Jacksonville University faculty issues ‘no confidence' vote in President Cost after decision on cuts
A majority of Jacksonville University's faculty who attended Wednesday night's faculty meeting issued a vote of 'no confidence' in President Tim Cost.
This comes after Cost on Tuesday announced major changes for JU, including the layoff of 40 faculty members, the reduction of undergraduate degree offerings from 60 to 37, and a decrease of graduate degree programs from 23 to 15.
Related: 'Gaslighting us': Jacksonville University professor slams school president over layoffs
Sources told Action News Jax's Ben Becker that faculty members brought up the following issues regarding Cost:
Termination of tenured faculty without cause
Ignoring numerous faculty proposals, requests for transparency, clarifications, etc.
Years of structural financial mismanagement under his leadership
Breach of debt covenant
Warning signs dating back to 2016 that Cost failed to address
Lack of oversight for the CFO, whom he (supposedly) met regularly
Failure to involve faculty in many important decisions, especially ones that the university's governing documents specifically say faculty should be heavily involved in
Pattern of unilateral decision making, disregard for established governance practices
A professor who did not want to be named told Becker, 'JU has been operating like a monarchy, and the faculty are tired of being the peasants, especially while the king is making terrible decisions, and we're the ones paying the price.'
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The resolution was submitted by the Faculty Assembly to the Jacksonville University Board of Trustees.
Board Chair Matt Kane responded to the vote Thursday:
'The Jacksonville University Board of Trustees respects the faculty's choice to express their opinions under the shared governance structure of our University. The Board of Trustees remains fully confident in President Cost's strategic leadership and decision-making. The Board continues to work closely with the President and other senior leaders to ensure Jacksonville University's long-term financial sustainability and future success.'
President Tim Cost himself responded to the resolution of no confidence and censure:
'I respect the faculty's role in our shared governance structure as defined by our University and faculty bylaws, and I appreciate that we have a structure that invites them to share their perspective. I've valued the honest and spirited dialogue with our faculty throughout my 12 years at Jacksonville University. While we may not always agree on every decision, I believe we share a deep commitment to Jacksonville University's mission and to the success of our students. Together with the senior leadership team, we remain focused on the work ahead — strengthening our institution and advancing the strategic goals we've set together.'
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