COLLEGE STATION, Texas — On Wednesday night, Texas A&M University President Katherine Banks broke her silence in a Faculty Senator special meeting.
During the three-hour meeting, faculty members were allowed to ask questions directly to President Banks for the first time.
"It has been a difficult week for Texas A&M. I'm saddened by the negative attention that we've received," Banks said. "It's been detrimental to our shared goals and vision. I'm sorry, very sorry, sincerely sorry that Dr. McElroy will not be joining us."
Multiple times during the meeting, Banks said McElroy's first offer for an administrative, tenured role as Director of Journalism was never changed and is still in place, despite McElroy and a member of the university communications team telling KAGS News that the offer had been amended.
"Everybody should be afraid of the idea that somebody can make a call and influence the hiring, promotion, tenure, or anything related to our faculty," Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Angie Hill Price said. "That goes against the very heart of what we are as an institution and against all the processes that we have to make sure that voices are heard appropriately."
After the conclusion of the meeting, the faculty senate decided to appoint a fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the failed appointment.
"Dr. Anand was not made aware of the offer and Dr. Banks you have said you were not made aware of it, but we kind of rolled with it once we became aware of it," Instructional Assistant Professor Adam Haney said. "How can we say for certain that there's no undue or outside influence if nobody's willing to take responsibility?"
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