Washburn University Accreditation - Public Comments
March 10, 2008
PUBLIC COMMENT ON WASHBURN UNIVERSITY
The Higher Learning Commission
30 North LaSalles St., Suite 2400
Chicago IL 60602
Dear Accreditation Team:
I am a former administrative employee and a former faculty member of Washburn University (WU). I have also attended classes at WU. As a resident of Topeka, Kansas, I am also one of the many taxpayers that financially supports the academic mission of this institution of higher education.
My concerns are in regards to the WU administration’s negative impact on the academic environment as demonstrated by the following items.
- Lack of Respect for the Educational Mission – Big Brother Tactics 1. Washburn University Standards of Conduct Policy
- Failure to Provide Adequate Resources to Support the Academic Mission 1. Lack of response to annual program review reports
- Mabee Library – Challenge, Identified by the 1998 Accreditation Team, Ignored
- Inadequate Oversight of Administration
2. Termination of faculty for exercising 1st amendment rights
3. Invasion of the classroom to perform administrative functions
2. Failure to adequately address faculty development
3. WU Technology – The Loss of Academic Computing
I would encourage you to give serious consideration to the issues that I have set forth in these comments. While the administration and members of the WU Board of Regents tend to discount my discourse as rantings from a disgruntled ex-employee, I can assure you that there are plenty of persons on campus that support my speaking out.
I have been contacted over the past several years by students, faculty and staff (both employed and recently terminated), and job applicants with concerns shared by many regarding the questionable allocation of resources and the climate of intimidation that has infiltrated a campus that is loved by many within this community.
Sincerely,
Mary Lou Herring