Dive Brief:
- Simon Newman, the controversial president of Mount St. Mary’s University, has refused to resign following national outrage within the academic community about his comments concerning struggling students and his retention plans intended to boost institutional ranking.
- The Frederick News-Post reports that faculty approved a request for Newman’s resignation, voting 87-3 (out of 110 faculty members), but 75% of respondents to an online survey conducted by the university’s student government voted in support of the president, and at least 70 students rallied Monday in his favor.
- Newman has retained the support of the university’s board of trustees throughout the saga, including in his decisions to fire a provost and two faculty members who opposed him — but the faculty members have been invited back in a “first step of reconciliation and healing.”
Dive Insight:
The turmoil at Mount St. Mary’s University has been seen as another example of the damaging impact of media rankings on institutional decision-making. Newman originally suggested identifying 20 to 25 freshmen at risk of failing or dropping out and essentially pushing them out before their enrollment counted toward the school’s retention numbers. That plan met steep resistance from faculty, which led to Newman’s “drown the bunnies” comment and contributed to a detailed report in the campus newspaper, The Mountain Echo.
The turmoil is also interesting given the split in support among various campus groups. Current students and board members have strongly supported Newman while alumni and faculty have worked toward his ouster. At Suffolk University in Boston, student and faculty rallies did not save President Margaret McKenna from an unsupportive board of trustees, and this fall brought a wave of resignations following student outrage over racism and discrimination on campuses.