UMass in ‘danger of scapegoating’
Motley backers warn ouster looks like ‘smear campaign’
Supporters of departing UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley plan to demand answers from University of Massachusetts president Martin T. Meehan and the Board of Trustees this week, saying they need to take responsibility for the school’s financial woes instead of scapegoating a well-liked leader.
“They need to answer for it, hopefully they’ve been paying attention to the public outcry,” said Tony Van Der Meer, a professor of Africana Studies at UMass Boston. “This should be a come-to-Jesus moment for Marty Meehan.”
Motley announced his resignation after 10 years as chancellor last week amid increased scrutiny of the school’s reported $30 million budget deficit due to construction costs Motley had pushed. The school has cut classes and laid off adjunct professors.
Meehan and the Board of Trustees will meet today in two public sessions at the University of Massachusetts Club to discuss the deficit and how it is being addressed, a spokesman said.
But UMass Boston faculty have rallied in defense of Motley, saying he’s being forced out and questioning if the ouster of a black chancellor has a racial component. American Studies professor Joe Ramsey said the school’s financial outlook was a concern, but that the board and Meehan also played a role, as did reduced state aid.
“Clearly there are problems with the financial situation, but it’s not just Motley’s problem,” Ramsey said. “There’s a danger of scapegoating him.”
State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, whose district includes UMass Boston, said Motley was the victim of a “smear campaign” and said the trustees need to re-examine their role in letting the deficit increase.
“Where was the UMass building authority? Where were the trustees? Where was President Meehan? They play a role in the financial stability of the UMass system,” Dorcena Forry said. “Let’s see if the Board of Trustees steps up to the plate.”
UMass spokesman Jeff Cournoyer said he had not seen any evidence of a smear campaign against Motley and said UMass was taking steps to deal with the deficit.
“The system office has worked closely with the chancellor and his team to attempt to address the campus’s financial challenges, including by creating a budget task force and assigning system office staff to support the campus,” Cournoyer said. “We are focused on limiting the negative impacts of the current scenario on faculty and students.”