Piedmont faculty votes no confidence in Mellichamp's leadership

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  • A majority of Piedmont University faculty members voted Monday to approve a resolution of no confidence in President James Mellichamp’s leadership.
    A majority of Piedmont University faculty members voted Monday to approve a resolution of no confidence in President James Mellichamp’s leadership.
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Piedmont University’s Faculty Senate called for a vote of no confidence during a school-wide assembly Monday in a symbolic and formal statement of disapproval over what was described as unsound leadership of President James Mellichamp, according to a resolution released by members of the senate faculty.

The resolution describes Mellichamp as “damaging to the reputation, stature and sustainability” of the university. It was read aloud during the assembly by professor of nursing and faculty senate member Chanda Carlan, detailing what the resolution describes as financial incompetence and dysfunction that has placed Piedmont in a “dire” financial state.

“The lack of consistency in the financial offices has not led to a reputable and reliable budgetary formation,” the resolution states. “This lack of supervisory oversight and lack of full understanding by [Mellichamp] has left Piedmont University in a dire financial position. Evidence of this is our current financial status as well as his self-statement of the administration making a two million dollar ‘boo-boo in the budgeting process.’”

There also has been contradictions concerning Piedmont’s financial wellbeing under Mellichamp, according to the resolution, which goes on to state that Mellichamp reported to faculty in November the university was in “solid financial standing” and that “things were moving ahead with the construction of a new dormitory and reconstruction of an existing dormitory.”

In a called faculty meeting three months later, though, the resolution says Mellichamp stated that “because of the lost student population,
significant cuts would have to be made to staff and faculty to
compensate for budget shortfalls” – which resulted in a 12 percent cut to faculty.

“​​President Mellichamp’s stated budget formation was determined from the previous comparative semester,” the resolution says. “As stated by the President in a faculty assembly during the reduction in force meeting, he stated he knew as early as the first of January of the University’s dire financial standing for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

The resolution goes on to allege that Mellichamp’s “refusal” to provide accurate budgetary information to faculty and staff “clearly represents a lack of financial transparency within the financial administration of Piedmont University.”

Piedmont University cut faculty and staff by 12 percent in March amid continued construction and expansion of school facilities – which was also noted in the resolution in stating, “During President Mellichamp’s tenure, Piedmont University has engaged in extensive and numerous expansions in real estate ventures that have led to significant financial obligations for the university. None of these ventures have provided any financial return on the incumbent of these funds.”

“The lack of a guaranteed financial return does not represent sound financial reasoning by [Mellichamp],” the resolution reads. “On the contrary, the President has informed the faculty and staff at previous assemblies that Piedmont University was ‘out of the construction business.’”

The resolution reveals other alleged failures by Mellichamp, from improper oversight of Piedmont’s academic mission to insufficient management of personnel, stating that [Mellichamp] “has repeatedly stated to faculty, administration and publicly to faculty and staff that if faculty did not like his management, they could ‘leave’,” and that he identified himself “as not liked and an “ogre.”

Mellichamp is also accused of negligent leadership and of fostering and taking part in “retaliatory action” – specifically in the handling of alleged inner-turmoil in Dean Julie Behr’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Upon requesting a meeting with administration to “discuss issues within the management structure” of the college of nursing in November, according to the resolution, following Mellichamp’s assurance that “the issue would be addressed,” the information expressed to Mellichamp in confidence by a faculty member was then “leaked to nursing management,” which “led to retaliatory, adverse and unprofessional behaviors on behalf of the nursing management” under Behr.

“When the President advised that a reduction in force was needed due to budgetary constraints, one of the original complainant faculty was terminated, and one was reduced to a part-time position,” the resolution says. “This can only be viewed as a retaliatory action.”

Further instances of targeting and retaliatory behavior allegedly fostered and executed by Mellichamp were detailed in the resolution. Regarding the state of deficient management in the College of Nursing, according to the resolution, the issues surrounding the situation were discussed in late-April at a faculty senate meeting.

Then, the following week, the resolution states, an administrative email detailing a potential course of action to remedy the issue was sent to that senate member. In May, Mellichamp held a round table meeting with nursing faculty for discussion of the issues brought forth, questioning Mellichamp over the leak of confidential information and the subject of nursing faculty retention to no avail, according to the resolution.

“[Mellichamp] was indifferent to the members present and their concerns,” the resolution says. “When a poll was taken as to which faculty were searching for new jobs, each person raised their hand, as well as [Mellichamp]. [Mellichamp’s concessions for the remedy of the management of the Nursing and Health Sciences College issue was to hire a leadership coach for the manager.”

A lack of communication, ineffective administrative management and general indifference to the the input of others by Mellichamp has led to an overall academic downfall within Piedmont University, according to the resolution, which emphasizes “a recent exodus of students from the graduate online programs from last fall to spring semester” as evidence of the university’s current crisis.

“A lack of the compilation of data reflecting the effectiveness of the existing core curriculum

and the basis of the need for change to pre-existing core curriculum reflects a general disconnect from faculty and lack of understanding. A lack of communication represents President Mellichamp’s indifference to overall faculty input, design, and expertise,” the resolution says. “[Mellichamp] has consistently stated that retention of faculty is not an issue at Piedmont University and is evidenced in the ‘strategic’ plan for the university. The desire to expand online academic delivery without consideration of faculty

staff sufficient to deliver existing courses is evidence of indifference and lack of sound management practices. The lack of focus has further compromised existing graduate and undergraduate students’ desire for in-person instruction.”

Mellichamp has been plagued by a range of controversies while at the helm of the university, including numerous lawsuits which are also detailed in the resolution, which describes the pending litigation against Mellichamp as issues that have “brought stress and embarrassment to the university and faculty.”

In a resounding call of disapproval of Mellichamp, a final vote among the 90-plus faculty present was 51-34, Carlan said.

Following the vote, Carlan said faculty members – some of whom she’s never met – have approached her to offer their gratitude after her reading of the declaration Monday, as she felt she was speaking on behalf of all those who’ve felt alienated and disillusioned by Mellichamp’s actions as president.

“Monday was a very sad day for Piedmont University, but for me to learn of the silent suffering of more and more faculty and staff is immeasurably more sad,” said Carlan, who then quoted a recent guest speaker at a graduate ceremony who spoke of leadership qualities that resonated with her – empathy, honesty, transparency and humility.

“Our current president lacks all of those,” Carlan said.

Professor of Mass Communications and Chair of the Faculty Senate, Dale Van Cantfort, in a statement to The Northeast Georgian, said, “It is with a heavy heart that I report to you regarding a called meeting of the entire faculty on Monday, May 9, 2022. The following resolution was approved by a majority vote of the faculty in attendance.”

As required by the resolution and serving as Chair of Faculty Senate at Piedmont University, the statement reads, Cantfort delivered copies of the resolution to the University Board of Trustees, the full senate of Piedmont University, Mellichamp and local media outlets.

Professor Carlos Camp also spoke to The Northeast Georgian and stated his own dismay regarding the situation following Monday’s vote.

“The whole situation is unfortunate,” Camp said.

Mellichamp responded by email Tuesday when asked for comment.

“We appreciate the faculty bringing issues to our attention which we look forward to working on collaboratively as we continue moving the University forward,” Mellichamp said.

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