You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
The Westfield State University chapter of the Massachusetts State College Association, the campus faculty and librarians union, voted no confidence in Ramon S. Torrecilha, university president, they announced this week. The union said that 211 of 219 voters had no confidence in Torrecilha’s “leadership skills and fiscal stewardship of the institution.” Most full-time faculty members participated in the vote, along with some part-timers. Members cite recent, tense contract negotiations between the statewide union and the statewide Council of Presidents, along with Torrecilha’s alleged top-down management style and lack of transparency as reasons for the vote.
Kevin Queenin, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement that it’s "immensely disappointing and puzzling to learn" of the vote. Listing Torrecilha’s accomplishments, including fund-raising success, faculty and staff hires, and community engagement, Queenin said, "An effective and transparent leader, [Torrecilha] has had the full support of the board throughout his tenure and the long collective bargaining process and we are pleased that an agreement has been reached on the contract."
