Andrews University President, Two Vice Presidents, Resign


Niels-Erik Andreasen has submitted his resignation from the office of the president of Andrews University, effective immediately. This resignation was accepted, with regret, by the Board. Even with this decision, he will continue to serve and advise Andrews while he seeks another position and the work of identifying his replacement begins.

Patricia Mutch, vice president for academic administration, and Edward Wines, vice president of financial administration, also submitted their resignations. The Board also accepted these resignations, with regret, to be effective June 30. Their work over the next few months will provide administrative direction for the university as theirs and the president’s replacements are identified.

In accepting their resignations, the Board commended these individuals for guiding the university during a significant and challenging time in the university’s history.

Here is some additional material that was not cited in the above post:

"n March 6, the Andrews University Board of Trustees held its spring meeting on the campus of Andrews University. An executive session of the Board that day very carefully examined the recent strategic direction of the university and its related plans for the future. As it discussed these issues, the Board felt that the university needed to explore the opportunities that would be offered by new leadership and the ability it would provide to implement a new strategic direction that fulfills the mission and vision of the university."

This, as well as the citation in the first post comes from a news item reported by the REVIEW.

This is a tragedy for the University.

I understand Dr. Andreasen's letter of resignation was a total shock and surprise to the Board.

There was a "Board/Faculty/Retirees dinner and games" scheduled for after the Board meeting on Monday night, but the games were canceled because everyone was so sad. Several were weeping.

Dr. Andreasen has been one of the strongest presidents that university has seen. He must have thought long and hard before doing this. I understand the problems are mainly financial.

IMHO, the General Conference better get busy and rescue that university. It's brought our church into extremely high standing among similar universities in the country. Now is not the time to let it flounder.

Um, did somebody like delete my post invisibly here or something? I posted asking for a description in plain ordinary language what all of this means. I am not able to comprehend all the "formal speech" used here. What is going wrong at AU and why are all these important staff resigning? Does this mean I should cancel my plans to go there this fall? Someone help me out here, I don't understand this stuff. Thanks.

Nico:

The only authorative information I have is the announcement in the on-line REVIEW.

Reading between those lines, it looks to me like the governing board wanted some kind of change in direction. Yet, I do not see any indication that they asked for them to resign. Perhaps (?) they did? Perhaps the three who resigned simply sensed that a change in direction was desired, and therefore submitted their resignation without being asked?

In any case, I also do not understand what is going on.

This is also the time of year they renew contracts for the following school year.

If anyone wants to read the REVIEW announcemet, here it is:

http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id=414

Yeah, I read it ... I just don't know what it MEANS.

I don't (yet) have any insided information, though I expect some before long.


However, the bureaucratic death sentence is contained in this clause:

Quote:

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the Board felt that the university needed to explore the opportunities that would be offered by new leadership

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That's the bureaucratic equivalent of leaving the guy alone with a loaded revolver. It may have been a shock to the faculty, but it shouldn't have been to the board. Usually, "new leadership" requires new leaders.

As an alumnus of AU, this concerns me greatly. All my information was how excellent Andreason was as Pres.

Losing three top people at once will cause considerable shock to the system.

Yeah, that's about all I can make of it, too, without knowing particulars, which obviously I don't know.

Ed as an alumnus do you have any contacts from whom you might learn details? I'm planning to go there this fall to finish my (long-abandoned) degree and I need to know if whatever is happening is something that should warrant a change of plans -- even if no one tells me what the "WHAT" is I need to know if it's anything I should be changing my plans over.