Lincoln University Provost Said Sewell's announcement of a planned national search to fill two deans' positions has been postponed.
"In institutions that President (Kevin) Rome and I have been privileged to serve across this country, it is customary for a new administration to make personnel changes in order to advance its vision," Sewell wrote in a Friday email to LU faculty and staff addressed as "colleagues."
"Such precedent in most universities may not be the culture at Lincoln University."
Sewell, who also is LU's Academic Affairs vice president, last month told the school's Faculty Senate that LU administrators intended to make national searches for the deans' jobs in the College of Professional Studies, currently held by Linda Bickel, and in the College of Arts and Sciences, now held by Ruthi Sturdevant.
Both women have been long-time LU leaders with appointments to various administrative positions by several previous presidents.
Sturdevant also is an LU graduate. She served as interim provost for Rome, until Sewell was hired in 2014.
His comments at the Sept. 24 Senate open meeting prompted a 35-minute discussion and a second, 75-minute special Faculty Senate meeting last week that was closed to all except voting Senate members.
Faculty Senate Chairman Bryan Salmons said last week the closed session "was a lively meeting, a lot of what was discussed will be forwarded into committees, and brought forward as formal business in future regular sessions."
The Senate's next scheduled meeting is Oct. 29.
In his email Friday, Sewell said: "Because I am first and foremost faculty, and I value the great strides that we have made - from salary adjustments to faculty contracts being distributed at the end of the spring semester - toward becoming a stronger university, I have recommended to the President and he has agreed with my rationale to postpone the Dean search."
That, Salmons said Monday, "resolves an issue covered in the meeting."
But it may not end faculty members' apparent unhappiness.
"Other issues remain unresolved," Salmons said Monday. "I am not at liberty at present to discuss what those issues are specifically."
He said last week he expects more discussion at the Oct. 29 meeting, which occurs two weeks before Lincoln's Curators are scheduled to have their next meeting.
Sewell's email didn't mention a target date for re-launching the search effort.
"President Rome and I appreciate the collegiality of the faculty in making your sentiments known," he wrote.
"Know that we are always open to listening to your perspectives. I look forward to working with each of you as we continue to advance President Rome's agenda."
Other than Sewell's references to him, Rome has made no public statements about the proposed deans' searches or any other possible faculty issue.