Friday, March 2, 2018

Dear Faculty Senate Chair Rock,

The responses below from the University Administration refute the inaccurate
statements within the recently circulated faculty petition. Before moving forward
with your process, we request that you review the veracity of these claims, which
predicated the drafting and signing of this petition. We question the legitimacy of
this document due to its erroneous claims. As the University is in the midst of
federal mediation with the University Professionals of Illinois Chapter 4100, we are
concerned that this is a tactic to affect negotiations.

Petition to request the Faculty Senate to administer a confidence vote on the

administrative leadership of Western Illinois University

1. Whereas Western Illinois University has experienced a 25%

decrease in student enrollment during the administration of
President Thomas;

While there has been a decrease in enrollment since 2011, there is no causal
effect that illustrates the decrease in enrollment as a result of the
administration of President Thomas. Other institutions have experienced
declines, and in reality, in fall 2016, Western saw a level new student
enrollment while other institutions saw double digit declines.
There are mitigating factors that have resulted in a decrease in enrollment:

• Increased competition for a smaller number of graduating seniors

• Migration of Illinois students to out-of-state universities, who have
taken advantage of the state’s fiscal crisis
• State’s budget impasse has affected the public's confidence in state
and public higher education

Furthermore, unprecedented fiscal crises affected all Illinois public

institutions. Under the current administration's leadership, the University
has maintained or increased enrollment that could have been lost. The
current administration has actually increased enrollment of diverse student
populations due to enrollment initiatives, and has been recognized by
Minority Access, Inc. and the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the
Illinois Education Research Council, for these efforts.

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2. Whereas this decrease is three times that of other Illinois
public universities during the period;

WIU has not experienced a decrease three times that of other state universities.
The University has experienced decreasing numbers consistent with
comparable institutions.

With the exception of the University of Illinois (Urbana Champaign and

Chicago), all other Illinois public universities have seen a decrease in
enrollment. From WIU Institutional Research and Planning: Half of the Illinois
publics (6 of 12) have seen decreases of 22 percent or greater since 2011: Chicago
State 59% decrease; EIU, 37.1%; SIUC, 26.6%; NEIU, 22.4%; NIU,
21.5%. [24.8% - WIU]

3. Whereas in 2015-2016, the administration's decision to lay off

tenured faculty has damaged the University's reputation;

Tenured faculty were not laid off. However, two faculty members were allowed
to complete the tenure process after the notification of layoff to aid in the search
for future employment opportunities.

Layoffs do create unrest. However, the layoffs are not the cause of the most
significant damage to the University's reputation. Public defamation and
misinformation regarding layoffs contribute to, and further increases, the
damage to the institution's reputation. The University’s administrative team
has worked diligently to create and highlight positive initiatives.

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4. Whereas the administration has eliminated academic
departments whose effect was to marginalize and remove
women and minorities;

This statement is untrue and misleading. Western has a commitment to

diversity, and has demonstrated such in its programming, resources, and
support. It is ironic that under the leadership of an African American president,
a female provost, an African American vice president, a vice president who is a
member of the LGBTQA community and an African American female attorney
that the petition declares that the administration has marginalized minorities
and women.

As part of the required program review per Illinois Board of Higher Education
(IBHE) policy, decreased enrollment in specific majors and the limited number
of students majoring in/graduating from these majors led to the elimination of
certain departments.

These programs remain as minors. To speak only of these programs as

eliminated, strips those continuing in these programs of voice and, literally,
existence, possibly doing further harm to student numbers that might
eventually contribute to future renewal. These programs are essential to the
University's general education and support the newly formed Department of
Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of Mathematics and
Philosophy. This realignment reflects a commitment to retain these disciplines
even in light of low enrollment with the hope that, in the future, they may grow.

5. Whereas the administration has made a public statement to the

Board of Trustees, reported in the news media, that faculty are
rude to students, which it later acknowledged was exaggerated, and
caused negative publicity about the institution;

Students share their experiences with their peers. A negative experience with a
faculty or staff member may be shared among students, which, in turn, causes
negative publicity about the institution and has a deleterious impact on
retention and recruitment.

All efforts to recruit, retain, support, and connect with students are explored. In
a professional environment where we are stewards of predominantly young
adults and their success, we need to be able to discuss unhealthy patterns of
behavior. Title IX requires that we “are legally required to respond and remedy
hostile educational environments,” and we take this commitment
seriously. (https://www.knowyourix.org/college-resources/title-ix/). As is his
legal responsibility, the vice president for student services (VPSS) raised the
issue of hostility towards students as a problem that we need to address as a
campus community by reporting what some students indicate when
withdrawing from the University. Stating that this public comment created
negative publicity and media attention is overstated as the only reference
appears at the end of a lengthy story about the overall Board of Trustees
meeting.
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 Nowhere in his commentary does the Vice President ascribe blame only at
faculty.

The quote from the McDonough County Voice story, available here
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/20171006/bot-approves-budget-eyes-
declining-state-funding-and-enrollment, is:

“Through this process, we have learned that retention hinges on how students
are treated when they are here at this university, whether by faculty or staff. We
are a student-centered institution, but I as well as many people on my staff and
people on the enrollment management team continue to hear from students that
students who have to leave the university may leave for various reasons such as
the academic profile or (a financial) inability to stay here. But students who
choose to leave the university in many cases leave because of the way in which
they are treated. Each member of the faculty and staff must do their part to treat
students with dignity and respect.”

“On a personal note, in my role as an administrator and a faculty member, I try

to do my best to treat everyone with dignity and respect; I treat students as
adults, as they should be treated. I say that earning a terminal degree does not
give persons the right to be uncivil, rude or unwelcoming to our students, and
this is something that I’ve heard often in the last year.

The enrollment management committee is engaged in very meaningful work;

however, we need everyone’s help to ensure that students have a desire to
remain at Western, and graduate from this fine institution.”

6. Whereas the administration has deviated from the university's

public mission of supporting critical thinking, research, and
creativity by supporting academic programs on the basis of
programs' student enrollments and vocational applications;

Wherever possible, a commitment to research, creativity, general education, and

faculty development has been met or advanced. For example, the faculty travel
awards were reinstated, regardless of discipline, under the current
administration. A focus on enrollment is critical for the University’s viability and
must persist and increase in order to drive and support continued research,
critical thinking, and creativity.

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7. Whereas the administration has tried to blame negotiated faculty
salaries for its failures to address enrollment issues; now,
therefore, be it

This is a mischaracterization of the past few years. The University is exploring

all avenues of maintaining financial well-being in the face of statewide issues
such as the budget impasse, reduced funding, changing demographics, a
decrease in high school graduates and community college enrollments, out-of-
state migration of college bound students, increased competition and other
challenges. These are not excuses. These are the realities facing our University.
We appreciate the sacrifices of all of our employees, and we are working to
move the University forward in the midst of these financial challenges.

Resolved, that the undersigned request that the Western Illinois

University Faculty Senate administer a secret ballot to all faculty that
contains the following language: "In accordance with Faculty Senate
Bylaws, at least 20% of the faculty have signed a petition (see
attachment) vote 'I have confidence in the administrative leadership of
Western Illinois University' or 'I have no confidence in the
administrative leadership of Western Illinois University.' Please so vote
in the confidential ballot available below, and return to the Senate
secretary."