It seems in recent years the Radford University Board of Visitors hears an alarm going off but decides to just slap the snooze button and continue sleeping. Perhaps the dreams of BOV members are more pleasant than the reality that the university they represent is rife with turmoil. But the Board has done enough sleep walking and it’s time for it to wake up.
As the Board of Visitors meets this week at RU, it will be interesting to see the tack taken by the administration. Will it be the typical dog-and-pony show in which key administrators assure the board that that everything at RU is just fine? If so, that will be akin to Kevin Bacon’s character Chip Diller in Animal House as, amid the chaos rendered by those naughty boys of the Delta house, he states, “Remain calm. All is well.”
All is not well. If it were, a student group would not have been formed as a reaction as what they saw as a threat to academics at RU. The group now has nearly 1,200 members on it’s Facebook page, which says one of its goals is “to enlighten those who are not aware of the implications of the 7-17 Strategic Plan, and to help unite the students to help preserve the value of education.” And despite some administrators recent claims that a small group of trouble-making faculty members are riling up the students, the converse of that is actually true. Faculty were slow to organize, like the proverbial frog sitting in the pot of water while the heat continues to be turned up. It was not until students organized first that the faculty realized they were about to be boiled.
If all were well, the Faculty Senate—finally alarmed by expedited academic program reviews and encouraged by student action—would not have voted to investigate the RU administration. Senators voted 27-15 to form an ad hoc committee to investigate “numerous, serious, and credible allegations . . . that certain decisions and actions of members of the Radford University administration are in contravention of the RU Internal Governance Document and the Core Values expressed in the 7-17 plan,” according to the motion.
If all were well, the Faculty Senate would not also have voted 36-6 that all programs that have undergone expedited program review be continued, pending review in a manner that accords with established precedent under the Internal Governance Document.
If all were well, veteran faculty members would not be saying publicly that the levels of morale, trust, and confidence in what’s going on at RU are the lowest they’ve ever seen.
If all were well, our e-mail accounts here at the Voice wouldn’t be filled with notes from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and former employees explaining in one way or another what they feel is “wrong” with RU at the moment. Just during the writing of this editorial, one of those e-mails came in with the beginning line: “As an RU grad and former employee, I’m angered and frustrated with all that is going on at RU.” We see lots of those. All is not well.
In a recent interview with Bob Blake—the former RU BOV member who resigned last year amid frustration that the Board wanted to use RU Foundation money to give President Penny Kyle a $1 million annuity—was angered that the Board members are have been so passive, agreeing with Kyle and Board member R.J. Kirk virtually without question. Blake said the Board gave up its right to see specifics regarding salaries and now simply trusts Kyle on salary issues. Blake said that regarding changes to the school’s core curriculum, the Board acquiesced to Kirk’s unreasonable demands. Blake said when concerns have been raised regarding conflicts of interest, such as the fact that Kyle’s husband’s law firm, McGuire Woods LLC, represents the RU Foundation, the Board simply looks the other way.
In the BOV bylaws, it states that the “Board of Visitors has the responsibility and authority, subject to constitutional and statutory limitations, for the continuing operation, development of evolving policies and financial oversight. Much of this authority necessarily is delegated to the President, who serves as agent of the Board of Visitors and Chief Executive Officer of the University.”
But Blake says the problem is that the Board has delegated all of its authority to the president in conjunction with Kirk. “The Board of Visitors doesn’t have a damn clue what’s going on,” Blake said. “The Board is a lot of the problem because they allow the administration to operate in secret. Penny Kyle tells the board what she wants them to know and nothing more. Budget matters were reduced to a slideshow for the board that did not tell me a damn thing.”
It seems that it is past time that the Board began taking its role seriously and take responsibility for the unraveling at RU.
Tim W. Jackson is Editor of the New River Voice.
16 responses so far ↓
1 Emily // Apr 21, 2009 at 10:10 am
Now, the question arises, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? S.A.L.A. has the addresses of all of the members of the Board of Visitors and are writing letters. Students, parents, alumni, faculty, and sympathetic administrators need to shake the BOV awake and send them to these meetings with a mission– to preserve the integrity of Radford University and end this ridiculous regime. The mere idea that two people without any true background in higher education are underhandedly running a college makes me cringe. Let’s get some professionals in office. Let’s get our University back!
2 frustrated // Apr 21, 2009 at 10:45 am
radford’s board needs to wake up…this is so sad….I almost hate to say that I am an alum of this institution…..UGH
3 finallyahokie // Apr 21, 2009 at 10:47 am
get it together ! Salaries are so whacked out….the rich is getting richer and the poor, poorer….all public college and university salaries are listed on www.collegiatetimes.com…scroll on the main page and look under databases…..you will be amazed at what folks are making or not making….
4 EthicalBankruptcy // Apr 21, 2009 at 2:53 pm
If you are a student, but not a star athlete, you can just forget the gym. If you want to learn, but are not a music major, you get the trailers while they get the gold plated FOURTH auditorium. If you want free speech, there is a “zone” — but dont ask permission to use a bulletin board or anything.
If you work in RU housekeeping or as a secretary, you have to choose between feeding your kids and giving them health insurance. Yes, that is actually true, but no one cares.
If you teach in the humanities or sciences, you are supposed to watch quietly while administrators and business faculty make twice or three times your salary.
Presiding over the whole stinking mess you have the usual Americanos Affluenzas — people so extremely well paid that they cannot talk with, or listen to, or even try to understand, the ones who are so very far beneath them. The corruption — the arrogance — is breathtaking.
The RU administration is uptown and mean, and that is the way they seem to like it.
5 Roudyred // Apr 21, 2009 at 3:03 pm
The abrogation of responsibilities by the RU BOV is a cave-in to RJ Kirk surely. The president, of course, has no clue about things academic, and neither she, Kirk, or the provost understand that it is the legally mandated responsibility of the faculty to initiate changes and improvements to the academics of the university. From accessing Foundation funds to awarding of scholarships and the academiv underpinning of RU, this administration has wrought shambles.
The following was written in response to an ireesponsible editorial a week or so ago in the Roanoke Times—
The faculty, i.e. those who understand learning processes and those who keep track of the trends in their own disciplines and across the academy, are the ones that are charged with setting an institution’s academic paths. The administration’s job is to support the faculty and their students–to grease the skids, find resources, make the learning conditions conducive to…LEARNING, and to take the will of the students and faculty to the Board of Visitors for their consideration. The Board of Vistors’ job is to provide advice and consent, to make sure that no fraud is being committed; that the university is fiscally well managed, that the very image is appropriate. It most certainly IS NOT the Board of Visitors’ purview to set academic schedules or academic curricular policy in any way shape or form. ADVISE AND CONSENT through an administration, which is carrying the flag for the students and faculty, back to the PROFESSIONALS ! ! (read that faculty) that know what they are doing in the classroon, in student research, and in university outreach. Uh, this is what a public, regional university does.
The Radford University administration and the Board of Visitors have meddled where they should have never gone. There are well-defined, written procedures in code both internal to the university and through State government that the faculty and administration are to use to continuously manage, ungrade, and improve the academics of an institution. The administration and Board of Visitors have violated those written processes. Now, with this fairly major pushback, the administration has started changing its mind on some of the Acdaemv Review Committee recommendations. This is sort of waffling denies even the validity of the invalid processes they erected in what truns out to be a sandy foundation. They are twice caught in their own web.
This decision-making and forcing action within impossible time frames by the administration and Board of Visitors without authority is what the faculty and students of Radford University are upset about. It is the uncalled-for anxiety, actual personal hurt, and needless waste of valuable student and faculty time required to defend and protect their university, reclaim their rightful roles that have the students and faculty of Radford University so upset.
No, Mr. or Ms. Editorial writer, this is is not about a simple faculty grievance. The Administration’s failure to adhere to these procedures has nothing to do with a faculty grievance board or committee. That would be easy–a simple matter of one person or group of persons personally harmed in some way; an improper firing, harrassment… No, Mr.or Ms. Editorial writer, this is about two levels of Radford University administration out of power-hungry control and totally misguided, trying to change a solid regional institution into some kind of technical-business school.
Saddest of all, perhaps, is that this all runs ultimately to the Core Curriculum that is being forced in a ridiculously expedited manner on the students and faculty of Radford University–a Core Curriculum that will result in a Radford graduate who will have taken no course entitled English (ENG 101…) or History (101…) when he or she graduates. That’s right, no course in English or History on their transcript.
In the final analysis, the survival of this fine university that serves so well the broadest needs of the people of Southwest Virginia is in the balance. Mr. Editorial writer this is why your minimizing this situation; your failure to understand the questions in play; your failure to know the facts and State governing code of the situation and the nature of true university governance; your failure in the most basic business of the “free press” is so very disappointing.
Right, I am convinced will out.
6 john // Apr 21, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I was interested by this story in today’s Roanoke Times:
http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/201821
“(The Board) is expected to vote on several committee recommendations, including … a resolution to delegate authority of academic program approval to President Penelope Kyle.”
On the surface that sounds like they’re going to let Penny decide what programs we need to keep(?). I hope not.
7 Upset Alum.. // Apr 21, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I most surprised at all the pay raises that “FinallyAHokie” linked to. Seems most faculty got between 5-25K raises. Isn’t that a little extreme? Hmm…..
8 Rebekah Lewis // Apr 21, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Thank you, New River Voice, for your support of faculty and students at RU. We need all of the publicity and help we can get to fight the absurdities that are taking place at the school we love so much.
9 Check again // Apr 21, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Dear Upset Alum,
The 2008 - 2009 raises applied only to the administration. In fact, regular faculty got no raise at all this year, and we were told not to expect one next year. Before that we had 3 percent raises, and like many other state employees, teachers and police officers, we are very seriously underpaid and having a very, very hard time with our finances. EthicalBankruptcy is right — The administration looks out for itself, but it does not invest in the lifetimes of faculty.
10 Nose // Apr 21, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Bob Blake’s accusations are much more damaging than he perhaps knows. The SACS/COC guidelines are very explicit that the Board must not be under the control of a minority of its members. See the 2008 Principles of Accreditation, Section 2.2, available at
http://www.sacscoc.org/principles.asp
For the uninitiated, SACS is the organization that accredits RU.
11 Liz // Apr 22, 2009 at 12:23 am
Thank you for calling attention to this crisis at RU. You are right is saying that something feels wrong about the whole situation.
12 Grrr // Apr 22, 2009 at 6:43 am
That foudation mess started a long time ago but it seemed ignored because they silented Blake in time with his resignation or whatever.
I hate that it took so long for this matter to be brought up. When PK asked for money from the foundation (aka money for the students) that sould have been called right away and she should have been fired on the spot. Check again is right, the administration is only out for themselves and PK is only trying to get as much money as she can before she is acually kicked out. Even then doesn’t the college pay her off with a load of money just to get rid of her? I realize my anger should not be vented at the puppet of the billionare but it cannot be helped.
They wanted her to be a figurehead and to get money from her connections for RU but she ticked off her little hundred dollar donors when she got rid of the racket ball courts. Although she said she was going for the big donors, thoughs little hundred dollar donors and thousand dollar donors add up. She’s lost this college more money then she has brought in.
But in the end do we, the angry alumni, faculty, and students really have a voice? Who can put down a billionare who can buy anyone off?
Please alumni, faculty, students, and parents of students write the board members. We do have a voice! We have to keep this situation out in the open so that everyone knows. PK has been taking RU’s money before this weak economy and these buget cuts hit us.
13 Cynthia // Apr 22, 2009 at 8:12 am
Thank you, Tim Jackson, for all that you do. I am wholly intrigued by the Freedom of Information Act being listed as a Closed Session item.
14 Upset Alum.. // Apr 22, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Check Again: I apologize, I misspoke and meant to say ADMINISTRATION and not faculty. I did notice the difference. I believe the faculty should get raises before the administration since they are the ones that RU students are paying to learn from.
15 Thinkingoutloud // Apr 22, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Thank you, NRVoice and Tim Jackson for so doggedly and accurately reporting on RU. I also appreciate the passion and insights of your readers–I’ve learned almost as much from them as I have from the original article. Bravo! Would that the Rke Times would publish such exacting and hard-hitting pieces.
16 NRV Admin // Apr 23, 2009 at 9:15 am
See Gwen Brown’s letter in The Roanoke Times addressing her concerns about the Times’ recent editorial: http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/202058
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