Mountain Xpress: A-B Tech campus still unsettled

Mountain Xpress has the latest story about the upset at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College:

Nearly two months after the president of A-B Tech announced her plan to resign, Dr. Betty Young remains on the job. The college’s vice presidents presented transition plans to the Board of Trustees on Monday, but one report riled a number of faculty members.

Nearly two months ago, Young announced she would resign, citing “discontent” and “division” on campus. Faculty, staff, trustees and Young have said little publicly about the situation, but at least part of the controversy surrounds institutional changes Young was pushing. Young remains on the job, and has not said when she plans to leave. Her contract with the college ends on June 30. She’s paid an annual salary of $190,104.

The transition plan presented by Dr. Sam Dosumu, vice president of instructional services, summed up the mood of the college. In his executive summary, Dosumu distilled the input he said he’d received through what he described as a “comprehensive effort” to hear from academic deans, associate deans, faculty and staff.

“The recent eighteen months brought in a leadership style that is termed ‘corporate’ and has made some staff and faculty uncomfortable with changes. The perception at the college is the ‘idea-implement-buy in’ model rather than ‘idea-buy in-implement; college personnel express a feeling of isolation and disconnect with new college initiatives. Pervasive across the college is the perception that every idea has to be implemented — a ‘hurry up and do it’ mindset.”