California Lutheran University board backs President Lori Varlotta after no confidence vote
The top three officers from California Lutheran University's Board of Regents publicly backed President Lori Varlotta on Wednesday, one day after university faculty overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in the president.
Board Chair Ann Boynton, Vice Chair Ted DeFrank and Secretary Bill Camarillo issued a joint statement Wednesday evening acknowledging the faculty vote but saying that Varlotta has the board's "full support."
"We are confident that the institution will succeed under her leadership," the statement reads.
The no confidence resolution ― approved by the faculty assembly in a 122-3 vote ― accused Varlotta of eroding the university's "historically close" community and criticized her handling of university finances.
Faculty Senate Chair Sharon Docter and Faculty Affairs Committee Chair Kristine Butcher said in a statement Friday that the regents' response was expected but disappointing, given the vote's heavy faculty support.
"It is our hope that we can work with the Board to address the concerns in the resolution," their statement says.
Faculty no confidence votes in university presidents have become more prevalent in recent years, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education analysis, with at least 23 faculty boards and unions across the country approving no confidence votes in 2023. A different Chronicle analysis found that 51% of presidents on the receiving end of no confidence votes are gone from their posts within a year.
Sean McKinniss, a consultant and former higher education researcher who gathered the data behind the Chronicle's analysis, said that those departures came for a variety of reasons, but that it is "very rare" for departures to be publicly attributed to the no confidence votes.
Varlotta, the university's first woman president, took over from 12-year President Chris Kimball in September 2020 and in her three years has faced enrollment drops, a tightening budget and a highly publicized court battle with former U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly over Cal Lutheran's handling of a university center.
Read more: Gallegly Center donors demand refund from Cal Lutheran
Her tenure hit another obstacle Tuesday when the university's faculty assembly passed the no confidence resolution calling on Varlotta to resign or be removed by the board of regents.
Varlotta has not yet responded to the faculty vote directly, though a university spokesman acknowledged the resolution in a statement Tuesday, saying it carries no legal or official authority.
In an interview Jan. 11, days before the faculty vote, the president said the university will have a “bit of a challenge” on its hands for the next five years as it tries to recover lost enrollment.
Board leaders backed Varlotta to lead the university forward, saying in their statement that they have been full partners in the president's handling of the "unprecedented" problems.
"She continues to thoughtfully address the many challenges facing the university, she demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the success of our students now and in the future, and she has our full support," the statement says. "We know that the steps we must take together to reach financial sustainability can be challenging."
The full board of regents meets next from Feb. 23-24.
Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star in partnership with Report for America. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh and @vcsschools. You can support this work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Cal Lutheran board backs president after no confidence vote
