PORTLAND, Maine — University of Southern Maine faculty members are circulating a petition to force a facultywide referendum vote of no confidence in school President Selma Botman.
Professor William Steele of the university’s theatre department said he and other faculty members have gathered more than the 34 signatures — about 10 percent of the full-time USM faculty — necessary to trigger a vote among the entire faculty.
“There will be a no-confidence referendum,” Steele said on Monday.
“Of course I’m disappointed,” Botman told the Bangor Daily News on Monday evening. “Who wouldn’t be disappointed? But I understand there are faculty members who are upset. They work very hard and they’ve gone without raises for a long time. I was a tenured faculty member once, so I do understand the frustration.”
Steele said many USM faculty members feel Botman’s high-profile reorganization plan for the university — which forced the consolidation of departments with fewer than 12 full-time faculty — was misguided. He said Botman’s administration has not done enough to stem decreasing enrollment figures and has cut $3.5 million in classroom spending since her arrival in 2008.
“We feel strongly that we need fresh leadership with a student- and faculty-centered point of view,” Steele said.
A spring 2012 poll of faculty members done by the USM branch of the union Associated Faculties of the University of Maine System, provided to the Bangor Daily News by a faculty member, found that more than 75 percent of the respondents either “somewhat” or “strongly” disagreed that top level administrators are “providing competent leadership at USM.” Nearly 78 percent said they are “somewhat” or “strongly” dissatisfied with the way the university is managed.
The petition follows the revelation that USM doled out $242,000 in discretionary raises last year while the university is facing more than $5 million in budget cuts and union faculty members systemwide have gone since 2009 without a cost-of-living pay increase.
After the story was published, new University of Maine System Chancellor James Page said he was suspending discretionary pay hikes systemwide pending a review of the increases, while Botman rescinded two of the largest pay raises awarded.
While the no-confidence petition could harm Botman’s reputation, Faculty Senate member and associate history professor Eileen Eagan said, it would not by itself trigger her removal from office.
“Even a vote of the Faculty Senate of no-confidence would, by itself, not do anything,” Eagan said. “It would be up to the chancellor or the board of trustees to then take some kind of action. If the chancellor felt this was either an inappropriate thing or a bad thing, he could decide to do nothing.
“Frankly, since I think Selma has a lot of support in the community and a lot of support among the newer members of the faculty, I’m not sure [the petition] would have the results desired by those circulating it,” she continued.
If 10 percent of the USM faculty sign the petition, it must be delivered to the Faculty Senate, which then would be obligated to administer a facultywide referendum vote on the matter.
The Faculty Senate is next scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Friday at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn campus.
Eagan said the petition effort is not coming from the Faculty Senate nor the union.
The associate professor said that while she understands there is discontent among many of her fellow faculty members, she doesn’t believe Botman has done anything to warrant a move as severe as a no-confidence vote by the faculty.
“There are a lot of people who didn’t like the salary [increases],” Eagan said. “But there are a lot of people who are mad about that who don’t think it’s a cause for a no-confidence vote. [Botman has] certainly improved relations between the university and the community, and has taken steps to diversify the curriculum and the campus.”
Botman said Monday her term as president has been plagued by budget constraints during the recession which have forced her administration to make difficult decisions. She said she hopes to mend fences with faculty leaders calling for her ouster.
Botman also reiterated her top priority is “student success.”
“All of the time while we suffered from financial challenges, I’ve protected tenured faculty,” Botman said. “How many times have I said, speaking before groups in the community and around the state, that faculty is at the heart of any great institution? My focus now is to make it known that I will work with this faculty to move this institution forward.”
Faculty Senate executive committee members Jerry LaSala and Jeannine Uzzi did not immediately return calls.
Skip that, let’s have a vote of confidence on the Governor instead.
You mean a vote of “no confidence”, I hope…..’cause that’s the only vote he’ll get from me.
No a vote of confidence so this way here nobody raises their hand, then we can go to the vote of no confidence so nobody can say we never gave him a chance….
Who has gotten raises in the last few years? Times are tough except for liberal proffessors apparently.
OK, read the article. Professors did not get raises since 2009 nor did hourly paid employees.
Read the article and the other articles about salary increases, as well as other information about the current state of higher education across the nation. Plain and simple, the facts don’t fit your stereotype. It’s administrators who are making out well these days, not faculty by a long shot.
Ah, the real reason all the salaries have been posted here and in the Portland paper.
Yep, you nailed it Aldin. You have all been played like a fiddle by them wonderful faculty folk (think MEA/NEA on steroids). You come on here railing against teachers, teacher workloads, teacher vacations, teacher benefits, etc. then one article comes out and whammy you jump in bed with their wicked stepsister. These faculty members operate just like snarky middle school girls…backstabbing, gossip, and rhetoric are their weapons. Ahh, the good old days when we beat up their type on the playgrounds…now they command you all!
This story has nothing to do with faculty. It is the administration that got the raises, not the faculty. This is a typical confuse the issue administrator trick. nice try
This story has a lot to do with faculty. Faculty were cut. Faculty did not receive the incredible raises that the administrators did. If that “has nothing to do with faculty,” you’d best go back and read the original documents regarding the raises and the cuts.
Myself, I figure the public has the right to know who’s being paid with public money.
Time for the legislature to step in and take about 5 million out of the USM budget.
The theatre professor has to have an excellent working knoweledge of the budget. Let’s guess, his budget was cut and ……..
I think the university network still has room for consolidation and cost cutting. She seems to be doing some cost cutting and it seems it has upset some staff so be it. What planet have they been on the past few years? Keep cutting and stop giving these outrageous raises. I am not against a raise but in the past two years I have gotten 3%. The two years before that zero so lets get it together.
I have been told that there were no real dollar savings from the reorganization. Lots of inequity and harder work by faculty and lower level staff but little deep cost cutting where it counts in the long run.
This is also a trustees issue. They let it happen so the vote should be about their guidance as well. Oh wait, if you vote no confidence they will just hire some outside the state consultant to tell them what to do.
Good point. The Board of Trustees had to be aware of what was happening. If they were not aware – shame on them. Either way – aware or not – the courageous thing to do is undo what was done and take the heat for it. Botman at least took some action but thats not to say there isn’t more needed. USM has been in financial trouble for years. Patenaude produced deficits and yet was promoted to Chancellor. Thank goodness he is out of the system.
Who are the Trustees?
yeah the marginal staff should get more raises and more benefits for their ” hard work” what a joke
The woman is a legend in her own mind and kind of high handed to boot. Oh, another puff piece in the Portland paper? just another free ad for her holiness.
“A vote of no confidence”. So that’s what they call it when you get fired from a good job. Hmmmmm….
Kind of like the former GSA director in Washington, DC. A McCormick/Violette story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-chief-resigns-amid-reports-of-excessive-spending/2012/04/02/gIQABLNNrS_story.html
Those $835K conferences will get you every time.
Oh you gotta be kidding. I had Bill Steele for public speaking back in the late 70’s. He was and still is an acting wannabee. He was terrible. He should be thankful they even choose to pay him. I suspect there are much better people who would volunteer for the opportunity to teach good theater to USM students.
Botman did the right thing – even though it was unpopular. It takes courage to do what she did and deserves appreciation from the students (for whom tuition didn’t go up this year) and the taxpayers (who don’t have to fund the extra costs). Thank you Ms. Botman.
Now, if you need to know where you can cut more costs … call me ,,/
What “right thing” did Botman do? Issue unreasonable, unsustainable raises to administrators, meanwhile cutting faculty and staff, and pleading poverty with the state? There’s a reason the new chancellor has put a freeze on any discretionary raises, and is launching an investigation. If Botman’s actions were reasonable and customary, that would not be the case.
———————-
After the story was published, new University of Maine System Chancellor James Page said he was suspending discretionary pay hikes systemwide pending a review of the increases, while Botman rescinded two of the largest pay raises awarded.
Oh Naran. Pull in your claws and breathe, will ya. For God’s sake woman – reward the little steps. At least she did something when the issue became her issue. Yes, she could have done more, but then who couldn’t.
Miserable Republicans who are always in attack mode are just getting annoying. Same for the miserable Dems who think destroying reputations is normal and the rest of the World is wrong.
We’ve got to stop this, people.
Botman has no management capabilities or leadership skills. She rules by fear, and now her mismanagement is coming home to roost. Despite the pathetic apologies from Eagan, (who made that person a spokesperson for anything?), Selma is hopelessly entangled in her own web of mismanagement. Time to go Botman.
Sounds like you’re describing Maine’s governor.
Botman said Monday her term as president has been plagued by budget
constraints during the recession which have forced her administration to
make difficult decisions. She said she hopes to mend fences with
faculty leaders calling for her ouster.
Botman keeps pleading poverty on the one hand, and making unreasonable salary increases for a select group of employees with the other. It’s no wonder the faculty are claiming “no confidence.”
While the possible no-confidence vote may not cause her fall from the ivory tower, declining enrollment when nearly all other institutions of higher learning are gaining, just could get her the boot. Remember, dear lady, those words the Barb said about those living by the sword…
President Botman has received negative reviews before this proposed referendum, and both then Chancellor Pattenaude and the Board of Trustees–who appointed her–did nothing. Their contempt for USM faculty and, for that matter, for nearly all System faculty and staff is well known. They want their employees to receive no pay raises despite sitting on a reserve fund of roughly 30 million. Those who claim there’s no money have found millions to waste on unneeded consultants and on “Strategic Investments” that should instead be used for the underfunded campuses. Most current Trustees were appointed by Gov. Baldacci, not by Gov. LePage. Baldacci had no interest in his alma mater (Orono) save re wind energy and basketball.
Botman meme: http://imgur.com/w9k9E
Some facts that the article should have included: As of April 1, 2012, it has been 1,127 days since the UMaine Sytem faculty received its last raise. And in the last two fiscal years UMS posted annual surpluses totaling nearly $136 million.
Some facts that the
article should have included: As of April 1, 2012, it has been 1,127
days since the UMaine Sytem faculty received its last raise. And in the last two fiscal years UMS posted annual surpluses totaling nearly $136 million.
In addition to Naran’s observations, President Botman has shown a great skill for personal vendetta and retribution. Those who dared speak out about her incompetence have been punished, in a variety of manners. I for one would love to know just how many hostile workplace and wrongful termination claims have been brought by employees mistreated under President Botman’s administration. There are a number claims that have been brought — and each one of these costs the system money, even simply to defend it. One possible resolution to this crisis is President Botman’s departure.
I so wish that people weren’t as afraid to speak out, and that those who feel mistreated would come forward, publicly. It’s a real problem these days, in many areas of American life. People carp from the shadows, but they’re not willing to put their names on a public statement, telling the truth of what they believe, or what happened to them.
You should talk Naran. You don’t like what someone says on AMG and you throw them over a cliff with a greased rope!
That’s not true and you know it.
It is absolutely true.
It is not always a matter of being afraid. Sometimes there are legal restraints on what can be said. For example, Clause 10 of the settlement agreement between Kate Forhan (former provost) and UMS (over Forhan’s “disagreement” with Botman) preclude her from making disparaging or unfavorable comments about etc etc. The agreement is available for all to see at http://www.scribd.com/doc/36955613/Memorandum-of-Understanding-and-General-Release-between-Kate-Forhan-and-the-University-of-Maine-System. So sometimes, those who wish to come forward are not allowed to. I think truth and transparency is a good policy, but not everyone agrees, and not everyone is allowed to speak truth transparently.
They’re going to have that vote “IN” the President? WOW, I bet that’ll hurt!!
Pres. Botman wants to turn USM into an online university à la Phoenix. While she is clearly invested in protecting tenured faculty, what nobody will talk about is the fact that USM’s part-time faculty are a big part of the vitality of the institution and most of the jobs lost are these un-protected employees. Botman doesn’t care about students, she cares about the bottom line and making sure she continues to receive her 6-figure salary.
Instead of a no confidence vote, they should make Botman sit through a semester of Bruce Andrews operations research class.
Welcome to the real world! I haven’t had a pay raise (actually I’ve taken a pay cut just to have a job) since 2007! I’m just happy to have a job that pays enough to cover my bills and put food on my table!
Holy disregard for faculty and students, Botman!
Holy disregard for faculty, Botman!