Faculty Vote: NO CONFIDENCE in Clancy, NO CONFIDENCE in Levit

Vote totals [157-44] against Clancy, [161-41] against Levit

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, 202 out of approximately 330 eligible faculty at the University of Tulsa took part in a motion of no-confidence vote for both President Gerard Clancy and Provost Janet Levit held by the TU chapter of the American Association for University Professors (AAUP).

This vote was initially announced via email by TU-AUUP President, Dr. Brian Hosmer on Friday, Nov. 8. Though this vote is non-binding, the result will be a source of discussion at the Faculty Senate meeting on Thursday, a governing body that includes both President Clancy and Provost Levit as members.

The vote was a continuation of the fallout from True Commitment and was most recently catalyzed by the Board of Trustees’ rejection of an alternative to that plan as well as a visit from the HLC liaison to the university Tom Bordenkircher.

The result of this vote puts the university into unchartered waters. The only similar situation in recent TU history, the resignation of President Bob Donaldson in 1996, resulted from a unanimous Student Association vote asserting no-confidence in the then-president as well as sustained pressure from the Board of Trustees for Donaldson to step down.

In the current situation, no vote has been scheduled for SA, and the Board reaffirmed its support for the President and the Provost directly after the announcement of a no-confidence vote.