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Editor, News-Register:
The West Liberty University Board of Governors has been an inept steward of the university. They have moved with glacial speed to resolve a critical leadership problem, dismissed input from stakeholders, and failed to understand the importance of academic integrity. Academic integrity is a commitment to honesty, respect, trust, and responsibility in interactions between faculty, staff, and administrators. Dr. (W. Franklin) Evans is a veteran educator who should understand the need for academic integrity in senior level leaders. Yet, he plagiarized parts of his speeches on one or more occasions. Plagiarism is an insidious form of stealing that undermines trust in Dr. Evans' leadership. When trust is lost, a college or university president cannot lead.
In 2021, a survey confirmed that the faculty did not trust Dr. Evans to lead West Liberty University. In a highly controversial move, the BOG considered Dr. Evan's plagiarism a minor transgression, dismissed stakeholder input, and voted to simply censure Dr. Evans rather than request his resignation or terminate his contract with WLU. Another survey was conducted in March of this year. According to a report in The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, only 11% of survey respondents think WLU President W. Franklin Evans can lead the university, and even fewer trust his integrity.
The BOG has moved with glacial speed to resolve this academic integrity issue. It took four months to come to the decision not to renew Dr. Evans contract. Despite the excoriating survey results, four of the 12 BOG members still voted to retain Dr. Evans as president. These BOG members failed to grasp the concept of shared governance, and academic integrity. Since the next BOG meeting is scheduled for October, it is likely they will take no further action and let Dr. Evans' contract lapse at year's end.
The board's procrastination and poor decisions have caused WLU to flounder in a rapidly changing academic landscape without a strong leader. Normalcy will be restored only after a new president is chosen and installed. This may take as long as two years. Moreover, this saga may not end well for WLU. It is likely that the BOG temerity will result in long and costly litigation that will further erode WLU's reputation on the local and national stages.
Dennis K. Flaherty
Charleston