In response to the recent termination of Vice-Prost Cannan Bilen-Green along with the reorganization that was a part of, NDSU President David Cook and Provost David Bertolini held an open forum to address concerns directly.
A large audience filled the room and filed many grievances against the two. However, the event was far from wholly negative. It was education and new constructive solutions and changes were brought forward.
Additionally, while there were many complaints about the specific changes and the process overall, a powerful comment concluded the event. NDSU Professor Hollie Mackey pointed out how she and many others see the changes as a positive step forward, particularly for diversity and equity.
The newly created Senior Director for Access and Opportunity position and separate diversity office are positive, along with the changes to compliance, Title IX and equity, are positive steps forward for Mackey, among others.
Mackey, who is a member of the North Cheyanne nation, stated how black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), disabled, and LGBTQ+ communities have had their voices missing in the conversations surrounding the change.
“We are not here. We have been conditioned over time that our voices are not valuable.” Mackey added, “Forums like this and decisions out of the faculty senate give the impression that is the voices of all of us, when in fact our voices are missing,” referring to the overwhelmingly white crowd.
Structural Issues
Mackey’s remarks were met with applause by the crowd. However, regardless of the changes made, for better or worse, many raised issues with the structural procedures underlining them.
Shared governance dominated the town hall discussion. The leadership is worried about “how it flows down. I think the thing you’re going to have to start thinking about is how does it flow up,” said Jane Claremont, an NDSU alum and donor. Her remarks were greeted with applause.
Many NDSU faculty and staff are upset that the feedback that they give isn’t being taken seriously. A common theme by speakers was the importance of faculty and staff at NDSU and that they should be actively involved and seriously considered. They are the “engine of the university,” as they teach, research, apply for grants, run departments and more, as another person mentioned.
There are existing committees throughout NDSU and its administration comprised of faculty of staff, but “reports are taken, and the actions that come out the president’s office and the provost’s office does not really match what the committee intended with those reports,” said another speaker at the event.
Other speakers shared similar complaints and demanded that final administration changes should have to go back to the committee to ensure that there is agreement. Likewise, one speaker shared their concern that these decisions, lacking adequate collaboration and committee approval, feel impulsive and “off the cuff.”
There were other particular complaints, like not sending out emails announcing large changes at the end of a week on a Friday night. Cook accepted this criticism, stating how he had never heard about this problem until now.
Women in Leadership
Few remarks were made specifically on the treatment of women in administration leadership. Cook acknowledged his limited understanding of the problem and how, “certainly, some things I’ve done have made that worse.”
Cook did acknowledge the work Bilen-Green has done to benefit NDSU. Again, neither he nor Bertolini elaborated on this decision, citing personnel matters.