Reflecting on the increase in no-confidence votes at US institutions: Editorial

Postsecondary institutions in the US have seen more and more no-confidence votes from faculty members, writes Megan Zahneis. Zahneis reflects on the impact that these motions have in the United States, and points out that the increase in the frequency of these votes stems from a number of factors. Conditions leading to a non-confidence vote, such as salary freezes, layoffs, and restructuring are more common now; and presidency duration has become shorter on average, giving leaders less time to build trust with faculty. The author also notes that the likelihood of a vote of no confidence may increase if faculty are less involved in presidential search processes. The author says that more than half of the US presidents who received a no-confidence vote leave office within a year, and that though no-confidence votes are a last resort, they are a powerful statement of dissent that are avoided by upper-level management. Chronicle of Higher Ed (Acct. Req.) Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.