The Observer • February 12, 2026 • https://cwuobserver.com/29029/news/wohlpart- governance-defined-by-authoritarian-leadership-and-closed-communication-faculty-say/ Wohlpart governance defined by ‘authoritarian’ leadership and ‘closed’ communication, faculty say
Brandon Mattesich, Editor-In-Chief
In their justification for proposing a vote of no confidence against President Jim Wohlpart, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (FSEC) has alleged in a detailed 35-page document that Wohlpart “has adopted an authoritarian rather than collaborative leadership approach, violating the spirit of shared governance and the established processes for meaningful faculty consultation.”
The document, signed by 49 faculty members, details five areas of problematic actions, from claims of unilateral decision-making and consolidated personal authority, to mismanagement, obstructed communications and a climate of intimidation. “A recent illustration of this pattern occurred when President Wohlpart proposed removing the Faculty Code from Senate authority and replacing it with administrator-controlled guidelines,” the petition states. “This is particularly problematic since eliminating this decades-old, faculty-governed document would consolidate unprecedented authority in the President’s Office and position CWU as an outlier among public institutions.”
“Consolidating his personal power”
In the document, the faculty allege that Wohlpart “prioritizes consolidating his personal power and authority rather than focusing on student success or the long-term sustainability of the institution.”
They go on to describe that Wohlpart has consistently worked in the interest of reducing “meaningful faculty participation in the governance of the institution.” The FSEC cites an example of this type of action in Wohlpart’s “severe” limitation of the Faculty Senate’s ability to communicate with the Board of Trustees (BOT), having enforced a policy that requires all faculty leadership communication with the BOT to include “administrative involvement.”
The faculty petition reports that Wohlpart “has also made a unilateral decision to move the Faculty Senate out of his division and substantially reduced the Senate budget, without clear rationale or explanation.”
Despite claims of limited communication, the faculty petition emphasizes that even when communications do occur with Wohlpart, he “regularly emphasizes his unilateral authority to make decisions. While he does have authority over most areas of the University, his focus on his own power and authority undermines trust and relationship building.”
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