As the State System of Higher Education continues the process of “redesigning” itself, there are signs of the stresses each of the state-owned schools is enduring. Yesterday, Edinboro University President H. Fred Walker resigned in the wake of controversial comments he made about his faculty and program cuts.
Walker told the Chronicle of Higher Education that he can’t reason with his faculty, calling them both “allies to be won over and as obstacles to be worked around”. That was apparently the last straw for the Edinboro faculty union and for its students, who were already upset over Walker’s plans to cut educational programs, and his use of the news media to push his plans forward. Students started a petition calling for his resignation and faculty members described the contentious atmosphere as “consuming” them.
The State System says Provost Michael J. Hannan will serve as acting Edinboro president. Walker served only two years. He was the fifth president at Edinboro in the last decade.
