Board of Trustees' Response to Vote of "No Confidence" in President Joel

Below is the response of the Board of Trustees of Yeshiva University to the recent Yeshiva College faculty vote of "no confidence" in President Joel. It was first published at http://blogs.yu.edu/news/2015/03/13/message-from-the-yeshiva-university-board-of-trustees/.

You might be aware that a majority of the undergraduate faculty of Yeshiva College who participated in a vote passed a resolution of No Confidence in President Richard Joel. This is an unfortunate development, given the Administration’s work and many meetings with the faculty to develop plans to enhance the quality of the educational experience at YU while saving costs. While it’s regrettable that a small number of contract faculty will leave the University, we are building an organization and an academic program that creates more flexibility and options for students. Details will be shared soon on ways more of our students can enjoy and benefit from our outstanding scholars, and how smaller programs can be strengthened.

Sometimes change can create concern. But the fact is that change needs to be embraced, and change provides an opportunity to make improvements in our structure, and in the way we support the needs and aspirations of our exceptional students. Change will allow YU to move forward with excellence.

Below is a statement I am sharing on behalf of the Board of Trustees. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the unique mission of YU.

Dr. Henry Kressel
Chairman
Board of Trustees of Yeshiva University

Statement from the Yeshiva University Board of Trustees

The faculty at Yeshiva University are among the best anywhere. They are at the core of supporting our unique mission, and instilling the values to both learn and live.

What must be clarified, however, is that the Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for ensuring the University is able to move forward with excellence. This responsibility includes implementing a financial plan to ensure the sustainability of the institution. Under our direction, President Richard Joel, his administration and the Board’s outside advisers, Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), have identified areas across the entire university to streamline and realign operations, while ensuring the student experience remains vibrant. They have performed admirably in a difficult environment.

While important gains have been made, including the proposed investment by the Montefiore Health System in a joint venture concerning the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, we cannot find all of the solutions and meet our deficit reduction goal without the participation of our faculty. We deeply appreciate the important insights and opinions offered by faculty in the course of many meetings, and hope they continue to partner with the University to implement the necessary changes.

The Board is confident that President Joel and his administration will continue to work diligently to strengthen the bonds of collaboration and maintain the focus on the needs of our students, as well as the needs of the University as a whole. This is the best way to ensure YU continues to flourish.