The novelist Frederick Barthelme is leaving his post as director of the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi. But why he’s leaving is in dispute. Mr. Barthelme told The Hattiesburg American that he wanted to stay another three years as part of a phased retirement. But to his surprise his contract was not renewed for 2010-11. Denise von Herrmann, dean of the college that oversees the writing center, said all phased retirements had been ended in order to protect tenured and tenure-track positions in the face of $1.21-million in cuts.
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3 Responses to Departure at U. of Southern Mississippi Writing Center Raises Questions
ceisner - July 12, 2010 at 8:48 am
Wow, what a loss. I’ve always thought of USM as having one of the more interesting and happening Writing Centers around. Dean von Herrmann, I’d reconsider this loss.
diss_this - July 15, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Uh… the Center for Writers isn’t a “writing center” in the sense of tutoring undergrads in composition. It’s USM’s creative writing program. Compare:http://centerforwriters.com/http://www.usm.edu/writingcenter/Who wrote this silly headline?…
brodave - August 3, 2010 at 10:29 am
Deans often could benefit from lessons in diplomacy. It’s my guess that Mr. Barthelme would have gone quietly and with considerable good will toward the university had he been offered a ladder to full retirement instead of being thrown down the steps. For example, the Center for Writers could have been renamed the Frederick Barthelme Center for Writers in recognition of his founding and leading the high-profile, productive, and highly successful creative writing program–one of the best in the nation.