The Faculty Senate at Radford University, in Virginia, approved today a resolution condemning the sudden dismissals this week of the director and associate director of the student-programs office, The Roanoke Times reported. The institution’s president, Penelope W. Kyle, told the senate she had not known about the firings until after they happened. The vice president who sent the office’s leaders packing on Monday with a few hours’ notice blamed state budget cuts and said she had not been told about an agreement that any layoffs would be handled with respect and concern.
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5 Responses to Radford U. Faculty Senate Deplores 2 Sudden Dismissals
leontrout - September 18, 2009 at 8:45 am
The vice president “had not been told about an agreement that any layoffs would be handled with respect and concern.” So, lacking any instruction to do so, she did not behave with “respect and concern”?Americans have been discussing the ramifications of recent instances of gruesome rudeness. Add this one: A VP who is not respectful to people in distress unless she is instructed to be so and finds it unembarrassing to state outright that she requires such instructions.
wwwellsjr - September 18, 2009 at 10:19 am
I gotta say, that the VP responsible may need to acquire a few people skills. One can only hope that working on these would be one of his or her goals for the next year’s evaluation period. Does one need to be “told” to be humane and respectful?
jcn8139 - September 18, 2009 at 11:51 am
I attended the Radford University Faculty Senate’s emergency meeting yesterday. As stunning as the VP’s insenitive and as it turns out fiscally unnecessary actions were, exposure of the total failure in basic management skill by president Kyle was breath-taking. Kyle admitted that this all happened without her knowledge, that she had notlearned of the situation until late the same day. While this alone in the day of instant communication stretches one’s credulity, it atleast depicts very poor performance by manager/president. The apparentinconsistent communication with her direct reports seems to indicate that Kyle doesn’t manage them, and they don’t understand what she thinks about important issues, matters like human resources and student retention which are lifeblood to any college or university, OR DO THEY.
dgotto - September 18, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I recently got laid off from a student affairs department at a different institution. My layoff was handled inappropriately and without any respect for my commitment to the institution. After recovering from the emotional shock of being dismissed, I realized my layoff was a blessing in disguise. I was able to leave a toxic work environment and thoughtless leaders without feeling guilty for leaving the students I cared for. I hope Dunn and Jacobsen see this as a tremendous opportunity to find an institution which deserves them! Best of luck to the two of them!
4students - September 18, 2009 at 2:03 pm
The exact same thing happened at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA in the last month. The two employees in New Student Orientation and Programs were given a terminal contract or severance. With the Terminal Contract they were moved to two other areas of the University for up to a year. They have now hired a new Director in the same unit and plan to hire a second person. The reason for their terminination was budgetary and that the department was going to be eliminated. This all began on July 15 when they were told of a meeting scheduled on August 6. The reality was political motivations by the Vice Provost in their area. I wish the people at VCU would have received 6 months pay instead of 11 weeks severance. Six months would have been a better deal. The four of them should pair up!