Old Dominion Faculty Vote No Confidence

The Old Dominion University Faculty Senate voted 41 to 7 Tuesday that it has no confidence in the university president, provost and vice president after administrators announced an initiative that would cut the length of some online courses in half, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

The Forward-Focused Digital Transformation Initiative would reduce some online classes from 16 weeks to eight weeks but still charge students the same amount in tuition. For many faculty members, this was the final straw after months of feeling the administration no longer listened to their input or respected shared governance, said Senate chairman Corrin Allen, an associate professor in the School of Speech-Language Pathology.

“The decision for a vote of no confidence is not something anyone takes lightly,” Allen told the Pilot. “The faculty really regrets that it came to this. We have tried along the way to really encourage more open communication with leadership.”

In December, the board told the Senate executive committee that it will “not allow this initiative to fail.”

“The faculty voice is important, but, as a board, we will not agree to slowing down or stopping an initiative that requires adaptability, resilience and work. I encourage you and your colleagues to roll up your sleeves and be productive partners in both changing and shaping the future of a university that deserves nothing but the best,” P. Murry Pitts, rector of the Board of Visitors, wrote in his December email to the committee. “The reality is that the world is changing.”