A staggering 88.65% of union members voted that they had no confidence in Commonwealth University President Dr. Bashar Hanna’s leadership, according to the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) press release. The vote reflects the faculty union’s persistent calls for Hanna to step down.

The president put out a statement immediately following the vote acknowledging the faculty’s dissatisfaction but continues to push for an optimistic future for the university.

“I recognize and appreciate the frustrations of the faculty, and I am hopeful that we have weathered the worst of the storm. Based on the indicators and metrics that have been put forth for us by PASSHE, we continue to make progress to navigate the challenges integration has presented,” said Hanna.

Despite the polling numbers, Hanna and his administration continue to report that the university is thriving, citing numbers rather than personal testimonials. When asked by The Voice what he would say to prospective students concerned about the vote and other controversies haunting the university, Hanna’s response focused on money.

“…I would also say to them, compare. What the net price is to attend Commonwealth University compared to any other school.”

The disconnect and dissatisfaction between faculty and admin continues even after the vote. Dr. Eric Hawrelak, APSCUF chapter president for Bloomsburg, expressed encouragement and frustration over the vote and its intended outcome.

“While I am encouraged by the results of the vote of no confidence, which reinforces what APSCUF leadership has been saying for nearly 10 months, I am discouraged by the response from the [Council of Trustees] stating that President Hanna continues to have their overwhelming support.  I would hope that the COT would spend a little more time on our campuses talking with students, staff, and faculty to truly gauge the climate of the campus. Instead, they make their decisions from the comfort of their board rooms and continue to hurt our students blindly following the poor leadership of President Hanna,” said Hawrelak.

Now that the vote has revealed the true feelings of faculty in regards to Hanna’s leadership, the CU community is holding its breath, hoping this metric will be the wake-up call it was intended to be.