MUNCIE — The Ball State University board of trustees voted 9-0 on Jan. 25 to accept the resignation of President Paul Ferguson.
That's the way the board's votes seem to go all the time, which, according to one expert, raises a red flag.
"There is nothing reassuring about a series of completely unanimous votes without dissent," says Michael Poliakoff, vice president of policy at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). "The academy, of all places, needs to be a model of the importance of robust public discussion and dissenting opinions, all the way from the board down into the classroom. This is not a private corporation, and it needs to exemplify these issues of public discussion and transparency."
Ball State's trustees tell The Star Press they get into debates/arguments all the time when they meet behind closed doors in executive session; they just don't bring that friction with them to their public meetings.
The board is under scrutiny from the press, faculty, students and others because of its refusal to explain why its president, who was well liked on campus, resigned after only 17 months in office. There are indications the resignation was forced.
One student who organized a protest told board members their lack of transparency has made them "illegitimate." Faculty members have written letters demanding that the board resign and calling the secrecy "appalling" and "seriously damaging" to the institution. A draft resolution being considered by the Faculty Council says the board "should never have agreed to forfeit the taxpayers' right to know how their money is being spent." The board is paying Ferguson one year of his base salary, $450,000, plus two months of paid sabbatical to leave town. The terms of the severance package require mutual confidentiality and non-disparagement.
In May of 2013, the trustees voted 8-1 to ban smoking on campus, including designated outdoor smoking areas, after hearty discussion. Trustee Tom Bracken was the lone dissenter, saying, "The Libertarian in me forces me to vote no." President Jo Ann Gora also weighed in, arguing that smoking should be permitted in football tailgating areas.