Less than one year ago, Willie D. Larkin was named president of Grambling State University in Louisiana. Now the Faculty Senate at the university has issued a resolution of “no confidence” in Larkin’s leadership. The resolution passed by a vote of 10 to 7 with one abstention.
The faculty expressed concerns that Larkin was not doing enough to restore the undergraduate nursing program and to shore up the College of Business so it can maintain accreditation. Persisting problems with the athletics department (see earlier JBHE post), stagnant enrollments, rising tuition costs, and budget cuts are also matters of concern to the Grambling faculty.
Grambling is facing a cut of more than $2.5 million in state funding that will make it more difficult for President Larkin to take steps to address the Faculty Senate’s concerns.
Before becoming president of Grambling State last year, Dr. Larkin was the chief of staff at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He formerly served as chief of staff for the University of Wisconsin Colleges and Extension.
Dr. Larkin holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tuskegee University in Alabama. He earned a Ph.D. in agricultural education from Ohio State University.
Is this the 50th time the Grambling Faculty Senate has voted “no confidence” in its presidents? According to the article above, ” resolution passed by a vote of 10 to 7 with one abstention.” This means that 10 voted for the no confidence resolution, while almost as many voted against it. A vote of 10 faculty out of how many hundred faculty members? This doesn’t say much about the strength of the “no confidence” held by a handful of disgruntled faculty. These Grambling faculty are a disgrace to higher educational institutions. It is almost like a ritual with each president. I don’t know why anyone would take that job.