Wednesday, September 23, 2009

MSSU Student Senate examining performance of Bruce Speck

The Missouri Southern State University Student Senate may explore its own vote of no confidence in embattled President Bruce Speck.

During a meeting today, the Senate formed a seven-member committee, five men, two women, to look into what, if anything, it and the student body should do concerning the problems surrounding Speck.

As noted in earlier Turner Report posts, the Dwight Douglas-led Board of Governors (Rod Anderson is the official president, but let's call it what it is) delivered a slap in the face to the Faculty Senate Friday when it not only ignored the 23 complaints compiled by an ad hoc committee against Speck, but then extended Speck's contract two more years.

15 comments:

Will Lynch said...

If you'd like more information feel free to contact me. My e-mail address is lynch-w001@mymail.mssu.edu. If you'd like I can e-mail you my phone number.

Anonymous said...

The unstoppable investigative reporters of the local (establishment) press need to get answers to important questions that remain unclear:

* Did the board extend the Speck contract by one year, or two?

* Did they give him any explicit instructions to reconcile with the faculty, and is there any "or else" associated with those instructions?

* Has there been any sign from Speck that he was interested in beginning a process of reconciliation and establishing mutually acceptable terms of shared governance?

The students have been "unleashed". (Until now, faculty have been advising them to tend to their studies and let faculty handle the unpleasant task at hand.) Let's see what they have to say?

Anonymous said...

The rumor going around the school is that someone in the administration was trying to get the student senate to stage a vote of "confidence" in Speck, to contradict the faculty. Since Doug Carnahan (Dean of Students) signed a letter for Dwight supporting Speck, that rumor sounds like it might have something to it.

Anonymous said...

Unless the Student Senate confirms the Faculty Senate vote of no confidence, it will be very clear it's the suckup handy work of Doug Carnahan who is the advisor to the Student Senate

Will Lynch said...

First of all, this is MY personal decision. I received little to no advice from anyone else on the matter, and absolutely none with any one in administration. Second of all, Dean Carnahan is not the advisor to the Student Senate this year, it is Darren Fullerton.

If you have any further questions, I ask that you contact me before being assumptuous about the ongoings of the Student Senate.

Anonymous said...

Read all of the Dwight Douglas' letters here: http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper630/documents/bu4251ry.pdf
Carnahan's is second. Dwight is an AMAZING campaigner. But those glowing reviewers of Speck obviously have no idea what takes place within MSSU, including Carnahan. Speck is a "good old boy" for public consumption but when it comes to leading a university, he's inept.

Anonymous said...

Will: So it's your PERSONAL decision, which shows you have an agenda. This should have come from the Student Senate as a whole, not one individual.

Linda Hand said...

This is in response to Will Lynch's post:

Will,
I am writing to encourage you to learn about the workings of a university and MSSU in particular. Here are some questions for you:

What is a university president’s job description? Who determines if he or she is performing the job correctly? How often is this determination done? What is MSSU’s president’s job description?

What is a Board of Governors? How are the members selected? What is the function of the Board? What role does the Board play in the workings of a university? How is MSSU’s board the same or different than most typical Boards?

What are the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Coordinating Board of Higher Education (CBHE)? What are their purposes? How are they important to MSSU?

What is a mission statement? How is it determined? What is the purpose of it? What is MSSU’s mission? What is the history behind it? Can the mission be changed? How and by whom?

What is shared governance? How is this term used at MSSU? Who determines if shared governance is taking place?

What is a Faculty Senate’s role at a university? Why do Faculty Senates exist at universities?

There are a host of other questions that could be asked. Do you feel like you have enough knowledge about these things to be educating other students about what’s going on at this university? Please learn all you can.

Linda Hand

Anonymous said...

Mr. Lynch wrote: "assumptuous"

Have they cut back on funding for the English department at MSSU?

Anonymous said...

Ms. Hand,
I find your response very condescending. Frankly, you are insulting the intelligence and value of the students at MSSU. I also notice that your response makes no reference to the the Student Senate or the Staff Senate when you are stating the important questions one should know. Is your participation in this drama serving the students or just your program (which suffered recent cuts)?

Perhaps a few questions could be asked of all involved. Why are we attacking the students for having an opinion? Why are faculty calling foul when the students want to be a part of shared governance? What are we going to gain from ALL of this? Is the service provided to community the same, worse or better than it was a year ago? Have you seen all of the press on this? Have you seen how both sides of the issue are ridiculed across the state? Why did the Faculty Senate Committee submit the report without it being voted on by all faculty? How has MSSU avoided layoffs and other measures when cities and companies in the area have been forced to do so?

I don't have a stake in how any of this turns out except for the MSSU degree that hangs on my wall. I was proud of it and the faculty. Now I find myself embarrassed to hear others talk about this. It's time to make something positive out of it and move on.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 5:49
"How has MSSU avoided layoffs and other measures when cities and companies in the area have been forced to do so?"

Because MSSU has been understaffed at nearly every level in the institution. Departments have been kept from replacing faculty positions (those who have retired, moved on), secretaries have been asked to consolidate and work for multiple units, and physical plant/custodians are asked to take on more now than ever so that even the grass isn't being cared for in some areas. Other places that laid people off were likely "running fat" whereas MSSU has been "running lean" for quite a while and apparently will be running extra lean as long as some people keep pointing to nearly 4 million in depreciation to keep MSSU in the red.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 5:49 (Will?), let me try.

**"Why are we attacking the students for having an opinion?" Who is attacking students? I believe Dr. Hand wants students to have *informed* opinions.

**"Why are faculty calling foul when the students want to be a part of shared governance?" Where is this "crying foul" and "attacking"? The students and staff have every right to express their opinions individually and collectively through their senates just like faculty.

**"What are we going to gain from ALL of this?" Effective leadership if we're lucky. At least the satisfaction that we did what we thought was the right thing for MSSU instead of sitting on the sideline and watching it suffer.

**"Is the service provided to community the same, worse or better than it was a year ago?" Considering the actions of Speck noted in the evidence supporting a no confidence vote and the resulting low morale, as well as many budget cuts, the hiring freeze, and personnel changes across campus and you'd have to say things are worse.

**"Have you seen all of the press on this? Have you seen how both sides of the issue are ridiculed across the state?" Yes, such negative publicity was noted in the evidence. Do you imply that faculty are to blame for this? That's rich.

**"Why did the Faculty Senate Committee submit the report without it being voted on by all faculty?" You really do need to learn more about how MSSU works as Dr. Hand recommended. Faculty Senate committees report to the Senate. That's what was done.

**"How has MSSU avoided layoffs and other measures when cities and companies in the area have been forced to do so?" Please learn more. Southern avoided layoffs by taking "other measures" such as hiring and travel freezes and many budget cuts. In addition, Southern's state allocation was not cut.

The Student Senate at Southern has been notoriously weak; it has perennial problems just filling seats for representatives. I hope Will Lynch can help make it a more legitimate body that truly represents the views of the students. But I anticipate that Carnahan/Fullerton will do what they did when the Student Senate voted on the Student Recreation Center fee--politic the student senators to support it when "rank and file" students don't and then say the students have voted.

Linda Hand said...

I can't help but respond to anonymous 9:29am. I'm not sure which program of “mine" you are referring to. I am a professor in the math department and as far as I know, we still get our yearly ration of chalk, although I do admit that the chalkboards are a little worn out. I am also the assistant director of the Honors Program which thus far has been spared the cuts that other programs have seen.
I wasn’t trying to be condescending to Mr. Lynch; that is how I communicate with other educated people. I'm not sure how asking a student, in particular a student leader, questions about his knowledge of the background of a situation that he is getting ready to get involved in is condescending. I am trying to prepare him to answer questions that other well-informed and interested students may be asking.

Nate Starmer said...

Annonymous 7:02
Will was simply stating his personal feelings as they pertain to HIS personal decision (interesting how that works) It is the general agreement of the Student Senate to explore this vote. I too believe in Bruce Speck and what he is doing. This opinion has not been altered by anyone in any position of the administration.
Also, I might look at the faculty senates exploration of a no-confidence vote, if it weren't being led by a purely politically motivated person, Roger Chelf. He along with other members of the faculty quite frankly don't like Speck, and that is driving their ad-hoc committee. I find it interesting that the committee doesn't have a single member on it that voted against forming the committee. The faculty senate, with the exception of 2, do not have my support, or respect at this time. They have forgotten who the University should be about, the students!


Also, if you are going to attack peoples views or comments, be respectable and put your name! Anyone can be Anonymous, but people who truly have convictions, and know what is right, will place their names. Thank You Professor Hand for respecting those on this post with including your name.

Anonymous said...

Answer to "Anonymous" who asked at 10:39 AM whether the English Department had received cutbacks on funding. Yes, the department received a large cutback, plus when their department secretary retired after 24 years, the department was put off receiving approval to hire another secretary for a long period. Finally, the department found out in July (the secretary retired in May) that they would have to do without a secretary until the beginning of the fall semester. A secretary was reassigned on a "one-year" basis to the department at the beginning of the fall semester. The reassigned secetary's department duties were assigned to another secretary who had to assume them along with the duties of her own department without an increase in pay. Staff morale is at an all time low, as is the MSSU faculty morale.