When Lincoln University's Faculty Senate members meet next Tuesday, they will likely be told curators received the report about last month's two resolutions, but didn't act on them.
The Senate approved two resolutions Oct. 28, aimed at improving communications with Said Sewell, LU's provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The first resolution - passed by an 80-11 margin, with three abstaining - was based on some faculty members' criticism that Sewell didn't communicate well with LU faculty, even though the school has a "shared-governance" policy.
It said: "The established decision-making process should be utilized when changing or creating policies that will significantly impact the university community.
"When this decision making process is circumvented, the vice president for academic affairs' office should provide a timely rationale indicating why."
The second resolution passed by a more narrow margin, 55-33, with 11 abstaining, and raised questions about Sewell's actions rejecting proposed promotions or tenure for faculty members who had the support of their departments and deans - again, part of the shared-governance expectations.
"The Faculty Senate respectfully requests that Dr. Sewell re-evaluate faculty tenure and promotion denials since he took the (vice president's) position," the resolution said. "We ask that he provide clear rationale for each denial while specifically citing the appropriate tenure and promotion policy."
After Brian Salmons, the Faculty Senate's chairman, read the two, non-binding resolutions to the curators Thursday morning, Curator Herbert Hardwick, of Kansas City, asked: "What is it that you really want to achieve? Is there something that you are trying to get to by making this request?"
Salmons said the faculty wants the sentiments "to be better-appreciated, as conditions for a healthier relationship with the provost's office."
Noting that answer still seemed a little abstract, Hardwick told LU President Kevin Rome, "We do want to understand and be able to fully consider what's being asked. ...
"This is a complex matter dealing with personnel issues - I think at some point it may be helpful to have a meeting with the appropriate parties to flesh this out, and see if we can understand the big-picture here."
In introducing the resolutions, Salmons mentioned the faculty had discussed its concerns about Sewell's announced plans to hold national searches for two deans positions - a plan he later put on hold.
There was no discussion during Thursday's curators meeting about specific complaints the faculty might have with Sewell or other administrators.
After the meeting, Rome told the News Tribune, "We all have things that we need to work on so, as we look at this, as president, there are things that I need to focus on and work on."
The same is true for Sewell, as provost, and for the faculty, he said.
"We all have to continuously and collectively commit to addressing the issues," Rome said, "all with the goal of advancing the institution so we better-serve our students.
"If we maintain - in the core of everything we do, the student experience - I think we will all come to the resolutions that we need to arrive at, to serve Lincoln University."
Dana Tippin Cutler, of Kansas City, the board's vice president, added curators get involved officially only under some conditions.
"If it's not a policy issue, really it's probably not in our bailiwick," she said. "But if there's part administrative and a policy change that needs to be made, we need to know that. ...
"We don't want things hanging out there because we have not responded to a concern."