The Westmoreland apartment complex’s future was at the center of President Dave Frohnmayer’s State of the University speech presented to the University Senate at a meeting Wednesday, and faculty attending the meeting criticized the president for disregarding their recommendations.
In his speech, Frohnmayer emphasized the need to sell the property in order to improve the residence halls around campus. He said the residence halls in need of renovation are detrimental to attendance.
He also said that the sale would assist in getting the University out of debt.
When confronted by faculty members regarding the lack of communication between the administration and the Senate, which has opposed the sale, Frohnmayer said that the administration should not have to consider the concerns of the faculty.
Frohnmayer said that it is difficult to discuss the possibility of selling a property without discussing actually selling the property.
“If we are not prepared to proceed with the sale, we should not discuss the sale at all,” he said.
He also said that the Senate had no legal authority in the matter, and therefore shouldn’t need to be consulted.
Geography professor Shaul Cohen responded directly to Frohnmayer during a question and answer session following the address.
“For you to tell us to mind our own business where we have no legal authority is disenfranchising and disheartening,” he said.
Concerned professors argued that Frohnmayer’s advocacy for the sale did not account for the cost of human life; Frohnmayer disagreed. He also said he would not have considered selling Westmoreland without the interest of all University students in mind.
Frohnmayer also insisted on the urgency needed in selling the apartment complex.
He said that prolonged discussion “in this world” prevents action when faced with a crisis and underscored that the purchase of critical properties around Franklin Boulevard would be impossible without the funds from the Westmoreland sale.
“This opportunity is only available once a century,” he said.
Frohnmayer also said that no action regarding the sale of Westmoreland would be taken until May.
Senate President Peter Keyes said the Senate’s main concern isn’t necessarily the proposed sale of Westmoreland, but the lack of communication to the Senate involving the sale of Westmoreland.
“(Frohnmayer) needs to open up discussion and other issues need to be adequately discussed,” Keyes said.
The Senate recently passed a resolution calling for more disclosure about the proposed sale because some senators feel that they have not received adequate information.
“We haven’t been given all the information or the opportunity to talk about it in a systematic way,” Cohen said.
Other issues raised controversy, including the lack of information on the University’s newly proposed medical degree program. Senators said they were among the last people to know about the newly proposed medical school.
Frohnmayer said he regrets not informing the Senate sooner, and joked about posting an online diary updated with developments at the University.
“There is not a desired gulf of secrecy,” he said.
After the State of the University meeting, Senators decided to postpone discussions regarding the military-funded research forum until the next Senate meeting.
They also discussed plans forgetting the vice president of the Senate on the staff of the Faculty Advisory Council, a confidential body, so that the Senate could have members participating in the closed discussions of the Westmoreland sale.
Senators also addressed proposed changes to the student conduct code, and geography professor W. Andrew Marcus proposed a motion in the senate to allow emeritus faculty to introduce legislation and hold the senate floor. The motion will be voted on during the March 8 senate meeting.
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