University Professors Express Lack of Confidence in Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania's President
The faculty and coaches at Pennsylvania's Commonwealth University have slammed university President Bashar Hanna with an overwhelming 88.65% no-confidence vote. This blow came from members of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and other non-member faculty and coaches at the Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield campuses. Dr. Stanley Berard, Lock Haven APSCUF Chapter President, voiced the urgency of the situation in an announcement, expressing hope that the university's higher-ups understand the gravity of the matter.
Formed in 2022, the Commonwealth University is a merger of Bloomsburg University, Lock Haven University, and Mansfield University, once part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). This consolidation was a part of wider PASSHE reorganization aimed at saving costs and dealing with sagging student enrollments.
The no-confidence vote follows a series of pressures on Hanna. Back in November, APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth Mash called for Hanna's removal or resignation due to budget woes, declining enrollments, hiring issues, technical failures, leadership crises, and a slumping morale.
Hanna has also been under scrutiny for his role in terminating Bloomsburg University dean Jeffrey Krug, who had won a $3.9 million verdict in a federal court case about retaliation for helping an administrative assistant file a sexual harassment complaint against Hanna, who was president of Bloomsburg University at the time.
Mash renewed his calls for Hanna's dismissal, citing Hanna's lack of leadership and adverse effects on students and the university as a whole. Student journalists have also joined the call for Hanna's departure.
Despite the vote, the university's council of trustees has maintained its support for Hanna, believing him to be the right leader through the current challenges. However, this hasn't deterred the faculty and union members from pursuing Hanna's removal.
It's worth noting that this isn't an isolated incident. Within the past month, Lafayette College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University have also seen no-confidence votes against their university presidents.
While faculty no-confidence votes hold no legal or official authority, their power should not be underestimated. Research indicates that around 51% of the presidents who face such votes leave office within a year, with 32 cases resulting in the president's ouster within six months.
Our book, "No-Confidence: When College Faculty Turn Against Their Presidents," examines this phenomenon. Factors leading to no-confidence votes vary, but the case at Commonwealth University mirrors a common scenario: a combination of leadership and personal behavior issues, ongoing budget difficulties, and deteriorating relationships with faculty and staff.
- Following the no-confidence vote, Bashar Hanna, the university president of the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, faces pressure from various quarters, including faculty and coaches.
- The overwhelming no-confidence vote against Bashar Hanna was conducted by the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties and other non-member faculty and coaches at the Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield campuses.
- university presidents beyond Commonwealth University have also faced no-confidence votes recently; Lafayette College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University are two examples.
- Despite the no-confidence vote, university presidents, such as Bashar Hanna, hold significant power, and their dismissal often results in a high turnover rate, with 51% of presidents leaving office within a year.
- In his role as president of Bloomsburg University, Bashar Hanna was also under scrutiny for his role in terminating dean Jeffrey Krug's employment, who won a $3.9 million verdict in a federal court case about retaliation.
