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P«gt 8A The Red and Black. Thursday. Seplember 22, 1877
A&S makeover gone with Stephens?
Former Arts and Sciences Dean John C. Stephens resigned this
summer amidst controversy between him and University
President Fred C. Daviso: That controversy, centered on
Davison's plans to restructure the Franklin College of Arts and
Sciences, along with Stephen's resignation, has left questions and
doubts in many minds.
Red and Black campus editor Bryant Steele interviewed
Stephens, now an instructor in the English department, on
Wednesday to get his answers to some of those questions
Q. I’d like to talk to you about your plans for the future. Do you
plan to finish your academic career as a teacher or would you
like to become active again as an administrator?
A. Oh, no. My first love and my first profession was a teacher,
and I hope something of a scholar, so that's exactly what I intend
to do.
Q. Do you hope to remain at the University?
A. Oh, yes. That is my intention.
Q. Do you think your resignation as dean of Arts and Sciences
was the best thing for the Franklin College?
A. I couldn't judge that Someone else will have to judge that.
Q. The reason reported in the press for your resignation was
that you wanted to return to teaching and research. Some
members of the A&S Faculty Senate have expressed doubt, some
have wondered if you were pressured into resigning by the
President’s office or if perhaps a deal was made between you
and President Davison. Will you respond to that?
A. If you look at the statutes of the University, the dean serves
at the pleasure of the President And when the President and the
dean can’t work correspondingly, a change is indicated. Those
were the circumstances.
Q. Did President Davison tell you at any time that he and you
could no longer work together?
A. I don’t know that those words, but it was indicated to me.
We saw many things differently.
Q. Did you feel pressured into resigning by President Davison
or anyone in his office?
A When a situation develops, and cooperation isn't working,
some change has to be made.
Q. When President Davison was declaring his intention to
restructure Arts and Sciences, many people thought his plans
were to divide the Franklin College into as many as five separate
schools with separate administrations and deans. Was that your
belief?
A President Davison never discussed any of this with me, so
that I have...I have heard that, but he never said anything to me
nor did he and I ever discuss the matter of restructuring. So I
can t answer that with any kind of first-hand knowledge I heard
the same rumors, conversations, that you have.
Q. According to < senior faculty adviser) Merle Prunty, the
push to restructure Arts and Sciences is over. He told me that in
an interview. Dean Payne < Acting Arts and Sciences Dean
William J. Payne) has said when he took office restructuring
wasn’t even discussed between him and the President.
Yet the only major change in Arts and Sciences has been your
resignation. Do you think that’s what Davison was after when he
talked of restructuring Arts and Sciences?
A. I’m old enough that I don’t impute motives to people
anymore. I think you would have to ask him what his motives
may have been, the things that he...the things that he said
publicly I know. But the motives behind it you would have to ask
him.
Q. Restructuring plans were proposed which would have
removed budgetary and faculty promotion power from you. With
the appointment of Dean Payne, such plans seem to have been
scuttled. Do you see any significance in that?
A What l do know about this is that Dr. Prunty had a meeting,
which you know, with department heads and division chairmen
at which he suggested something of this sort. Again, I never saw
the plan. I was not at that meeting What I know is hearsay.
Also, this is no refuting what you’re saying to me but you see,
you’ve just told me some things that I didn’t even know. I’ve
been completely away since the fifth day of August.
Therefore, l haven’t discussed any of this with anyone, whether
or not there are plans to do anything or not to do anything,
besides what you’ve just told me...
Q. Merle Prunty did tell me, as I said, that nothing of any
great significance as far as restructuring had been done or would
be done. He said that he would follow Dean Payne’s suggestions.
Dean Payne told me that when he took the office he did not
even discuss restructuring with President Davison.
I’ve talked with about 25 members of the A&S Faculty Senate.
The majority of them told me that it’s their belief that now that
you’ve resigned, there won’t be any major restructuring of Arts
aod Sciences. That doesn’t strike you as significant in any way?
A. I’m happy over it, because I feel that any kind of
restructuring, whatever that word means, you see that’s one of
the key words, it’s never been defined. And I don’t know what it
means. No one’s ever explained it to me.
My knowledge of that comes from the long document that
President Davison sent out. I got a copy just like anybody else.
Therefore I have no way of knowing what mav have been on
anybody’s mind with restructure.
On the other hand, the break-up of the Franklin College of Arts
and Sciences, I’ve said publicly any number of times, would be
catastrophic for education in this state. And it’s simply
unthinkable.
<4. Dr. Bill Owens (former senior faculty adviser) held secret,
meetings with “names I’m sure you’d recognize,’’ to quote him.
to discuss the reorganization of Arts and Sciences. You weren't
invited to anv of those meetings.
Dr. Merle Prunty held a meeting in which he presented plans
for restructuring Arts and Sciences, plans which would have
stripped you of much of your power. You were not informed
beforehand of this meeting.
President Davison issued a 172-page memo declaring his
intention to restructure Arts and Sciences “in the immediate
future" without consulting you beforehand, as far as I know. It
seems that even though you were dean. President Davison and
his advisers did not consider you to have the authority one would
assume a dean to have. Did the treatment that they gave you
have anything to do with your resignation? Did you feel they
were doing this so you would resign?
A. Oh, the situation was totally intolerable to me.
Q. Do you feel it was intentional on their part?
A. How could it be otherwise? You don’t hold secret meetings
unintentionally.
Q. Would you bluntly say they wanted to get you out of the
way?
A. Certainly that’s the indication. You see, I can’t answer that
question in the way that I’ve answered it. The actions seemed to
indicate that
But I’d like to go back to what you said earlier. You asked me
about intentions. Now I can’t say that. I can’t...there were
certain things and certain events which took place.
Q. What were the terms of the agreement between you and
President Davison regarding your resignation?
A. It had to do wholly with my returning to the English
department, and the terms of my own personal contract. Totally.
Q. What do you think of your successor. Dr. Payne, as acting
dean?
A. I have no comment on that. I know Jack Payne. He was one
of our better department heads. Beyond that, I have no opinion.
Q. Did you feel, during the controversy of the spring and early
summer, that you had the support of the faculty of Arts and
Sciences and of the Faculty Senate of Arts and Sciences?
A. Yes. Now, you know, no one has 100 per cent support. But
there was talk for us. And I think there was support...I heard
some people who seemed to favor certain changes...
Q. Do you think that Dean Payne will have the same faculty
support you had?
Photo by GEORGE SICAY photo by GEORGE SICAY
JOHN STEPHENS, FORMER DEAN OF THE FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
He nlans no further role in the administration
A. I can’t answer that
Q. Do you think he’ll have more or less support from the
administration than you had?
A. I would hope he would have the full support of the
administration
Q. Do you think he'll he am thing other than a yes man to
President Davison?
A. I couldn't answer that
Q. Can you tell me how he was appointed so quickly, two hours
after you announced your resignation?
A. It is my understanding that arrangements were made with
him. But 1 wasn’t party to that I knew the announcement was to
be made late that afternoon, after I had made mine.
But that announcement was on the part of the President. You
see. the President appoints any acting administrator. So that was
between Dr. Payne and President Davison.
Q. So you had no knowledge that he would he your replacement
until the announcement?
A. Oh, no.
Q. The search committee for a new dean, of course, hasn't
been formed vet, but i* will he headed by Dr. Prunty. Do you
think they will he working for someone who will be a yes man to
the president?
A. I can’t answer that
Q. Do you think the search committee is going to look very
hard off campus, or do you think the replacement may be here
on this campus?
A. I really don’t know. It is required, by Affirmative Action,'*
that all searches be, so that the position will have to be
advertised, and people will have to be screened. How any search
finally works out. no one knows.
»%
Q. Did you feel that you let down the Arts and .Sciences Faculty
Senate by resigning?
A. No.
i). Some of them have said things to the effect that you were*'
their leader, particularly in the controversy with President
Davison over the restructuring of Arts and Sciences.
Many of them expressed disappointment and regret when you
announced your resignation, and it was a surprise to them. Bui •
you feel that you didn’t let them down?
A. No. They are entitled to their opinion.
Q. Do you think if there’s a push to restructure Arts and
Sciences this year that the senate can be as united in its voice..? •
A. I actually don't know the answer to that.
Q. Will you have anything yourself to do with the senate from
now on. as an outside adviser? • -
A. Oh, no. The last thing that I would want to do would be to
intrude on the administrative affairs. I think it would be very
improper
* %
Q. So you’re through with the administration?
A. So far as playing any role.
Q. As far as plaving any role, that’s what I mean.
A Yes
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A&S
Continued From p. IA
have said.
Some members of the Faculty Senate
were dismayed by this plan of Stephens’.
However, the senate gave unanimous
approval to his plan, and Stephens
remained a popular figure
A senator has said that voting on a
budget committee is now on the senate's
agenda, which may be the first real
restructuring, if such a committee means
separate budget structures for the
college's five divisions
Asked if he had carried out any
restructuring, acting Arts and Sciences
Dean William Payne mentioned only an
appointment in the chemistry depart
ment, a minor change at most.
Payne said he had not changed the
budget structure in any way.
It remains to be seen if the college's
five division will get responsibility for
their own budgets. If that doesn’t occur,
it would seem that the push to
restructure Arts and Sciences ended with
the resignation of Stephens
One highly-placed official has indicated
as much. . %
Stephens’ resignation caught everyone
but University officials by surprise. Less
than two hours after the announcement,
the University named Payne as acting,
dean.
The Faculty Senate had convened on
Aug. 4 for what was thought to be a
routine session After calling the meeting
to order, Stephens made his resignation
statement.
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