PINEVILLE, La. (ABP) — The chairman of Louisiana College's board of trustees is the latest school official to resign after trustees instituted several controversial new policies.
The Louisiana Baptist school also is under investigation by its accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Jackson, La., pastor Joe Nesom resigned his office as chairman of the college's board June 27, citing concerns over recent decisions by his fellow trustees. A majority of the trustees already had agreed to call a special meeting July 9 to remove Nesom from office.
In a scathing resignation letter, Jackson denounced “unwise unilateral actions taken by certain board members” as well as some of the board's recent majority decisions. Jackson said those trustees “are determined to use the board to humiliate and punish those that they despise and reward those they love.”
The college has been torn by controversies between the conservative majority and a moderate minority on the board for several years. The tension has come to a head in recent months, with several well-publicized controversies over issues such as a new policy requiring new faculty hires to submit a statement outlining their “worldview,” as well as a policy forcing faculty to have all classroom materials approved by the academic dean.
Many faculty members have protested the policies, saying they endanger academic freedom. Conservative board members have defended the policies as necessary to maintain the school's fidelity to its Baptist roots.
The college's president and academic vice president resigned earlier this year. Although they did not cite it in their reasons for leaving, many observers believe the controversy played a decisive role.
In Nesom's letter, he said of the board: “Our concerns have turned from academic excellence, and from a desire to see the college embrace its Baptist heritage with enthusiasm, to concerns that have nothing to do with historic Baptist doctrines or practice.”
He said he could “see nothing good coming of this situation” and warned of several negative consequences:
— “A loss of donors who will justly be concerned about the academic integrity of the college.” Nesom cited one potential endowment gift of “better than five million dollars” that he knows to be in danger;
— “A genuine threat to the accreditation of the college because of investigations that are certain to come” from the accrediting association. SACS officials announced July 9 that the group will send an investigating committee to the school in the fall to investigate complaints that the board may be violating a provision of the association's principles for governing boards. The provision prohibits member schools' boards from being controlled by interest groups;
— “Litigation, for sundry reasons, that will be harmful to the college;”
— “A general loss of good will from the constituency of the college;” and,
— “A loss of students and qualified faculty and staff members who will not want to remain under leadership of questionable integrity.”
Nesom also said he feared that some board members “are trying to frustrate the selection process for a new president.”
Since Nesom had already resigned, the trustees were expected to announce a replacement for him after the July 9 meeting. According to the Town Talk newspaper in neighboring Alexandria, La., the board also had the option of naming a new president during the meeting. According to a college spokesperson, no news about the board's actions were available by press time July 9.
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