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More 'No Confidence' Votes Expected Today

Diane Heldt, "Staff Council Votes 'No Confidence'"

[Note: This material is copyright by The Gazette, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of The Gazette.]

  The senate voted 62-1 to express ‘‘no confidence’’ in Regents President Michael Gartner of Des Moines and Regents President Pro Tem Teresa Wahlert of Waukee. The UI Staff Council, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Assembly and the Graduate Student Senate vote on similar resolutions today.

  ‘‘Today we are telling the people of Iowa that control of the Board of Regents rests in incapable hands, and that this state can do much, much better,’’ Kurtz said before the vote. ‘‘The pattern of behavior that causes us concern is not a fluke. It is a consistent pattern.’’

  Kurtz, who received a standing ovation after his statement, said the resolution is not merely symbolic; he hopes it will embolden elected leaders and the seven other regents to demand leadership changes.

  Nearly 320 current and retired UI faculty members and staff attended the meeting at Old Capitol; the senate chamber was standing-room only and about half of the crowd had to listen from the first floor because of the crowd.

  About 15 people spoke before the vote, all in favor of the resolution.

  Wahlert was chairwoman of the recently disbanded UI presidential search committee that UI faculty, staff and student leaders said was ignored by what they called a dysfunctional Board of Regents. Gartner, also on the search committee, said Monday the ‘‘no confidence’’ vote would have no bearing on the regents or the job he is charged to do. Wahlert has said criticism of the search came from people who were uninformed about the process.

  Many faculty Tuesday wore buttons and shirts proclaiming them to be ‘‘radical minority,’’ a reference to comments made by Wahlert about campus critics.

  Richard Hurtig, professor of speech pathology and audiology and Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Assembly chairman, said he has been shocked by the behavior of regents leaders toward distinguished UI faculty.

  ‘‘What we have not had in this current leadership of the board is a willingness to have open, collegial and civil conversation,’’ he said.

  The presidential search committee recommended four candidates to succeed David Skorton, who left in June for the Cornell University presidency.

  The regents rejected those four candidates in a surprise 6-2 vote on Nov. 17 that drew the ire of UI faculty, staff and student leaders. Gov. Tom Vilsack stepped in and on Nov. 27 met with regents and campus leaders. The regents last week, at the urging of Vilsack, reconsidered the four candidates, but the one candidate regents agreed to contact withdrew from consideration. The regents will meet Monday to discuss proceeding with the search.

IOWA CITY, IA - Three more University of Iowa campus groups take "no confidence" votes in leaders of the state Board of Regents later today.

The UI Staff Council, which represents non-faculty staff employees; the Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Assembly and the Graduate Student Senate vote today.

That will follow Tuesday's 62-1 UI Faculty Senate vote of no confidence.

The Staff Council's meeting is at 2 p.m. The Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Assembly meets at 3:30 p.m. and the Graduate Student Senate meets at 5:30 p.m.

The groups are voting no confidence in the leadership of Regents President Michael Gartner of Des Moines and Regents President Pro Tem Teresa Wahlert of Waukee.

Wahlert was chairwoman of the recently disbanded UI presidential search committee. Faculty, staff and student leaders have accused her of using top-down management in the committee and have criticized the Board of Regents for not accepting committee recommendations for a new UI Iowa president.

The regents are seeking a successor to David Skorton, who left in June for the Cornell University presidency. Skorton announced his departure last January.

The regents are to discuss in a 5 p.m. telephonic meeting Monday ways to restart the presidential search. They voted 6-2 on Nov. 17 to reject four candidates recommended by the search committee, to disband the committee and to launch a new search.

Gartner has said the "no confidence" votes would have no bearing on the regents and that he would not resign. Wahlert says criticism is coming from a radical minority who are uninformed about the process.

IOWA CITY, IA - The University of Iowa Staff Council today became the second campus group to express "no confidence" in state Board of Regents leaders.

The Staff Council voted 38-1, with two abstentions, in a meeting this afternoon to pass a resolution of no confidence in Regents President Michael Gartner of Des Moines and Regents President Pro Tem Teresa Wahlert of Waukee. The UI Faculty Senate passed a similar resolution 62-1 Tuesday.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Assembly and the UI Graduate Student Senate will hold "no confidence" votes later today, and the Student Government will meet Thursday to consider such a measure.

"We know what we have to say will be difficult, and perhaps it won't change anything," said Staff Council President Mary Greer. "If we don't take this opportunity to tell the boss' boss, then we are simply returning to our cubes knowning that our silence supports the status quo."

Her prepared comments were greeted with applause.

The 52-member Staff Council represents about 5,200 non-faculty employees at the UI.

About 80 people attended the meeting. Seven people spoke, all in favor of the resolution.

Greer today sent out via e-mail comments she had received from staff members about the planned "no confidence" vote. The nearly 150 messages ran about five to one in favor of the resolution.

Wahlert was chairwoman of the recently disbanded UI presidential search committee, and Gartner was a committee member. Faculty, staff and student leaders have accused Wahlert of using top-down management in the committee and have criticized the Board of Regents for not accepting committee recommendations for a new UI president.

The regents are seeking a successor to David Skorton, who left in June for the Cornell University presidency. Skorton announced his departure last January.

The regents are to discuss in a 5 p.m. telephonic meeting Monday ways to restart the presidential search. They voted 6-2 on Nov. 17 to reject four candidates recommended by the search committee, to disband the committee and to launch a new search.

Gartner has said the "no confidence" votes would have no bearing on the regents and that he would not resign. Wahlert says criticism is coming from a radical minority who are uninformed about the process. She told The Gazette today she had no comment on the "no confidence" votes.

"I think we know what the job is that we have to do and we continue to do it," she said, adding that she has not considered resigning from the board.