The voting on the proposed governance plan ended on Friday, and I have received and reviewed the results*.
While less than half the eligible voters participated, those who did vote were above the 30% threshold. However, the majority of voters did not support the new plan.
While I am disappointed that the plan was not supported by the majority of those who voted, I am reviewing these results in the context of feedback I have received from various constituents throughout this process.
First and foremost, I am concerned about our students and the need to provide them with a more supportive environment. I remain deeply concerned about the College of Staten Island conforming to best practices in Higher Education and CUNY, campus climate, the lack of collegiality, and how to best ensure compliance with Middle States standards.
In my professional opinion, it is clear that Governance at the College of Staten Island needs to be improved. I strongly believe that the College needs to build a culture of equity-mindedness. We need to be one body with faculty, staff, and student representatives, with opportunities for more more voices to be heard, to make the best informed decisions as we move forward.
I will continue to address the College on these issues throughout the semester. Deliberation of the draft of a new Governance Plan has helped move us ahead and I continue to call on the entire campus to work together to address our internal processes for discussing issues that affect all of us.
By William J. Fritz
*Voting Results on the CSI Governance Plan Sept 27 to Oct 1, 2021
1368 members were eligible to vote and received ballots
30% Threshold: 410
670 ballots were returned (48.98%)
585 voted No (87.31%)
85 voted Yes (12.69%)
