Thursday, September 17, 2009

Faculty committee: Deal with Speck or report becomes public

Missouri Southern State University Faculty Senate President Roger Chelf offered a stern warning to the Board of Governors- deal with University President Bruce Speck or the list of 23 complaints compiled by an ad hoc committee will be made public, according to an article in The Chart. The board is scheduled to meet Friday:

It has certainly been the hope of this committee that this issue is resolved Friday so that the entire report doesn't have to be made public," Chelf said Wednesday during a meeting with reporters and two members of the committee.

"If (Speck) and the Board come to terms of an agreement this report won't have to be made public."

The five-page report was not made available to the media Wednesday, but Chelf said the update contains examples of "failures of leadership, failures of management, failures of shared governance and failures of judgement and public embarrassment."

"In my opinion, number one on that report would be the song he sang at the rotary club meeting, 'Pink Slip Blues,'" Chelf said. "It was not well received by people who work for Bruce Speck."

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks like John Hacker and the Carthage Press are going to sit this one out.

Hmmmmm.....

Anonymous said...

Okay, the faculty are complaining that Speck embarrasses himself. So, their biggest threat to the Board of Governors is that they will embarrass Speck again.

My sympathies are firmly with the faculty here, but they are never going to see results unless they make it clear they will no longer work for Speck. This means work stoppages need to be on the table.

Anonymous said...

Southernwatch, as well, left cyberspace at the most critical moment. So they are just out, period.

Wished they came back. We need their voice and unconventional fun.

MSSU- Student said...

You know, it is obvious that Roger Chelf is an egotistical, arrogant man, who is trying to threaten the Board Of Governors. He should be forced out of his role as President of the Faculty Senate. Bruce Speck did what he needed to to begin cleaning up a mess that he walked into... Will the board of Governors allow him to threaten them to force a decision that he has determined???? As a good friend of mine said, "Get rid of half the staff, we have larger class size, and can survive, Get rid of half the students, close the school" basically, the staff can walk on out. Speck has done a wonderful job as President, and because he isnt a pawn of the faculty senate, is being outcasted. I would also mention, faculty senate has no authority, control on budget, or anything of significance. GET OVER YOURSELF CHELF!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The more I read about this silly business from faculty, the more idiotic the faculty looks. Spread some sunshine, faculty committee, and show your silly little list....can't wait to see it...you complain about "closed door" action....DUH!! I am jerking my support from MSSC if the faculty is that simple minded...and this is where I got one of my diplomas....gaggg Don't bother to see me alumni appeals...it's not going to happen and you can thank the faculty for this

Anonymous said...

It's very clear that there's an large "anti-academic" and "anti-faculty" segment of the Joplin community. No matter what the faculty does, and no matter what Speck does, no matter what the reasons for the conflict, they will argue that Speck is right, that faculty are spoiled or arrogant, or whatever.

That's too bad.

Randy said...

To the last commenter: You are misreading the reaction. These anti-faculty comments, for the most part, are being orchestrated. They say nearly the same thing all the time, and make a point of trying to have us believe they are actually average everyday citizens or MSSU students. If more than two or three people are submitting the pro-Speck comments here and at the Joplin Globe, I would be surprised.

Anonymous said...

MSSU Student- While your opinion of Speck is your own, you have made one mistake in your reply: the faculty senate does have one very powerful weapon in their arsenal- they are the voice of the faculty. I would venture to guess they represent a large majority of the faculty. That is, after all, what they were put in place to do. Speck could be the second coming of Solomon, but if the faculty and staff, or at least a large portion of them, decided NOT to do their jobs, every thing comes to a grinding halt. Keep in mind, it doesn't take all of the teachers and support staff striking to stop the education process. In fact, I would guess it would take less than half. Maybe 30%-40% for things to come crashing down. Maybe less. So, while Speck may or may not be what the school needs (I, for one, feel that he is not what is needed), it is the job of a president, or any manager for that matter, to find common ground with his staff and keep things moving forward. So far, all I've seen from him is a desire to crush any opposition. This, in turn, forces the faculty and staff into a position to do radical things. Perhaps that was Douglas' master plan all along. Unite the people. On the other hand, that seems like a big reach, coming from him.

Anonymous said...

If this is a MSSU student, then, sadly, it's a typical MSSU student--one who can't analyze a situation and form a rational conclusion.

Okay, let's go back to class, little one:

Chelf was ELECTED to his position. He has the support of his constituents and speaks for them (as demonstrated by the landslide vote to form the ad hoc committee investigating Speck).

Speck, on the other hand, was chosen by default by a Board of Governors who were too lazy or careless to do their jobs correctly.

As far as getting rid of half the student body, this old chestnut makes the incorrect assumption that students pay the bills at a public university. In truth, at most institutions, student tuition is barely enough of the budget to pay the light bill. Get over yourself, the student is not a customer and is not entitled to the kind of service you're pretending you deserve.

I Know Douglas said...

Dwight Douglas's ego and legacy are on the line here. That's why he is fighting so hard for Speck to keep his job. Douglas spent a couple of years orchestrating the ouster of Dr. Leon, and then was chairman of the search committee that selected Speck. If Speck goes down (which he will), Douglas will have egg all over his face. The majority (if not all) of the pro-Speck comments here and online at the Joplin Globe are coming from Douglas.

Anonymous said...

Randy:

I sincerely hope for the sake of the college, that you are correct in this instance.

However, generally construed, there really _is_ an entrenched anti-academic/anti-faculty bias that runs through this area, no doubt linked up to the twenty year campaign of talk radio to demonize academics as spoiled liberals who have it easy, do no work/bad work and are protected by the tenure system, and who brainwash other people's children.

-- Anon 4:49

Anonymous said...

I, for one, am anti-Speck and anti-greedy faculty.

Anonymous said...

Be surprised, Randy...be surprised...I don't know the name or anyone posting here...I have spoken with no one about what I am writing... if you think I am part of an orchestration, it shows how little understanding you have about free speech....people are fed up with bullies like these faculty people who are trying to blackmail the board...they're fed up about many things and they don't need a conductor to orchestrate their feelings..I am not part of some union, lose confederation or anything else, like the faculty is...I'm not attending meetings and making up my hit list...I'm just speaking for myself.

Ron said...

If this report is a responsible look at the ways Speck's decisions have impacted the ability of MSSU's professors to provide students with a superior education, then I hope it is released to the public. We parents should have this information so that we can make informed choices about our children's education. In seven years when my son considers the benefits of MSSC vs. PSU vs. MU, vs. KU (God forbid) it's the quality of the professors and education that will be important, not whether or not Speck sings at Rotary events.

Randy said...

To anonymous at 7 a.m., I agree with your comments about the demonizing of academics; I am just inclined to think that very few of the people who pay attention to that kind of nonsense are reading The Turner Report and leaving comments.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 7:53, did you really call the faculty blackmailing bullies? They could have simply made their report public but chose not to so the Board of Governors would have a chance to do the right thing before MSSU is further dragged through the mud. The existence of the report was probably never meant to be public prior to their meeting today. When it is released I've a feeling you'll see who the real bully is.

Anonymous said...

The Town vs Gown fight has been going on since the Middle Ages, when the citizens of Oxford stormed the University to put the academics "in their place" (A happy result of this was the founding of Cambridge by Oxford refugees). Speck is keeping his job by further polarizing this rift and siding with the town. Your only hope as academics is in seige warfare. Get the town on your side. Otherwise you will have Speck for the next six years. That is the time I suspect everything will come unglued.
p.s. You can have some revenge afterward with writing the University history and painting his official portrait. At APSU there is a portrait of a former president that did the same as Speck. It looks for all the world like the Pillsberry Doughboy

Anonymous said...

The job of a leader is to motivate people to accomplish the goals of the organization, to do things they might otherwise not do. Speck has clearly not done this. His idea of motivation is to devalue faculty and staff, talk about teamwork and act with singularly poor decisions and to publicly embarass the Univeristy (not just himself). As a result faculty are expressing their frustration with the heavy handed management and decisions which are harmful to learning by the students. Remember, it is the FACULTY that recommends students for graduation (not the administration), fault faculty for wanting to do their jobs, but fault Speck for his own inability to lead the University.
In business managers who act in such dictatorial ways seldom keep their jobs - the same (hopefully) will be true for Speck. This cannot end well unless the Board steps up and fulfills it's responsibilities.

Anonymous said...

Let's examine the course of events that have happened and what will possibly happen:
Speck hired under a very flawed process driven by one Board member
Speck is welcomed to campus but quickly excludes faculty and cuts academic programs
Faculty become frustrated and consider a no-confidence vote which is held back by the past Faculty Senate President (under pressure by Speck)
Speck continues his poor decisions and public embarassment of himself and the University
Frustration continues to build and faculty senate takes action with a committee on the no confidence vote
The Board of Governors meets Sept 18th -
(now we get into what might happen)
- and they do nothing
Faculty holds a vote of no confidence
The Board again does nothing
Speck begins to take action against faulty he views as responsible for the no confidence vote
Faculty holds a vote of no confidence in the Board
The Governor does nothing
Faculty holds 'flu days' when everyone calls in ill,
Faculty refuses to participate in committee activities of the Univ
The accreditation body arrives and finds that the issue of Shared Governance has not improved but has gotten worse and removes the University's Accreditation. No students, no state funding, no faculty and no Speck.
The Alternative:
- the Board fires Speck or puts him to teaching English
A new President is eventually hired through a fair, transparent and correct process
Faculty is included as participants in examining decisions facing the University
The new President actually has leadership and management skills (and can't sing).
The University becomes financially sound, budgets are transparent, decisions reflect correct action with respect and consideration given to all groups: administration, students, faculty and community
The University prospers - and Speck is gone.
Speck is gone in both cases, which one do you prefer?

Anonymous said...

Randy,

That may be true -- but I was thinking of the rabid anti-academic/ anti-faculty comments left at the Globe, actually, not here.

In any event, realizing that many in the area serve their talk-radio masters, it is easy for Dwight and Speck to spin this in just that way - a responsible administrator finally riding into town to inject some financial discipline into an institution long in need of a good stable hand at the wheel.

The play out of the game book is too obvious to even yawn at: "Unfortunately the good Dr. Speck, as soon as he dismounts his trusty steed, finds himself challenged at every turn by a long entrenched "librul" faculty, who have gotten fat for years on puffed up salaries, short work hours, and the total freedom to indoctrinate the hapless children of all the good people of Joplin."

The townsfolk eat it up like raw meat, and run for their pitchforks and torches.

Randy said...

You make some good points, and it is true that there is probably no other town the same size a Joplin that has three radio stations featuring conservative talk.

Southernwatch said...

Here is what happened today/tonight:

The Bored did nothing.

The Faculty Senate was to blame.

Let us explain:
The ad hoc committee of the FS met Wednesday with the media and explained why it did not want to release its report to the media. These members had good intentions, but the road to hell is paved with those.
Instead of making Mighty Dwight and David Anusly debate the 23 criticisms in the report, they opened up the magic loaded words dictionary:
Collective bargaining group (AAUP), special interest group (faculty), agenda (FS) and due process/fairness (a no confidence vote isn't a disciplinary/removal process but a parliamentary move to provide the Bored of the Governors with information)

Now Speck will be here for who knows how long and a faculty battle will ensue.

Ugly doesn't begin to describe what is about to come.

Watch. We will. Speak up. We can't.

Anonymous said...

To Southernwatch:

What do you mean "Speak up. We can't"

Yes, you can. You just chose not to and closed your blog when it would have been most helpful.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 3:11, well said. But Dwight would rather fight to the end and drag MSSU through the mud to try to save his protege and his massive ego. The rest of the board is obviously gutless. To whom is their fiduciary duty?

Welcome back Southernwatch. I think you're right, though hindsight's 20/20. "Ugly doesn't begin to describe what is about to come." Yep.

Anonymous said...

Bruce owes his job to the possible medical school. That's the only thing Douglas cares about since he is an employee of Freeman Hospital.

A medical school... a nice addition for a "bachelorette" college, eh, Bruce? Especially when medical schools are so cheap to come by and you have saved so much money for this medical school and the indoor football practice barn.