ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 16, 1997 TAG: 9704160090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Faculty members at the state's largest university were disappointed but not surprised at the state Council of Higher Education deciding Tuesday against renewing the contract of its long-time director, Gordon Davies.
"I think it's a serious loss - in some ways, an offense to the universities," said Fred Carlisle, former provost and now a professor at Virginia Tech.
He said Davies, who had held the position for 20 years, and the universities in the state cooperated well, had a good working relationship, and had accomplished much. "I think it's a repudiation of the good work that Gordon has done," he said. "And I think that's most unfortunate."
Some of the university representatives who did not want to comment publicly felt that the ouster stemmed from the more conservative appointees that Gov. George Allen had made to the council.
The director is not appointed by the governor, but by the council itself. And the council voted 7-3 Tuesday not to renew Davies' contract for another two years.
"I think Gordon Davies was widely respected," said Paul Metz, president of the Virginia Tech Faculty Senate.
Metz noted that, in Virginia where governors cannot succeed themselves, they still tend to restructure agencies like the council through appointments while they are in office. So it hurts to lose someone with long-term experience and respect like Davies, he said.
"That really makes the whole system, I think, more vulnerable [to political swings] than anybody would have set out" to do, Metz said. "And so, naturally, we're nervous when he's excused from work he's performed so well for 20 years."
Virginia Tech Executive Vice President Minnis E. Ridenour said the director serves at the pleasure of the council, and he was not aware of what was involved in the council decision not to keep Davies. But, he said, he had worked for some 20 years with Davies and respected his abilities and leadership.
"They have that responsibility, to make those kinds of decisions," Ridenour said.
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