A University alumnus lost his spot on an advisory council last week for raising opposition to Chancellor Mark Emmert’s pay raise.
Jane Collins, College of Arts and Sciences dean, removed Baton Rouge businessman Chris Warner from the Arts and Sciences Advisory Council for comments he made at a Nov. 9 meeting.
At the meeting, Warner questioned guest speaker Interim Provost Laura Lindsay about Emmert’s raise. Collins alleged in a recent letter to Warner that he made “rude and argumentative” responses to Lindsay.
Warner said he argued Emmert’s $205,000 raise is undeserved when University faculty are underpaid.
“I have great concerns about the future of LSU — about the leadership that’s currently in place,” Warner said.
Karl Roider, history professor and former Arts and Sciences dean, appointed Warner to the council in 2000 and now serves as a council member.
Roider said while Warner made his points in a forceful manner, he did not find it rude.
“Chris basically said he thought a raise of that size sent a bad message to rest of the state,” Roider said.
But Roider said Lindsay and other council members countered Warner’s arguments, saying Emmert is worth the money.
In Collins’ letter to Warner, she said she received many complaints from other council members about Warner’s behavior.
“It is clear that your reasons for belonging to the council and your decorum are not in keeping with the mission and purpose of the group,” she wrote.
Warner responded by writing a letter to Collins, saying she had no right to terminate him from the advisory council because Roider had appointed him. He then resigned from the council.
“They’re going to tell me I’m supposed to sit there and agree with what the guest speaker says,” Warner said. “That’s a bit hypocritical really.”
Roider declined to comment about Collins’ decision to dismiss Warner.
Collins did not return phone calls or e-mails before press time.
However, Collins told The Advocate this week that the advisory council is “just a group of private citizens” that serve “at the will of the dean.” She said the primary purpose of the council is public relations.
Roider, who started the council during his tenure as dean, said the council has three purposes — to recruit, raise money and provide counsel.