UTA faculty share ‘long-standing’ concerns about President Karbhari
In a letter to the University of Texas System asking for improved dialogue, the UT Arlington Faculty Senate shared concerns about President Vistasp Kharbari’s leadership, including issues regarding diversity and inclusion at the university.
“The Faculty Senate at the University of Texas at Arlington has long-standing concerns regarding the central administration of the university (the President, Vice Presidents, the Provost, and their offices specifically) that have not been adequately addressed despite years of discussion in the President’s Advisory Committee (PAC), Senate, and open forums,” the letter read.
The letter pointed to problems with budgeting and with leadership not filling vacated dean and vice president positions. It brought up a damning 2016 study about the campus climate for women that was not released until this month, despite multiple requests from faculty.
“This not only demonstrates a seeming lack of commitment to campus inclusion and diversity,” the letter read, “but displays a disregard for the faculty/staff time and effort of the Task Force, comprised completely (save one) of women. The findings of the report point to serious on-going issues for women on campus that need to be addressed.”
The Faculty Senate emphasized the letter had not come in response to recent events but had been planned and discussed since last fall.
Karbhari stepped down from his post Wednesday, effective Aug. 31, 2020.
On Thursday, Karbhari was named one of three finalists for the role of president at the University of Central Florida.
Former administrator Deborah Robinson filed a lawsuit against Karbhari last month, accusing him of bullying her and other high-ranking employees.
According to the lawsuit, Karbhari used crude language while threatening to fire employees. Robinson, who was vice president for institutional advancement, was fired in March 2019.
Karbhari brought up the lawsuit, unprompted, in an interview with Central Florida on Thursday. “Universities get sued by a variety of factors, people who leave who are upset they are being asked to leave. And the president has to make the right decision for the university and the leadership team,” he said.
“Sometimes those decisions are extremely difficult but they have to be made for the benefit of the entire university. Most times what happens is that the press talks about it ... What you don’t hear about later is when most of these lawsuits are dismissed because they have no basis. I can absolutely unequivocally tell you this one has no basis.”
Karbhari is joined by two other finalists for the Central Florida post: David Brenner from the University of California San Diego and Cato Laurencin from the University of Connecticut.
According to the university, Central Florida is not expected to resume the hiring process until after next week’s spring break next week.
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 7:58 PM.