Article published May 25, 2008
UT arts, sciences dispute simmers as review nears
Findings to be issued in November
Yueh-Ting Lee is dean of the University of Toledo's college of arts and sciences, which is embroiled in controversy.
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THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT
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By MEGHAN GILBERT
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Proposed changes in the University of Toledo's college of arts and sciences - a source of unrest for several months - appear to be on hold for the summer.
Concerns about the dean's leadership, department mergers, and other big changes may be alleviated, at least somewhat, during what is essentially a pause until an outside agency reviews the college this fall.
"Major changes will await the input of this external review," UT President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs said.
The review group, whose findings are due by Nov. 3, is to address the college's size, culture, organizational structure, and the dean and his staff. A firm should be selected by next month.
Two major issues have led to a third party being called in to help sort out the situation.
The college's Arts and Sciences Council, a group of about 60 faculty members who represent the nearly 400 in the college, voted no confidence in Dean Yueh-Ting Lee in April.A number of changes also are being proposed that faculty say are being rushed through without their input, such as the creation of schools within the college and Dr. Jacobs' proposal at his state-of-the-university address to customize undergraduate education in general.
Mr. Lee was hired in August and the faculty voted no confidence by 42-7 eight months later on April 15.
University of Toledo history major Evan Morrison leads a student group to a meeting with the university president, Dr. Lloyd Jacobs, early in May to talk about the arts and sciences college.
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THE BLADE
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In a letter to UT Provost Rosemary Haggett, they accused him of being unfit for the job. The council listed a half-dozen allegations against him, including:
•A lack of credibility because of contradictory statements.
•Poor management skills with hasty decisions and last-minute changes.•Bad relations with other leaders in the college.
•Poor representation of the college in the community.
•Infringement on faculty-shared governance.
•Failure to advocate for the college.
They hoped the vote would encourage the dean to resign.
He says he will not.
"I thank the faculty members for their feedback, which is important to my life and professional career, but I respectfully disagree," Mr. Lee said.
"Am I perfect? No. I do take responsibility for my shortcomings."
Mr. Lee said he's been taking accent-reduction classes and he strives to be an active listener and hears the faculty, even when he doesn't agree with them or do what they wish.
The administration has responded by seeking input from others who work with Mr. Lee as well as the external review, which the faculty doesn't believe is the correct response.
"It's a complete non sequitur," said Brian Patrick, a communications professor who was recently elected vice chairman of the arts and sciences council.
Faculty members are calling their issues with Mr. Lee a personnel matter that could be resolved with his boss, Ms. Haggett.
But the provost said she agrees with Dr. Jacobs that an outside review could help.
"I don't think it is about one person," Ms. Haggett said. "Any time you have this much discord, it's good to step back and take a look."
That step back could help ease the other large concern of a looming deadline to hastily merge aspects of the college by the end of the fiscal year on July 1.
Mr. Lee said he proposed the creation of schools after learning of the faculty's proposal to create a school of regional international public affairs that would include the two departments - geography and planning and political science and public administration.
He said the schools can be good tools to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, and recognition and bring in grant money.
Somewhere along the line it turned into talk of merging departments, and with budget reallocation at the same time, faculty were concerned. The quick deadline intensified fears.
"There was no plan," Mr. Patrick said. "It was just organized for the sense of organizing."
The faculty-proposed school, for example, was the product of years of discussions and planning.
The uncertainty has led to some misinformation and rehashing of old fears, and in some cases, personal attacks.
Some have said Mr. Lee was put in the running at the last minute for the dean's spot by the administration because he's a "yes man."
Not true, says John Gaboury, dean of university libraries, who was the chairman of the search committee that hired the dean.
The committee was to identify at least three qualified candidates and sent the provost four names, all of whom received at least a two-thirds majority vote.
"It wasn't anybody squeaking by," he said.
Another notion that appears to be widely held is that as a surgeon, Dr. Jacobs doesn't understand undergraduate education or appreciate the importance of arts.
"I spend more time with poetry and literature than surgical texts," Dr. Jacobs responds.
And it's not essential to be an expert on every aspect of a university to be a good manager, he said.
It appears that faculty and students are going to use this summer for what some are calling the "information battle."
Evan Morrison, a junior majoring in history, said he and other students have put in public records requests to do their own research to see what motives are behind changes to liberal arts education.
"Students have made their wishes felt before at this university," he said. "By organizing, researching, and protesting, we hope to bring to a halt what we see as a dismantling of the college of arts and sciences at UT."
The executive committee of the arts and sciences council has sent information to the UT Board of Trustees about what led to their no-confidence vote in the dean.
They'll also continue with their blog and meetings with the provost.
And while it's not exactly sanctioned by the council, buttons are floating around campus that read "Voted unfit - the dean must quit," and picture Mr. Lee.
While some of the departments in the college of arts and sciences have only a handful of majors, such as French with seven students or women and gender studies with nine, every undergraduate student takes core curriculum classes through the college and many electives.
"It's an important aspect of life. It's not just the education process; it's about life," Rick Passmore, a senior in film studies, said. "Would you feel comfortable in a world where there is no creative music, painting, expressive film?"
"I know I've been here for three years already going into my final year and I don't want something that's been great for me to be ruined."
With so many diverse interests and the college being the largest at UT, it's not surprising that people are passionate about what happens there.
Dr. Jacobs said he understands some people involved in the college are out of their comfort zones and that his leadership style may differ from previous university presidents, but all the changes are aimed at aligning the university with its strategic plan.
"You can't execute and stick to a plan without a centrality of focus," he said.
Contact Meghan Gilbert at:
mgilbert@theblade.com
or 419-724-6134.
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