NMSU faculty, student senates want university president and provost removed
LAS CRUCES - New Mexico State University faculty and students are fed up with the school's administration and have asked the Board of Regents to direct the chancellor to remove President John Floros and Provost Carol Parker.
Both the NMSU faculty and student senates on Thursday passed votes of no confidence in the school's president and provost. In similar resolutions, the senate bodies claim the university is spending too much money on administration and that the administration isn't listening to their concerns.
"I truly treasure this university. I've worked here almost 25 years," said Faculty Senator Susan Beck, a professor of library sciences, during Thursday's Faculty Senate meeting. "I've seen a revolving door of administrators, but I've never seen such a growth of administrators during a time when we haven't enough faculty or adjunct to teach classes."
In 2018, the Board of Regents replaced Chancellor Garrey Carruthers — who was being paid $373,450 — with two administrators, Floros and Chancellor Dan Arivzu, who make base $450,000 and $500,000 salaries, respectively, plus bonuses and other benefits.
Floros reports to Arvizu, who together provide the vision for the entirety of the university system.
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Parker came on board as provost in July 2019 and makes $304,500. College deans report to Parker.
The university also employs a vice-chancellor ($322,668) and six associate/vice provosts (combined $738,060), according to the faculty senate resolution.
Among the complaints from the faculty senate is the administration's decision to merge the College of Education, the College of Health and Social Services, and the Department of Sociology (in the College of Arts and Sciences), to create a new college to be named the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation.
In April, the Faculty Senate rejected the proposal to form the new college, but NMSU administration took the proposal to the board of regents anyway, which approved it in May.
Beck said that the Faculty Senate Leadership Committee felt this was one example of disrespect in the past couple of years and met with Floros multiple times to express concerns, but nothing came of it.
"A leader works with its members and guides and projects a vision," Beck said. "A leader doesn't float false narratives about Faculty Senate obstructionism, complain about department heads who aren't tough enough on faculty, and administrators who seek to revise policies that advantage them."
The Faculty Senate passed its resolution with 43 yes votes, 9 no and 4 abstentions.
The Associated Students of New Mexico State University, an elected student-leadership team, also passed a resolution Thursday, sponsored by more than 100 students.
Mathew Madrid, president of ASNMSU, stated in a letter to the NMSU community that students are monitoring the situation "negatively affecting the faculty who are charged with teaching the leaders of tomorrow and is therefore diminishing the college experience for thousands of students.
"Students deserve answers. Students deserve action. Students will be present in every step until there is a resolution," he wrote.
NMSU issues response
On Friday, NMSU sent a statement to the Sun-News in response to the Faculty Senate's decision.
“The university takes the concerns expressed by our students and our faculty members seriously. Last month, the university began an impartial audit to identify whether the claims being are valid. We will make the results of that audit public once it is complete. In the meantime, the university remains committed to the principles of shared governance and focused on our Land-grant mission to serve our students and the people of New Mexico through education, research and outreach.”
On Tuesday, Parker sent a letter to all Faculty Senate members and other university officials, in response to the resolution of no confidence. She gave examples of her duties and actions that she said "will also show these claims have no merit."
Parker states that several of the claims in the resolution occurred before she was brought into administration.
"I have worked hard to make progress on problems the Faculty Senate has emphasized in recent years," Parker stated, citing over 100 faculty salary adjustments and her push to increase library funding this year. "Recent progress made in tackling these entrenched challenges has not been acknowledged by the Senate."
She added that she knows the value of higher education and hopes to continue realizing that work with faculty.
Faculty Senator Niall Hanan, a professor of dryland ecology, said that senate's original resolution stating they had no confidence was one-sided, but now with the provost's response, senators had an opportunity to see both sides and make a more balanced decision.
Parker's letter did not resonate with many faculty senators.
"(Parker's) rebuttal is myopic in view," said Faculty Senator Azadeh Osanloo, a professor in educational leadership. "She still cannot see clearly what is being said. She has failed as a leader in her judgment, in her communication, and in her ability to work honestly, with her stakeholders."
Once the resolution is submitted to the Board of Regents, it will either be put on the agenda or brought up in public comment at an upcoming meeting.
Miranda Cyr, a Report for America corps member, can be reached at mcyr@lcsun-news.com or @mirandabcyr on Twitter. Show your support for the Report for America program at https://bit.ly/LCSNRFA.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: NMSU faculty, student senates want university president and provost out
