As the leadership at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs begins to close a multi-million dollar budget gap, it now faces public concerns from its staff and faculty.  

Following a successful petition signed by 25 members, the UCCS Faculty Assembly held a special election last week to censure its Executive Leadership Team, which includes Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet.

The online vote was open from March 2 through March 6. Out of the 529 eligible faculty, 262 submitted votes, with 212 in favor of a censure, 29 opposed and 21 abstaining.

In recent months, staff and faculty have expressed concerns about budget decisions made by UCCS leadership, a lack of shared governance between administration, staff and faculty, and overall campus safety and recent emergency responses. The vote comes just over a month after the leadership team announced a five-year plan to close a $27.7 million budget gap, with $11.7 million in cuts planned over the coming year. 

“We believe a formal statement of disapproval (censure) by faculty allows an opportunity for the administration to repair some of the damage these past actions have created,” the vote’s language read. “We want to give the administration an opportunity to listen to our voices and take corrective action.”

Using the censure as a formal statement of disapproval, the assembly will now give the administration team until March 31 to take corrective actions. If these actions aren’t taken by then, the assembly plans to move forward with a vote of no confidence. The symbolic gesture doesn’t require any specific institutional action or leadership change.

“My hope is that we can now move forward as a campus to hold open, honest conversations and attend to the important work we are all doing to provide incredible opportunities for student learning, research, inquiry and engagement,” said Faculty Assembly Chair David Havlick in a statement following the vote.

The vote detailed demands for the administration, including pausing the cuts outlined to balance the current year’s budget and considering alternative budgetary options transparently before decisions are made. Specifically, the assembly is requesting that all deans receive accurate accounting budget numbers by March 17 and significant cuts to the administrative budget.

In response to the vote of censure, the executive team sent out a letter on March 3 to faculty explaining their reasoning for the upcoming budget cuts, reduced expenses and recent investments in campus safety.

In a document of questions regarding the vote, petitioners indicated that they did not wish to single out individuals, but rather call out a broader pattern and structure of poor decisions that negatively impact faculty, staff and students. It is also noted that four of the seven members of the leadership team are currently in either interim or acting roles.

The vote came after recent censure proceedings at other CU campuses. In 2021, the Boulder campus’s teaching staff censured then-President Mark Kennedy over comments about diversity, equity and inclusion. During the 2023-24 academic year, CU Denver’s faculty assembly considered censuring Provost of Academic and Student Affairs Constancio Nakuma over matters ranging from campus culture to programming to a lack of shared governance.

Sobanet’s appointment as chancellor of UCCS in 2023 was met with controversy because she was not selected as one of the two finalists. Rather, she was appointed to the position by CU President Todd Saliman – with some believing this superseded the selection process.  

Following the finalized vote count, the UCCS Executive Leadership Team issued the following statement.

“Shared governance plays an essential role in the life of a university, and the members of the faculty assembly are well within their right to express their views on issues affecting the campus community. Certainly, our current budget situation and the correct path forward qualifies as an issue of the highest importance for everyone on this campus, as well as the thousands of community members who support us. 

“We hear the concerns reflected in this vote, and we take them seriously. We will continue to seek collaboration regarding the path forward, and we remain committed to engaging with faculty, staff and students through our shared governance processes as we work to address the financial challenges facing our campus. 

“We are strongest when we work together, even and especially, in moments of disagreement. Our focus remains on our students, our academic mission, and the long-term health of UCCS.”

Last week, the executive team announced a series of town hall meetings on campus, scheduled for Monday, March 17 and April 1, to address ongoing questions.