BSU prez heads off no-confidence vote

MUNCIE — Ball State University's Faculty Council tabled a resolution declaring a lack of confidence in the board of trustees on Thursday after hearing a plea from acting President Terry King.

The president urged faculty leaders to meet with board chairman Rick Hall, an Indianapolis attorney and former BSU basketball player, before considering the resolution.

The "resolution of dissatisfaction and a request for reforms" was prompted by the unexplained and apparently forced resignation of President Paul Ferguson, who was held in high regard by faculty, after only 17 months in office.

King said Hall would be disappointed if such a resolution passed without first giving him a chance to meet with faculty representatives.

"I would urge you to table this resolution and have this discussion … almost immediately … as early as tomorrow," King told about three dozen Faculty Council members. "Absent a dialogue, I don't think we are making an informed decision that you would hope to make … In my experience, dialogue is always good in helping to solve issues like this."

Some faculty members questioned why there already hasn't been any dialogue, given that Ferguson quit on Jan. 25. "This (resolution) may be the start of a dialogue, a good source for dialogue, because it hasn't happened," one professor told King.

Another, Karen Kessler, an associate professor of theatre, told King: "We are upset about this. We have these concerns." If there is a meeting, she added, "I don't want to be told why we shouldn't feel like this … "

The resolution says faculty were "encouraged," "revived" and "reinvigorated" by Ferguson's moves toward an "open, collaborative, communicative campus that was working to reshape itself into a modern, 21st century research institution."

Faculty also applauded Ferguson for reorganization that broke down "upper administration bureaucratic silos," for adding faculty round-table discussions and faculty academic excellence grants, and for working toward a "global climate of student-centered, community-engaged success."

The lack of transparency over Ferguson's resignation "has led to a sustained level of frustration within the faculty, a disheartening lack of confidence in the Board of Trustees, and real concern about the university's ability to secure another top-flight candidate to serve as Ball State's president," the resolution stated.

The lack of transparency also has damaged Ball State's reputation and "generated many unwanted rumors and speculation, including misguided speculation by national higher-education publications," the document reported.

Contrary to the hopes of some faculty, the meeting with Hall will not involve any negotiations, King said. Nor will Hall discuss "personnel matters," meaning why Ferguson left. Nor will the meeting be open to the public.

King called the resolution "an important governance decision. You are speaking for the faculty of this institution. There are 1,000 full-time faculty members in the institution."

Urban planning professor Bruce Frankel called for an open, public forum between faculty and Hall.

But King said, "In my opinion, my experience, open forums cannot be constructive dialogue. It's usually an environment where you state opinions and that's what happens." A private environment is "where you move things forward," he said.

In the end, the Faculty Council agreed to send a delegation to meet with Hall. That delegation will consist of Kessler, Frankel, associate professor of family and consumer sciences Amy Harden, professor of telecommunications Dom Caristi, associate professor of animation Andy Beane, and associate professor of political science Darren Wheeler.

Contact Seth Slabaugh at (765) 213-5834.