Faculty Majorities Vote No Confidence at Wilkes, Southern Maine

A majority of voting faculty members approved resolutions recently of no confidence in the presidents of Wilkes University and the University of Southern Maine. At Southern Maine, a vote of no confidence requires the backing of two-thirds of all faculty members to pass, and while the measure won the support of 194 faculty members (with 88 opposed), it needed 251 votes to officially pass.

• At Wilkes, faculty members voted no confidence, 81-19, in President Tim Gilmour, The Citizens Voice reported. Gilmour is planning to retire, but faculty members are angry over benefit cuts and a wage freeze he has proposed to deal with budget deficits, and his decision to accept a paid sabbatical upon retirement. Gilmour said he is making "difficult decisions," and so accepts that they will be controversial.
• At Southern Maine, faculty members have expressed frustration over budget decisions of President Selma Botman at a time she awarded large raises to some non-faculty employees, Maine Public Broadcasting reported. Botman has defended her decisions, but vowed to reach out to faculty members. James Page, chancellor of the University of Maine System, said he takes the vote "very seriously" and plans to meet with Botman to discuss it.