Your Confidence in Leadership and Our Process

Good afternoon,

Today, I received news that some faculty in the College of Education took a vote of no confidence related to the handling of the proactive closure and environmental testing of Poe Hall. I speak for both the provost and myself when I say that while we are disappointed in the results, it’s important that you know that we are committed — as we always have been — to maintaining our community’s trust in leadership and this institution.

This situation is exceedingly challenging, both from a logistical standpoint and from what I recognize are very real anxieties about personal health.

I remain confident in our process thus far and in our next steps as outlined in the initial phase testing report that we shared last week. Each of the steps we’ve taken with the testing process have been in line with Environmental Protection Agency standards and requirements, and we continue to work with our outside agency partners, including the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, as we move forward.

As I shared with you last week, I recognize and understand that everyone, including me and our university leadership, wants answers. And, I know you want them immediately. Gaining a greater understanding of what issues may exist in the building is critical to understanding and informing any potential impacts on health. This takes time, and we’re committed to getting this right, both for our community and for agency partners.

One of the particular concerns that has been raised is transparency about our process. To this point, it has been our approach to reach out to the community only if and when we have new information to share. And, each time we’ve received updates, we’ve shared them with you. In particular, within hours of receiving the initial report from our consultant last week, we made sure it was in your inboxes.

Regardless, I hear your concerns, and I want to reassure you that we’ll be reaching out more frequently, even if just to provide an update that we’re waiting for more results and information from our consultants. We’ll also continue to provide updates on our website.

Moving forward, if you feel confident in one thing, I hope it’s the fact that the university remains committed to doing the right things to ensure this is a safe place to work, learn and live. Know that we hear your concerns, and we’ll do all that we can to earn and keep your trust.

Thank you,

Randy Woodson
Chancellor