SSU PROF PUSHES FOR FACULTY REFERENDUM

Sonoma State University sociology professor Noel Byrne is pushing for a faculty referendum on President Ruben Armi??ana and chief financial officer Larry Furukawa-Schlereth, calling for their resignations if no-confidence is declared.

Byrne presented the motion on March 25 to the university's Academic Senate, which will consider the request in late April and could possibly set a vote of the faculty in early May, said Susan Moulton, Academic Senate chair.

"I think faculty are frustrated, the workload has increased dramatically. The ones who have spoken with me would like some way to express concerns that would be acted on," Moulton said. "They are dismayed by financial priorities on campus."

The faculty in May 2007 by a 3-to-1 vote declared no confidence in Armi??ana's leadership.

The concerns now are about the financial plight of Sonoma State, as well as a feeling that not enough has changed since the last no-confidence vote, and targets Furukawa-Schlereth as well as Armi??ana, Byrne said.

"President Armi??ana never responded to that vote of no confidence until the latter part of 2008, a year and a half the faculty have often said why didn't anything ever happen," Byrne said.

Susan Kashack, SSU's associate vice president of communications, said that neither Armi??ana nor Furukawa-Schlereth would comment.

"There is nothing to comment on," Kashack said. "If and when the motion comes before the board, we will know more about the parameters about the vote and go from there."

-- Bob Norberg