Newspaper Page Text
Mttitt (Cluster
VOLUME 72, NUMBER 15
MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA
THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1990
Department Of Labor Investigates
Mercer’s Employment Policies
YT(Tia ,,( V— — A 9 ... M A . _
The Office of Federal Contract
Compliance Programs, U.S.
Department of Labor, is in
vestigating Mercer University's
employment practices, as the result
of a complaint filed by several
•■onwi faculty members. Concern
ed with the violation of Mercer’s
•pi opportunity and affirmative
iction policies, the Complaint
UttLjittc, March. 1989.
A«*nt R. Kirby Godsey filled
four vice presidential positions
without soliciting applications
through bona fide and appropriate
position announcements. The Com
plaint also refers to one staff posi
tion, in the Office of University
Relations and Development, which
was filled in the same manner.
ThejppoiAtfnemTqucstioncd by
the ttomplaint arc: James C.
Coon**. Senior Vice President for
Academic Affairs; Robert V.
, Senior Vice President
Admmisuauon.
p. Miller. Vice President
for Enrollment Management; John
Womble. Vice President for
University Relations and Develop-
Henry Named Women’s
Basketball Coach
hfacon-Lea Henry has been
“fceted to coach the basketball
team.
Henry, who was chosen from
tnQrc than 40 applicants for the
P°wk>n. replaces Ed Nixon who
re **gned in April to accept the head
co * c * lln g post at Mississippi Col-
^ » Clinton. MS.
The new Mercer coach served as
® assistant at the University of
four .casons and was
the Lady Gators' interim
hc*d coach in February following
jr »n of Carol Whitmore
Dw “g her six games in that post
she guided Florida to a 3-3 record.
All three losses came to nationally
ranked teams, twice to Tennessee
and once to Vanderbilt. Her
primary responsibilities at the
University of Florida were on-thc-
floor coaching and serving as chief
recruiter.
Prior to taking the position at
Florida she coached at Stetson for
one season and was a graduate
assistant at her alma mater, the
University of Tennessee.
Henry, a native of Albany. GA.
spent her high school career at
Continued on page 7
menfeand Shawn Lamer. Director
of Alumni Affairs. The Complaint
does not question the qualifications
of these men; rather, it addresses
the method by which they were
recruited.
Because Mercer holds govern
ment contracts, employment pro
cedures must comply with the
regulations of Executive Order
\ \ (pc the gfomtWton and in
suring of equal opportunity for all
persons, without regard to race,
color, religion, sex. or national
origin" (Chapter 60—Office of
Federal Contract Compliance
Programs. Equal Employment
Opportunity. Department of
laibor p. 98). These regulations in
clude adherence to the University 's
equal opportunity and affirmative
action plans.
The Complaint contends that in
these appointments President
Godsc) and Vice President Wom-
blc violated Mercer’s own pro
cedures for hiring, which include
publicized .announcements of
v acancies, internally and external
ly; review of applications with
special efforts to identify qualified
women and members of minority
groups; interviews; and documen
tation of the attention given each
application. Typically, procedures
for filling faculty and ad
ministrative positions include a
representative search committee
that participates m the selection of
the final candidates.
"tbft T|ifWynitv I hi I
"these violations of University
equal opportunity and affirmative
action policies are the rule, not the
exception, by which President
Godsey fills positions" at the ex
ecutive level
According to the Complaint, four
of these positions were not adver
tised externally, and position
descriptions were not circulated in
tcmally; rather, ' the President and
the Vice President appointed in
dividuals. whose applications
they solicited privately. As a
result of this private solicitation of
applications and the subsequent ap
pointments to the four vice
presidential positions. Mercer
female and minority students.
faculty, and staff suffer as classes
by the deliberate exclusion of
women and minorities from several
of the highest paid and most in
fluential positions in the Universi
ty"
The Complaint points out that in
the case of John Womble an an
nouncement of the position ap
peared 13 months after the resigna
tion of the former Vice President
for University Relations and
Development and approximately 25
days before Godsey announced
Womble'$ appointment. Womble
had interviewed Jt the University
at least twice before the advertise
ment for the position appeared. The
complainants "submit that the an
nouncement of this position was not
a bona fide solicitation of applica-
Hons. rather, in response to the
discussions of the subject within
various groups of faculty and staff,
the announcement was an attempt
to cover up the President's viola
tion of equal opportunity policy in
replacing a vice president who had
resigned 13 months earlier.”
Continued on page 7
Alfred Heath Named
BSU Director
Alfred Neal Heaih has been ap-
lo the position of director
••(Xist student ministries at the
rSJ"*) 1 . effective July 1, 1990.
“ ™ Pinion. Heath will oversee
* ) <wect Mercer s Baptist Student
union program. Larry Duke, who
directing the BSU pro-
f* “ d ‘“■veraity Religious Ac-
uv «es wui be T*7vrnvryrrr ?
received the bachelor of
from Mercer in.1972 and the
master of divinity from the
Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary in Louisville. KY. in
1976. He has served as Baptist
campus minister at Georgia College
in Miiledgcvillc since 1981. during
which time their BSU has been
ranked among the top ten programs
in the state
A native of Forsyth. Heath serv-
Confinued on page 3
Noted author and Phjsician Ferrol Sams. Mercer 42 spoke at the Grand Opening Celebration for the
Main Librars during Mumni Dny on April 2d. San*. iM received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
