Who knew? Basically, everyone wants to talk these days and we’re barely able to field all the phone calls. (Who wants to help pay for extra cell phone minutes this month? Goodness.)
We mentioned in the first story about Robert Felner (read that HERE) that there was a vote of no confidence in him by UofL faculty and we are finally ready to publish those notes. We didn’t plan on doing so until Felner’s attorney, Scott Cox, took it upon himself to declare that everything on the internet was filled with “misinformation” a few moments ago on WHAS11′s 5:00 P.M. newscast. For the record: My sources are law enforcement officials, officers, UofL officials, faculty, staff, former employers, coworkers, et al. I don’t peddle misinformation and I take my integrity seriously.
So. That vote. Enjoy the minutes from that faculty meeting regarding Robert Felner’s vote of No Confidence. We’ve decided to publish initials instead of full names to protect those who don’t deserve to have their names in the press.
Here’s the juiciest portion of the minutes:
P.P. gave the following reasons why he supported the motion: Public humiliation of faculty, work place harassment, retaliation for voicing opinions, little or no governance, decisions that hurt College, unacceptable and unfair hiring practice; rude, offensive, unethical behavior by CEHD representatives; denial of support for research to those who differ in opinion; and extreme inequity of pay.
Now for the full minutes.
Motion 1: “Move that a vote of No Confidence in Dean Robert Felner now by secret ballot by tenured and probationary faculty.”
Motion 2: “That an ad hoc committee be formed to promote faculty governance, to revise the Bylaws of the College of Education and Human Development, and that the committee be comprised of one faculty member from each department, elected now, at this meeting, by the entire faculty, by secret ballot.”
Motion to add motions was seconded by E.M. Call for secret ballot. Robert clarified that a “Yes” vote would add these items and suspend agenda to deal with these items first. A “No” would mean that the meeting would continue with agenda as written. Vote: Yes=36; No=16 Motion passed.
Motion from P.P.: Vote of no confidence in Robert’s leadership. Motion seconded. Discussion. Robert asked for those who wanted to speak to the motion.
Read the rest after the jump…
P.P. gave the following reasons why he supported the motion: Public humiliation of faculty, work place harassment, retaliation for voicing opinions, little or no governance, decisions that hurt College, unacceptable and unfair hiring practice; rude, offensive, unethical behavior by CEHD representatives; denial of support for research to those who differ in opinion; and extreme inequity of pay.
N.C. said when she came to this country sixteen years ago, she believed in fairness because that is what this country represented to her, and that her experience in the college for the last few years has shaken her belief in fairness. She said she experienced the exact opposite. One of the things that has bothered her is that the hiring practice and committee works have not been respected and that many times people were hired without being interviewed by the search committee. She said many people, from assistant to full professor, came to tell her how depressed they were. She stated that we are working in an environment where people do not trust one another any more. She is committed to this college and this university and plans to work here for the next 20 years. She closed by saying we need to set things right, and the moment has come for us to speak up.
S.S. – votes like this should not be taken lightly. A vote such as this will be extremely harmful to our reputation. Directions of the College are keeping with the university; Robert has hired wonderful young faculty in recent years. Sam stated to Pedro that he is open to looking at data, but not voting on slanderous remarks.
J.P. said some of his concerns are the same as S’s. He reminded faculty that we are in the midst of hiring and now is the time to hold together and not divide ourselves. He stated that he doesn’t always agree with the dean, but the general direction of the college is going where it is supposed to go. If Robert were to leave tomorrow, we would still need to head down the same road. It is a healthy move because the dean is open to dialogue.
B.R. – Change is very difficult, more in the CEHD than any place within the university, because we did NOT change in the beginning when the rest of the university changed. What has happened since Robert has been here is that we’ve repaired relationships with school systems and the Kentucky Department of Education, realigned with the university, and have been given an unprecedented amount of resources. Robert was not brought here to make people happy, but to put us on the map.
Robert asked if there were others who wished to speak.
S.L. – In a recent luncheon for junior faculty, the Provost made it very clear that junior faculty hired within last few years were hired to put UofL on the map. She told them that UofL was mandate by the State to become preeminent metropolitan research university. She told them there would be immense growing pains, and it would be very competitive. The Provost/President’s agenda is with us regardless of whether or not Robert is in place.
T.M. – The CEHD is moving to align with UofL, not competing with ourselves or within university, but are competing nationally. Robert came to us with national prominence. We need to tone down our stress. Lots of reviews going on, NCATE, new hires, etc. and think of how we’re going to get there and do it together. We need to bring in great doctoral and graduate students and this will not happen if we vote against our dean. Get to roots of problems.
E.M. – said she did not appreciate Bob’s “fear” tactic. She said she was thoroughly excited when Robert was hired. She said many of the
“unhappy” faculty are productive and the process started with Ray Nystrand, including years when Doug was here, we’ve been steadily getting better each year. Extremely hurtful things have been done to faculty over the past few years. Biggest issue is the lack of faculty governance. Almost nothing is discussed, even within departments.B.W. – we have brought on much of this ourselves. Faculty need to know what their rights and responsibilities are such as serving on committees, working with the dean’s office, and making decisions about curriculum.
Robert Felner – I don’t always agree with everybody, and they don’t always agree with me. When I got here people were in groups making budget cut decisions; the President was not happy with us; JCPS was not happy with us; we do not have time to deal with issues because we’re on a fast track; there are compliance issues, etc.; it’s okay to disagree with me.there is a grievance process. I was accused of seizing an entire department’s budget, but grievance filed 28 days after person was reimbursed. People are depressed, so am I. There is a tradition of personal attacks on each other and the dean; we are supposed to be civil and stay on issues.
Clarification: In response to P’s comment, Robert asked J.P. if S.S. was voted on by the ELFH department; J affirmed that he was. Affirmative Action has always been followed.
Robert Felner – The Board of Trustees is telling me to go faster and faster. I spend more time dealing with negative issues instead of focusing on funding. Our scorecard target for publications is 150–we have 40. We have not hit our $10M target in extramural funding. Salary adjustments have been given to many faculty to address inequities. Discussion happens in faculty meetings, and if we need more meetings, then we will have them monthly. President and Provost fully support me [Robert], even though they have concerns about the College.
P.P. – The issue the dean referred to regarding seizing a department’s budget and failing to reimburse was another misrepresentation among many others that I will not get into and will be dealt with later. The issue here remains, if the faculty wish this climate of fear, retaliation and ineffective leadership to continue, then vote that way.
Call for vote. Seconded. Request that faculty member be allowed to assist in the counting of the votes. Yes = means no confidence; No = means you support the dean. Vote: Yes = 27; No = 24; Abstained = 2; Motion passed
Certain folks can stop accusing me of spreading misinformation or trying to bring somebody down. We deal with facts here. If you want to attack my message, fine. But to attack me? At least have the balls to attack me in-person and not on-camera, not on the radio, not in print and not behind my back where I don’t have the opportunity to respond. I believe I have been more than fair with this story and have provided facts and information at a time when no one else in the media other than Gary Kunich in Kenosha, Wisconsin could be bothered to, you know, report.
35 responses so far ↓
1 Terri // Jun 25, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Jake, you are catty, but you are no gossip peddler. Good reporting. -T
2 jake // Jun 25, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Hey! I DO peddle in gossip occasionally. Just not when it comes to serious matters. And even when I’m gossiping, there’s almost always a document or two to lead me to my gossip-y conclusions.
3 Cissy // Jun 25, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Thanks for reporting this. The vote of no confidence was only the first of many pieces of evidence we shared with the provost over the years. You ought to look into the number of faculty who met with the grievance officer over the years–it is more than all the other colleges combined. You might ask about the faculty member who went on a hunger strike for 7 days in protest of this man’s “leadership.” You might ask how it was he hired friends from outside at high paying positions, why he paid his girlfriend with only an MEd more than most Phds with 20 years experience got. And what about that Just Solutions fiasco?The provost spends your tax dollars to hire a company to interview faculty about this guy and then concludes all is well. Why did so many faculty leave the university — including those initials in the transcript above who spoke against this man? We all lived in fear and retaliation for 5 years.
4 jake // Jun 25, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Cissy–
Thank you for the comment.
I promise to report much more over the coming days. We’ve amassed a ton of information about Felner’s girlfriend, Natalie, but can’t find anything conclusive beyond she’s younger, less-educated and was paid more than she was worth. Maybe something else will turn up, though.
5 Cissy // Jun 25, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Natalie was discovered by Felner when she was working at the state dept. She was given the co-director of the Nystrand Center after Felner nudged the then-director out. So, she started to be in charge of state funded projects about which she knew little or nothing. She’s smart enough and kind and thus probably didn’t mess up too much. Problem was Felner hired lots of people this way, some highly incompetent. There’s so much more. It is all quite depressing and sad and reliving it through this blog is not theraputic so this might be my last post.
6 alan harbig // Jun 25, 2008 at 10:56 pm
From professional contact and experience, I can say with certainty that Just Solutions is total BS hand-wringing crap. They come up with the answer they’re paid to deliver. A complete joke.
7 alan harbig // Jun 25, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Cissy,
No one knows better than I do (except maybe Jake) how hard it is to tell the truth in a public way. It’s not therapeutic and it sucks, but it also defines your personal integrity and commitment to real values. By the way, it can also be unbearably expensive, but if you know something that law enforcement should know, please consider contacting someone at the USAA’s office.
8 JB // Jun 26, 2008 at 11:18 am
If you’re going to hide the names in the transcript, you might want to edit the comments better. Referring to Sam Stingfield as “Sam” and Bob Ronau as “Bob” kinda defeats the purpose. However, as someone in that meeting, I can attest that these notes are accurate.
9 Tirnstile // Jun 26, 2008 at 11:20 am
Just discovered your website, and am following this story closley. Keep up the good work!
10 Tirnstile // Jun 26, 2008 at 11:21 am
Just discovered your website, and am following this story closely. Keep up the good work!
11 jake // Jun 26, 2008 at 11:35 am
JB – some back story: Decided to leave a first name or two in the notes because it wouldn’t entirely out them and would also prove to those ‘in-the-know’ individuals that this is a legitimate document.
In all honesty, there would have been nothing wrong with publishing the names in full. We just wanted to be a little courteous.
12 Karen // Jun 26, 2008 at 1:06 pm
P.P. – you said it all – he did the same thing at URI – sadly, no one would listen to 27 women who had been harmed by this man.
13 jake // Jun 26, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Karen– The truth ALWAYS comes out.
And if you’ve got URI info that’s not already out there for public consumption, give me a yell.
14 Bill // Jun 26, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Jake, there is a new girlfriend…Jennifer. She also was hired at a salary much higher than one would expect.
15 jake // Jun 26, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Four ex-wives and ANOTHER girlfriend?!
I can’t even maintain ONE relationship. Jesus. This makes me feel like an old man.
16 Jack // Jun 26, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Interesting that the naysayers aren’t present here. Consider them gone with this information, I suppose!
Great reporting, Jake. Too bad you had to justify yourself to this degree just to get people to listen, but it is an unbelievable Interwebs out there, after all. :)
Keep up the great work!
17 jake // Jun 26, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Okay. Have determined that Felner has three ex-wives and one wife still in RI and girlfriend(s).
Just wanted to clear that up a bit.
There are also now rumors floating our way from UofL folks suggesting that money was directed to a fictional organization in the Chicago area. It’s all just rumor, but if anyone has addition intel– feed it our way for proper research.
18 DM // Jun 27, 2008 at 9:34 am
Regarding Natalie Stiglitz, prior to going to UL, her highest career achievement was that of asst. principal at a junior high school in Henry Co. – and for less than a year in that position. Certainly unqualified to co-direct a major center in higher education. In our zip code, we have a name for women who sell themselves for money.
19 Terri // Jun 27, 2008 at 9:47 am
Do you also have a name for men who take advantage of their positions of authority? Because that is what this case is about – not judging and moralizing women’s romantic lives.
20 Student // Jun 27, 2008 at 9:49 am
I do not believe it is fair to demoralize Natalie or some of the other female faculty hired on while Robert was dean. If information comes out that they participated or were aware, by all means, I’ll be the first to call them out.
The issue here is Robert, not Natalie or other faculty members who were presented with an opportunity for growth and took it. Wait until dirt comes out on Natalie (if there even is any) before creating your own please.
A certain individual has done enough demoralizing of U of L faculty, we don’t need others joining in.
21 DM // Jun 27, 2008 at 10:26 am
Reports show that Natalie is/was co-PI on several of Robert’s grants — meaning she was paid (at least in part) from them. If UL is at least as competent in internal controls as most universities, Robert didn’t act without the knowledge (and approval) of others. Not judging Natalie or any other women, but they certainly are not naive regarding opportunites for “growth.” Just calling a spade a spade, particularly when their choice in a romantic relationship proceeds knowing the guy is married.
There are many wonderful, competent, credible people in the College of Education and this, sadly and most unfortunately, reflects on every one of them, the college and the university administration as a whole.
22 Terri // Jun 27, 2008 at 10:31 am
If these women knowingly engaged in fraudulent activity, then they are “crooks,” not “whores,” as you indicate in 18. Funny that calling a spade a spade involves moralizing a the other woman’s sexuality when involved in an extramarital affair, but not the man’s. Just stop. And yes, you are judging Natalie and the other women when you insinuate they engaged in sex for money, which is about as sexist and overly-simplistic as you can get in such a situation.
23 Elaine // Jun 27, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Bob Felner was at the U of Ill. in the 80′s and
did some amazingly horrible things, way back then. This is a long story, if you’re interested
in more background. Good reporting.
24 DM // Jun 27, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Robert’s career is probably in the tank for various reasons. Smart women who strike up a relationship with a [powerful] man old enough to be their father……yada yada – it is what it is. As a woman, I disagree that my opinion is sexist — it may be simple, but most of us know right from wrong and we don’t need to put politically-correct labels on moral values. Thank goodness we are not required to subscribe to those convoluted mandates issued by universities in this forum!
25 Bill // Jun 27, 2008 at 4:51 pm
UofL should hire PP to replace Felner.
26 Jack // Jun 27, 2008 at 5:12 pm
DM –
Your being a woman has no bearing whether or not your statement is sexist.
Thanks.
27 SheWho // Jun 29, 2008 at 12:13 am
No one is talking about the fact that Dean Felner not only (apparently) mishandled and perhaps criminally manipulated grant funding but also took grants away from those who spent innumerable hours in application and research to secure the grant. He often replaced these individuals with his ‘favorites’…
If the issue is increasing the amount of grant funding, then demoralizing faculty (in yet another way) was not consistent with the ‘mission’ of the university.
Let’s face it–this man is seriously mentally ill. I’d like to know more about his actions at Univerersity of Illinois…I suspect that the ‘amazingly horrible things’ that Elaine suggests have consistently been played out throughout his career.
I guess this doesn’t bode well for academe….not in the administration or the faculty–we let a bully hold an institution hostage…and slowly turn the atmosphere of (more often than not) cooperation and caring into fear and intimidation.
So much for advanced degrees. Where was the common sense?
28 Elaine // Jun 30, 2008 at 8:43 pm
To SheWho: The nature of his mental illness is sociopathy. I agree with your question about common sense. Who, in their right mind, (as suggested by the comments from the selection committee at Wisconsin) thinks it makes someone a BETTER candidate because they dropped out of high school and then got their degree, compared to someone who has followed the rules of society throughout. I wonder if anyone ever confirmed his BA or Ph.D. degrees. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been a complete fraud from the outset, relying on others to do his work for him. By the way, one of the criteria for a diagnosis of Sociopathy is a demonstrated disregard for the rules of society, beginning in adolescence–like by dropping out of high school.
29 WC // Jul 1, 2008 at 10:30 am
Good point, Elaine. Felner never stopped “bragging” that he got a GED. He also bragged about his very long vitae. I’ve known it is padded in places. Now I wonder if there are outright lies in it.
30 RI // Jul 2, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Does he still run NCPE (National Center on Public Education and Social Policy) at URI? The answer is yes. Check it out at http://www.ncpe.uri.edu/. He also ran the National Center on Public Education and Prevention, Rock Island, IL, while he was the dean at UofL and the NCPE director. “©Copyright 2008, National Center on Public Education and Prevention, Rock Island, IL, Robert D. Felner, Ph.D., (author). Do not duplicate without permission.” This is like a warning label in the NCPE product inserts. At least a couple of NCPE staff have been partially supported by UofL. It might be interesting to investigate money flow among all three.
31 Disappointed // Jul 10, 2008 at 11:05 am
Congratulations, Dr. Felner!!!
Thanks for making our College known nationwide. It ranks now number one in the nation!!! Shame on you.
32 Verydisappointed // Jul 11, 2008 at 7:17 pm
It is very disappointing that UofL administration is still in the dark.
33 Auburnalum // Feb 28, 2009 at 4:16 pm
This guy was head of the department of psychology when I was in graduate school. The department took years to recover emotionally after he left. He is a real piece of work.
34 Interesting // Mar 1, 2009 at 12:46 am
Bob is a sick man who made too many other people sick. He really needs to be medicated. He is also antisocial personality. He has abused a lot of people when he was in power. In reality he is stupid who is bound to spend some time in the jail now. He could have a nice family, good income, and great reputation if he acted right.
35 really? // Mar 1, 2009 at 11:58 pm
The problem now is that the current administration still does not want to acknowledge that people were abused. Then they would have to do something about it. The president still pleads ignorance. Each of these denials is retraumatizing. So we have new abusers to replace the old. These were people who were complicit with the deeds of Felner.
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