UWO chancellor, faculty express optimism about working together after no-confidence vote

OSHKOSH ― University of Wisconsin Oshkosh faculty and university administration are working together to find a path forward.

Both Chancellor Andrew Leavitt and Faculty Senate President Pascale Manning are expressing optimism about working together less than a week after UWO faculty issued a resounding no-confidence vote in Leavitt.

According to Manning’s weekly president’s blog, the two sides had a lengthy meeting a couple of weeks ago in which they “frankly” addressed faculty’s concerns over Leavitt’s leadership and identified where changes could be made to fix the ongoing challenges.

“I was heartened by the conversation and by Chancellor Leavitt’s clear concern to address the issues raised by faculty,” Manning wrote in the entry.

“It will not be easy to rebuild trust between the faculty and senior administration, but I have expressed my optimism that this is achievable and my unflagging commitment to assisting in that process.”

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164 professors said they lacked confidence in Chancellor Leavitt's leadership.

The meeting between Leavitt and Manning came days after faculty publicly rejected Leavitt, with 164 professors, or 72% of responding faculty, saying they lacked confidence in the chancellor’s leadership through difficult budget cuts and massive layoffs.

Leavitt confirmed the meeting in a separate email to the Northwestern, echoing Manning’s sentiments about a renewed collaborative effort.

“We all have some ideas about how best to continue meeting, making decisions and working together. The shared stewardship of UWO is strong,” Leavitt responded when pressed about the current relationship with his faculty.

The comments came after UWO faculty leveled several charges against Leavitt, including what they termed a “unilateral” leadership style.

Leavitt responded to the initial petition for the no-confidence vote with a 4,443-word blog post in which he called faculty claims “unsubstantiated and inaccurate.”

Despite the no-confidence vote, UW Board of Regents President Karen Walsh, Vice President Amy Bogost and UW System President Jay Rothman threw their full support behind Leavitt — likely setting the stage for Leavitt’s meeting with the faculty senate.

Only the Regents Board has the authority to fire UW chancellors, although a 2022 analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education showed college presidents leave office within a year about 50% of the time they receive a no-confidence vote.

When asked by the Northwestern if he ever considered resigning after the vote, Leavitt responded by writing “no.”

A recent Deloitte audit described UWO leadership as 'responsive and decisive.'

Leavitt was further reassured by a recently released audit from Deloitte, which described UWO leadership as “responsive and decisive” in reducing a $15 million deficit to $3 million in a matter of months.

“We made difficult, and necessary, decisions months ago that regrettably impacted many people but were in the best interest of the institution,” Leavitt said.

“The financial assessments offer validation of those actions and UWO’s path forward. We appreciate the third-party examination and expertise.”

UWO laid off 140 staff members in October while another 76 accepted voluntary retirement offers, and the Deloitte report said the university’s “future was at risk” without those “significant and immediate changes.”

The Deloitte report still paints a challenging outlook for UWO in light of the remaining $3 million deficit, declining enrollment, lower retention numbers and the almost exhausted GPO reserves.

Leavitt, however, expects to eliminate the structural deficit entirely by the end of the 2025 fiscal year through the university’s new academic structure, which was announced April 19.

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As part of the university's new academic structure, UWO's 4 colleges will be consolidated into 3.

UWO’s four colleges will be consolidated into three with a goal of saving around $1.5 million annually.

“Additionally, UWO will: maintain position discipline; finish a comprehensive facilities plan to thoughtfully guide closures and demolitions of low-use buildings into the future (such as low-occupancy residence halls); consider the sale of unused property; and evaluate vendor contracts with consideration of outsourcing of auxiliary services,” Leavitt wrote.

“Everyone here is invested in a more sustainable UWO, and I hope the public sees us changing to realize that goal.”

Leavitt also addressed the campus’s financial challenges and budget cuts during a town hall April 17 hosted by student government. During that event, advocates for disabled students expressed frustrations over recent cutbacks while other students questioned the handling of the budget deficit.

“I'm concerned reading the joint statement made by System President Rothman, Regent Vice President Bogost and Regent President Walsh [because] nowhere in their statement did they address any of the concerns brought by the faculty senate or by students in recent news articles,” wrote political science major and former student senator Devin Heinz in an email to the Northwestern.

“I believe they owe a greater explanation for their continued support of the Chancellor given that the person they have tasked with leading UW Oshkosh has completely lost the trust of the people expected to call him their leader.”

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: UW Oshkosh no confidence vote: Chancellor, faculty remain optimistic