TO: The UVM Faculty
FROM: Thomas P. Salmon, President
SUBJECT: Censure Resolution -- Faculty Women's Caucus
I have reviewed and considered the resolution of censure brought forth by the Faculty Women´s Caucus to the March 12, 1996 meeting of the Faculty Senate. Since I have been scheduled for several months to be out of town on an important development trip and cannot attend the meeting, I am providing this written response to the resolution.
Let me begin by noting that Provost Low and I have had to make some difficult decisions in order to advance the University´s commitment to racial equality and diversity. Those decisions have been based on a philosophy of inclusive community involvement, civil discourse, and accountability, within a context of educational quality and fiscal responsibility. I firmly believe in these principles. Decision with regard to the Commission, the recruitment of an Executive Officer for Cultural Pluralism and Racial Equality, and the handling of the hunger strike were difficult but sound. Each decision was approached with care and involved extensive consultation with members of the UVM community.
With regard to the disbanding of the Commission, I know that Provost Low reached this decision after very careful thought, consultation, and deliberation. His decision was not made in isolation, as he received counsel from a wide range of individuals, including some who had direct involvement with the Commission. In my view, at the time the decision was made, the Commission was operating in a manner antithetical to the goal of expanding community involvement and assuring accountability. Additionally, a body designed to provide leadership in important areas, such as curricular transformation, required broad faculty participation, which was clearly lacking under the existing structure.
The Executive Officer search is moving forward, and we have excellent candidates within the final group. The notion expressed in the resolution that this position should report to, or be primarily accountable to, any group rather than a senior University official is simply unworkable from an organizational perspective. In fact, we heard from a number of applicants who told us that they would never have pursued the position under a model of reporting and accountability to a particular group. I understand as well there are faculty who are strongly opposed to this position for reasons very different than the ones stated in the resolution, including the notion that adding any administrative positions at this time is questionable. Yet the Provost and I continue to see the compelling institutional need for skilled professional leadership in the near term to meet our goals of racial equality and justice at UVM. We remain excited about the ideas and energy that the new Executive Officer will bring to this campus, and expect to announce the successful completion of the search in the near future.
With respect to the hunger strike, UVM provided all appropriate support services to the student throughout, while at all times keeping lines of communication open. I personally offered this student an opportunity to meet to discuss her concerns, but that offer was declined. It should be made clear, however, that while I respected her act of conscience, I would never have agreed to make or reverse a personnel, policy, or other decision in reaction to demands made in such a fashion. I believe our response was entirely appropriate under the circumstances. I would be most alarmed if the faculty believed that management decisions should be made in response to similar actions, whatever their ideological stripe. Ideas must be evaluated on their merits, and not by virtue of the means chosen to express them.
I, too, am sometimes frustrated by the failures which counterbalance our successes in the racial equality and diversity arena, but we must not let frustration paralyze progress. Some think our efforts have been wanting, but the fact remains we are moving forward. ALANA student applications are up some 25% this year. Faculty recruitment efforts are bearing fruit, as illustrated by recent faculty appointments. Curricular change is ongoing. College and school diversity plans have taken shape. Training efforts are expanding. Response to racial incidents is improving. Support and involvement by the Board of Trustees is strong. I think we should take pride that UVM continues to focus its resources on these issues at levels above and beyond those of many other institutions, and such is the case at a time when many are in retreat on issues of affirmative action and diversity.
In closing, I want to express my strong desire that we continue to work together toward constructive change. For this University to succeed, we must find ways to generate new ideas and take more responsibility for moving us forward as a community. The Provost and I will continue to make sound decisions that are carefully and rationally thought out, while seeking ongoing counsel and help from the faculty. Our actions will not always be free of controversy, and at times sharp differences will arise.
The Senate is free to censure the President, the Provost, or anyone else it chooses. But if such an action is contemplated, I hope Senate members will ask themselves how such a step will help make us a better University, and what contribution to UVM's future will be made.
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