Abigail Shimniok

UW-Oshkosh Chancellor, Andrew Leavitt, made the decision in Oct. to discontinue over 200 non-faculty positions, including 140 layoffs, 76 retirements and approximately 35 open positions being eliminated. This decision has sent the faculty on campus to have the faculty senate hold a no-confidence vote for Leavitt.
According to the Journal of Research on the College President, “Votes of no confidence are typically driven by faculty members who find some aspect of the senior leader’s behavior, management style, openness and decision-making problematic.”
At UW-Oshkosh, a substantial list of signatures has been in circulation among faculty to conduct the no-confidence vote with nine reasons for why Leavitt should face the vote.
Wisconsin State Journal stated, “They (faculty) include Leavitt’s oversight of ‘substantial overspending of revenues’ that contributed to the budget crisis and destruction of student support networks built over decades; failure to address potential enrollment declines; and a disregard for shared governance groups.” The petition cited Leavitt’s reliance on a consulting firm, not faculty and staff governance, to determine layoffs.”
To take a vote, 10% of the UW-Oshkosh faculty must be gathered.
The layoffs were an effort to cut the deficit that multiple UW schools had faced last year. UW-Platteville also faced this by cutting 111 positions. Though, the UW-Oshkosh cuts did not patch-up the budget cuts completely.
UW-Oshkosh also faced closing in-person instruction at the Fond du Lac branch campus due to decreased enrollment and budget cutting.
The Advance-Titan and Wisconsin State Journal provided part of the letter to Faculty Senate President Pascale Manning stating, “The letter states, ‘UW Oshkosh is strong. Our top leadership is not. We are deeply invested in the success of this institution and the quality of the education we provide,” UW-Oshkosh staff continued. “We take no joy in listing the failings of our current leadership. Indeed, we live with their impact every day.”