Western Herald: Delene announces resignation under pressure from faculty
Western Michigan University Provost Linda Delene resigned from her post last Friday, less than 24 hours after the WMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors passed a resolution to conduct a no-confidence vote on her.
Her resignation is effective at the end of today.
Delene, 66, who has held the position, in addition to being vice president of academic affairs, since 2004, has been a member of the university community for nearly 30 years.
“Because I have come to know Provost Delene well over the past two years, I know that her goals have always been to preserve and enhance the quality of this university and provide the finest academic environment for the students we serve,” said President Judith I. Bailey, in a brief e-mail message to the WMU community.
Delene will take a year-long administrative leave before returning to the Department of Marketing in August 2007.
The AAUP passed the resolution at its meeting Thursday, where members gathered to discuss the results of the recent Graduate Program Review which Delene headed. The reviews called for the closure of 21 programs and the merger of 24 programs.
The resolution called for Delene to be censured for her conduct of the entire review process, and to conduct a no-confidence vote on her later this week. The AAUP also passed a second resolution, for a vote this week, not to have the Review’s results submitted to the WMU Board of Trustees at its meeting July 14. The AAUP noted that the plan and review were flawed.
Follow
