The faculty meeting fell on Ash Wednesday, and biology professor Maggie Werner-Washburne was quick to draw a connection between the events.
"It's a reminder to all of us that redemption is possible and that miracles are possible," she said.
However, Werner-Washburne didn't hold out much hope for the University if faculty did not issue a vote of no confidence in Regents President Jamie Koch.
"While personal redemption is possible, I think there are limits to our idea that a change is going to be possible if Mr. Koch continues on the Board of Regents," she said.
When the motion calling for a vote of no confidence in Koch was announced, cheering, clapping and
whistling burst from the crowd in Popejoy Hall.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The motion requested that Gov. Bill Richardson withdraw Koch's nomination for another term on the Board of Regents.
The Legislature hasn't scheduled a date for Koch's reconfirmation hearing.
The Faculty Governance Committee will announce the results of the vote by noon today.
Jane Slaughter, history professor, presented the motion. She said the severity of the University's problems is apparent from the number of times the faculty has convened in the past year.
"Step by step, many of us have become disillusioned - even embarrassed - with administrators' actions and words," she said. "We have no formal method of evaluation of our administrators, no power of recall, no avenue to impeachment. What we have as faculty is the right to question and, when answers don't hold up to scrutiny, to express a lack of confidence."
The motion states that Koch has damaged the faculty's confidence in him through his public statements about their salaries and workload. It also said Koch has redirected millions of dollars from instructional funds to executive compensation. Koch was said to be unwilling to maintain the resources needed by the University's faculty and staff in order for them to carry out the UNM mission and to have ignored the notion of shared governance.
In a news conference after the meeting, Koch said he didn't speak up during the forum because he would have only had two minutes to speak, and he was there to listen.
The majority of faculty members who spoke during the discussion were in favor of the motion against Koch.
Anthropology professor Les Field said Koch should withdraw his name from consideration for renewal as regents president.
"We clearly see that the regents do not understand what the faculty do and how we operate our business," he said.
Earth and Planetary Sciences professor Yemane Asmerom said it would be beneficial to have a Board of Regents that approaches the University's problems
head-on.
Student Alison Carrillo, who attended the meeting, said Koch's motion was the strongest ballot the faculty voted on.
"That's why I felt in favor of Koch's ballot . because it seemed like there was a lot of information showing what he has done and there showed to be a lot of support for it," she said. "If there is disrespect toward faculty, they're not going to respect you."
Health education assistant professor Magdalena Avila said Koch needs to go.
"The fact that someone who has such leadership as a regent has put himself in the place of a deity where he no longer feels he has to do what anyone wants him to do or do the leadership that he should be following is definitely someone who is totally disconnected from the bodies that keep him alive," she said.
President David Schmidly said he knows the University community lacks trust in its administrators and that something needs to be done about it but that a vote of no confidence might not be the best course.
"Instead of voicing lack of confidence in individuals, let's come away with a plan of action that renews our confidence and our ability to work together," he said. "I truly regret that we've reached this point."
Carrillo said the meeting ought to produce a positive outcome.
"I hope to see action, basically, because actions do speak louder than words," she said.
