ARTICLES CONCERNING
HOW MONEY IS SPENT
(March 3, 2011) Are Detailed Expense Reports in the Offing for USM? What do you think about having at your
fingertips detailed expenditures by government? If you ever want to see government spending, including state
universities spending, brought under control, it’s not going to happen without detailed, reliable information.
(March 11, 2011) Saunders Administration Plans to Centralize Vacant Lines More on USM’s Plan to Support
Signature Programs As part of USM’s new policy to support so-called signature academic programs, the Martha
Saunders administration is now centralizing vacant lines. According to information relayed to the USM faculty
senate on 4-Mar-2011, vacant lines will now move through the central administration and into those academic
units that have been designated by the Saunders administration and the University Priorities Committee (UPC) as
top-tier, a designation that was given to certain favored programs and departments during the process of cutting
the FY2012 budget.
(March 15, 2011) . . . breaking news . . . USM Athletics Continues to Drain USM’s Coffers HATTIESBURG – After
the 65 teams for the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball championship were announced on 14-Mar-2010, the 32 teams
participating in the 2010 NIT were revealed. Next, the 16 participants in the new CBI were made public. Finally,
the 16 invitees for the CollegeInsider.com post season tournament (CIT) were named, and Larry Eustachy’s USM
Eagles were among this group. While some USM athletics supporters are happy with this news, many in the USM
family recognize this situation as a potentially major financial drain on the institution during one of the most trying
financial periods in the institution’s history.
(March 15, 2011) . . . breaking news . . . Another $17,000 for USM’s Administration HATTIESBURG – At its
17-March-2011 meeting, the Mississippi IHL approved a $17,000 raise for Ann Parker Blackwell (pictured below),
the interim dean of USM’s College of Education & Psychology. The 12.6% raise, which takes Blackwell’s salary
from $135,000 to $152,000, is part of USM president Martha Saunders’ decision, announced on 3-March-2011 via
David Tisdale’s USM presser, to remove the “interim” part of Blackwell’s title.
(March 30, 2011) . . . breaking news . . . CoB to Get $33 Million Facility HATTIESBURG – According to a
29-Mar-2011 report by The Hattiesburg American, the Martha Saunders administration of USM announced (also
on 29-Mar-2011) the kickoff of a $10 million private fundraising campaign to support construction of a new, $33
million facility for USM’s College of Business.
