WEST VIRGINIA, W.Va., April 27, 2022 — West Liberty University President W. Franklin Evans responded to an April 26, 2022 media inquiry from the Charleston Gazette-Mail, which addressed the results of a faculty survey sent via email to the WLU faculty on March 4, 2022 with a closing date of March 18, 2022.

According to Gazette-Mail’s Education Reporter Ryan Quinn, the results of this survey were shared with him by anonymous sources. This occurred after the April 19, 2022 Faculty Senate regular meeting.

According to Faculty Senate Chairman Dr. Sean Ryan, the survey was devised by the Faculty Senate and shared via email to 231 members of the faculty listserv (as of March 4).

(However, currently there are 149 full-time faculty employed at the university; therefore, the listserv must have included individuals from other groups.)

The survey consisted of 10 questions and began with the following statement:

“The Faculty Senate represents the West Liberty University faculty as part of shared governance. The Senate Executive Committee is requesting the participation of current West Liberty University faculty in an anonymous survey. Your participation is voluntary. Your email and personal data will NOT be collected. The survey asks questions about your interactions with, confidence in, and beliefs regarding President Evans.

“The aggregated survey results will be shared with the Board of Governors to inform President Evans’ evaluation. Please rate the following 10 statements on a scale of one (strongly disagree) to five (strongly agree) based on your experiences.”

President Evans stated that “surveys should be objective and should not start out biased with a negative flare. If you start off being biased with a survey, you will get the results you’re wanting to get. You can curtail and lessen the effectiveness of a survey; and manipulate an instrument to do what you set out for it to do.”

“I had not seen the survey, or reviewed it prior to receiving the results,” he said.

“In my opinion, the assessment, the instrument was faulty. There were major issues I had with the design of the instrument. So, if the instrument itself is faulty, it’s not accurate, then how can you expect the results to be accurate as well?”

“It is disappointing that an assessment is being made and you don’t even sit down with the person to share the information you are seeking. Had that been done in the beginning I could have helped with constructing a valid and fair instrument; that’s what shared governance is all about, but it works on both sides, not just expectation for the president,” Evans said.

President Evans is currently being assessed officially by the Board of Governors, led by Chairman Rich Lucas. This annual assessment is standard policy and should reach a conclusion in June. The next Board of Governors regular meeting takes place at 4 p.m., Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

During his interview, President Evans mentioned microaggressions that he’s experienced on campus, referring to these as “instances of subtle, unintentional discrimination, racist actions and behaviors.”

He gave a more serious example of a “threat on his life,” but did not reveal specific details about the threat.

“We’ve got to be honest and lay the cards on the table. Race plays a major part. It does; it really does,” he said.

Though President Evans negated the effectiveness of the Faculty Survey and shared challenges he’s faced on campus, he also stated that there are some amazing people he works with who will move the university to the next level.

He called attention to the fact that the recent Annual Day of Giving was more successful than ever before, under his administration.

Other accomplishments achieved in the past few weeks that cultivate unity, inclusiveness and equity include:

• Receiving a nursing expansion grant of $924,000 to help meet the nursing shortage in West Virginia;
• Holding the inaugural Multicultural Celebration, recognizing accomplishments of diverse students;
• Instituting the inaugural Lavender Celebration, recognizing students of the LGBTQIA+ community;
• Updating and sharing of the Strategic Plan, to reflect a revised mission, vision, and enhance strategic goals to strengthen unity, fairness, and a sense of purpose;
• Verifying the spring enrollment of 71 international students enrolled, one of the largest groups ever, hailing from 35 countries;
• Supporting the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s outreach to campus, in creating the DEI newsletter and providing ongoing workshops on equity, inclusiveness, and cooperation;
• Establishing additional partnerships with local businesses, school systems, and agencies to provide practical hands-on experiences for students.

President Evans also stated that he will continue “to work with all faculty, staff and students to develop a more inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment; and many are already on board with the vision,” he said.

Referencing a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he added that “the measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“I do believe the university is evolving in a positive direction and moving ahead,” Evans concluded.

Chairman Lucas also commented in the Charleston Gazette-Mail article, reporting that “Dr. Evans has been 100% cooperative and professional with the Board of Governors and the Governance Committee.” He further stated that he hadn’t seen or reviewed the faculty survey or its results at this point.

President Evans was selected as West Liberty University’s 37th President in November 2020 and assumed office on January 1, 2021.

Evans is the first Black president in the history of the university.

Evans earned a doctoral degree in higher education administration from Georgia State University in 1994. He also holds advanced degrees in science curriculum and instruction from Georgia State University and earned bachelor degrees in both journalism and biology (entomology) from Georgia State and the University of Georgia (respectively) in 1984.

Born in Augusta, Ga., he is active in the NAACP, Black Family Preservation Group, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Pi Phi, and Toastmasters International and has served on the boards of the Sickle Cell Association, Boys and Girls Club, Kiwanis Club International and the AIDS Action Coalition. He is an ordained elder with the Church of God in Christ.

Editor’s Note: to view the entire Charleston Gazette-Mail article, please click here.