The genesis of this website was to provide a voice to the faculty of the School of Biological Sciences-University of Missouri, Kansas City, in its on-going conflict with Chancellor Martha Gilliland.
Briefly, when Gilliland took the helm, the SBS was a successful school in measures of research funding, graduate and undergraduate program improvement, and faculty reputation.
Shortly after Chancellor Gilliland arrived, SBS' founding Dean was forced to resign (despite a unanimous vote of confidence by the faculty) and, subsequently, more than half of its funded researchers left -- slowing the progress toward excellence in academic science and to the detriment of a fledgling Kansas City Life Sciences Economic Development.
As was predicted, the SBS served as a harbinger of what was to occur under Martha Gilliland.
Update: On December 3, 2004, Dr. Martha Gilliland announced her resignation as Chancellor of UMKC, effective January 1, 2005.
In recent weeks, the College of Arts and Science, the School of Law, the Bloch School of Business, the School of Biological Sciences, the UMKC-Chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and an association of part-time instructors all voted, by substantial majorities, No Confidence in Chancellor Martha Gilliland. (Update: The School of Education subsequently also passed a vote of no confidence.)
Expression of faculty dissatisfaction with a Chancellor at this scale is very rare in American academia.
We invite you to click the links below for further details regarding the developments at UMKC.
As you peruse the documentation of the issues contained in these pages, please keep in mind the overarching message: A majority of faculty at UMKC are striving to communicate to taxpayers, students and other relevant constituents their belief that Kansas City's institution of higher education cannot move forward while Martha Gilliland remains as Chancellor.
This is not simply a debate on discrete topics. Nor is it a matter of insufficient "dialogue." This is wholescale condemnation of Gilliland's leadership capabilities and a referendum on the future of UMKC.
On November 5, 2004, Provost Osborne distributed an email that said in part (emphasis in original):
"You will remember that in August, Chancellor Gilliland announced our intention to continue the discussion that began last Spring to examine the pros and cons of reorganizing our academic administrative leadership structure to support, more efficiently and effectively, the work you are doing. We have spent the last several months continuing to listen to your ideas which have broadened our perspective on the issue. That thinking is captured in a "White Paper", attached for your consideration. The Paper is intended to help frame the discussion of this issue going forward. Let me be clear from the start--no decisions have been made.This paper is a starting place intended to provoke thought and constructive dialogue."Unfortunately, as this May 2002 document (pdf) clearly shows, Gilliland has been attempting to realize such an organizational structure for some time. The relevant acronyms: College of Arts & Science (CAS); College of Natural Science (CNS); School of Biological Sciences (SBS); and Institute of Applied Life Sciences Research (IALSR).
Updates
(as of 12/17/04)
December 17, 2004 Kansas City Star letter to the editor.
(as of 12/14/04)
December 14, 2004 Kansas City Star article; "Chancellor's fall." (pdf)
December 10, 2004 Kansas City Star article; "Chancellor's deferred pay."
December 04, 2004 Kansas City Star article; "Chancellor resigns." (pdf)
December 04, 2004 Kansas City Star article; "Challenges." (pdf)
December 04, 2004 Kansas City Star article; "Departure draws strong reactions." (pdf)
(as of 12/03/04)
December 3, 2004 Kansas City Star article.
December 3, 2004 Kansas City Star "As I See It" by Dr. Esser.
December 2, 2004 Columbia Daily Tribune article.
December 1, 2004 Kansas City Star "As I See It" by Mr. Cohen.
November 24, 2004 Kansas City Star article.
(as of 11/23/04)
November 23, 2004 Kansas City Star article.
(as of 11/22/04)
November 21, 2004 Kansas City Star editorial.
November 19, 2004 Kansas City Star article.
November 18, 2004 Kansas City Star article.
LINKS
Link to the original website regarding SBS issues. Following is a summary of the position of the SBS faculty:
As the only academic unit in Kansas City solely dedicated to basic life sciences research and education at the undergraduate and graduate level, the faculty of the UMKC School of Biological Sciences restates its never wavering commitment to excellence in Life Sciences. Its faculty has long maintained that, without a strong basic science research foundation, there cannot be a proper development of a Life Sciences research core, at any level, in the region. Furthermore, the faculty has also held the principle that significant progress in basic research in Life Sciences depends on the local presence of a strong community of scholars in chemistry, physics and mathematics. These synergistic collaborations between basic scientists embody the unique attributes needed to provide quality education programs in biotechnology at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Now the faculty of the School of Biological Sciences can look forward to use their knowledge-based expertise to work with UM President Floyd and the future administration of UMKC to formulate the required steps to reach excellence in Life Sciences at UMKC.
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