Commonwealth University faculty, coaches, to take no-confidence vote on university president
MANSFIELD, Pa. (WETM) — Faculty and coaches from three campuses of Commonwealth University will vote anonymously in February to give their voice in suggesting if the current president step down or stay, according to information from the Association of Pennsylvania State College & University Faculties.
The no-confidence vote on Commonwealth University President Bashar Hanna will be done on Feb. 11 and 12 electronically and anonymously, the APSCUF said.
The vote is months of APSCUF efforts to convince authorities to do what is in the best interest of the university and its students, with all three campuses announcing plans in December to hold the vote.
Community Climbing Day to be held at CU-Mansfield
The results of the vote will be announced later that week. If passed, the vote could lead to the termination of Hanna's presidency at the university.
Hanna has been under scrutiny for months about his leadership of the university with APSCUF President, Kenneth M. Mash stating in a November release the university saw drops in enrollment, hiring issues, major technical issues, and much more.
Hanna has been found liable for the wrongful termination of a dean who was a mandated reporter and remained in power as the final say in sexual harassment cases and other disciplinary cases, according to Mash. The case stems from when Hanna fired the dean after they reported Hanna for suspected harassment against a university employee, Mash said in a statement.
Hanna was President of Bloomsburg University from 2017 until 2021 when he became interim President of Mansfield University until the merger of Mansfield, Bloomsburg, and Lock Haven universities became Commonwealth University.
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