By a 59 to 41 margin, Webster University faculty voted in favor of “no confidence” in Chancellor Beth Stroble and President Julian Schuster, following concerns about their leadership and the university’s alleged fiscal mismanagement. The vote took place at the end of a Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday afternoon, during which a majority of voting members deemed Stroble and Schuster not fit to hold their positions.
As made clear by faculty leaders at the meeting, the “no confidence” vote would not directly remove Stroble and Schuster from office. Both Stroble and Schuster were present during the first half of the meeting to address concerns, with Schuster speaking on his recent experience surrounding the controversy, but both were excused once voting began.
The gathering hosted opinions from two camps; some faculty members were prepared to vote, while others urged their colleagues to postpone the discussion and wait for leadership to respond to their concerns.
“We care about this university and its work in the world,” the Senate wrote in a letter to the Faculty Assembly, which, according to Senate President Julie Palmer, was passed by the assembly unanimously. The letter was presented before the chancellor and president in the meeting today.
“We care about the students, faculty, and staff who comprise and are determined to use this institution to persevere and thrive in the years to come. For these reasons, we write to express our deep concerns about the leadership of the university and the trajectory being charted for all of us,” the letter continued.
Several changes were proposed by faculty, including the suggestion to create two separate votes of “no confidence,” one for Stroble and one for Schuster, an amendment that members rejected. Some in the audience cited previously unspoken concerns about the potential for hierarchical leadership to continue if one is not voted to be removed.
Another faculty member suggested the addition of chief financial officer Richard Meyer to the vote of “no confidence,” a proposal that was eventually rejected.
The Faculty Senate is awaiting a response from Stroble and Schuster regarding the vote. The Journal reached out to university director of public relations Patrick Giblin for comment and is awaiting a response.
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Lauren Brennecke
