USM president: Budget cuts bad business'
By By Lynette Wilson / staff writer
Nov. 20, 2002
The president of the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Shelby Thames, says the state's decision to cut the college's budget by $100 million over the last three years is bad business.
Thames was in Meridian on Tuesday to speak to more than 20 members of USM's East Central Mississippi Alumni Association at its fall meeting.
Thames, in his seventh month on the job, shared his vision for the university's future and the importance of funding higher education.
Thames said the state's public universities brought more than $300 million in out-of-state investments to Mississippi last year, and that together they employ more than 20,000 people.
He said he understands the state wanting to invest money in companies like Nissan in the hope that Nissan will employ thousands of workers, but in the case of the universities, he said, "we're already here, there's no hope involved."
He said USM increased its research funding from $20 million in 1995 to $76 million in 2002.
Thames said on average one of three research papers written by USM faculty is published, a ratio of publication is higher than most universities.
Thames said he also wants to increase student enrollment and that more scholarship money is needed to attract the state's brightest students.
He said of the 150 national merit scholars Mississippi averages a year, 100 of them leave the state.
There are 15,267 students enrolled at USM, and, Thames said, he hopes to raise enrollment to 20,000 students by 2005.
USM operates two campuses. The main campus is in Hattiesburg and a Gulf Coast regional campus in Long Beach.
Thames said USM is renovating an 80,000-square-foot space and plans to expand its nursing program.
THE THAMES FILE
Name: Dr. Shelby Thames
Age: 66
Job: President, University of Southern Mississippi.
Time on the job: Seven months.
Education: Bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry, University Southern Mississippi; doctorate degree in chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Family: Wife, Shirley, and three children, Scott, Dana G. and Clay.
