N.C. Central to Replace Provost

Photo credit: Campus Echo Chancellor James Ammons

In apparent response to concerns raised by faculty members, Chancellor James H. Ammons of North Carolina Central University announced that he will form a search committee to find a replacement for the university's provost.

Lucy Reuben was appointed provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in September 2002. Before coming to North Carolina Central, she was dean of the School of Business at South Carolina State University.

Ammons made his announcement during a mandatory meeting of deans and faculty called Dec. 1 on two hours' notice. Ammons did not give particular reasons why he decided to replace Reuben, but mentioned that he was trying to address concerns raised Nov. 22, when 11 of 18 faculty senators voted to form a committee to explore the possibility of drafting a vote of "no confidence" in the administration.

Provost Lucy Reuben

Among the concerns raised at that meeting were: delayed faculty contracts, communication failures between faculty and administration, problems with the distribution of educational technology funds, lack of department budgets, administration interference with department hiring, tenure problems and what was called a top-heavy provost’s office and administration.

Ammons appointed History Department chair Carlton Wilson to head the search committee.

At the Dec. 1 meeting, Ammons first announced that the leadership in the Office of Academic Affairs would be replaced. After a faculty member asked who would be replaced, Ammons said the provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs.

The chancellor said he would let the faculty know soon when Reuben will leave office and who will be interim provost.

Ammons, who was provost at Florida A&M University when he came to North Carolina Central in 2001, said the decision means he is going to work hard to improve university operations.

“The institution is poised to develop a unifying approach,” Ammons said.

During the meeting, the chancellor opened the floor for questions and Branislav Vlahovic, physics chair, enraged some faculty members when he spoke in support of Reuben and criticized some “vocal” faculty members.

Alade Tokuta, chairman of the mathematics and computer science department, interrupted and shouted at Vlahovic, denouncing what he had said and proclaiming his support for the university.

Ammons had to ask the faculty members to be respectful of each other.

Faculty Senate chair Kofi Amoateng had dismissed the motion to explore a "no confidence" vote as “pre-staged” and wanted more discussion.

“The motion did not have merit,” Amoateng said. “You can’t drive the father and mother away so that kids can take over.”

Amoateng said the people behind the motion had a personal agenda and that most of them were disgruntled former department chairs.

“They are crying for their own heads,” Amoateng said. “They have not added much scholarship on campus.”

Chemistry professor Wendell Wilkerson, who made the motion to form the committee, said he did so did so because, among other matters, the departments were not getting budgets and faculty members were genuinely concerned about the needs of the students.

Criminal justice professor George Wilson said that among other issues, he was concerned that educational technology funds were not channeled toward student needs.

“Students do not have paper to print their work, toner and other supplies,” he said.

Wilson said NCCU’s faculty had a tradition of sacrificing for students, even buying supplies for them.

“It has now reached a point where people can no longer continue doing that.”

Wilson, a teacher at NCCU for 20 years, said the morale of the faculty “is at the lowest I have ever seen.”

Some faculty members said they thought the administration had been doing a good job.

Vlahovic, physics chair, said the problems were coming up only because the provost was demanding high standards from the faculty members.

“The provost is doing a great job,” Vlahovic said. “What is irritating other faculty members is that she is making changes. She has set higher standards than before.”

Responding to an e-mail from the Campus Echo, Ammons said that the faculty had valid concerns and he was working to address them.

He said he planned to appoint a task force to review the issues raised at the meeting.

Under pressure from faculty senators, who accused him of taking the side of the provost and voted 18-12 for his resignation, Amoateng resigned at a Dec. 3 faculty senate meeting.

Lovemore Masakadza, a student at North Carolina Central University, is editor-in-chief of the Campus Echo.

Posted Dec. 6, 2004