Details: Eastern Michigan University President John Fallon’s leadership is getting failing grades from most professors who took part in a poll about his performance. "The survey overwhelmingly demonstrates that our faculty is very disappointed in President Fallon’s leadership,” said Howard Bunsis, president of the EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, which conducted the survey.

About half of EMU’s 675-member faculty participated in the poll, which asked members to agree or disagree that Fallon is effectively demonstrating 15 different leadership qualities. The full results are attached to this release (see attachment below).

Fallon got the worst ratings on a question about whether he helps resolve disputes while maintaining harmonious and productive relationships with faculty. Fully 85 percent of those who responded to the survey disagreed or strongly disagreed that he exhibited that characteristic. The EMU professors have been working without a contract since September.

Fallon also received low marks on respect for faculty. About 77 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed that he showed respect for faculty.

The highest ratings Fallon received in the EMU poll was on whether he respects diversity. Thirty-one percent strongly agreed or agreed that he respects diversity. But his ratings were uniformly poor on questions about his leadership, vision, listening skills, collaboration and support for teaching excellence.

In the poll, faculty members were allowed to elaborate with written comments about their survey answers. Most of the remarks bluntly condemned Fallon for being contentious rather than collaborative on a variety of issues professors viewed as being critical to EMU’s standing as a high-quality university.

“President Fallon seems to have no conception of the fact that EMU is an academic institution,” one professor wrote.

“I believe he runs the university as a CEO runs a company. Seems to have lost sight of academics,” another commented, while a third professor said, “Fallon’s top-down, autocratic style is cloaked in a veneer of ‘visioning’ and other obvious propaganda. He and the Board of Regents are ruining EMU through lack of vision and neglect of infrastructure and faculty.”

More than one faculty member wrote that Fallon seemed initially to show promise but since then has become “a puppet” for the Board of Regents, three members of which announced their resignations Monday.

Though many professors commented on the lack of progress in contract negotiations, the poll showed that discontent would be widespread even if the lack of a contract were not an issue.

Many professors said they felt the university president spurns the value of academic research, lacks any appreciation for the value of faculty input, and appears indifferent to conditions of EMU’s classroom buildings.

He was criticized repeatedly for not inviting more faculty input or conducting a national search before naming Donald Loppnow university provost.

Fallon became EMU president in 2005 after serving seven years as president of the State University of New York-Potsdam, where professors had voiced “grave disapproval” of Fallon over similar matters of input and priorities.

A subcommittee of the EMU-AAUP Executive Committee conducted the survey to gauge the perspectives of EMU faculty regarding Fallon’s leadership style and management effectiveness.Questions were chosen after reviewing a dozen similar surveys conducted at other universities. The questions incorporated Eastern’s mission statement and identified institutional values, as well as Fallon’s messages and vision statements.

The survey was conducted during the last few weeks. More than a dozen volunteer professors contributed their time and expertise to make the survey and its analysis possible.

Eastern Michigan faculty members have not settled their contract, and are working under the terms of the recently expired contract. The faculty called off their strike and went back to the classroom on September 15^th, agreeing to a state fact-finding process. This fact-finding process began in late November, and will likely not be completed until sometime in 2007.

 

OVERVIEW OF SURVEY RESULTS (see attachment below for additional analysis of comments)

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Unable to Assess  Total Responses Demonstrates good executive judgment in leading EMU. 4% 7% 13% 28% 46% 4% 300 Develops relationships built on human dignity and respect. 6% 8% 17% 26% 37% 8% 300 Helps resolve disputes while maintaining harmonious and productive relationships with faculty. 3% 3% 4% 19% 66% 4% 298 Strives for excellence through positive leadership and participatory decision making. 4% 4% 9% 25% 53% 5% 299 Exhibits a sense of vision and innovation. 8% 15% 19% 20% 33% 5% 300 Listens carefully and incorporates the shared ideas of faculty members. 3% 3% 13% 21% 54% 6% 297 Collaborates with faculty for effective planning and decision making. 4% 1% 8% 22% 57% 7% 299 Exhibits respect for faculty. 5% 5% 9% 17% 60% 3% 298 Shows strong support for teaching excellence. 6% 14% 22% 18% 31% 8% 298 Makes good administrative appointments. 4% 9% 25% 23% 29% 10% 298 Respects diversity. 10% 21% 25% 10% 13% 21% 298 Demonstrates effectiveness and diplomacy in working with faculty. 3% 3% 11% 22% 56% 4% 298 Promotes cooperation and consensus to achieve institutional goals. 3% 5% 12% 22% 54% 4% 297 Effectively represents the interests of the university. 6% 8% 16% 27% 36% 6% 296 Inspires confidence in his overall leadership. 4% 5% 10% 25% 55% 2% 297 Total Respondents  300 (skipped this question) Â

For the full survey results and detailed analysis of the written comments, see the 'results of Survey' .pdf file below.