Vance Watson is our new President - right now its interim, but will probably be permanent in the next few months (after a lengthy nation-wide search and thousands of dollars). Welcome Dr. Lee!
Vance Watson is our new President..
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Vance Watson is our new President - right now its interim, but will probably be permanent in the next few months (after a lengthy nation-wide search and thousands of dollars). Welcome Dr. Lee!
We should rise up in revolt. The streets of Jackson should run red with blood if we don't get a competent, progressive president.
is horrendous. Daffodils and wooden shadow boxes didn't have a damn thing to do with what happened.
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS/80320025&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS/80320025&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
There are plenty of people they could have picked. Amy Tuck would have been a decent interim, despite the hell she's caught here. Seriously, we should in no way settle for Dr. Watson as our permanent president.
Actually Lee accomplished more during a short time as president than anybody else in recent memory.. Maybe wasn't a great "public speaker," but most of the things that Doc has been bragging about (increased research funding, increased enrollment, etc) were started when Dr. Lee was president.
The new ABE building, the new dorms, the new book store, the new band hall, the remodelling of the union, Lee hall, McCool hall, Bowen hall, etc, all started during Lee's tenure you know.
I'm pretty sure Watson doesn't want to be the permanent pres but he'll do fine as an interim.</p>
The new ABE building, the new dorms, the new book store, the new band hall, the remodelling of the union, Lee hall, McCool hall, Bowen hall, etc, all started during Lee's tenure you know.
I'm pretty sure Watson doesn't want to be the permanent pres but he'll do fine as an interim.</p>
made some good hires, but a president's main job is to be a leader and one who rallies a university's alums and Charles Lee was the opposite of that. He embarrassed alumni. And I say that b/c I've heard pretty prominent alums use that very word.
And by all accounts, Watson does want to be the president permanently.
And by all accounts, Watson does want to be the president permanently.
to be the permanent Pres either but it's funny how those things change once someone realizes all they have to do is stay in the position for 3 years in order to get a nice bump in their retirement income.
Watson will be get the position and stay in it for the aforementioned three years before riding off into the sunset and we'll have to do this all over again.
Edited to add this:
This is from right after Doc's announcement,
</p>
Watson will be get the position and stay in it for the aforementioned three years before riding off into the sunset and we'll have to do this all over again.
Edited to add this:
This is from right after Doc's announcement,
</p>
Hell, why not just give Keenum the job now? Is 3/4 years really going to make that much of a difference?
Universities have whole departments dedicated to "rallying alums." Sure, Lee isn't the guy I would pick to stick in a Mississippi State shirt and put on TV, but I'm all about results, and the man got some results. I guess I can see how someone could say his public image was "embarassing," but he kept such a low profile, really how many people who are not connected to MSU know what our president looks or talks like? More people see Ron Polk picking his nose on TV during a super regional than have any idea who our president is.
Edited: I meant to reply to 8Dog, not myself, but am a dumbass.
Edited: I meant to reply to 8Dog, not myself, but am a dumbass.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Amy Tuck makes the least sense of anyone mentioned to be the Pres at MSU. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
My understanding is that he's got the respect of many people in the university community. I would not be surprised if a Watson presidency would be a permanent option. After a short-lived presidency of an outsider, it makes perfect sense to go for someone who knows MSU.
Interim presidencies usually go to people with institutional knowledge of the university who can step in on short notice. While Tuck loves MSU, I don't think she has the experience.
and in no way, shape, form, or fashion should he become permanent president. We can hire someone who knows MSU in Mark Keenum on a permanent basis. And he would be the perfect choice. It's his damn dream job. This is why I despise (hate isn't a strong enough word) the IHL. It's all a bunch of ******** run by ******** who can't have the best interests of MState in mind when they are hiring presidents. Total conflict of interest.
Xenomorph said:
If we look at it like that ... what does Mark Keenum know?
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The flower people win. Mediocrity for all. Now let's join hands and sing ....
So you like Keenum, and Keenum has his good and bad qualities.
Good qualities being:
1. MSU grad. 2. Former MSU prof. 3. Has Washington connections.
The major bad quality being:
Keenum might not be the person MSU wants at this moment (needs some more seasoning at the undersecretary post to make him seem not to be a political appointee). As far as I know, this is the first time he's actually run something.
So tell me... what do you like about Watson and what don't you like (other than, of course, IHL-hatred)?
Good qualities being:
1. MSU grad. 2. Former MSU prof. 3. Has Washington connections.
The major bad quality being:
Keenum might not be the person MSU wants at this moment (needs some more seasoning at the undersecretary post to make him seem not to be a political appointee). As far as I know, this is the first time he's actually run something.
So tell me... what do you like about Watson and what don't you like (other than, of course, IHL-hatred)?
Fair enough.
Good Qualities:
1. MSU person
2. Well liked by the faculty
Negative Qualities:
1. Puppet president
2. Well liked by the faculty
3. Not progressive/no forward-thinking vision
Essentially, it's Dr. Lee all over aGAIN. He's a weak leader that can be controlled. Keenum has plenty of experience running a US Senator's staff, and now the USDA. He's wanted this job for a long time now. It's time he gets it.
Good Qualities:
1. MSU person
2. Well liked by the faculty
Negative Qualities:
1. Puppet president
2. Well liked by the faculty
3. Not progressive/no forward-thinking vision
Essentially, it's Dr. Lee all over aGAIN. He's a weak leader that can be controlled. Keenum has plenty of experience running a US Senator's staff, and now the USDA. He's wanted this job for a long time now. It's time he gets it.
...as far as running a university is concerned (dealing with bureaucracies and such) than his Senate experience (what with Senate staffs being smaller, but still very helpful as far as personal contacts are concerned). I don't know if Keenum has enough USDA/upper level bureaucratic experience yet.
I see his USDA bio, and the thing that comes to mind when I think of Keenum is that he's an extremely good researcher with extremely good connections who's not had the chance to run something big until recently, and that's my main concern with him.
I see his USDA bio, and the thing that comes to mind when I think of Keenum is that he's an extremely good researcher with extremely good connections who's not had the chance to run something big until recently, and that's my main concern with him.
Dr. Watson already holds a high position in the University community. He is the Vice President of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. I can assure you that he is good friends is Mark Keenum, who also has strong ties to the agricultural community. As far as the interim goes, I have no beef with Watson in office. After the interim, he may be a better choice than Keenum and I was a large advocate for Keenum before Foglesong got the nod from IHL. I just don't know what the big deal is with Watson and nobody has shown me a convincing argument against him as president.
...since it plays into perceptions of what people want from a president. A president has many different communities that he has to deal with. I look at it this way. Watson knows how to communicate with faculty and staff otherwise he wouldn't have been named a VP of MSU, and people have perceived that Foglesong has had problems in communicating concerns with faculty, staff, and students.
If Watson can make the faculty and staff happy and that there's less bad publicity coming out of MSU, I consider that a good thing.
If Watson can make the faculty and staff happy and that there's less bad publicity coming out of MSU, I consider that a good thing.
And I think you might have a valid point with it. But still, he's wanted the job a long time, and knows how to play the political game required of a university president. And like you said, after dealing with a Senator's staff, I think he should be able to handle the faculty in an appropriate manner. Bottom line, it's time for this university to go in a different direction. Doc started some good things, but couldn't check his ego. I like that Doc was a visible representative, even if it was a little goofy sometimes. Keenum would be a visible representative as well, but I don't think we'd see the goofy stunts from Keenum that we saw from Doc. Plus, he'd be a strong leader capable of leading this university for a long time. Much like with coaches, continuity is a good thing where university presidents are concerned. He'd provide the competent, stable leadership we've lacked since Dr. Z retired.
I didn't think Foglesong was that bad. And I don't think Vance Watson is that bad, either. Maybe we could do better -- but Vance Watson really is a quality individual. And anyone that suggests that Tuck is a better short term option: Take it from a big Tuck supporter -- she is great at shaking hands. It goes downhill from there.
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