University of Massachusetts Chancellor Robert C. Holub sent a letter to UMass President Jack M. Wilson demanding the Attorney General's office investigate the leak of Holub's confidential evaluation to the Boston Globe last month.
UMass Amherst Chancellor Robert C. Holub is seen at last month's 141st commencement ceremonies. UMass President Jack Wilson is seen sitting behind Holub.
AMHERST - The Boston Globe has reported that University of Massachusetts Chancellor Robert C. Holub sent a letter to UMass President Jack M. Wilson demanding the Attorney General’s office investigate the leak of Holub’s confidential evaluation to the Globe last month.
The Globe cites unnamed sources and the story on the letter follows the Globe report that the evaluation committee recommended against reappointing Holub. His contract expires July 31, however, his $375,000 contract requires a six-month notification if it won't be renewed.
Wilson refused to comment on the letter and UMass Amherst officials wouldn't release it because it is not a public document, according to UMass spokesman Edward F. Blaguszewski.
“President Wilson shares Chancellor Holub’s view that the performance evaluation process should be confidential and thus will continue to refrain from comment on this matter,” UMass spokesman Robert P. Connolly said in a statement. “President Wilson looks forward to receiving the report of the committee charged with conducting this review and will continue to proceed in a manner that is consistent with the established Chancellor-review process.”
The Attorney General’s office also declined to comment.
It is unclear when Holub’s evaluation will be finished and Wilson is leaving the position June 30.
Connolly said he believes that the evaluation committee is finishing its final report but they need all seven members to agree with the report’s writing.
He said it would be desirable to have the evaluation finished before Wilson leaves. If the report is finished in time, Wilson will review it “then discuss its findings with Holub.”
Wilson met with the chancellor to discuss the preliminary findings last month along with incoming president Robert L. Caret, Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the evaluation committee and trustee; and Board of Trustee chairman James J. Karam.
Neither Karam or Johnston returned phone calls made by The Republican.
The public playing out of this “makes me wince,” said state Rep. Ellen Story, D-Amherst. “It would be nice to have a chancellor in place and get on with the business of running the university and providing top quality education and not have this kind of distraction.”
In relation to the leaked reports, she said “it’s baffling and hard to figure out what the real agenda is”.
“It was an unwelcome surprise to see that played out on the Front page of the Boston Globe,” said Ernest D. May, Faculty Senate president referring to the story about the evaluation and subsequent story about the letter.
He said academic reviews are supposed to be kept confidential.
At the same time, he said, despite what’s happened “There is no interruption of research, or advising. The students will not notice anything (on campus.)”
But as far as future planning for the university, he’d like to see this resolved within two to six weeks. The Faculty Senate participated in the evaluation as required and he declined to say what kind of grades the chancellor earned.
“The rapid turnover (of chancellors) is far from ideal. On the other hand for the campus to progress, the chancellor has to have the confidence of the new president, the trustees and the governor.” Holub is the fourth chancellor this decade, including two interim leaders.
According to the Globe, some officials were upset that Holub had not communicated his thinking about possibly creating a UMass medical school in conjunction with Baystate Health in Springfield, something that was dropped. Also some are critical of Holub’s leadership style as well as his ability to communicate, something corroborated by the results of a survey conducted by the Massachusetts Society of Professors and posted on their Web site.
Town officials and business owners and Springfield officials, meanwhile, have praised the chancellor’s work.
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who was asked to participate in Holub’s evaluation, wrote in an April 21 letter that “it is indeed a pleasure to provide an exceedingly favorable response and evaluation.”
He wrote that he has appreciated “a great working relationship” with Holub who has reached out the city. Holub, one of four finalists for the position three years ago, replaced John V. Lombardi who left amid controversy Sept. 1, 2007 to become the Louisiana State University System. Thomas W. Cole Jr. served as interim for one year.
At the time, Lombardi said he wanted to leave after a possible plan to combine the positions of chancellor and president at the campus was presented by Wilson. That proposal was later dropped.