A sign at the entrance to Haskell Indian Nations University is shown Friday, Aug. 5, 2016.
The Faculty Senate at Haskell Indian Nations University declared on Friday that it had no confidence in the university’s vice president of academics, Melanie Daniel.
Criticisms of the vice president’s leadership included a lack of confidence in Daniel’s engagement with shared governance, collegial culture of academic integrity and transparent communication.
The decision came just weeks after Haskell’s Faculty Senate unanimously declared it had no confidence in the university president, Ronald Graham.
Daniel did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Journal-World regarding the vote of no confidence and the criticisms of her leadership. The vote was unanimous, with 15 people voting “yes” to the resolution and no one voting “no” or abstaining from the vote.
photo by: Richard Gwin/Journal-World File Photo
In this file photo from May 15, 2016, University of Kansas mascot Big Jay is dressed in graduation regalia during KU s commencement.
After the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of commencement celebrations last spring, at least two universities in Douglas County have elected to host commencements this May celebrating the classes of 2021 and 2020.
The University of Kansas and Baker University will both hold commencement celebrations over two different weekends in May. Douglas County’s other university, Haskell Indian Nations University, has not yet released any plans about graduation.
KU
KU will host three graduation ceremonies in one day for its Class of 2021 graduates this spring.
photo by: Chad Lawhorn
Haskell Indian Nations University President Ronald Graham provides closing remarks at a Veterans Day celebration at the university on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020.
Story updated at 4:21 p.m. Wednesday:
The director of the Bureau of Indian Education has rescinded directives sent by Haskell Indian Nations University leaders that restricted how employees could communicate, stating that the bureau is committed to freedom of expression.
In a Tuesday letter to Haskell faculty and staff, Tony Dearman, director of the BIE, said a March 11 memorandum from Haskell president Ronald Graham regarding the chain of command and how employees should address issues has been rescinded.
Federal official rescinds Haskell orders on employee speech
April 7, 2021
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) The director of the Bureau of Indian Education has rescinded directives that regulated public communication for employees at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.
BIE director Tony Dearman notified Haskell faculty and staff in a letter Tuesday that he was rescinding a directive that forbid Haskell employees from publicly discussing issues they had with the school without going through a chain of command. A second directive said Haskell employees could not talk to the media without prior permission.
Dearman said the BIE supports free speech rights for staff, faculty and students. He also noted regulations and standards governing the public communications of Haskell employees can be found in the U.S. Department of the Interior’s manual. The Interior Department oversees the BIE.
Faculty at Haskell Indian Nations University have formally expressed their displeasure with the school’s president, who is also facing criticism from a national campus free speech organization that says his administration violated the First Amendment rights of students and staff.
On April 1, the Haskell Faculty Senate delivered a unanimous vote of no confidence against university president Ronald Graham, The Indian Leader reported.
The resolution says Graham’s one-year tenure has been marked by a disregard for academic freedom and free speech, and that he undercut Faculty Senate influence on academic matters.
Graham issued a “non-negotiable” memo early this month directing staff and faculty to voice their criticisms of the school, their peers and his administration internally through the university’s chain of command. He said any detractors who criticize the school publicly will face consequences.