The College Faculty

Faculty resolution

September 4, 2007

In light of the August 31st news that the leadership of Antioch College has been dramatically restructured, including 1) the elimination of the position of College President; 2) the invention of new administration positions; 3) and the encroachment onto the operations of the Alumni and Development offices, all of which were done without consultation with the College Administrative Council or College faculty, we, the faculty of Antioch College, issue a vote of  “no-confidence”  in Tulisse Murdoch, Chancellor of Antioch University.

The Chancellor’s precipitous actions have damaged the college to such an extent that her continuation works against the survival of the institution.  The vote was unanimous among the twenty-six faculty present.

For Immediate Release:

September 5, 2007

ANTIOCH COLLEGE FACULTY DECLARE “NO CONFIDENCE” IN UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR TULISSE MURDOCK

At Tuesday’s faculty meeting, Antioch College faculty issued a resolution of “no confidence” in the leadership of Tulisse Murdock, Chancellor of Antioch University.  This resolution follows the events of Friday, August 31st when the  Antioch community received the news that the leadership of the College had been dramatically altered by the premature exit of President Steve Lawry.   No reason was given for Lawry’s departure.  He had submitted his resignation in August and was expected to step down on December 31st.  However, in Friday’s reorganization by the University leadership, the position of College President was eliminated, and a new leadership team was appointed without consultation with Administrative Council or the College faculty.

The Antioch University Board of Trustees voted in June 2007 to suspend operations at the College, effective June 30, 2008.  In an emergency Board Meeting called this August, the Board of Trustees was persuaded, after a strong and eloquent outpouring of concern from a broad-based coalition of faculty, staff, students, alumni, former Trustees of the University, members of the Village of Yellow Springs, and the higher education community, to consider specific proposals from the College alumni for keeping the College open.  Last week the Trustees and the Alumni Board made an agreement to share the financial information necessary to develop a feasible business plan to ensure the survival of the College.  This new openness on the part of the Trustees was welcomed by College faculty and t he Alumni Board, and the Antioch community was looking forward to this collaboration with the University leadership and the Board of Trustees.  The recent decision to eliminate the College Presidency therefore comes at a critical point in the negotiations between the College Alumni Board and the University Board of Trustees .  The lack of due process surrounding this decision is a violation of the trust that was beginning to be re-established between the College and the larger University.

The lack of a President leaves the College vulnerable at a time when experienced leadership and fundraising expertise is essential as the College develops a sustainable plan for its survival.   The suddenness of the Chancellor’s actions occurred in an environment where democratic processes are a standard and an expectation.  These actions unfortunately follow a series of interventions on the part of the Board and the University leadership that have reduced the college’s ability to control its own finances, fundraising, curriculum, and internal affairs.

College faculty and staff are highly committed to providing a stable and supportive academic environment to students as they seek to complete degrees at an institution that faces an uncertain future.    Despite severely reduced staff and resources, delivering the best possible education to present and future Antioch students remains the highest priority.   These precipitous actions on the part of Chancellor Murdock further weaken the College and severely disrupt the educational mission of this institution.

For more information, please contact Dennie Eagleson, deagleson42@gmail.com or Eric Miller, emillerw@gmail.com

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