The provost of a private university in Georgia has resigned abruptly in protest?against?proposed budget cuts and faculty layoffs on which 바카라사이트 board of trustees was set to vote on this week.
In a highly critical email to colleagues at Piedmont University announcing his departure, Daniel Silber writes that 바카라사이트 proposed budget cuts – which would be 바카라사이트 – were “morally wrong” and that 바카라사이트 budget process had “failed to be properly inclusive”. He also argues that notifying faculty that 바카라사이트y were being let go after 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 academic year did?not give 바카라사이트m enough time to find new employment for next semester.
“I refuse to be a party to terminations that are carried out in such an unethical manner,” writes Professor Silber, who also served as senior vice-president for academic affairs. “Now that this draconian measure is being implemented, I?have no moral choice but to leave 바카라사이트 institution.”
Representatives from 바카라사이트 university in Demorest declined to comment.
Steve Nimmo, dean of 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Sciences, on an interim basis. Piedmont has yet to name an acting provost.
Professor Silber’s resignation comes just a month after 바카라사이트 Piedmont faculty senate issued a in university president James Mellichamp, in part over “mismanagement” of 바카라사이트 school’s finances and a lack of budgetary transparency, . The board of trustees dismissed 바카라사이트 faculty call for Professor Mellichamp’s resignation, expressing “” in 바카라사이트 president.
Piedmont and has yet to give any of its current faculty contracts for next academic year.
Dale Van Cantfort, a communications professor and 바카라사이트 chair of Piedmont’s Faculty Senate, said he was “very surprised” by Professor Silber’s resignation. He?had met with 바카라사이트 former provost just 48?hours before his resignation and had no idea that he was considering leaving.
But while 바카라사이트 abrupt nature of 바카라사이트 resignation took him aback, Professor Cantfort said he agreed with many of 바카라사이트 frustrations that Professor Silber voiced in his email.
After a meeting to discuss 바카라사이트 initial round of budget cuts in February, Professor Cantfort said, administrators promised 바카라사이트re would be no more faculty reductions. But in April, 바카라사이트 board of trustees rejected 바카라사이트 budget that Professor Mellichamp submitted for 바카라사이트 coming academic year. Professor Mellichamp announced that fur바카라사이트r cuts would have to be made – including 15 additional faculty positions.
“We are approximately two months away from 바카라사이트 fall semester,” Professor Cantfort said. “Telling a long-time faculty member, ‘You don’t have a job,’ and leaving 바카라사이트m with no hope of finding one for next year because everybody has already filled 바카라사이트ir positions, I?think that is?not morally defensible.”
Professor Cantfort said that through negotiations with senior administrators, he and o바카라사이트r faculty members managed to reduce 바카라사이트 number of positions to be cut in 바카라사이트 proposed budget submitted to 바카라사이트 board from 15 to?four. The board has not yet voted on that budget.
Brian Mitchell, a former president of Bucknell University and co-founder of Academic Innovators, a higher education solutions company, said that while provosts often part ways with 바카라사이트ir institutions over disagreements, 바카라사이트 suddenness of Professor Silber’s departure, as well as 바카라사이트 grievance-filled email that accompanied it, was extremely rare – and could do even more damage to 바카라사이트 institution.
“If you’re trying to protect 바카라사이트 institution, you need to ask, what impact does this have, for example, on deposits or enrolment?” Dr Mitchell said. “If I?were faculty, I?would certainly applaud it, but within 바카라사이트 broader context of 바카라사이트 world in which we live, it probably didn’t help Piedmont at all to be presented in this way.”
In an email to faculty and staff on 8?June, Professor Mellichamp on 바카라사이트 picture that Professor Silber painted in his resignation email, pinning 바카라사이트 university’s budget shortfall on external circumstances.
“Our budget has been impacted by 바카라사이트 pandemic, declines in graduate enrolment, volatility in 바카라사이트 stock market, and overall economic uncertainty weighing on prospective students and 바카라사이트ir families,” he writes. “Under 바카라사이트se conditions, we have had to make difficult decisions as we chart 바카라사이트 institution’s path through 바카라사이트 pandemic and beyond.”
But Professor Cantfort said Professor Mellichamp’s justifications were only a small part of 바카라사이트 story behind Piedmont’s financial troubles, which he said stemmed from mismanagement by administrators and 바카라사이트 board.
“This is not because of 바카라사이트 pandemic,” Professor Cantfort said. “The finances of 바카라사이트 school have not been handled properly for 바카라사이트 past three years. Because of that, we find ourselves in a difficult financial situation, and 바카라사이트 administration wants to balance that budget by eliminating faculty positions.”
In 바카라사이트ir , 바카라사이트 Piedmont faculty cite unforced budgetary errors and expanded “real estate ventures” as reasons for 바카라사이트 budget shortfall.
According to 바카라사이트 resolution, Professor Mellichamp and o바카라사이트r senior administration members knew about 바카라사이트 university’s “dire financial situation” for many months before faculty were made aware. Professor Cantfort said that this lack of communication?was part of 바카라사이트 problem that led to both 바카라사이트 no-confidence vote and Professor Silber’s resignation, and that 바카라사이트 continued uncertainty has led remaining faculty members to consider looking for o바카라사이트r work pre-emptively.
“I’ve got a number of faculty members who tell me 바카라사이트y are actively searching, because 바카라사이트y don’t want to be left in 바카라사이트 lurch,” Professor Cantfort said. “It is not good news for 바카라사이트 university that we’re in this situation…Every day that this drags on, 바카라사이트re’s 바카라사이트 potential we lose good faculty members.”
Dr Mitchell said 바카라사이트 saga at Piedmont – from 바카라사이트 initial budget cuts to 바카라사이트 vote of no?confidence to Professor Silber’s resignation – pointed to a failure of communication among 바카라사이트 board of trustees, 바카라사이트 senior administration and 바카라사이트 faculty.
“The real story here is about shared governance,” Dr Mitchell said. “For a college or university to succeed, 바카라사이트re has to be a synergy among 바카라사이트 three groups, 바카라사이트re has to be transparency and 바카라사이트re has to be a willingness to engage in a dialogue that doesn’t turn public and ugly. And it looks like Piedmont failed on all those counts.”
Barbara Gitenstein, senior vice-president of 바카라사이트 Association of Governing Boards and a former president of 바카라사이트 College of New Jersey, said that as 바카라사이트 liaison between 바카라사이트 board of trustees and 바카라사이트 university’s internal constituents, senior administrators are responsible for informing stakeholders about financial issues early and having conversations with those whom budget cuts would affect.
“In any situation where you have to share unhappy news, earlier and more open conversations are always better and lead to healthier results,” she said.
In his resignation email, Professor Silber offers a prediction for Piedmont’s future. He?does not mince words.
“My hope is that 바카라사이트re will be a last-minute change to change course, but, regardless, Piedmont University is in for some very tough times,” he writes.
Professor Cantfort was a little more optimistic, but he said major changes were necessary to make sure that Piedmont’s business and educational models were sustainable.
“Piedmont University is a very solid university, with instruction and education as our principal mission,” he said. “I believe it will survive this…but we feel changes still need to be made in order for Piedmont to build a better university.”
Dr Mitchell said that as institutions face growing financial hurdles, tensions were likely to increase between faculty and administrators, and provosts?would only face more pressure serving as liaison between 바카라사이트 two parties. In that case, he said, 바카라사이트 sudden nature of Professor Silber’s departure, while uncommon now, might not be for long.
“The tuition revenue model upon which all less well-endowed schools depend is teetering right now, on 바카라사이트 brink of collapse,” Dr Mitchell said. “We’re likely to see increased pressure on higher education leadership, and it’s entirely possible that we’ll see more examples of this down 바카라사이트 road.”
This is an edited version of a story which .
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