Updates to faculty layoff plan and other stuff

General Campus News, Updates, Discussion
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sealhall74
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ST_Lawson wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:25 am
Leatherneck10 wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:21 am Guesses on Interim Pres?
Idk, but one of my coworkers mentioned that the new incoming provost seemed like he wanted to use the position as a stepping stone to become a university president. Could be a very short step, depending on how things go.
sealhall74 wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:20 am So his tenure was earned via his position as president, not as a member of the faculty?
I don't really know the details, but another of my coworkers has a decent handle on contract law, and she mentioned that that's about the closest they could legally get to "firing" him. However the "small print" is written, it sounds like he'll be stepping down/gone at the end of this month.
After a search on the internet, it seems like this is a fairly common practice for college presidents. Without any solid ground to let him go, he held the trump cards.
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leatherneckcountry
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No bring in a fresh face don’t hire someone with current ties to the university.
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ST_Lawson
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rocki wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:30 am OK, I get the whole tenured thing; but he was on a year to year contract. So, if they'd just not renewed his contract, would they have beat the 2 year payout? Or am I misinformed on the year to year thing?
I think we decided that the year-to-year thing was incorrect. I don't know how the contract was structured, but it wasn't that.

Also, from what I'm hearing, it sounds like he requested the 2 year paid leave as terms of his stepping down, which is fairly standard practice for that level of position and will cost the university less than what we'd lose if we kept him on as president.
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rocki
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ST_Lawson wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:37 am
rocki wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:30 am OK, I get the whole tenured thing; but he was on a year to year contract. So, if they'd just not renewed his contract, would they have beat the 2 year payout? Or am I misinformed on the year to year thing?
I think we decided that the year-to-year thing was incorrect. I don't know how the contract was structured, but it wasn't that.

Also, from what I'm hearing, it sounds like he requested the 2 year paid leave as terms of his stepping down, which is fairly standard practice for that level of position and will cost the university less than what we'd lose if we kept him on as president.
Ah. Well, if it wasn't just year to year, I can understand the desperation move. Too bad nobody else wanted him - seems like that's the only way we could have avoided laying out cash for him AND a new person. Onward and upward!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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sealhall74
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I suppose he can double dip and go get a teaching job somewhere else too while on admin leave. Not a bad deal. Sign me up for that one.
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Leatherneck10
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I'm sure UPI will (or already has) FOIAed the agreement. I would be shocked if there weren't a clause in it that if JT gets another job that he can only earn up to the amount of his presidential salary between the new job and the payout. That language is standard for other such buy out agreements, especially in higher education and sports.
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leatherneckcountry wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:35 am No bring in a fresh face don’t hire someone with current ties to the university.
I agree. A whole new, fresh, perspective is needed.
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rocki wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 10:29 am
leatherneckcountry wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:35 am No bring in a fresh face don’t hire someone with current ties to the university.
I agree. A whole new, fresh, perspective is needed.
I also agree, but just for reference, the new provost would also be that. He has no connection to Western and won't even be starting here until July 1: http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php ... e_id=16459
I'm not saying we immediately promote the guy, I'm just saying that he's not part of the existing "leadership" at Western.
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sealhall74
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I think the honorable thing to do would be name the incoming Provost as Interim President on July 1st. He is or will be the #2 dude in the chain of command.
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sealhall74 wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 11:05 am I think the honorable thing to do would be name the incoming Provost as Interim President. He is the #2 dude in the chain of command.
Interim, yes. Potentially permanent? Not so sure about that. It couldn't hurt to look at others, I don't think.
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