Miller voted out of presidency

More than a year before she was removed as president from Lemoyne-owen College, Andrea Miller, her supporters and some of her most ardent critics were asked to draw symbols of their frustrations. The two sides were challenged to empathize with each other and pair up to discuss their differences over lunch.

There was a “clear lack of trust and very different views” between Miller and faculty after separate meetings were held, according to a March 23, 2018, report by F&H Solutions, a group that specializes in human resources and labor relations.

The internal report was made public as part of a recently filed federal lawsuit, in which faculty members claim the school’s board of trustees breached the contracts of faculty members after a “lack of engagement” by the board while under Miller’s tenure, and other claims.

In an effort to assess the problems between faculty and administration officials, the 2018 report’s author met with individuals on both sides of the dispute.

Miller, the former president, told the interviewer she was “angry” about the criticism that eventually led to the conflict between her and faculty.

As an alum, professor and former vice president of academic affairs, Miller expressed a desire to fix the school’s reputation.

Miller planned on doing that by focusing on enrollment rates, admission standards, retention rates and graduation rates. Also, job offer placement rates, graduate school placement rates and lack of endowment, according to the report.

Lemoyne-owen College enrolls less than 1,000 students and has a 50 percent freshman retention rate. The school has a six-year graduation rate at 14 percent.

Along with accreditation, fundraising and several other concerns — Miller wanted the college to remain competitive. She felt the faculty was resistant and a barrier to change, according to the report.

The author of the report also met with faculty separately with concerns of Miller’s leadership and changes in the college since her presidential appointment.

Lemoyne-owen faculty provided several instances which, they say, justify their frustrations with Miller’s leadership, including bullying tactics, lack of faculty voice, lack of fundraising, change without communication and several other issues. Eventually, both groups were brought together. Each person from different sides had lunch together in pairs. They had to prioritize their top three issues.

The moderator said “politics, passive-aggressive behavior, working around people” to move things forward is “childish and is not sustainable,” the report said.

The moderator of the report concluded that although both faculty and Miller were acting with what they believed was the “best interest” of the college, several concerns remained among faculty, including what they saw as a lack of transparency surrounding entrance requirements for the school.

At the end of the report, The moderator suggested a leadership coach assist Miller.

After the F&H representative presented findings to resolve issues between faculty and Lemoyne-owen administration, faculty members say the college’s board of trustees took no action to address the situation, according to the suit.

Now, after years of faculty complaints, the college is working to figure out how they will address the new lawsuit.

“Our leadership team is aware of the matter in question. And, we’re working now to determine the appropriate next steps,” the college said in an emailed statement.

The Board of Trustees at Lemoyne-owen College voted out Miller after she was harshly criticized during her four-year tenure.

After Miller was appointed as the school’s president in 2015, she changed the “structure” of the college’s administrative leadership, according to the lawsuit. Many changes Miller implemented were done without faculty input which staff believed undermined the faculty handbook, according to the lawsuit.

Forty-four out of 52 members voted “No Confidence” in Miller’s decisions on April 10, 2017, according to the suit.

In addition to complaints raised by faculty, the school’s Student Government Association voiced several complaints of Miller in February calling for her resignation and accusing Miller of retaining employees who are relatives and failing to address mold problems in residence halls and rodents.

Students expressed concerns after they were told to stay in homeless shelters during a winter break under Miller’s leadership. Miller was also accused of plagiarizing a Joel Osteen speech during a convocation address to freshman.

The lawsuit says that under Miller’s leadership, the college failed to provide required information in its 5th-year report to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an accreditation institution.

Phillip Jackson Memphis Commercial Appeal USA TODAY NETWORK – TENNESSEE