Local News: Texas A&M Faculty Votes in Disapproval of Chancellor

McKinney Gets 'No Confidence'
By Vimal Patel

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Texas A&M's Faculty Senate passed a resolution of "no confidence" in A&M System Chancellor Mike McKinney on a 55-to-9 vote Tuesday.

It wasn't surprising. The day before, results of a faculty survey showed that about

83 percent of more than 1,300 respondents supported a no-confidence resolution against McKinney.

"This is not to say that the chancellor is a bad person," said Michael Benedik, a senator and biology professor. "Take the words literally. Do we have confidence in him as a leader? ... I, for one, do not."

Rod Davis, a McKinney spokesman, declined to comment.

Bob Strawser, one of the nine who opposed the resolution, noted several instances in recent weeks when members of the Board of Regents and the chancellor have met with faculty to gather input. The accounting professor said the no-confidence resolution was in the best interest of the university.

"I think what we need to do is end all this and move forward in a positive manner, working with the regents to make Texas A&M the place we want it to be," he said.

McKinney, a former family physician and chief of staff to Gov. Rick Perry, has been criticized frequently by the faculty since he became chancellor in late 2006. But his most recent troubles began in late May when he told The Eagle that combining his job with the Texas A&M presidency was one of many cost-cutting options regents were considering. He stressed that no plans were in place, but the possibility angered many.

The concerns intensified when a scathing February performance evaluation of Texas A&M President Elsa Murano by McKinney was made public in response to an open records request from The Eagle. Many, including Murano in her written response, deemed the evaluation unfair.

Then came the news of Murano's resignation, a day before the Board of Regents was scheduled to hold a special meeting in which regents were expected to discuss her employment. Regents appointed as Texas A&M's interim president R. Bowen Loftin, who had served as chief of the university's branch campus in Galveston.

At that June 15 meeting, regents approved a plan to combine services of the 48,000-student College Station campus and the 11-university system that governs it. A&M System officials cited the need to keep tuition affordable for students and families, but many Texas A&M faculty members and administrators have questioned the need for such a move when the university fared well in this legislative session and Texas hasn't been hit nearly as hard as other states because of the recession.

Tuesday marked the first time the Faculty Senate passed a resolution of no confidence in the A&M System chancellor. It was also the first time the senate brought forth such a resolution.

The vote came after Regent Jim Wilson urged senators to oppose the resolution, saying that the faculty stance had been made clear and that the chancellor and regents were listening.

"I personally cannot see how a vote of no confidence in the chancellor helps Texas A&M University," he said. "I would ask you to ... consider how what you may do with your proposed resolution as the Faculty Senate at our flagship university affects the chancellor's ability to conduct business with you the faculty, with students, with other members of our system, with the Legislature, former students and other stakeholders. I make this request respectfully, knowing that you do not take your responsibilities lightly."

McKinney answers to the regents. Board Chairman Morris Foster has said McKinney had his "full support." Regent Gene Stallings said that McKinney might have made mistakes but that "his mind's in the right place and his heart's in the right place."

The no-confidence resolution was one of two passed by the Faculty Senate during its special meeting Tuesday on the sixth floor of Rudder Tower. The meeting was attended by about 150 members of the university community.

The other -- which cleared on a 58-to-5 vote -- called on regents to rescind a March policy that states the board can hire a president not vetted by a search committee; to create a committee that includes representatives of various Texas A&M constituent groups to search for the next president; and to postpone implementation of the plan to share functions until a new president has been selected.

Published on Wednesday, July 01, 2009