on Martha's $300,000+ Boudoir Makeover According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the 2007 median value of new homes in Mississippi stood at $135,000. Unfortunately for Mississippi's taxpayers, this figure is less than 45 percent of the amount of money that USM President, Martha Saunders, requested to renovate her boudoir in the President's mansion in Hattiesburg. According to the official Minutes of the IHL Board Meeting of 14-Nov-07, Saunders requested, and was awarded, $300,000 to renovate her boudoir (see below).

(March 24, 2008) Breaking News Saunders’ “Boudoir Makeover” Expenses Continue to Mount HATTIESBURG – The recent news item, broken by USMNEWS.NET reporters, entitled “Where All of ‘the Magic’ Happens” describes the $324,622.63 renovation to the “bedroom wing” of the USM President’s mansion in Hattiesburg. That installment in the Special Report series is already generating buzz among our readers, and if the cost over-runs on Saunders’ “boudoir makeover” request continue to mount, that buzz will continue on for some time to come. The recently released minutes of the IHL’s 21 February 2008 board meeting show that the over-runs are continuing. According to “Exhibit 2” of the Minutes, the IHL approved Change Order #2 on IHL 208-282 – the real estate & facilities project renovation of the bedroom wing of the USM President’s mansion. As the insert below shows, construction work is now taking place both inside and outside of the bedroom suite.