Jan. 16, 2020

Media Contact:
Libby Siebens, community relations executive director, 509-682-6436 (Mon.-Thurs.)

The Wenatchee Valley College Association of Higher Education (WVCAHE) faculty union called for the removal of WVC President Dr. Jim Richardson at a public Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, Jan. 15. The request was made by full-time, tenured faculty and their union president following a no confidence vote.

In addition to a statement, the four-person board also received an 11-page report by the faculty union outlining their reasons for calling for Richardson’s removal. Board chair Phyllis Gleasman thanked the faculty for their time and said the board would consider the information provided. The Board of Trustees is responsible for hiring, setting the president’s salary, retaining and removing the college president.

No confidence votes in higher education are usually symbolic and have no legal or contractual power. They are used as a meaningful way of expressing dissatisfaction with a president or leader at a college. A majority of full-time tenured faculty at WVC voted that they had no confidence in the president. Part-time and adjunct instructors did not vote.

“We, the faculty, do not accept President Richardson’s explanation for the current budget crisis,” WVCAHE President Patrick Tracy said in a press release announcing the no confidence vote. “The fall 2019 downturn in student enrollment only pushed the college over the edge after years of poor fiscal management. The employees and students deserve better leadership than what we have seen under Jim Richardson.”

Richardson responded to the announcement on Tuesday.

“I take the concerns of the faculty very seriously and am disheartened by their vote,” he said. “I understand that the budget deficit has raised many questions and concerns from the college community and the public and I will continue addressing those to the best of my ability. However, student success was and remains my top priority when making any decisions for WVC.”

The Board of Trustees will meet next week to discuss the faculty union’s report. President Richardson, who received the report for the first time at the board meeting on Wednesday, said he is taking the time to read it carefully and formulate a thoughtful response.

The college created a public Budget FAQ webpage (wvc.edu/Budget) to address common questions and confusion about the projected budget deficit. This page is updated regularly to reflect new developments and questions.

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Director of Student Access, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.