Dean’s List: Another NC public university leader faces ‘no confidence’ vote from faculty

For at least the third time this academic year, faculty at one of North Carolina’s 16 public universities voted to express a lack of confidence in their university’s leadership.

This time, members of the Faculty Senate at Fayetteville State University voted “no confidence” against Provost Monica Leach.

The vote is symbolic and does not impact Leach’s position as the university’s chief academic officer. But it appears to indicate deeper concerns from faculty about leadership and governance at the university.

ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner, reported that the vote stemmed from a plan to increase faculty workloads — though the senate’s no-confidence resolution, published by Fayetteville-based CityView and NC Newsline, lists several other grievances related to the university’s leadership.

In part, the resolution stated “there has been a pattern of governance by administrative fiat, with decisions made unilaterally without meaningful consultation with faculty, respect for shared governance principles or student success, and a lack of sufficient transparency about the university’s budget, all which have been justified by Academic Affairs leadership as being ‘for the good of the students.’”

Welcome to Dean’s List, a weekly roundup of higher education news in the Triangle and across North Carolina from The News & Observer and myself, Korie Dean.

This week’s edition includes more on the vote at Fayetteville State and and leadership changes at UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC Asheville.

Fayetteville State faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in provost

Leach’s plan to increase faculty workloads, which would up the number of classes faculty members are required to teach from three to four, according to ABC11, was developed in response to a UNC System policy change on the issue. The system Board of Governors passed the policy last July.

The policy, per a description from system staff, was intended to “support and advance the role of teaching as the primary mission of the university,” among other intentions.

With that in mind, the policy states that faculty members will generally be expected to teach 24 credit hours per academic year, or four 3-credit hour courses per semester. Depending on the research and service obligations of faculty members, some faculty may “have their teaching workload adjusted on a commensurate basis.”

The no-confidence resolution at FSU stated that “Academic Affairs leadership has, in private and public meetings, informed faculty that it expects most faculty to teach more courses in the coming academic year without a commensurate reduction in course caps or research, creative activity, or service expectations.”

FSU professors told ABC11 that Leach’s plan would lead to faculty being overworked or teach their courses according to tests, instead of fostering deep learning among students.

The UNC System policy was developed by a working group that included faculty, staff and leadership from across the system over several months last year. CityView reported that Leach engaged 16 faculty and administrators at FSU to discuss how the university would implement the system-wide policy.

Leach’s plan is not final, as FSU’s Board of Trustees has yet to approve it, CityView reported.

According to a statement provided by FSU media relations director Devon Smith, administrators “continue to address faculty concerns and have met recently with a small group of faculty members regarding the issues they’ve raised.”

“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,” the statement reads. “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.”

FSU Chancellor Darrell Allison recently hosted a lunch with the senate “and will continue to work together to solve our concerns internally,” the statement said. The university will also host a town hall for faculty in mid-April “to further discuss issues of concern.”

Leaders at UNC Greensboro and NC State University have also faced votes of no confidence from faculty this academic year over their handling of an academic program review and the detection of toxic chemicals in a campus building, respectively.

UNC School of Education dean leaving

UNC-Chapel Hill will soon be looking for a new dean to lead its School of Education.

Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, who has served as the school’s dean since 2016, was named last week as the provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His new appointment starts July 1.

Abd-El-Khalick said in a statement that his eight years at UNC were a highlight of his career. During his tenure, the school quadrupled its total research expenditures, rose 14 spots in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of schools of education and expanded its reach across North Carolina, among other accomplishments.

“We have achieved much as a community of faculty, students, staff and alumni — in partnership with leaders at Carolina and in school districts and with our state officials — to better serve learners and educators in our rural and urban communities across North Carolina and beyond,” Abd-El-Khalick said. “I am grateful for all the support and kindness that the Carolina community and the state have shown our family over these years. We will always have a special place in our hearts and minds for the people and place that is Carolina.”

UNC Provost Chris Clemens said in a campus message that he would announce an interim leader of the school “in the coming weeks,” and that the university will launch a national search for Abd-El-Khalick’s successor.

UNC Asheville names new provost

Yvonne Villanueva-Russell will be the next provost of UNC Asheville, effective July 1.

Villanueva-Russell will come to UNC Asheville from Texas A&M University-Commerce, where she is the founding dean of the College of Innovation and Design. With an academic background in sociology, Villanueva-Russell has been at the university since 2002, beginning as an assistant professor before earning tenure and entering a series of administrative appointments.

UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort said in a news release that Villanueva-Russell’s “student-centered approach to learning, as well as her stellar record of accomplishments as both a faculty member and an innovative academic leader” made her the right fit to lead the university’s academic affairs.

“I am committed to collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to create interdisciplinary experiences for students to become three-dimensional global citizens,” Villanueva-Russell said in the release. “I am also committed to providing leadership and advocacy to faculty, to ensure they, themselves, are lifelong learners who can bring their best selves to the campus community.”

Higher ed news I’m reading

• The University of Texas at Austin is laying off dozens of people with diversity, equity and inclusion-related jobs as a result of a state law banning DEI offices, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.

• Some private universities could soon charge a $100,000 cost of attendance, marking a “culturally significant milestone” in higher education, Inside Higher Ed reports.

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That’s all for this week’s roundup of North Carolina higher education news. I hope you’ll stay tuned for more.

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