Provost Donald Para reiterated Wednesday that College of Liberal Arts Dean Gerry Riposa’s resignation was “firm and final” as CLA faculty voiced concerns ranging from rumors that Riposa was forced to leave his post to the future of the college.
About 50 faculty members attended the CLA faculty council meeting in the Academic Senate Conference Room. Professor Ron Loewe asked about rumors that Para had “forced out” Riposa.
“It was a decision [Riposa and I] made jointly and that’s the bottom line,” Para said.
Faculty council meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month during the academic year, but this month’s meeting centered around a discussion regarding Riposa’s resignation.
Members of the faculty had recently submitted a petition to keep the dean from stepping down after the April announcement that he would leave after June 2012. The petition expressed support for Riposa, stating a “genuine vote of confidence” in the dean’s vision and leadership skills. The petition gathered more than 100 signatures, 75 percent of which were CLA department chairs.
The CLA student council also submitted an open letter to President F. King Alexander questioning the university administration’s handling of the situation.
“The lack of transparency and blatant disrespect shown by the administration toward student leaders and their own faculty is a serious cause for alarm,” the letter read.
CLA faculty also raised issues regarding a leadership change, specifically during difficult budget times. The provost stressed that a new dean would not greatly affect such decisions.
“The hardest part of the decisions will be made before this year,” Para said. “The leader doesn’t set the vision. You set the vision,” he added.
Para told CLA faculty the process to hire a new dean would involve a search committee composed of faculty and staff, per university policy, but added that he and Alexander would make the final decision.
Riposa will continue to teach in the political science department.
CSULB’s Academic Affairs Office will begin searching for a dean in fall 2012 but will use an outside firm to do so. The process will cost the university some $70,000, Para said. This includes $50,000 for the firm and another $20,000 for candidate accommodations.
“We are very concerned to keep the dialogue open — not just in the search but in other areas,” said Vlatka Velcic, associate professor of comparative literature, regarding the future of the CLA.
Some faculty wondered how the CLA will be affected by budget cuts, asking questions regarding department consolidation and elimination.
“I don’t have a preconceived notion as to how this is going to go,” Para said regarding department consolidation and budget cuts. “I don’t see the campus looking dramatically different … but we’re going to have to look at how to save some money.”
Para also said that each CSULB college would deal with budget cuts differently, saying that the CLA might have to “examine programs that haven’t graduated people in a while.”
The Cal State University is currently facing a $500 million reduction in state support, but may likely face a $1 billion reduction if certain state tax extensions are not implemented before the next academic year.
The CSU said it would raise tuition by 32 percent to mediate a $1 billion drop in state support, but Para said that would not be enough.
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