The proposed formation of a medical school on the campus raises other questions. If the university truly is in the dire financial straits that have been described, then how can it afford to build a new facility and fund such a major program in the long term, even in consort with another university? What studies have been done with regard to the interest and need for such a program locally? In the Globe story, MSSU President Bruce Speck said, “We must do this for the future of Missouri Southern, for the future of Joplin.” What is the basis for such a sweeping statement? Where is the groundswell of demand for such a step? Surely prospective donors would need these answers before committing their money to such a venture.
Shockingly, Dr. Speck and board member Dwight Douglas admit that they have no idea what implications instituting a medical school would have for the international mission (and presumably other programs) and that they were in such a hurry to seal the deal they haven’t even discussed it! Isn’t that what you do first? Find out what the impact would be for the whole campus?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Hunts challenge assertions made by Speck, Douglas
In an op-ed for the Joplin Globe, retired Missouri Southern State University officials Duane and Gwen Hunt challenge many of the assertions that have been made by University President Bruce Speck and Board of Governors members Dwight Douglas and Rod Anderson. These include statements that the university is in dire economic condition due to the administration of former President Julio Leon, statements about the university's international mission, and the need for a medical school:
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5 comments:
What is the most amazing here is that Anderson is heading up the efforts to restructure/limit/destroy the international mission, but his beliefs about what that mission ARE turn out to be entirely fictitious (or at least he knows that his statements for public consumption are fictitious but are made because they will surely be embraced by the Joplin community). Either way, he doesn't even know or seem to care about the international mission, but yet he wants to rethink and restructure it.
This really is a staggering and reprehensible level of incompetence and irresponsibility at the highest level.
Is it any wonder that Speck is acting the way he is?
Rod Anderson is a very nice man, but his sole interest when it comes to MSSU is the sports programs. I would hate to be in Rod's shoes this year: having to deal with the Speck crisis while trying to keep Dwight Douglas from regaining control of the Board at the same time. Douglas is determined to still run the board this year, even though the rest of the members refused to elect him chairman for a fifth consecutive year.
Thank God someone other than a faculty member has pointed out the absurdity of Speck's attempt to obtain a medical school when he keeps crying about the lack of money. Ridiculous! The man is a fraud. Someone should check his diploma and make sure it isn't from a diploma mill.
The University of Arkansas is talking about creating a teaching hospital in Rogers, AR. No one in their right mind would want to attend medical school at MSSU. You'd be better off going to a school in Antigua.
The international mission at MSSU is the only unique thing about the school. Take that away and it's just another tepid, bottom tier university. Normally I would point out that the faculty is excellent, but I have known at least two or three professors who have prematurely retired because of Speck. Now the school can't even hang on to the people who provide a Princeton education at a Wal-Mart price. Instead adjuncts with master's degrees will be teaching classes and will not provide the same quality of education.
The Governing Board and Pres. Speck should be called to task for their cavalier disregard of tax payers' money and their admitted lack of data involved in their decision-making process. What is especially disturbng about this: Speck is an academician, he is supposed to know about developing a body of evidence before making potentially catastrophic decisions.
Why is MoSo even considering building and maintaining a building on public property at tax payer's expense for a private entity? How can the MoSo Administration even suggest that the actions of a private entity could impact the legally-mandated mission of a public university?
But the real issue is this ... has the city of Carthage fallen asleep? There is this major building sitting vacant, the old McCune-Brooks hospital ... shouldn't Carthage consider spending some money to fix up a building that already has most of the ingredients of a medical school and then renting this to the Kansas City DO school for several hundred thousand a month? Wake up Carthage, why aren't you arguing for the med school?
Oh and by-the-way, the building used to belong to MoSo, but Speck gave it back to the city of Carthage ... maybe Speck should come up with the $10 million out of his own pocket for a med center building for MoSo, since he gave the one they already had away? Isn't anybody ever held accountable?
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