A Message to the Albright Community

From John F. Horrigan, Jr., Chair, Board of Trustees

The Chronicle of Higher Education ("Albright College Faculty Members Agree on a Joint Probe of President's Credentials," Friday, November 12) has erroneously reported that the Executive Committee of the Albright College Board of Trustees has agreed to an "investigation" of President Henry A. Zimon's resume. This is untrue. Rather, the Executive Committees of the Board of Trustees and the Albright faculty have agreed to review and discuss each of the issues elaborated in the Chronicle article in order to bring closure to the matter. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees is and remains unanimous in its support of Dr. Zimon and his appointment.

As you know, there has been a concerted personal attack against our new president. This attack, which we believe to be orchestrated by a faculty member with a history of engaging in abusive attacks on colleagues, is completely unwarranted and without factual basis. Let me reassure you of the following:

--The Presidential Search Committee, which included three faculty representatives, who have endorsed this statement, exhaustively reviewed Dr. Zimon's resume and references. That committee concluded that the resume contained no misrepresentations and enthusiastically recommended Dr. Zimon.

--The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees engaged in a similar process and reached a similar conclusion.

--In his initial interview for the position of president, Dr. Zimon went through his resume line by line and explained, in detail, all aspects of those representations.

-- At a recent meeting of the Trustees Executive Committee, a faculty member of the Presidential Search Committee expressed in no uncertain terms frustration and anger because the Search Committee knew these charges are false.

--Yet, as one, or perhaps more, faculty members attempted to undermine Dr. Zimon for their own destructive purposes, the faculty continued to debate these issues. In that debate, the Albright faculty responsibly withdrew any resolution to interrogate Dr. Zimon. The faculty sought, and the Trustees Executive Committee readily agreed to, a meeting where the Trustees Executive Committee would share the information considered by the Search Committee.

--The Faculty and Trustees Executive Committees agreed that this would be a confidential process with the expectation of the issuance of a mutually-agreed-upon joint statement. However, one faculty member has admitted to betraying that process and its confidentiality by sending the withdrawn faculty motion and information about the confidential process to the Chronicle of Higher Education, which has published them.

The Albright Board of Trustees is overwhelming in its support and enthusiasm for Dr. Zimon. I am sickened by these ad hominem attacks on a man of such character and integrity who works endless hours on Albright's behalf.

I am disenchanted and disappointed by these occurrences. However, I remind myself that most of the faculty, including the Faculty Chair and members of the Faculty Executive Committee, are people of honor and good will. Therefore, we will proceed with the confidential process designed to bring this matter to a conclusion.

I want to emphasize again that the Board of Trustees feels strongly that Albright is being led by an extraordinary man with extraordinary credentials, vision and energy. It is unfortunate that a few individuals in the community seem determined to undermine his leadership of Albright College

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