Op-eds By Charles Garris May 24, 2021 1:13 AM
Charles Garris is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, a member of the Faculty Senate and a former Chair of the Faculty Senate executive committee.
It is with great sadness that I learned of University President Thomas LeBlanc’s decision to retire from his position at the end of the 2021–22 academic year. At the beginning of his presidency, there was a palpable excitement that he would build on the upward trajectory of excellence left to him by the administrations of predecessors Stephen Joel Trachtenberg and Steven Knapp. LeBlanc was provided by the presidential search committee with a detailed analysis which defined a series of major historical challenges that had prevented GW from joining the top tier academic institutions of the nation and limited the future trajectory of the institution.
Media Credit: File Photo by Donna Armstrong
STEM professors said LeBlanc had the right idea in placing an emphasis on advancing STEM but was unable to get the wider University community to stand behind him in this goal.
Despite University President Thomas LeBlanc’s efforts to enhance STEM research and enrollment at GW, mathematics and engineering professors said they’ve been disappointed in his inability to unite the GW community behind his University vision.
LeBlanc faced mountingpressure to resign over the past year as the GW community widely opposed his controversial 20/30 strategic plan to promote STEM development at the expense of the humanities in addition to violations of shared governance principles. More than half a dozen STEM professors said LeBlanc managed the University’s COVID-19 pandemic appropriately but failed to consult the wider University community about his vision to increase GW’s focus on funding, enrollment and academics for STEM disciplines.
Media Credit: Grace Hromin | Senior Photo Editor
Charnovitz, who received accolades from colleagues upon his departure last month, said he’s seen the senate lose some of its value to the University during the past year.
News By Isha Trivedi May 10, 2021 12:25 AM
Former Faculty Senate Parliamentarian Steve Charnovitz said his final senate meeting late last month was a “depressing” end to his 13-year stint in the position.
Charnovitz, who started teaching at GW in 2004, has held the position of senate parliamentarian longer than anyone else in the senate’s history. As his tenure has come to a close, he said he feels the senate has “wasted” time on resolutions to question University President Thomas LeBlanc’s leadership abilities rather than advise University leaders on policies to help navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and a changing higher education landscape.
The resolution articulates “serious concerns” about University leaders’ ability to advance GW’s mission in response to the results of the recent faculty survey.
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