Over three days this week, faculty at Indiana University of Pennsylvania will hold a no-confidence vote against President Tony Atwater, whose leadership style and spending decisions the faculty union is calling into question.
IUP's chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, or APSCUF, called for the no-confidence vote last month.
The results of the online vote, which starts Monday and is open to all IUP faculty members, will be revealed at IUP's Council of Trustees meeting Friday afternoon, said Francisco Alacron, vice president of the IUP chapter of the union.
An "accumulation of issues" led to the vote, Alacron said.
"There has been a growing dissatisfaction overall that extends a number of years," he said.
In statements e-mailed to the university community, Atwater said the nation's economic crisis has forced him to make some tough decisions that are for the good of IUP, but might not be popular with the university community.
Among the reasons for the vote, the union cited poor decision making by Atwater; lack of shared governance and input by the university community; an "imperialistic" leadership style that alienates faculty, students and community members; and inappropriate expenditures.
"Money is tight, and every university in the whole commonwealth -- and the nation, for that matter -- is going through very tough economic times, but we feel IUP has been shifting their spending into items that are not priorities and should not be priorities for the university," Alacron said.
As an example, Alacron pointed out a $750,000 renovation to the library entrance, planned at a time when the budget for library acquisitions was reduced by $500,000.
The union also is puzzled by a change in the way personnel decisions are made, Alacron said.
Personnel budgets and decisions recently were centralized under the vice president of finance, a change from the previous model where individual deans managed budgets and made hires, he said.
"The president is the president, and certainly he has the authority to make those decisions," Alacron said. "We don't question that authority. We question the decisions being made and how in keeping they are with the university mission."
The union has more than 750 members, but faculty members who are not members of the union can participate in the vote. Faculty at branch campuses in Punxsutawney and Kittanning will participate.
In statements sent to the university community and provided by IUP spokeswoman Michelle Fryling, Atwater said the allegations made by the union "are not representative of the facts."
Atwater denied the union's claims that he fails to take into account the opinions of various university groups when making decisions.
"I fully appreciate and respect shared governance and its role in helping universities thrive," Atwater said. "I also believe in the principle of strong, informed leadership to protect the material interests and academic quality of the institution. "
Atwater said he was not shocked by the no-confidence vote.
"A vote of no confidence sometimes comes with the territory when difficult but necessary administrative decisions are called for," he said. "As university president, I am willing to accept that risk to ensure the university's fiscal welfare and academic strength."
The last time the union called for a vote of no confidence on an IUP president was in the fall of 2001, when the vote was approved against former President Lawrence Pettit.
Despite the nonbinding vote, Pettit's contract was extended in January 2002. But afterward, Pettit announced he would step down as president in August 2003.
