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Most West Texas A&M faculty have lost confidence in university President Walter Wendler, according to the results of a campuswide vote that came weeks after he canceled a charity campus drag show.
On Tuesday evening, the outcomes of the weeklong no-confidence vote were disclosed by the leaders of the faculty senate. Ashley Pinkham, the president of the faculty senate, stated that there were 179 votes in favor of condemning Wendler and 82 votes opposing it.
In an email to faculty, Pinkham announced that certain colleagues had included comments along with their ballots. The comments will be counted and made public in the upcoming days.
Although the vote holds no legal weight and is mainly symbolic, the faculty’s intention is to convey a message to other university leaders and the Texas A&M University System, which has authority over the university.
University spokesperson Kelly Carper Polden confirmed the results of the vote in an official statement. However, a representative from the Texas A&M University System opted not to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Pinkham reported that out of the 368 ballots sent to full-time faculty and professional librarians, a total of 281 were received. However, 20 of these ballots were deemed invalid due to incorrect submission or late arrival past the Friday deadline. In summary, approximately 69% of the eligible ballots expressed disapproval towards the president.
Last month, Wendler faced backlash from students and free speech advocates after his decision to cancel a student drag show, citing concerns about the performances being derogatory, divisive, and promoting demoralizing misogyny.
Wendler expressed in a letter to the campus community that the shows portray women in exaggerated and stereotypical ways solely for the entertainment of others, which he believes is discriminatory towards women. He further stated that permitting such shows would be regarded as workplace prejudice due to their mocking portrayal of women. However, LGBTQ advocates and students have voiced their disagreement, asserting that Wendler has misunderstood the nature of this art form.
The faculty senate leaders, in their resolution declaring a vote of no confidence, expressed concerns that extended beyond Wendler’s recent management of the student drag show. They alleged that he had misused his position as president by governing the university according to his personal religious beliefs. Additionally, they claimed that he consistently engaged in divisive, misogynistic, homophobic, and exclusionary rhetoric, which contradicted the university’s Core Values.
In addition, Wendler was charged with the act of representing his personal opinions and religious beliefs expressed in his online blog posts as the official stance of the public university. Members of the faculty leadership strongly asserted that these viewpoints contradict the university’s core values, breach state and federal regulations, tarnish the institution’s image, and negatively impact its fundraising endeavors.
According to anonymous faculty members who spoke to The Texas Tribune, Wendler’s handling of the drag show was the final tipping point for many of them. They believe that he has displayed inadequate leadership in various other matters as well, which is why they requested anonymity due to fear of potential retaliation.
In the resolution, faculty also accused Wendler of actively encouraging prospective students to avoid attending a four-year university immediately after high school and attend community college first, which they say has led to enrollment declines.
The public university in Canyon experienced a decrease in enrollment between fall 2019 and 2022, as reported by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The number of students declined by approximately 700, resulting in a current enrollment of 9,275 students for the current academic year.
Disclosure: Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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