Missouri Southern State University President Dr. Bruce Speck's rich tenor voice brought embarrassment to the university, according to a report sent by a Faculty Senate committee to the Board of Governors.
The complaint was among 23 leveled against Speck in the report, which will be discussed at Friday's board meeting. Speck's singing exhibition before the Joplin Rotary Club was a sorry spectacle that put the university in an unfavorable light.
Speck performed his own version of the Marty Robbins classic, "Singin' the Blues," Aug. 6, making light of the economic situation that has university employees who are not pulling down the president's hefty salary, wondering how they are going to make ends meet.
The text of Speck's song is printed below:
Well,I never felt more like singing the blues
'specially when my name's in the news
the headlines, they got me singing the blues
Well, I never felt more like cryin' all night
'specially when the budget's tight
the payroll, it's got me singin' the blues.
The budget that I thought was mine
is disappearing line by line
There's nothin' left for me to do
but cut your budget, too.
Well, I never felt more like runnin' away
but where would I go to get better pay
upward mobility, it's got me singin' the blues
Well, I never felt more like singin' the blues
'cause I never thought that I'd ever lose
my assistant, it's got me singin' the blues.
Well, I never felt more like cryin' all night
'cause givin' a pink slip don't seem right
job security, it's got me singin' the blues.
The office space I thought was mine
is gone and I'm told not to whine
There's nothin' left for me to do
but move in the cubicle with you
Well, I never felt more like runnin' away,
can't do that until payday
relocation, it's got me singin' the blues.
Well, I never felt more like singin' the blues
;cause most of my colleagues got the bad news
unemployment, it's got me singin' the blues.
Well,, I never felt more like cryin' all night
the economy's bad and nothin' seems right
no more Starbucks, that's got me singin' the blues.
The raises that I thought were due
my boss tells me they won't come through
there's nothin' left for me to do,
but furlough all of you.
Well, I never felt more like runnin' away
but I need to update my resume
retirement, it's got me singin' the blues.
The 'song' was a real downer, it's true; but there's so much more in the 23 articles!
ReplyDeleteHam-fisted hiring, over the head of faculty search committees; vindictive firing, despite the needs and commitments of the Business school; failure to provide any vision whatever regarding where we go from here; reluctance to make routine decisions that will permit the most promising programs to go forward, while unilaterally shutting down programs he doesn't happen to favor, much less understand. Treating the faculty like day-labor; belittling their honest concerns, and viewing every issue as a personal attack.
He doesn't make one proud to be associated with him. He frustrates and outrages his own appointees; he takes responsibility for nothing. He blames his failings on his loyal staff.
He is more than an embarrassment, he is a disgrace! Send him home!
I don't know Dr. Speck and I don't know many instructors at southern...where I attended. But this "list" sounds like a bunch of cry babies who don't understand that the president of the school is the boss....perhaps they don't want a boss....
ReplyDeleteSomewhere I read, perhaps on Turner Report, that the head of this committee has a $77,000 salary. If you compare him and his $77,000 to small businessman, this professor ought to give up half his salary and keep his mouth shut.
Professors get a guaranteed salary, they get an office, secretarial support, telephone, computer, internet, fax, etc. services. If he were a small businessman making $77,000, he would pay office rent, pay a secretary, pay a phone bill, pay an internet bill—all the things this overpaid, under performing professor does not have to do and the businessman works 60 hours a week instead of 25...
The more I hear from these cry babies the more I support Dr. Speck..Just keep the complaints coming...your whinings are Dr. Speck's greatest advantage
As a new reader (of the Turner Report), I feel compelled to reply to the anonymous reader from 7:59 Thursday.
ReplyDeleteIt's not clear what she wants: for faculty to cut back to a 40-hour week? For faculty to make what the guy running the 7-11 makes? For faculty to pay for their own fax?
It is strange to me that the writer takes such a strident position, after assuring us that she knows nothing of the people or circumstances involved. It's reminiscent of the hired mullets who shout down any informed debate on, say, health care.
Is it possible some ardent supporter had urged her to write this rambling, incoherent response?
I'll continue to support the teaching faculty at MSSU, thank you, while hoping for more thoughtful debate from better-informed readers.
To Anonymous 7:59, you have no clue. It is obvious that you have no idea what you are talking about. Professors do not have, as you state, all those "secretarial" and other services. As a former faculty member at MSSU, I can tell you that I had an antiquated, in adequate 10-year-old computer so I had to bring in my own to do my work. I also brought in my own printer, paper, and printer ink, so I could print out assignments, tests, and grades. In order to have the $77,000 salary, the faculty member you mention would have had to spend a minimum of eight years in school, and would also have other responsibilities that no businessman would have. This often includes a summer and most breaks spent writing, researching, and studying, both to publish articles, books, and to prepare for class. After the work day, many hours often are spent in dealing with students both online and via e-mail, working on assignments, plus grading papers and preparing for class.
ReplyDeleteThe faculty are professional members of the team; they should not be treated like hourly, day workers. You need to shadow a faculty member for a week and find out, for yourself, your mistake.
To Anonymous 7:59: Nice disclaimer up front to make yourself sound like an objective outsider. But it does help to show that you obviously don't know what you're talking about. You draw broad conclusions based on one of 23 points? You imply someone making 85% of the market rate is overpaid by making a ridiculous comparison. Please. Glad I don't work for you as based on what you write, employees are cattle who should shut up and be happy they've got jobs.
ReplyDeleteBack to the Rotary song for a minute: Speck spent hours writing the lyrics, typing them up for distribution, and rehearsing the silly song. Probably a full work day was wasted on such nonsense. Based on his $180,000 annual salary, Speck makes around $86 dollars an hour. Just think, taxpayers, we wasted around $700 on such crap.
ReplyDeleteLike 7:59, I too studied at Southern, just a couple of years ago. I know many of the current faculty, not only in my own field, but all across campus. They are hard-working, dedicated, conscientious professionals!
ReplyDeleteThese people study for years, long after they are awarded their operative degree. They spend countless nights and weekends preparing and refining their classes in order to provide a rich and rewarding academic experience for their students.
Indeed, they do not appear to be overpaid or under-worked at all -- far from it! As a former student, you should know that.
You should be ashamed of yourself for such callous characterizations from someone so woefully uninformed!
10:17. Welcome to Joplin, Misery. MSSU profs seem out of touch complaining that they make 85 percent of the national average for their jobs when, taken as a whole, wages in Joplin are 70 percent of the national average. Joplin's cost of living is about 80-85 percent of the national average so you should be doing OK compared to your neighbors.
ReplyDeleteClearly, "anonymous" is either Mr. Douglas, or one of his associates. It would seem he has no idea what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck and have a family to take care of. This is an attempt to sway public opinion, because there has been so little information available to the public until recently. Everyone should hear both sides of the argument and decide what their opinion is based on facts.
ReplyDeleteAll this red herring hubbub about salaries from the professor-hater gallery is entirely besides the point, since not one of the 23 points in the faculty senate document has anything to do with salaries.
ReplyDeleteI realize that directing the conversation to these non-starters helps fit the problem at MSSU into your preconceived notions about liberal good-for-nothing spoiled brat professors, but you are arguing about spouting off about points that are not in the document.
I'll try again since Randy chose not to post my second comment....can't quote it exactly but I just want readers to know I have been in education several years..including several years teaching college...still not impressed with the whining...and maybe these people should pay their own postage, telephone and I've never seen a teacher/instructor/professor who didn't have secretary help either personally or in the department...at someone else's expense...
ReplyDeleteWe're all on the same side here: it is time for Speck to go. Everyone stands behind the profs on that issue.
ReplyDeleteThe pro-faculty posters here and on the Globe site are the ones bringing up the money. I keep reading about how good Southern's faculty is and how they could be making thousands more elsewhere. Spare us your martyrdom. Leave if the grass is greener.
To Anonymous 5:37
ReplyDeleteNo, salaries may not be in the report, but the faculty must understand that is the way Douglas and Bruce have chosen to save themselves. We are going to be portrayed as lazy, well-paid liberal no-good professors who are attacking a good man who is trying to impose budget discipline on us.
To the jerk who had the audacity to complain about whiners and then whined because I had not printed his comment- get over it, buddy.
ReplyDeleteI have comment moderation on this blog because of people who feel the need to use obscene language or write libelous comments.
I don't sit by a computer moderating the comments 24 hours a day. My guess is that by this time your comment has already been posted, so please stop feeling sorry for yourself, make your comments and grow up!
Poor excuse, Randy. No my 2nd comment was not posted and it had neither libel nor foul language of any sort...just contained the opposite of your personal beliefs...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 7:59 (or should I sign it JERK, buddy?)
Considering that you are the only person who ever complains about me not posting comments (and I post nearly every comment I receive), I would say either you have quite an active imagination or the jerk label is right on the money.
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm not that Anonymous, but I'll complain about your not approving one of my comments. As far as I can tell, the only reason for that (besides maybe you just missed it) was that it didn't follow your preferred narrative.
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly polite and generally on topic (pertaining to how the traditional media are losing; that wasn't the topic of that particular posting (it had been in a very recent one), but your posting helped illustrate my point).
Between that and your "ocean of white faces" (or whatever) characterization of the 912 protest I've begun to wonder about your good faith in these discussions....
Again, other than libelous comments, language, and spam, I leave all comments on the blog, and if you will check, many of them are comments that do not agree with my positions, and quite a few are comments that rip me to shreds. There may be something wrong with Blogger, but I have always done my best to maintain a free flow of information and a healthy discussion on this blog.
ReplyDelete