Schools

Emory Faculty Reject No-Confidence Motion on University President

Emory University reports that the week-long vote of the Arts and Sciences faculty shows support for President James W. Wagner.

 

The Emory College of Arts & Sciences faculty has voted to reject a No Confidence motion that called for university president James W. Wagner to step down, according to a news release from Emory.

The university's trustees also released a statement of "strong and undivided" support for Wagner, who recently came under fire for comments that suggested that the Three-Fifths Compromise on slavery could be viewed as a model that today's Congress should emulate in resolving divisive issues. [The Three-Fifths Compromise of of 1787 determined that each slave would count as three-fifth of a person for purposes of determining representation in the U.S. House of Representative.]

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Some faculty and students were already unhappy with Wagner over program cuts in the College of Arts and Sciences. Many pointed to the Three-Fifths compromise comments, made in a column in Emory Magazine, as further proof of an out-of-touch leader.

Late Friday evening, Emory released the announcement that the No Confidence motion had failed, and noted that the vote took place only among Emory College faculty, who make up about 20 percent of the university's faculty.

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Board Chair Ben F. Johnson III issued a statement on behalf of the Board of Trustees that said, in part:

“Regarding the matter of his column in Emory Magazine, we would note that President Wagner quickly apologized for his lack of understanding and the hurt he had caused by not communicating more clearly his beliefs that slavery was repugnant and inhuman and that the substance of the compromise was repulsive.

“In assessing the totality of President Wagner’s accomplishments and leadership, the Board believes he remains extraordinarily well suited to maintain Emory University’s forward momentum."


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