Statements On Faculty Referendum

Complete statements from various Baylor groups about the faculty referendum:

Statement in regard to the faculty referendum released by the following 20 Baylor faculty members:

From: Michael Beaty, Walter Bradley, Steve Eisenbarth, Jan Evans, Steve Evans, Jim Farison, Barry Harvey, Douglas Henry, Byron Johnson, Robert Kruschwitz, Robert Marks, Martin Medhurst, Scott Moore, Mitchell Neubert, Robert Roberts, Alden Smith, Michael Thomas, Michael Thompson, Kenneth Van Treuren, and Ralph Wood on behalf of like-minded members of the Baylor University community.

Debating ideas is the hallmark of the academic life; taking polls is the province of politicians. Professors should be in the business of debating ideas. The Baylor Faculty Senate's recent referendum was a political move that did not give any such opportunity, even as it was also a flawed and invalid means for assessing faculty opinion.
In short, the much-touted referendum did not deliver what the Senate hoped. Despite months of planning, extraordinary publicity, and easy access to the balloting, nearly 400 of Baylor's faculty elected not to participate. Despite the Senate's claims of an "avalanche of faculty grievances" and "a deeply polarized and relationally paralyzed Baylor community," it appears that plenty of folks are content enough with the university's ambitious vision under Dr. Sloan's presidency.
Furthermore, plain-dealing statisticians--regardless of the results one way or the other--have judged the polling methodology to be biased and invalid. While statistically valid and reliable methods were available to the Senate, they instead pursued a voluntary poll, the likes of which are used in political campaigns. One can reasonably ask why the Senate took the referendum route, and one would be justified in concluding that political tactics fit its purposes better than statistically sound research.
By its own admission, the Senate's referendum is not binding upon anyone. The Board of Regents is not obliged to do anything in response. Indeed, they unanimously declined the opportunity to conduct the referendum, and they cannot possibly welcome the presumptuous rhetoric of some Senators that the referendum has "established a precedent" for the future conduct of the faculty.
The referendum does suggest one thing clearly: the Baylor faculty as a whole does not mimic the lopsided pessimism evident in the Senate's past votes of "no confidence" on President Sloan's presidency. Their previous 26-6 (81%) and 28-5 (85%) votes nowhere near reflect the reality of Baylor's faculty, of which 420--half--did not participate in the divisive referendum at all or else voted in Dr. Sloan's favor.
If any implication follows from the Senate's referendum, it is that the status quo for the Senate is over. The burden is now on the Senate to demonstrate that it is not the chief catalyst for division and disagreement on the Baylor campus. A promising step in the right direction would be for the Senate to end its closed meetings, its unrepresentative at-large elections, its secret reports, its clandestine voting records, and its lists of grievances for which no evidence is provided. Another positive step would be to volunteer a wholesale change of leadership in the Senate. Such steps on the part of the Senate would do wonders for helping the whole University community to move on from the present contentiousness, and to unite, to be reconciled, and to resume our proper work.
Surely we all share enthusiasm for a better Baylor, one that honors the past but unhesitatingly improves upon it. In this spirit, let us as a faculty build on our mutual commitment to Baylor and find ways to resolve the issues that we face together. By so doing, we will live up to the best of the university's heritage, one in which faculty honor one another and the truth by dealing with ideas and issues with honesty, forthrightness, and good will.

Statement about the faculty referendum released by the Office of the Student Body President:

Student Government supported a resolution on October 3, 2004 calling for the Faculty Senate to withdraw their call for a referendum on the Presidency of Dr. Robert Sloan. The Faculty Senate denied our request and carried out the referendum vote last week. We believe that the recent Faculty Referendum was divisive and that it will prove ineffective in achieving reconciliation. The results of the referendum do nothing but to once again state what we already know: That there are debates and divisions that still remain amongst the faculty over President Robert Sloan and his administration. All parties should realize that the ultimate responsibility in this dilemma lies with the Board of Regents. We call for divisive steps such as these to come to an end so that Baylor students can move forward, continuing to be proud of the University that we all love so dearly and so that true unity and reconciliation may be achieved.
This week, Baylor students are studying for finals and are traveling home to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. We reflect on the fall semester with great appreciation for those who devoted themselves to the Baylor student body to make our experience at Baylor over the past several months exciting, meaningful and challenging. We anticipate a great spring and we pray that all Baylor students return safely to Waco for what promises to be another exciting semester on Baylor's campus.
Student Government wishes all Baylor students and the entire Baylor family Happy Holidays. As we enter into this holiday season we again reiterate our call for peace, understanding and unity in the Baylor family.
For more information, contact Student Body President Jeff Leach at (254) 710-4082.