Board of trustees chairman resigns
Michael C. Marcon has resigned as chairman of the Ursinus College board of trustees, according to an announcement made late Thursday by the school.
Marcon was criticized for a series of posts he made on his personal Twitter account that some students and fellow trustees found offensive.
Trustees’ Vice Chairwoman Nina B. Stryker assumes the role of interim board chair effective immediately, according to a press release.
“I respect Michael’s decision to voluntarily step down as chair. He has long been an enthusiastic supporter of Ursinus and has made the decision in the best interests of the college,” Ursinus President Brock Blomberg said in the release. “Ursinus is embarking on one of the most ambitious periods in our proud history as we look forward to the 150th anniversary of the college. This week, we are extending our footprint in the City of Philadelphia with a new academic semester program for our students. We are pushing to the forefront of undergraduate scientific study and research with a new Innovation and Discovery Center, and cre-
ating a deeper footprint in the liberal arts landscape. Michael wishes to see Ursinus carry this momentum forward together, as a community standing together.”
Marcon met with a crosssection of students, faculty, and staff over the past few days to share an open dialogue about questionable remarks on his personal Twitter account, according to school officials. The content of those tweets, considered by many on campus to be insensitive and disconcerting, led to a larger campus debate about civil discourse, the press release stated.
The issue began after a student re-posted on Facebook some of the tweets written by trustees Chairman Michael Marcon, a 1986 alumnus and insurance executive. A four-page printout including the controversial tweets was also handed out on campus, according to a media report. Marcon has not been asked to resign, according to a college spokesman.
“Yoga pants?” Marcon wrote in one tweet. “Per my DTW visual survey, only 10 (percent) of users should be wearing them. The rest need to be in sweats - or actually get dressed.” “Single longest line ever,” Marcon wrote in another. “‘Excuse me? Where is the first class line?’ Oh right, Bruce is a democrat. We are all equal. Bummer.”
“Gotta love a janitor with a “Ban Fracking Now” sticker on his bucket,” he said in another. “Barack is clearly reaching his target demographic.”
The tweets, which have since been removed from Twitter, were re-posted by student Haley Brush, 21, an English major from Littleton, Colo., in a blog on the social content platform The Odyssey, according to the report. Brush told reporters the posts made her feel uncomfortable and Marcon’s comments were inappropriate for someone in his position.
Meanwhile, Ursinus College President Brock Blomberg said he was disappointed with the situation.
“Ursinus is a liberal arts institution, and I like to think that all of us — our faculty, staff and students, as well as our alumni — are lifelong learners,” Blomberg said in a statement. “So we’ll continue to discuss this issue together. I’ve truly been encouraged by the response from our campus community and our willingness to address this matter in a thoughtful, respectful and responsible manner.”
Blomberg said while he understood an individual’s right to express themselves freely, the opinions made in some of the tweets were “not reflective of the true spirit, core values, and culture of our Ursinus College.”
The goal of the school, he said, was to foster an inclusive community where the open exchange of ideas, however offensive theymay be to some, is treated respectfully.
Marcon, chief executive president of Equity Risk Partners, apologized in a post Monday for “creating a situation that has led to frustration confusion and disappointment,” according to the report. He said more is expected of a board member and promised to live up to high standards of the college. He also promised to speak with faculty, staff and students and do whatever it takes to earn back their trust.
“Not only do I know how much frustration 140 characters can cause, but I’ve now been on the receiving end of many difficult online comments that are painful for my wife and children to read,” Marcon wrote, according to the report.
He did say the tweets were written on his personal Twitter account before he became the board chairman on July 1, the report states. Marcon joined the board in 2010. He said he didn’t intend to offend anyone but understood how someone could misinterpret some of the posts. He further added he believed in the free exchange of ideas and challenged everyone to understand different perspectives and “appreciate the banal observations of everyday life.”
“This has been a learning experience for our community and we will continue to maintain a campus environment that is inclusive, welcoming, and reflective of the common good, and in which each of us can resolve differences of opinion in a thoughtful and responsible manner, reflecting our liberal arts mission,” Blomberg said.
“I was proud of the way the Ursinus faculty and staff allowed me to ad-- dress a situation that has been so concerning to the Ursinus family; however, in order for true healing and true growth to take root, it needs to occur under fresh leadership of the board of trustees,” Marcon said. “The students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni deserve the greatest chance for renewal at this time, and so I believe it is in the best interest of the Ursinus family that I resign as chair of the board of trustees.”
A special session of the board of trustees is scheduled for Sept. 22, when members will convene to address the board’s leadership transition.
“We thank Michael for his service as chair and his passion and dedication to Ursinus,” says Stryker, a 1978 graduate or Ursinus and partner at Philadelphia-based Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP. “The board is aware of the issues discussed on campus this past week and will continue to be a partner in these discussions. We are focused on carrying the ambitious agenda of President Blomberg forward.”
Marcon is a 1986 graduate of Ursinus College and an insurance executive.
Founded in 1869, Ursinus College is a liberal arts college which currently enrolls 1,600 students.