A year-and-half after the president of Southern Connecticut State University was informed that she would be losing her job, officials of the system have decided to back off filling the chancellor's position that may soon be eliminated and finally launch a search for the next SCSU president.
That delay means the top position at the 12,000-student university will have been in flux during three school years before a new president takes office.
Professor Michael Shea: 'I am angry'
"I am angry with how Southern has been treated," Michael Shea, Chair of the English Department at SCSU and president of the American Association of University Professors at SCSU, told the board last week. "You knew in November (2009), and you waited."
Shea was one of several university employees and students who came to the Board of Trustees meeting at SCSU to outline their disapproval for a number of mistakes the 18-member board has made.
CSUS has drawn fire for approving double-digit raises for top administrators and the questionable firing of SCSU President Cheryl Norton while paying her full salary for one year.
Richard J. Balducci, acting chairman of the board, responded questions about why it's taking so long to fill the SCSU presidency by saying he "wasn't privy" to the timing decision.
"I'm not going to get into a debate on that," he said about the timing.
That drew whispers from the audience, followed by Shea asking, "You were the vice chairman--you weren't privy?"
The decision to move forward with hiring a chancellor first was made by former board chairman, Karl Krapek, after gauging the board's opinion during their November meeting.
CSUS acting-chairman Richard Balducci responds to criticisms as CSUS acting-chancellor Lousie Feroe watches
This decision to spend between $80,000 and $100,000 to hire a firm to launch the search was made despite mounting uncertainty of whether state lawmakers would eliminate that job. Three months later, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy recommended eliminating the chancellor's position and CSUS officials reacted by delaying hiring a search firm.
"It seemed to make sense to put the brakes on that," Balducci said, who became the chair after Krapek resigned abruptly in January.
Higher Education Commissioner Michael Meotti said the board made a "smart decision" to move forward with finding a president for Southern, a position that has not been proposed being eliminated by Malloy or state legislators.
Susan Casato, faculty senate president of Southern and an environmental sciences professor, said it may be a little late, but is glad the position will finally be filled.
Other speakers pointed to UConn, which hired a new president fairly quickly, while they will likely wait three years.
Several professors and even board members at the meeting said interim-SCSU President Stanley Battle has done a "great job", but many pointed out he "lacks the authority" to make several decisions.
SCSU Student Stensen Jean-Baptiste standing next to acting-SCSU president Stanley Battle: 'Hire him'
Stensen Jean-Baptiste, a junior at SCSU, told the board he has a solution to put an end to the tension over the vacant position: hire Battle.
"Just hire him," he told the board.
But Balducci, reminded the packed audience, "first there is a process" that has to take place.
And that process begins now, with the expectation that dozens of applications will begin rolling in.
Whether one of those applications will be Battle's remains to be seen.
"I need to think about it," Battle said.
Semi-authoritative sources inform us (I can not name their names though) that Southern is now being racked by two highly polarized and opposite camps, with the minority group to continue and even enhance with its black dominance at the higher echelons, and the second major group which has substantial support from faculty and its union, pining for the loss of ex-president, Cheryl Norton, and the consequent loss of power by white groups, because of the mechanizations of ex-chancellor Carter, and so to regain their lost power structure as quickly as possible. Stay tuned for any further developments.
Taxpayers are so poorly served by the CSU Board of Trustees it is hard to put into words my disgust. Let me see if I understand this correctly. Norton was thrown under the bus by Chanc. Carter who wanted to give her job to his unemployed friend, Stanley Battle who washed out at NC A & T after a brief 18 month run. So, the CSU board agreed to pay two presidents at the same time, with one being on sabatical (Norton). During all of this time, Battle hasn't been vetted by the board as to his suitability for the
Read MoreSouthern campus seems to be a strange place for professors to work, where gossip-a-minute seems to be the norm. A good number of professors appear to be against latest attempts by some of the CSU board to convert, in a very short order, Battle from a temporary status to a permanent president. It is said that such manipulations are in contravention of the past practices and precedents, that is to induct any individual into a permanent position through the back door. In fact, it is said that the past temporary presidents were flatly told by CSU that they should
Read MoreNoteworthy:
You are incorrect, as usual. Carter wanted his henchman Trainor (who does not have a Ph.D - just a JD) a University Presidency - or even an acting role - to help his career. That's how you reward your faithful hitman.
Norton had her faults, but the biggest was getting on Carter's bad side. Carter was for Carter only - and his close inner circle. If you were outside of that, you were nonexistent. Ask the folks he fired (er, non-renewed) because they joined a union at the System Office.
Feroe is a stool. She lacks any authority and
Read MoreEveryone should be painfully aware by now that the CSU board of trustees is filled with people incapable of doing the job required. Get rid of the entire board, get rid of Battle and quickly hire a new president with none of the political or historical baggage. Balducci is playing the role of the sly politician when he denies knowledge of the inner workings. He knows what happened and why, and probably played a key role in all the decisions, but he feels no obligation to share. And why would he? He's got plenty of friends in high places who
Read MoreThe problem with commentary such as this is that people use "semi-authoritative sources" to pass on rumors or to act as if they know inside information that supports their opinions when they have no real inside information. I am a professor at Southern and on the union executive committee. I work with Dr. Battle and meet with him monthly for union purposes. I knew Dr. Norton very well. Dr. Battle is doing a commendable job in a difficult circumstance. I will only speak for myself, but the push for a national search for a president
Read MoreApparently there seems to be some difference of opinion (not a minor one, but a major one at that) between Professor Michael Shea, whose photo appears in this article, and Professor Steve Larocco.
The article identifies Michael Shea as a Professor and Chairman of the English Department at Southern. It also states that Michael Shea is (apparently the current) the president of the local faculty union. Even though Larocco did not state so, it seems, he was a past president of the same faculty union, which Michael Shea is heading now. Interestingly, Larocco also seems to come from the
Read MoreThe writer proves my point about the problem of this kind of commentary. Mike Shea and I are good friends and agree (almost all of the time) on union issues. I attend meetings with Dr. Battle at Mike's invitation. Fiction may be more interesting than truth, but it still remains fiction.
Hasn't enough damage been done? Instead of pointing fingers and calling names, let's act like educated and mature adults. I agree with Steve Larocco. The rumors need to stop. No one has the right to speculate and judge the decisions that have been made. Everything isn't as it appears. You can't attack a person for doing their job, even if you don't agree with the outcome.
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