http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-state-president-resign-met-20160914-story.html
Chicago State University President to be Replaced after just Nine Months
Dawn Rhodes Contact Reporter
Chicago Tribune
After just nine months at embattled Chicago State
University, President Thomas Calhoun Jr. is apparently parting ways with the
Far South Side university.
Trustees on Friday plan to vote on Calhoun's
"separation agreement" and name an interim president, according to a
board meeting agenda posted Wednesday morning. Calhoun is paid $300,000 a year,
and the terms of the agreement were not immediately available.
Calhoun took over in January to much fanfare, and his contract
went until January 2021. Calhoun, trustees and a university spokeswoman did not
immediately return calls for comment.
His abrupt departure comes at an inopportune time for
Chicago State, which serves a predominantly African-American student population.
With a heavy reliance on state funding, it has struggled to stay afloat this
past year as state lawmakers failed to pass a budget for most of the year and
then provided only partial funding.
The school declared a financial emergency in February and
was notified that its accreditation status was at risk because of its shaky
finances.
About 40 percent of the university's employees have been
terminated or laid off since the beginning of the year and academic programs
have been cut. Student enrollment is expected to be down steeply this fall when
the university releases figures later this month, and the most recent
graduation rate was down to just 11 percent.
The decision to part ways with Calhoun is an aboutface from
11 months ago when trustees enthusiastically hired the Alabamian to replace
former president Wayne Watson, who retired last year.
Nikki Zollar, the board vice chair and head of the
presidential search committee, said then that Calhoun, who previously worked at
the University of Northern Alabama, was the only one of the three finalists who
received overwhelming support from students, staff and faculty groups.
As people wondered about the 149-year-old university's
future, Calhoun urged optimism, saying the institution had a bright future
ahead.
"I believe that by working together, Chicago State
University will continue to have a transformational impact on the lives of our
students and our surrounding communities and I look forward to the start of
this journey together," Calhoun said at the time.
Watson himself heaped praise upon his successor.
"His qualifications are impeccable, his experience has
great depth to it and equally as important, his vision, his vision as an
educator, is something that is going to take Chicago State University to the
next level," Watson said at the time.
As word spread this week that Calhoun may be out, faculty
made a last-ditch effort to show their support.
Early Wednesday morning, the president of the university faculty
union sent a letter to the board to show the faculty's "virtually
unanimous support" for Calhoun, saying he has "provided steady
leadership and a strong public voice" during the difficulties presented by
the budget crisis of the past year.
"As we begin to normalize operations, we are sure you
want to join with us in full support of Dr. Calhoun," states the letter,
signed by more than 130 faculty members. "To do otherwise would continue
the turmoil we have experienced since February and likely expose the still
vulnerable university to additional harm. We are eager to begin the work of
rebuilding the institution. We have the right president at the right
time."
Robert Bionaz, president of the faculty union, criticized
the board for getting rid of a popular president while keeping other senior
administrators who are opposed by faculty and staff.
"The board has chosen a path guaranteed to create
continued conflict, contention and uproar on this campus," said Bionaz, a
history professor. "This is a truly dark hour for our university, and Gov.
Rauner should immediately replace every member of this current board of
trustees."
The BOT (Board of Turkeys) will most likely put Watson (who remains so conveniently available) back in as "interim" President. Kind of like Mugabe on Zimbabwe, who recently claimed to have died and been reincarnated.
ReplyDeleteYou just can't make this stuff up.... So much stupid all in one place.