Lincoln University's faculty members - apparently still upset with administrators' plans to hold national searches for two dean's positions now held by two longtime LU leaders - held a 75-minute closed door meeting Thursday.
"It was a lively meeting, but nothing definitive was decided," Faculty Senate Chair Bryan Salmons told the News Tribune. "A lot of what was discussed will be forwarded into committees, and brought forward as formal business in future regular sessions."
At the faculty's past Sept. 24 meeting, Said Sewell, Lincoln's provost and academic affairs vice president, confirmed LU will conduct searches for the deans of the Professional Studies and Arts and Sciences colleges - positions currently held by Linda Bickel and Ruthi Sturdevant.
At one point in that last meeting, many of the faculty voiced disapproval when Sewell said the current administration had not had a chance to choose its leaders.
Many of the faculty members applauded last month when one colleague asked Sewell: "If the faculty are not unhappy with the performance of our current dean, why are we changing?"
LU President Kevin Rome said Thursday: "Because it is a personnel matter, I am not at liberty to comment."
However, Rome added: "As you can imagine, this situation places me in a very difficult position.
"I have great respect and admiration for both Dr. Sturdevant and Dr. Bickel."
Salmons, an LU English associate professor, didn't provide additional details, but said he expected more discussion when the Faculty Senate holds its next regular meeting Oct. 29.
As Faculty Senate chair, he makes regular reports to Lincoln's curators board - which next is scheduled to meet on Nov. 12.
Salmons called Thursday's meeting "an attempt to provide a forum where all faculty felt free to speak, without the presence of supervisors or reporters."
Only teaching faculty who met certain criteria were admitted to the meeting.
Two men holding copies of a list with 125 names asked people to identify themselves - and be checked off the list - before they were allowed into the Martin Luther King Hall meeting room.
Outside thge meeting room, raised voices several times were heard along with several bursts of applause.
People leaving the room generally had serious expressions and none would comment for this story.