UMass shake-up draws cheers, disappointment
A shake-up in leadership at the University of Massachusetts brought both disappointment and jubilation yesterday to campuses across the system. It also sparked a trustee's resignation and faculty criticism for shutting them out of the decision.
The Amherst campus was stunned by the news of chancellor John Lombardi's retirement in a year and the prospect that UMass president Jack M. Wilson might serve in a dual role as head of the system and chancellor of the Amherst campus.
UMass trustee John A. Armstrong, a retired
Amherst faculty leaders credited Lombardi with raising the stature of the campus in numerous ways, including boosting private fund-raising, encouraging scholarly work, adding dorms, and sprucing up dining halls.
At Boston, many faculty and students cheered the return of J. Keith Motley as chancellor. Motley -- the system's vice president for business, marketing, and public affairs -- served as interim chancellor two years ago. When he was passed over for the post, it sparked outrage and charges of racism on campus and from city politicians, including Mayor Thomas M. Menino. Motley is African-American, and the person who got the job, Michael Collins, is white and was a corporate executive.
The changes are part of a larger plan to unify the system's five campuses into one powerhouse university, by having campus chancellors who can also offer expertise to the system. As part of that plan, Colllins will become the medical school's interim chancellor and the system's senior vice president overseeing research and commercial development.
Many faculty across the system voiced skepticism about whether the new management structure will live up to its goal of turning UMass into one of the nation's top public universities.
"Organizational structure is not a magic-bullet solution," said Ernest D. May, a music professor and secretary of the Amherst faculty senate. "The systems that are more successful have more money."
Many Amherst faculty were expect ing Lombardi to remain as chancellor for the next several years and were struggling to come up with reasons for his departure. Lombardi, who is in his 60s, became chancellor in 2002 and was serving under a yearly contract.
"There are none better than John Lombardi," May said. "Whether it's being a cheerleader for athletic teams or research enterprises, he's a real spark plug who gets everyone excited."
Many faculty praised Lombardi for his handling of a severe state budget cut when he first started. They said he listened to concerns and avoided layoffs. As finances improved, Lombardi proposed creating 250 new faculty positions, although some faculty and students criticized him for not hiring quickly enough.
Lombardi has encountered frequent criticism from students, who have chided him for trying to recruit wealthy out-of-state students to the detriment of students of color and creating a police state by having officers patrol dorm hallways.
"We're happy to see chancellor Lombardi go," said Jeff Napolitano , a labor studies graduate student and president of the graduate student senate. " . . . He has not been really keen on listening to folks."
Lombardi was in California yesterday and could not be reached for comment.
But in a letter posted to the campus on the university's website, Lombardi, said he agreed to stay on as chancellor for another year to help with the transition to the new management structure. Afterward, Lombardi will take a sabbatical and then return as a professor and a special advisor to the president.
Armstrong said he first learned of the changes via an e-mail from Wilson yesterday.
"I believe in the university, and I believe in a flagship in Amherst, but I don't believe these changes will have a net positive effect," he said. "I think they will do more harm than good."
Responding to a question at a press conference yesterday afternoon, Wilson said Lombardi was "not being forced out."
"He's done a terrific job at Amherst," said Wilson, pointing out that Lombardi assured him he is comfortable with the plan.
At the press conference in downtown Boston, Motley beamed about his new appointment and did not discuss the controversy when he was passed over for the top job two years ago.
"The last two years gave me an opportunity to grow in ways I didn't know," he said. "I can't help but reflect on my personal journey."
Wilson said Motley is ready for the chancellorship because he gained executive experience in the president's office. Trustees will vote on the appointment next month.
Motley, who was a dean of students services for a decade at Northeastern University, has a reputation for listening to the concerns of students and working well with community leaders.
"He'll bring a lot of people together," said Ann Withorn, a social policy professor. "I think his return is fantastic."
Menino, who boycotted a UMass awards breakfast to protest the choice of Collins over Motley two years ago, said yesterday that he looked forward to working with Motley to better serve residents in the school's nearby communities.
Some faculty, though, question whether trustees can appoint Motley without a formal search and are upset they were not consulted on the system's new management plan. Wilson's office said a search is not necessary because one was done two years ago and Motley was a finalist.
"The faculty union is looking forward to working with Keith Motley and feel we can have a good working relationship," said Rachel Rubin, president of the faculty staff union. "But at the same time, we feel extremely alienated by the complete exclusion from this process."
Motley returns to the Boston campus as it prepares to release a new vision outlining how it strives to be a more traditional college campus with dorms, even as it bolsters its original mission of serving city youth.
Collins, who returned from a 12-day trip to China yesterday, said he felt honored to follow in the shoes of longtime medical school chancellor Aaron Lazare, who stepped down in March because of a heart arrhythmia.
"This really is a tremendous moment for the university," Collins said.
James Vaznis can be reached at jvaznis@globe.com. 
