MU professor provides dark outlook on university’s future
One professor is fed up with the actions of the administration.
After recent events where both the Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, Dr. Hal Williamson, and Dean for College Education gave notice they are leaving their positions, a question of the faculty’s happiness is up in the air.
ABC17 checked to see the faculty’s take on recent events. Most professors did not wish to talk about what’s going on. However, one professor, who is on the faculty council, was very direct in saying the university has major problems.
Engineering Professor, Galen Suppes exclaimed, “So it’s not a matter of hoping for anything, it’s expecting the same deterioration because we don’t have the leaders that have a plan in place to make a difference.”
Suppes says there has been a loss of good talent for quite a while. While there has been a lot of news coverage of the unrest and problems on campus the past few months, Suppes believes the underlying problems have existed for years. “Our administration doesn’t practice shared governance the way its supposed to. They are supposed to interact with the faculty, get faculty input, and make informed decisions from the faculty. They have not been doing that.”
Suppes does not believe that the administration will change their ways in the future, “I’m not optimistic on seeing much of anything yet from the upper administration that really has a prospect to make a difference.”
Suppes also says that he knows and understands the plans that the administration has and there is nothing new. “They are repeating old experiments, which I think is the definition of insanity.”
Suppes believes that in order for any positive outcome in the future that the entire faculty and administration needs to start from scratch and to begin constantly engaging the faculty.
