Some members of the DePauw faculty plan to protest on Thursday, Oct. 11 as a manner of communicating their concerns to the Board of Trustees. At the last two faculty meetings, professors have raised concern over lack of communication between the faculty and administration, faculty representation before the Board of Trustees, proposed budget cuts and the overall direction of the University, according to Glen Keucker, history professor.
“The goal is to make a statement about concerns some faculty have about the stewardship of the University, including the direction it is going,” he said. “Second, the goal is to show solidarity with staff who might fear being fired for speaking out against changes to their compensation and benefits, as well as marginalized students on campus, those who have been telling us they do not feel safe on campus.”
Professor Keucker recommended that DePauw institute several changes to improve faculty representation before the Board of Trustees. He suggested creating direct faculty representation on relevant board committees who have the ability to vote on University policies and changes. Keucker also recommended placing a student from each class on the Board of Trustees to represent the concerns of the student body.
Additionally, he recommended that DePauw continue to follow the Academic Handbook, significantly reform its confidentiality policies and practices, and adopt the Governance Committee's proposal for faculty voice in the review and retention of senior administrators, including the President.
In an earlier interview, President Mark McCoy acknowledged the possibility of a faculty protest this Thursday saying, “Protest is part of one’s right to express their opinion, and we do not typically squelch protest.” He added that DePauw supports freedom of speech not because the government mandates it, but because as a university it is the right thing to do.
In regard to faculty representation in front of the Board, President McCoy said that faculty elected to the Strategic Planning Committee attend the Board of Trustee meetings. Also, the Strategic Planning Committee chair of Faculty Governance and Curriculum meet with the board committee over academic affairs.
Faculty will also have the opportunity to interact with Trustees during different plenary sessions and a ceremony honoring DePauw’s 18th President Robert Bottoms. The 18th president of the University will return to DePauw for the dedication ceremony and open house of the Alumni and Development Center at 1:30 p.m.
Keucker said that the faculty and staff remain dedicated to providing students with the best education, and he is sure that the Board of Trustees has the same motive. “We all want what is best for DePauw,” Keucker said, “but right now, we have very different understandings of what that might be.”