SANDERS DENIES 'SHUT OUT' BY STUDENT TRUSTEE
PLAINFIELD -- The chairwoman of Goddard College's Board of Trustees strongly denied allegations that she shut out a board member from the process of drafting a statement supporting president Richard E. Greene.
Andrew Dinkelaker, a student representatives on the board, claimed Tuesday that he was never contacted before the statement was released. Dinkelaker cited this as further evidence that Greene's administration is undemocratic.
But Jane O'Meara Sanders, the board chairwoman, said Dinkelaker was the only trustee she was unable to contact before the statement was released last week.
"We've tried for five days to get a hold of Andrew. I did it every way that I could. I even when so far as to write a letter, but he never called back. Andrew has no grounds to complain," Sanders said.
Sanders went on to say that Dinkelaker, who has been calling for Greene's resignation, in the dismantling of Goddard's current administrative structure, is "the least collaborative person I've ever met."
While most of Greene's opponents are ready to work together, Sanders said Dinkelaker has refused.
"He is one person who will not work with the board," Sanders said.
She said today that she had yet to receive a letter that Dinkelaker said he had sent her.
The trustees issued the statement after faculty members at Goddard issued a nearly unanimous vote of no confidence in Greene and called for him to resign immediately.
The statement said the trustees strongly supported Greene, who has been under fire for the past month, and said trustees had no intention of changing Goddard's administrative structure.
Dinkelaker and others say Greene is to autocratic and is slowly trying to "corporatize" Goddard.
Greene says he is only trying to do his job and restore Goddard's reputation as a leading innovator in higher education.
