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A group of concerned alumni and an emeritus professor sent a letter Friday to Earlham College leaders reiterating concerns about the college's recent actions, and calling for significant changes to the rules governing it.
The 13-page letter restates several concerns about identity that have come to the forefront this summer at the small, private college in Richmond, Ind. The letter also details concerns about the sudden departure of college President Alan Price after one year, Earlham's financial situation, the state of shared governance on campus and a 2015 strategic plan.
It calls for the release of redacted minutes from recent board and board Executive Committee meetings that led to Price's departure. Minutes would show which trustees were present, what questions they asked and actions taken without revealing confidential details, the letter writers contend.
They also say the board should significantly overhaul its bylaws, the college's faculty handbook and other policy documents that shift power from faculty members to administrators and trustees.
"We believe that we owe it to the college we remember, and to each other, and to ourselves, to try and help the college recover itself," the letter says. "That is what motivates us to write to you today."
The chair of Earlham's Board of Trustees, David Stump, has written that Price's resignation came under "a mutual agreement" after extensive discussion and that Price did not resign because of his moral character or reasons that would call into question "his love for and loyalty to Earlham." But trustees have released few details about the resignation, citing confidentiality. Meanwhile, leaders are seeking to cut millions from Earlham's future budget because financial indicators have declined in recent years and much of the college's $438 million endowment is restricted.
