Iowa City Press Citizen, IA
11-07-06
UI group wants Fethke out of process
Calls for Regents to postpone strategic planning
By Brian Morelli
Iowa City Press-Citizen
A University of Iowa faculty group formally has asked UI interim president Gary
Fethke to withdraw from a "strategic change process."
The UI chapter of the American Association of University Professors is the latest
contingent to request a change to the process that involves Iowa state Board of
Regents President Michael Gartner, president pro-tem Teresa Wahlert, executive
director Gary Steinke and the presidents of UI, University of Northern Iowa and
Iowa State University.
In a July 20 e-mail from Gartner to the Regents, he describes the process as
"about defining ourselves for the future and then remaking ourselves to fit that
definition."
"Our concerns are the same as the Faculty Senate," said Lois Cox, a UI clinical
law professor and AAUP vice president. "These discussions are going on when
we don't have a permanent president in place."
Faculty Senate, Staff Council, student leaders and now AAUP have asked to halt
the process until a permanent UI president is named and that the process
becomes more open and include more stakeholders. These two requests, written
as resolutions, will go before Regents on Thursday at the board meeting.
"It has generated quite a bit of talk among faculty across campus because of the
importance of the subject matter," Cox said.
The fear is that the meetings will lead to fundamental changes. Gartner has said
they are forming assumptions to be used for planning for more than 10 years into
the future.
Cox said the request was submitted Friday to Fethke.
Fethke did not return e-mail or phone messages Monday afternoon. In the past,
Fethke has said he supports the process. He has said the process allows UI the
opportunity to define itself rather than let the Regents define UI.
Wahlert and Gartner also did not return phone messages Monday afternoon.
Gartner is scheduled to present an update Thursday to the Regents. The next
phase of the process would be to examine the findings with the full nine-person
board.
"We are all waiting to see what the board of Regents does when it meets. We are
hoping they suspend this," Cox said.