Faculty members at Quincy University have voted no confidence in the Illinois institution’s president, Robert Gervasi, citing its financial situation, according to
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Faculty members at Quincy University have voted no confidence in the Illinois institution’s president, Robert Gervasi, citing its financial situation, according to The Herald-Whig.
“It is what it is. There’s really nothing to report right now,” Mr. Gervasi told the newspaper. “We’ll continue to work with the board and go from there.” The no-confidence vote, which was presented to the governing board on Monday, will be discussed at its next meeting, on Saturday.
The vote stems in part from Mr. Gervasi’s announcement this year that the Roman Catholic university would face budget cuts and organizational changes, saying they were necessary because expected grant money had not come through from the state, where a budget deadlock between the governor and the legislature has caused financial stress for many colleges.
Mr. Gervasi’s plans included reducing the 1,300-student university’s $25-million budget by $1.75 million, a few personnel cuts, and leaving five open full-time positions unfilled.
The university’s faculty gave Mr. Gervasi’s predecessor, Sister Margaret Feldner, a no-confidence vote in 2006 over declining admissions. She was “excused from her duties” as president shortly thereafter, with three years left on her contract, according to The Herald-Whig.
“The Board of Trustees has received a resolution from the faculty and respects the concerns it raises in these challenging financial times,” Del Mitchell, vice chairman of the board, told the newspaper. “This situation is not uncommon, as many colleges and universities are faced with similar scenarios in today’s rapidly changing higher-education landscape.”
Correction (10/11/2016, 3:52 p.m.): Because of an editing error, this post originally misstated when the no-confidence vote took place. It was last week, not on Monday. The vote was presented to the university’s board on Monday. The post has been updated to reflect this correction.
