Fayetteville State faculty votes against academic leader
A body representing professors at Fayetteville State University voted overwhelmingly Friday in favor of a resolution expressing “no confidence” in the university’s top academic officer.
The FSU Faculty Senate voted 32 to 4 for the resolution, with eight people abstaining. The resolution stated that the faculty had no confidence in the ability of Dr. Monica Terrell Leach, who is provost, “to lead effectively, respectfully, and in a manner that supports the mission and values of our university.”
Leach also serves as senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. She was appointed to the provost role in May of 2021, from a field of more than 60 candidates, according to a university news release.
The resolution stated it would be delivered to FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison and the University Board of Trustees.
The vote just after 2:15 p.m. was a part of a Faculty Senate monthly meeting, held by videoconference.
'This is solemn'
Leach gave remarks at the start of the meeting, as part of her provost’s report. The items did not appear to be related to the resolution. She was not present for the resolution vote.
“This is not something that was undertaken lightly,” Dr. Rob Taber, a history professor, told his colleagues before the vote. “This is solemn.”
Taber serves on an executive committee of the Faculty Senate that unanimously voted to move the resolution forward.
The document alleges failures in multiple aspects of Leach’s leadership, including fostering a culture of fear, retaliation and intimidation; poor communication with faculty; and what the resolution says are “misallocated resources.”
The resolution said senior leaders in Leach’s office, Academic Affairs, have “a pattern of governance by administrative fiat,” handing decisions down. It later accuses the leaders of “unprofessional conduct.”
A brief discussion
Faculty members in the virtual meeting engaged in a brief discussion before the vote. One professor questioned how the process of disclosures worked, noting that members of the media and others knew about the resolution before the Senate vote. Another professor reminded everyone the faculty group was a public body and the media is privy to their deliberations.
Dr. Kim Hardy, a professor in the School of Social Work, said faculty had many opportunities to weigh in on the resolution, including a recent all-faculty meeting. Those forums are "where these things were discussed" she said.
"The opportunity to weigh in has been presented numerous times," she said.
FSU response
Fayetteville State University, in a statement, said that the university and administration continue to address faculty concerns and met recently with a small group of faculty about issues they had raised.
University Spokesperson Devon T. Smith provided the statement, which continued: “We are not in opposition with any faculty member and believe that together, through dialogue, mutual respect, and understanding, we can be progressive in meeting 21st century needs. As a constituent member of the UNC System, we have to ensure that we adhere to the policies and regulations instituted by the UNC System.
“Our administration and faculty members are forward focused and aligned with ensuring our adherence to these policy changes ahead. We will continue to have regular meetings with faculty and administrator workgroups to review and evaluate these new policies and regulations. We have recently hosted a Faculty Senate lunch with the Chancellor and will continue to work together to solve our concerns internally. The University is set to host a Faculty Town Hall in mid-April to further discuss issues of concern.”
Opinion Editor Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3559.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville State faculty express 'no confidence' in top academic officer
