IUP union approves no-confidence vote against Atwater

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Written by Staff reports

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

INDIANA — The faculty union at Indiana University of Pennsylvania has authorized a vote of no-confidence against President Tony Atwater, citing "excessive turnover" in his senior level managers, an "imperialistic" leadership style and concern about his spending habits, among other concerns. The no-confidence vote, which is scheduled for next month, is the union's way of publically saying it has no faith in Atwater's leadership. According to The Indiana Gazette, the union's governing council, which consists of about 80 IUP faculty members, said it contacted Atwater after making the endorsement Thursday. The newspaper said Atwater initially expressed meeting with the group, but has since changed his mind and will present the union with a list of his own grievances. IUP named Atwater its president in February 2005, the Gazette said. "I fully appreciate and respect shared governance and its role in helping universities thrive," Atwater write in an e-mail to the Gazette. "I also believe in the principle of strong, informed leadership to protect the material interests and academic quality of the institution. "In these very tough economic times, tough decisions are, and will continue, to be made to preserve IUP's fiscal health and academic standards," he wrote. "It is important that the university community work together in these difficult economic times to help us advance through an economic storm that will likely continue for several additional years." The newspaper said that while talk of a no-confidence vote has been ongoing for the last two years, the last straw was when Atwater decided to consolidate all personnel decisions within the Office of the Vice-President of Administration and Finance, reinstituting a policy that had been set aside years before. The Gazette said before his decision, IUP deans had the final word on personnel decisions, as long as they stayed within their budgets. But under the new policy, all personnel decisions have to be approved by the vice-president. The union argued that the policy was instituted without any discussion and has devalued the role of the academic affairs division in the university's hierarchy, because the vice-president of academic affairs is supposed to be the president's No. 2 officer. The Gazette said the union's bill offers four main reasons for the vote: That Atwater has made excessive and inappropriate expenditures despite severe budget constraints; has made poor decisions; his leadership style alienates others; and that he has shown a "flagrant disregard of the principles and spirit of shared governance." The union supports the assertions with 31 specific complaints, the newspaper said, including that Atwater has an "imperialistic" leadership style and has allowed himself excesses in his office. The union also cited "excessive turnover" in his level managers. Since coming to IUP, three of four of Atwater's vice-presidents, whom he hired, have left, the newspaper said. The union said that suggests "his poor selection or a management style that is not conducive to retention." Also, the union said Atwater has spent at least $30,000  on the president's residence, which is owned and maintained by the university. According to the Gazette, half of that amount, the union said, went toward a garden, while the other half went to install driveway lighting.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 November 2009 )