Tensions between faculty and administration continue to run high at the San Diego State-Imperial Valley campus following a no-confidence vote issued early last month against Dean David Pearson.
Senate Chair Bill Eadie was part of the team exploring the faculty’s concerns.
“Usually (a vote of no confidence) is a last resort measure that is used when you tried to work out problems with administrators and it’s proven to be uncooperative,” Eaddie said.
Issued on Oct. 3, the no-confidence vote was submitted along with a statement endorsed by SDSU-IV faculty, which raised allegations of intimidation and retribution against the dean.
“Our primary concern is that we do not appear to have the leadership in place to enable SDSU-IV to emerge from this turmoil (of the current recession) as a strong, effective provider of higher education in the Imperial Valley,” the statement read.
In the statement, the faculty alleged the dean’s lack of leadership inhibited “genuine discussion of campus policies and planning and detracted from the cooperation among all campus constituencies that had once been the hallmark of SDSU-IV campus community.”
On Oct. 24, representatives from SDSU’s Academic Senate visited SDSU-IV to investigate the issue.
“We went out there to speak to anyone, to listen to anyone who wanted to speak with us and we spent an entire day listening to people,” Eadie said.
In the coming weeks, the academic senate will issue a report highlighting the themes of the faculty’s grievances, which will be available on the senate website.
Pearson said he hopes the re- port will contain positive recommendations.
“Change is difficult … and frequently unwelcome; as we try to move forward, some tensions are inevitable,” Pearson said. “[The representatives] spent a very lengthy period of time speaking with faculty and staff and that is a very positive step.”
The vote was carried by a majority of the faculty, but there are those staff members who still support Pearson and question the majority vote.
Professor Glen Allegranza is one of Pearson’s supporters, saying the no-confidence vote is part of a “smear campaign” led by a relatively small group of tenure/tenure-track faculty.
“We don’t know how many of the 17 tenure/tenure-track faculty voted,” Allegranza said, adding that the voting numbers are not being released. “There is no transparency on this. In fairness to Dean Pearson, who has worked very hard to accomplish amazing things at the campus and who is a very decent person … and in fairness to the Imperial Valley, a region who needs competent, forward-looking administrators like Dean Pearson, there ought to be transparency.”
Pearson said one of his most important changes is to “work with (his) faculty as harmoniously as possible.” He looks forward with “considerable hope and anticipation to finding ways to build bridges” in the near future.
