By a vote of 38-0, the Faculty Senate at the University of Southern Mississippi has passed the following resolution:

A FACULTY SENATE MOTION OF SUPPORT FOR PRINCIPLES OF ACCREDITATION AND THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS PUBLIC CONCERNS ON MATTERS OF SIGNIFICANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY

Based on the information available to the Faculty Senate, we wish to express our strong support for the principles of AACSB and SACS accreditations that Dean Harold Doty of the College of Business has championed during the past week (02-04-05 to 02-11-05). We also wish to state unequivocally that we share the concerns Dean Doty has raised in his responses to letters from Provost Jay Grimes

We want to convey our appreciation to the Board of Trustees for their attention to the Faculty Senate motion requesting the search process for a new president at USM be initiated and for the Board’s keen interest in the controversy this week centering on important accreditation principles and sound practices.

What happens between now and next Thursday, when the Mississippi IHL Board meets for the next time, will most likely determine the fate of the Shelby Thames regime--and consequently of USM.

Stay tuned.