Schollaert resigns as EMU's provost

News Staff Reporter

Another top administrator at Eastern Michigan University is leaving. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul T. Schollaert, the top academic officer at the university, resigned effective Sept. 17. He follows President Samuel Kirkpatrick, who left EMU in July after a sometimes tumultuous four years.

Schollaert, hired by Kirkpatrick in 2001, has been under fire by the EMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, which represents faculty. The local union sent a letter to Gov. Jennifer Granholm in July, asking her to replace Schollaert. They also asked her to replace Philip Incarnati, chairman of the Board of Regents.

Schollaert will take a paid administrative leave until April 2005, when he will return to teach at EMU, said Interim President Craig Willis, who announced the resignation Thursday afternoon. When asked if Schollaert was asked to resign, Willis said: "I stand by his (Schollaert's) statement." A press release issued by the university said Willis accepted the provost's resignation.

Under Schollaert's contract with EMU, he has the option of returning to the teaching ranks while collecting his administrator salary for two years, Willis said. Schollaert holds an appointment as professor of sociology. The provost's annual salary is $157,000. The leave gives him time to prepare to teach again, Willis said.

"Dr. Schollaert has been a valuable member of the university's administration and championed several important projects during his tenure as provost. Chief among these are general education review, the launch of our new Ph.D. in the College of Technology and keeping academic quality in the forefront," Willis said in the press release.

Donald Loppnow, senior executive for strategic planning and improvement, who filled in as acting president for the two weeks between the time Kirkpatrick left and Willis arrived, will serve as interim provost, Willis said, until a national search is done. That won't happen until the regents conduct a national search for a permanent president.

"While we don't like the idea of anyone losing their position, we hope this will bring a new commitment by the administration to faculty hiring and more emphasis at the university on academic affairs," said Howard Bunsis, who was on the contract negotiating team for the AAUP. A tentative labor agreement between the union and the university was reached last week. "We hope this signals a new direction and a new emphasis," Bunsis said.

The union has been critical of Schollaert, saying the number of faculty positions and funding for academic affairs have declined under his watch.

The governor had not acted on the union's request to remove Schollaert and Incarnati. Her office is looking into the handling of EMU's new president's house along with a resignation package that paid Kirkpatrick more than $500,000, after a state audit sharply criticized the house project. Last week, the governor's office requested additional information on the house and on Kirkpatrick's exit package. The university was given two weeks to reply.

The 10,200-square-foot house, which also serves as a venue for fund-raising, has been a magnet for criticism. EMU said the house would cost $3.5 million and that no student tuition or state money would be used. The state audit concluded the project cost about $6 million and state money and student tuition were used to fund the project.

Schollaert could not be reached for comment.

Janet Miller can be reached at jmiller@annarbornews.com or (734) 994-6827.

© 2004 Ann Arbor News. Used with permission