Lindsey’s official Senate reports given throughout the Fall, 29 as well as the FSEC’s repeated requests to meet with BOT members to express concern and seek clarity 30 The FSEC finds the President’s assertions about an agreement in Summer 2025 inconsistent with the documented accounts and communications of Senate Chairs and raises concerns regarding transparency and mutual understanding. Further, it would be inappropriate for the Senate Chairs to agree to a rewrite of a core governing document on behalf of the entire faculty body during a time when the faculty body—as well as the rest of the FSEC—was off-contract and unable to be consulted. Such a move would violate not only the Faculty Code, but also the 2025 Shared Governance document 31 which states: Transparent communication between shared governance groups and from shared governance leaders to their constituency is a key to the success of shared governance. In light of this principle, the FSEC finds it inappropriate to consider making such a significant governance decision during a period when faculty are off contract and unable to be consulted.
FSEC Clarification on justification point IV (page 6 of document)
• Petition Language: President Wohlpart has also isolated himself from faculty voices and perspectives. He no longer attends Faculty Senate meetings to share reports and answer faculty questions. Faculty leaders have consistently encouraged him to hold office hours or open forums to listen to faculty concerns and he refuses to. He moved the Faculty Senate out of his division, reducing his interactions with shared governance partners. FSEC Clarification: We were informed by President Wohlpart on September 29, 2025 that he no longer intended to attend Faculty Senate meetings. He announced that decision publicly two days later at the October 1, 2025 Senate meeting. 32 During Summer 2025 and again following the September 29 communication, members of the FSEC suggested alternative opportunities, such as office hours, to support ongoing communication between the President and faculty. These alternatives were not adopted. The move of Faculty Senate from the President’s Division to Academic Affairs was also a decision made without consultation with the FSEC. 33 This change altered existing communication patterns, including elimination of regular one-on-one meetings between the Senate Chair and the President. As a result, opportunities for direct interaction between faculty governance representatives and the President
29 See October 1, 2025 Faculty Senate meeting minutes (Chair report); See November 5, 2025 Faculty Senate meeting minutes (Chair report); See December 3, 2025 Faculty Senate meeting minutes (Chair report)
30 The EC (or EC Chair) met with members of the BOT on September 17, October 9 and again on November 17 to specifically discuss the Code rewrite initiative. After November 17, a fourth meeting was requested and denied. None of these meetings would be necessary had a collaborative agreement between the Senate Chairs and administration been reached during Summer 2025. 31 See 2025 Shared Governance document
32 See October 1, 2025 Faculty Senate meeting minutes (President report) 33 See the June 4, 2025 Faculty Senate recording beginning at the 7:30 mark.
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator