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| Investigation Team Gives Iliff Seminary 'Public Warning' | |||
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An investigation of leadership problems and cultural insensitivity related to the retirement of a former president of Iliff School of Theology has led to the United Methodist-related institution being placed on "immediate listing with public warning" by a denominational review team. The designation was part of a Nov. 2 report prepared by an eight-member team from the denomination's University Senate and Commission on Religion and Race. The report contains a series of recommendations that the trustees of the Denver school have begun implementing, said the Rev. J. Philip Wogaman, Iliff's interim president. Iliff is one of 13 theological schools affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The University Senate, an elected church body of higher education professionals, determines which schools, colleges, universities and seminaries meet the criteria for affiliation with the denomination. The commission, which provided part of the team, is the church's racial advocacy and monitoring agency. The Rev. David Maldonado Jr., who was president of Iliff for four years, was not treated "with fairness, justice and care" by the school's trustees, the report states. The investigation team also noted that Maldonado came into a "difficult situation" and succeeded in stabilizing Iliff's finances, increased student enrollment, brought institutional mission and purpose, and increased Hispanic/Latino representation at the school. He was the first Hispanic to lead a United Methodist seminary, taking over as president in June 2000 and abruptly retiring last May 26. In a letter to trustees at the time, Maldonado said the faculty resisted his leadership. Some faculty leaders accused him of being too theologically conservative or moderate and said that he did "not fit" or was "culturally different," he wrote. In addition, Maldonado said, he felt pressured to leave by faculty leadership and some trustees. The review team addressed those charges in its report. "The review team found that failures to assert appropriate leadership by the board of trustees, the unwillingness of some faculty members to recognize and respect different leadership styles, as well as not letting go of traditional norms and behaviors to allow for an inclusive institutional transformation, contributed to the problems that President Maldonado and the institution faced," the report said. In investigating the situation, the review team interviewed 90 people in 54 sessions over a three-day period, and engaged in extensive reading and discussion. The report includes the recommendation that the University Senate and Commission on Religion and Race send a team to Iliff within six months to determine the school's progress toward implementing the recommendations. "The board is working diligently with the Iliff community as we move forward in resolving these issues," Wogaman said. "We look forward to working with United Methodist Church as we progress." In a letter to the Iliff community and supporters, he said most of the problems cited in the report relate to "patterns of institutional governance and perceived racial and cultural insensitivities." The University Senate's warning serves notice "that if the problems are not corrected, Iliff's support from the United Methodist Ministerial Education Fund can be withdrawn." The fund contributed $900,000 to the school's $5.14 million budget last year. In a statement, board Chairman Wes Brown said the report was "a very tough letter to read." He said the problems related to governance and inclusivity needed to be fixed and were "very solvable." In a special session Oct. 23, Iliff trustees adopted many of the report's recommendations and created several task forces to work on issues named in the report. As a result, the school has: . Started defining the president's roles and responsibilities, including creating a policy that the president, as the board's chief executive, may not be excluded from any committee or from access to relevant documents and that the president is to participate in decisions concerning faculty status. . Sought the guidance of the Association of Governing Boards to assist with training trustees and revised the board's composition so that a trustee is not simultaneously serving as the institution's legal counsel. . Committed to work on racial diversity, including seeking assistance from the Commission on Religion and Race. . Agreed to create more intentional preparation for ministry in multi-racial-cultural settings for students studying for ordained ministry. . Authorized creation of an ombudsperson's office and a grievance program for faculty, staff, students and administrators. . Begun revising the faculty handbook. . Agreed to improve the academic culture to ensure respectful hearing of alternative views. . Revised faculty and student representation on the board of trustees to one-year terms, with the possibility of returning after five years. . Agreed to an external search for a new dean after the appointment of a new president. . Initiated revision of the school's mission statement with the help of its constituencies. The board directed the president to establish a task force to work with Maldonado on creating a celebration of his presidency. Separately, the president was instructed to explore with Maldonado his preferences about continued service within or beyond the United Methodist Church. The team comprised the Rev. Ted Campbell, president of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary; Bishop Marion Edwards, retired, North Carolina Annual (regional) Conference; Bill Haden, president, West Virginia Wesleyan College; Mark Nerio, trustee, St. Paul School of Theology and Southern Methodist University; the Rev. Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz, associate general secretary, Commission on Religion and Race; the Rev. Vicki Woods, pastor and member of the commission; and Ken Yamada, associate general secretary, Division of Higher Education, Board of Higher Education and Ministry. |
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