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RHA holds unanimous vote of no confidence in Board of Trustees

February 1, 2018
Newly appointed interim president John Engler addresses the media on Jan. 31, 2018, at Hannah Administration Building. (C.J. Weiss | The State News)
Newly appointed interim president John Engler addresses the media on Jan. 31, 2018, at Hannah Administration Building. (C.J. Weiss | The State News) —

MSU Residence Halls Association, or RHA, held a unanimous vote of no confidence in the MSU Board of Trustees and newly-appointed interim president John Engler at the general assembly meeting Wednesday.

With its vote, RHA has become the first body of government at MSU to officially vote no confidence in the board and call for the entire board's resignation, as well as Engler's.

RHA President Lauren Bernhardt announced the vote in a letter published to the association's Facebook and Twitter pages.

"We are concerned that the voices of survivors, students, faculty, staff, and community members have once again not been heard," Bernhardt wrote. "The Board and President have a duty to serve the best interest of all Spartans, and in this case, they have failed that mandate. We hope that other student government bodies, as well as faculty senate, will join us in admonishing the actions of the negligent and embarrassing leadership of MSU."

As RHA President, Bernhardt also serves as a student liaison to the board. Bernhardt expressed disappointment in the board's decision to appoint Engler at the board's Wednesday meeting. Bernhardt lamented she and other faculty and student liaisons learned Engler was the board's choice not from the board, but from news reports.

The MSU Steering Committee, composed of faculty liaisons to the board, said in a statement the board solicited the opinions of faculty and student representatives when considering an interim president in a private meeting Monday. 

However, the committee the appointment of Engler as a complete rejection of their suggestions, which included appointing an interim president with "extensive academic leadership experience" and "significant experience devising and implementing programs to mitigate sexual harassment and sexual abuse," ideally a woman, according to the committee's letter.

The Steering Committee called for Faculty Senate to conduct a vote of no confidence after Engler's appointment Wednesday.

MSU College Democrats President Dan Martel also called for a vote of no confidence. Neither body has yet cast a vote.

RHA describes itself as one of the largest residence halls associations in the nation, representing more than 15,000 students, according to its website.

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