The LeMoyne-Owen College board of trustees has announced that the contract of the institution’s president, Dr. Andrea Miller, will not be renewed when it expires on September 1, 2019. Additionally, a news release from United Campus Workers notes that board chair J.W. Gibson has resigned.
According to the release, Miller, who has been president of the Memphis, Tenn.-based HBCU since 2015, has faced calls to step down by faculty, students, and alumni who have cited a number of administrative missteps, including questionable hiring and firing decisions, unmet financial goals, and accreditation concerns.
Miller, an alumnus of the college, was contacted by Diverse for a response but declined comment.
Jesse Chatman, president of the LeMoyne-Owen College National Alumni Association, attributes Miller’s ouster to a “rift” between Miller and LeMoyne-Owen faculty, and her “job performance more than anything,” he said. According to Chatman, Miller’s tenure has been marked by enrollment declines, decreases in fundraising and a “decrease in morale,” Chatman said.
Chatman – who is LOC’s director of administrative services – similarly highlighted what he called a “non-open-door policy” from Miller, in which institutional constituents’ concerns have not been adequately addressed.
“It has drug on for two years,” Chatman said. “Dr. Miller is a fine person, but she has not moved the school forward.”
In a statement, LeMoyne-Owen members of United Campus Workers said, “We thank the Board of Trustees for making the right decision. The past four years under the leadership of Dr. Andrea Miller has depleted morale, spread fear, and put our college’s accreditation in jeopardy.”
