MARQUETTE, MI— The following is a release from the Northern Michigan University chapter of the American Association of University Professors from Friday, 10/15/21:
"Northern Michigan University’s faculty union (NMU-AAUP) voted today on a resolution of no confidence in the NMU Board of Trustees. The resolution passed with a vote of 141 for and 20 against stating:
"The NMU Chapter of AAUP has no confidence in the ability of the Board of Trustees of Northern Michigan University to oversee and carry out the general supervision of the institution and the control and direction of all expenditures from the institution's funds. As evident in the Board of Trustees recent handling of executive personnel and ongoing labor relations, this Board has created an environment of chaos and dysfunction which is not conducive to an effective institution of higher learning.
"Leading up to the resolution, the faculty cited numerous facts including but not limited to the Board’s poor handling of ex-university president Fritz Erickson’s termination, the Board’s numerous failures during the faculty contract negotiation process, the Board’s unwillingness to solve serious financial allocation problems at the university, the Board’s allowing public lies from their top employees to go uncorrected, and the Board’s movement of critical university resources toward administrative expenses and away from instructional costs, which were already severely underfunded."
The Northern Board of Trustees had the following response:
“The NMU Board of Trustees acknowledges that the AAUP has the right to hold a referendum, but the Board will not be commenting.”
