BOSTON, MA (WBZ-AM) – The Faculty at University of Massachusetts Boston have taken a vote of no confidence in UMass System President Marty Meehan and the UMass Board of Trustees.
The UMass Boston faculty council is calling for a halt to the proposed purchase of Mount Ida College in Newton by UMass Amherst.
The faculty council says establishing a satellite UMass Amherst campus there is superfluous --- because there is already a Boston campus in the UMass system.
In a statement UMass Board of Trustees Chairman Robert J. Manning and President Meehan issued the following statements:
“The Board and President Meehan are working every day to elevate all of our campuses for the benefit of our students and the Commonwealth,” said Manning. “We don’t stand in the way of progress on any of our campuses when it is strategically planned and supported by a sound business model. We will continue to work with President Meehan to help return UMass Boston to stable financial ground and implement fiscal accountability and oversight measures to ensure that UMass Boston is better positioned to reach its goals.”
“Leadership requires making decisions even when they aren’t popular with everyone,” said Meehan. “While I respect the faculty’s passion for UMass Boston and its mission, I maintain that UMass Amherst expanding co-op and experiential learning opportunities for its students will not negatively impact UMass Boston. I met with the UMass Boston deans last week to assure them that I would ensure collaboration between the two campuses. And I will continue to work closely with faculty and the entire campus community to move UMass Boston forward by focusing on its own incredible opportunities.”