Jim CatanzaroJim Catanzaro says he isn't the problem.
In an email sent to hundreds of community members Monday, the Chattanooga State Community College president said the recent controversy on campus wasn't really about his hiring of a top administrator who lacked a college degree.
Rather, he said the faculty's fear of change is driving the discontent on campus.
After speaking with faculty, staff members and colleagues across the country, he said he realized that the changing landscape of higher education is driving the faculty unrest.
"... I've come to see that the strong emotion behind this current push-back stems from deeper concerns, indeed fears experienced by faculty far and wide, fears that are legitimate," he wrote. "It's fear that traditional teaching methods in wide use on our campus and across the nation will be replaced by self-paced, student-directed, project-based learning; and it's fear that faculty themselves will be replaced -- by coaches, mentors and technology. Fear, of course, drives exaggeration and rumor, ultimately resistance."
Catanzaro has come under fire for the hiring of Chief Innovations Officer Lisa Haynes, who was hired without a bachelor's degree, as required under her job description. Haynes earns $108,000 and is tasked with finding alternative sources of revenue for the college.
Faculty Senate Chairman Kenneth Goldsmith said the decision to hire Haynes -- and others like it -- were what drove faculty members to twice voice their lack of support in the president. The faculty senate passed a vote of no-confidence on Oct 23 and then a campus-wide referendum on the issue passed last week.
Goldsmith rejected Catanzaro's assertion that faculty members are afraid of change and said the letter shows an out-of-touch leader.
"I'm just stunned by his lack of appreciation for why the faculty voted the way they did and his apparent lack of knowledge about what's really going on on campus," Goldsmith said.
"It just shows a very removed, isolated person unfortunately."
The Tennessee Board of Regents is wrapping up an audit of Catanzaro's hiring practices, ethics and the campus morale at Chatt State. But Catanzaro's email Monday didn't discuss the investigation.
In his 780-word letter, the president went over some of his accomplishments while at the helm of the college for the past 25 years. He noted partnerships with Wacker, Volkswagen and the public school system.
"I could easily go on with innovations now seen as bold achievements," he said. "Yet, when first initiated, each of these highly acclaimed and even award-winning initiatives received push-back by some faculty."
Though he didn't discuss Haynes' hiring, Catanzaro hinted at the value of a position like hers on campus. He said unprecedented shifts are happening on college campuses across the country. Traditional funding models appear broken. And many are questioning the value of higher education.
"Two things are clear to me: First, we in higher education must find new streams of revenue to relieve tax-payers, students and their families," he wrote. "And second, like many institutions across the U.S., we must become more aligned with business, industry and the professions."
Contact staff writer Kevin Hardy at khardy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.
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