Department of Foreign Language, Literatures and Cultures endorses no confidence vote; others to discuss plan
Half the departments of the College of Humanties and Social and Behavioral Sciences have now endorsed the Academic Senate's vote of no confidence against University President George Ross and Provost Gary Shapiro.
The department of foreign language, literatures and cultures endorsed the resolution during its departmental staff meeting on Friday. The endorsement marks the fourth academic department to agree with the Academic Senate's vote, which was held on Dec. 7 and passed by a 52-percent majority.
Other departments are expected to discuss the matter at future meetings, including the department of psychology, department of chemistry, department of English and school of accounting.
Some departments have no intentions of discussing the matter at all, including the department of management.
Christi Brookes, the foreign language, literatures and cultures department chairwoman, said the department expressed similar concerns to those that have already endorsed the resolution. Academic Prioritization, shared governance and academic transformation were among department members' worries. While no one opposed the vote of endorsement, four people abstained -- choosing not to vote on the matter.
"(The concerns) are more or less what other departments have expressed as well," Brookes said. "Budget cuts that have happened with a very uneven hand across the colleges depending on which college you are in."
Brookes said the department's endorsement may only be a symbolic act, but multiple departments could make an impacting statement to administration. She said the act is a way to show administration that many faculty members are not happy.
"It’s making a statement about what we hope CMU is going to be, which is to say a place where all different faculty voices from fixed-term to tenured are heard," Brookes said.
Other departments will discuss the A-Senate's resolution in future meetings, including the department of English.
Department Chairman William Wandless said the department will decide on the matter Friday, promising they have quorum to make the decision.
"A motion to endorse the Academic Senate's vote of no confidence against President Ross and Provost Shapiro will appear on the agenda of this week's English department meeting," Wandless said in an email.
Multiple other departments could not yet comment, as discussions about the A-Senate's vote have not begun.
The sociology, anthropology and social work and philosophy and religion departments were the first to endorse the no confidence vote earlier this month, paving the way for other departments to follow suit. Last week, the political science department endorsed the vote, with David Jesuit, associate professor and interim department chairman, calling for a return to shared governance.
"I've been here since 2003, and I think in the past it seems that there was more dialogue and discussion," Jesuit told Central Michigan Life. "The administration seemed to be more in touch"
