First female and Hispanic Texas A&M president resigns (before disciplinary hearing)

[tj2001]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6477424.html

Texas A&M University President Elsa Murano announced her resignation Sunday afternoon, just a day before a special meeting that regents had called to discuss her future with the university. "The events of recent weeks have been very taxing for the entire Aggie family," she wrote in her statement. "The faculty, students and staff have demonstrated incredible loyalty to this institution, upholding our Aggie values during these exceedingly trying times." Murano said she will resign as president effective Monday and plans to return to the faculty, subject to regents' approval...

Murano’s future has been in question in College Station for the past few weeks, ever since A&M Chancellor Mike McKinney suggested that combining his job with that of the president’s at the system’s flagship school would be one way to save money. A&M faculty members immediately criticized the proposal, defending both Murano — the first Hispanic and first woman named to head the 48,000-student school — and especially, the need for the school to have a separate president...

Murano, 49, was dean of A&M’s College of Agriculture when she was unexpectedly tapped for the president’s job in December 2007, taking office the next month. She had not been among the finalists named by an advisory committee, but McKinney — a physician and former state legislator, as well as a former chief of staff for Gov. Rick Perry — recommended her. Regents agreed, prompting an uproar from faculty members who felt their input had been ignored. She has not had an easy time since...

Jon Hagler, a prominent alumnus who has served on an advisory council related to the school, said: “Dr. Murano is being disciplined because she’s not cooperative with the chancellor over issues that have to do with the university’s academic integrity or administrative autonomy.” Hagler suggested that the flap would be “very costly to the flagship campus.” In his evaluation of Murano, conducted in February and consisting of a few pages of handwritten notes, McKinney gave her low ratings on issues of acting decisively, initiative and resourcefulness. He gave her a 2, the second-lowest rating, for her relationship with the regents and with himself, saying she did a poor job of “carrying out board (and) system decisions with which she disagrees.” In an open letter, the speaker of the Faculty Senate called the comments “unfair and unproductive.” Murano wrote a lengthy rebuttal to the evaluation, which she sent to McKinney and all nine regents...

[Uben]

1. My daughter graduated from A&M in 2004

That university is getting worse by the year. The staff is becoming more and more incompetent and the quality of education they are providing for the cost is just riciculous. I would never, ever suggest anyone go there.

[AspenRose]

2. Thanks for posting it

I was trying to read about it on the Chronicle of Higher Ed but you have to pay for a subscription to read the article. Sounds like a hot mess.