Tag Archives: Governance

UC faculty attacks regents in scathing letter

Posted on June 19, 2009 by | Comments Off on UC faculty attacks regents in scathing letter

San Francisco Chronicle: UC faculty attacks regents in scathing letter

In a rare move, faculty representatives from the University of California openly criticized UC regents in a scathing letter Wednesday accusing the governing board of inaction during the worst budget crisis ever faced by the 10-campus system.

The UC Faculty Association all but declared the 26-member board AWOL, noting a two-month gap between meetings as the university faces cuts of more than $800 million this year and next as part of the state’s effort to close a $24.3 billion budget gap.

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Posted in Budgets & Funding

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How to Fire Your President: Voting ‘No Confidence’ With Confidence

Posted on June 12, 2009 by | Comments Off on How to Fire Your President: Voting ‘No Confidence’ With Confidence

The Chronicle: How to Fire Your President: Voting ‘No Confidence’ With Confidence

College faculties often use votes of “no confidence” to try to push out the leader of their institutions. Many do so, however, without giving much thought to what such a vote actually means, whether they are using it appropriately, or how it will affect their institution—and their own future.

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Posted in Governance

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Survey: Faculty out of the loop

Posted on June 12, 2009 by | Comments Off on Survey: Faculty out of the loop

Inside Higher Ed: Out of the Loop

Sixty-four percent of American faculty members at four-year colleges believe that their institutions have a “strong emphasis” on a “top down management style,” according to an international survey of professors being released today at the annual meeting of the American Association of University Professors. Only 31 percent said that they believed there was a strong emphasis on collegiality in decision making, and only 30 percent believe that there is a strong emphasis on good communication between management of higher education and academics.

British professors in the survey had an even gloomier view on those measures of shared governance. Professors in China saw a bit more collegiality (35 percent) and less of a top down management style (57 percent).

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Posted in Governance

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UNC system head is ‘very disappointed’ in Campbell’s role in the hiring of Mary Easley; Wants NCSU Board Chairman Out

Posted on May 17, 2009 by | Comments Off on UNC system head is ‘very disappointed’ in Campbell’s role in the hiring of Mary Easley; Wants NCSU Board Chairman Out

News & Observer: Bowles wants NCSU chairman out
UNC system head is ‘very disappointed’ in Campbell’s role in the hiring of Mary Easley.

The president of the University of North Carolina system has asked McQueen Campbell, chairman of the N.C. State University board, to resign immediately after learning this week that Campbell played a role in hiring former first lady Mary Easley.

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Posted in Administration, Government

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CAUT Council Postpones Acadia Censure

Posted on May 11, 2009 by | Comments Off on CAUT Council Postpones Acadia Censure

CAUT Bulletin: CAUT Council Postpones Acadia Censure

Caut Council delegates voted last month to postpone consideration of censure of the board and administration of Acadia University over the firing of professor Colin Wightman, following a recommendation of CAUT president Penni Stewart and executive director James Turk.

They told delegates that recent discussions with the university administration were productive, and they were optimistic a suitable resolution would be forthcoming from mediated talks to be held in the coming weeks.

In a report released last year, a CAUT committee of inquiry said Wightman was fired without due process and should be reinstated.

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Posted in Uncategorized

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The New School’s Kerrey Is to Step Down in 2011

Posted on May 8, 2009 by | Comments Off on The New School’s Kerrey Is to Step Down in 2011

The New York Times: The New School’s Kerrey Is to Step Down in 2011

Bob Kerrey, whose eight years as president of the New School have been marked by rising enrollment and faculty expansion but also by criticism and recent student protests, announced on Thursday that he would step down when his contract expires on July 1, 2011. Mr. Kerrey, 65, revealed his decision Wednesday evening to the university’s board of trustees at their final meeting of the academic year. The board unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming its support for Mr. Kerrey and committing itself to a smooth transition.

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Posted in Administration

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Bob Kerrey Will Leave New School Presidency — in 2011

Posted on May 8, 2009 by | Comments Off on Bob Kerrey Will Leave New School Presidency — in 2011

Inside Higher Ed: Bob Kerrey Will Leave New School Presidency — in 2011

Bob Kerrey announced Thursday that he will leave the presidency of the New School in June 2011, when his contract expires. He said in a statement that his intent has long been to leave at that time, but he also acknowledged the controversies at the New School, whose student and faculty groups have become increasingly critical of his management. “To understate the case this has been a challenging semester for the university and my family,” he said. “There have been moments when I reached the limit of my willingness to continue serving as your president. There have been moments when my tendency to fight and to directly engage in confrontation, argument and disputes have been counterproductive.” A Web site maintained by students who have clashed with Kerrey offered its own analysis of Kerrey’s plans and record, ending its commentary by saying “onward in struggle.”

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Posted in Uncategorized

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Colorado State U. Board Picks One of Its Own as Sole Finalist for Chancellor’s Post

Posted on May 6, 2009 by | Comments Off on Colorado State U. Board Picks One of Its Own as Sole Finalist for Chancellor’s Post

The Chronicle News Blog: Colorado State U. Board Picks One of Its Own as Sole Finalist for Chancellor’s Post

The Board of Governors of Colorado State University has chosen its own vice chairman, Joe Blake, as the sole finalist for the new position of chancellor of the university system, the board announced today.

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Posted in Administration

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Proposed Bias Policy Stirs Controversy at U. of Nevada at Las Vegas

Posted on May 5, 2009 by | Comments Off on Proposed Bias Policy Stirs Controversy at U. of Nevada at Las Vegas

The Chronicle News Blog: Proposed Bias Policy Stirs Controversy at U. of Nevada at Las Vegas

The University of Nevada at Las Vegas is revisiting a proposed policy dealing with bias and hate crimes in response to fears that it invites First Amendment violations, but faculty leaders there remain concerned that campus administrators will end up curtailing free speech.

The chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, James E. Rogers, urged UNLV officials to rewrite the proposed policy last week, after free-speech concerns were raised by faculty leaders, the state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, and editorials published in the Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A Sun report quoted Chancellor Rogers as saying he was “very, very uncomfortable” with the proposed policy, which he called “far too restrictive.”

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Posted in Free speech

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Departments Without Chairs

Posted on May 5, 2009 by | Comments Off on Departments Without Chairs

Inside Higher Ed: Departments Without Chairs

Department chairs are a fixture of campus life and academic governance. A plan being floated at Kean University of New Jersey would merge many existing departments into larger units and replace chairs with “managers” — who would be appointed by administrators and would not hold faculty rank or tenure.

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Posted in Governance

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Chicago State University faculty group seeks ouster of trustees

Posted on April 22, 2009 by | Comments Off on Chicago State University faculty group seeks ouster of trustees

Chicago Tribune: Chicago State University faculty group seeks ouster of trustees
Faculty Senate asks Gov. Pat Quinn to stop trustees from hiring a president

Chicago State University faculty took the unusual step Tuesday of asking Gov. Pat Quinn to remove the university’s board of trustees.

The unanimous request from the Faculty Senate, which comes days before trustees plan to announce their decision on the next university leader, also asks Quinn to stop the board from hiring a president.

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Posted in Governance

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Kentucky: More ‘No Confidence’ Votes in Board That Killed Tenure

Posted on April 21, 2009 by | Comments Off on Kentucky: More ‘No Confidence’ Votes in Board That Killed Tenure

Inside Higher Ed: More ‘No Confidence’ Votes in Board That Killed Tenure

A handful of faculty and staff boards have passed votes of “no confidence” in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System’s Board of Regents following its controversial decision last month to eliminate tenure for all new faculty hires. April 16, the Executive Council of Kentucky Community College Faculty and Staff Alliance (KCCFSA) – a labor group associated with the American Federation of Teachers – unanimously censured the board. The next day, four faculty councils overwhelmingly passed “no confidence” votes in the Michael B. McCall, system president, and the regents. These votes took place at Mayville, Elizabethtown, Hopkinsville and Bluegrass Community Colleges. These votes follow a vote two weeks ago by the faculty of Southeast Kentucky Community College. Now, 5 of the system’s 16 colleges have passed “no confidence” resolutions. Faculty advocates say votes at even more institutions are planned for this Friday. Barbara Ashley, KCCFSA executive director, said these resolutions mark the first time since the founding of the Kentucky system that any votes of “no confidence” have been taken against the governing board or a system administrator. McCall and the regents have offered no response to these recent votes.

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Posted in Governance

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Florida: Policy change at FAMU brings up faculty’s right to know

Posted on April 13, 2009 by | Comments Off on Florida: Policy change at FAMU brings up faculty’s right to know

Tallahassee Democrat: Policy change at FAMU brings up faculty’s right to know

What started out as a routine policy change for Florida A&M’s trustees last week turned into a right-to-know issue for faculty.

At a trustee sub-committee meeting, members were asked to approve a policy change that would require annual performance evaluations for six FAMU executives. However, wording of the policy change included faculty.

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Posted in Governance

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Cambridge dons retain control of university

Posted on March 23, 2009 by | Comments Off on Cambridge dons retain control of university

The Guardian: Cambridge dons retain control of university

Funding council insists they provide more information about how they spend their money

The government’s university funding body has backed away from efforts to force Cambridge to end its centuries-old tradition of academics running the institution themselves.

The ancient university has agreed to provide more information to account for the public money it receives from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) — more than £181m in the coming year — but has resisted pressure to have a majority of external members on its governing council.

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Posted in Budgets & Funding

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Terence Kealey: Why Oxford University had to resist Sir Victor Blank

Posted on March 19, 2009 by | Comments Off on Terence Kealey: Why Oxford University had to resist Sir Victor Blank

The Independent: Terence Kealey: Why Oxford University had to resist Sir Victor Blank

In the year 2000, Gordon Brown set out to destroy the 800-year tradition of academic self-government at Oxford and Cambridge. The man he chose to execute his policy was Sir Victor Blank. Sir Victor is the chairman who severely damaged the share price of Lloyds Bank, and on that evidence he is less than competent – as of course is Gordon Brown. So how did those two men position themselves nearly to destroy the governance of two of the greatest universities on the globe?

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Posted in Governance

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Mississippi: Jackson State U. Faculty Votes No Confidence in President

Posted on March 17, 2009 by | Comments Off on Mississippi: Jackson State U. Faculty Votes No Confidence in President

The Chronicle News Blog: Jackson State U. Faculty Votes No Confidence in President

Faculty leaders at Jackson State University voted no confidence last week in Ronald Mason Jr., the Mississippi university’s president. The resolution, which was published by The Clarion-Ledger, a newspaper in Jackson, Miss., criticized Mr. Mason for his alleged lack of transparency and for the growing salaries of an increasing number of administrators.

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Posted in Governance

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New Mexico Regent Who Was Criticized by Faculty Will Step Aside From Board’s Presidency

Posted on March 13, 2009 by | Comments Off on New Mexico Regent Who Was Criticized by Faculty Will Step Aside From Board’s Presidency

The Chronicle News Blog: New Mexico Regent Who Was Criticized by Faculty Will Step Aside From Board’s Presidency

The president of the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico has agreed to step aside from his leadership role “to avoid being a distraction” as the state’s governor works to improve relations between faculty members and the institution’s leaders, Gov. Bill Richardson announced today.

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Posted in Governance

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Newfoundland & Labrador: Memorial University lacks independence, report says

Posted on March 12, 2009 by | Comments Off on Newfoundland & Labrador: Memorial University lacks independence, report says

Globe and Mail: Memorial University lacks independence, report says

The tug-of-war between the Newfoundland and Labrador government and Memorial University over the selection of the school’s next president continued yesterday with a new report that calls for an end to provincial involvement in appointing university leaders.

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Posted in Government

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Higher-Education Reform Panel in India Says Universities Need More Autonomy

Posted on March 9, 2009 by | Comments Off on Higher-Education Reform Panel in India Says Universities Need More Autonomy

The Times of India: Higher education panel slams ‘mindless’ HRD

MUMBAI: Early last month, the Yash Pal committee was informed that the Union HRD ministry had whittled down its position to an advisory body, but members stuck to their recommendations and the original terms of reference.

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Posted in Accountability

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U. of New Mexico Faculty Votes No Confidence in President

Posted on February 27, 2009 by | Comments Off on U. of New Mexico Faculty Votes No Confidence in President

The Chronicle News Blog: U. of New Mexico Faculty Votes No Confidence in President

Faculty members at the University of New Mexico overwhelming voted no confidence today in the university’s president, David J. Schmidly, according to a university news release. The professors also approved similar measures criticizing the leadership of other university officials and called for an audit of university funds.

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Posted in Administration

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