"Funny how USC employs thousands (5,000 full time and 15,000 at 50% or more time) and the article acts like this large population signed the letter (200-500) when in fact it was a small percentage. "
from the NY times article-
"The decision followed a call from students, faculty and alumni for his resignation, which gained momentum this week when 200 high-ranking professors signed a letter to the university’s board of trustees. The letter said Mr. Nikias no longer had the “moral authority to lead” and had failed to protect students and staff from “repeated and pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct.”
By Friday, the letter had nearly 500 signatures. The academic senate had also called on Mr. Nikias to resign, saying “new leadership is in the best interest of the university now and going forward.”
When 500 full time, tenured professors, as well as Academic Senate, sign a letter saying that they have lost confidence in the leadership of the President , then that means a lot more than if the letter came from 1000 part time assts or custodians or administrators. Sorry, but it does.
A University can’t be considered reputable place of higher education, if the people who are critically important to the University’s mission- the professors- have lost confidence in the leadership.
I liked Nikias- I met him when my DS graduated with highest honors in 2011. Ihave a picture of him and my DS taken in front of the Wall of Fame. He even mentioned my DS’s accomplishments at the main graduation ceremonies.
I do hope it will be found that Nikias was not well served by others in positions of authority at USC. And they will be summarily dismissed.
But the buck had to stop with him, especially after the USC Med school scandal last year.