by Dezmond Remington
University president Tom Jackson and his Chief of Staff Mark Johnson aren’t fit to lead Humboldt, according to both the Humboldt CFA and 174 Humboldt faculty.
The executive board of the Humboldt chapter of the California Faculty Association passed a vote of no confidence today in Jackson’s leadership. The vote comes after Jackson’s handling of the student pro-Palestine protests this week.
According to the faculty resolution, Jackson and Johnson were responsible for calling the police to campus, a move which led to police hitting several students with batons and three people being arrested.
In addition to the CFA’s vote, a university faculty meeting held on Zoom today also ended with a resolution calling for Jackson and Johnson’s resignations. Although the vote isn’t completely verified due to uncertainty about proxy votes, it was 174-10.
The resolution does not force them to resign.
“[Tom Jackson and Mark Johnson], through their unfamiliarity with the Cal Poly student body, mishandled the protest by calling those law enforcement agencies to attempt to extract protestors from Siemens Hall, which led to the injury of students and faculty of Cal Poly Humboldt,” the resolution reads.
Faculty were divided on whether to include University Provost Jen Capps. Professor Nicola Walters thought she should be included, but the resolution went unamended so it could be passed as quickly as possible.
“[We’re doing this] so we can tell our students we’re doing something to protect their safety,” said James Woglom, who lead the meeting. “I will pass whatever resolution you want, as long as we get those kids out of there safely.”
Many of the faculty believe Jackson is doing a bad job leading the university through this moment, if he’s leading them at all.
“We’re rudderless,” sociology professor Josh Meisel said. “There’s a complete lack of leadership.”
Read the faculty resolution below.
One Comment
The protesters are wrong to occupy, but right to protest…🤷♂️