Provost Brian Blake is stepping down from his position after he was announced as Georgia State University’s sole finalist for the position of president.
Media Credit: Hatchet File Photo
Imani Cheers, who will serve as the interim senior associate provost for undergraduate education, is the first Black woman to serve as SMPA’s associate director.
Provost Brian Blake announced Monday officials will appoint two professors to serve as interim vice provost for research and interim senior associate provost for undergraduate education, effective next month.
Blake told faculty in an email that Carla Berg, a professor of prevention and community health, will serve as the interim vice provost for research and Imani Cheers, the associate director of the School of Media and Public Affairs, will serve as the interim senior associate provost for undergraduate education, both starting June 1. The interim appointments come as steps in Blake’s restructuring of the provost’s office, which began last summer.
Media Credit: Danielle Towers | Assistant Photo Editor
The vote responds to concerns raised at the last assembly in November when faculty had to suspend a rule that only permitted voting rights if members attended the meeting in person.
News By Yankun Zhao May 10, 2021 9:49 AM
The Faculty Senate passed a resolution Friday permitting online voting at regular or special Faculty Assembly meetings.
The resolution states that members of the assembly, which is open to all faculty with full-time faculty serving as voting members, may be considered “present” and therefore qualified to vote if they’re virtually in attendance at a meeting permitted to be held online. The vote responds to concerns raised at the last assembly meeting in November when faculty needed to suspend a rule that only permitted voting rights if members attended the meeting in person.
Media Credit: Hatchet File Photo
LeBlanc has said he plans to engage the GW community with regular communication as the University looks toward post-pandemic operations.
News By Zach Schonfeld Apr 26, 2021 2:18 AM
As University President Thomas LeBlanc found himself increasingly at odds with faculty while the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, he locked in on a defined messaging strategy – communicate regularly and don’t overpromise.
At each defining moment over the past year, like summer demonstrations fueled by the murder of George Floyd, an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and extensions of remote learning, the University community’s inboxes have been filled with messages from a regular sender – “President Thomas J. LeBlanc.” As the Board of Trustees works to conduct its standard review of LeBlanc, the University president also faces growing criticism from faculty who have been calling for him to resign since last February.
Media Credit: File Photos by Jack Borowiak and Jack Fonseca | Staff Photographers
As the Board of Trustees conduct its regular review of University President Thomas LeBlanc, some faculty doubt that LeBlanc will be able to rebuild trust with the community.
Faculty said University President Thomas LeBlanc may not be able to salvage relationships with the GW community on the heels of a year marked by ongoing tensions between the two and calls for LeBlanc to resign.
Tensions between LeBlanc and faculty members have been escalating since last February but have heightened this past year as various student groups, faculty and alumni launched petitions and statements criticizing his performance and calling for his resignation. Now, as the Board of Trustees works to conduct its standard review of LeBlanc – which they last conducted in spring 2019 – half a dozen faculty members said relations with the administration may have “passed the point of no return,” as they continue to await