Updated 3/22 at 9:48 a.m.
Temple Association of University Professionals has authorized a vote of no confidence against President Jason Wingard, Provost Gregory Mandel and Board of Trustees Chairman Mitchell Morgan, the union announced in a statement Tuesday.
“Thank you for enthusiastically participating in this democratic process,” the union wrote. “We know there were differing opinions on how to proceed, and despite that, our care and commitment to Temple University’s educational mission were always at the center of the discussion.”
TAUP concluded an online authorization poll for the no-confidence vote on Sunday with 917 members of the bargaining unit participating, 84 percent of which were in favor of authorizing the no confidence vote. Wingard received 97 percent, while 87 percent wanted to include Morgan and 79 percent wanted to include Mandel.
“We are ready and willing to engage and work closely with faculty, deans, staff, students and all other dedicated groups to confront the challenges facing our great university,” wrote Stephen Orbanek, a university spokesperson, in a statement to The Temple News. “We are confident that together we can address the pressing issues before us.”
The union’s executive committee held an emergency meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the results, and will be proceeding with the vote during the week of April 10, the union wrote. In the meantime, TAUP will focus on coalition building.
TAUP leadership will meet with undergraduate students on Wednesday, and will hold a virtual union-wide meeting on March 28.
The results of the vote comes as roughly 92 percent of Temple students expressed disapproval of Wingard’s performance in a March 2023 poll by The Temple News.
On March 3, The Temple News first reported that the union would be hosting a town hall to discuss the vote of no confidence. In that meeting, TAUP hosted more than 500 of its 2,500 members and those in attendance expressed concern about the administration’s handling of the TUGSA strike, university finances and other issues.
TAUP also held an emergency executive committee meeting days later where leadership decided that there was enough concern to initiate a public vote for a no confidence vote.
The union is set to begin negotiating its new contract with the university later this year after reaching an agreement in 2019.
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