Purdue faculty ask for closer look at AAUP’s call for vote of no confidence for provost
A 16-point letter by a faculty group called for Provost Patrick Wolfe’s resignation. Members of University Senate say allegations warrant consideration, even as mentions of feared retribution hover.
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FACULTY ASK FOR CLOSER LOOK AT AAUP’S CALL FOR VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE FOR PROVOST
Members of Purdue’s faculty-led University Senate are being asked to “assess the validity” of claims tied to a recent call for a vote of no confidence for Provost Patrick Wolfe, the top academic officer at the university.
A proposal presented at the end of a monthly University Senate session Monday asked for a review of the 16 points raised by the Purdue chapter of the American Association of University Professors – a string of accusations lodged over “unilateral decision-making” and heavy-handed treatment in hiring, admissions and campus policies – to determine whether the body should take action.
“Given the breadth and significance of the concerns raised from across campus,” the resolution read, “it is crucial for senators to have the opportunity to discuss, deliberate and share questions regarding these concerns on behalf of their constituents.”
Lisa Bosman, chair of the University Senate’s steering committee, said the hope was to have standing committees assigned to matters of faculty affairs, educational policy, student affairs and others to come back with recommendations to the steering committee, which is in charge of proposing the agenda for each Senate session. That would be the next step before broader discussions and potential votes by the University Senate.
“Over the past week, several senators have also shared with me that they support the AAUP letter, but are hesitant to express that support publicly out of concern about potential repercussions, as we all recognize shared governance and democratic decision making are central to the Senate’s responsibility to advise university leadership,” Bosman said. “At the same time, our established processes can be deliberate and quite lengthy.”
Lindsay Weinberg, a University Senate member signed onto the resolution, said the AAUP’s concerns “warrant the full Senate’s consideration.”
Wolfe, who earlier in the meeting had invited Senate members to a series of coffee chats about campus affairs he was hosting in the coming weeks, did not respond to the move to follow up on the AAUP’s allegations during the meeting, which was held via Zoom. He did not immediately respond to a message for comment later.
