JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (ABP) — The faculty at Carson-Newman College reported Oct. 5 a vote of “no confidence” for President James Netherton.
Approved by a 129-71 margin, the vote was tangible evidence of growing and widespread dissatisfaction among faculty in the Netherton administration's leadership. Two hundred of the school's 260 faculty members voted in the hour-long meeting.
The resolution was emailed by the chair of the faculty council to all faculty members after the vote.
“Be it therefore resolved that we the faculty do hereby declare that we individually and as a whole have no confidence in President Netherton and respectfully request the Board of Trustees to act for the health, well-being, and future of the college,” the statement said.
Stephen Karr, faculty council chair, added in the email that “a clarification was made immediately prior to the vote which pointed out that we were voting on this resolution — a vote of no confidence — not voting to remove the president from his position.” While the faculty can express no confidence in Netherton, they cannot remove Netherton from office. Trustees, who have the power to fire Netherton, will meet later this month.
Karr, a biology professor, also said in the letter it was his “sincere wish, hope, and prayer that the college community will come together in a spirit of cooperation and Christian love, working towards resolving the challenges before us.”
“I respectfully request that each and every member of our college family pledge to face these challenges in an open and constructive fashion,” he said.
Trustee Chairman C. T. Cozart also issued a statement about the vote, saying the board “respects the opinion and perspective of the faculty and will be attentive to this expression in future deliberations.”
“All of us recognize and acknowledge there are concerns that need to be addressed, and we will do so in a constructive fashion, working with the trustees, administration, faculty, staff, alumni and other friends of the college,” he said.
Hired at Carson-Newman in 2000, Netherton worked previously as provost at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. He followed Cordell Maddox, who had been president at Carson-Newman for 22 years.
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