Thursday, April 01, 2010

Speck's iron fist clamps down on that pesky First Amendment


Never let it be said that I will not admit it when I make a mistake.

For months, I have accepted the conventional wisdom that Missouri Southern State University President Bruce Speck is an enemy of the university's international mission and that he is doing everything he can to dismantle it.

As it turns out nothing could be further from the truth. Speck is demonstrating his appreciation of international customs in a most public way these days. Unfortunately, the aspects of foreign culture that MSSU's rich tenor voice has chosen to emphasize are taken from the bowels of Communist China and are more suited to the Stalin era in the Soviet Union.

After some minor pretense at getting along with everyone following the faculty's no confidence vote, Bully Boy Bruce is back in the saddle again, and his latest target is the First Amendment.

In the latest edition of the campus newspaper, The Chart, reporter Brennan Stebbins reveals that a new Speck edict forbids media from interviewing anyone without going through the university's public relations office:

Nearly two years after issuing a policy on media involvement with Missouri Southern officials, University President Bruce Speck has finally decided to enforce it.

Under the policy, which Speck originally issued in June 2008 to the all-campus community, any representatives from media organizations, including The Chart, must be referred to University Relations and Marketing when contacting campus employees and students.

"We certainly have no interest in impeding the flow of information to the media, but we do need to follow these interactions so we can be aware of the various stories being produced that impact the University and its reputation and do our part to provide appropriate campus security," Speck wrote in the memo announcing the policy.


Though Rod Surber of the p. r. office says the policy is not as sweeping as it sounds and that students can be interviewed without restrictions, it is obvious the policy is designed to give Speck the ability to crack down on anyone who dares take issue with his policies.

The revised approach to the media may have been telegraphed by new MSSU Board of Governors member Lynn Ewing of Nevada during his inaugural board meeting. Ewing's first statements at a board meeting were a lengthy diatribe against The Chart.

Thankfully, the intrepid young staff at The Chart refuses to bow down to Speck's intimidation attempt. From an editorial in the latest edition:

This is not a business, but an institution of higher learning, and a state-funded one at that. And now, tax dollars are going to support an administration that continues to pile up the sand bags and sit in the dark, doing its best to keep the outside world at bay.

Actions by the administration and the University's Board of Governors have indicated that they don't care for an active and inquisitive student press. We hope the new policy is not intended to restrict access - or worse - impose a chilling effect on free speech.

This paper will continue to ask questions and ask for documents. That is its job.

And if we suspect a violation of our First Amendment rights, we will report on it. And we will call the Student Press Law Center.

Speck has now come to a moment of truth. Will he realize or admit this mistake and lift the policy? Or will he continue slipping into the shadows and stripping this University of its integrity?


Of course, all will be well when Dwight Douglas' holy grail, the medical school (Southern's version of Atlantis) opens.

(Photo: Bruce Speck promises to get along better with faculty.)

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a policy that is common in schools, industry, labor, etc. Check around Randy....this came down from Crowder College 25 years ago...it's true at hospitals...

I am REALLY starting to worry about you, Randy, with that reference to Nazi and other unpleasant groups in history. These references are a disgrace

...do you use these tactics in your classroom? I feel for your students...and hope someone in Joplin wakes up to you and your "ideals"

Anonymous said...

Wow, 4:37, this article really struck a chord with you. Defensive much, Dwight? Actually, most universities do not have a policy of controlling all media exposure through the PR office. It's absurd.

Anonymous said...

From 4:37 AM - I really do not care what you think of me. I have never met Dr. Speck and my comments have nothing to do with whether I approve or disapprove of what he and/or the university board do. This is how uncouth, unprofessional and borderline recklessly insane Randy's posting is. His postings are becoming more and more bizarre...and unbecoming to his profession....

Randy said...

I find it amazing how many times I write something accurate about MSSU or a certain Joplin area politician and the response centers more around my teaching than what I have written. That is a clear indication that I am striking a nerve.

Anonymous said...

If Rod Surber was worth a crap as a PR guy, it wouldn't be so bad to go through his office. But he stinks at getting back to the media and rarely answers his phone.
On another note, Universities and Colleges are not PRIVATE entities like hospitals. They are PUBLIC, STATE OWNED facilities. Therefore, policies like this are doomed to fail.

Anonymous said...

yes it is randy - those guys at MSSU still believe that they can ramrod anything they want - I do believe that speck even feels stronger since the vote of no confidence - and the boaqrd stood behind him - sounds to me like a vote of no confidence comming real soon for the board - by the way two new VP's appointed without a search - departments have to do searches for part time people - looks to me like they dont want another failed search

Anonymous said...

The Chart should hang in there and continue to seek information from the top man. Busy schedule, my foot. Bruce is just avoiding the Chart's probing questions about his reckless, arbitrary, and uninformed decisions.
For instance, ask him regarding the appointment of Fullerton as interim vp of student affairs (with an 85%,$45,000 salary increase), what happens now to his favorite (Bruce's)turncoat Doug Carnahan. Is Douggie retiring? are the roles going to reverse with Carnahan now reporting to Fullerton, his former subordinate? Or is Fullerton just warming up the seat for Carnahan.
The public needs to know, because Fullerton is not quite qualified. He does not have the experience for one, he does not have a doctorate for another.
Hang in there, Chart! and get us the news, despite Ewing and his ilk...

Anonymous said...

4:37....

So this came down from Crowder College 25 years ago and it's true at hospitals (Freeman?)...eh?

Neosho's Dwight Douglas continues to make policy for Southern...

Anonymous said...

4:37 am- I don't watch American Idol because I find it inane so if you don't like Randy's reporting, don't read it. Obviously, you keep coming back for more information which you deem bizarre......

Head Scratcher said...

The Fullerton appointment deserves some scrutiny from the local media. He's a nice guy but completely unqualified for a VP position. He's now supervising many areas where he has no shred of experience. During most of his time at MSSU he was over campus recreation and intramurals. No search was conducted and Speck just reached out and tapped one of his few supporters on campus.

Anonymous said...

Are you leading by example as a teacher. Are your poor students learning that when you disagree with someone, who may or may not know more than you, the way out is to compare them to someone like Hitler....Is that what your students are learning from you?

when you can't win an argument, demonize your opponent....great lesson for an English class...

Randy said...

I can't win no matter what I do. Hitler is complaining because I demonized him by comparing him to Bruce Speck.

Anonymous said...

It should be very clear to all who have been following recent stories from MSSU that the absolute worst thing for Southern would be to have the people at the top controlling the entire PR operation. Why? Because they simply have no idea how to interact with the press and look like incompetent bumblers when they attempt it. In the past two months, we have had one member of the board use a discriminatoy term at a board meeting. As soon as this happened, several other board members and Rod Surber tried to discourage the reporter from reporting it. More recently, Speck has launched an all out assault on The Chart by refusing them access, charging them hundreds of dollars for information they are legally entitled to have, and has even reportedly had members of his administration meet with Hanrahan under the guise of reviewing publication procedures but what really was (according to many) an attempt to send a message that there should be change in the tone of coverage the administration was getting or they would be changes in the way The Chart is run. Any of these actions by themselves would be foolish, but collectively they indicate that the administration at MSSU is completely incompetent when it comes to press relations. As most people are already aware, journalists (even those in training) are never easily intimidated by people in positions of power. If you want to foster better press coverage, you certainly do it by wooing the press - not through intimidation. Unless you want a story to appear on the first page, you don't confront the reporter in an amateurish attempt to squelch publication. These are things you should never have to tell a first year administrator, much less someone with Speck's backround. Southern deserves better than this.

Anonymous said...

"Forgive them Father for they do NOT KNOW what they are doing"... But make them leave, please...

Anonymous said...

IS IT TRUE THAT (VPAA) BRAD KLEINDL SAID, IN FACULTY SENATE, THAT ANYONE WHO DISCUSSED CAMPUS POLITICS WITH THE (PREVIOUSLY FREE) PRESS COULD BE FIRED? IS HE AS CRAZY AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ELSE?

EVEN IF HE HAS TO BE AN APOLOGIST FOR HIS SCREWBALL BOSS, DOES HE HAVE TO THROW HIS OWN CAREER UNDER THE BUS AS WELL? TAKE SOME ADVICE, BRAD, JUMP FROM THE TRAIN NOW!

Anonymous said...

Folks should refrain from tarring everyone in this pigs-breakfast with the same poopy brush. Permit me to fetch a couple of decent human beings out of the muck.
Rod is a fine fellow with excellent journalistic credentials who finds himself in the unenviable position of having to put the best possible face on the ugliest crone at the ball. Please treat him with respect deserved by a good man in a lousy situation.
Darren likewise is a good guy with wonderful instincts for customer service. I don't care if he is inexperienced with the technical details, if he can evoke respect and courtesy and quick handling in dealings with students, then bully for him!
So, let us not loose sight of the real cause of ALL the problems: it's old Brucey.
The exSpecktorator
Dr. B.S.
Bruce Almighty
His Uslelessness
the Headless Hatman
Ditz the Magnificent
Uppity-Boppity-Boo
The one with a song in his heart and not a brain in his head.

The one responsible for bringing this campus together as never before -- in opposition to his reappointment.

Luke Taylor said...

Mr. 4:37...
As the former editor of Crowder's newspaper and having worked on their paper two years, I never had less than 100% access to the President. The reporters I know at the Neosho Daily News have never mentioned having any trouble getting in touch with Dr. Alan Marble, either. We were never directed to the PR office, either.

There's a difference in an industry and a public University. A University like MSSU- a government institution- should have transparency. Especially regarding issues that affect the community, like the possible partnership with KCUMB.

Trust me, this is not a common policy at other universities and definitely not at Crowder.