BOV Rector Defends Unanimous Decision Nichol Resigns, Campus
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The twice-weekly student newspaper of the College of William and Mary F Est. 1911 VOL.97, NO.32 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2008 FLATHATNEWS.COM NICHOL BOWS OUT Nichol HARK, ONE LAST TIME BOV Rector resigns, defends campus unanimous outraged decision Faculty, students Powell says Nichol had demand talks with communication problems, Rector Powell made poor decisions By AUSTIN WRIGHT By BRIAN MAHONEY Flat Hat News Editor Flat Hat News Editor Nobody expected this — not even top Board of Visi- Last Sunday, the day after the tors members. College’s Charter Day celebra- Rector Michael Powell ’85 said he learned about tions, Board of Visitors Rector College President Gene Nichol’s resignation about 20 Michael Powell ’85 told College minutes before students did, giving him little time to President Gene Nichol that his make arrangements and respond. Powell asked Nichol contract would not be renewed in to wait on releasing the resignation e-mail until the June. board could write a statement, according to Faculty As- The BOV held its regular sembly President Alan Meese ’86, but Nichol refused. meeting at the College in the days Nearly two hours later, Powell e-mailed students prior, but emerged from its final saying, among other things, that Nichol was not dis- session with no word on Nichol’s missed for the ideological future, which had remained in reasons discussed in his Powell’s reasons question since The Flat Hat first resignation e-mail. In- for firing nichol reported Nichol’s October 2006 stead, the decision came decision to remove the Wren after a five-month review n failed to commu- Chapel cross from permanent alex haglund — THE FLAT HAT of Nichol’s performance nicate major policy display. An estimated 1,500 students and faculty supported Nichol by singing the Alma Mater outside his home Tuesday night. that ended last week in a changes to BoV But it is clear that Powell and discussion where all 17 the BOV negotiated with Nichol BOV members agreed that n announced initiatives Sunday, offering him financial in- Nichol’s contract should without securing proper centive to leave the College at the ‘Surprised’ law not be renewed. end of his term and to do so qui- For Nichol, a “The relationship at funding etly. Nichol declined the offer and the top of the school was resigned Tuesday, effective imme- continually deteriorating n Did poor job develop- diately, making his presidency the dean now leads mixed legacy because of the unwilling- ing relationships with top shortest since 1848, when Robert ness of the president to see college donors Saunders, Jr. stepped down after Presidential search underway; President will be remembered for the board as an equal part- one year in office. ner, let alone his boss,” Tuesday morning, Nichol noti- Butler named interim law dean progressive ideals, controversy Powell said in a telephone n failed to improve fied the College’s vice presidents, interview. “And the chief after BoV identified and then called Powell and told By BRIAN MAHONEY By ANGELA COTA executive, no matter how problems him that he was stepping down. Flat Hat News Editor Flat Hat Assoc. News Editor gifted, must work effec- Powell asked Nichol for time to tively with the board.” draft a statement from the Board “Interim, acting, temporary, man of the hour.” College President Gene Nichol kept people talking all In Nichol’s e-mail, he said that he made four deci- of Visitors. Nichol declined, and Those were the words of Interim College President throughout his career and will make news for weeks to sions that stirred controversy and led to his resignation: said that he was about to release Taylor Reveley Wednesday afternoon as he tried to de- come. removing the Wren cross from permanent display, re- his statement via e-mail to the scribe his current position after College President Gene Nichol was selected as the College’s new president in fusing to ban the Sex Workers’ Art Show, introducing student body. The e-mail was sent Nichol’s resignation Tuesday. early March 2005. The Board of Visitors picked the Uni- the Gateway program and working to increase racial AT AT shortly after 9 a.m. H Reveley said that he was surprised versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s law school dean diversity. LAT LAT F Neither Nichol nor the BOV HE by Nichol’s decision, which Nichol in a unanimous vote, beating out the College’s School But Powell said the board’s decision was based pri- T would release the paperwork out- announced Tuesday in an e-mail to of Education Dean Virginia McLaughlin and Marshall- marily on communication issues, and that Nichol con- lining the severance offer, but ac- - AHONEY students. He also said that the Col- Wythe School of Law Dean (and now interim president tinued to announce major policy changes without con- M cording to Nichol’s resignation lege’s Board of Visitors asked him to at the College) Taylor Reveley, following a nine-month sulting BOV members, even after the board repeatedly BRIAN e-mail Tuesday, it asked Nichol Taylor Reveley serve in the interim shortly after the search for former President Timothy J. Sullivan’s replace- discussed the problem with him. According to Powell, “not to characterize [the non-re- announcement. He previously served ment. Nichol announced the $4 million Gateway program newal decision] as based on ideo- as Dean of the College’s Marshall-Wythe School of Law; Nichol was sworn in July 1, 2005. He stated his goals without securing funding and without alerting the BOV, logical grounds.” law Professor Lynda Butler will serve in that position until of helping the College better compete against private insti- forcing the board to divert money away from other stu- In the e-mail, Nichol said that he returns. tutions, increasing funding and cultivating better student dent aid initiatives to pay for the unfunded program. the offer contained “a stipulation Reveley noted that he is not seeking a permanent posi- and faculty engagement. He was then installed as the Col- He said the board agrees with the mission of Gate- of censorship” that neither he nor tion as college president but felt it was his duty to serve in lege’s 26th president April 7, 2006, along with Sandra Day way and is currently trying to build an endowment for his wife, Glenn George, could ac- interim. Reveley was one of top three candidates for the O’Connor as the 23rd chancellor. Diversity was one of his it, but he believes the announcement could have been cept. “It would have required that I See REVELEY page 5 See LEGACY page 5 See RECTOR page 4 make statements I believe to be untrue and that I believe most would find non-credible,” Nichol said. “I’ve said before that the College protesters call for BOV transparency values of the College are not for sale. Neither are ours.” In an interview with The Flat Sit-ins, teach-ins and a march across outside, asking those going into Hat, Powell said that the of- the building to sign the petition, fer was a customary “transition campus mark days after announcement “But we feel like we’ve got a ma- package.” jority of student support.” Accord- “I’m not really at liberty to By SAM SUTTON According to Dave Johnson ing to Zapfel, the petition already publicly explain the specifics,” Flat Hat Staff Writer ’09, the organization of the protest had approximately 800 signatures Powell said. “But it was basically occurred spontaneously, involving as of 1:45 that afternoon. a package that would allow him Students and faculty, decked two or three groups and coalesc- The Commonwealth Auditori- to transition from the position out in pro-Nichol shirts and red ing over the 24 hours between um crowded with students, alumni and hopefully find really reward- armbands, packed into the Univer- Nichol’s announcement and the and faculty at 2 p.m., when de ing and great future employment, sity Center Wednesday to protest protest’s commencement. facto leaders of the protest listed which he deserves.” the Board of Visitor’s decision not The impromptu protest brought their demands. These included full In his e-mail, Nichol attributed to renew the contract of College a wide variety of students to the disclosure of the reasoning behind the controversy surrounding his President Gene Nichol. UC. Many sat in circles, listen- the decision not to renew Nichol’s tenure to four presidential deci- “It’s been hundreds of people, ing to old protest songs or doing contract: a review of the process sions — his removal of the Wren coming and going,” Devan Barber schoolwork. Several students by which the decision was made, cross, his refusal to ban the Sex ’08 said. Barber has been cited as made rounds throughout the build- a question and answer period for Workers’ Art Show, his support one of the organizers of the event, ing, carrying with them a petition Rector Michael Powell ’85 and of the College’s Gateway Pro- which included an all-day sit-in with a list of demands for the the BOV regarding student and gram and his commitment to the and town meeting at 2 p.m. “It’s BOV. faculty concerns; a guarantee that SPENCER Atkinson — THE FLAT HAT amazing that students have mobi- “It really started organically,” Students stage a sit-in Wednesday in the University Center. Many pro- See NICHOL page 5 lized so quickly.” Phil Zapfel ’09 said as he stood See PROTEST page 3 fessors canceled classes so they and their students could attend.