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By Ryan Quinn Staff/Gazette Mail Writer
Glenville State College's provost has suggested full-time faculty seeking to do an official no-confidence vote in college President Tracy Pellett could be considered insubordinate and fired for doing so.
Provost Victor Vega and Glenville Board of Governors Vice Chairman Tim Butcher, with the possible support of other college leaders, have twice stopped Faculty Senate attempts to hold such a vote, which Faculty Senate Vice President Kevin Evans said is merely an expression of a lack of support in a president and doesn't force the president out.
Vega and Butcher say the Faculty Senate must include others beyond full-time faculty in their vote.
Faculty Senate President Timothy Henline has been working against the rest of the Faculty Senate on this issue, emails received through a Gazette-Mail open records request show.
The earliest email received requesting that all those with "faculty status" vote was a request sent by Henline to Butcher and Board of Governors Chairman Greg Smith.
"I want to make sure that I am following your will in this process," Henline wrote to them after the Faculty Senate unanimously voted to hold a no-confidence vote, which Henline did not participate in.
"As Faculty Senate President I want to make sure that all faculty voices are heard."
At one point, Evans emailed Corley Dennison, the state Higher Education Policy Commission's vice chancellor for academic affairs, asking whether the Board of Governors or administration could stop the vote.
Dennison advised Evans to work through Henline and Larry Baker, the faculty's representative on the Board of Governors. Dennison also quickly forwarded Evans' email to Baker, then Baker sent it to Henline, then Henline sent it to Vega, the provost.
"It has been expressed to me that faculty believe I am advocating for administration and not faculty," Henline wrote in a letter to faculty last week, after he sent these other emails. "Devoid of emotion and speculation, I rely on facts, research and evidence. I have stated many times that I remain neutral; I have no vote. I mediate between the Faculty Senate and administration."
Butcher wrote to Baker and Henline saying, according to the college's faculty handbook, he wasn't sure a no-confidence vote could be held without approval from Pellett or Vega.
"I would caution you and Tim to proceed very carefully here in a friendly way even though I have no involvement in Faculty Senate matters," Butcher wrote. "I think you two are doing just that. Your idea of getting the HEPC involved or, at least, getting legal advice before going forward is an excellent idea."
Butcher also suggested they recommend to Evans that he get legal advice before proceeding.
"Please know that none of the foregoing constitutes a threat from me," Butcher wrote. "I am merely pointing [out] that there are some legalities involved here and none of us should go off 'half-cocked.'"
Aside from Evans, none of these men agreed to interview requests or answered emailed questions.
The Board of Governors has offered Pellett a one-year contract extension. The board hired Pellett last year.
The HEPC, the state's four-year college oversight board, has yet to take action on the contract extension. Gov. Jim Justice's Blue Ribbon Commission on Four-Year Higher Education, which college presidents lead, is currently considering recommending eliminating the HEPC regulation power.
"It is critical to present a united front during the continued work of the [Blue Ribbon Commission], our accreditation process and the upcoming legislative session, which will include budget appropriations for higher education," Smith told faculty in a letter explaining why the Board of Governors kept Pellett. "Dr. Pellett needs to have time to continue the work he has started, which includes prudent financial management and building relationships in Charleston."
Tension preceded contract vote
At an Oct. 24 Board of Governors meeting, three retired professors expressed "grave concerns about retaining Dr. Tracy Pellett," according to a letter seeking advice from the American Association of University Professors.
The letter was provided by a couple of the four retired professors who are signing it. At least a couple still work for the college in certain ways.
On Oct. 30, the letter says, the Faculty Senate unanimously voted to send a survey to all full-time faculty.
"The President of the Institution must grant permission for Campus-wide emails to be distributed to all members of the faculty," the letter says. "The President denied the request stating that the Survey had not been reviewed by the Institutional Research Board."
The letter says the Board of Governors did step in then, allowing the survey to proceed.
On the morning of Oct. 31, according to a meeting notice on the Secretary of State's Office website, the Board of Governors held an "emergency" meeting "to discuss the President's contract and compensation package."
Because the survey wasn't done at this point, the Faculty Senate "voted electronically" to release to the board results of a poll done in a Faculty Senate closed session.
The poll showed 86 percent of senators "feel that the morale of the college has declined over the last three years," 80 percent "feel that President Pellett is deceitful in his interactions with faculty, staff, students and community," and 60 percent "are intimidated or fearful for their job."
Evans, the Faculty Senate vice president, said he approached 45 of the school's 58 full-time faculty in the limited time before the next Board of Governors meeting on Nov. 7, also dubbed an "emergency" and also regarding Pellett.
Evans said of those 45, 35 signed a statement that "if the vote was taken today, I have no confidence in the leadership by President Tracy Pellett." Evans said he told Board of Governors members about the 35 signatures, but he didn't share the signatures with them and declined to share them publicly.
"With half the faculty not having tenure they're afraid of that letter being seen," he said.
On Nov. 7, the Board of Governors voted 7-4 to extend Pellett's contract.
Evans said the group then voted unanimously -- with 15 of 18 members attending -- on Nov. 13 to have an official no-confidence vote Nov. 15 and Nov. 16.
On Nov. 14, Henline, the Faculty Senate president, wrote to Smith and Butcher, the Board of Governors chairman and vice chairman, saying he'd gotten a call from a concerned department head.
Henline requested that all those with "faculty status" have a say. In a later email, Henline defined faculty status as "essentially anyone who has taught a class this year."
"If the Faculty really wants a voice, I think it imperative that all faculty be able to participate in that voice," Butcher replied. "Only then, can their voice be meaningful." Butcher later wrote that Smith agreed "all faculty must have the right to vote," including volunteers, and Butcher said no vote should occur until Henline authorizes it.
"It came to my attention that there were concerns that all faculty are not getting a voice in the vote," Henline wrote to faculty the morning the vote was to start, Nov. 15. "After conferring with the [Board of Governors] chair and Vice Chair -- I have been so directed that all faculty and those so designated with faculty status be included in such a vote. Thus, a more complete list of all faculty will need to be created before an official vote occurs."
Henline didn't mention then that he'd personally reached out to the board leaders with concerns. A professor later asked Henline whether he initiated the contact and whether there was "any attempt" to hold a Faculty Senate meeting before stopping the no-confidence vote; Henline forwarded the email to Vega, the provost, saying he didn't plan to respond until later.
Evans responded to Henline and other faculty Nov. 15 that he planned to continue with the vote.
"If the Board of Governors wish to convene another vote that includes all personnel that have faculty rank then they can convene a second vote," Evans wrote.
Evans argues it's clear the Faculty Senate represents full-time faculty, but Butcher and Henline dispute this in emails. Vega replied to Evans' intention to proceed.
"Any vote should be delayed until the list [of all those with faculty status] is provided by the HR office," Vega wrote.
Evans replied that he still planned to continue, saying the "Faculty Senate does not directly report to the Board of Governors" and "the Board of Governors is not our boss."
"As the Chief Academic Officer, I report to the Board of Governors and as such, the faculty reports to me," Vega replied. "Until I heard [sic] differently from the Board of Governors, the Vote is to be delayed."
Evans emailed Vega and Pellett, asking whether he could be considered insubordinate if he moved forward with the vote. There's no email reply, but Evans said Vega said he could be.
Evans said that last week, the Faculty Senate unanimously voted [again, with 15 members there] to do a no-confidence vote, this time specifying full-time faculty only.
Vega then wrote to Henline that, "I reiterate that the Board of Governors has directed me to communicate that any vote of confidence include all faculty including adjunct and those with faculty status."
Vega also wrote that "I also might add that section 18.12 section 12.1.3 of Policy 18 details the procedure for refusal to abide by legitimate reasonable directions of administrators. Please be sure this message is passed along to the full faculty senate."
That section is titled "Dismissal."
Reach Ryan Quinn at ryan.quinn@wvgazettemail.com, facebook.com/ryanedwinquinn, 304-348-1254 or follow @RyanEQuinn on | 
