‘Employees have lost faith’: Vote of No Confidence against UW Oshkosh Chancellor
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – A vote of No Confidence has been returned by faculty voters at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh against Chancellor Andrew Leavitt on Friday.
According to a release from the United Faculty and Staff of Oshkosh (UFSO), 72% of the 229 faculty voters confirmed in a formal referendum that Leavitt is “not the right person for the job.”
UW Oshkosh faculty react to news of furloughs/layoffs
The release begins by saying, “While the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh remains strong, its employees have lost faith in the leadership of Chancellor Andrew Leavitt.”
Officials with the UFSO then preface the following bullet points (listed below) by saying that the reasons are many and that they “extend far beyond the loss of 20% of our workforce to budget cuts this year.”
Chancellor Leavitt chose to substantially overspend the University’s budget year after year, which directly led to a fiscal crisis
He failed to implement effective marketing and enrollment management strategies; we lost nearly 3,000 students while enrollments at UW Green Bay and Stevens Point held steady
Like other System leaders, he has not led a strong public defense for fully funding and supporting the Universities of Wisconsin, our engine of progress and ticket to the middle class for the people of our region
During a “hiring freeze” he filled our Chief Financial Officer position with someone who lacks professional training in financial management or accounting, without a national search
He has demonstrated a disregard for shared governance; we need a Chancellor who recognizes that we are stronger when we respect each other, when we listen to each others’ ideas, and when we work in a collaborative spirit
“None of us wanted to do this,” UFSO President David Siemers stated. “But when leaders underperform and our state defunds our universities, someone has to sound the alarm: the people of Wisconsin are losing opportunities because of the deliberate neglect of our great regional comprehensive schools like UW Oshkosh.”
System President Jay Rothman and the Board of Regents should now engage in a serious evaluation, requiring due diligence. Ask respected community members about Andy Leavitt’s standing in the Fox Valley; consult with entrepreneurs about whether he has forged strong connections with the business community; consider the perspectives of alumni and donors about whether he has the right stuff for the job. And do consider us as well—UW Oshkosh employees who serve the people of Wisconsin year-in and year-out and want the best for the institution we have dedicated our careers to. If you do this, we are confident you will initiate a search process through which we will find our next Chancellor.
United Faculty and Staff of Oshkosh
Back in August 2023, UW-Oshkosh announced an $18 million structural deficit, saying at that time that layoffs & furloughs were expected.
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Chancellor Andrew Leavitt provided the following statement to Local 5 in response to the No Confidence vote:
We have chosen to face challenges head-on at UW Oshkosh, responding to trends and forces disrupting higher education everywhere. The faculty referendum results released today are a reaction to hard but necessary decisions I have made as Chancellor. In a matter of months, UWO has reduced an $18 million deficit to approximately $3 million. We are closing that remaining gap by redesigning and innovating our academic structure, which will save additional administrative costs as we reshape colleges and create new schools better reflecting the futures students see themselves in. Meanwhile, we see indications of a solid fall 2024 first-year class of students. Everyone at UWO is working diligently to strengthen enrollment next year and beyond. As I shared in March, it is critical that we continue listening and responding to prospective learners who may not see themselves at UWO but can thrive here. Theirs is the confidence we all want to earn. Stakeholders recognize our difficult decisions and are rooting for us in our work to build a more sustainable UWO. We remain on a responsible path, and I appreciate everyone’s continued stewardship.
Chancellor Andrew Leavitt, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Local 5 will provide an update on this story when any additional statements or releases are provided.
