It became apparent to the clinical faculty that the board of trustees and the administration were operating under a siege mentality and concerned more with self-preservation than correcting deficiencies at the college. At the April 2000 board meeting, Drs. Robert Jackson and Jack Bragg presented the clinical faculty’s growing concerns for the second time. They concluded their presentation by requesting removal of the dean and president due to lack of leadership and action. The board ignored the request and instructed all parties to work together to solve the problems. The board issued a short memo to the faculty expressing their full support of the dean and president.
Within days of the board’s inaction, thirty-four of approximately forty-six on-campus clinical faculty members signed a “Vote of No-Confidence” of the dean and president. The local newspaper published two articles concerning the dispute. The situation deteriorated to an impasse, with the faculty waiting for communication from the president as instructed by the board. Very little if any communication was forthcoming from the president’s office. On an initiative from a junior faculty member, Dr. Michael R. Willman, the president met with a select group of physicians, Drs. Toni Smith, Nathan Berry, and Michael R. Willman, without any progress. The president refused to meet with any of the clinical faculty representatives previously fired and was never ready or willing to offer serious solutions (dismiss the Dean) to remedy the problems.
