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UNCA students rally to protest termination of counselor |
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Wednesday, 28 February 2007 |
By JIM GENARO
The termination of a long-time employee at UNC Asheville ignited a controversy last week, with the Faculty Senate weighing in on the matter and more than 100 students walking out of classes to hold a rally on the university’s quadrangle.
At issue was the layoff of Margaret Weshner, a counselor who has worked for the university since 1979.
Weshner’s
position at the school’s counseling center has been eliminated because
of a restructuring plan that will merge the center with UNCA’s Health
Services office.
According to the
school’s public information office, the merger will “streamline
confidential administrative functions such as scheduling and medical
records.”
However, under this arrangement, Weshner’s current position — counseling center administrator director — will be eliminated.
Furthermore, Weshner said she was given only two weeks’ notice of the change.
“What my
termination letter says is that I’m on ‘special assignment’ for three
months and then for the rest of the year, I’m on leave that I’ve
earned.”
She disputed
earlier reports that the school had offered to let her work through the
end of the year, saying, “That was not technically accurate at all.”
Instead, Weshner
said, she was told that she only had two weeks to finish working with
the 45 students whom she currently counsels.
However, the counselor noted, she will continue to work with some of them on her own time — and without compensation.
Last Friday,
UNCA officials announced they would grant Weshner a one-week reprieve
to work with some of her students, while about 25 students staged a
second protest on the university’s quad.
UNCA’s Faculty
Senate formally objected to Weshner’s dismissal earlier this month,
passing a resolution in support of her and asking that she be allowed
to work through the end of the year.
At the student
rally, however, many speakers had stronger words for the school’s
administration — particularly for Chancellor Anne Ponder.
“If you want us
to respect a new institution, a new department, you have to respect the
people who are working for it,” one man said of Ponder.
In one humorous
exchange, a student, upon learning that Ponder was off campus and
therefore would not see the rally, yelled “What kind of chancellor
leaves campus at noon?”
Another student immediately replied, “The kind that eats lunch.”
Nearby, a group of students held a large banner that read, “Down with UNCA tyranny!”
Others took a different tact, praising Weshner for her compassion and her service to the UNCA community.
One alumnus said, “If it hadn’t been for Maggie, I never would have graduated.”
A man told the assembly, “Maggie loves her students and what this university is doing is taking her students away form her.”
As the crowd chanted “Reinstate Maggie!” and “We want answers,” Weshner said she was hopeful that a compromise could be reached.
“I’m a person that believes in creative conflict-resolution,” she said. “I’m just a ridiculous optimist.”
As the rally wound down, one student expressed a sentiment clearly shared by many in attendance.
“We love you, Maggie!” she said.
“I love you too,” Weshner replied.
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