VCU provost reassigned; no reason given

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Stephen Gottfredson
By Karin Kapsidelis
Published: March 16, 2010

Virginia Commonwealth University's provost will step down from the university's top academic post on April 1 but will remain at VCU with other responsibilities.

No reason was given for the change in duties for Stephen D. Gottfredson, VCU's vice president for academic affairs.
....

Last week, he held a series of forums on campus that drew 1,000 people to discuss Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's opinion that public colleges and universities cannot add sexual orientation to their anti-bias policies without approval by the General Assembly.

Read more: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/education/article/VCUU16_20100315-215702/330597/

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It is way too early to speculate about this. Everyone take a chill pill. We'll know more soon enough.

Credit for the tip:

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/the-early-word-crunch-time/?permid=14#comment14

[greiner3]

1. An old GF and I tool some classes there in the 90s;

And she told me of a history prof who would kick students out of his class for arguing for the idea that slavery was a cause for the Civil War; Not THE cause, which if you boil that nasty sorry-ass civilization down to it, it was the MAIN and possibly the only root cause.

So to go from that to a provost possibly losing his job for being pro-gay can be a short distance or a step backwards.

Just saying.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. from last week: VCU forum speakers assail Cuccinelli

VCU forum speakers assail Cuccinelli

By Karin Kapsidelis
Published: March 9, 2010
Updated: March 9, 2010

Students and faculty urged Virginia Commonwealth University administrators this morning to take a strong stand against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s opinion that gays cannot be included in state anti-discrimination policies.

About 250 people attended the first of four forums being held today on VCU’s academic and medical campuses in response to the opinion Cuccinelli sent to public universities last week.

In sometimes-emotional comments to VCU Provost Stephen D. Gottfredson, students and their teachers described Cuccinelli’s action as a threat that reaches beyond sexual orientation.

“This hits me personally and professionally,“ said Carol Schall, an assistant professor in the School of Education.

The opinion affects more than the gay and lesbian community, she said. “It is about the university’s right to establish its own scholarly community and its right to maintain academic freedom.“

Describing the opinion as “mean-spirited,“ Gottfredson said it was just Cuccinelli’s interpretation of the law. “I personally beg to disagree,“ he said.