Thirty-six percent of Loyola University faculty members cast a vote of no confidence in President John J. Piderit, according to results released Monday of the first such vote in the school’s 129-year history.
Almost as many faculty members, 33 percent, gave Piderit a vote of confidence. Nearly 31 percent either did not vote, abstained or submitted invalid ballots. There were 1,003 faculty eligible to vote in the election at Loyola, one of the nation’s largest Jesuit universities.
The turmoil over Piderit’s leadership stems from his plan to restructure the university, called “Loyola 2000,” and to pare a $20 million budget deficit. The no-confidence vote was taken over a series of weeks after faculty and other Loyola personnel objected to the plan.
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The split vote is strictly advisory and does not determine whether Piderit remains at the helm of the Chicago university. Members of the board of trustees, who select or fire a president, immediately said that they stand behind Piderit.
“In this case the board is backing Father Piderit 100 percent and backing the plan that he has to restructure the university,” Frank Considine, chairman of the Loyola board of trustees, said Monday.
“He’s very bright, he’s energetic and he works hard,” Considine said of Piderit, who is a Jesuit priest and an economist. “He’s a little impulsive in terms of wanting to get things done, but he’s action-oriented and he’s out there trying to raise funds for the university all of the time.”
Considine said that before the vote was announced, he advised Piderit to create a “more collaborative working environment.” Piderit immediately adopted such changes in approach, Considine added.
In announcing the Loyola 2000 plans, Piderit had warned of “painful” program cuts and changes, offers of early retirement to eligible faculty and staff, tuition increases and possibly larger class sizes.
In a statement released Monday afternoon about the no-confidence vote, Piderit said: “I respect the voices of all faculty and staff, and recognize that their opinions reflect their deep devotion to and caring about Loyola University Chicago. At the same time, I believe we need to move forward in our restructuring efforts. Together, we will be able to meet the challenges before us and renew our mission for the years ahead.”
Some Loyola administrators said the split vote was a signal that no side had enough power to move ahead alone and that everyone must work together.
“It provides a second chance, a new life in terms of us working together,” said John Smarrelli, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “If we just dig in, if neither side moves, we’ve got a standoff.”
Allen Shoenberger, Loyola Faculty Council chairperson and a professor of law, said “There’s no ringing endorsement one way or the other, that’s quite clear. And the bottom line is–the problems of the bottom line have to be addressed.”