WAYNE…William Paterson University president Kathleen Waldron has earned a “trifecta of no confidence” votes, according to American Federation of Teachers Local 1796 president Susanna Tardi, a sociology professor. On Tuesday, May 16, the William Paterson AFT local, representing faculty, professional staff and librarians, and the William Paterson CWA local, representing administrative and clerical personnel, joined the Faculty Senate which voted “no confidence” in the President’s ability to move the university forward May 4.
Tardi said, “These votes represent a plea to the Board of Trustees to change the university’s leadership. They cannot be dismissed by the Board of Trustees as votes of dissatisfaction because the President has done nothing to help state contract negotiations. This is about six years of failure to meet key benchmarks in enrollment, retention, and an inability to improve the reputation of the university. This is about a failure to establish top-down accountability, to respect shared governance, and to respect students, faculty and staff. Faculty, professional staff, and clerical staff want the William Paterson Board of Trustees to examine the performance benchmarks that they established and do the right thing—bring on new, fresh leadership.”
The Communications Workers of America Local 1031 WPUNJ president Stephanie Quackenbush said, “President Waldron’s focus has been on buildings instead of people. CWA’s position is that we have a president who refuses to have a conversation regarding any civil service issues. Her lack of respect for the various constituent groups on campus has resulted in low morale and a desire for workers to seek employment outside of the University or to strive for retirement.”
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The William Paterson University AFT Local 1796 represents more than 1,200 dedicated professionals who work with students every day in the classrooms, providing direct support through mentoring, counseling and advising, and keeping the university running. Learn more at http://www.aft-local-1796.org
The Communication Workers of America, Local 1031, represents 280 clerical and administrative workers at the William Paterson University branch. Learn more at http://www.cwa1031.org