Dean receives No Confidence vote

Tuesday, Dean Yueh-Ting Lee of the College of Arts and Sciences was the first in UT's history to receive a No Confidence vote from their respective faculty governance body, the Arts and Sciences Council. Later that evening, Student Senate unanimously approved a Resolution supporting the deep level of discussion, consideration, and action undertaken by the Council as a model for what should occur across the University.
The Faculty spent most of the hour and a half meeting sharing examples of instances in which they felt they had been misled, manipulated, or otherwise treated with less respect and consideration than they feel they are due.
Examples include how, following the Budget Reallocations Proposal of UT Vice President for Finance and Administration Scott Scarborough, Dean Lee aggressively pushed forward plans to join various A&S departments into Schools by the Fiscal Year '08-'09 budgeting deadline: July 1st, 2008. Dean Lee instructed the appropriate Chairs to proceed with plans to merge Departments but not inform their faculty until the official announcement on July 1st. The Chairs did not obey, but guided their colleagues in expressing their feeling that the proposals for merging Departments that Dean Lee referred to were very tentative drafts considered by the faculty in question, and were not ready to be implemented. They also strongly objected to the request to hide important matters from their colleagues, as this went against the time-honored value of shared governance. Dean Lee promptly responded conceding that he had made a mistake, and agreed with the faculty; however, he soon after issued a memo announcing to all his plans to merge certain Departments, and noting that all these plans originated from the Faculty themselves.
They enumerated the many times they had spoken with the Dean about their concerns; how they felt he had not properly represented them to the Higher Administration; and some even objecting to the process by which Dr. Lee was selected to be the Dean.
The issue that so riled the Faculty was not so much the content of the proposed policies [though many had strong objections to them], but that the Dean seemed not to value proper communication, his role as the chief advocate for the College, or traditions of shared rather than top-down governance.
The Vote of No Confidence is a first step to encourage Dean Lee to strongly reconsider his position and role, and to earnestly, diligently, and expediently come to understand the traditions and nature of the College he serves, which Faculty have endeavored to impart to him for the full seven months of his tenure in office. It is our hope that Dean Lee will pay careful attention to his colleagues and seek ardently to rectify the ills that brought about this Vote.

(Watch out for more information about the Dean at our Informational Site.)