In a news release issued to the Joplin Globe Monday, It was announced that Terri Agee, who recently stepped down as a Missouri Southern State University vice president, will be taking on a new position as an "in-house legal counsel."
And just when was this decision made? It has been quite a while since the last Board of Governors meeting. Unless all of he media missed it, there was no discussion of it during the most recent meeting.
I am sure those who use "personnel reasons" as a blanket excuse for every decision that is made behind closed doors are already reaching for that answer, but in this case, it does not wash.
The Board of Governors can decide who to hire for the position during a closed session, but the creation of a new position is something that has to be done in full view of the public.
And why in the world does Southern need an in-house counsel when, as the Joplin Globe article points out, it already has a lawyer in Jon Dermott?
Though it is made clear in the article that Ms. Agee will not receive as much for being the in-house legal counsel and a teacher as she did as vice president of business affairs, it still seems less than financially prudent to be creating a new position at a time when the university is allegedly in a financial crisis situation.
Besides that, as President Bruce Speck notes in the article, he has not even had time to think about a replacement for Ms. Agee's administrative position. I am sure it will have to be someone who knows how to raise funds for the university.
Agee made her decision in August, but Speck and the Board delayed making a formal announcement until now, in order to put more distance between the sudden departure of Academic VP Jack Oakes, which occurred in July. You can be sure this announcement was carefully manipulated.
ReplyDeleteClearly one of those "things that make you go hmmm..." isn't it, Randy?
ReplyDelete1. This is actually a creation of two separate positions, (a) "in-house legal counsel" and (b) professor. Since Agee did not leave teaching in the business department to take on her position in the administration, this is a +1 faculty position for business that didn't exist before.
2. Where's the money coming from? Weren't we under the impression that the financial situation was so dire that the sheets of toilet paper needed to be carefully counted? Agee's new "position" is going to cost serious money.
3. If Agee is going to be a member of the faculty as a FT employee (not sure if that's true, at this point), I wonder: (a) doesn't this require a national search, as do all other faculty positions? and (b) in what way is she qualified as a teacher, since her last "stint" in teaching was eons ago as a graduate student? She's never taught as an instructor of record. But ah, I guess that doesn't matter, right? Cheap, easy, convenient. That's all that matters at MoSo.
4. I wonder: perhaps the administration will try to get around the "national search" issue for a faculty member by employing her as a PT adjunct, which requires no such search. However, adjuncts get paid a tiny amount of money. So to make up for it, she's the "in house counsel" -- and she'll get paid large sinecure bucks to perform this "function" for the university. Basically, in the end, I wonder if she'll get paid lots of money to do little, for reasons I'll leave it up to others to speculate.
In short, the procedures of the administration at MSSU are so off the wall and so obviously questionable that it leaves me shaking my head.
As well, can the university truly say "so and so wishes to return to their love and passion for teaching" again with a straight face? I mean seriously, it's at the HIGH comedy level at this point. Three highest level administrators, all rediscovering their love for the classroom within six months. It's really quite touching, isn't it?
Right. Yet, Speck seems to have no shame, and just pumps those press releases out, one after another, essentially laughing in the face of the audience.
Previous announcements stated she was going back to teaching. It was never stated that she would be in house leagal councel till yesterday. Odd how new positions get created without following procedure.
ReplyDeleteAgee was the architect of Douglas's fake financial crisis. She played the game well and told Bruce where to cut. She just never knew how bad Bruce would be. Now she wants out and she has Douglas by the b...s. So he has to pay her with a new cushy job.
ReplyDeleteWhile she and Bruce eliminated positions in foreign languages in the name of the crisis, now she creates her own new position in the business school at a cost of $100,000+, and it will be that because as a good lawyer, Douglas is allowing her to "bill hours" (beyond ther teaching salary) for an extra fee. So she is going to play the game lawyers play: "Billable Hours, Baby"...
Welcome to the "Lazy faculty" club, Teri.
Come on Chart. Do a good investigative job on this one, for a change.
In-house counsel isn't really a new position, is it? Wasn't it part of the duties and responsibilities of the VPBA before? So really, Agee is just keeping part of her old duties when she steps down. That's not so unusual, but I agree that MSSU and its board of governors don't appear to be following the spirit of the laws concerning open meetings, even though they may in fact be abiding by their letters.
ReplyDeleteAstounded:
ReplyDeleteThe Chart is actually one of the only outlets that has shined any light on things.
In the recent past, the paper printed the letters of support. That didn't help Dr. Speck, IMHO. Doug Carnahan is a laughingstock on campus now from what I hear.
The paper also talked to a national expert in no confidence votes. Where was the Globe?
The Chart broke the Agee news only hours before the Globe back in August.
The Chart ran stories on the budget and depreciation back in 2007-2008 when even the dentist was giving Eis a free pass.
You know something? Call us. We'll quote you. We have to print what we know and can substantiate. If you can help with the latter, the door's open.
Points well taken, Chart Staffer. Keep it up. I think Astounded just wanted you to emphasize the "investigative" part.
ReplyDeleteThe point of the 'in house counsel' is to enable Dr. Agee's salary to be calculated on a different basis than the rest of faculty.
ReplyDeleteA (true) faculty member would be paid a salary at a level equal to 85% of the national average. By including the in-house counssel her salary can be calculated as a per centage of her current salary - far exceeding the faculty salary level.
How come today's Globe article said Figures on Yust's current salary and his salary in the interim post were not immediately available? Why can't MSSU release this information?
ReplyDelete