The Student Government Association of Pulaski Technical College took a no-confidence vote on President Margaret Ellibee in part over concerns about academic freedom and due process regarding a fired professor, association President James Bozeman said Wednesday.
Bozeman cited the school’s budget and enrollment issues as other factors in the 9-3 vote Wednesday.
In response, the college issued a news release Wednesday evening saying its board of trustees supports Ellibee, who became president in 2012. The statement supporting Ellibee was attributed to board Chairman Ronald Dedman.
It was unclear when the board reached its decision. The board did not call a special meeting Wednesday.
State law requires governing bodies to meet and vote publicly on any decisions or resolutions.
For months, some students and faculty leaders have discussed the termination of Lyndel Roe, a former philosophy professor at the college. Some of them sought his reinstatement.
The college fired Roe in September for what was cited in state Department of Workforce Services documents as “insubordination, unprofessional conduct and a hostile learning environment.” The documents also cited language in the classroom that was “inappropriate.”
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 02/27/2014