Censure: A Faculty Outcry

by: Jake Young
jy290706@ohio.edu

A censure, by definition, is "a strong or vehement expression of disapproval," and "an official reprimand, as by a legislative body of one of its members."

With few other choices, a disgruntled faculty at Ohio University will vote to censure President Roderick McDavis, Executive Vice President and Provost Kathy Krendl, and Vice President for Finance and Administration William Decatur at the next meeting of the Faculty Senate on June 12th. The reasoning stems from a new OU Faculty Healthcare Plan that will cost professors approximately $900/year. Faculty Senate member Joseph Slade says, more importantly, it is a breach of the faculty handbook.


Slade on Ignoring the Handbook

Censure, But No Evaluations

In an effort to gain opinions about the president from the faculty, former Faculty Senate Chair Sergio Lopez assembled an anonymous online survey with a variety of questions. Shortly after it was released, the survey was scrapped because of security issues. Lopez said the anonymity of the survey allowed faculty to re-take it multiple times, potentially skewing the results.

Current Chair Joe McLaughlin will release a new survey in the fall, but Faculty Senate member Kenneth Brown says a censure before a survey could cause the survey to reflect the censure result instead of holding honest opinions.


Censure Before Survey: Not Ideal

Public Condemnation

Brown added that the Faculty Senate has no legal rights in its situation, and cannot sue the university or its administration, even though the handbook was clearly violated. Faculty Senate wants to voice its displeasure with the situation, and that brought about the motion to censure.

The censure has no legal power. It is simply a vote of no confidence for President McDavis, Executive Vice President and Provost Kathy Krendl, and Vice President for Finance and Administration William Decatur.