GODDARD PRESIDENT LOST A 'VOTE OF CONFIDENCE'
PLAINFIELD -- Jack Lindquist, Goddard college president, who announced this week that he may resign next year in major changes are not made at the college, was the subject earlier this month of an overwhelming "lack of confidence vote" among faculty members.
Lindquist said he and the Board of Trustees received the results of the vote nearly two weeks ago, without any explanation of the factors that affected the outcome.
The secret vote was taken during the faculty meeting may 10th, according to employees.
Though 17 faculty members voted that they lacked confidence in the top administrator, two voted in support of him and about six of the 25 faculty members abstained from voting.
Most of those involved declined to discuss the matter or would talk about it only if their names were not use.
However, faculty member Ellen Cole said the vote stemmed from some faculty members' perception that Goddard need to change of direction.
"Jack did a fine job as president in the early years of his administration and he brought the college from a period of serious financial difficulties to a period of solidity," she said.
"On the other hand, the needs of an institution change in there are people and Goddard who feel that there are different strengths necessary now." Lindquist acknowledged Wednesday that there has been tension between the faculty, staff and administration.
"There isn't any war here, but I'm a losing battle that I refuse to even participate in," he said.
Lindquist, 48, who has served as the college's president since 1981, said the vote had some influence on his decision to consider resigning, but was not the impetus for it. He said he has been considering leaving the position since last fall.
"The vote sends me," he said, adding that there has been a move a-foot among the faculty to "nudge me into retirement" since last fall.
"But the (faculty) vote cast it in a whole different light. I was preparing to (announced my possible resignation) anyway but it's going to get interpreted differently now," he said.
The President maintains that he has dual reasons for announcing his possible resignation from the $55,000-per-year position. After ten years he is tired of the stress that comes from being a top college administrator, and he would like to see broad changes in the school. Those changes include making the school more affordable and appealing to a larger group of students, as well as lightening the workload and increasing salaries for faculty.
Lindquist said if he does formally resign, it would probably become effective at the end of his seven-year contract, which is up in December, 1990.
John Bloch of Worcester, a member of Goddard College Board of Trustees, said the Board is divided in support of Lindquist.
"Basically what we've had it is long-term mismanagement; gross incompetence," he said. "There are some severe problems internally and the only way they're going to be solved is by his (Lindquist's) removal."
Bloch and some faculty members said that Lindquist was deficient in raising funds for the school, and inefficient management skills, and had difficulties working with senior colleagues -- many of whom have left their positions within the last year.
"There is $150,000 that hasn't been collected in this year's tuition. His job description calls for his raising money, but he hasn't raised to dime, and in fact, he is losing money," said Bloch, who added that he hasn't seen a financial report for at least six months.
The school, which has tried to place the dean of finance and facilities who left last year, has been unsuccessful and recruiting a replacement.
Additionally, some faculty and trustees said that money donated to the college has been mismanaged.
Last year alumni bequeathed about $200,000 in will money to the college, which trustees said they wanted put in a restricted account until they decided how to appropriate the funds. According to trustees, the board made it clear to Lindquist that they did not want the money to be used for the school's operations, said Bloch.
Lindquist acknowledged that through an oversight the money was not placed into the restricted account, and was in fact used for operations -- a move that upset some faculty and trustee members.
"When the money came in, the person in charge of the money did not know that they should have put it in a restricted account ... and the money got spent. It ended up being used in operations without my knowledge," said Lindquist, adding that when the operations fund gets tight it is not uncommon to borrow from restricted accounts.
Meanwhile, within the last year several senior administrators have resigned from their positions.
Among the employees who have resigned are the dean of financing, dean of learning, director of grants and special projects, and two administrative assistants to the president.
"The reasons for their leaving are various," said Lindquist. "But the reasons that is most pointed to is that these folks are said to have not gotten along with me -- that I wasn't their favorite boss."
During his career Lindquist and staff pulled the college out of multi-million debt, one which could have resulted in the college closing during the 1970s.
He has generated funds for the college by selling Northwood Campus, while bolstering student enrollment, and keeping the institution from losing its accreditation by New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
