Trustees Behind Closed Doors Discussing Dunn
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Board of Trustees at Youngstown State University entered their meeting room in Tod Hall shortly after 6 p.m. and sat in silence for nearly five minutes until the president of YSU, Randy J. Dunn, entered the room accompanied by the secetary to the board, Franklin S. Bennett Jr.
Sudershan Garg, chairman of the trustees called the meeting to order -- the 323rd in the board's history, he noted -- and dispensed with the reading of minutes from the previous meeting.
Bennett explained that he had called every member of the board Sunday night, at Dunn's request, to schedule tonight's board meeting. Dunn was named today as the next president of Southern Illinois University (READ STORY)
Trustee Harry Meshel then read a motion for the board to adjourn into executive session to discuss "the president's employment, dismissal, promotion, demotion, discipline and compensation."
Bennett called the roll; the vote was unanimous and the trustees, Dunn and Bennett exited the room.
At this posting, reporters, university staff, faculty and students remain in the meeting room, among them Catie Carney, president of the Student Government Association.
"I think the entire university is in shock," Carney told The Business Journal.
"We're at a very interesting point in time right now," she observed. "[President Dunn] just came in, he just started to get settled, the university community started adapting, the Youngstown community started adapting to having him as president, and now that he's gone, we have to go through it all over again. I'm curious to see how the university is going to react, how the Youingstown community is going to react and how we go forward from here."
Others in the room who asked not to be identified expressed disappointment at Dunn's departure as well as their anger. "It's not good for the university," one faculty member said, summarizing what appears to be the consensus of those waiting for the board to return from executive session.
It could be a very long night.
MORE:
It's Official: Dunn Named Next President of Southern Illinois University
Dunn Must Give 180-Day Notice; Trustees Could Terminate Him
Dunn 'Top Candidate' at Southern Illinois University
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